Aston Villa 1:1 Manchester United

soap · Dec 20, 2014

Amethyst said:
villatalk confident for this one:

Some of these are great.

This might be a good game to give Adnan a chance to find some form. One of the lads on the podcast pointed out how clueless Villa are in the fullback positions. Even if Adnan continues the underwhelming form from when he was in the team earlier in the season we should still win. Would let us rest someone else too given the upcoming fixture congestion. Just please, no fecking back 3! I'm hopeful that now Rafael is back LVG will feel more comfortable with full backs rather than wing backs. Or maybe he'll wait until Shaw is back for that

Neil67 · Dec 20, 2014

I've gone the same as a few others,

de Gea
Jones Carrick Evans
Valencia Herrera Rooney Young
Mata
RVP Falcao
Sub, Di Maria Rafeal Wilson

Galactic · Dec 20, 2014

soap said:
Some of these are great.

This might be a good game to give Adnan a chance to find some form. One of the lads on the podcast pointed out how clueless Villa are in the fullback positions. Even if Adnan continues the underwhelming form from when he was in the team earlier in the season we should still win. Would let us rest someone else too given the upcoming fixture congestion. Just please, no fecking back 3! I'm hopeful that now Rafael is back LVG will feel more comfortable with full backs rather than wing backs. Or maybe he'll wait until Shaw is back for that

Knowing his ego/arrogance, I suspect he will keep playing 3-5-2 until he's successful with it.

soap · Dec 20, 2014

Galactic said:
Knowing his ego/arrogance, I suspect he will keep playing 3-5-2 until he's successful with it.

I think (and hope) it has more to the do with the fact he doesn't trust Young and Valencia at full back. When Shaw and Rafael have been fit we've played with 4 at the back.

NotoriousISSY · Dec 20, 2014

Any of our resident Irish able to confirm if this is on Setanta?

I don't know how I get access to it, but it usually works. Their tv schedule doesn't seem to want to work on my phone.

Ferguson · Dec 20, 2014

I think Van Gaal uses the 3-5-2 when he has a defensive injury crisis or against opponents that are going to attack us.

Against Villa I expect four at the back with a more attacking posture.

Pexbo · Dec 20, 2014

Galactic said:
Knowing his ego/arrogance, I suspect he will keep playing 3-5-2 until he's successful with it.

Absolute bollocks.

gooDevil · Dec 20, 2014

Pexbo said:
Absolute bollocks.

Agreed, he was happy to switch it up mid game at the WC, and he's done it here too.

He's anything but inflexible.

Invictus · Dec 20, 2014

Galactic said:
Knowing his ego/arrogance, I suspect he will keep playing 3-5-2 until he's successful with it.

Louis will stick by the 3-5-2 against tougher opposition as long as our first choice fullbacks are unfit and as long as we can grind out results. He's portrayed to be a man consumed by arrogance but it's a pragmatic choice really. Doubt he'll put his own sense of justification over the team's fortunes.

As it happens, we've done really well with the 3-5-2 system - evidenced by the wins against Arsenal, Southampton, Liverpool among others. Might not be pretty but it's quite effective in terms of the end result. Wouldn't say it's down to luck neither, a couple of times can be construed as luck but we're now seeing a pattern emerging which extends to astute game-planning and modification on Van Gaal's part, and all credit to him.

Raptori · Dec 20, 2014

Could we really be going for this:

DDG
Jones · Carrick · Evans
Valencia · Herrera · Rooney · Mata · Young
RVP · Falcao

?

That's one hell of an attacking lineup. Fletcher or Blackett/McNair in for Herrera maybe? Decisions, decisions...

Yet again, I'm really looking forward to this match. Hope Falcao starts and gets up and running, really want him to succeed here.

Redcy · Dec 20, 2014

Honestly would prefer to see us not playing Young as an out and out left back, he will get caught out against the likes of abonglahor.

UnRational · Dec 20, 2014

ISSYNAZAR said:
Any of our resident Irish able to confirm if this is on Setanta?

I don't know how I get access to it, but it usually works. Their tv schedule doesn't seem to want to work on my phone.

Yes it is mate although I'm not Irish

rover · Dec 20, 2014

personally i want to deploy carrick into the no 6 role, which means we shall start blackett as one of the 3 central defenders. but i think we will opt for a prudent way by playing carrick the same way as playing against liverpool. i picked fellaini+herrara combo to enhance our possession in midfield and also allow rooney to push up a little bit to support the dual strikers. the same lineup can also allow us to play MW without any substitution:

ddg, valencia, jones, carrick, evans, young, fellaini, herrera, rooney, falcao, rvp

Redcy · Dec 20, 2014

thought fellaini was out?

Raptori · Dec 20, 2014

@rover, @Redcy: Yeah, Fellaini is ill this weekend.

coolredwine · Dec 20, 2014

Could really see us reverting to a back 4 today with Fellaini not being there today.

tulipanes · Dec 20, 2014

I think LVG is going to play Fletcher for Fellaini. Considering the last formations and the state of our defence, LVG might want a more defensive option like Fletcher. I hope he is going te play herrera though.

rover · Dec 20, 2014

ouch... so to start blackett then.

the middle three will either be carrick+rooney+mata or carrick+herrera+rooney, and i chose the mata one by utilizing the working rate of rooney in midfield

NotoriousISSY · Dec 20, 2014

DUX said:
Yes it is mate although I'm not Irish

That'll do. Thanks!

Rampant-red · Dec 20, 2014

ISSYNAZAR said:
Any of our resident Irish able to confirm if this is on Setanta?

I don't know how I get access to it, but it usually works. Their tv schedule doesn't seem to want to work on my phone.

Yes it is mate

Amethyst · Dec 20, 2014

soap said:
Some of these are great.

This might be a good game to give Adnan a chance to find some form. One of the lads on the podcast pointed out how clueless Villa are in the fullback positions. Even if Adnan continues the underwhelming form from when he was in the team earlier in the season we should still win.

Yeah, that was me, think Villa decided to ditch Luna after what our right side did to him in that one:

With Hutton suspended it could well be Lowton as right back and failed Liverpool loan Aly Cissokho on the other side. Could be a good game for Adnan to feature at some point, if not hopefully Young and Valencia are hitting form at the right time and get in some good service for the strikers.

Redcy said:
Honestly would prefer to see us not playing Young as an out and out left back, he will get caught out against the likes of abonglahor.

Agbonlahor usually plays left of the forward 3 which is Valencia's side, will be interesting to see if they swap him and Wiemann around to catch him out as you said.

Rampant-red · Dec 20, 2014

I think today will be a bloody hard fought win. I'd like to see LVG give Falaco a start and At least 70 mins .

RedDevil-85 · Dec 20, 2014

Hope Falcao finally get his start today.

We have not lost at Villa Park since 1995 (not counting that lost league cup game in 99) thats an 18 game run,12 of those games won,6 draws.
That game in 95,we lost 3-1 at Villa Park,after that match Hansen came with his famous "You cant win anything with kids" line.
48 points taken at Villa Park since 1992,its our favorite away ground.

Makes me feel a little more confident before todays game

Hitch · Dec 20, 2014

Just got into Birmingham - as I said in the newbie forum I'll be sitting with the villa fans for this one.

Hope we smash them but please no last minute winners for us - I don't want to involuntarily scram and get my head kicked in.

Jean claude van hire · Dec 20, 2014

Don't know why but I have a rather bad feeling about this today. Everything points to a convincing win but I can't help thinking Villa are going to play out of there skin & cause us some serious problems. I'm reluctantly going for a 2-2 draw with Falcoa bailing us out with a last grasp equaliser.

Jaxa · Dec 20, 2014

Think he might be there today ?

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Anduin · Dec 20, 2014

Hope we go back to four at the back and Carrick, Herrera and Mata in midfield. If Carrick plays in the middle we'll win, it's really as simple as that IMO. He adds stability (no more cutting through as Liverpool and Saints did at times) and is a calming presence and his passing helps us move the ball forward. There is no point in continuing with 3-5-2 against a side as poor as Villa.

De Gea; Rafael, Jones, Evans, Young; Herrera, Carrick, Mata; Rooney; RVP, Falcao.

4-1.

Cantonas Dad · Dec 20, 2014

8 players out for Villa
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30459793

Señor · Dec 20, 2014

We just have to win! I mean we're playing at our second home...

Catt · Dec 20, 2014

While everyone seem so confident I think we're in for a tough game today.

SirAF · Dec 20, 2014

Red Katie said:
While everyone seem so confident I think we're in for a tough game today.

Agreed, every away match in the PL is a tough one.

The Law of Denis · Dec 20, 2014

I wonder if we will see Valencia pushed up into the Feallini role like he was against Everton.

-------------- DDG
--Rafael---Jones---Evans--Young
---------------Carrick
------Valencia---------Herrera----
--------------Mata
------------Rooney-----RVP

I reckon this team would get all three points. Of course we could see Herrera dropped to bring Falcao into the team.

EliotTheRed · Dec 20, 2014

Hmmm, the line up submission just asked me if I was sure I wanted to pick 6 midfielders?

I've gone for Carrick at CB, with Young and Tony V as full backs. Hoping to see Herrera start with a starting berth for Januzaj too.

3-1 win for us today, can't see anyone other than RVP and Rooney score, although I'd love to see Mata's happy face again, maybe he can assist all the goals instead?! Also like to see Falcao get a goal too.

Come on United!

Samrat Mazumdar · Dec 20, 2014

3-1 United, however, we will be shite in the first half

Pexbo · Dec 20, 2014

I was torn between Rafael and Herrera for my lineup but threw caution to the wind and went for Herrera in the hope that LVG smells blood and is going to really go for it.

I think we're going to roll them over by at least 3 goals.

sunama · Dec 20, 2014

Natener said:
United to win 4-0. Rooney, RVP and a Falcao brace. This should be a good game for us.

The guy may only get 25 minutes to play, as he is out of favour (due to injury and fitness).
Why are people so confident that Falcao will score goals in this game?
So far, in all the minutes he has played, he has only scored 1 goal.

Why are people so confident in Falcao's abilities?
He has done nothing of any note for the club so far.
Why is he already a fan's favourite?
Surely he has to do something positive for the club BEFORE he earns this sort of reputation?

Perhaps I am getting my facts wrong - can someone fill me in?

sunama · Dec 20, 2014

The Azzurri said:
Is smalling fit?

Pexbo said:
Down personal opinion really. Not many can pull off a goatee.

ryan cook · Dec 20, 2014

I hope De Gea has the most quiet game possible. In other words, I want united to be in full control of the game for the whole 90 minutes. A real confidence builder performance.

Roosney · Dec 20, 2014

sunama said:
The guy may only get 25 minutes to play, as he is out of favour (due to injury and fitness).
Why are people so confident that Falcao will score goals in this game?
So far, in all the minutes he has played, he has only scored 1 goal.

Why are people so confident in Falcao's abilities?
He has done nothing of any note for the club so far.
Why is he already a fan's favourite?
Surely he has to do something positive for the club BEFORE he earns this sort of reputation?

Perhaps I am getting my facts wrong - can someone fill me in?

That's harsh, did he eat your breakfast?
He has been lively on the pitch, assisted a few and scored the winner against Everton.

Roosney · Dec 20, 2014

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