Team for Sunday

Originally Posted by MJ Ramone

Not really, I'm just playing along.

oh. it is true what i say about the hernandez rooney combo though ramone. strange one, cus they do give an impression of being very effective, but the record just doesn't back it up.

i consider your post on the other thread to be an attack on all my fans as well as on me btw

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

don't think it was a coincidence that all four semi-finalists lost their league games between the 1st and 2nd legs. then again the tactics were wrong at arsenal anyway.

In our case, I think it was. We were just shit at Arsenal. Not tired, there were plenty of fresh legs in the side, we just got it wrong and approached it wrong and deserved to lose. No excuses.

I don't think I'll be as thrilled with a point on Sunday than any other game.

Originally Posted by The Return of JC

In our case, I think it was. We were just shit at Arsenal. Not tired, there were plenty of fresh legs in the side, we just got it wrong and approached it wrong and deserved to lose. No excuses.

I don't think I'll be as thrilled with a point on Sunday than any other game.

call it an excuse if you like, but i see it as just a plain old fact that united, just like the other 3, had an eye on the 2nd leg and the prize at the end of it. it's perfectly normal. now that the CL final is on a saturday, and our cup final is before the season even ends (and with talk of extending the league season further for a winter break), it wouldn't be a big surprise to see the 2 legs of the semis (and quarters probably) brought closer together at some point so there's no league game in between.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

call it an excuse if you like, but i see it as just a plain old fact that united, just like the other 3, had an eye on the 2nd leg and the prize at the end of it. it's perfectly normal. now that the CL final is on a saturday, and our cup final is before the season even ends (and with talk of extending the league season further for a winter break), it wouldn't be a big surprise to see the 2 legs of the semis (and quarters probably) brought closer together at some point so there's no league game in between.

I will call it an excuse, yes. I think it was more the fact that we were happy to play for a point rather than the fact that it was sandwiched between 2 (very easy) CL games. We never do well when we play for a point. If we needed to win, I suspect we probably would've done.

I just really really hope we don't play for the draw tomorrow. Fergie has said we'll go for it. I hope he means it. I can just picture a slow start, 'keeping it tight', frustration sets in to the crowd and Chelsea start to press hard around the 70 minute mark. If we can come out the traps quickly, score early then I wouldn't mind us sitting back a little more and inviting them on because we'd have something to protect. It's a fine line, as always, but I hope we're positive.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

i consider your post on the other thread to be an attack on all my fans as well as on me btw

I'm a fan of yours, you know that.
I'm just 'biting' for the sheer hell of it.

Originally Posted by The Return of JC

I will call it an excuse, yes. I think it was more the fact that we were happy to play for a point rather than the fact that it was sandwiched between 2 (very easy) CL games. We never do well when we play for a point. If we needed to win, I suspect we probably would've done.

I just really really hope we don't play for the draw tomorrow. Fergie has said we'll go for it. I hope he means it. I can just picture a slow start, 'keeping it tight', frustration sets in to the crowd and Chelsea start to press hard around the 70 minute mark. If we can come out the traps quickly, score early then I wouldn't mind us sitting back a little more and inviting them on because we'd have something to protect. It's a fine line, as always, but I hope we're positive.

not sure what you're on about really, it just seems obvious and normal to me that psychologically united would've had an eye on the second leg. ferguson has said that he was distracted with doubts over his team selection for schalke as well, and i dare say half the players who were left out of that 2nd leg would already have known they were going to be before the arsenal game kicked off

it's not an excuse for the arsenal game, it's just obvious that it would affect their focus, a distraction which their opponents didn't have and would've known was to their advantage. it's just normal.


as for the game yeah a fast start seems like the way to go if we want to ensure that we don't get lulled into passive easy possession only to be left standing when chelsea crank up the tempo. but it's a fine line, and i expect united to control the tempo and take full advantage of the spaces chelsea leave as they try and force the game the longer it goes on - the clock is our friend uke:

Chelsea are actually playing worse than we are in the League.
They were very fortunate against West Ham & Spurs....also, didn't they win 1-0 at home a couple of weeks ago with another goal that shouldn't have counted?? - Malouda scored from what I can remember.
*How many home games in a row have they £#%&!ing had?


My only concern is the Ref & Drogba.
Other than that, if we play anything close to our best we'll beat them.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

not sure what you're on about really, it just seems obvious and normal to me that psychologically united would've had an eye on the second leg. ferguson has said that he was distracted with doubts over his team selection for schalke as well, and i dare say half the players who were left out of that 2nd leg would already have known they were going to be before the arsenal game kicked off

it's not an excuse for the arsenal game, it's just obvious that it would affect their focus, a distraction which their opponents didn't have and would've known was to their advantage. it's just normal.


as for the game yeah a fast start seems like the way to go if we want to ensure that we don't get lulled into passive easy possession only to be left standing when chelsea crank up the tempo. but it's a fine line, and i expect united to control the tempo and take full advantage of the spaces chelsea leave as they try and force the game the longer it goes on - the clock is our friend uke:

just saying the reason for defeat was more about the approach to the game rather than potential distractions, but i think we agree here, Throb. MJ, agree with you too that Chelsea aren't playing that great. They're digging out results and credit to them for doing that, but they will have to up their performance levels if they have designs on beating us. I think we've proved this season that we're better than them when we play well. Just hope we prove it again on Sunday.

That was at home to Wigan, who also had a very good penalty claim turned down.

The Hernandez and Rooney partnership have started 6 out of the last 9 games. In those 6 matches the side has scored 6 goals.

1-0 against Chelsea(Rooney)
2-1 against Chelsea(Hernandez, Park)
0-0 against Newcastle
1-0 against Everton(Hernandez)
2-0 against Schalke(Giggs, Rooney)
0-1 against Arsenal

Not a great goal return, but in fairness a tough run of games. In prior matches the turn around at West Ham when Hernandez and Berbatov came off the bench and the 4-0 against Wigan are the rare games when the partnership have brought more than 2 goals for the team.

You could say that we need more games to really make a judgement, but despite threatening and looking a natural fit the goals, as a team, divorced from the goals of Hernandez and Rooney, have really not flowed.

A major part of that is Rooney having that tendency to drop too deep when partnered with Hernandez. The hard run of fixtures recently could explain that to an extent though.

chelsea will try to own the midfield. and kick nani. I am tempted to go for berb's ability to hold off thugs like ivanovic and louise, but £#%&! it.... we're at home and the crowd will get them sent off. supernani can be the tethered goat.

vds

rafael - smalling - vidic - evra

carrick - fabio

valencia - giggs - nani

rooney

Originally Posted by jem

chelsea will try to own the midfield. and kick nani. I am tempted to go for berb's ability to hold off thugs like ivanovic and louise, but £#%&! it.... we're at home and the crowd will get them sent off. supernani can be the tethered goat.

vds

rafael - smalling - vidic - evra

carrick - fabio

valencia - giggs - nani

rooney

sexy as £#%&! that. Fabio could do a great job in front of the back four, linking up with attacks on both sides, and covering for Evra when he roams forward. we've got a bright future indeed with the Da Silva's and would love to see them both start.

rafio..............rio................vida........ .......fabael



nani.....................park............fletch... ......val

...............rooney.................pea.

I want to see the twins pulling scissor moves like two all-black cats running downstairs and essien's eyes swivelling in his head.

Originally Posted by wonky no

rafio..............rio................vida........ .......fabael



nani.....................park............fletch.........val

...............rooney.................pea.

and wonks wants fletcher and park.

:noambitionnojoynopride:

£#%&! um.

wurvindervish