Antony will start, Eriksen I'll be surprised if he starts and I have a sneaky feeling we'll see Weghorst in to try and disrupt their easy passing out from the backHave a feeling we might see Bruno on the wing again which will send fans into a meltdown but the tricky part for EtH is to strike a balance between being solid, having aggression and energy, and also carrying a counter-attacking, pacy threat with players that can pick that pass.
DDG
AWB Varane Lindelof Shaw
Casemiro Fred Eriksen
Bruno Martial Rashford
Garnacho and Antony might have a big part to play from the bench. Sancho to score the winner against his old club
FA Cup Final: United v City
- Thread starter PoTMS
- Start date
Before they are gagged, tied, and bundled off into a van to never to be seen again - Stick Harry and Jones up top for the first half as they clumsily injure half the city team and bring on the big guns to finish them off in the 2nd half.
Feels like 1977 again.
If Weghorst starts, we should just hand them the trophy right away.
Ten Hag has lost his mind if he puts Weghorst in.
This City team is different level to that scouse one
It’s football the game is so popular because teams defy the odds, you miserable *****!
The last part is a joke, I hope you see that.
The last part is a joke, I hope you see that.
It might depend on who's fit, chances of Martial being fit are slim given his track record, this is not a game to start Garnacho, he'll need to do a fair bit of defensive work which is a lot to ask of him, Rashford as a 9 would be hopeless, he's not to hot at holding the ball up and we're gonna need that in this game, Weghorst will be the only one left unless we play McT as CF!
For all the criticism he gets Antony is making far more of a case to start than Eriksen. I just wonder though if Eriksen starts for that little bit more creativity in the team.
Don't see it myself but you never know, I think we all know we're going to be chasing shadows most of the game and Eriksen doesn't have the legs for that, maybe ETH will surprise us and go 4-5-1, to win this I think we need to surprise them with something they weren't expecting
Yeah starting Eriksen against that City midfield is just asking for trouble from the start
We need to get them out of their comfort zone, at the top end of the pitch we only really have Weghorst to do that, he's never gonna score but he'll do his best to disrupt them, and it'll be his last game at United, he'll be desperate to have an impact
Fred must start
He will but we'll await with bated breath as to which version turns up!
That scouse one won the European cup in 1977 ( their first time to win that cup) won it again in 1978 and won the UEFA cup in 1976 and back to back league titles so I can totally understand the comparisons from the 1977 FA Cup final the upcoming one in June.
I had confidence we would beat them at Old Trafford when we end up won 2-1 because I could see some flaw in their game at that time, but not this time. They have gotten better and much more solid in the last few months. If anything we have gotten worse because Rashford is not as top form as at that time, Casemiro's performance has been dropped, Martinez is injured, and Eriksen's fitness seem to get worse since his months of injuries. Well, our players really need to be up for it and act like this is their last game of their life. Let's just hope since this is going to be our last game while it won't be City's last game of the season, means our players might show more intensity to be up for it while City players might have something in their mind that they don't want to miss the UCL final due to injuries.
Really wish I could make any case
Pep's set up probably going to be like this:
On attacking transition:
On defensive transition may be we should be overloading their deep midfield (Stones and Rodri) and man marking their advanced midfield and attackers:
This will block the passing lane for City back four (including Ederson). And if Walker or Akanji decided to make run into space, one of Rashford or Antony has to follow.
Lindelof and Varane needs to be up for it when playing against Haaland and has to even conceded tactical foul if necessary, because I remember KDB goal vs Arsenal came from Haaland hold up play with Holding was being too weak. One mark Haaland, while the other one has to watch the space, they have to communicate well when they have to interchange the task.
Offensively, since City will play 442 in defensive transition, I think we need to have three players in defense to offload KDB and Haaland pressing our defense then have AWB and Casemiro as the decoy to pull Gundogan and Rodri out from their zone, which hopefully open more space for Fred, Bruno and Antony behind them. That means Shaw, Lindelof, and Varane really need to be very good in playing those passing that penetrate through the line. Martinez is very good at this so I would be more confident we can pull such a passing if he's not injured. After the ball went to Fred, Bruno and Antony they have to link it to Rashford and Martial and let them do their things and wish for the best that Rashford will turn into prime Mbappe while Martial knows how to dribble again.
On attacking transition:
Ederson
Walker - Dias - Akanji
Stones -- Rodri
Mahrez/Silva - De Bruyne - Gundogan - Grealish
Haaland
On Defensive transition:Walker - Dias - Akanji
Stones -- Rodri
Mahrez/Silva - De Bruyne - Gundogan - Grealish
Haaland
Ederson
Walker - Stones - Dias - Akanji
Mahrez/Silva - Gundogan - Rodri - Grealish
KDB - Haaland
Our set up to counter these should be:Walker - Stones - Dias - Akanji
Mahrez/Silva - Gundogan - Rodri - Grealish
KDB - Haaland
On defensive transition may be we should be overloading their deep midfield (Stones and Rodri) and man marking their advanced midfield and attackers:
This will block the passing lane for City back four (including Ederson). And if Walker or Akanji decided to make run into space, one of Rashford or Antony has to follow.
Lindelof and Varane needs to be up for it when playing against Haaland and has to even conceded tactical foul if necessary, because I remember KDB goal vs Arsenal came from Haaland hold up play with Holding was being too weak. One mark Haaland, while the other one has to watch the space, they have to communicate well when they have to interchange the task.
Ederson
Walker - Dias - Akanji
(Martial)
Stones -- Rodri
(Rashford) (Bruno) (Antony)
Mahrez/Silva (Shaw) - De Bruyne (Fred) - Gundogan (Casemiro) - Grealish (AWB)
Haaland
(Lindelof/Varane)
Walker - Dias - Akanji
(Martial)
Stones -- Rodri
(Rashford) (Bruno) (Antony)
Mahrez/Silva (Shaw) - De Bruyne (Fred) - Gundogan (Casemiro) - Grealish (AWB)
Haaland
(Lindelof/Varane)
Offensively, since City will play 442 in defensive transition, I think we need to have three players in defense to offload KDB and Haaland pressing our defense then have AWB and Casemiro as the decoy to pull Gundogan and Rodri out from their zone, which hopefully open more space for Fred, Bruno and Antony behind them. That means Shaw, Lindelof, and Varane really need to be very good in playing those passing that penetrate through the line. Martinez is very good at this so I would be more confident we can pull such a passing if he's not injured. After the ball went to Fred, Bruno and Antony they have to link it to Rashford and Martial and let them do their things and wish for the best that Rashford will turn into prime Mbappe while Martial knows how to dribble again.
Ederson
Walker - Stones - Dias - Akanji
Rashford ------------- Martial
Fred - Bruno - Antony
Mahrez/Silva - Gundogan - Rodri - Grealish
Casemiro - AWB
KDB - Haaland
Shaw - Lindelof - Varane
Honestly, the offensive transition above sounds like trash and I don't think it will work because we don't Martinez and Martial is no longer good to dribble the ball and City defensively right now are too solid and compact. Only quick counter with pace can expose City's defense. I would like to start Garnacho, but I feel like may be it's too big pressure to ask him playing against fresh leg Walker. Probably better bring him on as sub against tired legs.Walker - Stones - Dias - Akanji
Rashford ------------- Martial
Fred - Bruno - Antony
Mahrez/Silva - Gundogan - Rodri - Grealish
Casemiro - AWB
KDB - Haaland
Shaw - Lindelof - Varane
Yes? And he'll be paired with Either Maguire or Shaw (if Shaw, it means Malacia at left back)
Basically we're without one of our better players this year.
City are going to win the treble aren’t they
I’m worried that Rashford will play despite not being fully fit or even carrying his injury. We’ve seen what happens in such scenarios, he becomes invisible.
Is this before or after the CL final?
For the sake of humanity, let's hope you're right. All our hope now rests with one small child.
Park the fecking bus and hope the Gods are with us. Tell them "What we do in life, Echos in eternity, FRREEEDOMM"
Not looking forward to it one bit....could be a horror show. On the plus side if they complete the treble maybe Pepe will feck off to his next project.
Not looking forward to it one bit....could be a horror show. On the plus side if they complete the treble maybe Pepe will feck off to his next project.
"My Weghorst must always play!" - he's nailed on to start.
Required reading for the squad:
He really isn't.
Week before CL final.
They get a week between their finals? We only had 4 days in 99! Their treble is tainted even further.
there is no shame in losing to what probably is the best sporting team in the world right now as much as it pains me to say it (if you ignore their oil money)
Actually a really good job we're out of the EL - that final would have been 3 days before this one.
In the world in all of sports?
And yes if you ignore the oil money and cooking the books.
What a strange post that is.
Well, since the odds are hugely in their favor...
If they do win or even thrash us, at least we kind of knew it was coming.
Whatever the result may turn out to be,
I suspect it would hurt less than Barcelona 2009 when many of us really thought we had a good chance,
and they wiped the floor with us from the 10th minute.
If they do win or even thrash us, at least we kind of knew it was coming.
Whatever the result may turn out to be,
I suspect it would hurt less than Barcelona 2009 when many of us really thought we had a good chance,
and they wiped the floor with us from the 10th minute.
We will be massively fired up for this one. Hopefully we will bring our cajones on to the pitch and kick them about a bit. I can smell an upset.
Well he's already back in training - and to be fair he looked like one of our better players in the first half vs. either Brighton or West Ham (can't remember which).
I think its just knocks at the moment - I don't think he's carrying anything major like he was with his back/shoulder under Ole.
I am at peace with this simply by betting that City will win both their finals by over 4.5 clear goals, at least I will pocket a ton of cash. I also potentially have tickets to a club Wembley box again (after watching the semi final against Brighton in the same ‘lucky’ box) so I will also be absolutely hammered as I was during the penalty shootout and will be way too merry to care.
After watching City 'annihilate' Real Madrid last night, I think ETH has to forget all thoughts of trying to play 'mind games' with Pep, we need a 'seek and destroy mission', set up.
City players will 'float' and change their setup in order to keep the pitch as wide as possible, that's was Pep's basic plan when we lost to Barcelona at Wembley in the CL final and although overall playing styles have change, the 'golden rule' for Pep is whatever else goes on, 'stretch the pitch', he has always two wide fullbacks and two wide wingers, which forms a sort of box shape and everyone else floats and moves within that box, the difference will be the wingers can become full backs and the full backs can move in field. what is different is the Harland/KDB connection, which can be devastating.
I would start with a 5 -3-2, formation effectively three CB's, two wide fullbacks that can turn into wingers, a three man midfield, that can play close together or spread out when necessary, with two up front, provisionally running the channels.
The aim simply to as effectively as possible disrupt City's playing style(s) and have two speed merchants up top looking to run in behind or between the lines and through the channels, get Cas on the ball whenever possible spaying passes forward, most will be 'Hail Mary' attempts. If the two front men are doing anything like their job they will need at least one replacement at halftime and the other on the hour.
If all that fails, in the last half hour 'get stuck in' and have them wondering can they make it to the end. They still have a another final to win!!
City players will 'float' and change their setup in order to keep the pitch as wide as possible, that's was Pep's basic plan when we lost to Barcelona at Wembley in the CL final and although overall playing styles have change, the 'golden rule' for Pep is whatever else goes on, 'stretch the pitch', he has always two wide fullbacks and two wide wingers, which forms a sort of box shape and everyone else floats and moves within that box, the difference will be the wingers can become full backs and the full backs can move in field. what is different is the Harland/KDB connection, which can be devastating.
I would start with a 5 -3-2, formation effectively three CB's, two wide fullbacks that can turn into wingers, a three man midfield, that can play close together or spread out when necessary, with two up front, provisionally running the channels.
The aim simply to as effectively as possible disrupt City's playing style(s) and have two speed merchants up top looking to run in behind or between the lines and through the channels, get Cas on the ball whenever possible spaying passes forward, most will be 'Hail Mary' attempts. If the two front men are doing anything like their job they will need at least one replacement at halftime and the other on the hour.
If all that fails, in the last half hour 'get stuck in' and have them wondering can they make it to the end. They still have a another final to win!!
I have never seen this team fired up. Don't think they have it in them yet. Maybe in the future EtH might instill some fire, but at the moment we just roll over when the going gets tough.
You have never seen this team fired up? Go support someone else, we don‘t need such a loser mentality among our supporters.
I haven’t been this resigned to losing since the 2011 CL final. If we get top 4 we’ve had a great season though. This would just be a potential major bonus but it’s very unlikely. City are on a different planet.