Its time to break out the can of whoopa$$ on keegans boys. Beating Arsenal was to remain strong in the EPL, beating Sparta prague, to remain strong in the CL, destroying city just for pride. Though revenge is as good a motive as any.
Too bad that Ruud is still banned for this one..he usually scores a couple against City...oh well, Rooney is gonna get 1 along with smithy...
I'd wager that Saha will get a start in this match. If it were up to me I would play Saha and Smith in partnership... Smith has the desire and steel for this type of match up... Rooney has shown little form in England thus far. He would also be a good guy to bring off the bench as he is versatile... My XI ----------Saha -------------------Smith Giggs----------------------------Ronaldo -----------Keane--Scholes Heinze-----Brown--Ferdinand------Neville --------------Superman Bench: Rooney Klebs O'Shea Miller Howard Oh, and in this match, instead of Ronaldo swapping with Giggs and going to the LW I would like to see him slip into the box with Smith drifting out wide from time to time... Ronaldo can use his trickery to get fouls in dangerous positions and generally wreak havoc.
I'm kinda worried. Against Arsenal we played a destructive midfielder in Phil Neville and that was logical, but against Shiteh we dont need a destructive midfielder, but someone who surge forward, support the strikers and create. But we dont have anyone. Paul Scholes has been mediocre, Keane nowhere near his former best and a couple of lightweights in DJ2 and Kleberson. Im completely against all this Fergie crapness of purchasing specialised positional players only to then go and play them in unauthodox postions. Is it me or when you have played your entire career in one position and become good at that, that it is hard to go and play in other position from which you dont have any knowledge? Im sorry Fergie but John O'Pie in midfield was stupid. And please dont play Alan Smith in there either.
Hard to tell what we should do. I think: --Saha--Smith-- Giggs-Scholes-Keane-Ronaldo Heinze-Brown-Rio-Neville -----Carroll-------- Rooney doesn't play because I'm worried about red cards in his first derby. Late sub if we need a goal.
I would like to see: ----------Saha--Rooney-------- Giggs-------Scholes------Ronaldo -------------Keane------------- Heinze----Brown--Rio----Neville ------------Carroll--------------- We need a team thats full of fighters, so maybe it would be better for Smith to start...I think either works.
Willo Flood and SWP will keep United busy. It's a must win for both teams. My heart says City. My head says United. probably a draw then!
Smithy keeps getting subed. Against Pompey he was one of our best players, though like everyone else he had not managed a goal. He should get the full 90 minutes with Saha and let Rooney get a bit of rest from the bench. Midfield:? of course CRon and Giggs on the wings, Scholes and...? I guess Keane in the end for lack of anyone else of sufficent playing ability. defense? Just bench Silvestre SAF, you're better off without him.
Have to agree there. Howard made some big mistakes and for awhile he didn't even see the inside of Old Trafford. We need to say bubye to Silvestre in the same way, at least for awhile.
If SAF is gonna do that he should slide Heinze inside with Rio and give specter a shot out left. He performed pretty well early on this season.
I would like to see Saha get a start. I would hope he is willing to put out the same effort he did at Fullham when he was courting us. He hasnt done much for us other than the first couple of times he got into the lineup after he came over. He got his spot with France, became injured, got his salad changed, and drifted into a shadow somewhere. He looks thinner to me, and not much into the 'go get the ball and score no matter what' style that he used to posess. Has he been lighting it up the reserve matches?
I am hoping for 3 points. I hate Man Chiteh. This game is going to have goals. The fact Keegan does not know what defending is about is a good enough reason.
Where does this come from? Saha has been good when fit. He was great when he just got over and then he got injured. SAF has not played him much after his return and all he did as a sub was orchaestrate a goal. Give him some time. For about 6-7 matches Smith was our only striker. Saha has only been available for 2 - give him time I say. I think he only played 2 reserve matches and I think he scored one and set up one or two
Pure guess but I suspect Rooney might be rested and Saha and Smith started up front. I read this morning that Silvestre was missing from the last game because of the virus that's been going around. I wasn't impressed at all by the Brown - Ferdinand partnership against Sparta. The two players are too similar in style - both like to sit back and judge their move which gives the opposition strikers too much time and room on the edge of the box. Silvestre shakes them up a bit and forces errors (as well as his own ). I still think Silvestre and Ferdinand is our best option in the centre if Silvestre is free of the bug.
I want to see the same team fielded that I feel is our best line-up with direc replacements for those that are out of the game. I.e Saha for Ruud. Brown for Silvestre etc. Keep playing the same team over and over until they become a machine. Chopping and changing will not breed the familarity we crave. Apart from that, we must stuff Citeh! Avenging the debacle of last season would be a good start!