[NJM78]

2-1 Spurs. Could have done with this away game pre lockdown whilst on form.

 

[sherrinford]

If we can win a scrappy game by the odd goal will do me. As some have said its like first game of the season again, when you get crazy scores. I also would stick with the same midfield 3/4. This is no time to experiment with fitting Pogba and Fernandes in the same side. The last 10 games have all looked good in midfield and looked like a good understanding in the team. If by chance we are 2 up with 20 mins to go then bring him on and try it.

There is nothing experimental about fitting Pogba and Fernandes in the same midfield three. Fernandes has been playing at no.10, Pogba has been playing in a midfield two. Experimenting would be trying a diamond or some kind of 4-2-2-2 to get four midfielders in the team, moving Bruno out to the right to accommodate Pogba centrally or moving Rashford over to accommodate him on the left.

The difference in the last ten games or so has simply been a higher quality of player in the no.10 role. Combinations of Fred, McTominay and Matic have featured over this period, but have also been doing so since Pogba sustained injury after the, what, sixth game of the season? All are good players and have done well but there was a reminder of Pogba’s superior quality with his two cameos on his attempted comeback towards the end of last year. Fernandes really has no bearing on which is the best deeper midfield pairing - he is good for all of them and improves the team’s play overall because he is better than what we had.

Were the season to have not been suspended there would certainly be an argument, with regards to momentum, for not bringing Pogba straight back into the side but with the break that’s out the window. As you said, it’s like the first game of the season again - there is no momentum and a massive question mark around how well we will play regardless of selection.

 

[Bogga]

Doubt it means too much but Spurs lost to Norwich in a friendly.

Well... we seemed to have some issues with WBA... hopefully that wont mean much either

 

[SuperiorXI]

Are they doing the fake crowd noise thing?

Looking forward to see some football again at least.

 

[ShoePolish]

Sorry if been answered already, but what channel will this be on?

 

[Random Task]

Sorry if been answered already, but what channel will this be on?

Sky Sports are showing the game, but it's only available to subscribers.

 

[Jazz]

Nervous already,
Cant wait to see the team play.

 

[Suvvernmanc]

I am wondering what the midfield is going to look like. Fred and Scott deserve to start due to their performances before the league stopped, Bruno starts 100%, what about Pogba? Could we see a diamond with Rashford and Martial in a 2 up top?

Rashford Martial
-----------Bruno
Pogba Mctominay
---------- Fred

 

[Berbasbullet]

So is this free to air?

 

[RonaldoVII]

Not heard anything. Looks like they just decided to offset the games from next year's fee and that's it.

I was told refunds for remaining games are being processed on the 16th June. I didn't want mine being offset for next season when nobody knows how many games they'll let fans into.

 

[edcunited1878]

I am wondering what the midfield is going to look like. Fred and Scott deserve to start due to their performances before the league stopped, Bruno starts 100%, what about Pogba? Could we see a diamond with Rashford and Martial in a 2 up top?

Rashford Martial
-----------Bruno
Pogba Mctominay
---------- Fred

You mean Matic, not McTominay. McTominay played sparingly because he was coming back from injury. His goal against City completely disregards the most effective partnership, at the time, of Fred and Matic + Bruno.

If United play a diamond midfield, you'd want Matic to sit and allow Fred or McTominay to go up and down the midfield, which suits their game. Then McTominay or Fred can come on, but the formation will probably need to change.

United have the better depth and need to use that to their advantage.

 

[dwd]

I was told refunds for remaining games are being processed on the 16th June. I didn't want mine being offset for next season when nobody knows how many games they'll let fans into.

By doing that have you given up your season ticket for next season? I would prefer the money back but don’t want to lose my seat.

 

[RonaldoVII]

By doing that have you given up your season ticket for next season? I would prefer the money back but don’t want to lose my seat.

Nah, there has always been the option of a refund or putting the money towards next seasons ticket and I thought last week it was time to cash in. They refunded the LASK home game to me straight away and said 16th for the remaining 4 season ticket games but to keep an eye on emails etc.

I can't imagine there being a deadline to renew for next season until this one is complete and we've an idea when it's going to begin.

 

[BluesJr]

So is this free to air?

No. Sky Sports.

 

[dwd]

Nah, there has always been the option of a refund or putting the money towards next seasons ticket and I thought last week it was time to cash in. They refunded the LASK home game to me straight away and said 16th for the remaining 4 season ticket games but to keep an eye on emails etc.

I can't imagine there being a deadline to renew for next season until this one is complete and we've an idea when it's going to begin.

Nice. I might give the ticket office a call on Monday and do the same

 

[Tincanalley]

Gah, had a nightmare that we were down 2-0 in under 20 min and were playing like absolute fools. Like a fair weather fan, didn't have the stomach to see it through to see the comeback and woke up all panicky.

Could happen.

 

[RonaldoVII]

Apparently a Norwich player has tested positive in the latest round of tests and "was involved" against Spurs in a friendly yesterday. Unsure what the protocol is now, hope it doesn't delay our game!

 

[Offside]

Apparently a Norwich player has tested positive in the latest round of tests and "was involved" against Spurs in a friendly yesterday. Unsure what the protocol is now, hope it doesn't delay our game!

They will have to self isolate and wait for all Spurs players to test negative, if there are any positives tests the whole Spurs squad will have to self-isolate for 14 days and the game won’t go ahead as planned.

 

[peridigm]

They will have to self isolate and wait for all Spurs players to test negative, if there are any positives tests the whole Spurs squad will have to self-isolate for 14 days and the game won’t go ahead as planned.

Imagine having that swab stuck in your nose multiple times per week. I got tested and it feels like being punched in the nose.

 

[ShinjiNinja26]

The closer this gets the less confident I become. It’s probably down to the usual pre match nerves though and not knowing what to expect after the long break. Still hoping we slap these cnuts though!!

 

[RonaldoVII]

They will have to self isolate and wait for all Spurs players to test negative, if there are any positives tests the whole Spurs squad will have to self-isolate for 14 days and the game won’t go ahead as planned.

Will the whole Spurs squad definitely need to isolate if one tests positive? Apparently only the Norwich player with the positive test needs to do so.

 

[Withnail]

Will the whole Spurs squad definitely need to isolate if one tests positive? Apparently only the Norwich player with the positive test needs to do so.

You're right.

I was listening to the rantcast pod today and they were saying they aren't making whole teams isolate based on an individual testing positive, which stands to reason or they'd never get the games done.

I has a look and found this online:

The current protocol as part of Project Restart rules that in any case of a Premier League player returning a positive test he would be kept away from group training for a total of 14 days including the seven days of government-advised self-isolation.



https://www.skysports.com/football/...-they-test-positive-for-coronavirus-this-week

 

[Santoryo]

Imagine if Kane and Son test positive. Mourinho is gonna have a meltdown.

 

[RonaldoVII]

Imagine if Kane and Son test positive. Mourinho is gonna have a meltdown.

He's the type to play them anyway and get them to breathe on our starting XI.

 

[Teja]

Any idea how we lined up against Westbrom in the friendly? Heard Pogba, Bruno and Rashford played together but no idea what the formation was.

 

[Champagne Football]

There is nothing experimental about fitting Pogba and Fernandes in the same midfield three. Fernandes has been playing at no.10, Pogba has been playing in a midfield two. Experimenting would be trying a diamond or some kind of 4-2-2-2 to get four midfielders in the team, moving Bruno out to the right to accommodate Pogba centrally or moving Rashford over to accommodate him on the left.

The difference in the last ten games or so has simply been a higher quality of player in the no.10 role. Combinations of Fred, McTominay and Matic have featured over this period, but have also been doing so since Pogba sustained injury after the, what, sixth game of the season? All are good players and have done well but there was a reminder of Pogba’s superior quality with his two cameos on his attempted comeback towards the end of last year. Fernandes really has no bearing on which is the best deeper midfield pairing - he is good for all of them and improves the team’s play overall because he is better than what we had.

Were the season to have not been suspended there would certainly be an argument, with regards to momentum, for not bringing Pogba straight back into the side but with the break that’s out the window. As you said, it’s like the first game of the season again - there is no momentum and a massive question mark around how well we will play regardless of selection.

Pogba has been consistently awful playing in the 2 behind a no.10. Fred came in and looked 10 times better with 100 times more desire. I think to fit them both in, Pogba has to be the furthest forward as he's that type of player who needs to be focusing mostly on attack with much less emphasis on tracking back, or else he just loses interest if you try to turn him into a more defensive minded midfielder.

 

[Rozay]

Pogba has been consistently awful playing in the 2 behind a no.10. Fred came in and looked 10 times better with 100 times more desire. I think to fit them both in, Pogba has to be the furthest forward as he's that type of player who needs to be focusing mostly on attack with much less emphasis on tracking back, or else he just loses interest if you try to turn him into a more defensive minded midfielder.

Someone should tell Deschamps.

 

[Mr Smith]

An article in the Athletic by Daniel Taylor claims Mourinho has been talking shite about Ole's ability to do the job. I really hope we do this lot.

 

[zenith]

Sometimes the anger and motivation of a player is more important to win a game than just ability and tactics. In that respect I would be hard pressed to find anyone more motivated than pogba.

He wants to prove Jose wrong, I'm sure he's eager to measure his performances against bruno and show his motivation on the field.

Won't bother with what spurs have got and let's put out our best 11, which IMHO should include both pogba and bruno in a 4-2-2-2 formation with split strikers up top

Besides, the option for 5 subs will really give us a lot of options.

 

[Drainy]

An article in the Athletic by Daniel Taylor claims Mourinho has been talking shite about Ole's ability to do the job. I really hope we do this lot.

If anyone would know about being out of your depth at a big club...

 

[ClaytonBlackmoorLeftPeg]

An article in the Athletic by Daniel Taylor claims Mourinho has been talking shite about Ole's ability to do the job. I really hope we do this lot.

Does anyone listen to a manager that failed at the club talk about subsequent managers?

Jose’s opinion is about as relevant as Moyes’ - no one takes either of them seriously.

 

[sherrinford]

Pogba has been consistently awful playing in the 2 behind a no.10. Fred came in and looked 10 times better with 100 times more desire. I think to fit them both in, Pogba has to be the furthest forward as he's that type of player who needs to be focusing mostly on attack with much less emphasis on tracking back, or else he just loses interest if you try to turn him into a more defensive minded midfielder.

Well that’s just completely false.

Pogba has had poor games and periods, just as he has had great games and periods, during his time here as both the most advanced midfielder in a three and in a deeper midfield pair. The fluctuation in his performances are not related to the position he has been deployed in at all.

I agree Fred came in and done well, and that the run of games at the beginning of this season was not Pogba’s finest. My issue, though, was his carelessness in possession - there were no problems defensively. He is never going to be a player who excels in those aspects of the game, but Pogba defended diligently within the team’s shape (as an aside; for most of the season, we have looked to apply a press in a relatively poor way and, for me, as a result the deeper midfield players have been given far too much to do in trying to recover ground and delay opposition attacks).

Anyway, if that’s your opinion on Pogba then that’s fine and you’re certainly not alone. It doesn’t change the fact that a deeper midfield role is almost certainly what he’s in contention for in the upcoming game. He has played in that role for half his time here, behind the likes of Rooney, Lingard, Mkhitaryan and Mata. He was used in that position this season behind Lingard and Pereira until he got injured. How is that any different to being played there with Fernandes ahead of him? There are no question marks around fitting both in. Bruno being selected at no.10 does not affect Pogba’s inclusion at all and Pogba’s inclusion does not affect Bruno’s role at all.

 

[jamesjimmybyrondean]

Someone should tell Deschamps.

I can't understand why people are upset Pogba playing in a pivot with us when he did it for France too. Even when Ole saw him flourish as LCM/the most advanced midfielder what did he do the next season? Play Pogba in a pivot

 

[Mr Smith]

If anyone would know about being out of your depth at a big club...

Just what are you implying?

 

[Withnail]

Just what are you implying?

Oh ffs so many cringeworthy moments

 

[Mr Smith]

I can't understand why people are upset Pogba playing in a pivot with us when he did it for France too. Even when Ole saw him flourish as LCM/the most advanced midfielder what did he do the next season? Play Pogba in a pivot

That was a very different system though; they didn't have a left winger and had Matuidi tuck in on the left to cover any lapses in concentration from Pogba, while Mbappe on the right wasn't so much a winger as a wide forward. They put up that system as a 4-2-3-1, but it was more like a lopsided 4-3-1-2 a lot of the time.

Lets be clear, Pogba has played in a pivot plenty for United and often been excellent. But he can be caught out against quality opposition. I'd actually be less worried about him playing there against a Mourinho team than a team who press high up the pitch, because when a team sits back it's actually really valuable to have his creativity coming from deeper. Where Pogba tends to get caught out is either losing the ball in his own half, or having lost positional sense and getting caught too high up the pitch.

 

[jamesjimmybyrondean]

That was a very different system though; they didn't have a left winger and had Matuidi tuck in on the left to cover any lapses in concentration from Pogba, while Mbappe on the right wasn't so much a winger as a wide forward. They put up that system as a 4-2-3-1, but it was more like a lopsided 4-3-1-2 a lot of the time.

Lets be clear, Pogba has played in a pivot plenty for United and often been excellent. But he can be caught out against quality opposition. I'd actually be less worried about him playing there against a Mourinho team than a team who press high up the pitch, because when a team sits back it's actually really valuable to have his creativity coming from deeper. Where Pogba tends to get caught out is either losing the ball in his own half, or having lost positional sense and getting caught too high up the pitch.

You would think Ole would have noticed the problem with Pogba in a pivot. Especially when he personally played him in the LCM role and watched him flourish.

I was upset at the beginning of the season when he opted to play a 4-2-3-1 with Lingard as the AM and Pogba and Mctominay in a pivot. A better midfield would have easily been Pogba Mctominay and Matic in a 4-3-3 or Pogba in a free role with Fred and Mctominay behind him.

I guess Ole plays him there because of his long passes and he's okay with his defensive contribution. Only time will tell whether this midfield would work both against smaller opponents and bigger ones.

 

[Mr Smith]

You would think Ole would have noticed the problem with Pogba in a pivot. Especially when he personally played him in the LCM role and watched him flourish.

I was upset at the beginning of the season when he opted to play a 4-2-3-1 with Lingard as the AM and Pogba and Mctominay in a pivot. A better midfield would have easily been Pogba Mctominay and Matic in a 4-3-3 or Pogba in a free role with Fred and Mctominay behind him.

I guess Ole plays him there because of his long passes and he's okay with his defensive contribution. Only time will tell whether this midfield would work both against smaller opponents and bigger ones.

When did he do that? Pogba's best performances under Ole surely came in the first 10 or so games in charge, when he played in a 3 with Matic and Herrera?

Like I say, I'm not sure if it's about bigger vs smaller opponents, but rather what the opponents tactics are. If the opponent is a pressing side, I don't want Pogba playing too deep. But if they sit back, then he's almost perfect in a deeper role, spraying passes left and right.

Given Jose's sides are more of the latter, I think we can get away with him and Bruno playing together against Spurs.

 

[mancan92]

Pogba has been consistently awful playing in the 2 behind a no.10. Fred came in and looked 10 times better with 100 times more desire. I think to fit them both in, Pogba has to be the furthest forward as he's that type of player who needs to be focusing mostly on attack with much less emphasis on tracking back, or else he just loses interest if you try to turn him into a more defensive minded midfielder.

Consistently awful? We finished 2nd in the league with him in that position and won the Europa and league cup how is that awful?

 

[Champagne Football]

Consistently awful? We finished 2nd in the league with him in that position and won the Europa and league cup how is that awful?

He's been bang average there. Always losing possession at key moments, no true defensive discipline or awareness, He's a player you have to play further forward. When he's playing on the left of a 3, he's only effective if he's really pushing forward to play mostly as a 10.

When he's pushing closer to being a 10, when on form he's the best in the world.

He'd remind you of Rooney. Devastating as a 10, but mostly a passanger if you put them back in a midfield 2.