Reserves face champions

Elliott

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United's Reserves have the chance to round off a fine league season in style as they host champions Sunderland on Thursday evening.

Barring a four-goal defeat, the Reds will finish second behind the runaway Black Cats, who have lost only two games all season.

United were unfortunate to lose at the Stadium of Light in March, with Sunderland goalkeeper Trevor Carson in superb form.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Warren Joyce are again without a recognised striker for the trip to Moss Lane, but look likely to ask Lee Martin to once more deputise in attack, as he has done to great effect in recent weeks.

Martin is likely to spearhead a five-man midfield, comprised of Danny Drinkwater, Matty James and Rodrigo Possebon, with Zoran Tosic and Magnus Eikrem on the flanks.

In defence, Ben Amos oversees a backline of Reece Brown, Corry Evans, Richard Eckersley and Fabio, while Conor Devlin, Joe Dudgeon, Cameron Stewart, Scott Wootton and Nicky Ajose are on the bench.

Thursday's game is live on MUTV, with coverage starting at 18:30 BST - 30 minutes before kick-off.

www.manutd.com
 
Should be a good game. Sunderland always looked like winning the reserve league this season. Top with 4 games in hand at one stage I think. We've done well to finish 2nd, a very respectable debut season for Ole as manager.

Plays a lovely brand of football which is all I ever want to see at this level.
 
No Macheda or Welbeck - guess that means that they might feature against Middlesborough
 
Fabio is great, he more or less plays as a left winger. Hope we see more of him next season .
 
0-0 HT

Not many chances, the first 25 mins were quiet and lacking cutting edge on both sides. We played some good football at times, some good passing but mostly it was in the middle of the park. Rodrigo Possebon unfortunately went off injured after 18 mins and was replaced by Cameron Stewart, who missed a gilt-edged chance which he somehow put wide - really needed to show some composure, not looked great since he's came on. Lee Martin showed some nice skill down the right hand side, cut in, floored his man but then dragged his shot wide. Matt James and Ben Amos have been very impressive. The former has commanded the midfield with some great tackles and nice short passes, while the latter was crucial at the end of the half when he pulled off two or three great saves as Sunderland put on some late pressure in the half.
 
Aww fudge. What kind of injury did it look like?
 
Lee Martin wins a penalty after latching onto a great strike by Tosic that was parried by the 'keeper who then hauled down Martin.

Martin scores the penalty, well struck. 1-0.
 
Elliott said:
Aww fudge. What kind of injury did it look like?
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Not sure, even the commentators seemed perplexed because it was out of the blue. A guess by me who be that it was a thigh injury because he was holding up the right side of his shorts and holding his thigh area but that's just me guessing, all a bit inconclusive.

70 mins gone and we've had a much better tempo this half; Tosic, Stewart, Martin, Drinkwater are all racing around the pitch making gaps and causing havoc with their movement. Martin almost got a second from his own work there.
 
Yeah could well be, hopefully so and it's just precautionary.

Matt James scores a great goal, short passes in and around the box and then James quickly turns and strikes the ball straight into the far top corner from 18 yards out - 92nd min. Nice way to end the Reserve League season.
 
2-0 FT

Good second half, some impressive performances. Matt James and Lee Martin probably the standouts for me, Ben Amos also did well when called upon.
 
Elliott said:
Hopefully just another cramp then.
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He was holding his hamstring. Hopefully cramp, could have been something a bit more serious.

Anyone else getting more and more impressed with Tosic? The run and shot leading up to our first goal was one of those "starting to get a bit too good for reserve football" moments. Exciting stuff.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Anyone else getting more and more impressed with Tosic? The run and shot leading up to our first goal was one of those "starting to get a bit too good for reserve football" moments. Exciting stuff.
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He really came into it in the second half, a little quiet in the first though. He has very good technique, but I would like to see him doing a little more in terms of taking players on. He has a low centre of gravity and I think he could do well as a jinky, tricky winger of old almost - the type of ones who give you a drop of the shoulder and shift from one side to the other seamlessly. But at the moment when he's running with the ball, he doesn't seem to have the ball fully under his spell and often the opposing defenders are able to poke it away from him as he has it a little too far ahead of himself (usually trying to do a stepover or two), maybe I am being penickity though I do have high hopes.
 
Tosic is getting better and better, still some way to go but it's noticeable how he's getting stronger all the time.

Martin and James very impressive again, Drinkwater really came into it second half as well.
 
I am fecking scared for Fabio.. Not only because of today but just in general he seems to be very fragile and injury prone..

How many mins did he play? Is there a chance that he may feature against Boro this weekend? (probably on the bench)
 
Rafael's been prone to picking up knocks as well, chances are it's growing pains (easy to forget how young they are) and maybe down to still acclimatising to English football.

Doubt Fábio would have been involved anyway, SAF won't mix up the defence a great deal.
 
Just watched the re-run after getting back from my own pathetic attempts at geriatric football.
Great performance from the team. Apart from Martin and James I thought Brown did well, especially when he switched into the centre. Tosic is going to be one hell of a player, and sooner than I thought from the looks of it. He's not scared is he? He will terrify some defenders at the highest level, I feel.
Nice to finish with an emphatic win. Fantastic strike from James.
 
Tosic looked a lot better last night, impressed me.

Fabio was great, unfortunately went off injured holding his right hamstring.

Drinkwater looked very good, watched him a few times now and I've very impressed with him everytime. Strong in the tackle, gets about the pitch very well and can pass the ball.

Defiantly one to watch out for, wouldn't mind seeing him in the Carling Cup next year. See what he can do.
 
PS18 said:
Rafael's been prone to picking up knocks as well, chances are it's growing pains (easy to forget how young they are) and maybe down to still acclimatising to English football.

Doubt Fábio would have been involved anyway, SAF won't mix up the defence a great deal.
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That is why I mentioned he may be on the bench but now when I come to think of it.. When SAF generally plays a weak team he has most of his bench as 1st team players!
 
Some very good promise in those youngsters...

I understand we lost most of our reserve games earlier in the campaign. What was the problem initially?
 
We've only lost four games all season, two of those have been after Christms as well.

We were lacking forwards/wide players early in the season and struggled to score goals, it didn't help that we had so many fixtures called off for various reasons as well and had only played 6 of our 20 league games by mid-January. Once we got into a rhythm and got the likes of Macheda and Martin involved regularly in attack, we went on a terrific run.

Lee Martin said after the game last night that we're the best side in the league, and I can't really disagree with him - we were unlucky to lose at Sunderland in March and fully deserved our win over them yesterday. Just that slow start that stopped us winning it.
 
The reserve games aren't played on some of the better grounds... :(

Would it have helped to have some of our home reserve games played at Old Trafford? Could there be a good attendance, if so?
 
Cheers, Enigma. Your music is shite but your highlights are golden.
 
Stewart Downing:
mattyjames.jpg


Matty James:
140108_Downing.jpg




:nervous:
 
Pity their regular strikers are so good, SAF wouldn't have promoted them otherwise
 
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