Manchester United 3:1 Sunderland

Sandikan · Dec 20, 2016

Runner said:
I'm not a fan of Moyes, never was sold on his appointment and his relentless articles slagging us since then haven't helped. However, I don't want this to be some personal grudge match for our players. I want them to focus on executing Jose's plan and getting those 3 points.

Just have to view his whole time here with gallows humour really.

The change from declaring the team "champions" at first, and then gently dropping in that we needed a lot of signings to challenge for the Champions league.
To finally, making out we needed huge surgery to even get top 4!

Sandikan · Dec 20, 2016

LawCharltonBest said:
This is the type of match we've been dropping points in this season. I'll go for a 2-1 to United

You mean a home game? :lol:

Revan · Dec 20, 2016

Martial/Mkhitaryan for Rooney and Blind for Darmian are the only changes I hope we'll make for this match.

I expect a comfortable win. 4-0

Jaybomb · Dec 20, 2016

It would be really typical if Moyes won this and the press started clamouring on with the "He wasn't given enough time!" stories again.

I hope we don't give them that opportunity. It would be embarrassing if Moyes beat us.

ChaddyP · Dec 20, 2016

is this the first time a past Manchester United manager is coming to old Trafford as the visiting teams coach?

AXVnee7 · Dec 20, 2016

Hope Moyes gets a fair, if not warm reception at OT.

The man failed horribly, but he did give his 100% if not even more. Ultimately the job was beyond his ability, but I recognise that he gave everything he had for the club.

Zebs · Dec 21, 2016

ChaddyP said:
is this the first time a past Manchester United manager is coming to old Trafford as the visiting teams coach?

Since Ron Atkinson.

Antisocial · Dec 21, 2016

AXVnee7 said:
Hope Moyes gets a fair, if not warm reception at OT.

I'm sure he will - even during the darkest days of his reign, OT was exceptionally supportive towards him (in sharp contrast to how the Everton fans treated him during that campaign) so I doubt that'll change now.

Hopefully he will have the class to acknowledge that incredible support he had from the fans in the build-up to the game, rather than just bleat about having been badly treated whilst taking the champions to 7th or any of that nonsense.

Adam-Utd · Dec 21, 2016

We need to start fast and absolutely hammer them. If we can get an early goal I can see this being a nice easy victory. The longer we let them survive the more confidence they will gain. No doubt Moyes will have them pumped up.

devilish · Dec 21, 2016

AXVnee7 said:
Hope Moyes gets a fair, if not warm reception at OT.

The man failed horribly, but he did give his 100% if not even more. Ultimately the job was beyond his ability, but I recognise that he gave everything he had for the club.

Seriously?

theyneverlearn · Dec 21, 2016

AXVnee7 said:
Hope Moyes gets a fair, if not warm reception at OT.

The man failed horribly, but he did give his 100% if not even more. Ultimately the job was beyond his ability, but I recognise that he gave everything he had for the club.

Didn't he take a month holiday after accepting the job offer?

If that is your opinion of giving over 100% then you need to adjust your expectations.

Kag · Dec 21, 2016

Antisocial said:
Hopefully he will have the class to acknowledge that incredible support he had from the fans in the build-up to the game, rather than just bleat about having been badly treated whilst taking the champions to 7th or any of that nonsense.

I'd be very surprised. He'll behave like a prat all week.

AXVnee7 · Dec 21, 2016

devilish said:
Seriously?

Yup.

theyneverlearn said:
Didn't he take a month holiday after accepting the job offer?

If that is your opinion of giving over 100% then you need to adjust your expectations.

That was a mistake on his part, but if I remember rightly the contract only started from the 1st July. He should've started earlier, but I very much doubt it was laziness as to why he didn't. Everything that came after I know he gave everything, and the strains and stress were quite literally visible on his face. Bit weird to only look at what happened before he took the job though.

theyneverlearn · Dec 21, 2016

AXVnee7 said:
That was a mistake on his part, but if I remember rightly the contract only started from the 1st July. He should've started earlier, but I very much doubt it was laziness as to why he didn't. Everything that came after I know he gave everything, and the strains and stress were quite literally visible on his face. Bit weird to only look at what happened before he took the job though.

I understand he may have given his all during the season; but he really should have put the hard work in as soon as he signed.

If he had done, then the season may not have been a disaster. He clearly had no clue what to do in regards to personnel at the club and who is a viable target to buy. He left it all too late, which tells me he was not prepared.

It was the biggest job in football, which he made even bigger by being unprepared.

AXVnee7 · Dec 21, 2016

theyneverlearn said:
I understand he may have given his all during the season; but he really should have put the hard work in as soon as he signed.

If he had done, then the season may not have been a disaster. He clearly had no clue what to do in regards to personnel at the club and who is a viable target to buy. He left it all too late, which tells me he was not prepared.

It was the biggest job in football, which he made even bigger by being unprepared.

Perhaps but I think he was more so naïve and complacent thinking the squad was good enough to take over with little changes. Which many others would've agreed should at least be getting top 4. When you consider that the previous year that team walked the title with many points to spare, I can understand why someone coming into the club at that stage might think the squad doesn't need many changes and it's a case of picking up from last season.

I really don't think he knew the exactly how deep the problems with the squad were, and didn't realise till it was too late. It's different from not putting the effort in from the start.

sunama · Dec 21, 2016

Sarni said:
We have a better team, they have a much better (Champions League quality) manager. Should be close.

Kill 'em all · Dec 21, 2016

I'm hoping we can at least get a draw out of this.

Samid · Dec 21, 2016

Kill 'em all said:
I'm hoping we can at least get a draw out of this.

We've got to try and make it difficult for them.

Sied · Dec 21, 2016

Is Mkhitaryan expected to be fit for this?

IBleedRed · Dec 21, 2016

Pexbo said:
Absolutely smash that dour bastards pussy to smithereens. I hope he's sacked after it and is never employed again. Twat.

Getting that mope sacked and never managing in the PL again would be too sweet.
Hope you have your excuses ready, Davey

Leftback99 · Dec 21, 2016

Sied said:
Is Mkhitaryan expected to be fit for this?

No sign of him in today's training pictures.

sunama · Dec 21, 2016

Will Januzaj play against us? Anybody know? Is he allowed to play against MUFC?

Leftback99 · Dec 21, 2016

sunama said:
Will Januzaj play against us? Anybody know? Is he allowed to play against MUFC?

He's not allowed apparently.

Harry190 · Dec 21, 2016

Think this is gonna be a tough one.

PoTMS · Dec 21, 2016

Hoping we smash these. The only position you can really debate about who to play is the wide men on the flanks. The rest of the team pretty much picks itself at the moment. I'd go with two of Rashford, Lingard and Martial, while saving Mkhitaryan and Rooney for Boro on Saturday.

As for Moyes, I think the majority of Old Trafford will be indifferent and apathetic to his return. He'll probably get a few boos from a minority when he walks out the tunnel but overall I don't think anyone cares. The guy was a complete and utter failure but at the end he was completely out of his depth. Not his fault he was chosen for the job. Of course he didn't help himself with some of the stuff he came out with e.g. "we will make it difficult for Newcastle", "we are underdogs against Liverpool at Old Trafford", and the classic "we aspire to be like City".

At the end of the day, he's a (miserable) old bloke who failed massively at his first big job. I can totally understand why some dislike or even hate him but I think the majority have complete and utter apathy for the bloke. It'll actually be quite fitting that Moyes will garner little or no emotion from the crowd at OT 3 years after his disastrous reign. Sums the guy up really.

pocco · Dec 21, 2016

They'll defend deep and in numbers. It'll be the soet of game that has stifled us in the recent past but this isn't the same team now. There are enough weaknesses to exploit. I think Pogba against Denayer will be their main weakness, the guy is so crap that he won't know how to deal with somebody of Pogbas skill level. Jones and Rojo will deal with Defoe and Valencia should handle Anichebe if he plays out wide.

sunama · Dec 22, 2016

Apparently, Defoe is one of the most clinical strikers in the league, so I do expect Sunderland to score 1 goal.
I hope we score 5 or more, though.

PoTMS · Dec 22, 2016

pocco said:
They'll defend deep and in numbers. It'll be the soet of game that has stifled us in the recent past but this isn't the same team now. There are enough weaknesses to exploit. I think Pogba against Denayer will be their main weakness, the guy is so crap that he won't know how to deal with somebody of Pogbas skill level. Jones and Rojo will deal with Defoe and Valencia should handle Anichebe if he plays out wide.

Guess we know whose gonna have a stormer on Monday, then! Pickford, too!

Hed Zitin · Dec 22, 2016

Stinks of jamminess for Moyes this.

Ducklegs · Dec 22, 2016

Lets not be silly here, we are going to fecking smash them.

They are dog shit.

pseudo_canadian · Dec 22, 2016

Ducklegs said:
Lets not be silly here, we are going to fecking smash them.

They are dog shit.

So are Stoke and we fecking tied that useless lot, same with Burnley.

Nothing is ever guaranteed in the Prem.

Carlsen19 · Dec 22, 2016

Ducklegs said:
Lets not be silly here, we are going to fecking smash them.

They are dog shit.

This is what I want to see. We're playing Sunderland at home ffs.

Adam-Utd · Dec 22, 2016

DDG, Blind, Rojo, Jones, Valencia, Mata, Pogba, Herrera, Martial, Rashford, Ibrahimovic

Would like to a fluid, fast paced 4-2-3-1

Freak · Dec 22, 2016

I really want us to smash them so badly. I mean Sunderland in itself is an annoying football club, but when you add David Moyes into the equation. They deserve a smacking.

top1whoisman · Dec 23, 2016

John O’Shea has admitted he has huge regrets over his decision to leave Manchester United in 2011, even though he still had a year left on his contract with the Old Trafford club.

Republic of Ireland defender O’Shea won give Premier League title and the Champions League during his 12-year stint at United, before he accepted an offer to move to Sunderland.

Now O’Shea has confessed he wishes he had extended his stay at United by at least one more year, as he swapped the challenge of winning major trophies for a succession of battles against relegation during his time with Sunderland.

O’Shea will make a return to Old Trafford on St Stephen’s Day as Sunderland take on in-form United and he has opened up on his decision to walk away from the club where he made his name.

“Should I have stayed at United longer? Yes. I have thought that a few times,” stated O’Shea.

“I had a year left on my contract and we always said over the years that I could leave if the manager thought I wasn’t going to get enough football to keep me happy.

“At the time I thought I was going to guarantee myself a lot more football if I went away from United, but it wasn’t an easy decision, that’s for sure.”

O’Shea is relishing the chance to return to Old Trafford and at the age of 35, he is aiming to ensure he has a few more outings at the Theatre of Dreams before he hangs up his boots.

“I hope it won’t be my last trip there,” he added. “I’m fit and well and want to play on. Thankfully throughout my career I’ve rarely had to have a long spell out or had major operations.

“I’m looking to play as long as possible. I was fairly confident when I left United that I would still be playing now because of the way I have looked after myself and done the right things through my career.”

Dumbstar · Dec 23, 2016

Leftback99 said:
He's not allowed apparently.

Thank God for that. Moyeschester will be treating this as a personal vendetta, not sure if he can make his players play like it though. All we need from you is to Traveller the feck out of them please as we have to play them in under 48 hours after City. I'd prefer they if they were all out of juice against our U-21s.

top1whoisman · Dec 23, 2016

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top1whoisman · Dec 23, 2016

Wonder is he's given one interview, even post-match at Sunderland, without mumbling those words.

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RedMaestro · Dec 23, 2016

Sied said:
Is Mkhitaryan expected to be fit for this?

I believe Mourinho mentioned that everyone but Shaw will be available for the game. Whether or not he will use him is another question.

I would assume that he would be a sub and will play if it's needed. Maybe also if there's going to be a 3 or 4 goal lead then Mourinho could use Mkhi to let him get a "slow start" which would make him ready for the starting XI of the next game.

It's important not to burnout and use the players in a smart way - so squad rotation is a key this period. I trust Mourinho to take advantage of these relatively "easy" upcoming games.

Gerald G · Dec 23, 2016

De Gea
Valencia--Jones--Rojo--Blind
Herrera--Carrick--Pogba
Mkhitaryan--Ibrahimovic--Martial

if Mkhi isn't fully fit then just put him on the bench and have him 100% for the Middlesbrough game. If we play a team like that and can't win then I would be absolutely fuming.

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