Premier League: Man Utd vs. Stoke City - Sat Nov 15 [R]

[pgr17]

http://www.manchesterunitedfcgifts.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/manchester_united_badge_1973-1998.png vs. http://www.scwim.org.uk/images/stoke_city_fc_logo.jpg

Venue: Old Trafford
Kick-off: 15:00 GMT; 10:00AM EST
Date: Saturday, 15 November
Coverage: Setanta (L); P2P; BBC Radio Stoke 94.6FM

Wayne Rooney is expected to shrug off a slight chest infection in time to face Stoke at Old Trafford.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Dimitar Berbatov and Rio Ferdinand are among those likely to be recalled after being left out for United's Carling Cup win over QPR.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis is hoping striker Mamady Sidibe will be fit enough to feature in the game.

Sidibe suffered an ankle injury against Wigan and missed the Carling Cup victory over Rotherham in midweek.

"Wayne Rooney had a bit of a chest infection and he’s been off this week," Sir Alex revealed. "But hopefully he’ll be alright for tomorrow – I’m sure he will be."

"We have to win them all, that’s life here," he said. "If you lose a game you have to recover immediately. I must say that I think the performance level is better than last season.

"The ability the team is showing at the moment is better than last season, and we’ve just got to start finding that little bit extra in terms of our finishing. I made the point that we needed to be more ruthless and maybe have a little more composure at times, but there’s no doubt that (if we keep) making the chances we are, it’ll change for us.

"You just have to accept that in some situations you might go through little periods where you’re not putting it in. I’ve said this time and time before over the years, somebody’s going to suffer. We have to concentrate and keep the belief in the sense that we keep playing our football, keep making chances and things will change for us."

Man Utd (from): Van der Sar, Foster, Kuszczak, Neville, Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evans, Evra, O'Shea, Ronaldo, Park, Anderson, Carrick, Giggs, Nani, Fletcher, Berbatov, Rooney, Tevez.

Stoke (from): Sorensen, Griffin, Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye, Higginbotham, Olofinjana, Amdy Faye, Diao, Delap, Sidibe, Fuller, Whelan, Cresswell, Kitson, Simonsen, Wilkinson, Cort, Tong, Pugh, Dickinson.

[yikchi]

We should dish out a beating with whatever forward(s) SAF picks to start. Since Wayne is not 100%, I will definitely start Tevez because the man needs game.

My main question for this one is who starts at RB? Rafa should be the starter in Brown's absence because Neville should not start. However, Stoke is all about long throws and pass into the box and Rafa will have a nightmare defending against that.

My guess is SAF will end up starting Neville or O'Shea at RB.

[Bronaldo]

I think Tevez should start. Let Wayne rest, we probably won't need him

[pgr17]

VDS

Brown (if fit) or O'Shea
Ferdinand
Vidic
Evra

Ronaldo
Carrick
Fletcher
Nani

Tevez
Berbatov

subs: Foster, Evans, Rafael, Park, Anderson, Giggs, Rooney

[Newton Heath]

Lol the human sling is coming to Old Trafford.

"It’s an absolute threat to us. We’ve done some video analysis and it’s a difficult thing to stop. There’ll be throw-ins, we’ll just have to deal with them as best we can."
- Sir Alex on Rory Delap's throw-ins
http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={F9E570E6-407E-44BC-800F-4A3110258114}&newsid=6622554&page=1

VDS also spoke about it
http://www.goal.com/en/news/1710/manchester-united/2008/11/14/963622/van-der-sar-delaps-throw-wont-trouble-us

742KZspdgr0


Should be fun to watch.

[MtP07]

----------Vds
Raph---Rio---Vida---Evra
Ron---Carrick--Fletcher---Nani
------Rooney
----------Berbatov

[Invincible]

We're gonna concede at least one goal to one of his throws this season.

[Republic of Mancunia]

---------------Vds---------------
O'Shea--Ferdinand---Vidic--Evans
Welbeck--Fletcher--Carrick--Ronaldo
--------Manucho-Berbatov

Land of the giants!!

[Red 11]

Sack Fergie!
Sell Giggs!
Bench Ronaldo!
We're Doomed!

Oh wait, I was supposed to post that after the match. Damn!... :p

VDS

Rafael - Rio - Vida - Evra

CR7 - Carrick - Fletch - Nani

Tevez

Berbs

Like Vince, I too am worried we'll concede one off a Stoke City Special.

[Republic of Mancunia]

VDS

Rafael - Rio - Vida - Evra

CR7 - Carrick - Fletch - Nani

Tevez

Berbs

Like Vince, I too am worried we'll concede one off a Stoke City Special.

Then play my team, play my team!

Nah, I'd actually go with yours and was just trying to put together the tallest starting XI I could think of for a bit of fun. Two small FB's would be a concern but we should (hopefully) be good enough to impose our game on them.

[Invincible]

---------------Vds---------------
O'Shea--Ferdinand---Vidic--Evans
Welbeck--Fletcher--Carrick--Ronaldo
--------Manucho-Berbatov

Land of the giants!!

That lineup can pretty much win the quadruple, pulverizing anyone unfortunate enough to be in their path.

[billyireland]

Beware of Rory Delap: he's the new Gary Kelly. :p

[billyireland]

That lineup can pretty much win the quadruple, pulverizing anyone unfortunate enough to be in their path.
I don't know why, but you just gave me a strange mental image of a sadist, pseudo-Nazi Berbatov puffing on a cigarette and looking on while Vidic & Manucho batter some poor bastard tied to a chair.

:confused:

[lynne]

How about Berbatov slouching around, cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, as an enforcer for the Mob in Godfather, the prequel?

Vidic can be Luco Bracci (sp?)....

[doubletrouble]

Have a weird feeling bout this game

[Invincible]

I don't know why, but you just gave me a strange mental image of a sadist, pseudo-Nazi Berbatov puffing on a cigarette and looking on while Vidic & Manucho batter some poor bastard tied to a chair.

:confused:

You should be a director or somesuch.

[doubletrouble]

Lol the human sling is coming to Old Trafford.

"It’s an absolute threat to us. We’ve done some video analysis and it’s a difficult thing to stop. There’ll be throw-ins, we’ll just have to deal with them as best we can."
- Sir Alex on Rory Delap's throw-ins
http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={F9E570E6-407E-44BC-800F-4A3110258114}&newsid=6622554&page=1




Should be fun to watch.


Someone needs to break his damn hands :mad:

[Dark Savante]

I think this game revolves around scoring first and early. If we do that, the flood-gates will probably open, if not, it could be a rather nervy game.

With Edwin Flappy Hands in goal, Stoke's...methodology will have a great chance of success.

Combine that with Ricardo Fuller, who I think will give Rio a torrid time (he hates that kind of player the most in the modern game - no Drunken Ferguson out there anymore) and there's certainly a likelihood we concede one.. or two.

As RoM said, this is the kind of game that's about imposing your style so the oppo can't get theirs off the ground - excuse the pun - and if we play our natural game, well, this will be a comfortable match because Stoke will be hemmed in with nowhere to go for the majority of the match.

I've put down a big win for us in ITKS, but wouldn't be surprised if it's a tough match should we allow Stoke to settle.

[Republic of Mancunia]

Today's team:

VDS

O'Shea
Vidic
Evans
Evra

Ronaldo
Fletcher
Carrick
Park

Tevez
Berbatov

Subs: Foster, Rafael, Gibson, Anderson, Nani, Welbeck, Manucho

[cr7torossi]

Is Brown still injured?
Evans should deal with the aerial threat fairly well. I like the team, first choice central midfield(in the absence of Scholes), Park, Berba and Tevez should theoretically combine well.