Team v Chelsea

Originally Posted by Baron

Carrick's a gamble, but he's got great experience & you'd hope would stabilise the defence a little with the new midfield. We're still making a couple of catastrophic mistakes every game & we're unlikely to make Chelsea buckle defensively when our side is built on such shaky foundations.

I'd be doing everything I could to make us more difficult to score against, given we have so much talent the other end of the pitch it makes sense to me to get some calming influences in the team now. Blind, Herrera & Carrick can pass it very well, we had nearly 70% of the ball against West Brom & yet they still scored twice, so it's less possession that's the issue & more eradicating mistakes. Carrick is less prone to a mistake than most & should be able to talk to Jones & those around him about retaining the shape etc.

Yep. And of course if he doesn't play due to lack of sharpness then that's him effectively out of City, too. Just get him in the side.

it was a horrific dive.

didn't even touch him you lunatic

Carricks playing for the reserves tonight.

Originally Posted by Sloppy

Carricks playing for the reserves tonight.

Hopefully just a half. Any more and I guess he won't start Sunday.

Originally Posted by Baron

It was a shambolic dive, disgraceful.

New to rafabio etc?

De Gea
Rafael Jones Rojo Shaw
Carrick
Herrera. ........Blind
Di maria
rvp ..... falcao

Originally Posted by vangaalsbigballs

it was a foul initially. But it wasn't a dive. there's difference between going down without being touched (a dive) and going down very easily even though you could have stayed up. Once the initial foul wasn't given it was incredibly naive of rafael to go charging into the back of that @#%&! giving him a chance to go down.

The worrying thing is it is still happening. 3 years back when he did similar against bayern and got sent off (we could argue that ribery went down easily or that bayern were @#%&!s for surrounding the ref), we thought he will mature and cut out these mistakes. He is now 25 and should be at his peak. I doubt he will ever be as consistent as some of the other right backs around and if possible we should upgrade.

Alright Keano?

Dick.

Dave, Rafael, Jones, Rojo, Shaw, Valencia, Herrera, Blind, RvP, Di Maria, Falcao

Carrick, Herrera and Valencia are all a fitness risk, but maybe the 3 I've picked is the most versatile and mobile combination. Really want to see Mata in the side for this game but think he probably won't be chosen; Di Maria's workrate and raw pace will be essential, and expect RvP to play off Falcao, both physically superior to Mata obviously. At times United will condense the play so much they're virtually 4-6-0, with the midfield 3 running through. The full-backs need to be released to give us width of course, but we may do better minimising the risk and splitting the strikers wide instead, which again suggests Mata may miss out because we'll need runners rather than combination play through the centre.

Expect Fellaini on after 25 minutes when we're 2-0 down and haven't had a kick. La Philosophie De Chest. Wouldn't be that surprised if he starts in place of Herrera tbh, in which case LVG can go with one striker and start with Mata.

Tony's training.

Originally Posted by HotChip

Fellers will play, anybody with half a brain could work that out.

I don't see why though .

He'll be lost against Chelsea .
Even if he went up top and we went direct , Terry and Cahill would deal with him easily enough .
We need to get balls into Falcao . He will be the key man

Originally Posted by woody78

I don't see why though .

He'll be lost against Chelsea .
Even if he went up top and we went direct , Terry and Cahill would deal with him easily enough .
We need to get balls into Falcao . He will be the key man

He did well on Monday tbf....

Think Fellers will deal with the physical stuff better than Mata..

I am convinced he will start..

Originally Posted by HotChip

He did well on Monday tbf....

Think Fellers will deal with the physical stuff better than Mata..

I am convinced he will start..

He might start . It won't be instead of Mata though
Rvp will play in Mata's position imo

Originally Posted by The Watcher

Yes.

If he starts, you'll get more.

I think i got it too*. completely fair. I will learn from it.






*my messages are now hidden because I'm a 'non subscriber'...never been a problem before.....???

Is Blackett fit? Wondering if he'll get in ahead of Shaw, or maybe even 3 at the back.

Originally Posted by Switching Off

Is Blackett fit? Wondering if he'll get in ahead of Shaw, or maybe even 3 at the back.

if he intends to restrict the full-backs then blackett would be a good choice

if he wants them to attack then maybe rojo outside blackett with shaw benched

shaw will probably keep his place though

Originally Posted by vangaalsbigballs

it wasn't

Yes it £#%&!ing was, you nincomPop.

DDG

Rafael-- Jones -- Rojo -- Shaw

Valencia --Herrera--Blind--Di Maria

Fellaini

Falcao

We will lose by 2 goals. Fo sho.

Originally Posted by Mr_Ed

We will lose by 2 goals. Fo sho.

I'm with you. Can't see past a fairly routine Chelsea victory with some brief ish moments from us. 1-3.

If we're going to lose to any of the top four clubs at old Trafford then let it be Chelsea. Be good if we didn't get steamrollered though obviously.

As long as city don't win it this year then jobs a good un whilst we get our shit together.

DDG

Rafael
Jones
Rojo
Shaw

Blind
Fellaini

Herrera
Mata
Di Maria

Falcao