*Official* United v Sunderland Match Thread - Teams and Yuletide Joy

I'm hoping that Gibson only made an appearance 2nd half as Scholes and Fletch were out and Ando is gonna be needed big time in the next few games. Also hoping that fergies keeping Gibbo in the shop window for the january sales.

Originally Posted by borsuk

not the most demanding opponents with all those players out but nevertheless we played with a real swagger today, the carrick/anderson partnership has really looked the part the last few games, anderson's attitude and drive has been just what was missing.

i think there's been a change in our attitude in the last month or so with much more ambition in our passing in the opposition half. last season we were tending to take the conservative option most of the time and were dominating possession in many games without looking too much of a threat. this year we're looking to play the through ball much more often, which means risking losing possession but also means we're creating more chances, especially as we also have a number of players who look to run with the ball at opponents wherever possible (anderson, nani, park, rafael, evra) rather than checking back. it's no doubt partly because anderson is playing regularly but i think it's also a deliberate tactical shift.


2 clear, 2 games in hand, 3rd & 4th play each other tomorrow. not bad for a team with such a shite squad, eh.

Originally Posted by Baron_van_Marlon

Carrick was good today, as Borsors said, his partnership with Anderson is quite tasty with them both on form - Anderson running with the ball & Carrick seemingly a far better proposition 10-15 yards further forward & with 2 strikers to aim for. I suspect it helps that Sunderland were pretty shite, but I like that he was certainly using the ball nice & sharply.

Giggs in that first 20mins was a joke, the runs, body swerves & penetration were a piss take. Barely a player in the league with that ability (note, not raw pace, but ability to weave in & out of a crowded area of the pitch & make best use of the ball). Christ I wish we had a younger version to play left with Nani right so we got 90mins worth. What a player he is.

consistency of selection helps, particularly tactics. then again we played 4-4-2 in the majority of games over the past few seasons anyway tbf. the problems, if there are to be any, will return if and when Ferguson decides - as a matter of course - that it's back to 4-4-2 on saturday and 4-5-1 on wednesday. also, the midfield is obviously so much more dynamic and forward thinking without Fletcher in it. biggest strength in some respects, he also represents the biggest weakness. anderson has demonstrated this pretty glaringly in recent matches imo. fletcher slotting in and out of the side rather than being used as its driving force should be the way forward. can anderson stay fit though?

Originally Posted by Mr_Ed

Never in my wildest dreams did I think we'd be top with space to spare AND unbeaten come boxing day... Still think we'll finish 2nd tho

Originally Posted by Crumps

Playing well, looking solid, unbeaten and there's a couple of gears for us to kick in to as was evident in spells today. That balding Scouse @#%&! is going to end up being £#%&!ing sensational in the next few weeks.

Not bad considering we're shit eh?

Originally Posted by King Schlong

Its £#%&!ing funny isn't it? Everyone rights us off, even some of our own, and yet we continue to shuff it back in their £#%&!ing faces season after season.

All is good.

united have the best squad, the best players and the best manager in the top flight, and are capable of playing attacking, fast-passing football with a verve and swagger that few can get close to - when we aren't in one up, kick-and-rush hoofing mindset. don't understand how any of these points has ever been in any doubt tbh. other teams have some top talent, fantastic young players, a decent pattern of play, top level fitness and tactical approaches and so on. but the overall collective of united is a cut above.

it helps that we have a manager who knows his own path. it helps that when 'everyone' is screaming for midfielders the manager identifies the forward positions as the key area and brings in a sensational novice for £6m. it helps that when 'everyone' is screaming for a world class player to be £#%&!ed off the manager just laughs. it helps that rooney and berbatov is the best attacking combination in the league.

Man watching Berbatov's goal underneath at half time to Man 2: "Is that the first or second goal?"

Free exec tickets come at a price

Throb, can you save your eulogizing for when we play a decent team please?

Yesterday was a decent three points, but there are far tougher tests ahead. Only then will we be able to see how good this team actually are.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

it helps that we have a manager who knows his own path.

it does and that includes playing one (three) up top when the opposition suit it. ferguson is perfectly consistent in this flexibility and yesterday's 4-4-2 came after a 4-3-3 against arsenal.

it helps that we have a great squad able to play in a wide variety of ways.

we'll miss park over the next few weeks.

Originally Posted by est.1878

Man watching Berbatov's goal underneath at half time to Man 2: "Is that the first or second goal?"

Free exec tickets come at a price

I got hospitality tickets as a gift a couple seasons back for one home game against Middlesbrough. Berbatov got a late goal in a 1-0 win. Its the only time I've been to OT since I boycotted in 2005, but I wanted to see what the corporate side was like before demonizing it so passionately.

We had some posh meal before the game and then tea and snacks at half-time and drinks after full-time. We got to meet Wes Brown and Park after as well.

Wilf McGuiness was hosting and I got the feeling I was the only person in the room who knew who he was. I was the only one who asked him for a photo as he left and he said to me "you know your history". I felt quite embarrassed that he had to say that to me as he was most probably there every week hosting for @#%&!s in suits that didn't know who he was.

It was the worst experience I've ever had at Old Trafford, even though we won. It encapsulated everything I despise about the modern game. Keane was spot on about the prawn sandwich brigade.

Originally Posted by borsuk

it does and that includes playing one (three) up top when the opposition suit it. ferguson is perfectly consistent in this flexibility and yesterday's 4-4-2 came after a 4-3-3 against arsenal.

it helps that we have a great squad able to play in a wide variety of ways.

we'll miss park over the next few weeks.

Speaking of Berbatov: "He knows there are times we like to play with one up front and he understands that we have to sometimes change things around. But his form has been terrific," said Ferguson.

As you know, i strongly disagree with any notion that Ferguson only uses 4-5-1 'when the opposition suit it'. imo this can be shown in comparitive results against same opposition in different formations - i'm thinking about Chelsea specifically, the top side in england over the past 8 seasons apart from United.

the most curious thing about Ferguson's '00's 4-5-1 is that he invested much time and effort honing rooney's tactical versatility only to fail to use it last season when (post Ronaldo) he arguably needed it most. often %@#$&!ally accused of being a one-man-team in 09/10, the truth is that united often played as if they were and ultimately that was why we got found out and why we failed. and not just when rooney was out of the team but also particularly when he was in it - most of the dropped points were with rooney up front without berbatov.

Originally Posted by Menace

I got hospitality tickets as a gift a couple seasons back for one home game against Middlesbrough. Berbatov got a late goal in a 1-0 win. Its the only time I've been to OT since I boycotted in 2005, but I wanted to see what the corporate side was like before demonizing it so passionately.

We had some posh meal before the game and then tea and snacks at half-time and drinks after full-time. We got to meet Wes Brown and Park after as well.

Wilf McGuiness was hosting and I got the feeling I was the only person in the room who knew who he was. I was the only one who asked him for a photo as he left and he said to me "you know your history". I felt quite embarrassed that he had to say that to me as he was most probably there every week hosting for @#%&!s in suits that didn't know who he was.

It was the worst experience I've ever had at Old Trafford, even though we won. It encapsulated everything I despise about the modern game. Keane was spot on about the prawn sandwich brigade.

Jesus. Sounds harrowing.

Originally Posted by Grimson

Jesus. Sounds harrowing.

Originally Posted by Grimson

Jesus. Sounds harrowing.

yep. first all his hair falls out overnight. then he gets #@&%!heads asking for after dinner photos.

Originally Posted by Grimson

Jesus. Sounds harrowing.

Fantastic.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

Speaking of Berbatov: "He knows there are times we like to play with one up front and he understands that we have to sometimes change things around. But his form has been terrific," said Ferguson.

As you know, i strongly disagree with any notion that Ferguson only uses 4-5-1 'when the opposition suit it'. imo this can be shown in comparitive results against same opposition in different formations - i'm thinking about Chelsea specifically, the top side in england over the past 8 seasons apart from United.

the most curious thing about Ferguson's '00's 4-5-1 is that he invested much time and effort honing rooney's tactical versatility only to fail to use it last season when (post Ronaldo) he arguably needed it most. often %@#$&!ally accused of being a one-man-team in 09/10, the truth is that united often played as if they were and ultimately that was why we got found out and why we failed. and not just when rooney was out of the team but also particularly when he was in it - most of the dropped points were with rooney up front without berbatov.

i agree with this. of course we tended to play rooney on his tod against the best sides, therefore it's not surprising that we dropped more points in those games.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

yep. first all his hair falls out overnight. then he gets #@&%!heads asking for after dinner photos.

You would have asked him if he'd seen Berba's #@&%! in the changing room shower wouldn't ya?

@#%&!.

Originally Posted by borsuk

i agree with this. of course we tended to play rooney on his tod against the best sides, therefore it's not surprising that we dropped more points in those games.

strange section to quote in isolation but anyway...

the point you make is vaguely accurate. for example, berbatov and rooney started both games on merseyside together. bearing in mind that they both started at anfield the season before in also in defeat, it would perhaps call into question the notion that ferguson reverts to 4-5-1 "when the opposition suits"

the general point you make about points being lost against the top sides misses the point i was making. for example, last season around the xmas period, roughly speaking, there were 6 league games between villa at home and brum away. the 3 berbatov started were all won, while the 3 he didn't start brought in just a single goal, and a single point. the next game united dropped points in was at villa, where again berbatov didn't start. the picture should reflect that united beat arsenal away with one up, and won and lost a leg of the league cup s/f with one up as well during january. we were the better team in two of those games right enough, although going forward the best we played against city last season by a mile was in the 4-3 game when berbatov and rooney were together up front.

The Birmingham match thread already has more posts than this one, despite there having been no actual football of note

Originally Posted by red in cumbria

The Birmingham match thread already has more posts than this one, despite there having been no actual football of note

Reported.


More people will be watching tonight's match at home as people would have been here there and everywhere on boxing day.

Originally Posted by Crumps

Reported.


More people will be watching tonight's match at home as people would have been here there and everywhere on boxing day.

Didn't know you'd taken up sociology Liamb.

Originally Posted by forzagarza

Didn't know you'd taken up sociology Liamb.

Always been a hobby of mine tbf.