Martial + Rooney injured, Zlatan suspended - RASHFORD STARTS

Same way United would go out tonight if it cements Europa League. :D
yeh. I mean Jose has already subtly dropped his excuse in ready for a defeat, if it happens.

"We are prioritising Europa league"
So I dont think either manager is really gung ho to win it
 
I think Chelsea will happily go out tonight if it cements the title. I mean anyone with half a brain chooses the title over the Fa Cup. So i think it would mean more to Utd to go through than Chelsea... Theyre going to end up with the big prize afterall

Anyone with half a brain would prefer a League and cup double.

May the best team win!
 
They have no Europe and a commanding lead in the league. Anyone with half a brain would be eyeing up the double not "happily go out".
If it guranteed them the title, right now, no shadow of a doubt, theyd take it and go out tonight.
 
The feck?! They're 10 points clear playing once a week until season end. I'm sure their players won't mind playing those extra two games (at Wembley, at that!) to win the double.

Obviously yeh, but if i was Conte or Jose and you said go out of the cup tonight, and 100% win the competition youre in (EL and EPL) id snap your hand off
 
If it guranteed them the title, right now, no shadow of a doubt, theyd take it and go out tonight.
Tonight will have no bearing on whether they win the title. They either go out and win it or have to play an extra 1/2 games and still win it.
 
Its nothing to do with avoiding the extra fixtures lol.

Its a scenario. IF exiting the cup tonight guarantees you the title or EL cup... do you take it? yes
 
Jose has said he is prioritising Europa League over FA Cup... i guarantee you he would go out tonight if it meant he definitely wins the Europa. Same for Conte with the league. No brainer

Has nothing to do with the extra fixtures. Its a scenario
 
Don't think we will see Mourinho play a youth player this season. Should have happened by now. All our remaining matches are crunch matches. Too risky to play a youth player.

He has played Axel Tuanzebe this season and TFM too in some matches.Rashford is a young lad himself making regular appreances. Lvg onlybrought Rashford when Injury crisis hit. With stabilityJose will Learn the united way. results are important this season as we are short on points.
 
I'm going to be optimistic and say we're winning this 2-1.
There is so much against us, it feels right that we would win this one. Had the same feeling going into the Arsenal game last season when Rashford scored a brace, had no business winning that game. Would be amazed if we get anything out of this one tonight.
 
So 3 at the back and AV and Darmian as wingbacks. Wonder Where will Young play ?
 
No Bailly in defense and Smalling prefered with jones? Got a bad feeling in there Smalling is leaky.
 
You only really judge on the day if a player is going to miss a game through illness. Bit odd that this was all released yesterday, don't think it's mind games though.
 
The system I like. The personnel, not so sure. I would have preferred Blind over Darmian and Carrick over Young.

The Young selection in particular is a weird one. It doesn't look like he's playing at wing-back and you have to wonder how he's jumped ahead of Mata and Lingard in the pecking order in attack. Still, he's done a decent job when he's featured this season so here's hoping it's a masterstroke.
 
I did wonder if the fact that Rashford traveled to London meant it was a smokescreen about him being ill ,posted it earlier in the thread, but sadly I didn't back my hunch by putting him in my team lineup prediction. I just hope he scores the winner anyway.
 
The system I like. The personnel, not so sure. I would have preferred Blind over Darmian and Carrick over Young.

The Young selection in particular is a weird one. It doesn't look like he's playing at wing-back and you have to wonder how he's jumped ahead of Mata and Lingard in the pecking order in attack. Still, he's done a decent job when he's featured this season so here's hoping it's a masterstroke.
Sqaud rotation based on priorities?
 
Looking at Rashford on the pitch today, i wonder how will he ever be the future with Martial both leading the line. Definitely need to consider more options for Zlatan replacement.
 
Looking at Rashford on the pitch today, i wonder how will he ever be the future with Martial both leading the line. Definitely need to consider more options for Zlatan replacement.

What was wrong with him today? We did play 10vs11 and he was desperately isolated against best defence in the league.
 
He has played Axel Tuanzebe this season and TFM too in some matches.Rashford is a young lad himself making regular appreances. Lvg onlybrought Rashford when Injury crisis hit. With stabilityJose will Learn the united way. results are important this season as we are short on points.

Yeah I know. Just that, now, after seeing Fellaini and even a tired Pogba playing so many matches, I just can't help think about LVG last season and his trust in youth. LVG's trusted youth so much the he was OK with starting TFM against Tottenham. A club which is co-contender for top 4. I cannot imagine Jose ever doing that.

It is not a criticism of Jose. He is our manager and he has his methods which is effective in its own way. I am happy with him here.
 
It is not a criticism of Jose. He is our manager and he has his methods which is effective in its own way. I am happy with him here.[/QUOTE]
Yeah I know. Just that, now, after seeing Fellaini and even a tired Pogba playing so many matches, I just can't help think about LVG last season and his trust in youth. LVG's trusted youth so much the he was OK with starting TFM against Tottenham. A club which is co-contender for top 4. I cannot imagine Jose ever doing that.

It is not a criticism of Jose. He is our manager and he has his methods which is effective in its own way. I am happy with him here.

You cant not imagine Jose Mourinho doing that? Let me clear it out to you. Lvg and jose mourinho has very different plhilosophies of playing football and requires different player profile and player characteristics for each position. Jose mourinho's philosophy of football which is very similar to united's philosophy needs hard working young players with great workrate energy and physical development in player charectersticts in this league with off the ball work rate off the ball attacking space players similar to a cristiano ronaldo or bale or danny welbeck for instance . Young players have rarely got this type of stamina and physique specially in attacking or defensive positions . If any player young player suitable to his player charectersticts comes by jose will be happy to play him and trust him even in big matches like varane and kurt zouma. The lvg philosophy is more slow and posession based game that requires less of the work rate of the ball instead play like a coherent unit with every player doing his job with high skill so young players are easy to fit in those player profile charectersticts. TFM might be struggling to adapt to jose mourinho's philosophy like shaw martial mkh struggled.

More over Lvg Sir alex Pep guardiola luis enrique johan cyruff any many more successful manager have themselves been former players in their younger days, so they know how to better manage the youth and give them confidence to step up because they have gone through the same in their younger days, while jose mourinho has never been a player himself in his younger days he's just a good manager who picked up management skills from bryan robson and lvg himself in barcelona as he took training for them as Rui faria is doing with jose mourinho. That is a difference between player turned managers and game managers. A player turned manager knows how to build a youth player and what direction he needs to work on to become a successful player , a game manager's job is to manage so he picks up the best suited instead of building one.
 
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You cant not imagine Jose Mourinho doing that? Let me clear it out to you. Lvg and jose mourinho has very different plhilosophies of playing football and requires different player profile and player characteristics for each position. Jose mourinho's philosophy of football which is very similar to united's philosophy needs hard working young players with great workrate energy and physical development in player charectersticts in this league with off the ball work rate off the ball attacking space players similar to a cristiano ronaldo or bale or danny welbeck for instance . Young players have rarely got this type of stamina and physique specially in attacking or defensive positions . If any player young player suitable to his player charectersticts comes by jose will be happy to play him and trust him even in big matches like varane and kurt zouma. The lvg philosophy is more slow and posession based game that requires less of the work rate of the ball instead play like a coherent unit with every player doing his job with high skill so young players are easy to fit in those player profile charectersticts. TFM might be struggling to adapt to jose mourinho's philosophy like shaw martial mkh struggled.

More over Lvg Sir alex Pep guardiola luis enrique johan cyruff any many more successful manager have themselves been former players in their younger days, so they know how to better manage the youth and give them confidence to step up because they have gone through the same in their younger days, while jose mourinho has never been a player himself in his younger days he's just a good manager who picked up management skills from bryan robson and lvg himself in barcelona as he took training for them as Rui faria is doing with jose mourinho. That is a difference between player turned managers and game managers. A player turned manager knows how to build a youth player and what direction he needs to work on to become a successful player , a game manager's job is to manage so he picks up the best suited instead of building one.

Hmm... Good point. So, we may see TFM get a good loan next year if Jose feels he needs to develop certain aspects of his game. He needs playing time and Jose does not seem to trust him our current set up.

Think the FA cup was the only place where he could have been given a chance and now that we are out of it, don't think TFM will play again this year.