ESPN2 Tue November 4 2:30 pm ET UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MANCHESTER UNITED FC VS. RANGERS FC Of course, United are without Scholes and Solskjaer. (and Brown and Kleberson)
I'd be shocked that he'd be thrown into such a big match, without even a Reserve match run out after such long a layoff. Oh wait, I do remember Fergie gambling with Veron against Real Madrid last year....and we all know how THAT turned out.
You're right: Manchester United (from): Howard, G Neville, Ferdinand, O'Shea, Fortune, Ronaldo, Fletcher, Keane, P Neville, Giggs, van Nistelrooy, Silvestre, Butt, Forlan, Djemba-Djemba, Bellion, Kleberson, Lynch, Carroll. Fergie apparently waiting on Silvestre's fitness as well.
Lynch. *horror* What is it with Fergie and that guy? He's been not only bad, but spectacularly horrible in every game he's played for Utd. Guys like Richardson and Eagles may be younger, but at least they're not 100% pure crap. But for whatever reason, whenever there are injuries or a meaningless game, he always gets put in the squad. I keep expecting him to be sent on loan to the Ryman league or something... can't imagine him being good even in the Nationwide. Strikesr in the US A-League would eat him for breakfast.
So then what are we looking at... ----------RVN---------- Giggs---Fortune---Forlan -----Keane----Dj2----- O'Shea---Rio---Silvestre?---G Neville If not Silvestre, who could fill in at the back? Hopefully we won't have to worry about that.
Well, Fortune has been played at the back before...they may push Neville in the middle and have O'Shea on the right. In that case I wouldn't be surprised if P. Neville started in the midfield.
This is how I think we'll line up: RVN - Forlan Giggs - Keane - Butt - P. Nev/Fletcher Silv/Fortune - Rio - O'Shea - G. Nev Howard
Why do you think Fergie is so eager to put Phil Neville in the middle? *That* goal aside, Fortune pretty clearly provides more attacking impetus, something Utd are a little short of at the moment. Besides which, Keane, Butt, and DJ2 are all good defensive midfielders. Fortune is better on the ball. To me, the logical decision is to start Neville at the back, and Fortune in a more advanced midfield role... but for whatever reason, Fergie does the reverse. While it's nice to see Fortune steaming up the flank... his attackign abilities seem a bit wasted there.
Well, I think he'll put Forlan up top with Ruud and rely on Giggs and Keane going forward for the attacking part of our play. I think he's very conscious of getting caught out on the break, so I expect a very solid defensive lineup behind them with lots of possession being the gameplan.
That's the main reason I stuck Fortune up at the main ACM position where you would normally see Scholes. I think he can work well there, its just that he hasn't been needed because we generally have had a strong midfield. But now with Becks and Veron gone, and Scholes out, it could be time for him to show if he can be a scorer. I see him supporting Forlan, though both players have been notoriously inconsistent. Ronaldo and Fletcher are still very young, so I get the feeling we may even see Keane move forward more, with Butt playing back. But its all speculation until tomorrow.
Bleh... with absolutely nobody to coordinate attacks. Giggs? He can tear a defense apart, but he's not someone you really build through. Keane? I'm not convinced he can do it for 90 minutes and commit himself fully to winning the ball. Forlan? Please. I'm more concerned with a 0-0 draw than I am Rangers outscoring Man Utd in an attacking game. Really don't like the idea of playing defensively at home to inferior opposition. Fewer opportunities means chance has more of a role to play, sometimes... which is bad for us .
I'm not concerned about a 0-0 result, I'm concerned going down a goal early because we were overzealous in pressing. It's happened before: Fergie: Maybe go with a 4-5-1: Ruud Giggs - Keane - Fletcher Butt - P. Nev Silv/Fort - Rio - O'Shea - G. Nev Howard If we need a goal, we have options on the bench in Ronaldo, Forlan, etc.. Or keep Keane on the bench to start, and then bring him in at half time and really start to press... Fergie has some options here, I don't know what he'll do. This is a situation where a good No. 2 comes in handy, to be sure.
I've always thought Giggs could do a decent job of building up plays, moreso than most other midfielders. I know we tend to think of him as a dribbler who can pull defenses away from Ruud and Scholes, but he is an excellent passer, and I think he's got pretty good vision. I agree that Keane may not go 90, but he's still very capable of giving you 70 minutes of solid football. Forlan is questionable here, but with the injuries we are dealing with, who else can come after Solskjaer and Scholes? Forlan is not our first choice, but he's what we've got now. Remember, he performed relatively well last season, even in CL, until his injury in Turin (the game in which Giggs came in as a sub and tore it up). And with his recent successes, even against feeble opposition, maybe he'll have the confidence he needs to take good shots for once. Maybe...
I think it's because Phil is just a very organized, usually consistent player who has no huge aspirations to win you a game but he won't lose one for you at that position. He generally doesn't give the ball away, rather simply linking up with the other players from that central position. He also provides an additional line of defense ahead of the back 4. Frankly, I'm a big fan of outside backs who can go forward, so I love to see Fortune at left back. Attacking players are generally lazy about defending, so most strikers and even midfielders don't track back to cover very well.
Errrp. He doesn't give the ball away? You're just flat out wrong there. Neville gives the ball away very easily on any pass longer than about 10 yards or so. He does serve as an excellent defender, though. Me too. Except for the fact that w/the single striker formation Utd employ, and the very defensive central midfield, there's nobody in the box to get on the end of crosses that attacking midfielders supply. If Utd were playing w/two strikes and Scholes maurading forward... I'd completely agree.
Fergie has to start Forlan, he has scored in 3 straight games and with his inconsistency we might as well get use of him now while we have so many injuries and use him to help take some of the load off of Ruud. I think Ronaldo will be rested and come in as a sub for Fletcher or a DMid if we need a goal. Fortune is excellent at left back not just because he can attack well and tracks back, but in the time he has played there, he has looked much better in defence than O'Shea (granted he has been off form) and he certainly tops them both while attacking although O'Shea has potential. Under different circumstances the 4-5-1 would be prefered, but because we just played and will play again in less than a week, and also since Forlan has scored recently we will see the 4-4-2 which means that Keane must start and that he will probably partner Djemba Djemba and that they will take turns playing midfield anchor and leading the attack. in the 4-5-1 Keane will again start but play an attacking roll with Dj and Phil/Butt behind him. (we may see that cuz fergie is rootless and may not mind sitting Forlan)
Well, you're right there. I guess my point really should have been that he keeps it simple. He really doesn't try for that longer pass very much, instead just trying to maintain possession and let the more skilled players do the work. That is both good and bad, of course, as you really can't go forward well with too many players like that; of course, you're not going to hand the game away too often. I think the greatest improvement to Phil Neville's game over the past three or four years, and his greatest asset now, is that he realizes his limitations better. He's ably come to grips that of the group that came through the youth ranks together, he'll never be David Beckham. Hell, he'll never ever be Gary Neville. He's just Phil Neville, and he's modified his game to fit that ability.
Bite your tongue! What I meant was, there is no chance of a 0-0 result in this match. There is going to be goals. I want to be the club with more goals going into stoppage time... If Rangers get a goal, they will pack it in and play for the 1-0 win or settle for the 1-1 draw. THAT'S why we need to keep them from scoring first.
He gets put into the squad because he is a defender and United dont have much back up in that area do they? so who wlse are they gonna put in the squad? he been bad in every game hes played for United, Lynch has played a massive one game for United. And its not like hes gonna play now is it? On the matter of Phil Neville he will be playing in the centre as that is where he is playing very well at the moment and he deserves to keep his place there
He played against Depor last year, and looked atrocious. Then he played in two games that I saw on the US Tour. In those 3, it's not that he just looked inexperienced and young... he wasn't even gifted physically. His skills were poor. His positional sense was poor. He showed... nothing. I'm not too demanding. I'm not calling for Kleberson's head because he didn't look like a world-beater in two games. But in 3 games, when a player fails to show even the smallest spark... and is directly responsible for two goals (when nobody else really has any blame at all)... that's a very, very bad omen. If nothing else, stick Richardson in there for left back. A defender, he may not be. But Lynch is just so slow - attackers outpace him at will.
Forlan must start this match. 3 goals in 3 matches His confidence must be at an all time high since he's been with our club. He's finally getting a a run of games and scoring goals. If ever Forlan is going to show if he's got what it takes to make it with United, this is it.
That is the very same philosophy that allows Roberto Carlos to be called a great player and worse yet a great defender in anything but a 5-3-2 system. Speed is not everything, and Lynch is not the answer but you have to have defensive skills to play as a defender. Speed does not cover you always, in fact, with younger or inexperienced players speed can be a bad thing. Arsenal will not win an EPL title with Ashley Cole playing left back the way he does. His speed makes him think that he can overcommit to offence and get back and that leaves the team open. He and other such pacey defenders like John Arne Riise also tend to play a bit closer to attackers than they should and often get beaten. I guess that is fine when you have a Rio or a Campbell in the middle but they cant stop everything.