Blackburn - Manchester United [R]

[Motterman]

Game at 7:30am on FoxSports World.

Blackburn

Friedel, Amoruso, Short, Gresko, Emerton, Neill, Gray, Tugay, Ferguson, Thompson, de Pedro, Flitcroft, Stead, Yorke, Matteo, Johansson, Pedersen, Dickov, Enckelman.

Manchester United

Howard, Carroll, Ricardo, P Neville, G Neville, O'Shea, Silvestre, Spector, Ronaldo, Miller, Djemba-Djemba, Fletcher, Kleberson, Scholes, Smith, Saha, Giggs, Bellion.


Saha back? Smith rested? Fletcher debut? Ronaldo starts? Spector?

[Soccerholic]

Saha back? Smith rested? Fletcher debut? Ronaldo starts? Spector?Enquiring minds want to know! ;)

Actually they are all good questions:
Yes. I don't need no stinkin' rest. Yes. Maybe. Wait until the Everton game Mon at OT.

[therealronaldo7]

I am guessing both Ronaldo, Fletcher and Spector get their first starts of the EPL season tomorrow. Saha will come off the bench I bet too. I am a little nervous about this game. While Blackburn does not have an impressive record as of now, they are not a bad team, especially at home. With the likes of Stead, Dickov and Barry Ferguson, they do have some decent players. I just hope Manchester United can go out there tomorrow and play their kind of soccer for 90 minutes. This is an important game as they cannot go behind Chelsea/Arsenal by any more this early in the season.

[Acronym]

Eagles should play -- better than Fletcher?

[van_da_man]

wouldn't mind seeing kleberson getting a few minutes...

[johno]

Game at 7:30am on FoxSports World.

Blackburn

Friedel, Amoruso, Short, Gresko, Emerton, Neill, Gray, Tugay, Ferguson, Thompson, de Pedro, Flitcroft, Stead, Yorke, Matteo, Johansson, Pedersen, Dickov, Enckelman.

Manchester United

Howard, Carroll, Ricardo, P Neville, G Neville, O'Shea, Silvestre, Spector, Ronaldo, Miller, Djemba-Djemba, Fletcher, Kleberson, Scholes, Smith, Saha, Giggs, Bellion.


Saha back? Smith rested? Fletcher debut? Ronaldo starts? Spector?

I think Carroll needs to get a game... it would only be fair while our defense is still undermanned, because when we get to full strength Howard will hardly be pulled and I think its good at this stage in his career if he has to fight for a spot to keep him improving... because I don't want a good keeper, I want a world class one, and Timmy has some deficiencies in his game (as well as strong points - im not hating) that I want ironed out.

Good questions, but to me the question is are we strong enough to return to the 4-4-2 and play both Smith and Saha? or do we stick with the formation that we have played so far?

My suggested starting lineup is...
--------------Smith
----------Scholes
Giggs----DjDj---Fletcher--Miller
O'Shea--Silvestre----Gary--Phil
--------------Carroll

I give Miller the start because I think Ronaldo needs to rest and now that Saha is back we could throw both of them in and probably pull out a goal. Also Ronaldo would be our insurance policy against a late surge of attacks because he will keep them from overattacking.

If we dominate the game and go up a few goals then subs at half time or 60 mins of Ronaldo and Richardson in for Scholes and Giggs allowing Miller to play in the hole and Richardson to play the left with Ronaldo on the right to give Ronaldo a bit of a run, but mostly to keep Giggs and Scholes fresh... thus my bench would be..

Howard, Spector, Ronaldo, Saha, Richardson

of course these are my suggestions but I doubt it would happen though I think it would be good if it did.

[phishy]

I put a lil wager on this one..... got good odds.. im taking blackburn 2-1~
IIRC, they seem to do okay against you lot at home and just took a thrashing from Arsenal.. they will defo be up for it and assuming their defense can hold solid, i expect a low scoring game with free kick goals from blackburn and Giggs perhaps nicking one for you lot....

[johno]

wouldn't mind seeing kleberson getting a few minutes...


I would love for it to happen but I think SAF will leave him out.

[Soccerholic]

Let's not forget that United's record in away games after midweek CL games is not too great. And last year United struggled against several of the bottom table teams. I'm more than a little worried about this one.

[Potomac Red Devil]

Two games in two days. I think you play your best on the road.

At Blackburn:

-----------Smith--------------

-Giggs----Scholes-----Ronaldo

------D^2------Fletcher------

Spector---Silvestre--OShea---Gary

---------Howard-------------


Bench:

Saha
Kleberson
Miller
P Neville
Carroll


For Monday's game:


-------------Saha----------------

--Giggs-----Kleberson-------Bellion

--------Miller--------Fletcher-----

--Spector--OShea---Silvestre---P Neville

-------------Carroll-----------------

Bench

Ricardo
Eagles
Ronaldo
G Neville
Smith

[FC Tallavana]

Same Back Four From Wednesday (http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/sport/football/manchesterunited/s/128/128523_preview_blackburn_rovers_v_manchester_united.html)

[therealronaldo7]

Let's not forget that United's record in away games after midweek CL games is not too great. And last year United struggled against several of the bottom table teams. I'm more than a little worried about this one.

This is true. With the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea at the top any slip ups to these type of teams will get the team no higher than a thrid place finish this year. Blackburn do seem to play well at home against Manchester United. I am keeping my fingers crossed. Quite a few people have mentioned seeing Kleberson get a run out. I would not mind seeing him in there, just to see his progress as I have not seen in play in a United uniform in who knows how long.

[johno]

This is true. With the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea at the top any slip ups to these type of teams will get the team no higher than a thrid place finish this year. Blackburn do seem to play well at home against Manchester United. I am keeping my fingers crossed. Quite a few people have mentioned seeing Kleberson get a run out. I would not mind seeing him in there, just to see his progress as I have not seen in play in a United uniform in who knows how long.


he just started against Bucharest and played well... although u probably could not have seen that match....

[cachundo]

Last year's fixture at Ewood Park was a disaster, with United unable to generate scoring chances and Blackburn getting a late winner. Hopefully tomorrow will see United win.

Dang the game's at 4:30 am. Might as well party hard till the wee hours, then crash on the couch watching the game and fueling myself with stale beer and donuts. :D

[therealronaldo7]

he just started against Bucharest and played well... although u probably could not have seen that match....

I know he played against Dinamo Bucharest, what I was trying to say is that I would like to see him with my own eyes in a game. You are right in the fact that I did not get to see the match. The Champions League is covered teribly in America. ESPN will show you fishing shows, Billiards and Bowling tournaments, but they do not show Champions League matches very often despite owning the rights to the games. That is another topic for another day though.

[Potomac Red Devil]

ESPN will show you fishing shows, Billiards and Bowling tournaments, but they do not show Champions League matches very often

You forgot the excitement of World Championship Poker...

[therealronaldo7]

You forgot the excitement of World Championship Poker...

Actually, I remembered it but I did not want to offend anyone. For some reason, I know a lot of people who like that crap on ESPN. Put it on GameShowNetwork or some other channel, but not ESPN. ESPN is supposed to stand for Entertainment SPorts Network. When did Poker become a sport? Good call Potomac Red Devil!

[Invincible]

I hate espn for that **********. Another reason I like to be in Trinidad, at least there they get ESPN International. Why cant they just add ESPN International on American tv? They have like a million espn channels(espn classic, espn 2, espn1, espn this, espn that) I doubt they wont get half the viewers they'd get on espn international.

[Robert25]

I just checked FSW listings and they will carry the game. But Yahoo tv listings said no :confused: To be sure I'll get up at 430 am just to be sure;) It has been a long summer without Manchester United. I want to see some of these young guys, Smith, Miller, Fletcher, and others strutting their stuff.

As for the game I think Barry Ferguson is or was suspended. Hmm I am not sure. Anyway i think Miller deserves the start. By the half SAF will know what to do. A fresh Ronaldo coming on late in the game and playing against exhausted Blackburn defenders will leave them in tangles. Saha I think will be a sub too, he has great pace as well.

[SirManchester]

I do want Fletcher and kleberson to get at least some playing time. Ronaldo should start. Up front Smith and Saha, Scholes playing midfielder.