[PoTMS]

Realistically the best we can hope for:

Onana
Wan-Bissaka-Lindelof-Martinez-Cucurella
Midfielder-Casemiro-Bruno
Antony-Martial-Rashford

 

[Wing Attack Plan R]

This is going to be a mauling, isn't it?

 

[Micky Targaryen]

Onana
AWB - Lindelof - Licha - Cucurella (Dalot)
Casemiro
Eriksen - Bruno
Antony - Sancho - Rashford

Will be our best bet imo.

 

[FireballXL5]

This is going to be a mauling, isn't it?

I think we'll see the gulf in class between our ballers and theirs. It won't be pretty.

 

[Wing Attack Plan R]

I think we'll see the gulf in class between our ballers and theirs. It won't be pretty.

It will be nice to get the 0-6 out of the way this early in the season.

 

[bludsucker]

https://x.com/manutdmania_/status/1696452467712528485?s=46&t=S0yuR1X5vLneq7WyI9RfcQ
We are fecked. Anthony taylor is the ref for this match. This is payback for us getting a penalty and red card in the last match.

 

[red_de_pologne]

yea, will be an ugly one this, not for the feint hearted

 

[VP89]

This is going to be a mauling, isn't it?

I think we'll see the gulf in class between our ballers and theirs. It won't be pretty.

Have either of you watched Arsenal during this season or in pre season?
Honestly, what on earth are you on about?

 

[Marcus]

Soak and strike. We should be ok. McT masterclass incoming.

 

[Fahad Jawaid]

Arsenal are strong in Midfield with Rice and Partey possible there. I would be naive to go with Eriksen, Bruno and Casemiro. I would go with Mctominay for Eriksen, just to give us some steel and physicality in the middle so we don’t get overrun.

 

[Ayoba]

This isn't going to be pretty is it

 

[mitchmouse]

Just spoken to an Arsenal fan in the gym - he reckons they have been poor so far this season and that we'll win 2-1. I have referred him to a good psychiatrist...

 

[Drizzle]

A makeshift defence that mediocre teams have been cutting through with ease. Fitness and match sharpness levels alarmingly low. An absolutely disastrous recent record against big teams in away matches. The propensity to completely collapse when we go a goal down in away matches.

Yep. We're getting eviscerated in this one. 4 or 5 goals.

 

[leontas]

Arsenal haven’t been great so far this season either. Having said that, I find it hard seeing us get a win here given our poor away record. But I’d be surprised if we get battered.

 

[MUFC OK]

This is going to be a mauling, isn't it?

4-0 I think.

Eriksen in midfield not a possibility. Would have been a game for Fred at 8.. might have to be Mctominay instead. We simply haven’t got enough steel for big away games - amrabat, whilst not perfect is the best option in terms of strengthening there.

 

[Kaos]

Imagine being in a summer long coma and waking up to seeing Cucurella in the proposed lineups

 

[groovyalbert]

I expect nothing from us against top half teams away from home. This will be no different.

 

[Care_de_Bobo]

Our away form is truly terrible. Would be amazed if this is the game where we turn things around, considering we are without our two left backs and will probably have Dalot up against Saka.

Ten Hag won't last long unless he learns to be more pragmatic for these big away days that's for sure, because our home form isn't going to be sustainable with the way we've been playing.

 

[MUFC OK]

Our away form is truly terrible. Would be amazed if this is the game where we turn things around, considering we are without our two left backs and will probably have Dalot up against Saka.

Ten Hag won't last long unless he learns to be more pragmatic for these big away days that's for sure, because our home form isn't going to be sustainable with the way we've been playing.

Tbf Shaws performance against him and Salah last year we’re two of the most pathetic I’ve seen from a Utd player so not sure Dalot can be any worse.

 

[Red00012]

4-0 I think.

Eriksen in midfield not a possibility. Would have been a game for Fred at 8.. might have to be Mctominay instead. We simply haven’t got enough steel for big away games - amrabat, whilst not perfect is the best option in terms of strengthening there.

Fred
Give Over
It’s probably a game for Phil Jones also

 

[philippexyz]

Don't expect anything positive guys from this fixture and you won't be disappointed. Take care of you mental health, that's actually more important than Manchester United. We have way too many issues to get something out of this game(fitness, tactics, quality...). Injuries have decimated us, form is terrible.

Saka will roast Dalot on the right wing. I believe Arteta will learn from some of his mistakes this season and drop Havertz for this one. He'll go with Partey - Rice - Odegaard midfield which will have enough defensive ability and physicality to really shut us down. I don't expect Hojlund to play this game, which means another 60 minutes max charlatan performance from recreational footballer(at this stage) Martial and then Sancho as false 9 or something. Think also that Arteta might drop Ramsdale for Raya this game.

We'll be on the back foot all game, maybe Bruno manages to find Rashford with a Holywood pass for a counter-attack and we score once, but that's it. We are not turning our terrible away record against good teams this time around. There will hopefully be another day for that.

I just hope it doesn't get embarrassing like Liverpool, City and Brentford away games were last year. It will probably be more like Newcastle away last season.

 

[Care_de_Bobo]

Tbf Shaws performance against him and Salah last year we’re two of the most pathetic I’ve seen from a Utd player so not sure Dalot can be any worse.

I suppose the fact that he's right footed could potentially help him counter Saka cutting onto his left to shoot.

I'm never sure how much difference it actually makes at the highest level, but I know that I definitely feel more comfortable as a right-footed defender blocking shots and closing down left-footers playing on the right as opposed to right-footers cutting in from the left.

 

[(...)]

Just spoken to an Arsenal fan in the gym - he reckons they have been poor so far this season and that we'll win 2-1. I have referred him to a good psychiatrist...

I mean, he isn't wrong, we have been terrible and really lucky to have 7 points so far. If Elanga was able to terrify our defense in 15 minutes, I don't see us keeping Rashford and Bruno quiet for 90 minutes.
But then again, your away record is really bad. Tough game to predict, but the winner of it will get a huge boost just before an international break, loser will enter a first mini crisis early this season.

 

[Von Mistelroum]

I'm going to be very optimistic and say we keep them down to 2-3 goals. We might even score one ourselves! I'll say 3-1.

 

[pauldyson1uk]

I am not one for doom and gloom and I very rarely think we get beat and beat well , but this match I think we might.
We have seriously flattered to deceive in 2 out of the 3 games, Wolves were all over us, Spurs we never really got close, Forest was OK but added with a red and a pen.

 

[Offside]

Imagine being in a summer long coma and waking up to seeing Cucurella in the proposed lineups

 

[top1whoisman]

@Niall it could be worth adding CB Willy Kambwala to the lineup selections

 

[MUFC OK]

Fred
Give Over
It’s probably a game for Phil Jones also

Has more legs and defensive capabilities than Eriksen. Eriksen get completely overrun in these big away games. Concerning that it hasn't been addressed.

 

[JeffFromHK]

We are so bad against other Big 6 teams away from home, can easily see a clean 3-0 to the gunners

 

[Suedesi]

So given our record against the top 8 last year, and the shambolic performance at Spurs, is another L on the cards?

 

[Frank Grimes]

‐---------------------Onana-----------------------------
AWB-----Lindelof---Martinez---Cucurella
-------------------Casemiro---------------------------
-------------Bruno--------Amrabat-----------------
Antony‐‐--‐----------------------------Rashford
--------------------Hoijlund‐-------------------------

Anything other than this and ETH has to be sacked.

 

[Frank Grimes]

This is going to be a mauling, isn't it?

Nah, we'll take our foot off the gas for the last half hour.

 

[RuudTom83]

No footage of Hojlund in the training ground stuff released today :/

Probably gonna be a sub appearance at best.

 

[BluesJr]

We’ll make Havertz look world class. Nailed on.

 

[Ayoba]

So given our record against the top 8 last year, and the shambolic performance at Spurs, is another L on the cards?

Yes.

 

[bosskeano]

sadly i suspect we lose this match 2-0....we can't score and our midfield is too old with no legs

 

[bosskeano]

i know he won't do this but i'd set us up like this....sancho would at least give us some younger legs and Bruno could sit with Case to keep them both a bit more disciplined

Onana
Wan-Bissaka-Lindelof-Martinez-Dalot(unless we get a LB)
Casemiro-Bruno
Antony-Sancho-Rashford
Martial

 

[Rightnr]

I'd be tempted to switch Antony to the left in this game if Rashford starts upfront because of Saka.

From what I've read about Cucurella, he's not brilliant at defending and even Shaw got skinned plenty of times by Saka last season in this fixture.

 

[Rozay]

Just come into this thread although I’m sure my midfield concerns have already been echoed.

Arsenal play with huge energy and also move the ball brilliantly well like a rugby team. I can’t see Eriksen being able to keep up. I’m not so concerned about Varane, I have every confidence in Lindelof. Left-back, not so much!

 

[lex talionis]

The sense of dread here is fully warranted. Whatever happened or didn't happen during training has brought us to the point where we barely scraped by relegation fodder in two of our first three matches, squandered glorious chances in the first half against a decent not meh side and then dropped our shorts and bent over in the second half against that same side. I almost forgot, we're ravaged by injuries and our marquee signing is still recovering from a broken back.

The job against Arsenal is to manage a draw. Easier said than done, especially with a keeper who so far has not distinguished himself.

But persevere we must and hope that our prayers for a draw are answered by the football gods, who surely by now must acknowledge that we have suffered long enough:

Onana
AWB Lindelof Martinez Dalot
Casemiro Eriksen
Antony Bruno Rashford
Sancho