PBP: UCL - Valencia CF vs Manchester United FC - Dec 12, 2018 [R]

Pogba really should have played yesterday and be rested for this game, but as it stands he needs this game and a good performance to boot ahead of Pool this weekend, where hopefully he keeps his starting spot.
As things stand though, I hope this will be the opportunity to see a midfield 3 I imagine most have wanted to see: Pogs, Fred and AP. We're already qualified, so there will be no reason for Mourinho to be all defensive and tactical. Let the team play for once and with those spearheading our attack.
Elsewhere in terms of team selection, it's all about keeping some key players fresh, so they can 100% fit and good to go for Anfield. But ironically, I believe that even with a 'weakened ' team, we could put in a solid performance and get a positive result, which would be the perfect boost ahead of the weekend.

 

Sanchez Mata
Pogba Lingard
AP Fred
Darmian Rojo Jones Valencia
Romero

This is what I expect from Mou.

I would do something slightly different to rotate the squad.
Lukaku Sanchez
Pogba AP Fred
Darmian Rojo Jones Bailly Valencia (C)
Romero

Rome just scored and is hungry for more, most likely. Sanchez is frozen out and might enjoy a chance to show what he can do and be in the shop window
AP deserves some time and Fred needs more playing time too.
Darmian Rojo and Bailly are in the shop window if we are being honest. Valencia is the club captain so he should get games.

 

Sanchez is out with a hamstring injury for the rest of 2018 at least.

 

Didn't know. I actually hadn't paid much attention to us since the CP draw. I was so disgusted with us.

 

What I would love to see tonight, but Mourinho somehow appears to have thrown cold water on the idea, is see Greenwood get a nice 25-30min cameo in the 2nd half.
This game hardly means anything and therefore it's a great opportunity to give him a taste of first team CL football. He's been on fire this year with the youth teams (U18s in particular) and I'd be curious to see how he does in a different environment.
He's travelled with the team, so why not use him and it would give Mourinho the chance to bench someone else early with the Pool game in mind.

 

Leaked team;

Romero, Valencia, Bailly, Jones, Rojo, Pereira, Pogba, Fellaini, Mata, Fred, Lukaku

 

What the hell would that formation look like?

 

who is garner?

 

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/man-united-james-garner-wiki-14868764

 

5 CMs....

 

Oh good. 5 CMs and Rojo at LB.

It'll be fun to see who Jose blames for this disaster.

 

Andreas on the left, Mata on the right, Rojo at LB [emoji25][emoji24][emoji24][emoji24][emoji2962]

 

Clearly meant to cover for pogbas lack of effort

Jose is sabotaging the player and the team. This is ridiculous

 

At least Matic is nowhere to be seen.

 

It's got naught to do with "covering for Pogba's lack of effort" or sabotaging him (not today at least). We're probably going to play 4-3-3, with Fred in the holding role, which incidentally should work better for Pogs to have a more mobile and energetic player like him by his side.
Mata plays wide right, which is not the best use of him, but nothing out of the ordinary either and AP, in all likelihood, will play on the left, because he's looking to save Lingard (and Rashford) for this weekend, which makes sense. Plus, AP is just one of the most versatile players we have and he's played wide for Valencia a ton last season.
This is clearly a weakened team, which with a huge game coming up vs Pool, plus the fact we are already qualified, justifies most of Mourinho's choices. The question now is whether the players will be allowed to actually play, which is a different issue. But the players selection is fine, under the circumstances.

Valencia XI: Domenech, Piccini, Vezo, Diakhaby, Lato, Kondogbia, Parejo, Soler, Cheryshev, Mina, Batshuayi

That Valencia team does not overly intimidate me and if our XI were allowed, for once, to play, I think they could get the better of them.

 

First part of the post was sarcasm.

Second part though is true. No reason for PP to be playing here and not in the prior games except as part of JM power play. He is ruining the player setting him up fail

 

He's not being setting up to fail, he's just making odd choices in terms of when to play him, we've touched on this over the weekend. He should have played vs Fulham, been rested today and back in the starting lineup vs Pool.
As it stands, we genuinely don't know yet if Mourinho will play him this weekend. A good performance today would go a long in insuring it will happen. And as stated, not having Matic next to him, does increase the chances Pogba will have a good game. Playing in a 3 in midfield with Fred and Fellaini is not being setup to fail.

 

It emphasizes how unbalanced our squad is and how little style of play we have that when we rotate the team we end up with a completely unidentifiable side. If the squad is well managed you should be able to rotate and the level will drop of course, but you should still see the same ideas in terms of how the team plays. When we rotate we end up with a team that is clearly just a mashup of the guys who need minutes and are not set to get them against Pool. There is no sense in which the side selected forms any coherent plan or has any relation to the way the first team wants to play.

 

Just hoping his pride prompts Pogba to be at his best today, just taking over and running things, as he's capable of doing.
Remove any choice from Mourinho's hands for this weekend.

 

The Rojo and Jones side of the back four should be good for a laugh today. One is a fake hard man, the others an accidental hard man.

 

The cry from Lato is justified when looking at the replay. Was very "clumsy" from Valencia to put it kindly.