[Lucky McLuckerson]

VS

Date - Saturday, April 01 2017
Kickoff Time - 1500 Hrs BST
Venue - Old Trafford, Manchester

League standings and form guide

5. Manchester United : DWWDW

8. West Brom : DWLLW


Previous Meetings

West Brom 0 : 2 Manchester United

West Brom 1 : 0 Manchester United

Manchester United 2 : 0 West Brom

Manchester United 0 : 1 West Brom

West Brom 2 : 2 Manchester United


All-Time Record

Manchester United wins - 52
West Brom wins - 40
Draws - 28


Pre-Match Pressers

José Mourinho





Tony Pulis






Team News

Manchester United

Zlatan Ibrahimović (suspension), Ander Herrera (suspension), Chris Smalling (knee injury), Phil Jones (toe injury), Juan Mata (groin surgery) and Paul Pogba (hamstring injury) ruled out. Marouane Fellaini (toe injury) doubtful.

West Brom

Matt Phillips (hamstring injury), Nacer Chadli (shoulder injury) and Salomón Rondón (arrived back from international duty on Friday) doubtful.


Know the opposition

West Bromwich Albion Football Club (nicknamed West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or simply WBA) are a professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, and were founded in 1878 as West Bromwich Strollers, by workers of George Salter's Spring Works. They were renamed West Bromwich Albion in 1880, becoming the first team to adopt the Albion suffix.

West Brom were one of the founding members of The Football League in 1888, and have one League title win, 5 FA Cup wins, and one League Cup win to their name. Even though West Brom have spent the majority of their history in the top-flight of English football, when the FA Premier League was founded in 1992 the club found themselves in the third tier, and have negotiated periodic relegation-promotion oscillations to the Premier League ever since. West Brom play their homes games at The Hawthorns, and have long-standing rivalries with Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers.


Familiar Faces

Marc Wilson (at United 2001-2004), Darren Fletcher (1995-2015), Jonathan Evans (2004-2015), Benjamin Foster (2005-2010)


Referee

Mike Dean.
​

 

[Needham]

Watch them on corners.

 

[peridigm]

Not going to be a walk in the park that's for sure. Is Herrera out for 2 games?

 

[ChaddyP]

3-1 to us. Routine win. Tony Ps got his 43 points they will be on cruise control for the rest of the season.

 

[RedMaestro]

Not going to be a walk in the park that's for sure. Is Herrera out for 2 games?

Yes, he'll miss the WBA-match - so his 2nd game. It's his second red card during the season, therefore an additional match where he's banned.

 

[KN5]

We are gonna go 3-4-2-1 for this one im assuming.

 

[Offside]

Their holiday starts after this international break. 2-0 United. Rashford and Mata.

 

[ti vu]

Expect another back 3 game with Zlatan's still suspended. Fellaini may start too without Pogba's return or not; to deal with West Brom physicality & aerial threat in set piece.

 

[Jonno]

Well, we're in a great position now to break into the top 4.

If Liverpool fail to beat Everton and we beat WBA, with City going to Arsenal and then to Chelsea, we will be the closest we've been in this race, at the best time.

It wont be easy. They'll be difficult to beat and they will pepper our defence with crosses and corners. I would be surprised to see Jones AND Smalling start together, Rojo Bailey and Jones more likely. Miki is well rested now, so he could be important. We need to capitalise.

 

[Devil may care]

With Herrera and Ibra still banned and Pogba a doubt I'm sure the lump will play due to their set piece threat. Hopefully we'll ditch the back 3 and just pair Smalling and Rojo for their aerial capabilities, but given how immobile our central midfield will be Jose might opt for the athletic CB trio behind them for security.

 

[ChaddyP]

who is out on International leave. This may affect who starts this game i think

 

[K2K]

Thank goodness for the International break.

Just a pity that we have so many internationals.

 

[flappyjay]

Well, we're in a great position now to break into the top 4.

If Liverpool fail to beat Everton and we beat WBA, with City going to Arsenal and then to Chelsea, we will be the closest we've been in this race, at the best time.

It wont be easy. They'll be difficult to beat and they will pepper our defence with crosses and corners. I would be surprised to see Jones AND Smalling start together, Rojo Bailey and Jones more likely. Miki is well rested now, so he could be important. We need to capitalise.

We are gonna be peppered with crosses and you say Rojo, Jones and Baily to start. Mourinho will be angry with Smalling about "that goal'' but he also won't forget that just before that his other cb failed to clear what seemed a simple header. Simply put there is no way Smalling misses out against a team that relies on set pieces.

 

[2 man midfield]

Another ugly game I reckon. Jose is in grind out mode.

 

[AgentP]

We are gonna be peppered with crosses and you say Rojo, Jones and Baily to start. Mourinho will be angry with Smalling about "that goal'' but he also won't forget that just before that his other cb failed to clear what seemed a simple header. Simply put there is no way Smalling misses out against a team that relies on set pieces.

Yes, Smalling will definitely start. Rojo will play as well. With most of our players back for this one, we should switch back to a back 4. Kind of fed up with 3 at the back to be honest. We should win with a 4231 against West Brom at home.

 

[Sammyjunn]

They have beat us 40 times? That's quite a lot as we have won 58.

 

[flappyjay]

Another ugly game I reckon. Jose is in grind out mode.

I really don't mind it at this stage of the season as long as we reach our targets

 

[Chaky_Best]

I think they'll play the game like they did against Arsenal. Compact behind and try to play on counter.

This will be a real battle after the international break.

Just hope that we won't get any new injuries especially because we play WBA on Saturday, Everton on Tuesday and Sunderland away the following Sunday before Europa League game.

This may be a dangerous game after all.

Mourinho will still try his 5-2-3 against a team that will sat back and play with one striker...

----------------------------------De Gea-----------------------------------
-----------------Bailly----------Smalling----------Jones-------------------
Valencia----------------Carrick---------Fellaini----------------------Young
---------------Mkhitaryan------Rashford-------Mata-----------------------

I'd go for

----------------------------------De Gea-----------------------------------
Valencia-----------------Bailly-----------Smalling-------------------Shaw
----------------------------------Carrick------------------------------------
Mkhitaryan--------------Fellaini---------Mata-----------------------Martial
----------------------------------Rashford------------------------------------

 

[Trizy]

First match in two years at Old Trafford and Zlatan is missing

 

[LawCharltonBest]

First match in two years at Old Trafford and Zlatan is missing

I wouldn't be surprised if Pogba was back for it though!

 

[horsechoker]

Herrera will be a big miss as well.

 

[dichinero]

On April fool's day as well. It's going to be a treat with 8 at the back this time.

 

[FacerTheRed]

Bogey team. Defiantly will expect the same display as yesterdays, Jose grinding games now.

 

[markelphick]

2-1 Lets 'ave it!!

 

[12OunceEpilogue]

This isn't going to be pretty. We need bodies back and we need to learn how to deal with corners, we'll get beasted if we're not on our game.

 

[NJM78]

If we dont score more than one I dont see us winning. This will be tough but we need to finally put a team away at OT and I think this may be the game despite the form WBA have been in. Will be a nervous, close game but think we will nick it 2-1. Another Fellaini goal too.

 

[Alabaster Codify7]

-------------DDG---------------
---Bailly---Smalling---Rojo----
Valencia---------------------Young
---------Carrick---Fellaini---------
Mata------------------------Martial
------------Rashford-------------

SUBS - Mkhitaryan (Mata), Lingard (Martial), Jones (Carrick)

Man United 3 - 1 West Brom
Mata x 2, Rashford

 

[KomodoBadger]

Knowing us, we'll probably cock it up.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Knowing us, we'll probably cock it up.

People said we would do that yesterday and we didn't.

 

[sincher]

I do fancy us to win this, but the baggies looked to have a renewed focus and played very well at Arsenal. We will not be as vulnerable to set pieces though for sure.

 

[Trizy]

I wouldn't be surprised if Pogba was back for it though!

Ya I'm just assuming he'll play. Might be wishful thinking though.

 

[sincher]

Ya I'm just assuming he'll play. Might be wishful thinking though.

We didn't miss him, he has been out of form tbh.

 

[rocks13]

Watch them on corners.

Shouldn't be a problem with our 4 centre-backs.

 

[RDCR07]

This international break during the business end of the season in March is the dumbest thing I can think of. I mean seriously no one cares about these games and every top team has so many games as it is. We could have played three games in the span of the next 11 days and reduced our work load during the months of April and May.

 

[efraim]

Is this the final game Zlatan is suspended for?

A must win, I'm afraid it will be "one of those games" once again. These guys are dangerous on corners, I believe they've scored the most goals in set-piece situations in the Premier League. Just don't commit stupid fouls in dangerous areas and if we take our chances we should beat them comfortably.

De Gea
Valencia Bailly Rojo Blind
Pogba Fellaini
Mata Mkhi Martial
Rashford

 

[top1whoisman]

Pretty sure it’ll be something like:

DDG
Bailly-Smalling-Jones
Valencia-Carrick-Fellaini-Rojo
Mkhitaryan——Lingard
Rashford
​

Pogba instead of Carrick if fit. José will go with a tall team.

 

[Catt]

Was Herrera more than 1 game?

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Was Herrera more than 1 game?

Yes. Two games because it was his 2nd red card. The first one was against Burnley.

 

[Catt]

Yes. Two games because it was his 2nd red card. The first one was against Burnley.

Ahh, that's right.

 

[Mihai]

This isn't going to be pretty. We need bodies back and we need to learn how to deal with corners, we'll get beasted if we're not on our game.

Same thing was said when we played them earlier this season. I can't remember any decent chance for them tbh.