Manchester United 2:1 Middlesbrough

Florida Man · Dec 31, 2016

Meh. That'll do.

PoTMS · Dec 31, 2016

Can't help but feel Fellaini would be more useful against West Ham than today against Boro but I guess Mou's hands are tied with his exclusion of Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin from the starting XI and Carrick's illness. Aside from that, happy with the team in general. Hopefully Carrick is sweating out his cold and will recover in time for Monday.

IrishRedDevil · Dec 31, 2016

Raw said:
FFS get the Drip Doctors to sort out Carrick

Sparky Rhiwabon · Dec 31, 2016

Carrick is ill officially but we all know that is code for rested. Could be a difficult game this.

Bwuk · Dec 31, 2016

Fellaini and Smalling. Urghhh.

Irrational. · Dec 31, 2016

I trust Jose, but I would've felt a lot more comfortable without Fellaini in the team. Hell even Bastian starting instead would've brought a lot more composure to our play.

Successful · Dec 31, 2016

Adam-Utd said:
We really need another b2b midfielder to rotate with Herrera and pogba. Somebody like Vidal / nainggolan would be perfect. No disrespect to fellaini but his passing and goal threat isn't good enough.

Oooooooooooooooooooh Nainggolan would cost something like £60m to get.

I like him even though he looks and moves around like a hedgehog. Dream move.

Damien · Dec 31, 2016

Freak said:
I think his performances earlier in the season helped his likeness with the fans by quite a bit. Then he decided to lose us 3 valuable points against Everton with his stupidity and everyone has given up on him again, including me.

Ultimately it doesn't matter what he does now. In his time here he's contributed more than both Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger but the latter two are liked a lot more and it won't change.

K2K · Dec 31, 2016

Middlesbrough are our bogey side so this will be an extremely tough one.

OohAahMartial · Dec 31, 2016

joedirt87 said:
Yeah Ander in Carrick's position and Fellaini in Herrera's is what I would prefer. i remember Fellaini playing mostly on the left side of the midfield 3 when van Gaal used the 4-1-4-1

I presumed a 4-2-3-1 but maybe he will do what you suggest. Might be safer to keep Fellaini away from our box and let him get forward and cause them problems more.

Rado_N · Dec 31, 2016

I really do hate seeing Fellaini's name there.

RedNed77 · Dec 31, 2016

Fellaini is overdue a red card as well. I don't mind if he's just his usual crappy self but he needs to watch the elbows today.

Irrational. · Dec 31, 2016

Rado_N said:
I really do hate seeing Fellaini's name there.

At least we have a scapegoat ready and primed in case things go pear-shaped.

IrishRedDevil · Dec 31, 2016

This is our best team bar Carrick and Shaw, let's be happy folks.

We all waited patiently for a front 3 of Mkhitaryan Ibra Martial, so let's have some positivity.

Successful · Dec 31, 2016

Fellaini would probably stay at home if he could read what people think about him on here.

OohAahMartial · Dec 31, 2016

With Schmidfield leaving we really don't have m(any) midfield options. Badly need this area reinforcing this window if both leave.

Inigo Montoya · Dec 31, 2016

mancan92 said:
why the hell is fellaini playing? its like mourinho just does things to prove a point

Yep, that he trusts his players to do a job.

Crap that a guy in charge dare do that with his employees

Rado_N · Dec 31, 2016

Irrational. said:
At least we have a scapegoat ready and primed in case things go pear-shaped.

Hopefully it won't come to that.

Successful said:
Fellaini would probably stay at home if he could read what people think about him on here.

Someone send him some printed pages then.

Ixion · Dec 31, 2016

Fellaini could easily turn opinions around if he just put in some good performances. Actually good, game changing performances and not bang-average barely contributing performances like has done for three years. Rojo is proof if you put a few good games in fans will change their tune, Fellaini's problem is at best he's been average and at worst he's cost us points. There are few if any games at United where you can say he ran the show and was the reason we put in a great performance.

SqueakyWeasel · Dec 31, 2016

The "F" word!

PlayerOne · Dec 31, 2016

A lot more changes than I expected. Hope it doesn't backfire. The players we have playing are more than good to win this

Inigo Montoya · Dec 31, 2016

Successful said:
Fellaini would probably stay at home if he could read what people think about him on here.

In his feck off big mansion with all that wealth. I feel for him

Dobba · Dec 31, 2016

Successful said:
Fellaini would probably stay at home if he could read what people think about him on here.

Elbowing door frames and tripping up the cat as it walks by him.

witchtrials · Dec 31, 2016

PoTMS said:
Can't help but feel Fellaini would be more useful against West Ham than today against Boro but I guess Mou's hands are tied with his exclusion of Schweinsteiger from the first team XI and Carrick's illness

Not sure you can really say his hands are tied with Schweinsteiger, (for better or worse) the decision to leave him on the bench rather than start him is entirely Mourinho's choice. But even if we do say he has no choice but to leave Schweinsteiger out he still had the option of starting Blind in midfield.

bosnian_red · Dec 31, 2016

Damien said:
Ultimately it doesn't matter what he does now. In his time here he's contributed more than both Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger but the latter two are liked a lot more and it won't change.

Part of it is he'll always be associated with Moyes and that disastrous transfer window of summer 2013. Plus his playing style represents everything United fans dont want to see with his lack of pace, agility or any on the ball skills. He's just tall and nothing else. He isnt even that good at heading the ball despite his height.

sunama · Dec 31, 2016

RedNed77 said:
Fellaini is overdue a red card as well. I don't mind if he's just his usual crappy self but he needs to watch the elbows today.

He is a clumsy player and anybody who has seen him play knows this. He can't help but elbow people.

Freak · Dec 31, 2016

Damien said:
Ultimately it doesn't matter what he does now. In his time here he's contributed more than both Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger but the latter two are liked a lot more and it won't change.

Possibly because those 2 don't make silly mistakes that cost us points or don't consistently make stupid fouls.

sunama · Dec 31, 2016

So Carrick will miss today's game AND our next game?

Inigo Montoya · Dec 31, 2016

PlayerOne said:
A lot more changes than I expected. Hope it doesn't backfire. The players we have playing are more than good to win this

When you think that Bailly and Smalling were first choice, Blind has played at LB,Fellaini in midfield. It's hardly a radical change.

The one that JM would have put in is Rooney but I don't suppose many on here are lamenting his absence

NoLookPasser · Dec 31, 2016

Great that we are rotating today. West Ham have named an unchanged line up today which is their strongest possible team. They are bound to be tired for our match against them.

RedNed77 · Dec 31, 2016

sunama said:
He is a clumsy player and anybody who has seen him play knows this. He can't help but elbow people.

Which just makes his inclusion more baffling. He's a walking disaster waiting to happen. It's all downside with no up with him.

Scholesy · Dec 31, 2016

Mourinho said this about carrick in October, maybe he is just rested

I cannot expect from Michael what I expect from Rashford or Herrera in terms of playing three to five consecutive matches, but he is phenomenal.

Irrational. · Dec 31, 2016

Inigo Montoya said:
When you think that Bailly and Smalling were first choice, Blind has played at LB,Fellaini in midfield. It's hardly a radical change.

The one that JM would have put in is Rooney but I don't suppose many on here are lamenting his absence

He probably would've played but he's injured.

Inigo Montoya · Dec 31, 2016

sunama said:
So Carrick will miss today's game AND our next game?

Depends on the illness doesn't it? If it's a stomach bug then probably not.

EvilIrwin · Dec 31, 2016

Don't have a good feeling about today.
Swapped the defence.
Fuzzball starting.
Only plus is mkhitaryan.

Goodbye winning streak

Ixion · Dec 31, 2016

It would be hilarious if Carrick has a cold after tweeting himself with that ice cream.

Inigo Montoya · Dec 31, 2016

Irrational. said:
He probably would've played but he's injured.

Out of him and Martial I'm not sure who I'd want. Rooney's workrate or Martial's pace.

DJ Jeff · Dec 31, 2016

Don't have a good feeling about any game where Carrick isn't playing.

Inigo Montoya · Dec 31, 2016

Ixion said:
It would be hilarious if Carrick has a cold after tweeting himself with that ice cream.

The ice cream probably gave him the runs

Scholesy · Dec 31, 2016

We could have even played Lingard ahead of Fellaini.
Herrera must be the holding midfielder

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