Kick Off 5.30pm BST. As should be known by now Middlesbrough and McClaren are a serious bogey team for us. If we have a stumbling block it has to be boro... No formations or tactics from me...any win, in any fashion will suffice.
CANT WAIT for this game! boro's the team to watch this season. even if we lose it'll probably be because Downing and Hasselbank are playin like bada$$es. no way anybody gets a clean sheet here.
I'll be in Philadelphia, may try to hit the Dark Horse Pub for this one, but their schedule is not updated... In any case, I'd like to leave with 3 points...
The fact is that these points will be vital since the fact that they are only like four points behind us in fifth plus we are unbeaten in 9 so it looks like we are sky high on confidence.
Of all the games during this "Holiday Season" run of games, this is the one I worry about most. It does seem that Boro give United as much trouble as anyone in the league. I'll hope for 3 points, whether beautiful or ugly. Just get them.
Middlesbrough have beaten us at our very best. They're a huge thorn in our side and I'll be amazed if we come away with 3pts off the back of an easier game.
I did not say it will be easy but just saying it might not be as hard a game if we had low morale. And it does not surprise me that they do good against us. He was our assistant manager and all!!
If Birmingham city can beat Boro, then I'd say we at least have a good chance too. We have a solid defence and our attack has been getting better, though the midfield has been supplying almost all the goals nowadays. Thats my biggest concern is we might not be able to finish our chances as we would if Ruud was here and Rooney was in good form. Even having saha healthy would be nice because then we would have some measure of depth.
M'Boro always coming out flying against us, we just need to play our game, keep the ball wide, and randomly have giggsy and Ronaldo cut into the middle and go at their defense and dish it off for a player maybe for a 1v1 or maybe just shoot it themselves. I think our defense is gonna hold strong against them, they've been one of the best in the league lately, I personally think the difference maker in this game is gonna be Paul Scholes, it rely's on him, whether he's gonna dish it off good, and score.
Yea, I dig. I just have a respect for boro that they are the one team in the league that if we played them 10times they may come out 50/50 or even on top. They always play the perfect tactical game against us and absolutely stifle our game in both fluidity and aggression. I hate that. I'll be watching this game with more then a little bit of caution.
As posted in another thread, Rooney will be suspended for this match. So I expect us to play with a lone striker, Smith. With the current form of players like Scholes, Giggs, and Keane, the absence of Rooney wouldn't be that bad. I'd like the starting XI to be: ------------------Carroll---------------- G.Neville---Ferdinand---Silvestre---Heinze -----------Fletcher------Keane---------- Ronaldo-----------Scholes----------Giggs -------------------Smith----------------
Seems sensible to me. If it weren't for Rooney's ban, I'd have called for fletch to be dropped, but Scholes playing further up and both Klebs and Dj2 out calls for him. Surely now SAF will field both Giggsy and Ronaldo. Hope to see G Nev again.
I'd be surprised at anything other than the above lineup, except for Phil slotting in for Gary if he's still ill.
I think that G. Neville has gotten better they seem to be able to get rid of the flu quick. I hope we still play a 4-4-2 w/ Fergie giving Bellion his well deserved chance (he's got five goals and hes not even a first team regular, impressive) hopefully drop fletch and put keano and scholes in the middle with giggs and ronaldo out wide..and then our normal back four
I think we lose this game, despite having the better of the run of play. Boro always play us hard, and let's face it...our current strikeforce isn't elite by any standards (Smith and...ermm...somebody). I like the suggestion of the poster who wants Ronaldo up front with Smith. Let Smith play up top, as a pure striker. Ronaldo gets to play off of him, and hopefully wreak havoc. This is too bad, because I was looking forward to playing Boro before the striker crisis. They'll actually play football against us, which would have meant a lot of fun for Ruud and RandomOtherStriker.
Let us just hope we can keep our momentum. Downing though is a very dangerous kid. Reminds me sooo much of the younger Ryan Giggs back in 97(This is when I started watching footie!)
Honestly, I could care less how much they like each other. If United are too succeed, they must play well together. Might as well get it started now, rather than accomodating their childish nonsense.
He is right. They should not let things off the field affect them on the field plus Ronaldo should show Smith that he is for the team and play them off the bloody park! . That woud be sweet. Aint going happen though and I am frighten for Downing.
They will work together period!!! The reason being they both wear the shirt of the MIGHTY MAN U!!! Plus Smith and Ronaldo are both competiters and will do what it takes to win.. my line up for this 1 is simple: Carrol gary--rio--silvestre--heinze ---------keano----------- fletcher-------------giggsy --------scholes----------- ------ronaldo--smith------ Cant we all just get along!!!!