Compared to how we are playing, they are. Just hope our lads decide to play at the top of their game.
Manchester United vs. Arsenal
- Thread starter Damien
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Compared to how we are playing, they are. Just hope our lads decide to play at the top of their game.
if we beat them, we have a good chance of retaining the title. Lose we are done.
It's as simple as that. Then I hope we sign someone good in January, because we need to get into the CL.
Arsenal will run out if gas. They can't field the same starting 11 all season and unless they add some depth in January, they'll be exposed as a squad. I'll still be surprised to see them finish 3rd.
Their midfield only has to be average and we'll get outplayed. Cleverley, Fellaini and co just aren't anywhere near good enough. The 4-1 thrashing by City proved how weak our midfield looks against the top teams, and Arsenal are better than them. A point would be a good result considering the difference between the two teams.
Should we officially be scared now. Defeating Dortmund in Westfalenstadion is a big achievement and not many teams can do that.
Sunday could well be the day that the club's neglect of the midfield all these years comes back to bite us hard.
I think even if we were to get beat, we'd still finish above them.
Can see i'm very much in the minority with that view on the Caf.
Can see i'm very much in the minority with that view on the Caf.
They might run out of gas, but it won't be by Sunday and If we don't win, then it won't matter to us when they do.
Could go either way...we lose and I think it's going to be too much of an ask for us. However if we win there's going to be 8 teams separated by 5 points, it opens it right up.
This. That game will take a lot out of them, and they don't have much depth.
I think people would like them to win the league, if we can't. So don't really want them to run out of gas. If we finish above them we will have had to improve dramatically. Just don't want Chelsea, City or god forbid, Liverpool to win the PL.
I agree. This Arsenal side will be fighting out for third place with Chelsea next April, whilst ourselves and City will be fighting for the title. It might sound crazy, but even if we drop points on Sunday, I'll still believe it.
I wish players would keep their opinions to themselves until after a big game.
Great, now we just need Evra to come out and call them shit.
I mostly agree, although maybe swap around us and Chelsea. One thing is for certain anyway is that Arsenal won't win the league.
It's funny that people say I've got my head in the sand for thinking it, implying I can't accept that Arsenal could win it. I wish they were contenders ffs, far rather them than City or Chelsea.
I reckon it'll be United, City, Chelsea in whatever order in the top 3.
Hoping for:
DDG
Rafael Vidic Jones Evra
Carrick (if he's not fit, then Fellaini) Rooney
Tony Kagawa Januzaj
Van Persie
DDG
Rafael Vidic Jones Evra
Carrick (if he's not fit, then Fellaini) Rooney
Tony Kagawa Januzaj
Van Persie
This game will take a lot from them, even if winning helps forget about fatigue.
2-1 : RvP & Adnan.
2-1 : RvP & Adnan.
Don't have much depth?
We've just gone and won in Dortmund without Podolski, Walcott, Chamberlain, Flamini and Wilshere.
Based on what? Just compare our midfield to Arsenal's, how does Fellaini, Cleverley, Anderson, Giggs, Carrick, Nani, Valencia, Januzaj, Kagawa, Young match up to Cazorla, Ramsey, Ozil, Arteta, Flamini, Wilshere, Walcott, Rosicky. They are worlds apart. It's so unreasonable to expect Moyes to be able to lead this current team to the title, but a 3rd place finish is possible. If we manage to win this Sunday I'll be absolutely ecstatic.
feck, the gunners will be unbearable if they win 
Just Rooney stating the generic obvious.
Funny, last year United at OT, played them like we took pity on them because of the previous year's mauling.
There is not that much of a gap despite a Fergieless United.
15 goals last year. Pacey, useful on the break away from home. Really useful player.
They are a miles different team to last year. Don't think anyone, even Wenger would have predicted how good Ramsey has become, he's turned into one of the best midfielders in the league. Then there's Giroud who's now annoyingly quality, Sagna, Chesny, and Mertesacker have improved by quite a lot, plus they bought Ozil and Flamini. They are a transformed side.
I meant for this specific match. I doubt the players that you have stated will be fit for Sunday.
the positives from us are, we are beginning to keep possession and our passing is good. if we keep a tight leash on Ramsey especially, we should have a good chance.
You can get 40/1 on a 3-0 Arsenal win. Value.
that's cause it will not happen.
Well yes, the feel of some posts above is that it will be more like 4-0.
Personally I can see an attritional 0-0.
Got to give them credit, I thought once they scored they completely bossed it.
Our best chance of beating them is packing the midfield and hitting them on the break. If we can defend well and take a chance when it comes, we might get something. I just pray we don't play a 4-4-2, personally im getting fed up of watching teams waltz through our midfield and have a free run at our defence. If we give Arsenal the opportunity to do that, i don't see how we can win without getting extremely lucky. Playing 3 in midfield at least gives us a chance of better protecting our defence and providing some decent service to the strikers.
My concern is, i am struggling to see how we combat their strongest area with our weakest. Liverpool and Dortmund generally press far more effectively than we do, yet Arsenal still coped with that and came through winning both games. We are unlikely to pass them into submission, and we are even less likely to turn their midfielders by running in behind them or driving through them. In contrast, Arsenal can knock it about for fun, they play a much narrower pressing system, and they have versatile and skilful players who can regularly drive or pass through our midfield, make runs into advanced areas, pick slide rule passes and score goals from distance.
In my view we have got to be at it right from the off, perform much better than we have so far, and hopefully we can unsettle them enough to give our strikers some chances. We are capable of scoring goals against anyone, so if we can get the ball to our strikers often enough we always have a chance.
Our best chance of beating them is packing the midfield and hitting them on the break. If we can defend well and take a chance when it comes, we might get something. I just pray we don't play a 4-4-2, personally im getting fed up of watching teams waltz through our midfield and have a free run at our defence. If we give Arsenal the opportunity to do that, i don't see how we can win without getting extremely lucky. Playing 3 in midfield at least gives us a chance of better protecting our defence and providing some decent service to the strikers.
My concern is, i am struggling to see how we combat their strongest area with our weakest. Liverpool and Dortmund generally press far more effectively than we do, yet Arsenal still coped with that and came through winning both games. We are unlikely to pass them into submission, and we are even less likely to turn their midfielders by running in behind them or driving through them. In contrast, Arsenal can knock it about for fun, they play a much narrower pressing system, and they have versatile and skilful players who can regularly drive or pass through our midfield, make runs into advanced areas, pick slide rule passes and score goals from distance.
In my view we have got to be at it right from the off, perform much better than we have so far, and hopefully we can unsettle them enough to give our strikers some chances. We are capable of scoring goals against anyone, so if we can get the ball to our strikers often enough we always have a chance.
Just play like we usually do against them. Don't let them play and hit them on the counter.
Even at OT? I don't remember that ever being a good thing personally. It usually means we are not playing very well and are not rated very highly.
My God, we're giving them ferocious credit in here. They've been superb this season and we've been pretty poor but take Ozil out and they're the same outfit that we faced last season. Flamini if fit makes a difference but he's no world beater either. Shite and all as we apparently are, we can cope at times with decent opposition with actual midfields. We coped relatively comfortably with an Ozil led Madrid midfield last year until the sending off. Important he gets the set up right but Jesus, have a little faith.
I hope old man Giggs doesn't start.
We need players who can be physically imposing in midfield to stop their midfielders from running riot. Fellaini would be a good bet.
We need players who can be physically imposing in midfield to stop their midfielders from running riot. Fellaini would be a good bet.
I'm certain Giggs won't start so soon after the Sociedad game - even if Cleverley and Carrick miss the game then I can't see Giggs being involved, perhaps not even from the bench. It'll be Jones and Fellaini in a two against some mix of Arteta, Ramsey, Flamini, Rosicky, Wilshere and Cazorla.
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