[.Rossi]

Mark Clattenberg

Least we have our excuse ready made

 

[hbgreg]

Everyone was just as depressed and pessimistic going into the Liverpool game after a great display vs Tottenham. We need to be positive and get behind the team even now, we are on a great run while City have been crap, they've won the last 4 but no team has ever won 5 in a row against United, they've been crap away while we've been great at home. The biggest thing that is saying we will surely win this is how Barcelona tore them to shreds over two games, we play very similar to Barca with holding the ball and controlling the tempo. City haven't really shown up at all vs the big teams.

Yes I know anything can happen in a football game, and everything seems too good in our favour but we should enjoy it and be positive coming into the match. This is a game we should win, and in all likelihood will win so be positive and enjoy it rather than feeling depressed.

 

[Winrar]

Mark Clattenberg

Least we have our excuse ready made

He also ref'd in the 1-6 if I remember correctly...

 

[hbgreg]

Mark Clattenberg

Least we have our excuse ready made

He was the ref when we played Tottenham and was fine that game. Everyone complained about Atkinson also before the Liverpool game and he was spot on with nearly everything.

 

[.Rossi]

He also ref'd in the 1-6 if I remember correctly...

Adores the red cards does Clatters....Adores them!

Nailed on penalty for them also

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Mark Clattenberg

Least we have our excuse ready made

I'm sure he's bought a brand new tube of gel specially for the occasion.

 

[.Rossi]

I'm sure he's bought a brand new tube of gel specially for the occasion.

Just what the match needed, some preening fanny who thinks the game has been organised for his benefit.

 

[SirAF]

Just what the match needed, some preening fanny who thinks the game has been organised for his benefit.

This.

Clattenburg is a cnut. There will be some controversy one way or another on Sunday.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Andy Tate

 

[saivet]

I really hope they go with two up front again. Silva is not the best defensively, so we'll have some room down his side, and we'll have an advantage in midfield with the extra man.

 

[Sky1981]

Time for some payback

Mata starts , don't change the winning team. They will come at us after a 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace, we must take advantage of this and blew them out of the race for 2nd.

Fingers crossed, one game at a time, but win here and against chelsea the title is still within possibility

 

[sunama]

Good thing is we have a cushion. City and Chelsea just aren't in our league yet, hopefully we'll be right up there next season, but for now - they're a step ahead.

Chelsea are clear of us in the table. But City? They are below us in the league? Am I reading the table wrong?
Anything less than 3 points against City will be a huge disappointment. We are better than them.

 

[ChaddyP]

feck sake. Just realized I will be jumping carnival and half drunk in Kingston 10 am when this is showing. Gonna need to record this. Rum and half naked ladies should take my mind off whats happening half way around the world

 

[sunama]

Form goes out the window in this game. It would be foolish to underestimate them.

True, But we shouldn't overestimate them either.
We are at home and they will attempt to play against us, so we will have chances to score and win.
In the reverse fixture we playing with 10 men, at Etihad stadium, with RVP (out of form), using a system which was very experimental.
This time around, we will hopefully have 11 men, at OT, with Rooney (in form), using a system that our players understand.

Man City's best strategy will be to attempt to get a Man Utd player sent off. If we finish the game with 11 men, we should win.

 

[Ronetta]

Lets beat that little club!

Like you do alone in the bedroom? :-)

Seriously, can't see anything other than a City win. Unless you park the bus for 90 minutes, but I don't see that happening do you?

 

[BobbyManc]

@BobbyManc should be able to say.

Looking at their recent matches they don't really keep a constant lineup, but I imagine it'll be something like:

Hart

Zabaleta Kompany Mangala Clichy

Navas Toure Fernandinho Silva

Bony Aguero​

With Demichelis, Milner and Dzeko being other possibilities

Apologies for the late reply. Following the Palace game I'd expect our line-up to be something like this:

Hart
Zabaleta Kompany Demichelis Clichy
Milner Toure Fernandinho Silva
Aguero Bony

Perhaps the absence of Nasri and Navas is just wishful thinking though, I'd probably be surprised if neither of them start. Bony will definitely get the nod ahead of Dzeko if he's fit and Pellegrini sticks with two up top.

 

[Di Maria's angel]

Seriously, can't see anything other than a City win. Unless you park the bus for 90 minutes, but I don't see that happening do you?

I distinctly remember over confident and arrogant Liverpool fans stating how they thought our best chance of beating them was by "hoofing to Fellaini. Don't follow in their footsteps as you'll suffer a similar fate.

On topic, we'll beat you and we'll do it in the way we've beaten Spurs, Pool, and Villa - through the philosophy.

 

[SirAF]

Like you do alone in the bedroom? :-)

Seriously, can't see anything other than a City win. Unless you park the bus for 90 minutes, but I don't see that happening do you?

 

[pauldyson1uk]

FFS what is wrong with some of you on here, hammered Spurs , beat Liverpool and beat them well in the own back yard, a decent win over Villa and still some of you are in doom and gloom mode.
For the first time in ages I am looking forward to a Derby and winning, not said that for a few season.
We are playing well , City have lost their last 3 away, it does not get any better than this to beat them.
Going for a tough 3-2 win.

 

[Oneunited26]

Like you do alone in the bedroom? :-)

Seriously, can't see anything other than a City win. Unless you park the bus for 90 minutes, but I don't see that happening do you?

Unless city change the systems, to play a 4 man midfield against united at old trafford could be a big mistake, if united start suffocating the ball. The problem liverpool had, they played the wrong tactics, and they saw very little of the ball, gerrard could have helped liverpool but he got sent off. City do not really dictate games, and united are very good at going through periods of plugging the way by passing it allot of the time, city hate possession teams like we have seen in europe

 

[pauldyson1uk]

Like you do alone in the bedroom? :-)

Seriously, can't see anything other than a City win. Unless you park the bus for 90 minutes, but I don't see that happening do you?

Bullshit , you have lost your last 3 away, we dont need to park the bus to win , just ask Spurs or Livepool.

 

[Oneunited26]

Bullshit , you have lost your last 3 away, we dont need to park the bus to win , just ask Spurs or Livepool.

What city are going through, is what we have gone through. We were competing in the fergie years of 2009-13, but we kept playing a ridged 442 system with leggy players in midfield, letting ourselves get dominated in midfield and getting overrun, and hope we stay in the game, and hit them on the break. It will be a grave mistake if city play 2 strikers up front, where none of their midfielders can control a football match apart from silva. If carrick herrera mata start dictating the game and fellaini settles with his physical presence in the midfield, with either young or di maria attacking down the wings, we are going to overrun their midfield, just because of the numbers and we are just better at keeping the ball than city. It always helps us if we got players better at just keeping everything calm, and pass in those triangles that herrera and mata do, adding carricks positional sense in midfield, its a huge help for our defenders when we got midfielders of that standard who make everything so simple.

Yes the game will be tight, but I cannot see how their leggy 4 man midfield can dictate the game, when they are not built for that type of game especially away from home. I just think its a mistake playing a midfield 4 against our 5

 

[carlosp]

City's away form has been terrible, currently lying in 12th spot.

http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/matchday/form-guide.html?tableView=away

United is 3rd in Home form

http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/matchday/form-guide.html?tableView=home

United 2nd overall while City are 9th.

http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/matchday/form-guide.html?tableView=homeAwayTotalComparison

Smalling could possibly return against City. Good news

Manchester United 3
C Smalling Illness 12th Apr 15
J Wilson Hamstring Injury no return date
R Van Persie Ankle/Foot Injury 18th Apr 15

http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/epl_injury_table.php

 

[Mali_Zeus]

Like you do alone in the bedroom? :-)

that was fu.king horrible. Try to stick to football.

Also its strange you cant see anything than City win given the fact you are totally out of form.

We certainly wont park the bus and you probably wont see much of the ball.

 

[Ronetta]

Form means very little going into these games, as history has shown us.

I am confident of a City win, not because of my blue tinted specs (though tinted they are), but because City tend to win unless one of two things happen:

A) the opponents park the bus and we press and press and start to play higher and higher up the pitch and then we get caught out on the break, often with comedy defending on our part. Or,

B) we are totally outclassed and overrun in midfield and can hardly get hold of the ball. Particularly when Yaya can't be arsed on the day.

I don't see A or B happening. (A), you won't be parking the bus and a fast, open and expansive game plays right into our hands. And (B) because Yaya will most definitely be up for it. A midfleld four of Yaya, Fernandino, Silva and Nasri (or Navas) will be enough to keep you lot busy. And we may very well play 5 in the middle anyway with Silva as the attacking mid behind Aguero. Either way, you aren't going to keep us off the ball for most of the game, which you would need to do.

Therefore I predict a City win. City usually win if A or B doesn't happen.

 

[surf]

I don't get the pessimism of those who would "take a draw". It should be a home win against a team below us in the table, especially if you consider recent results and trajectory.

 

[Gannicus]

Mark Clattenberg

Least we have our excuse ready made

And Simon Beck, even worse.

 

[Gannicus]

I was only allowed to name three subs on my predictions sheet. I'm going with this:

De Gea
Valencia Smalling Rojo Blind
Carrick Herrera
Fellaini
Mata Rooney Di Maria

Di Maria over Young, though Young has been stellar of late.

I'm seeing less a traditional 433 and more of something like a 4213 or maybe what could even be described as a 42121. But it's all a matter of degrees, as Carrick sits back more than Herrera does and there are times when Fellain gets higher up the pitch than Mata and Young have.

In any event, the key for us will be how well we can contain Toure and Aguero as City approach the final third. They're going to have more possession than we've allowed recently, but can we close off the key passing lanes? I think we can but Carrick and Herrera have to be up for the challenge and I think we're going to see Fellaini drop back more than he has in recent weeks to deal with Toure.

City having a shakier back line than they would like and a dodgy keeper, we can hit them on the counter with Di Maria's burst of speed.

I'm calling it 2-0 for the red mancs.

 

[SirFergie]

Form means very little going into these games, as history has shown us.

I am confident of a City win, not because of my blue tinted specs (though tinted they are), but because City tend to win unless one of two things happen:

A) the opponents park the bus and we press and press and start to play higher and higher up the pitch and then we get caught out on the break, often with comedy defending on our part. Or,

B) we are totally outclassed and overrun in midfield and can hardly get hold of the ball. Particularly when Yaya can't be arsed on the day.

I don't see A or B happening. (A), you won't be parking the bus and a fast, open and expansive game plays right into our hands. And (B) because Yaya will most definitely be up for it. A midfleld four of Yaya, Fernandino, Silva and Nasri (or Navas) will be enough to keep you lot busy. And we may very well play 5 in the middle anyway with Silva as the attacking mid behind Aguero. Either way, you aren't going to keep us off the ball for most of the game, which you would need to do.

Therefore I predict a City win. City usually win if A or B doesn't happen.

city fans don't half talk some bitter, deluded shite

 

[Sean_RedDevil]

feck sake. Just realized I will be jumping carnival and half drunk in Kingston 10 am when this is showing. Gonna need to record this. Rum and half naked ladies should take my mind off whats happening half way around the world

If we loss against City then i need pictures of the half naked jamaican ladies

 

[Whiteside1985]

We are long overdue a really good performance against this lot.
We are in good form (at long last) whereas they are realising how badly the wheels have fallen off their defence of the title.

No excuses, the team should be well up for this.

 

[Sean_RedDevil]

Classic derbies: United 5 - City 0 (November 1994)

http://twii.edgeboss.net/download/twii/manutd/video_mufc_19941110_mcfc.mp4

Warren Heyman, a United fan from Manchester:" It was five years after the 5-1 loss at their place so it was great to get them back for that. It was also the week after we lost 4-0 to Barcelona at the Camp Nou. With that backdrop in mind it was brilliant to come back to Old Trafford and absolutely wipe the floor with City.

"There was a bit of a buzz around the place as there always is on derby day and that particular City team was one of the better City sides of the 1990s, with the likes of Keith Curle, Terry Phelan and Niall Quinn.

"In respect of derbies I think this game has to be the top one for me, because that team was fantastic. Don’t get me wrong, there’s something beautiful about a last-minute Scholes winner at City, but to absolutely hammer them is fantastic.

"For me, Kanchelskis will always be my favourite United player, not just because of the hat-trick he scored, but for a good while he was by far the best right-winger in the world. As well as scoring three himself, he put in a glorious ball for Cantona who scored the first goal of the evening."

 

[RedDevil@84]

Well at least it is not Oliver. Else Fellaini would have got sent off when his affro gets into the referee's nose.. He however wouldn't really mind if Zabaleta squeezes his neck.

 

[ChaddyP]

If we loss against City then i need pictures of the half naked jamaican ladies

Deal

 

[Mali_Zeus]

If Yaya gets a cake before the game we're in trouble.

 

[minoo-utd]

Like you do alone in the bedroom? :-)

Seriously, can't see anything other than a City win. Unless you park the bus for 90 minutes, but I don't see that happening do you?

HA HA HA HA HA

 

[Ronetta]

city fans don't half talk some bitter, deluded shite

HA HA HA HA HA

Bookedmarked for Sunday 6pm :-)

 

[YzWayne]

Form means very little going into these games, as history has shown us.

I am confident of a City win, not because of my blue tinted specs (though tinted they are), but because City tend to win unless one of two things happen:

A) the opponents park the bus and we press and press and start to play higher and higher up the pitch and then we get caught out on the break, often with comedy defending on our part. Or,

B) we are totally outclassed and overrun in midfield and can hardly get hold of the ball. Particularly when Yaya can't be arsed on the day.

I don't see A or B happening. (A), you won't be parking the bus and a fast, open and expansive game plays right into our hands. And (B) because Yaya will most definitely be up for it. A midfleld four of Yaya, Fernandino, Silva and Nasri (or Navas) will be enough to keep you lot busy. And we may very well play 5 in the middle anyway with Silva as the attacking mid behind Aguero. Either way, you aren't going to keep us off the ball for most of the game, which you would need to do.

Therefore I predict a City win. City usually win if A or B doesn't happen.

Bookmarked too.

 

[Mali_Zeus]

Ah some of oppo fans here.. They never learn.

 

[minoo-utd]

Bookedmarked for Sunday 6pm :-)

Yes please.