Europa League Group L

Manchester United 4:0 AZ Alkmaar

Old Trafford

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Thu, 12 December 2019 @ 8:00pm GMT
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    I would have been tempted to play a strong(ish) team to win the group when we were so far off top four but now that it's back within touching distance it's better to rest the first team. We can't afford key players picking up injuries when we have an opportunity to capitalise on Chelsea's poor form.
     
    Full rest for the first 11 please.

    --------------Romero--------------------
    Laid----Axel----Jones----Williams
    --------------------Matic--------------------
    -----------Garner-------Andreas---------
    Mata----------Greenwood-----------Gomes

    If Pogba is fit for the Everton game then I'd play Lingard instead of Gomes with Pogba starting at the weekend.
     
    Rozay said:
    Stop being foolish, any cup-tying will not be in our thinking. He won’t be leaving in January anyway, and if he were, then he wouldn’t play regardless.
    Click to expand...
    May not have been in OUR thinking but MAY have been in Pogba's.

    Irrelevant now given the change in cup tied status. Wind your neck in.
     
    I agree with most that has been said,
    Play the kids and any of the likes of Pogba,TFM,Bailly,Dalot or Matic if they are up for putting a shift in for the shirt.
     
    charlenefan said:
    Team should be...

    --------------------Romero--------------------
    Laird--Tuanzebe--Bernard--Williams
    ------------Levitt------------Garner------------
    Chong-----------Pogba-----------Gomes
    -----------------Greenwood-----------------

    Subs: More kids

    Hopefully Pogba is fit as this will be a good game to give him minutes.
    Click to expand...

    No, I hope we won’t see Bernard, not as a starter at least. Mengi should be given chance (or Fosu-Mensah) instead of Bernard
     
    Al-T said:
    May not have been in OUR thinking but MAY have been in Pogba's.

    Irrelevant now given the change in cup tied status. Wind your neck in.
    Click to expand...

    I see you are still clinging to this theory/hope that he will ‘force his way out’ in a few weeks. Fair enough.
     
    --------------Romero----------
    Laird----Axel----Rojo----Williams
    --------------Pereira----Garner----
    Chong---------Mata--------Lingard
    ---------------Greenwood----------
     
    Rozay said:
    Stop being foolish, any cup-tying will not be in our thinking. He won’t be leaving in January anyway, and if he were, then he wouldn’t play regardless.
    Click to expand...
    Rozay said:
    I see you are still clinging to this theory/hope that he will ‘force his way out’ in a few weeks. Fair enough.
    Click to expand...
    I'm not clinging to anything. I don't know if he'll stay or go. Nor does anyone else except Pogba himself and those closest to him. And hopefully OGS.


    My original post was based on the premise that IF he were planning to go then the prospect of his being cup tied MAY have had an influence on his availability for this fixture. As another poster politely pointed out, however, the rules on being cup tied have changed, so it makes no difference.
     
    Surely a game for Matic if he is fit.
    One role he could have at the club is bringing some of the youngsters through.
     
    Not sure if it's overly important to finish 1st or 2nd in the group. Finished 2nd in 2016-17 let's not forget.

    Anyway a draw is enough to finish top. Az Alkmaar a decent team, 2nd in the league just 3 points off the top and as already said they have Ajax to play a few days after this game so they should be resting plenty of players also.

    The United team I'd select for this game

    Romero
    Laird
    Tuanzebe
    Jones (if fit)
    Williams
    Pereira
    Matic (if fit)
    Gomes
    Garner
    Mata
    Greenwood
     
    Romero
    Laird
    Tuanzebe
    Rojo
    Williams
    Pereira
    Levitt
    Gomes
    Garner
    Mata
    Greenwood
     
    nothing less than a straightforward win will be unacceptable. we need to start stringing wins together
     
    Bondi77 said:
    I agree with most that has been said,
    Play the kids and any of the likes of Pogba,TFM,Bailly,Dalot or Matic if they are up for putting a shift in for the shirt.
    Click to expand...

    Putting a shift in for the shirt. You just combined "play for the shirt" and "put a shift in" into one thing.

    You are taking away a full line of text as reasons to sell Pogba/Martial because they are always accused of not playing for the shirt and not putting a shift in.
     
    Romero
    Young--Tuanzebe--Jones--Williams
    Levitt--Garner
    Pereira--Mata--Lingard
    Greenwood

    Subs: Grant; Lindelof, Laird; Matic, Gomes, Chong; Martial

    If Dalot is fit enough then I'd have him on the bench.​
     
    I would put out a mixed team but strong enough to win. Rest a few, but not all. We need to win or draw to avoid big teams in next round.
     
    Would play pretty much the same team as played Astana, with just a couple of changes. Rojo and Jones in a back three, push Gomes into the 10 position, and would give Mellor a run up front, Bernard, Lingard and Chong on the bench.
     
    We'll probably get some clues about the team for this one when the U23s play tomorrow evening.
     
    Levitt doesnt come up as an option on the team prediction but i think he will play
     
    Bondi77 said:
    I agree with most that has been said,
    Play the kids and any of the likes of Pogba,TFM,Bailly,Dalot or Matic if they are up for putting a shift in for the shirt.
    Click to expand...

    You mean ‘if they are fit’ I presume. We really need to stop this villanising and implying every injured player is some sort of enemy of the club.
     
    Rozay said:
    You mean ‘if they are fit’ I presume. We really need to stop this villanising and implying every injured player is some sort of enemy of the club.
    Click to expand...
    It was not my intention to imply that a player who is injured is an enemy within the club, that is madness.
    Some players can be not 100% put can still play a part in the game and if that gives the first team a chance to freshen up for Everton on the weekend then all well and good in my eyes.
    These days it is a squad game not a team game so if everyone can play their part it can only benefit the cause.
     
    Tough one for Ole, I think he'll trust the kids, maybe Dalot will be fit, and I expected Greenwood, Williams, Garner, Axel, Gomes and Chong will start, I'm also hoping Levitt will.
     
    Romero
    Young--Tuanzebe--Maguire--Williams
    Levitt--Garner
    Lingard--Mata--Gomes
    Greenwood

    I think he will add more experience into the team than last time
     
    I would persevere with Chong on the right.
    I liked his response after the Astana loss with his performance for the reserves. It showed good character that-that miss hasn't played too strongly on his mind.
     
    ash_86 said:
    We have only 1 day rest for Everton . Since we are already qualified, we need to rest key players.
    Click to expand...

    Two days rest. It is normal and we should be fine. I think we can rotate the team against Colchester too. We should rotate the squad a bit, but I would play one of our best attackers at least with Greenwood and Lingard. We can rotate all our defenders since we got good cover. Midfield rotation is a bigger worry, but I would rest both Fred and Mctominay and test our other options. We could also play with 3 defenders for this one although I hope we attack them rather than play for a draw.
     
    We're hot in the league again, play kids, result is not the issue, we qualify anyway. We're back in business for getting top 4, Chelsea seem rattled, we might take that spot away from them. They were being too good for their quality we can catch them!
     
    -----------------------------DDG-------------------------------------
    -----Tuanzebe---------Maguire---------Bailly------------
    Laird-------------------------------------------------------Young
    ------------------McTominay------------Garner--------------
    ----------------------------------Mata--------------------------------
    Greenwood----------------------------------Rashford

    Is my guess.

    SUBS - Gomes (Mata), Chong (Rashford), Williams (Young)

    Man United 2 - 1 AZ Alkmaar
    Rashford and McTominay.
     
    RyRy11 said:
    Would love to see TFM get some minutes, do we know that he’s close to being match fit?
    Click to expand...

    He was in the travelling squad for Atsana so I would imagine he isn't far off, 60 minutes here along with maybe 90 in the league cup, could be knocking on the door for the festive campaign then.
     
    Stobzilla said:
    He was in the travelling squad for Atsana so I would imagine he isn't far off, 60 minutes here along with maybe 90 in the league cup, could be knocking on the door for the festive campaign then.
    Click to expand...

    He wasn't, some blind MEN reporter just had him mixed with Tuanzebe.
     
    roonster09 said:
    We had 3 intense games in 7 days, we should play with kids and back up players, give the first 11 complete off.

    Would go with

    Romero
    Dalot/Laird
    Tuanzebe
    Jones
    Williams

    Garner
    Matic/Levitt

    AP
    Mata
    Gomes

    Greenwood

    If Pogba is back then we should give him some game time.
    Click to expand...
    Playing without a winger then. That won't work well. Better would be either Mata or AP with Chong or Ramazani on the wing.

    Funny midfield too. Why would you play Garner + Matic. Two defensive midfielders! Garner + Levitt should work.
     
    -------------------Romero------------------
    Laird-Tuanzebe-Jones-Williams
    -------------Pereira-Matic---------------
    --Chong-------Mata-------Gomes--
    ‐--------------Greenwood---------------

    McT, Fred, Rashford and James should be nowhere near the squad for this one.
     
    Mark Pawelek said:
    Playing without a winger then. That won't work well. Better would be either Mata or AP with Chong or Ramazani on the wing.

    Funny midfield too. Why would you play Garner + Matic. Two defensive midfielders! Garner + Levitt should work.
    Click to expand...

    I was going for experience + young players. Otherwise would have just named our U23 side. I like Ramazani and wanted him to start vs Astana, hopefully he will get vs AZ.

    Players like Matic need game time if they are fit, we don’t want another Fred AP midfield combination if one of the midfielder is injured. Garner is not defensive midfielder, he is box to box player.
     
    Last edited:
    Paul_Scholes18 said:
    Two days rest. It is normal and we should be fine. I think we can rotate the team against Colchester too. We should rotate the squad a bit, but I would play one of our best attackers at least with Greenwood and Lingard. We can rotate all our defenders since we got good cover. Midfield rotation is a bigger worry, but I would rest both Fred and Mctominay and test our other options. We could also play with 3 defenders for this one although I hope we attack them rather than play for a draw.
    Click to expand...

    Two days aint enough. You need 3 just to recover.
     
    red woppit said:
    Would play pretty much the same team as played Astana, with just a couple of changes. Rojo and Jones in a back three, push Gomes into the 10 position, and would give Mellor a run up front, Bernard, Lingard and Chong on the bench.
    Click to expand...

    Williams for Shaw.
     
    Romero
    Laird Tuanzebe Jones Williams
    Garner Levitt
    Andreas Mata Gomes
    Greenwood

    Basically played everyone that didn't start the last game since we are likely to have unchanged XI for the next PL game anyway, except for Young since both Laird and Williams should play.

    Helm and Mejbri didn't start for the U18s on Saturday which probably mean they will start for the U23s today which probably means Garner, Levitt, Gomes, Laird will all in the first team squad, Puigmal RB, Galbraith Helm Mejbri midfield 3 for the U23s.
     
    Last edited:
    AZ have a promising team and are doing really well in the Eredivisie this year, being 2nd in the league with only 3 points behind Ajax and way ahead of PSV.

    Their team is very young with a lot of potential, especially with 'good old' Ron Vlaar being injured for this match, alongside their other CB Hatzidiakos, who recently made his debut for the Greek national team.

    Their most promising players are Right Winger Calvin Stengs and striker Myron Boadu. Both still have to turn 20 but recently made their debut for the Duthc National team. (Ahead of players like Kluivert, Weghorst, El Ghazi) Two other players Teun Koopmeiners (21, captain, CDM) and Owen Wijndal (20, left back) are already being linked to invitations for the National team.

    Besides that their teams holds of two Norwegian national team starters (Svensson, right back) and Midstjo (CM), and El Idrissi (left winger who got recently his first call up for Morocco), plus a goalkeeper Bizot who currently is in the running to beat the all time record for most clean sheets for a Dutch team in a year ever.. And then there is Jordy Clasie.. Another player like Dani de Wit (CAM) is someone from the Ajax academy who is a victim of Ajax' development and would have broke through there lets say 4 years ago.

    Not saying United arent favourites ofcourse, not trying to make them better than they are cause all have a lot to prove still obviously.. They arent however to be underestimated. They are also already qualified so have nothing to lose.. If United play too many youngsters or dont take it seriously at all, the might have a very tough evening..
     
    I'd play the same team again that we played against Astana, but with Williams/Young at LB and Pereira instead of Lingard.

    I'd personally want to see Gomes playing as the 10, not keen on him out on the left.
     
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Post-match discussion

Man of the Match

Mason Greenwood image Mason Greenwood 93% of 229 votes

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Score Predictions

210,6,32
  • Man Utd win
  • AZ Alkmaar win
  • Draw

Detailed Results

  • 29% Man Utd 2:0 AZ Alkmaar
  • 20% Man Utd 2:1 AZ Alkmaar
  • 11% Man Utd 3:0 AZ Alkmaar
  • 9% Man Utd 1:0 AZ Alkmaar
  • 9% Man Utd 3:1 AZ Alkmaar
  • 5% Man Utd 1:1 AZ Alkmaar
  • 4% Man Utd 2:2 AZ Alkmaar
  • 3% Man Utd 0:0 AZ Alkmaar
  • 3% Man Utd 4:0 AZ Alkmaar
  • 3% Man Utd 5:0 AZ Alkmaar
  • 1% Man Utd 4:2 AZ Alkmaar
  • 1% Man Utd 1:2 AZ Alkmaar
  • 0% Man Utd 0:1 AZ Alkmaar
  • 0% Man Utd 4:1 AZ Alkmaar
  • 0% Man Utd 0:2 AZ Alkmaar
  • 0% Man Utd 0:5 AZ Alkmaar
  • 0% Man Utd 4:5 AZ Alkmaar
  • 0% Man Utd 5:5 AZ Alkmaar
  • 0% Man Utd 3:2 AZ Alkmaar
Compiled from 248 predictions.
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Match Stats

  1. Man Utd
  2. AZ Alkmaar
Possession
49% 51%
Shots
14 7
Shots on Target
7 4
Corners
5 3
Fouls
6 12

Referee

Sandro Scharer

Man Utd Lineup

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