If Rafael, RVP and Evans are fit to start then i think we will win. CM is obviously a big worry but Rooney tends to drop deep to help out and its something Mata can also do. The key is tracking midfield runners when they have possession as last week we were ball watching far too much and not switched on which led to both goalscorers being unmarked.
FA Premier League
Sunderland 1:1 Manchester United
Stadium of Light
- Kick-off
- Sun, 24 August 2014 @ 4:00pm BST
- Status
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Closed
Discussion Live Updates 48 Your Lineup Prediction
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- Status
The injuries are a big issue but surely I'm not being overly optimistic thinking we should win this game.
Cleverley and Fletcher in midfield. Evans, Rafael and RVP should be back and we now have LVG at the helm! As long as we don't pick up anymore injuries we should be OK.
He is a makeshift "destroyer", he is mobile and can help nick the ball off the opposition. Can't really expect anything from him in the creative department but I would rather have him there then let us get run over by relegation fodder midfielders. That seems to be our main problem, let alone the creativity from midfield our positioning and work rates are horrible and we keep getting sliced through the centre
There's an excuse for the rest of the team to disappear!
@Keenst , quality!!!
Any guesses as to who will be playing in the black hole. Fletcher and Cleverly would be a recipe for disaster. Jones and Fletcher perhaps?Your should change your user name to black hole perhaps.
Carrick was a 1 man midfield in 2013 but this is ridiculous.
Obviously the former..
I think the midfield was pretty poor in 2012-13 as well, but RvP was the the saving grace there.
Honestly, I would be happy if we got a point at Sunderland, with the midfield we will play. Oh how far we have fallen!!!
Been a newbie but I've always looked at this site, and hate to say it we have so many fickle fans.
We go 1 down and it's all bla bla bla bla this is shit.
Score a goal and were top class, even our gaffer has said it.
Stick by your team good and bad. Planes ffs last year. I don't think we'll make top 4 this year but I hope we stand bye our gaffer. This game is a big game. Can see us scoring but at the same time so will they. 2-3Injured
Jeeez. What's happening in training!!?
It could also be that our performance over the last year has been consistently shocking, and while Moyes wasn't helping that LvG is showing that the players simply aren't up to scratch either.
So what happens now?
Have to sing your hearts out and back the team, be the 12 man.
We've been spoilt for years, one or two poor years and the toys are thrown outFinal prediction:
____________________________________________________________________
1. De Gea
4. Jones 12. Smalling 42. Blackett
25. Valencia 24. Fletcher 26. Kagawa 18. Young
8. Mata
20. Van Persie 10. Rooney
______________________________________________________________________
Bench: 40. Amos, 38. Keane, 2. Rafael, 23. Cleverley, 22. Powell, 11. Januzaj, 49. Wilson
Sunderland 0-2 Man Utd (Rooney, Van Persie)
So who's gona be the key midfield player here?
Mata will be non-existent in that team.
3 man defence will be a disaster
This is what I think Van Gaal will choose, not who I would choose. Van Gaal played Kagawa at cm a lot in pre-season. He did pretty well there (though not as well as cam). It's either Kagawa or Cleverley and Cleverley had an injury until quite recently I believe. Van Gaal may not think he's fit enough to start. Evans is injured, Herrera is injured, Carrick is injured, Fellaini is injured, Lingard is injured, Shaw is injured, I believe Welbeck is still injured. There aren't many choices. The only players we could play in midfield are Fletcher, Mata, Kagawa, Cleverley, Powell, Anderson, Rooney, Januzaj or Jones. Obviously, the majority of those are either going to be played out of their preferred position or are not good enough to start. Others have not played the position enough or have not trained with the first team yet. It's straight up Kagawa or Cleverley, neither are great defensively.If Carrick, Welbeck, Evans, Herrera, Anderson, Fellaini, Shaw, Rojo, Lingard, Lindegaard & Johnstone are all out.....
Starting XI: De Gea - Jones, Smalling, Blackett - Rafael, Kagawa, Fletcher, Young; Mata - Rooney, Wilson
Bench: Amos, M.Keane, Valencia, Cleverley, Januzaj, Chicharito, Van Persie
Goal
Of course De Gea should start.
But it will be interesting to see if Lindegaard is back on the bench after this tweet
Defence
Blackett should keep his place even if Evans is maybe fit (according to some rumours).
Midfield
I go for Kagawa in CM because i will cry if Cleverley and Fletcher (Anderson shouldn't even be on the team bus to Sunderland tomorrow!!!!) are both starting this match.....it isn't his best position but i hope Kagawa can give us 2-3 magic passes and does otherweise a solid job in CM.
Attack
I don't Van Persie should/will start and Chicharito should never start therefore i go for Wilson...i know Januzaj can play as striker too....but i would still play Wilson from the start (although i don't know how much training sessions he had after his injury)Last edited:
They won't be fit for long with our luck.So why does everyone have janu on the bench? Am I missing something here? He should be playing every gameWelbeck appears to be training with the squad so he may come off the bench, or even start if he's properly ready. Zaha there too, but I'd be surprised to see him get game time.
Ahead of Rooney, Robin and Mata? Maybe in place of Valencia, otherwise can't see him making the team.De Gea; Jones--Smalling--Blackett; Valencia--Fletcher--Cleverley--Young; Mata; Januzaj--Rooney
subs: Amos, M.Keane, James, Kagawa, Welbeck, Hernandez, van Persie
Welbeck if fully fit.
I think it would be a good idea to play rooney into the hole and start Januzaj alongside RvP for this game. Sunderland play a 4-5-1 and having rooney there would essentially give us a third midfielder defensively. That, and mata's recent performances don't warrant a start imo.I think (given that Evans is fit enough to play, otherwise Blackett in his position)
De Gea
....Jones-Smalling-Evans....
Valencia..Fletcher..Cleverley..Young
.................Mata.......................
..........RVP........Rooney..............
I hope:
De Gea
...Jones-Smalling-Evans....
Valencia-Fletcher-Rooney-Young
...................Mata.................
.........Januzaj.....RVP............This 3 at the back lark I hope stops, our defenders are not world class.
Which is exactly why we're using 3 at the back. They aren't smalling/jones/Evans have proved during their united careers that they as of now haven't been good enough forming partnerships between them. Putting 3 central defenders makes it easier for them, it just takes time.LVG said seven injuries.... Herrera, Carrick, Shaw, Lingard, Fellaini plus two?
We know everyone else is back in training at least (Rafael, Welbeck, Evans, Valencia, Cleverley, van Persie).Johnstone is one of themMaybe Will Keane the other?
It's probably not been approved yet. No use delaying the signing because of that. Better to get Rojo in and have him train with the team. Very slim chance he'll get rejected.
Given that he just played in a World Cup final, I'd say it's slimmer than slim.I think Sunderland will win this. Our injuries are just ridiculous. Hope I'm wrong about the result though.Maybe we will see the return of Anderson tomorrow
Even in his worst form, he is capable of a lot more than cleverly surely!!!
PLAY KAGAWA- Status
Man of the Match
Runners-up
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23%
Tyler Blackett
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16%
Juan Mata
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4%
Danny Welbeck
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2%
Antonio Valencia
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2%
David de Gea
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1%
Tom Cleverley
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1%
Chris Smalling
Player Ratings
Total Average Rating
Highest Rated Player
Lowest Rated Player
Compiled from 459 ratings.
Score Predictions
741,167,143
- Man Utd win
- Sunderland win
- Draw
Detailed Results
- 27% Sunderland 1:2 Man Utd
- 13% Sunderland 1:3 Man Utd
- 12% Sunderland 0:2 Man Utd
- 8% Sunderland 1:1 Man Utd
- 7% Sunderland 0:3 Man Utd
- 7% Sunderland 2:1 Man Utd
- 5% Sunderland 0:1 Man Utd
- 4% Sunderland 2:2 Man Utd
- 3% Sunderland 1:0 Man Utd
- 3% Sunderland 2:0 Man Utd
- 2% Sunderland 0:5 Man Utd
- 2% Sunderland 0:0 Man Utd
- 2% Sunderland 5:0 Man Utd
- 2% Sunderland 0:4 Man Utd
- 1% Sunderland 3:1 Man Utd
- 1% Sunderland 2:3 Man Utd
- 1% Sunderland 1:4 Man Utd
- 1% Sunderland 1:5 Man Utd
- 1% Sunderland 3:0 Man Utd
- 0% Sunderland 2:4 Man Utd
- 0% Sunderland 2:5 Man Utd
- 0% Sunderland 4:5 Man Utd
- 0% Sunderland 5:5 Man Utd
- 0% Sunderland 3:2 Man Utd
- 0% Sunderland 3:3 Man Utd
- 0% Sunderland 3:5 Man Utd
- 0% Sunderland 4:0 Man Utd
Match Stats
- Sunderland
- Man Utd
- Possession
- 45% 55%
- Shots
- 11 10
- Shots on Target
- 3 3
- Corners
- 4 4
- Fouls
- 10 15
Referee
Martin Atkinson
Man Utd Lineup
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replaced by Michael Keane
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replaced by Adnan Januzaj
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replaced by Danny Welbeck
