[justsomebloke]

personally i think the best group would be

onana
dalot varane martinez shaw
casemiro amrabat
mount bruno rashy
hojlund


Mount is used to playing right wing for chelsea and he can play inside forward....but to be fair pellestri and hannibal have done really well so far

Maybe. We've not seen yet what Mount can do on RW. Dalot is taking his chances recently, it's not a big gap between him and AWB and he does have more upside than AWB.

I don't think Pellistri has done nearly enough to warrant serious consideration yet as a first XI option, and hardly Hannibal either, not at #10. And we haven't seen him elsewhere.

It might seem premature to conclude about Amrabat too, after only one start. But he just looked so much like exactly what we need.

Not convinced yet by Hojlund, but what else can we do.

 

[lex talionis]

So. Do you play Rashford on the weekend ?

I wouldn't.

Great question. I would start Rashford but would also keep him on a very short leash. Something isn’t quite right with him at the moment and if he can’t pull it together on the pitch we have a pretty good option ready to go.

 

[bosskeano]

Maybe. We've not seen yet what Mount can do on RW. Dalot is taking his chances recently, it's not a big gap between him and AWB and he does have more upside than AWB.

I don't think Pellistri has done nearly enough to warrant serious consideration yet as a first XI option, and hardly Hannibal either, not at #10. And we haven't seen him elsewhere.

It might seem premature to conclude about Amrabat too, after only one start. But he just looked so much like exactly what we need.

Not convinced yet by Hojlund, but what else can we do.

Mount played RW for Chelsea...that's the initial position where he shined the most until they switch to the 3421 and he played more of an inside forward in a double 10 position

he's more than capable of playing the same role for United b/c honestly i don't see him as a true CM

 

[Stig]

Great question. I would start Rashford but would also keep him on a very short leash. Something isn’t quite right with him at the moment and if he can’t pull it together on the pitch we have a pretty good option ready to go.

Is ETH brave enough to not play Rashford. It's easier to pick on Sancho or McGuire - but local boy, 30 goals last year, national hero - does he have it in him to clearly drop Rashford rather than 'rest' him ?

 

[justsomebloke]

Mount played RW for Chelsea...that's the initial position where he shined the most until they switch to the 3421 and he played more of an inside forward in a double 10 position

he's more than capable of playing the same role for United b/c honestly i don't see him as a true CM

I don't think we'll really know if he's a good fit on the right for United until we've seen him play there, whatever the experience was at Chelsea. Different teams, different styles, different systems, different formations.

 

[lex talionis]

Is ETH brave enough to not play Rashford. It's easier to pick on Sancho or McGuire - but local boy, 30 goals last year, national hero - does he have it in him to clearly drop Rashford rather than 'rest' him ?

I don't think so, but ETH appears to be the kind of manager who allows his marquee players to play themselves into form, however long it may take, rather than put them on a short leash to let them get their heads back in place. ETH knows quite a bit more than I on how to deal with professional athletes, but from my perspective he gives his players too long of a leash. Antony and Rashford are examples of this IMO.

 

[Wing Attack Plan R]

Maybe. We've not seen yet what Mount can do on RW. Dalot is taking his chances recently, it's not a big gap between him and AWB and he does have more upside than AWB.

I don't think Pellistri has done nearly enough to warrant serious consideration yet as a first XI option, and hardly Hannibal either, not at #10. And we haven't seen him elsewhere.

It might seem premature to conclude about Amrabat too, after only one start. But he just looked so much like exactly what we need.

Not convinced yet by Hojlund, but what else can we do.

Pellistri was quick and willing but bad decisions let him down. He isn’t clever enough with the ball to get past players on anything except raw speed. Definitely has the Dan James about him. Impact sub or we are wasting the position. Hannibal had a good central midfielder performance but you’d never know he was supposed to be a #10. I think he played one king pass up to Garnacho , everything else was as a utility man, harrying opponents, recycling the ball. He does like to run with the ball which is nice but I’m not seeing creative spark that would see him force his way into starting contention.

 

[redmanx]

Nice easy win against an insipid side. I'll take all of those we can get.

This was one of the easiest wins we'll have all season, lets hope we can use it to kick start our season.

 

[Borninthe80ts]

Happy as it wasn’t only an improved performance but it gave glimpses of what I’d like to see this coming season.

An improvement in team style and ball progression.
New players having an impact
Youngsters seeing playing time
Improvement in on pitch attitude and confidence
Flexibility in formation and player positions

If we can put a run together and build consistency, I’m optimistic about some success.

 

[justsomebloke]

I don't think so, but ETH appears to be the kind of manager who allows his marquee players to play themselves into form, however long it may take, rather than put them on a short leash to let them get their heads back in place. ETH knows quite a bit more than I on how to deal with professional athletes, but from my perspective he gives his players too long of a leash. Antony and Rashford are examples of this IMO.

I think people are too quick to assume favoritism or other non-performance related reasons why players are picked. The simple fact is Rashford and Antony are the players who give us the most in those positions, not just when they're at their best but also at the levels they've been playing this season. We don't have better options. Also, I think the view around here on Rashford's recent performances are considerably too negative, and off the mark. Didn't see the Bayern game, but he was absolutely instrumental in beating Forest (key involvements in all three of our goals), and I do not think he had a bad game against Burnley either.

 

[lex talionis]

I think people are too quick to assume favoritism or other non-performance related reasons why players are picked. The simple fact is Rashford and Antony are the players who give us the most in those positions, not just when they're at their best but also at the levels they've been playing this season. We don't have better options. Also, I think the view around here on Rashford's recent performances are considerably too negative, and off the mark. Didn't see the Bayern game, but he was absolutely instrumental in beating Forest (key involvements in all three of our goals), and I do not think he had a bad game against Burnley either.

It's true we don't have better options at LW and RW than Rashford and Antony and I would never suggest that either be dropped completely, but what I am suggesting is that both can be strategically dropped when their form dips. Not too hastily a drop but a benching here and there would do both wonders psychologically and physically. Recall that match last year when Rashford was named to the bench after he was late for practice. When he came in on the second half it was like a new signing. I might have my timeline wrong but it seems to me it was right after that pinch of the ear that Rashford went on a tear in the league and in Europe. But then he tailed off in March and ended the season in pedestrian form and really hasn't kicked into high gear -- at least not his high gear -- yet this season. Antony's issues are different so in his case I just want to see what he's willing to do on the pitch after he's been out for the last month or so. If he keeps doing the same thing over and over, with little end product, we may have to have a rethink about who claims the LW spot as theirs.