Derby Build up

Originally Posted by Hyman_Roth

Don’t disagree. We’ve also beaten arsenal and Liverpool this season so it’s an improvement right across the board - it’s the best I’ve felt facing city for years. but I still have a bit of ptsd concerning them. Not just the number of humpings we’ve had but the manner of them. Competing against them and showing them we’re not too far off is probably enough tomorrow but getting a result would be huge. Not only for our confidence but in denting theirs.

Agree with Jem’s post by and large.

Anyway, balls on the block - prediction?

If we come out & don't brick it, score first - I think we win 3-1.

If we take the pitch shaking like a shitting dog as we did last time, a 3-0 reverse.

Goals will be scored.

3-1 also. Bruno, Anthony and Rashers for us. The Freak for them. We go right at them from the off - they are nowhere near the team they were a few months back. Get right into the bastards!!

Almost prefer playing City away these days. (Until this season) They have a habit of just turning up and running rings around us for the first 30 minutes. Just knocks any confidence out of the players

Fred has to come in for me. Either shift Bruno to the right wing or drop Eriksen

Originally Posted by History

Almost prefer playing City away these days. (Until this season) They have a habit of just turning up and running rings around us for the first 30 minutes. Just knocks any confidence out of the players

Fred has to come in for me. Either shift Bruno to the right wing or drop Eriksen

Mental - Bruno just drops deeper, we play an actual proper 4-3-3 & not a weird 4-2-3-1 that isolates Bruno as the 10. Eriksen is able to pass with such quality that he breaks their press & we get to attack them, Fred passes with such shambolic inconsistency he shouldn't be a Utd player, let alone starting a derby.

Originally Posted by History

Almost prefer playing City away these days. (Until this season) They have a habit of just turning up and running rings around us for the first 30 minutes. Just knocks any confidence out of the players

Fred has to come in for me. Either shift Bruno to the right wing or drop Eriksen

Got to play Antony and Eriksen imo

Maybe Bruno as a false 9?

Martial is the weak link* and could lose his place but obviously rashers is playing really well off the left.

*he’s definitely scoring now I said that

Originally Posted by Baron

Mental - Bruno just drops deeper, we play an actual proper 4-3-3 & not a weird 4-2-3-1 that isolates Bruno as the 10. Eriksen is able to pass with such quality that he breaks their press & we get to attack them, Fred passes with such shambolic inconsistency he shouldn't be a Utd player, let alone starting a derby.

Dunno, think with Bruno and Eriksen it's abit lightweight against City's midfield. Fred is not being picked for his Passing but his ability to cover ground and he's very good at winning the ball back.

My preferred choice would be to move Bruno out wide to still allow Eriksen to like you say find those passes. Let's get one thing clear, doesn't matter how good our form is, the most mental thing would be to try and go punch for punch with them. Compromise is needed

Originally Posted by Patty_b

Our biggest game for years in the league imo. We're on a monster run, we look brilliant, we have Rashford firing them in for fun at the moment... If Arsenal stumble at Spurs and we turn over City, then we end the weekend breathing down the necks of the bitters and hunting down Arsenal as the Leagues most inform team with major players settling back into the team after the World Cup, with half the season left to play.

I honestly see Arsenal dropping a lot more points in this second half of the season, and if they do drop points this weekend and we win, and we then beat them next Sunday, we'll only be 3-4 points behind with all the momentum.

If we win this weekend it's well and truly on.

Who would have thought those opening 2 games of the season, that, ETH would have had the players making so much progress so soon & long may it con tinue to b e the case

Fred’s not exactly a heavyweight is he? As Baron says, he’s just so inconsistent on the ball. Sends the wrong message imo.

We shouldn’t be going punch for punch with them, but we shouldn’t sit back and invite them on to us either. Hitting them on the break is going to be crucial, but we shouldn’t be panicked in possession either as we’ve so often seen against city.

Should just put our best team out and see what happens.

Looks like martial is not fully fit.
I'd be happy with Bruno false 9, rashford and Antony wide strikers, and an extra body in midfield.

Originally Posted by History

Almost prefer playing City away these days. (Until this season) They have a habit of just turning up and running rings around us for the first 30 minutes. Just knocks any confidence out of the players

Fred has to come in for me. Either shift Bruno to the right wing or drop Eriksen

He’s been really effective when he’s come on as a sub later on because he adds so much energy and ground covering when the rest of the team start losing concentration and getting tired.

I wouldn’t start him but I’d defo have him come on to protect, hopefully a positive position, rather than him trying to secure us that position from the off.

He’s massively improved recently but still has a tendency to be absolutely dog shit too.

If we turn up, we've a great chance of a positive result. Don't think City are up for a fight at the moment.

Provided ETH isn’t playing mind games with weghourst and martial is there a serious chance they aren’t available?

Rashford central and garnacho on the left I suppose. As someone said earlier , we are still a work in progress team very much in transition.

We won’t be able to go toe to toe with them. Soak up pressure and counter with a quick front three of Garnacho Rashford and Antony .

Wingers will have to put in a shift and track back too. If the crowd get behind them and we start strong we should be ok. Just control the narrative and general tempo of the game. We can’t make it easy for them leaving gaps exposed

Let's drop martial, a player who consistently turns up against the blue @#%&!s and already put 2 past them this season.

Originally Posted by Joe Biden

Let's drop martial, a player who consistently turns up against the blue @#%&!s and already put 2 past them this season.

Good reasoning! Suppose Antony has a 100% scoring record against them so he should start aswell

Originally Posted by Dasilvatwins

Good reasoning! Suppose Antony has a 100% scoring record against them so he should start aswell

Originally Posted by goldfinger II

If we turn up, we've a great chance of a positive result. Don't think City are up for a fight at the moment.

First thing we need to do is be far better without the ball than we've been in the last few games. I've got more than enough belief at the moment that we can score, no question, but we get very stretched in the middle of the pitch at times and allow opposition players far too much space to carry the ball 30-40 yards. Far too many of our recent games have become like Basketball games. We've been doing this against the likes of Bournemouth and £#%&!ing Everton, if we do the same against City it'll be another 4-0 before half time job.

If City turn up and they're on it - they'll probably win they're still far better than us even if we are improving. We need to knock them out of their stride, show we're up for a fight, get the crowd going. The performance at the Etihad was a total abomination, we never laid a glove on them all afternoon and basically just presented them with the whole of the pitch to do whatever they want, especially de bruyne and foden who never had a red shirt near them all day.

Hustle them out of their stride and don't allow them to get on the ball and start £#%&!ing knocking 20 passes together whilst we sit there like lemons. You've seen how this lot continually melt when they go to Anfield, it's because Liverpool came out the gates at them and bullied them out of it.

We have the players up front to hurt them no question but we need to defend better as a team.

Originally Posted by Baron

Mental - Bruno just drops deeper, we play an actual proper 4-3-3 & not a weird 4-2-3-1 that isolates Bruno as the 10. Eriksen is able to pass with such quality that he breaks their press & we get to attack them, Fred passes with such shambolic inconsistency he shouldn't be a Utd player, let alone starting a derby.

I find myself both agreeing with you and totally disagreeing with you at the same time.

Fred’s had good 20 min cameos against shit teams . He wasn’t too bad against Charlton but he wasn’t fantastic either.

I’d slot him in if he meant going with two strikers up top for the counter. Sort of going for a diamond formation .

In a midfield three they’ll run rings around him.

ETH rarely deviates from formation and best XI though. Expect the usual XI to start.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

First thing we need to do is be far better without the ball than we've been in the last few games. I've got more than enough belief at the moment that we can score, no question, but we get very stretched in the middle of the pitch at times and allow opposition players far too much space to carry the ball 30-40 yards. Far too many of our recent games have become like Basketball games. We've been doing this against the likes of Bournemouth and £#%&!ing Everton, if we do the same against City it'll be another 4-0 before half time job.

If City turn up and they're on it - they'll probably win they're still far better than us even if we are improving. We need to knock them out of their stride, show we're up for a fight, get the crowd going. The performance at the Etihad was a total abomination, we never laid a glove on them all afternoon and basically just presented them with the whole of the pitch to do whatever they want, especially de bruyne and foden who never had a red shirt near them all day.

Hustle them out of their stride and don't allow them to get on the ball and start £#%&!ing knocking 20 passes together whilst we sit there like lemons. You've seen how this lot continually melt when they go to Anfield, it's because Liverpool came out the gates at them and bullied them out of it.

We have the players up front to hurt them no question but we need to defend better as a team.

Don’t disagree with any of that. We can win. Shitter United sides have turned them over home and away.

But we have to approach it right….and our arses can’t fall out. We got total stage fright at the Etihad. We can say we’ve come a long way (and we have) but went into that game in good form too.

As you say, we need to make it a bit of scrap. Get the place roaring with a few rough challenges. Get that giddy @#%&! on the touchline moaning at the fourth official. Unsettle them. Hit Rashford early. All the things we did well early
On against Liverpool at home.

I’d just hate to see us sit back, try to play sort of cat and mouse game and just let them dictate.

City are bullies and can be bullied. If they play to their best, they win, but there’s a lot we can do to make sure they don’t.

I can take us losing if we take it to them. I really can. It doesn’t change the trajectory we’re on….but my word, a win would be absolutely £#%&!ing massive for us.

Originally Posted by Dasilvatwins

Fred’s had good 20 min cameos against shit teams . He wasn’t too bad against Charlton but he wasn’t fantastic either.

I’d slot him in if he meant going with two strikers up top for the counter. Sort of going for a diamond formation .

In a midfield three they’ll run rings around him.

ETH rarely deviates from formation and best XI though. Expect the usual XI to start.

Fred is shit. Absolute £#%&!ing £#%&!. Him and that caber tossing lummox have presided over some of the worst performances we've ever seen in the last 18 months. The pair of them should be ousted as soon as possible and they certainly should be nowhere near starting any games of any real relevance. The arrival of casimero has shown just what absolute mediocrity we've been witnessing in there since Carrick retired.