[Pexbo]

So two different scorelines feel inevitable?

It’s almost like there might be a common denominator there.

 

[Posh Red]

So two different scorelines feel inevitable?

Cash out?

 

[MonkeysMagic]

A limited team like Burnley can get a lot of joy playing against us, as they can repeatedly target our weakness...high balls. As a team we don't defend our penalty box very well and that combined with our propensity to give away needless fouls like confetti means Burnley will always be in the game and history shows the joy they have had playing us. Hoping for a win but it will be very tight, narrow 1-0 or 2-1.

 

[londonredmaniac]

Haven't been especially nervous for a league game in a long time. This is a big night whatever way it goes. Hoping the bit of rest sees us flying as we have in many away games and just blitz them in first half

They all feel a bit like that atm for me. Probably since the Sheffield United game...

Kind has done all over the festive period due to other teams around us dropping some daft points.

If we can ride this wave for another game you just feel like it could be huge.

I'm not saying or inferring we are going to win the league tbf, I still think our fixtures in the second half of the season are tougher than most.

But to go to Anfield 3 points above them would be some statement, puts the pressure on to a degree, as much as one can in January anyway.

If we can maintain this very decent league form and put ourselves in the mix come the end of Feb I'd say it would be above the expectations of most at the start of the season, especially given the state of our performances the first 6 odd games.

Would hate to see the good work and momentum get haunted by these clodding cnuts.

 

[Buchan]

Cautiously optimistic about tonight. Wouldn’t it be great to put these to the sword with a convincing win by a multi-goal margin and head into the weekend against the Vermin top of the table and looking to go six points clear.

Come on, Reds!

 

[big rons sovereign]

Wouldn't it be great to win comfortably against Burnley, establish a 3 point advantage over 'pool with the same games played and then win at Anfield to go 6 points clear of them?
Next two are winnable against Fulham and Sheff U so by the time we get round to a revenge beating of the Arse we could be 8 or 9 clear up top!!
A guy can dream can't he

When you think without the brainfart against Leicester we'd already be top. Add to that the winnable games against arsenal Chelsea and city and OH GOD!!!!!

 

[jderbyshire]

Right I've got good news and bad news.

The bad news is, I played this game four times on PES and every time it was 1-1.

The good news is, my PES predictors are never right!

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Our record at Burnley is pretty good right? Just when they come to Old Trafford we usually balls it up.

Wish we'd played them at the beginning of the season when they were crap... true we were crap, but I feel like we were much less crap then them. Still, think we'll win 2-0

 

[big rons sovereign]

Our record at Burnley is pretty good right? Just when they come to Old Trafford we usually balls it up.

Wish we'd played them at the beginning of the season when they were crap... true we were crap, but I feel like we were much less crap then them. Still, think we'll win 2-0

Aside from the nil nil with lvg and the 0-1 when Carrick missed a pen we've done ok I think.

 

[Ronaldo's Mum Eh?]

Must win game.

 

[city-puma]

Morning reds. Is today the last day we're below 1st for the rest of the season? Or is it the last day we discuss a title race? Or somewhere in between?

Intriguing season, great fun punching slightly above our weight, I've never wanted to win our next two games as much as I do now.

The players are well rested, in good form, I'm looking forward to tonight!

I cannot believe how it won’t be the case!
Burley is hard to beat, but that for me means we should at least get a draw. The team is definitely going for a win and has the belief in their hearts. Let’s just do it!

 

[royboy16]

I think there will be plenty of rage in here at the final whistle tonight with Burnleys sh!t on stick football.
1-1.

 

[Offside]

Recent record v Burnley:

19/20:

United 0-2 Burnley
Burnley 0-2 United (Martial, Rashford)

18/19:

United 2-2 Burnley (Pogba, Lindelof)
Burnley 0-2 United (Lukaku x2)

17/18:

Burnley 0-1 United (Martial)
United 2-2 Burnley (Lingard x2)

16/17:

Burnley 0-2 United (Martial, Rooney)
United 0-0 Burnley

14/15:

United 3-1 Burnley (Smalling x2, van Persie)
Burnley 0-0 United

09/10:

United 3-0 Burnley (Berbatov, Rooney, Diouf)
Burnley 1-0 United

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Recent record v Burnley:

19/20:

United 0-2 Burnley
Burnley 0-2 United (Martial, Rashford)

18/19:

United 2-2 Burnley (Pogba, Lindelof)
Burnley 0-2 United (Lukaku x2)

17/18:

Burnley 0-1 United (Martial)
United 2-2 Burnley (Lingard x2)

16/17:

Burnley 0-2 United (Martial, Rooney)
United 0-0 Burnley

14/15:

United 3-1 Burnley (Smalling x2, van Persie)
Burnley 0-0 United

09/10:

United 3-0 Burnley (Berbatov, Rooney, Diouf)
Burnley 1-0 United

It's mad that we've never done the double over Burnley (Prem years before anyone brings up 1974)

EDIT - Turns out you have to go back to 1957 to find our last league double over them... (and yes they were in Division 1 until the mid 70s)

 

[sunama]

Let's win this and go top of the league!!!

 

[sunama]

Must win game.

From here on in, every match will be must win, as because we are attempting to win all remaining competitions.

 

[bsCallout]

Matic comfortably better in possession than either Fred/McT

Burnley offer very little offensively other than their usual longer ball attack, a double pivot of Fred/McT is overkill.

I hope we go Matic sitting alone (nice bit of extra height for set pieces) and have Donny/Bruno ahead of him. Rest Fred for Pool. If he has to go double pivot Matic/McT is better. There will be a lot of ball for us in offensive areas around their box, we need a few creative outlets there like Pogba, Bruno, VDB because if we move the ball quickly enough, we'll slaughter this lot if we score early.

I'd agree with Matic only, not Fred/Matic. Doesnt offer anything FredMcT doesnt because Matic drops too deep, as does Fred often. Against a low block you need a player than will break into the box. Only McT does that out of the 3. Matic/McT is better. Id just go Matic only to be honest. Give VDB and Pogba a go just ahead.

Matic is better on the ball than McTomminay though, anyway I wouldn't play that but I think Ole will want to rest one of the pair as they are certain to start against Liverpool.

I disagree, Matic isn’t really a runner and better in possession. Maybe suits a game like this more than McTominay when our passing has to be more precise.

 

[sunama]

We've taken 31 out of 39 points against sides that aren't in the top-6 right now.

Burnley against top-6 this year
12 points dropped (out of 12)
Goals For: 2
Goals Against: 11

Statistically then, we should win this.
Drawing or losing will buck the trend.

Whenever a game seems a formality we always feck it up.

Hope Ole proves me wrong.

That's because players tend to coast in those types of games. They can't seem to get get themselves psyched up.
However, as we are now going for 1st place in the league, I think the players will be fully motivated for this.
I honestly can't see us losing or drawing this.

 

[city-puma]

It's mad that we've never done the double over Burnley (Prem years before anyone brings up 1974)

Exactly. But this season, we have shown we can get the results against several stubborn opponents. I feel it’s the right time to further solidify that trend.

 

[Alemar]

From here on in, every match will be must win, as because we are attempting to win all remaining competitions.

Not at all. Matches against City and Liverpool in the league won’t be “must win” games in case we win against everyone else - draws against them will be enough to win the title in this scenario

 

[Michael T]

Exciting evening ahead - let's do this. Could do with a big win to put extra pressure on Liverpool going into the next game.

 

[LuisNaniencia]

Pope, Mee and that composer fella set for a blinder. You know it's happening.

 

[Meep]

---------------De Gea
AWB Bailly Maguire Shaw
-------Fred Matic
Greenwood Bruno Rashford
----------Cavani

Fingers crossed for a high energy united coming up tonight..

 

[westmeath]

Matic hasn’t shown any kind of form lately so I’m surprised he is appearing in so many line ups. To me this is clearly a game for our most successful midfield: Fred, McT and BF. If you wanted to be adventurous it would be VDB for McT I’d have thought?

 

[cheeky_backheel]

Given the upcoming games against Liverpool, I feel Burnley and Fulham are banana peels.

Hope we are not too focused on the Liverpool games that we cost ourselves dearly against lesser teams.

Put out a strong team, get the 3pts and then worry about Liverpool.

 

[Jonno]

Question.... If someone offered you right now:

Burnley 0-0
Liverpool 0-0

would you take it?

 

[eire-red]

If we approach this one with conviction and look to score a few goals, I can see us doing exactly that and winning comfortably.

However, if we try and keep it tight I can just see us being done by a set piece and losing or drawing. I hope we go out with the mind frame of scoring a few goals.

Burnley don't score many so even if we give them space to play into we have too much for them.

 

[Siorac]

Question.... If someone offered you right now:

Burnley 0-0
Liverpool 0-0

would you take it?

No. Beating Burnley and losing to Liverpool is three points instead of two so it's preferable.

Would I take a win at Burnley and a dreadful 0-0 at Anfield? In a heartbeat, obviously.

 

[eire-red]

Question.... If someone offered you right now:

Burnley 0-0
Liverpool 0-0

would you take it?

City look to have found a bit of form, so it's not just Liverpool we're trying to keep pace with.

Those results would seem very anticlimactic and potentially knock a bit of momentum off us.

Beating Burnley and losing to Liverpool would be better than drawing both.

 

[Utd heap]

Question.... If someone offered you right now:

Burnley 0-0
Liverpool 0-0

would you take it?

No but I wouldn't be unhappy with it either.

 

[SER19]

They've only scored 9 goals this season. 9. That's appalling. If we're on form we should be winning well. Last 7 years have done a number of my confidence

 

[Gasolin]

Let's try to win and get those 3 pts. It would be amazing.

 

[tomaldinho1]

I'd agree with Matic only, not Fred/Matic. Doesnt offer anything FredMcT doesnt because Matic drops too deep, as does Fred often. Against a low block you need a player than will break into the box. Only McT does that out of the 3. Matic/McT is better. Id just go Matic only to be honest. Give VDB and Pogba a go just ahead.

Exactly. My preference is Matic sitting alone, with VDB & Bruno ahead with Pogba in that LW/LM slot. Most likely though I think Ole will go with Matic/McT double pivot. Either way, we should be able to win and also not need to play Bruno for the full 90.

 

[Schmeichel=God]

If we dont approach this with a sustained aggression in pressing and quickfire short passes then this is going to end badly. Something which already seems like it's written in the stars considering everytime we have a chance to do something noteworthy we stumble. Top of the league outright is a foundation and narrative setter that could be a springboard.

If we dont make their cumbersome rigid team stretch and panic with a high tempo then they'll sit in position all day whilst we take 2 or 3 times as long to complete an attack attempt.

And if going top isn't enough to instigate the above then well...

Its Burnley not Wolves. Let's do them 3 or 4 nil..come on

 

[Alemar]

Question.... If someone offered you right now:

Burnley 0-0
Liverpool 0-0

would you take it?

Of course not. Anything less than 4 points from these 2 games will be a disaster for our title race

 

[londonredmaniac]

When you think without the brainfart against Leicester we'd already be top. Add to that the winnable games against arsenal Chelsea and city and OH GOD!!!!!

The arsenal and Chelsea games stick in the gut somewhat. A point at home to City was no disaster and very few sides have found Leicester anything other than a tough game...though you'd say similar if you were a Liverpool fan and failing to beat poor West Brom and Newcastle sides tbf!

 

[Judas]

I would be overjoyed at a relaxing 2-0 victory. I just want a no nonsense stress free evening.

 

[londonredmaniac]

Of course not. Anything less than 4 points from these 2 games will be a disaster for our title race

I don't think that's quite true tbf...though you'd be worried about what it did to our general momentum.

 

[Deery]

Looking forward to this it’s great having a midweek premier league game to watch and if we win we go top, if that isn’t enough to fire up the squad I don’t know what is.

I think we’ll batter them 3-0 with Bruno pulling the strings in between the lines of Burnley’s midfield and defence.

Hopefully we’ll see Pogba start too I feel he would be pivotal at stretching the play with balls over the top and Bruno in between.

 

[londonredmaniac]

No but I wouldn't be unhappy with it either.

I suppose luckily football doesn't work like that, but it's ab interesting question the more you think about it.

Anything other than 3 points tonight in isolation is going to be hugely frustrating...but that's a pretty obvious statement

Set pieces, as always, worry me