We really miss Fletcher and Park at their peak for this sort of game. 2 years ago, both would have been the first couple of names on the team sheet for a game like this and the side would have been built around them and Rooney.
Chavs front 4 of Mata, Oscar, Hazard & Torres have so much speed, versatility and skill and whom have all got off to fliers this season and so oozing confidence. Its very much like when we had that front 4 of Giggs, Tevez, Ronaldo, Rooney in 07/08.
I just cant get my head around how you organise a team to cope with such a potent attack, without the Fletcher/Park type player available, it gives me a headache trying to work out suitable permeation. Normally, I'd say lets fight attack with attack and we have the personnel this year for such an approach but our defence is just too unpredictable for that so far this season.
Assuming SAF is concerned about his ability to trust the defence (he has to given our record so far this year!!), I'd go for
-----------------DDG
--Rafael Evans, Ferdinand, Evra
---Anderson*, Carrick, Scholes. . .* Prefer Fletcher but don't know if he ready for such a demanding game yet
--------Valencia Rooney
----------------RVP
We take a contained and defensive type approach, much like Mourinho's Chavski would do. Its physical, we harry and press to deny Mata/Oscar/Hazard space through a zonal marking approach with Rooney and Valencia playing predominately in a midfield 5 and only go forward on the counter attack.
RVP has a long and lonely afternoon, works like a battle-ram much like RVN or Mark Hughes used to do and we get a win via a masterclass in containment and score on the counter attack.
I'd happily take a draw ... losing is simply not an option as a 7 point gap so soon in the season is a moral booster that could keep the Chavs top all season.