PBP: EPL - Burnley FC vs Manchester United FC - Jan 20, 2018 [R]

Need to sit Jones. He was horrendous last time out. Anyone at all next to Smalling would be better.

 

I want to see Lindelof back in the team. Everybody keeps their place like last game.

 

If its Ashley Barnes staring up front for them, Id be down. If its Wood....NO!

My line up would be

DDG

Valencia
Jones
Smalling
Shaw

Matic
Fellaini/Herrera
Pogba

Lingard
Lukaku
Martial

 

If we can tie up the loose ends on business tonight/tomorrow would go with 4-2-3-1 with the front four in the following positions;

Sanchez -- Messi -- Ronaldo
- - - - - - - - - Lukaku

 

i will never understand your crush on smalling.

 

Just FYI: I think the time in the first post is wrong. Believe we're back to 10:00 EST.

 

Phil Jones actually acquitted himself quite well against Stoke.

https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/2...nchester-united-3-0-stoke-city-premier-league

http://www.thehardtackle.com/round-...ime-pogba-bosses-the-game-in-comfortable-win/

http://www.espn.co.uk/football/club...and-man-united-too-much-for-overpowered-stoke

I can go on, but the point is that, by universal acclamation, Jones put in a very credible performance against Stoke.

This is part of the problem with the United forum on BigSoccer. Too many here carry mental baggage about players in evaluating player performances. I'm a Fellaini hater, which Ashur can attest to, going back to the moment Moyes ordered his acquisition -- but when Fellaini puts in a decent performance I'll give the man the credit he has earned.

Jones has been shambolic at times, even this season, but his performance against Stoke very solid and it does a disservice to this board to suggest otherwise.

 

No way Messi starts over Lingard.

 

No love affair, he gets way more stick than deserved. In any case, this is less pro Smalling and more anti Jones. Jones’ position for their first (I think) really good chance to Ireland was apoplectic. He was marking space that a) didn’t cut potential supply and b) created a gap too wide between the CBs and then was upset throwing his arms up when the ball came right where he should have been and he was utterly helpless to affect play.

He’s better when we are under pressure or sitting deeper. When we are less compact, he is useless as a defender.

 

Word...

 

Jones gets blame for that play, but Matic should get some too.

 

so to finally get Sanchez on the left side you are playing Lukaku as a 10???

fooking genius plan mate!

 

Just hoping we can remain perfect as we've been so far this month and keep some daylight with the likes of Chelsea, Pool and Tottenham.
Only changes I would make from the game vs Stoke, is Fellaini starting in the midfield 3 (with Matic and Pogba), take Mata out and put Lingard in his spot "on the right", but really give him the freedom to drift inside centrally and support Lukaku (and Martial) up top.
We can look at some changes and rest a few of the guys for the FA Cup game vs Yeovil next Friday.

 

Lingard should only play out right if Sanchez plays behind Lukaku. Which he won’t. Jesse is at his strongest centraly. Why you want to shoehorn Fellaini in over Mata is beyond me. Lingard is in the form of his life why would he ruin that by pushing him out wide? As you said he would naturally drift in the middle anyway and our shape would become too narrow and we wouldn’t have any space against a Burnley side that will already be sitting deep. You may want to rethink your stance. There is absolutely no reason to start Fella this game. None at all.

 

Lingard played from the right away to Everton and he played pretty well.

Im actually putting Pogba in the role we all want to see him in, instead of shoe horning him into the double pivot again, and leaving our midfield wide open with only Matic [] covering.

You must have missed this entire season, where we have ALWAYS been playing extremely narrow. More so on the right side. Valencia covers the width. Even with Mata starting in a 4-2-3-1, he has regularly tucked in and even drifted all the way over to the left side.

There is at least 1 reason to start Fellaini and I know Jose agrees with me. The height on set pieces. As you know, its been a problem for the last few couple months. Burnley, despite adding another dimension to their game, still excel at set pieces.

Works both ways. He adds another player willing to run into the box and get on the end of crosses. He's been successful doing that for us, even if not scoring just causing panic.

I really just want us to use the 4-3-3 a lot more often in tough games, especially tough away games. I think the 4-2-3-1 leaves us too open. Matic isnt good enough to cover for Pogba on his own. If we went into this game with a 4-2-3-1, I wouldn't be upset or surprised.

 

That pretty much sums it up. Playing with Fellaini in a mid 3 has absolutely nothing to do with "shoehorning" him into the team, so much as provide an extra big, physical body in midfield and more importantly, putting Pogba, our best outfield player, in the position required to get the very best out of him.
Lingard, playing nominally on the right, can do exactly what Mata would do in that position and move inside to a more central role, where he can be at his best (and will not have Mata in the way, occupying the same space as him).
We will not have a real viable right sided option until Sanchez arrives anyway.
And Fellaini, for all the flak he gets, shown earlier in the season, prior to his injury, that he appears extremely comfortable and effective in a midfield 3 with Matic and Pogba. And until Herrera can finally recover his form of old on a consistent basis, I have absolutely no issue having Fellaini in the team for him. It's really that simple tbh...

 

Lads it’s Burnley...just play the same lineup we did against Stoke where Pogba had one of his most effective games of the season. Burnley will sit Deep and playing Fella will clog an already congested midfield. By all means if it’s 0-0 bring him on in the 70th, I just wouldn’t start him.

 

Pogba became truly effective game vs Stoke, once we changed our shape from a 4-2-3-1 to a 4-3-3 in the second half with Lingard dropping deeper in midfield to effectively as the 8, next to Matic and Pogba (allowing the freedom to have a big hand in the attack).
And Burnley will play with a packed midfield themselves, where Matic will be needed help. The presence of Fellaini will not be congesting anything, so much as providing the extra body that will be needed vs the likes of Gudmonsson, Hendrick, Cork and Defour in all likelyhood...

 

Jose's press conference is coming up. We'll see if any important updates will be forthcoming...

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/man-utd-press-conference-live-14176461

 

The same Burnley we could not beat at home, for two straight years? :|

Pogba has a really good game, away at Everton where he had 2 assist and ran the match. This was played in a 433 with Herrera and Matic in midfield.

You keep ignoring that our middle is always clogged by design. All because of your well documented hatred for Fellaini.

Passmaps & xGplot for Man Utd against Leicester. #passmap #xGplot #autotweet pic.twitter.com/S15lEX8AFj

— 11tegen11 (@11tegen11) August 26, 2017

Passmaps & xGplot for Man Utd against West Ham. #passmap #xGplot #autotweet pic.twitter.com/qzFr721oV9

— 11tegen11 (@11tegen11) August 13, 2017

Passmaps & xGplot for Man Utd against Man City. #passmap #xGplot #autotweet pic.twitter.com/1KrS5tUi4h

— 11tegen11 (@11tegen11) December 10, 2017

 

Wether 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, the players nominally positioned wide, always drift centrally. We play really narrow. Here is the Everton map..

Passmaps & xGplot for Everton against Man Utd. #passmap #xGplot #autotweet pic.twitter.com/AvwYFBlHeH

— 11tegen11 (@11tegen11) January 1, 2018

 

Well documented? Hatred? I just said we shouldn’t start him in this game.

 

On the injury front, Jose confirmed that apart from Bailly and Zlatan, only Blind will not be available for this game.

No news yet on the Sanchez or Mkhitaryan issues.

Had nothing but complimentary things to say about Shaw, which is encouraging about his prospects at the club.