Manchester United vs. Athletic Bilbao

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VidaRed

Unimaginative FC
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Old Trafford, Manchester
Thursday 08th March 2012
KO - 20:05 GMT
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Play the second string side.

WBA at OT >>> Bilbao at OT
 
ddg

rafael smalling jones fabio

Anderson, Pogba,

Cleverly, Berbatov, Park

hernandez​
 
de Gea

Rafael
Smalling
Evans
Evra

Nani
Carrick
Anderson
Park

Berbatov
Hernandez

SUBS: Amos, Ferdinand, Fabio, Young, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney.

If Valencia is fit, he should start for Nani and if Cleverley is fit, him for Carrick - thing the latter's probably unlikely though.

Then we'll probably see something like:

de Gea, Jones, Ferdinand, Evans, Fabio, Nani, Carrick, Giggs, Young, Rooney, Welbeck vs WBA. Perfect rotation really.
 
nemanja15 said:
de Gea

Rafael
Smalling
Evans
Fabio

Valencia
Carrick
Anderson
Park

Berbatov
Hernandez

SUBS: Amos, Ferdinand, Evra, Nani, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney.
Click to expand...

Rest him!

We need him for big games. 1st name on team-sheet right now for all significant games.
 
No point risking Rooney, Rio, Evra or the two golden oldies. Any chance Valencia or Cleverley will feature?

I'll be interested to see how Javi Martinez performs, hopefully we'll move for him in the summer.
 
Code: 
                 de Gea

Rafael    Smalling    Evans    Evra

Park     Carrick     Anderson   Giggs

         Berbatov   Hernandez

SUBS:
Amos, Jones, Fabio, Young, Nani, Scholes, Rooney
 
-----------De Gea
Rafael-Smalling-Evans-Fabio
Valencia-Cleverley-Anderson-Young
-----Hernandez-Berbatov
 
ha_rooney said:
No point risking Rooney, Rio, Evra or the two golden oldies. Any chance Valencia or Cleverley will feature?

I'll be interested to see how Javi Martinez performs, hopefully we'll move for him in the summer.
Click to expand...

Add Michael carrick to that list. he will be crucial for our run in. If he carries on this great form he has these past 2 months, he is perhaps our player of the season.
 
SAF told #mutv that Smalling will be fit for Thurs, Cleverley could return on Sunday and Valencia back for Bilbao away #MUFC
 
Reckon we'll find this hard if we tinker around too much. Their biggest game in ages. Expect OT to be dead and the 6000 odd Bilbao fans in full voice.

I'd play a strong team and rest players in the return leg.
 
---------------DDG---------------
Rafael----Smalling--Evans---Fabio
Nani---Anderson--Giggs----Young
-------Rooney--Hernandez-------

Maybe Berbatov for Hernandez.
 
wr8_utd said:
Play the second string side.

WBA at OT >>> Bilbao at OT
Click to expand...

This; for me I'd like to see:

De Gea
Rafael---Smalling---Evans---Fabio
Nani---Jones---Anderson---Park
Berbatov
---Chicharito

Bench: Amos, Evra, Carrick, Rooney, Pogba, Petrucci, Young​

Carrick, Evra, Young and Rooney on the bench if we need some more experience if things go wrong on the pitch, but some space for youth with Rio, Scholes and Giggs safely in the stands.
 
After the Ajax game, i don't think Fergie will be changing the team too much this time around.
 
De Gea

Rafael Evans Smalling Fabio

Park Anderson Jones Young

Berbatov Hernandez​

It'd be nice to win the Europa but if we lose here then it's arguably a good thing. If we don't win the Cup at the end of it then it's a complete waste of time, and going out here would allow us to focus on our remaining League games, all but one of which are extremely winnable. It's certainly not worth risking any first team players unnecessarily.
 
de Gea

Rafael Smalling Jones Fabio

Valencia Park Anderson Nani

Berbatov Hernandez


Not the team I want, but it's what I think Ferguson might play.

Reasons:

Rafa and Fab need game time.

He seems intent on forming some sort of partnership between Smalling and Jones, or he still sees it as Jones' position and he uses games like this to play him there.

Valencia needs minutes, Nani also needs minutes to find form rather than fitness.

Anderson needs minutes too while Park seems to get the nod in that position for games like this, sadly.

Hernandez and Berbatov, self explanatory.
 
We've been playing 4-4-2 in the recent games and we've been struggling with the other team pressing us intensely. Can't keep the possession properly like we should. I think it's going to be more of the same in this game. Take the two Ajax performances, mash them together and you'll get our performance vs. Athletic.

Going to be a tight game and I mostly hope for a clean sheet out of this. Don't think we'll dominate them.
 
Didnt Fergie say the defence was too young after the Ajax second leg?
One of Rio or Evra might start...

-----------De Gea
Rafael---Rio-----Smalling---Fabio
-------Jones---Anderson
Park----------------------Young
----------Berbandez
 
Team should be...

GK: De Gea

RB: Rafael
CB: Jones
CB: Evans
LB: Evra

RM: Nani
CM: Carrick
CM: Anderson
LM: Young

CF: Rooney
CF: Hernandez

Subs: Amos, Fabio, Ferdinand, Giggs, Scholes, Carrick, Welbeck

Fergie's taking this competition seriously and the last thing we want is to go into the away leg having to win so I think we'll play a strong side
 
Pexbo said:
de Gea

Rafael Smalling Jones Fabio

Valencia Park Anderson Nani

Berbatov Hernandez


Not the team I want, but it's what I think Ferguson might play.

Reasons:

Rafa and Fab need game time.

He seems intent on forming some sort of partnership between Smalling and Jones, or he still sees it as Jones' position and he uses games like this to play him there.

Valencia needs minutes, Nani also needs minutes to find form rather than fitness.

Anderson needs minutes too while Park seems to get the nod in that position for games like this, sadly.

Hernandez and Berbatov, self explanatory.
Click to expand...

I guarantee after what Fergie said about the inexperience in defence against Ajax we wont line up like that
 
Really looking forward to this. Wanna see how Martinez gets on and I adored Bielsa's Chilé side.
 
I'm also very interested in seeing Martinez, just hope they dont play him at CB like the did in the previous round
 
prateik said:
Didnt Fergie say the defence was too young after the Ajax second leg?
One of Rio or Evra might start...

-----------De Gea
Rafael---Rio-----Smalling---Fabio
-------Jones---Anderson
Park----------------------Young
----------Berbandez
Click to expand...

Yeah, pretty sure SAF said after the ajax defeat that he would be playing a stronger side with more experience against bilbao.
 
----------------De Gea-----------------
Rafael-------Rio-------Evans-------Fabio
Nani------Anderson---Carrick------Young
----------Berbatov---Chicharito---------

Subs: Amos, Smalling, Jones, Park, Scholes, Rooney, Welbeck.
 
If we feck around with rotation or take this lightly then we'll be going out of this competition.

After the Champions League, League Cup and Ajax 2nd leg debacles I really don't think we need any more warnings
 
kps88 said:
He said the same thing before the Ajax games.
Click to expand...

:confused:

And he did, first leg away to Ajax we played arguably our strongest side. It's only when we had a 2 goal cushion he played a weakened side
 
I've been wanting to watch one of Bielsa's sides play against us too.
Have heard a lot about him.. not watched nearly enough.
 
charlenefan said:
:confused:

And he did, first leg away to Ajax we played arguably our strongest side. It's only when we had a 2 goal cushion he played a weakened side
Click to expand...

Well he said something similar before the second leg as well, pointing to the Basel game at OT. Can't find the exact quote by I remember him mentioning he's going to go for "a sprinkling of experience". Then straight after the game he says we had no experience. Basically what I'm trying to say is he talks a lot of bollocks in the press and its funny us fans still take his word as gospel.
 
de Gea
Rafael Smalling Evans Evra
Jones Anderson
Nani Berbatov Park
Hernández
--
Amos; Fábio, Ferdinand; Carrick, Giggs, Young; Rooney​
 
We better not underestimate Bilbao like we underestimated Ajax. They're like Stoke with technique and ability. Massive, strong, intimidating and can play too.

Agree that surely Berbs needs a game, as does Ando and the twins. Like Havak's formation, but with Fabio in for Evra.
 
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