Manchester United vs. Athletic Bilbao

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gooDevil said:
Hmm, at this point I'll have to go with:

Rafael Evans Jones Fabio
Anderson Giggs
Nani Berbatov Park
Chicharito​

bench: Smalling, Carrick, Rooney, Evra, Welbeck, Young, Amos

Part of me thinks Park will start in midfield, and SAF will want to give Ando a few more sub appearances before giving him a start. But we're so low on wingers as well, if Park is in midfield then Giggs is likely to have to play on the wing, so you might as well put Giggs in midfield instead.
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That is my least favourite midfield. Both of those players need a partner who is going be covering space and retaining the ball as both of them are keen to carry the ball forward and try speculative passes.

I'm a big fan of both players but in the middle they both rely heavily on a partner that compliments their styles.
 
I don't think we'll see Rafael at right back. Usually when we play a team with a big center forward, Rafael isn't selected, unless we have no choice because of injuries. Sir Alex is aware of Llorente, as he gave his measurements in his press conference.
 
Pexbo said:
Eh?

Who is doubting whether he can play that role? Of course he can, it's just we found a partnership in Welbeck and Rooney and as a team that blend works better as we get more from Rooney than just goals.

The only reason we'd need to play Rooney in that role is if we were short of Strikers and heavy in midfield and we all know that isn't going to be the case.
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tbh I'm doubting, and I'm sure there are lot of people who are doubting that too. I know he made good partnership with Danny, but it's proven couple of times that 4411 isn't best in Europe, or in big games,so it would be nice to prove we still can count on rooney in 451 as a lone striker.
 
holdsteady said:
I've got a bad feeling about this tie.
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tie-meme-generator-i-have-a-bad-feeling-about-this-tie-4f2061.jpg
 
I hope that we'll leave Hernandez on the bench for this one. I have no doubt that Bilbao will keep their team deep in their own half, and will leave no room for Hernandez to run into. I'd rather have Welbeck or even Berba as a starter for this one, as I much prefer their linkup play and how they contribute in the build-up against a deep defensive line.
 
Amar__ said:
tbh I'm doubting, and I'm sure there are lot of people who are doubting that too. I know he made good partnership with Danny, but it's proven couple of times that 4411 isn't best in Europe, or in big games,so it would be nice to prove we still can count on rooney in 451 as a lone striker.
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So you'd like to play 5 in midfield against Bilbao, at Old Trafford, to find out if he's capable of playing as a lone front man?

That would prove what exactly?

I'd also guess you are the only one doubting Rooney's ability to play as a lone front man considering he has done it very well when asked in the last few seasons and he's 26 years old, are we saying he's past his peak and his ability is dropping?
 
MUFC last played Bilbao on 06/02/1957. The team was: Wood, Foulkes, Byrne, Colman, Jones, Edwards, Berry, Whelan, Taylor, Viollet, Pegg
 
Pexbo said:
So you'd like to play 5 in midfield against Bilbao, at Old Trafford, to find out if he's capable of playing as a lone front man?
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It doesn't mean it's 5 in midfield, since you can look at it as a 3 in midfield also, wingers are more offensive in that setup.

Pexbo said:
That would prove what exactly?

I'd also guess you are the only one doubting Rooney's ability to play as a lone front man considering he has done it very well when asked in the last few seasons and he's 26 years old, are we saying he's past his peak and his ability is dropping?
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That would prove is Rooney capable of playing lone striker.

As for his record there, I don't agree. After his injury vs Bayern, he rarely played there, and whenever he played he wasn't even close to Rooney from 2009(when he played as a lone striker), every time he was bellow average. I don't even remember him scoring a goal when playing as a lone striker after that injury. Okay, he didn't play too much there, but I'm sure he played around ten games there, that's enough gaming time to score.
 
It would be interesting to see us play Welbeck, Rooney and Chicharito again, I thought it worked quite well against Sunderland in the 1-0 at OT, I think that's the only time we tried it. It was a strange set up, this is what the average position looked like:

.................34.................
...................................... [goal line]
......................................
.........................5...........
...........15.......................
.................24.................
.....4...............10....3...... [mid field]
.........................13.........
..........14................19.....
.......17...........................

Looking at that I'd guess we played a 433:

Jones Vidic Rio Evra
Fletcher
Rooney Park
Nani Chicharito Welbeck​

We could try something similar again today, play Rio and Rooney but rest Young and Scholes.

Jones Evans Rio Evra
Carrick
Rooney Giggs
Nani Chicharito Welbeck​
 
Pexbo said:
That is my least favourite midfield. Both of those players need a partner who is going be covering space and retaining the ball as both of them are keen to carry the ball forward and try speculative passes.

I'm a big fan of both players but in the middle they both rely heavily on a partner that compliments their styles.
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I have to agree, they both like to play high risk passes and make a fair few incomplete passes, they both like to drift out of position as well. But then Anderson and Cleverley were great together, and they seemed to hover around each other like two atoms sharing an electron shaped ball.

But Anderson has shown in the past he can play a conservative holding role if needed. I would suggest Jones, but when he's played in midfield he's more eager than anyone to get forward, and drifts quiet extremely.
 
Amar__ said:
It doesn't mean it's 5 in midfield, since you can look at it as a 3 in midfield also, wingers are more offensive in that setup.
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Wingers provide width so they are always counted as midfield as they are not a threat in the penalty area and an extra man in midfield is always more defensive as than a man in and around their area with no defensive responsibility so dress it up as you like but 4-3-3/4-5-1 is a more defensive formation than 4-4-2.

That would prove is Rooney capable of playing lone striker.

As for his record there, I don't agree. After his injury vs Bayern, he rarely played there, and whenever he played he wasn't even close to Rooney from 2009(when he played as a lone striker), every time he was bellow average. I don't even remember him scoring a goal when playing as a lone striker after that injury. Okay, he didn't play too much there, but I'm sure he played around ten games there, that's enough gaming time to score.
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And you are now basing statistics on your memory. That's conclusive.

The last time Rooney played as a lone striker was the 2009/10 season where he scored 34 in 44. The following season, we played Berbatov with him for the first half and that resulted in Berbatov having great scoring form but our away form being poor which was remedied against Fulham away when Hernandez showed a different dimension and offered us space in midfield by pushing the defending line back.

In short, Rooney's record as a lone striker was excellent, the only reason we don't play him there more often is because of the negative tactics of playing 3 midfielders.

So as I said, he has nothing to prove in that role and Ferguson would trust him there in any game he felt we'd need to bolster our midfield.
 
Looking forward to this.Going to be a test,i just hope we go for it for the full ninety minutes. 3-1
 
Pexbo said:
Wingers provide width so they are always counted as midfield as they are not a threat in the penalty area and an extra man in midfield is always more defensive as than a man in and around their area with no defensive responsibility so dress it up as you like but 4-3-3/4-5-1 is a more defensive formation than 4-4-2.
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It's better for defence of course, but it that doesn't mean it's defensive formation. I don't see Real Madrid and Barcelona as defensive sides.


Pexbo said:
And you are now basing statistics on your memory. That's conclusive.
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It's not basing on my memory, othervise you could name me one game where he scored when played as a lone striker(after bayern game of course).


Pexbo said:
The last time Rooney played as a lone striker was the 2009/10 season where he scored 34 in 44. The following season, we played Berbatov with him for the first half and that resulted in Berbatov having great scoring form but our away form being poor which was remedied against Fulham away when Hernandez showed a different dimension and offered us space in midfield by pushing the defending line back.

In short, Rooney's record as a lone striker was excellent, the only reason we don't play him there more often is because of the negative tactics of playing 3 midfielders.

So as I said, he has nothing to prove in that role and Ferguson would trust him there in any game he felt we'd need to bolster our midfield.
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You are wrong. Last time he played there, it was game against Basel away, and he was probably one of our worst performers that night. He even missed two or three great goalscoring chances. Game before that was Benfica away, he was poor in that game too. You can even count game vs Barcelona in USA, since Welbeck played behind him. It's gentle to him to say he was poor in that game too. That's only for this season, I can count few games from last season's too.

And I didn't said nothing about his record before that injury(after Bayern's game), since 2009/2010 was his most productive season.
 
Hopefully there's a way that Javi Martinez can convince Fergie to shell out for him while also having his team take a massive hammering.
 
Brophs said:
Hopefully there's a way that Javi Martinez can convince Fergie to shell out for him while also having his team take a massive hammering.
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Jones did when we thrashed Blackburn 7-1
 
I just got double teamed by two men from the internet.
 
Brophs said:
Hopefully there's a way that Javi Martinez can convince Fergie to shell out for him while also having his team take a massive hammering.
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I like him too, but he is mostly playing as a CB this season. Weird, I know.
 
#MUFC XI: De Gea, Rafael, Smalling, Evans, Evra, Park, Jones, Giggs, Young, Rooney, Hernandez

#MUFC Bench: Amos, Ferdinand, Fabio, Anderson, Carrick, Nani, Welbeck
 
OFFICIAL MUFC XI

de Gea

Rafael
Smalling
Evans
Evra

Park
Jones
Giggs
Young

Rooney
Hernandez

SUBS: Amos, Fabio, Ferdinand, Carrick, Anderson, Nani, Welbeck.

No Berba again! He must be carrying a knock surely.
 
#MUFC XI: De Gea, Rafael, Smalling, Evans, Evra, Park, Jones, Giggs, Young, Rooney, Hernandez
Bench: Amos, Ferdinand, Fabio, Anderson, Carrick, Nani, Welbeck

No Cleverley.

Bummer.
 
Giggs and Jones in midfield.

It's the first time, right?
 
Berbs was in training yesterday...how weird.

Park + Giggsy + Jones as mid = Our possession is going to be woeful.
 
Park on the wing :nervous:

Good team otherwise. Great to see Carrick and Rio rested
 
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