Wish the game was earlier to be honest, something like 12, like on boxing day. Got family coming round tomorrow which probably means that I won't watch it.
FA Premier League
Stoke City 1:1 Manchester United
Britannia Stadium
- Kick-off
- Thu, 1 January 2015 @ 12:45pm GMT
- Status
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Closed
Discussion Live Updates 62 Your Lineup Prediction
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- Status
What channel will air this on the US?Is Valencia injured for this game?
Yep, I believe so
Possibly. The BBC reckon it was minor and he's fine. But given our record this season, and how cautious Van Gaal is with injured players, I'd guess he won't start. Especially since Rafael is available.
NBCSN
Thanks. I guess they air pretty much every United match here.
Someone is trying to obtain 10 likes on New Years.
Happy New Year ! That's the lot buddy.
We can kick this year off with a great bang, last year it was a 2-1 defeat to Spurs and that set the marker for the year. If I remember correctly we was knocked out of the FA cup by Swansea a week later. I think Sunderland embrarrased us aswell in the Capital One Cup with a loss.
If we can get 3 points at Stoke, beat Yeovil and by the time we play Saints at Old Trafford, hopefully we'll have a clean bill of health bar the usuals such as Jones, Evans, Rafael's.
On a tactical note; what worries me about stoke is how we intend to deal with physical advantage over us. On average they field 6/7 large players and at best we will have 3 centre backs, Carrick + RVP, Rooney. Fellaini would be ideal, but that means our 3 strikers including Falcao will have to extra vigilant at set pieces as we'll probably set up Young, Mata,Shaw and Rafael for the counter attacking/ post marking/ edge of the box roles.
I'll take a scrappy 1-0 win, Stoke have kept two clean sheets over two games in 48 hours, they have got maximum points from the Xmas Pile up while we dropped points to lesser sides like Villa who are not better than Everton. Stoke are a better side than most estimate, they have players like Muniesa who is comfortable on the ball, I lIke Geoff Cameron too very able and talented imo, then there is Arnautovic, Walters and Diouf who can be a pacey handful with the distraction of Peter Crouch.
Its a very difficult game for Rafael,Shaw to be coming back into, Mata always goes missing in away games too.
Our best chance to beat Stoke is by getting a balance in that midfield, Carrick,Rooney, Mata in midfield need to sort out their passing, it has to quick, interchanging and it has to release the forwards who will have to make movements.
One thing United cannot resort to is, going down the wings and lumping it forward, we have to make sure the ball stays at the feet of our best passers such as Mata,Carrick, Rooney, Falcao and not at the feets of defenders to lump it foward bypassing the midfield.We cannot repeat the mistakes of Aston Villa.
3 points is a good marker for the year ahead, hopefully we are get that without having to struggle so much.12.45pm kick-off on New Year's Day is no good for anyone.
Expect the crowd to be asleep, and the players lethargic at best.
0-0.
Happy New Year.
It'll be no different to any other day for the players. From the look of Herreras Instagram they were all in the team hotel last night. Louis will have had them under wraps.LINEUPS?!?!
Just as an fyi...nbc sports have all epl games. They don't necessarily air all united matches , but do end up airing most matches.
You've got 10 hours before you'll see them.Decent service to falcao this afternoon and we'll win comfortablyDe Gea
Jones Smalling Shaw
Rafael Carrick Rooney Young
Mata
Van Persie Falcao
Subs: Wilson, Januzaj, Evans
I think if we score first then we will go on to win this vital away game... Let's hope Sparky's whinging in the post match interview... or better still... refuses to show his face-------De Gea
Rafael Jones Smalling Shaw
--------Carrick
--Rooney-----Herrera
---------Mata
-----RVP----FalcaoI've got a good feeling we might revert to a 4 man defence today in an effort to control the midfield and create some chances against a compact and tough Stoke side.
DDG
Rafael - Jones - Evans - Shaw
Carrick
Valencia - Rooney
Mata
Falcao - Van Persie
Doubt LVG would risk him against stoke. More than likely will get half a game against Yeovil and then ready for Southampton
also looks like Herrera is in the squad according to some reports.Herrera has traveled. Hopefully Fellaini too. We need at least one of them in the midfield for this oneIf Fellaini starts, I expect every slight bit of physical contact initiated by him to be punished while the Orcs will be given free rein to dismember our players.Unfortunately, as with most games recently, the team line up completely depends on who is fit. If Fellaini was available then a back 4 would be most likely.
Smalling is an absolute certainty for this game. If Evans is fit I would expect 3-5-2. Smalling for McNair, Rafael for Valencia and depending on Mata and Herrera's fitness levels maybe Herrera to come in too.Stoke away is always a tough match but hope we start the new year on winning note. A scrappy 0-2 will be fine. With Rafa and Shaw back form injury we should go back to back 4 today
If Pereira doesn't play today hopefully he plays on Sunday. Its high time we play a young player in CM for a change
Mame Biram Diouf will be the one to watch todayRafa Jones smalling Shaw
Carrick
Herrera Rooney
Mata
Rvp falcao
Tear them to shreds...3-0 united
Falcao, Herrera, rvp.We need bog brush Fellaini back for this for some height if nothing else, Falcao is going to the treatment from the neanderthals I reckon, expect a hard physical boring game with it being an early kick off too.My guess is
DDG
Jones - Smalling - Evans
Rafa - Carrick - Ronney - Shaw
Mata
RvP - Falcao
Expect to see Herrera coming on sometime in the second half.
Will be a tough game, but hopefully we'll start the new year with a winBojan is missing?This today is a must win. After the draw at Spurs we need to get back onto the winning way and bag the three points.
Happy new year to everybody in ref cafe and fingers crossed for a united winValencia's little groin strain will make dropping him for Rafa a straightforward decision for LVG, even if he has recovered enough to be technically available (as the BBC seem to think).
But I wonder if he'll stick with Young or give Shaw a start. If he switches back to 442/433, it seems like a no-brainer. Shaw is much more defensively reliable and he's a big, strong lad too which will help against Stoke. But if LVG sticks to 352, Young is probably better suited to the wingback position, and has certainly done more than enough over the last few matches to justify keeping his position.Happy New Year everyone on the caf!
Lets hope we get a good start to the year ahead although it does look like Fellaini will miss this one. Not surprising given the comments by LVG about players who have been ill needing more time to recover and get match fit.
Oh well we'll have to go and do this without him. RVP guaranteed a start given his premier league record against stoke. Rooney in midfield once again.
more than likely yes.
Looks like rumors are right, Herrera is in the squad. He posted this on instagram some 12 hours ago.Can LvG surprise us and put Valdes on the bench todayWishing everyone on the cafe a very Happy New Year
Doesn't make much sense. Young on the times he played right looks useless with most of his crosses over/under hit. Hope rafeal starts with young on the left
We're better off without him haha.Wishing everyone on the cafe a very Happy New Year
Same to you good sir
Doubt it with Hererra not match fit- Status
Man of the Match
Runners-up
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13%
Chris Smalling
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8%
Michael Carrick
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7%
Juan Mata
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5%
Phil Jones
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3%
Luke Shaw
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2%
David de Gea
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2%
Wayne Rooney
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1%
Ashley Young
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1%
Ander Herrera
Player Ratings
Total Average Rating
Highest Rated Player
Lowest Rated Player
Compiled from 448 ratings.
Score Predictions
405,38,54
- Man Utd win
- Stoke win
- Draw
Detailed Results
- 27% Stoke 1:2 Man Utd
- 20% Stoke 0:2 Man Utd
- 12% Stoke 1:3 Man Utd
- 8% Stoke 0:1 Man Utd
- 8% Stoke 1:1 Man Utd
- 7% Stoke 0:3 Man Utd
- 4% Stoke 2:1 Man Utd
- 2% Stoke 0:0 Man Utd
- 2% Stoke 0:4 Man Utd
- 1% Stoke 2:3 Man Utd
- 1% Stoke 0:5 Man Utd
- 1% Stoke 1:4 Man Utd
- 1% Stoke 2:0 Man Utd
- 1% Stoke 2:2 Man Utd
- 1% Stoke 3:1 Man Utd
- 1% Stoke 3:0 Man Utd
- 1% Stoke 1:0 Man Utd
- 0% Stoke 5:5 Man Utd
- 0% Stoke 2:5 Man Utd
- 0% Stoke 3:3 Man Utd
- 0% Stoke 4:0 Man Utd
- 0% Stoke 5:0 Man Utd
- 0% Stoke 2:4 Man Utd
- 0% Stoke 1:5 Man Utd
Match Stats
- Stoke
- Man Utd
- Possession
- 34% 66%
- Shots
- 11 6
- Shots on Target
- 2 2
- Corners
- 11 7
- Fouls
- 8 12
Referee
Michael Oliver
Man Utd Lineup
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replaced by Rafael
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replaced by Adnan Januzaj
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replaced by Ander Herrera
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