PBP: EPL - Brighton & Hove Albion FC vs Manchester United FC - Aug 19, 2018 [R]

The home opener for Brighton, but nevertheless it should be a slaughter. If Sanchez cannot perform at something resembling a high level Jose should reconsider Sanchez's automatic starter status.

I have this one going 0-4.

 

young for darmian. lingard for mata.

 

Martial for Mata, slide Sanchez to the right.

I like the Young Darmian move.

 

I've been thinking for quite some time that Jose should try Young at RB. It seems like he got automatically slotted in at LB because he always played on the left as a winger (and in part because Shaw has been such shit that we've been desperate at LB), but inverted makes far less sense for FB. Giving Shaw a run in the team makes sense and Young should be pretty good as an attacking RB, where Valencia gave us absolutely nothing last season. To wit, 31 games in the league, 1 assist, while almost always being given tons of space down the wing because of someone tucking in ahead of him.

It's obviously premature to anoint Shaw as a starter (when I was originally thinking about moving Young to the right I was foolishly assuming that one of the richest clubs in the world were going to find a way to sign a desperately needed LB), but at least until Valencia gets back we should try this and I don't think Valencia should be considered an automatic starter on his return depending on Shaw's form.

 

My preferred lineup and formation for this game would be to go 4-4-2, with a diamond in midfield. Provided that everyone is fit (understand there are questions about Bailly), the lineup, I'd want to see is the following:

Dave
AY. Bailly. Lindelof. Shaw
AP
Fred. Pogba
Lingard
Lukaku. Sanchez

As mentioned a while back, I'd just want to see us try it on for size and find out of we can make it work. I think we can: in the process we'll play Sanchez in what appears to be his best position (plus one where he does not drop as deep so often).
We'd still our mid 3 in there, which I'm really excited about. But most importantly, we'd have Lingard and his work rate and movement in his favorite and most effective spot, centrally behind the forwards. He'd be another outlet available to us in attack.
If they're just allowed to play, this could be a sharp and efficient team in my estimation. The width with these FBs is not ideal, but at least we'd be looking to maximize our strengths elsewhere and making the most of them. Longshot probably, but this is what I'd like to see.

 

It must be assumed Brighton will sit back and pray for the draw. Nick a set piece, our usual bane for years now, if they can.

I wouldn't worry about trying to flood the last third with extra bodies from the back, thus leaving us exposed to a counter for a ludicrous goal.

Sharper finishing from Lukaku, better short passing and movement off the ball from Sanchez should see us through comfortably.

Stick with Lindelof, who put in a very credible shift against aBrighton will present. Stick with Darian and Shaw. Not sure what's going in with Matic but let's stick with Fred and Andreas. Martial for Rashford if Martial is ready to go in Jose's eyes.

 

Given how Brighton made fools of us last season I'm not sure why we'd be expecting to coast to an away victory. It's entirely within our capabilities to get pressed out of the game again.

 

jose would never go for it but wr would have the tools for france's tilted 4-4-2: fred tucking in the matuidi role, rashford stretching the defense in the mbappe role, sanchez for grizou, lukaku for giroud.

---------sanchez - lukaku
fred - ap - pogba - rashford
shaw - lindelof - bailly - young
----------------de gea

 

Why not just play this same personnel in a 433?

 

i would like sanchez and lukaku playing off eachother. it could be done in a 433 if you completely abandon the left wing and ask for rashford to stretch the defense out wide.

 

Seems to me that if the goal is to play Sanchez and Lukaku together and off another upfront (which I'm definitely in favor of personally), then going with the 4-4-2, with a midfield diamond submitted above or the 3-5-2 would be the way to go.
At least, with the 3 at the back formation, we can claim some experience in it, having used it a couple of times during preseason (with reasonable success).

 

Jahanbakhsh hat-trick, while Pogba bags a brace and Martial and Lukaku contribute with one a piece.

 

Fair enough. What's your prediction?

 

Iranian influenced.

 

I’m expecting a deeply unsatisfying 1 goal win. Any more and it’s because Brighton aren’t up to speed.

 

Because Sanchez can't play as a LW in Jose's system. He's too wasteful and always tries to play a final ball even when he's in our end. The closer we put him to the opponents goal the better. He needs to be played as a CF or SS.

 

This is one of the many reasons he was a terrible pickup. He’s got to be Batman, not robin. In theory he works quite well as a foil for Lukaku except that Rome isn’t really all about clever quick interplay (he isn’t terrible,but it isn’t his strength). It also would mean we can’t play our best attacking player (Martial) in his best role.

The best fit might be something like


—————-Rome————-Sánchez
Martial
————Pogba——-Fred——-AP


It won’t work and would be reliant on width from RB with AP playing RM/RCM and acting as cover for RBand holding in midfield. Against most teams it would work but Jose would never go for it and doesn’t encourage the type of off the ball movement that would make it effective.

 

sanchez can obviously play lw. he did benefit from oezil finding him in good positions so that he didn't have to come short all the time.

we're still sending long balls his way at the moment (wtf?!). hopefully that will change soon with ap fred fred settling in their roles.

 

id love to see a diamond too but ive now accepted that we just dont have the full backs to make it work. 3-5-2 would be v interesting.

 

Sanchez can’t play LW better than Martial,but that’s besides the point. Sanchez thrives on their movement. We don’t have that. Also, he doesn’t play a position at all really. He just wanders around.

 

dude, you really said with a straight face that alexis alejandro sanchez sanchez cant play lw better than martial? lets just stop there lol.

 

A distinct possibility. After a deserved but unsatisfying win over Leicester City it's entirely possible Mourinho will have us sit back and defend a 0-1 lead through full time and take his three points home.

We'll have to see whether Brighton play to limit the damage to a 0-1 defeat or whether they go for it once they're down. Should they push bodies forward in search of the equalizer we'll score again.

 

I'm expecting a big game from Sanchez this weekend, for the simple reason he is due after his pretty poor display vs Leicester.
Brighton will be tight at the back, but by rights, Sanchez should have the measure of those players. Will still be way too early to write him off, if he does not deliver, but worries/concerns will not be out of place.
For our sake though, I want to see the guy rebound.