Manchester United @ Blackburn Rovers game thread. Feb. 1st [R]

[benni...]

http://www.krysstal.com/images/club_manunited.gifvs.
http://www.playerhistory.com/graphic/clublogo/England/Blackburn_Rovers_FC.jpg

Date: Wednesday, February 1st 2006 3pm
Location: Ewood Park
TV: FOX Soccer Channel (US) 5pm ET/2pm PT (delayed)

Heinze, Scholes, Fortune and Oshea are out of this clash. Smith and Ole are probable. Ronaldo and Park should be back for this match.

I made this thread early because we.... Im bored at the moment, and we are 3-0 when I do it. Just pure coincidence though but... game on..

What Id like to see....


-----------VDS--------------
-------Vidic-----Brown-------
Neville-------------------Evra-
-----------Rio F.--------------
--Park---------------Richardson
-----------Rossi--------------
-----Saha-----------Ruud----

with Ronaldo coming off the bench.

[StrikerCW]

Looks liek a good lineup, I don't know how Rossi will handle the hardmanism of Blackburn though. Perhaps saha in the slot with Rio keeping back?

[benni...]

Even Park could play there. There are a couple options on my mind, but I just put out the one I would prefer... I actually think that Rossi agains Blackburn is a challenge he will need to overcome. He is going to have to get used to that.

[Howard Zinn]

OK, these mid-week matches make me angry. How the hell am I supposed to concentrate on my work when there is a Man U match just around the corner all the time? Grrrrrrrrrrr. :mad:


Go United!!! :D


And I just know we are going to be absolutely beaten into the ground by the thugs, literally. If they injure someone, I'll poo myself.

[billyireland]

Put Park on the left with Ronaldo on the right and I'll agree with you. It might not be a bad idea having Richardson in behind a frontline of Rossi/Saha, tbh. Blackburn take a completely different style of attack to bring down that any other team I can think of in the Premiership because they WILL out-do you physically and probably in terms of workrate, too. You have to methodically pick them apart with wave after wave of vision, trickery and guile (which is why we will miss Scholes here so much), looking to draw fouls. These players offer that, and have the best chance of getting the job done, imo.

I put Saha over Ruud, because I think the latter needs a little rest for a game or two (esp. as Saha is on fire right now), plus Louis has given Blackburn some fits over the CC semi-final legs. ;)

[benni...]

You know what the good news is about our upcoming matches? We have Fulham on Saturday, then Pompey next saturday... and a big break until the final. Thats more than enough rest for all our players....The break is from the 11th to the 26th. Unless Im missing an FA cup match somewhere in there.

[StrikerCW]

Actually I'd say, Park in the middle and Richardson on left with Ronaldo on right. Saha and Rossi up front.

I think Park would pester them enough on the inside and give up alot of freekicks. Then again you could put Cron in there. But that would leave Rio with ALOT of cleaning up to do as the boy sits around on the ground half the time.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Evra for Silvestre. Keep everything else the same. Regardless of how much I would like Rossi to start, this is clearly not the game. I don't want their thugs to end his career.

[benni...]

Billy, RVN had a nice little rest during teh Christmas period remember? He didnt start against Bolton, Burton, Blackburn then Burton again. I think Ruud is alright. But on the grounds that Saha deserves more playing time, Im with you.

[Howard Zinn]

I'm with everyone that thinks Ruud, and especially Rooney, need to get a break from this match. At the most, put them on the bench just in case.

-----------------VDS-----------------
--------------------------------------
-Neville------Vidic-----Brown--Evra----
--------------------------------------
-----------------Rio------------------
---Park----------------------KRich----
----------------Rossi----------------
-------Saha-------------Smith--------

[prymetyme]

shouldnt Ronaldo get in there, I think he needs a bit of playing time after missing three match's, although we did fare pretty well without him...

[Invincible]

My lineup:

-----------------VDS---------------

Gaz------Vidic---------Brown-----Evra

--Park-----Rio--------Fletcher----Ronaldo

--------------Saha---Ruud

With Rossi replacing Saha at some point in the match.

:cool:

[JamesA]

Smithy is suspended for this one.

[Dark Savante]

Things to consider

- This is a home game for Blackburn, hence they will be more aggressive than usual.

- We knocked them out of a cup last week, hence they will want revenge...and be more aggressive than usual.

- Robbie 'I'm a twat' Savage is in the middle for them..and Rio & Rooney might be in the middle for us, hence things might get 'super-ugly' out there in midfield.

- After our showing yesterday the tactics to stifle us are going to be...aggressive.

---

Hrm...am I painting a picture here? ;)

If we get a brave referee who will call the fouls I would like to see Rossi shouldering Saha. Saha's pace scares Blackburn shitless and Rossi's style of play is bound to generate a ton of fouls in and around the box..it's kind of using Rossi as a pawn...a bit of a sacrifical lamb...but on the other hand, it could tame Blackburn's game by a huge amount if the ref makes sure they don't boot him off the park. Unlike Rooney, Rossi will always look to harm the other team in the way that suits himself and his team-mates at all times, which could be hugely beneficial against a side like Blackburn.

:rolleyes: who am I kidding? Rossi probably wont even be on the bench, as we see Rooney run into the ground in midfield with Saha and RVN up top..

[Kavster]

Glad to see the O'Shea as a DM experiment has finally come to and end, and he didn't even last as long as Smithy. Rio's up next, 3rd time lucky imo. :)

[Howard Zinn]

Smithy is suspended for this one.


Well, that screws up my lineup. :o

[johno]

Alot of us are assuming that we'll see Rio in midfield for this one. I for one would LOVE to see him there, but its not a forgone conclusion imo.

If we do see him there it will mean ALOT in terms of Fergie being comfortable with Rio there. If we do see him there I think we should play Park next to him with Richardson and Ronaldo on the wings. I don't think we'll see that though. We're almost sure to see Fletcher in this match.

[billyireland]

Glad to see the O'Shea as a DM experiment has finally come to and end, and he didn't even last as long as Smithy. Rio's up next, 3rd time lucky imo. :)
Sadly, it's just an injury... I have very few doubts he will be an automatic choice in there when he returns in a month or so.

[Achtung]

Glad to see the O'Shea as a DM experiment has finally come to and end, and he didn't even last as long as Smithy. Rio's up next, 3rd time lucky imo. :)

Yes I'm stuck in the middle with you
And I'm wondering what it is I should do...

[StrikerCW]

Sadly, it's just an injury... I have very few doubts he will be an automatic choice in there when he returns in a month or so.
Please have more faith in Fergie's ability to think clearly than that. It is making me sad.