How would you feel if we used the likes of: Gibson, Eckersley, Welbeck and Macheda as starters in the Sunderland game? If we so-happened to lose a game under those circumstances would you then be inclined to blame the manager or accept that we're threadbare and need to strectch our presently thin squad as best we can?
Re: Taking a gamble? I am all for it. Ronaldo and our entire midfield need a chance to just rest for a few days. Rooney and Tevez need to be at their peak. We drop points at Sunderland we drop points at Sunderland. What I want is to give ourself a chance to beat Porto.
Re: Taking a gamble? I think he should do it. He's taken gambles in the last few years that usually work out. Why stop now? Definitely Eckersley, Macheda and Gibson should start. Eckersley as we are so short at fullback, Macheda because of the entuasiasm he will bring up front, and Gibson because we need fresh legs in mdifield. If we drop a couple of points at Sunderland then we will be behind Liverpool in the league but our destiny will still (barely) be in our own hands due to the game in hand. While if we have too many tired players at Porto then we are out of the CL.
Re: Taking a gamble? At this point SAF HAS to do it. As soon as the final whistle went for the Porto game, I started thuinking, who the hell is gonna be fresh enough for the Sunderland game? Probably would not start Macheda, but Gibson, Wellbeck, Fabio
Re: Taking a gamble? I'm sure Rooney will still play, he would still want to play, I wouldn't be surprised if he leaves Tevez out, although keeping Rooney fresh for Porto would be ideal. Macheda won't start, may feature though. I can't see Carrick starting, hopefully he can be on the bench in case. Ronaldo should be on the bench, hoping Nani can play well to help us win the game. I am expecting the likes of Fabio, Eckersley, Gibson and Welbeck to start, Eckersley because he should be at right back and John O'Shea at centre back as Evans looks like he is out. Gary Neville has been poor. Risk, but it has to be done.
Re: Taking a gamble? We have to gamble at this point. I think you have to call on Gibson and Welbeck. They have done enough to show that they can start in a league. My lineup v Sunderland would be this, given that Rio is available: -----Rooney--Tevez------ Nani--Gibson--Scholes--Welbeck Fabio---Rio--Vidic--O'Shea --------VDS (or Foster)------ Subs: GK, Ronaldo, Macheda, Giggs, Park, Carrick, Fletch
Re: Taking a gamble? this. Also, if we supplement the youth with players like Nani, Carrick and Park, there is a good chance we will win. The kids will give it everything they have because they probably care more about the club at this point than anyone else and because they realize that a good performance at such a critical time could catapult their careers here at United. If we drop points, then w/e. We rested players, and gave the kids a shot. It may save our entire season
Re: Taking a gamble? I agree with the above posters who said we should. I think SAF doesn't really have a choice at this point. To what the lineup will be, that is pretty tough to call. The manager seems to still trust Gary, so I'm sure he gets the nod over Eckersley, and maybe Foster gets the start, but Edwin seems to be in decent enough form. --------------VDS----------------- Neville---O'Shea---Vidic---Fabio Welbeck--Gibson--Fletcher--Nani ----------Tevez---Rooney--------
Re: Taking a gamble? I wouldn't be game for that at all. Relying on young players in times like this is not advisable. Macheda came on and played well but he's played precisely 20 minutes of first team footbal in his entire life - not the stuff to build championships on. Wellbek and Gibson might offer something but again I'm not interested in playing Eckersley away to Sunderland. We need to maintain the distance between ourselves and Liverpool in the league to keep up what momentum we have and that means playing our best players. The Sunderland game is on Saturday afternoon, the Porto away leg is on Wednesday night. That's 4 and a half days rest between games. Ample time to recover and recuperate if you ask me. Between last night and Saturday afternoon there's plenty of time to take stock of where we are goling wrong and how to put it right. Just my opinion, but if I saw a team line up against Sunderland which included Macheda, Wellback, Gibson and Eckersley I'd brace myself for a defeat. Sunderland are fighting for survival and I'm not sure those young players have the savy and the experience to deal with that kind of game and the aggression that comes with it.......................
Re: Taking a gamble? I do not think that time frame is suffcient to someone like Evra, Ronaldo, Fletcher and co. Looking at the bigger picture Evra has played 4 games in the last two weeks, and among those games, he had to play Porto two days after a very exhausting game vs. Villa. Then he had to work his butt off vs. Porto. Then he would have to play vs. Sunderland, then Porto again. Thats 6 games in this time frame without a weeks rest, especially considering the number of games we've already played.
Re: Taking a gamble? Sunderland will be our 54th game of the season. Liverpool and Chelsea have played46 games so far. Fergie gambled already on choosing to play Villa on Sunday instead of Saturday, and that did not work out for the best. If it wasn't for that moment of magic by Macheda, we're looking at two draws at home where we played poorly in both. As for Sunderland, Rio probably won't be risked if he has a chance of making it for Porto away. Evans looks to be crocked so that leaves us with Vidic and O'Shea/Neville in the middle. In that case we will probably see Eckersley or Fabio come in. For midfield, I think Fergie will hope that Scholes can pull the strings against a team like Sunderland. Maybe he can't do it against the top sides anymore but perhaps he can still do it against poorer sides. VDS Eckersley-Neville-Vidic-O'Shea Gibson-Carrick-Scholes-Nani Welbeck-Rooney Also, any news on Anderson?
Re: Taking a gamble? Against Sunderland: ----------VDS---------- Neville-JOS-Vidic-Fabio --------Carrick-------- ---Scholes--Gibson--- Rooney-Tevez-Nani Press them hard up the pitch so that they hoof the ball to Vidic. Carrick needs to protect the back four and should be relieved from going forward. Gibson should be incuraged to go forward to shoot. Fabio should replace Evra which needs a rest, he is also a goalthreat and could come in handy. We need Nani´s skillset for this run-in and he will only regain confidence and form through playing. Outside of that Rooney, Tevez and Scholes needs to play to make things tick further forward. Hopefully Rooney and Tevez could find back to last seasons chemestry as well. Towards the end of the game I would not mind Macheda, Eckersley and Welbeck given minutes if the game permits it. I´d rather have the PL than the CL so I do not want a full blown gamble. Against Porto: ---------VDS--------- JOS--Rio-Vidic--Evra --------Carrick-------- Ron-Fletch-Giggs-Park --------Rooney------- I still think this leaves us with a very good chance for the CL. Evra, Giggs, Fletch, Park and Ron will have a week off which should help a lot. In the end both these lineups should be capable of winning both games.
Re: Taking a gamble? I say start Foster in goal... Play some kids but have a strong bench in case we need a goal in the last 25 minutes...
Re: Taking a gamble? We need to get the 3 points at Sunderland and this is the team I would use. Gibson is a big lad who can control the middle and will bring fresh legs and a long range shot that Sunderland will have to respect. Fabio and Ronaldo played great in the FA Cup game against Spurs so I have no doubt that they would dominate the right side of the field. --------Rooney----------- --------Tevez------------ Park----------------Ronaldo ------Gibson-Fletcher----- Evra-----------------Fabio ------O'Shea-Vidic------- --------VDS------------- Subs: Foster, Eckersley, Gaz, Carrick, Nani, Welbeck, Macheda
Re: Taking a gamble? Definitely with a gamble for Sunderland. This is probably the nicest game we'll have in the run-in, even though it'll be their cup-final. Start the kids, stock the bench, with the strongest players available, and pray for the best. This is the last chance we have to really rest the guys. I'd go with Gibson, Nani, Rooney, and one of Welbeck/Macheda at least.
Re: Taking a gamble? Against Sunderland I'd rest Ronaldo, O'Shea, Evra, Giggs. -----Rooney-----Tevez Park-----------------Wellbeck ------Fletcher-Scholes----- Fabio----------------Eckersley ------Vidic-Neville------ ----------VDS------------- Subs: Foster, Carrick, O'Shea, Gibson, Nani, Macheda I think this should be enough to get 3 points.
Re: Taking a gamble? I don't want to see Neville as CB vs. the likes of Cisse or K. Jones. It's just not a good match. Neville should play as a RB only.
Re: Taking a gamble? I don't like the sound of Cisse on Neville, or Jones on Neville. Jones can header the ball as good as anyone.
Re: Taking a gamble? Yes and no. Major roles, but not all of them as starters. I agree that Ronaldo, Tevez and Carrick need a rest. ------------Rooney------Macheda/Welbeck Nani------------------------------------Park -----------Scholes--------Gibson Fabio----------------------------------Eckersly -------------Vidic------O'Shea ------------------VDS That should be good enough, with Giggs, Tevez and Neville off the bench to help. Perhaps Neville at RB with Eckersly at LB if Fabio is unfit.
Re: Taking a gamble? -----------VDS---------- Neville-Evans*-Vidic-O'Shea Park--Scholes-Gibson--Nani ------Rooney-Tevez *Corry. No, I'm not joking. Won't happen though.
Re: Taking a gamble? This would be my lineup. Maybe Foster in goal is VDS wants/needs a rest. Carrick's poor form is more puzzling than the rest of our squad - he didn't play at all during the international break did he? That would be a nice 10 day rest from games. Maybe he is just off the pace. If he isn't tired I would probably play him against Sunderland to try and get his confidence and sharpness back up.