Lets start talking lineup vs Fulham / So, what would you do?

[Dark Savante]

I cannot tell you how bored I am without my usual drip feed of footy matches, particularly United ones. Gah!!! This speculation talk is boring, how I wish it were season's kick off tomorrow and our new signings or lack thereof were lined up.

Anyway, this thread is subject to change, we can update it as the newbies trickle in. I just want to know what you would field if the season were starting tomorrow. Fulham at home, 76,000 expectant fans and 3pts to get. Who do you play and in which formation?

Do you field O'Shea (kill me) or do you go 4-4-2 with Carrick?

[sitati_kituyi]

Smudger's apparently a probable inclusion for the Fulham squad, if your acceleration of time includes him coming to full fitness at amazing speed, I'd field him in DM.

If not though, it's hard to call. I'd say Fulham at OT should be winnable with a Carrick - Scholes 4-4-2 midfield...

Crap, we need a DM bad.

[50 Euro]

I cannot tell you how bored I am without my usual drip feed of footy matches, particularly United ones. Gah!!! This speculation talk is boring, how I wish it were season's kick off tomorrow and our new signings or lack thereof were lined up.

Anyway, this thread is subject to change, we can update it as the newbie trickle in. I just want to know what you would field if the season were starting tomorrow. Fulham at home, 76,000 expectant fans and 3pts to get. Who do you play and in which formation?

Do you field O'Shea (kill me) or do you go 4-4-2 with Carrick?
Against Fulham, Utd could do well playing a 442 with Carrick in the middle (no disrespect intended, merely thinking of how both sides match up).

I'd like to see consistency this season, hopefully a clear-cut first choice 11, but the ability and willingness to switch tactics and players on the fly.

In other words, Giggs-Scholes-Carrick-CRon in midfield, despite Fergie talking about playing Giggsy in the middle this year...

[Sofabloke]

Saha

Rooney

Giggs - Carrick - Scholes - Ronaldo

Gabby - Vidic - Rio - Gaz

Why?

Fulham at home is surely a line-up that leans towards "attack, attack, attack"

Rooney is wasted if we don't play 4-4-2. I hope signing Carrick is not going to signal a move to 4-3-3.

Carrick / Scholes is far from ideal, but unless we buy a proper holding mid, then at home against Fulham this should be fine. Away against a better team, this pairing won't cut it. Say what you like about Schole's tackling, but to be honest O'Shea / Fletcher / Giggs etc. ain't that much better.

Also, Scholes has had a good pre-season and Carrick must start to give the lad confidence.

[SirManchester]

DS, I have a solution for you;

LIGA POKAL!

Bremen - Hamburg on now.

Tomorrow Bayern plays Schalke.

No need to thank me, I just like looking out for my fellow United freunde.

[GrodZilla]

Okay, here goes.. this is how I start our campaign.

---------VdS------------
---Gaz---Rio--Brown--Heinze

-------------Carrick
Park----Scholes------Ronaldo

-----Rooney--Saha


I think that 4-3-3 is the formation for us, but it is the startof the season and we all want to know if Carrick can play in a 4-4-2 with Scholes. Fulham is the perfect game to test it.

They don't scare me as a team especially since Steed Malbranque is not looking to be with them when they come here. The guys will want to get off to a good start and that extra bit of entusiasm will get us through even though we are not that strong defensively.

Fulham is a great team to test how good we are (I know it's the first game and all) and how to tackle the rest of the season.

[samabachan]

---------VdS------------
---Gaz---Rio--Brown--Heinze

-------------Carrick
Park----Scholes------Ronaldo

-----Rooney--Saha

Carrick and Scholes are so good attacking wise that I don't give a shit if they're a little weak defensively. NO 433 please, Fergie.

[JC7rox]

If we're looking for a bit of consistency, then we should start the way we intend to end. I only think that, in terms of formation and the sort, we should only change if things are going wrong. I don't want any of this, the opposition is lowly crap. Lets play them the way we would play Chelsea, Liverwurst, and Arsene-anal.

--------------------VDS--------------------------
--Gaz--------Rio----------Vids(Brown if Vids is out)--Gabs
-----------Fletcher(I'd prefer Gibson, but it won't happen)---
--------------------------Carrick-------------------------
-------------------Scholes-------------------------------
------Ronaldo----------------------------Rossi------------
-------------------Rooney--------------------------------

:)
We should always look to score tons of goals like in the past. None of this one goal hold 'em crap. Lets eat everyone alive. You can do it!

[SirManchester]

Alright, Ferguson will go with the Carrick/Scholes central midfield and Ronaldo/Giggs(possibly Park) wide. I think the starting lineup against Fulham is pretty much a given.

----------Edwin
-Gary--Rio----Wes--Gabriel

Ji-Sung--Michael--Cristy
-----------Paul
-----Wayne---Louis



Score a goal, then defend for the rest of the game.

[Vermont Red]

I agree with SirManc. Then bring on Fletch for Ronaldo to close out the game. Simple, really.

[Achtung]

I cannot tell you how bored I am without my usual drip feed of footy matches, particularly United ones.

Nah but we can guess based on the number of new threads you start. ;)

So anyways, this is actually a tough question. We don't have an established CF and we don't really have a DM. Against Fulham we might get away with that kind of formation, but very few teams in the league would play as openly as they do, and even then we could still potentially get burned.

Right now it looks more like Fletcher may get a shot in the middle, though I'd also like to see what Gibson could do. Over time, Carrick might learn some more defensive skills, but he's not ready right now.

Up front, I guess we're looking at Saha-Rooney for now. It's just really tough to see a lot of different options, even if you were to look at a 4-3-3.

[433tom]

Against Fulham

---------------VDS
---------Rio----------Brown
--Neville--------------------Heinze
------------Carrick----------
Park----------------------Ronaldo
-------------Scholes---------
--------Saha--------Rooney


Against Chelsea

---------------VDS
--------Rio------------Brown
Neville------------------------Heinze
---------- -----Smith
-----Carrick----------Scholes
---Ronaldo-------------------Rooney
----------------Saha

[johno]

I watched United vs Citeh - our 4th game of the season from last year and it suprised me to see the way we played in that match.

Smith actually intercepted maybe 4 or 5 balls and made a couple good tackles.

His positioning is going to be slightly off, but I think Carrick playing next to him as opposed to Scholes, I think we'll have enough muscle.

I'd say, once fit - we should try Smith/Carrick against teams expected to put up a big fight in midfield.

Against lower quality CMs then Carrick/Scholes should work, but I don't want to see Fletcher playing psuedo RW anymore. We've got to decide to play 433 if we don't think our CM is strong enough and not try to fortify it with square pegs in round holes*


the * is for Rooney.

I'd like to see us with 3 or 4 line-ups for the season barring injuries...

1. Against weak teams or those without good CMs.

-----------------------Saha
---------------Rooney
Ronaldo----------------------------Park
---------------------------Scholes
--------------Carrick
Heinze---------------------------Neville
--------Brown/Vidic------Rio
---------------VDS

The idea here is to have lots of pressure, Rooney, Saha, Ronaldo, Park and Scholes all moving targets for Carrick to pick out. We'll have good width from Ronaldo and Neville, Park will pinch in and make nice runs and also help win the ball back on defence. This is almost a 433.


2. Against Top 4 teams or teams with strong CMs

--------------------Saha
Rooney-------------------------------Ronaldo
--------------Scholes
------------------------Carrick/Fletcher
----------------Smith/Carrick
Evra---------------------------------Neville
------------Vidic-----------Rio
-------------------VDS

Evra will be responsible for providing width on the left and he can play when we go to a 433 with Rooney on the left... if not we can play Heinze and let Ronaldo try to provide width on both flanks. Width aside, we should win the midfield battle and with that possesion we should be able to sneak a few chances in.

3. Against Good teams with decent CMs where we feel that width is factor but we must also win the CM... the Boltons, Citehs and Spurs of the Prem.

-------------------------Saha
--------------Rooney
Giggs-----------------------------Ronaldo
------------Carrick----Smith

[Vermont Red]

What I want to see, if Carrick and Scholes are playing together, is Ronaldo on one side and Park/Fletcher on the other side. Ronaldo can play on whichever side he prefers and Park/Fletcher will play farther back and help Carrick and Scholes. It will still be a 4-4-2 because that's what we'll call it. ;)

[johno]

No more Fletcher on the wing... if we're going to play a bruiser on the wing it will be Smith.

[Vermont Red]

No more Fletcher on the wing... if we're going to play a bruiser on the wing it will be Smith.

I was just thinking that when I saw that you had posted. I have no problem putting Smith out there in this scenario.

*whispering* I'm also thinking of the viability of a Carrick/Fletcher central midfield. Shhh.

[50 Euro]

Some good stuff in this thread...:)

I'm surprised that Giggsy hasn't figured into more of the potential lineups. I certainly believe he can still do the business, and all things being equal (injuries, form, etc.) I'd still select him over Park.

[MtP07]

Just to do something different than the ones mentioned above:

---------VdS
Gaz----Rio---Wesley---Gaby
--------Pique
-----Carrick---Scholes
------Wazza---Ronaldo
---------Saha

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Anyone know the status of Vidic?

[Vermont Red]

Anyone know the status of Vidic?

I believe he's single.