FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [R]

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

Question to Neuer: "Have you ever gotten that many shots on goal in such a short period of time?"
His answer: "Yeah, in goalie practice!"

(True story, via Spiegel Online)

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

I thought, given the name and everything, SirManchester was a United fan??

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

I dated a German once. She was only offended by Nazi. Kraut she didn't seem to care about nor her brother cared about. I think you get more offended about German's being insulted than a real German would. They are generally very strong and proud people who have a deaf ear for insults. So get over it.

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

Manuel Neuer reminded me of Peter Schmeichel -- this is coming from an Arsenal fan. I would not be surprised if in a few years' time he is recognized as the best goalkeeper in the world.

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

So what would you all do for the lineup for the 2nd leg? Same team or try to rest some in preparation for Chelsea?

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

I would still give Schalke respect...

But In defence i had probably rest Rio,Evra....Considering how Fabio has done there's no need for Evra....Smalling for Rio....

In midfield i had probably play Scholesy and rest Giggs....Ando instead of Park...

Same forward line....

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

Squaddies

Ando to start in CM I think. Smalling (and at least one of the twins) in defence, probably Berbatov at least on the bench.

SAF has a track record with these things, I think he shat on Roma a couple years back by fielding a CC team with only a 1 goal lead from the away leg.

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

-----------keeper----------
--------RioF------Pique-----
Brown-------------------Silvestre
------------Carrick--------------
------Hargreaves-Anderson------
Park-----------------------Giggs
-------------Tevez---------------

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

Okay so maybe it was a CC final team

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

But by that time we knew Roma are just a threat to themselves only

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

It was 2-0 in the first leg and at Trafford it was a little nervous, because De Rossi missed a penalty. I still remember that Hargreaves's performance

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

What you're thinking of, I guess, is the group game. We were in the same group as them, beat them 1-0 at OT and fielded a 'CC team' in Roma (iirc ending 1-1 with a goal from Pique).

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

googoo are you talking about the header that Pique scored from a corner??....He had a different hairstyle back then....

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

This was probably one of the worst performances by a home team (not counting GK) in the Champions League semifinal history. We played ok - far from great and yet should've won this game 5-1 or smth like that without even breaking a sweat. This was almost like a pre-season game against an opponent that didn't care about the result.
Neuer was excellent though, I think there's a decent chance Schalke could end up in second division in Germany without him.

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

I would disagree. I think the whole squad went out their hungry and each with a specific job to do given to them by SAF. Other than bad finishing and some excellent saves the sqaud was amazing last night imo. Completely made schalke watch us play. You're only saying we were just ok because of how many balls neuer saved or we allowed him to save with not the best of finishing. Goals scored don't say everything about how well a game went or not.

They were dire but I wouldn't downplay how good we were because we were very good imo.

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

If this was a league game or FA Cup game - I'd agree. But. It's Champions League. Schalke has been concentrating on it since January with nothing else to worry about. They sent scouts to our games, presumably all of their preparation had to be around us.

And we didn't have any surprises, we played exactly the way any casual observer would expect us to play. And yet Schalke failed miserably in every aspect of the game. Their game plan was non-existent (if there was one), they seemed disinterested - half of the chances we generated were direct results of horrendous positioning lapses of their defense, they WILLINGLY let us control the midfield and gave all kinds of time with the ball.
I mean, again - this is Champions League semifinal. At the very least, the effort should be there. Outside of their GK I didn't see much of it.

It's not that I'm complaining - great win for us, got the job done, it's just that we didn't even have to work that hard for a spot in the final.

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

Exactly. Even Danny Simpson played in that game. Back then I thought of him as our future RB

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

Given the damage that Giggsy does to Chelsea I'd definitely rest him and give Scholes the start. Also Scholesy is banned for the Premier League game I believe so that makes it an even easier decision.

Give Nani Arsenal and the Schalke game next week with Valencia resting. Bring Valencia back for his raping of the Ash cole.

Ferdinand can NOT do 4 games in 2 weeks so he needs a rest and I'd feel best if he had it in the Schalke game. Arsenal play a style (albeit faltering) that requires a high attention to detail and movement that I'm more comfortable with Ferdinand handling than I would be with Smalling and the out-of-confidence Evans (oh how him being in-form would be perfect for right now).

Evra probably won't get a rest. It just doesn't happen. If we go up in the first half against Schalke to take a 3-0 agg. lead then I can see SAF pulling him for the second.

Cheech and Rooney will probably start all the games (obviously Roon will). The only chance of a start I can see Berba having is this Sunday at Arsenal. In fact on second thought I think that will be the way we go. SAF views this Arsenal game as probably the weak link game. He wants the Champions League so he will again come out blazing in the first half against Schalke, and Chelsea are far and away a bigger threat than Arsenal. So to rest Cheech he will give Berba the start on Sunday.

Park is probably due to play Sunday as well (as witnessed by him being subbed). He always does well against Arsenal and gives them fits. I'm not sure about the home Schalke game though. I know SAF will want him for the Chelsea game, but we can't afford to rest him and Valencia for the Schalke game. Given Park's ability to, well, run for-f*ck-ever he will probably be the one playing all of them.

VDS to start them all

Arsenal line-up

---------------VDS
JOS----Ferdy-----Vida----Evra
Nani----Carrick---Ando---Park
----------Rooney
--------------Berba

Schalke line-up

---------------VDS
Rafa---Smalling--Vida----Evra
Nani---Carrick--Scholes--Park
----------Rooney
-------------Cheech

Chelsea line-up
---------------VDS
Fabio--Ferdinand--Vida---Evra
V2000--Carrick--Giggsy--Park
----------Rooney
------------Cheech

You heard it here first.

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

I'm not sure why some are talking about us and a 442, because what we're playing right is about as far from a traditional 442 as you're going to find. In nominal terms, is something more akin to a 4141, with Giggs and Rooney clearly having incredibly free roles to roam where they please, and where they intuitively feel they have the most opportunity to inflict the most damage. It takes a certain level of very high football IQ for them to pull it off successfully.

That combined with the work rate and tactical discipline of Park/Valencia, the predatory instincts of Cheech, and ability to read a game from Carrick, makes it effective.

It's clearly got very strong counter - counter elements as well, which rely a solid foundation through the middle of VDS/Rio/Vida/Carrick.

I guess what I'm trying to say, is I don't think that with Rooney being such an outlet right now for Carrick/Giggs, I don't think this "442/whatever you call it" would get quite as over run in midfield as one might expect in a CL final.

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

I don't think Berbatov would be considered at all for the Arsenal game, even if he recovers from his groin injury. I don't remember Berbatov playing against Arsenal for quite some time now. It would be useful to have O'Shea for the Arsenal game especially as I see them attacking a lot and using Chamakh with van Persie. Whenever Chamakh comes on, he's a threat in the air.

Park and Nani can give Arsenal real headaches. I fully expect Nani to replace Valencia for that game. Would be useful to have Valencia come off the bench if needs be.

Fergie says Giggs won't play. Anybody think we'll use 3 in CM (presumably Carrick, Anderson and Scholes)? Can't see Hernandez being left on the bench, he could give either of their centre backs (Koscielny & Djourou) trouble. Except for the FA Cup game, I think for the last few encounters, Arsenal have come across a packed central midfield.

 

Re: FC Schalke 04 vs Manchester United - UEFA Champions League Semi Final 1st Leg - 26 April 2011 [

Hmmm, I never looked at it that way before, very interesting observation on your part.

The thing we lack in comparison to 2005 Chelsea is a dedicated defensive mid as well as athleticism and physicality across the board.

This summer's transfer dealings will be very interesting indeed as it will show what Fergie has in mind for the team going forward.