Alert: Premier League: Man City v Manchester United - Dec 9 [R]

Too early.

Looking forward to this. It should actually be a good match. I think Citeh's defenders can be got at and if we make the right personnel and tactical choices, we'll be fine.

Just win United. Just win.

Excited. Being forced to stream sucks though. ********ing Oklahoma, no bars open at 730.

Cleverley likely to miss out due to a calf strain. Shinji still unavailable as is Nani and Valencia is likely out too.

Cleverley and Ando being out is not good. Fletch or Scholes will probably have to start. What would you go with johno?

With the midfield options I don't think this would be too bad of an idea.

Welbeck-----------RVP-------------Young

-----------Rooney-------Fletch
-------------------Carrick

Evra-------Evans------Rio---------Rafael/Smalling
-------------------De Gea

Not sure who I would play at RB.

Down to bare bones in midfield. Maybe he might even play Jones in there

Totally unexpected, what a shock.

Sir Alex stirring it up:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...n-knockout-help-Blues--Sir-Alex-Ferguson.html

Hahaha, SAF at his finest.

i'd let scholes sit deep and have carrick and fletcher run for him. young looked good last week in the 433, i'd put him out there. welbeck it out of form, whether he plays out left or centrally. rio has also quietly been shocking lately.

------young-rvp-rooney

------fletcher-carrick
----------scholes

evra-evans-smalling-rafael

-----------ddg

Fletch and Scholes in the same midfield doesn't work. Neither can run enough, or at least fast enough.

Do you guys think Phil Jones could be converted into a Gattuso-style ball winner? I don't trust his positional awareness in any position (CB, RB, CM) but he does provide energy and seems to be able to run for days. He's too much of a loose cannon for the backline.

we don't have a lot of options, the wingers and midfielders are hurt. i think it would be too much to ask of powell to step into a derby.

That is why you play Rooney there. In a three man-midfield he can be very effective.

I know it's extremely unlikely to happen, but I'd start Powell. Starting Scholes is very risky, because there's a pretty good chance he's getting a yellow within first 30 minutes, and then you're just praying he doesn't tackle. We'll also have a pretty weak bench in all likelihood (as far as midfield is concerned).

So,

Young-----------RVP-------------Rooney
----------Powell---------Fletch
-----------------Carrick
Evra--------------------------Rafael
---------Evans------Rio-----------
-------------------DDG------------------------

Then we can still have a decent bench with Scholes, Giggs, Welbeck, Cheech, Smalling, Jones and several options, depending on how the game goes.

I think we have to adopt an attacking posture to this game and put them on the backfoot early. We need to isolate thier players and attack them at every conceviable oppotunity and make the game open. the more cagey the more chance we have of losing i think. more like attack is the best form of defense. we are not built to win 1-0.

Carrick deep with Rooney and Jones in front. Welbeck and Young adopt wide position with RVP up is how i would go. Rafael in at RB

I see a repeat of last season, will try to get 0-0, but will be 1-0 to either side.

"The number of penalty kicks they get, 21 in the last year or something like that," said Ferguson. "If we got that number of penalty kicks there'd be an inquiry in the House of Commons. There'd be a protest."

Haha, nice!

A few ways to look at it.

We could be conservative and play for possession. That would mean RvP/Rooney as the false 9, RvP/Rooney and Welbeck as pseudo wing forwards.

--------Welbeck-------------------------RvP
------------------------Wazza
--------------Scholes-------------Fletch
------------------------Carrick
Evra---------------------------------------Rafa*
--------------Evans------------Ferdinand
*Rafa would start in a possession based game without wingers.
or we could play on the break with the XI you suggested.