PBP: UEL - Manchester United FC vs RSC Anderlecht - Apr 20, 2017 [R]

Discussion in 'Manchester United' started by Ruud v.Nistelrooy 10, Apr 17, 2017.

  1. Ruud v.Nistelrooy 10

    Staff Member

    Jamaica
    Jun 4, 2006
    Antilla
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Jamaica
    [​IMG] vs [​IMG]

    Competition: UEFA Europa League
    Venue: Old Trafford
    Time: 20:05 (BST), 15:05 (EST)
    Channels: BT Sport 4K UHD (UK), BT Sport 2(UK), MUTV(UK), Fox Sports 1 USA(US), Fox Soccer 2GO(US), Fox Sports GO(US), fuboTV(US), ESPN Deportes USA(US), ESPN Deportes+ USA(US), TSN1(Canada), TSN4(Canada)

    Manchester United injuries: Jones (toe), Smalling (leg), Mata (groin), Rooney (hamstring)
    RSC Anderlecht injuries: Martínez (calf), Nájar (hamstring)

    Manchester United last 6: W-D-D-W-D-W
    RSC Anderlecht last 6: W-W-W-D-D-W

    Manchester United last league result: 2-0 home win over chelsea
    RSC Anderlecht last league result: 0-1 away win at KV Oostende

    Manchester United league standing: 5th
    RSC Anderlecht league standing: 1st

    Last Encounter: 1-1 away draw at Constant Vanden Stock Stadium (1st leg)

    Manchester United last starting XI (3-5-2):
    Romero, Darmian, Bailly, Rojo, Valencia, Fellaini, Pogba, Herrera, Young (c), Lingard, Rashford

    RSC Anderlecht last starting XI (4-3-3):
    Boeckx, Kara, Spajić, Obradović, Appiah, Dendoncker, Tielemans, Trebel, Hanni(c), Chipciu, Teodorczyk

    =====================
    finely poised. we have the away goal but hopefully it doesn't come to that to decide it. another clean sheet would do nicely. Mancunicons transform and attack!
     
  2. Gilma1990

    Gilma1990 Member+

    Jul 30, 2015
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  3. gatekeeper2

    gatekeeper2 Member+

    Jun 1, 2015
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Not sure about "easy", but it will be a win. Don't overlook the possibility of a letdown from glorious victory. Still, bet on us to go through.
     
  4. johno

    johno Member+

    Jul 15, 2003
    in the wind
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    My guess would be a return for Ibra and Mkhi. I would hope also for Martial. They will have to attack eventually and that should create opportunities.
    The biggest worry is midfield. Fellaini and Herrera expended a great deal of energy last time out. Carrick is a no brained as he is rested and Pogba will play too. For my money I would like to see TFM from the start. That should make up for Anders absence in the energy dept and also add some bite. Mkhi on the right and Martial or Rashford on the left. Shaw at LB too to provide a little more width.

    I doubt we see that team, but I can hope.
     
    sdotsom repped this.
  5. gatekeeper2

    gatekeeper2 Member+

    Jun 1, 2015
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    A great call, johno.

    We can assume Anderlecht will sit back and hope for a tasty set piece. It's hard to see Rashford not starting over Martial though, so perhaps this:

    De Gea
    Valencia Bailly Rojo Darmian
    Carrick
    Fellaini Pogba
    Miki Ibra Rashford

    This match is too massive for us to give Fosu-Mensah the start. But if we can salt it away by the 60th minute I'd like to see him come on then for Carrick and gain valuable experience. Same with Martial after Rashford has helped Ibra end all doubts by the middle of the second half.
     
  6. Teso Dos Bichos

    Teso Dos Bichos Red Card

    Sep 2, 2004
    Purged by RvN
    We need to play on the front foot and at a high tempo. If that means Ibrahimovic needs to run himself into the ground for an hour before being replaced then so be it. We cannot return to the performances of old.
     
    johno and Gilma1990 repped this.
  7. Ashur

    Ashur Member+

    Manchester United
    United States
    May 31, 2015
    Riding off into the sunset
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Agreed with the points re the midfield, but I'd still give Herrera the start for this one with a place on the bench vs Burnley. He didn't play in the first leg after all, so he's really got the game vs Chelsea in his leg for the week +.
    The rest of the picks are pretty straightforward as well. Time to rotate again and bring back all 4 of Shaw, Zlatan, Miki and Martial. For me, I want to see:

    Dave
    Valencia. Bailly. Rojo. Shaw
    Carrick
    Herrera. Pogba
    Miki. Zlatan. Martial

    Rashford and Lingard both performed well vs Chelsea, but the idea is not to burn either one out and keep guys fresh as much as possible. They could still come off the bench if needed. Love the duo of Bailly and Rojo but the number of consecutive games they are logging in, is kind of a worry. Then again, this is not the game to remove them. Tuanzebe hopefully will get a start over the weekend (maybe even with Blind).
    Romero acquitted himself very well as Dave's deputy and if Jose wants to persist with him in EL play, have no issues with it either. Zlatan is a proud guy and I'm pretty sure he will look to have a big game Thursday.
     
  8. gatekeeper2

    gatekeeper2 Member+

    Jun 1, 2015
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Prepare to be disappointed. Anderlecht is no Chelsea and if you expect them to play an open game, thus allowing us high tempo, then I'd like to talk to you about some prime swamp property in Florida.

    Anderlecht will sit back with 9 men in front of the keeper. There will be no "high tempo" until after we score the first goal. At that point Anderlecht will have to go for it and when they do we can use pace to beat them.
     
  9. Teso Dos Bichos

    Teso Dos Bichos Red Card

    Sep 2, 2004
    Purged by RvN
    High tempo also involves moving the ball quickly.
     
    Gilma1990 repped this.
  10. gatekeeper2

    gatekeeper2 Member+

    Jun 1, 2015
    Club:
    Manchester United FC

    You can't have "high tempo" if the ball moves quickly and the players aren't. Anderlecht will likely pack 9 in front of the keeper and unless we were to bring in one-touch artists like Messi and Neymar in over the next 24 hours our route to scoring goals will be through brute force or shots from distance. No chance we can carve up their back line with one-touch passing. Not with this squad.

    At some point, after we take the lead, Anderlecht will have to expand their game and when they do you'll see a high tempo from both sides. But not for long. Once we're in the clear 2-0 the tie we'll sit, defend and play with both eyes on the referee's watch. We go to Turf Moor three days later and because of our delightfully unexpected win over Chelsea it's a match we have to try to win.

    Fatigue from the Chelsea match will also be a contributing factor to our play, although it's hard to say to what extent the players who played on Sunday -- and I'm thinking of Fellaini, Pogba, Bailly and Rojo in particular -- will still be feeling the effects of their exertions against Chelsea.

    It wouldn't be shocking to see Carrick start over Herrera and I would imagine Miki and Martial will also get the start. They're all fine players (concerned about Martial, however) but none would be thought of right now as high tempo players. Young and Darmian, both of whom put in solid performances against Chelsea, might also get the start. Neither are thought of as high tempo players. Valencia, not a high tempo guy.

    Ibra will get the start. I trust you agree that Ibra is not known as a high tempo player.
     
  11. Teso Dos Bichos

    Teso Dos Bichos Red Card

    Sep 2, 2004
    Purged by RvN
    Moving the ball slowly allows the opponent to get back into a compact defensive position. Anderlecht need to score to progress so they will not simply be sitting back. We need to exploit this.
     
    Gilma1990 repped this.
  12. Ashur

    Ashur Member+

    Manchester United
    United States
    May 31, 2015
    Riding off into the sunset
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Jose has confirmed in his press conference today ahead of tomorrow's game, that Romero will keep his place in EL games.
    Also mentioned that Rooney is on the mend and could make the squad.
     
  13. Ruud v.Nistelrooy 10

    Staff Member

    Jamaica
    Jun 4, 2006
    Antilla
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Jamaica
    it makes no sense for Anderlecht to bunker. there is no "after we take the lead" - we already have the lead on away goals. they have to come out and attack because they are already losing
     
    Red Jeph repped this.
  14. Ashur

    Ashur Member+

    Manchester United
    United States
    May 31, 2015
    Riding off into the sunset
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That is exactly the point. Anderlecht should be very aware they're not going to keep a clean sheet tomorrow, and they have to score themselves if they're to have any hopes of qualification.
    Even if they don't throw caution to the wind, they can't expect to sit down and bunker visit United tomorrow. Unlike the first leg when he left his 2 best offensive players on the bench, I fully expect the manager to play one of Teodorcyck or Hanni, probably both tomorrow.
    United, being at home, will very likely be the team on the front foot, but we can be sure to see Anderlecht being adventurous themselves, particularly by trying to hit United on the break every chance they get.
     
  15. Rooney20

    Rooney20 Member+

    Jan 8, 2007
    New York
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
     
  16. gatekeeper2

    gatekeeper2 Member+

    Jun 1, 2015
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    So that you don't misunderstand me, I'm not suggesting that we must play at a Van Gaalian snail's pace. But the reality is that a bus parking opponent isn't going to be beaten with high tempo. That's not how bus parkers operate.

    If instead Anderlecht do go for it from the first whistle, we'll have a high tempo game on our hands and both of us will have our insatiable demand for entertainment satisfied.

    But Anderlecht would be fools to go all out for it from the first whistle and expose themselves to a counterattack goal which would effectively end the tie as they'd then have to increase the tempo even more and expose themselves even more.

    90+ minutes is a long time and what's more likely to come from the Belgian side is a cagey defensive scheme where they'll pick their battles carefully. A midfield strip (much like Ander's interception which led to the Rashford goal) to put us on the back foot. If they can pull that off and go up 0-1, you know they'll sit back and let us have lots of possession.

    We shall see.
     
  17. Ashur

    Ashur Member+

    Manchester United
    United States
    May 31, 2015
    Riding off into the sunset
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Already got that sense in the first leg, when they deliberately left 2 of their most talented players out. Anderlecht, as it happens almost yearly, are in the thick of a title race for the Belgian league and that's probably their focus, as opposed to the EL, which is good for United obviously.
     
  18. Father Ted

    Father Ted BigSoccer Supporter

    Manchester United, Galway United, New York Red Bulls
    Nov 2, 2001
    Connecticut
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Ireland Republic
    I agree with you. They will try and sit back as long as they can, try to get to the last 30 mins unscathed and then give it a shot going forward.
     
  19. Ashur

    Ashur Member+

    Manchester United
    United States
    May 31, 2015
    Riding off into the sunset
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The squad for today: Dave, Romero, Pereira, Valencia, Darmian, Bailly, Rojo, Shaw, Herrera, Carrick, Fellaini, Pogba, Lingard, AY, Miki, Martial, Rooney, Rashford, Zlatan
     
  20. gatekeeper2

    gatekeeper2 Member+

    Jun 1, 2015
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    But Anderlecht can't compete with us in a high tempo game. They need to score, obviously, but they don't have the horsepower to compete with us at a tempo that would actually favor us over them.

    We've found it very difficult to break down 9 men in front of the keeper and everyone knows that. The playbook for an inferior team going up against United is to let us have the ball and hit us on the counter or make the most of a set piece. What we did to Chelsea, beating them in an open game, will not have gone unnoticed by the tacticians at Anderlecht.

    And as I understand it, Anderlecht have a path to the CL that's easier than beating United. And there apparently is potential for them fielding a weaker side today for their weekend match against Club Brugge. Not that I'm suddenly an expert on the Belgian league, mind you. Belgium has a unique playoff system to determine its league winner and it appears that Anderlecht are the heavy favorite to win it.

    We shall see, but it just seems very unlikely that Anderlecht will come to OT and play an open game against us. But to argue against myself, I suppose it's possible that since they appear to be in the driver's seat in their league playoff and appear (if the manager's presser comments are understood correctly) to be intent on playing a weakened side against United this just might be a throwaway game and, with there being no real pressure on them, they will go for it. In which case, anything can happen. And maybe Teso will be right after all that this will be a high tempo game, or that it should be, or whatever he's saying.
     
  21. Teso Dos Bichos

    Teso Dos Bichos Red Card

    Sep 2, 2004
    Purged by RvN
    I am looking at it from their perspective.

    If we start Ibrahimovic and have slow build-up play as a result it gives them more leeway to be offensive as they know they will have time to get players back to defend. All they need to do is get a goal then they can bunker knowing that even if we score it will go to extra-time.

    If we start with a more dynamic approach and quick build-up play it forces Anderlecht into making a decision about when to attack and it leaves them more exposed if they lose possession when trying to do it. It makes life more difficult for them by forcing them onto the backfoot when they need to score.
     
    Gilma1990 repped this.
  22. dude8

    dude8 Member

    Apr 2, 2002
    phoenix
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Does Jose have the juevos to keep it young and fast up top? Zlatan sitting to start? We'll see. I agree with Teso-fast interplay, quick movement >ponderous buildup and sideways passing.
     
  23. gatekeeper2

    gatekeeper2 Member+

    Jun 1, 2015
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    It all comes back to whether Anderlecht go out to a play a proper game of football or whethey sit back and hope to score on the counter or free kick.

    If we assume it's the latter, then we'll have that high tempo game you crave to bear witness to. (Can't imagine you ever watching a Serie A match.)

    But if we assume it's the former, it's by definition impossible to play a high tempo game against a parked bus. You bring out the parked bus precisely to slow the game down. And there's nothing we can do to force a parked bus to go into hear gear, except by scoring first at which time they're release the emergency brake and the LoJack. Against a parked bus you try whatever you've got in your arsenal to break them down. Maybe isolating Martial, maybe 1-2s between Lingard and Ibra, maybe a shot from the outside of the box by Ibra (see boro) or Pogba, maybe a cross to the dome of Fellaini. But it aint gonna be pace and quickness that will beat Anderlecht for the first goal unless they're dumb enough to play an open game against the superior side who hasn't lost a home game at OT in forever.

    We shall see.
     
  24. dude8

    dude8 Member

    Apr 2, 2002
    phoenix
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If, as some have said, they are not really "into" this game and go with weakened side, then perhaps they'll play a more open game, which would be great for us.We shall see.
     
  25. Chaz Striker

    Chaz Striker Member+

    Jul 26, 2005
    Denver
    Zlatan will start. And he won't change his game, but look for Rashford & Mhiki to press the line.
     

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