[Insanity]

Whatever the line-up, you know that the blowhard's killers are going to murder the philosophy man's lambs. I mean, Chelsea doesn't deserve to win the title if they don't put 3 or 4 against our clown college bozos. Rojo and Jones are a pathetic central defensive pairing. Pathetic! Nothing more than back-up's for a top team.

I hope Carrick gets 45 minutes for the reserves on Friday and then is somehow available to start on Sunday (although deep inside I know that it isn't going to make an iota of difference). Blind is good only when the opposition gives him space to operate, otherwise he has been found wanting in each and every game he has started (subtract QPR).

Mata and VP should adorn the bench. I would still go with 4141 in Rooney's absense. We need Fellaini to provide another option, not going to beat Chelsea out passing them. Time to accept the fact that we are not a team (yet) and go as massive underdogs against any top team.

De Gea
Rafael Jones Rojo Shaw
Carrick
Valencia Fellani Herrera Di Maria
Falcao​

United 1 - Chelsea 3

PS: I know it's the next morning and I am probably being overly negative. How can I not be though. If Moyes called that our best performance of the season, we would asking him to be brought to the town square to be stoned to death (metephorical, managerial death). I am losing faith in Louie and his "philosophy" with each passing day. He calls every team a long ball team and it's us who hoof the ball more than the opposition. Both Rojo and Jones were guilty of it last night, and I thought Vidic and Rio were bad; at least they could defend.

Bring me that tactically weak Fergie over this modern football philospher anyday.

 

[Hemil]

Because he might be unfit.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...y-could-rule-striker-out-for-three-weeks.html

Costa will start for sure. Jose has been saving him for this game only considering the next 2 games are Shrewsbury and QPR.

 

[Exxxcalibur]

Because he might be unfit.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...y-could-rule-striker-out-for-three-weeks.html

I think he was referring to Hazard. Also, as for Costa, I'm sure he will be ready for this one. Absolutely.

 

[Hemil]

I think he was referring to Hazard. Also, as for Costa, I'm sure he will be ready for this one. Absolutely.

Yup. even Hazard and ramires are missing from the line-up considering Chelsea will play 4-3-3 to outnumber utd in midfield.

 

[Feed Me]

Mourinho teams don't generally mete out hammerings in big games, they'll just dominate us and win comfortably - 2-0. If we're lucky and he's ultra-conservative, we may get a draw. Our humiliation will be the following week against City.

We'll be sat on 12/13 points from 10 games.

Philosophy.

 

[RedDevil@84]

Costa will play for sure. Jose is no fool to keep him out this weekend and mid-week. Cesc and Costa and Hazard.. We will have a handful to say the least.
Given Jose's defensive plans in away matches against big teams, I would think they will win it 0-2 to 1-3. They will hit on counter and defend with 7 or 8 players in the box always. We will play decently, but will not be able to score through so many players.

Get ready for loads of yellow cards. Costa to get knocked by Fellaini and Costa to play act every now and then.

 

[ryan cook]

Watch us keep a clean sheet against Chelsea after the flack our defence is getting. One can only hope

 

[LittleP14]

Going to this. I was up for it massively before last night but i'll probably have my head in my hands for the most of it.

Games after an international break are always a bit wierd. None of the big teams played really well the weekend just gone. Chelsea were poor, Liverpool were no existant, Arsenal were just Arsenal and City got the rub if the green hugely with decisions.

Hopefully Herrera will be fitter, and Falcao will start. Really have no idea whats happened to RVP, my mind boggles.

Shaw for me next week will be the key as to whether we get smashed. He's really going to have to be aware of his positioning.

 

[Chaky_Best]

1-3

---------------------------------De Gea-----------------------------------
Rafael--------------------Jones-------Smalling---------------------Rojo
----------------------------------Blind------------------------------------
-------------------------Herrera-------Di Maria--------------------------
---------------------------------Fellaini-----------------------------------
---------------------------RVP---------Falcao----------------------------

 

[Insanity]

1-3

---------------------------------De Gea-----------------------------------
Rafael--------------------Jones-------Smalling---------------------Rojo
----------------------------------Blind------------------------------------
-------------------------Herrera-------Di Maria--------------------------
---------------------------------Fellaini-----------------------------------
---------------------------RVP---------Falcao----------------------------

I believe it would be dangerous to go narrow against Chelsea's threat from the wide areas. 2 against 1; Ivanovic+Willian against Shaw or Hazard+Luis against Rafael, would be asking for trouble. Also, Blind and our central defense isn't adept enough to deal with the threat that Oscar/Cesc/Costa would pose down the middle if Herrera and Di Maria drift wide to help out. Us playing two strikers would be an overkill. 3 midfielders+2 wide men should be better, imo.

We need to be suspect in this game. Pragmatism should take precedence over philosophy.

 

[PvsNP]

Mourinho's teams usually sit back in big matches away from home, so I don't get why people think they're going to demolish us. They will play us exactly how they played City - score a goal and park the bus. If they concede at that point, fine, they'll get a draw. I really can't see us losing this one, even with our current defence. We'll either draw this one or get a narrow win. I'm more worried about the City game next week.

 

[Chaky_Best]

I believe it would be dangerous to go narrow against Chelsea's threat from the wide areas. 2 against 1; Ivanovic+Willian against Shaw or Hazard+Luis against Rafael, would be asking for trouble. Also, Blind and our central defense isn't adept enough to deal with the threat that Oscar/Cesc/Costa would pose down the middle if Herrera and Di Maria drift wide to help out.

We need to be suspect in this game. Pragmatism should take precedence over philosophy.

I'm ok with you.

The problem is that we can't play Adnan or Mata after their poor performance yesterday. It means that we need to have Angel is the heart to add a bit of creativity. So who can play in the wing ? I would like to see Valencia playing there with 3 men in midfield but he's injured too

 

[Exxxcalibur]

Mourinho's teams usually sit back in big matches away from home, so I don't get why people think they're going to demolish us. They will play us exactly how they played City - score a goal and park the bus. If they concede at that point, fine, they'll get a draw. I really can't see us losing this one, even with our current defence. We'll either draw this one or get a narrow win. I'm more worried about the City game next week.

Considering how mediocre the Man United defense is and (I'm sorry) the difference in quality between City and Man United, even if Chelsea sit back, they can still score 2,3,4 goals vs that back line.

 

[baggio]

I think we will nick this. We are not THAT bad, and Chelsea are not THAT good. They just have momentum, their new wondersignings and that unbeatable (hello Wenger) Mourinho tactic.
Id say we are on a decent run too, our last 5-6 games we have been the better side and deserved the win imo. We are just very mentally weak, and our defense is a mess under pressure, doesn't help that the likes of Leicester and WBA converts 100% of their shots on target, and we get no help whatsoever by the refs.

The only players that truly deserves a start is Blind, di Maria, Falcao and de Gea.
Id like to see Fellaini(!) and Valencia(!!) to add some steal and elbows also. RvP seems undroppable, and he will play this one, and rightly so. He seems sluggish and have missed a lot of sitters (by his standards), but if he doesn't get isolated and the midfield continues to feed him balls, he will come good again, and more importantly he knows how, and it suits his style, to play Terry and Cahill.

de Gea

Rafael - Rojo - Jones - Shaw

Valencia - Blind - Fellaini - di Maria

Rvp - Falcao

Maybe put Herrera in there somewhere and one of the strikers as an option from the bench, but i can't see LvG change system or drop RvP. Though maybe 3-5-2 Holland-style with Jones, Smalling, Rojo as the back three, and di Maria in Robbens position and Mata in the Sneijder role would surprise Mourinho and get us a result.

Anyways, 2-1 United.

 

[Insanity]

I'm ok with you.

The problem is that we can't play Adnan or Mata after their poor performance yesterday. It means that we need to have Angel is the heart to add a bit of creativity. So who can play in the wing ? I would like to see Valencia playing there with 3 men in midfield but he's injured too

Isn't Valencia supposed to be back for the game? We would need him to help Rafael out, or Hazard will have a field day on our right side.

I would still go with 4141 in the absence of Valencia, will start Young on the right. The trio of Carrick, Fellaini and Herrera should form a decent enough midfield. Carrick provides defensive positioning and passing; Herrera gives us work rate and a bit of creativity; Fellaini - physical presence, option B and defensive help from set-pieces and corners.

 

[PvsNP]

Considering how mediocre the Man United defense is and (I'm sorry) the difference in quality between City and Man United, even if Chelsea sit back, they can still score 2,3,4 goals vs that back line.

Unless we step up our game. This will be our first big match under LvG. When we had Moyes, we used to beat small sides like WBA away from home, but we never had a real chance in the big games. Let's see if that will change now.

 

[Insanity]

Unless we step up our game. This will be our first big match under LvG. When we had Moyes, we used to beat small sides like WBA away from home, but we never had a real chance in the big games. Let's see if that will change now.

On the evidence so far, there has been nothing to suggest that it is going to change anytime soon.

Sooner or later we'll need to win a big game to turn this shit around and start believining in ourselves. This game might be too soon for that.

 

[BW.k]

tactically weak Fergie .

What?

 

[Juansar_07]

Man Utd is gonna get raped by chelsea, and man city.. be prepared with tissues

Easy mate.There's no place for offensive term like 'rape'.

Anyhow I'm expecting an upset in one of the next two games.We have become a team who can easily score at least 2 goals each game.But,the concern is can we stop any team from scoring more than 1.

 

[1905]

It will be a close game like it usually is with United, maybe a goal either way deciding it.

Interested to see who you lot play in the central advanced areas. RvP looks a bit lost at the moment but has always been a bit of a pain for us, and it was interesting seeing Fellaini yesterday in a more advanced role because when Swansea came to the Bridge, Gomis held up virtually everything when Swansea played it long to him, Cahill/JT tried to get close but he was too strong, and it left a lot of gaps for their other players. Fellaini can potentially do the same.

 

[PvsNP]

On the evidence so far, there has been nothing to suggest that it is going to change anytime soon.

Sooner or later we'll need to win a big game to turn this shit around and start believining in ourselves. This game might be too soon for that.

Our gradual improvement in performance is what I find comforting. Also, we have a manager who has more than enough experience when it comes dealing with big games.

 

[baggio]

What?

Maybe hash, and wrongly worded, but I know where he's coming from. The "lets do it my way, instead of playing cynical" agains top teams. SAF even admitted it in his book, in our 2 CL finals agains Barca, he tried to play his game apparently , instead of a more negative way that might have given us bigger chance of winning. (Not that i noticed, though we where outplayed 4x45 tbh).

 

[Rednotdead]

Our gradual improvement in performance is what I find comforting. Also, we have a manager who has more than enough experience when it comes dealing with big games.

We may be improving in an attacking sense, but we haven't improved one iota defensively since the opening day of the league. The same mistakes are being repeated over and over again.

 

[Mali_Zeus]

PS: I know it's the next morning and I am probably being overly negative. How can I not be though. If Moyes called that our best performance of the season, we would asking him to be brought to the town square to be stoned to death (metephorical, managerial death). I am losing faith in Louie and his "philosophy" with each passing day. He calls every team a long ball team and it's us who hoof the ball more than the opposition. Both Rojo and Jones were guilty of it last night, and I thought Vidic and Rio were bad; at least they could defend.

Bring me that tactically weak Fergie over this modern football philospher anyday.

My god...

 

[Rory 7]

I think we'll win. 2-0.

Screw the rest of ye on here.

 

[U99ted]

Go 1-0 up then park the bus please. Any 3 points will do. None of this nonsense where we allow our defence to be too open and allow the likes of West Brom and Leicester to run straight through.

 

[Ronnie O'Sullivan]

We will lose this 0-5, Costa Hat-trick and Jones OG x 2

 

[Mali_Zeus]

We'll loose 0-14.

Jones OG X5, Rojo OG X1, Costa with 5 goals and Cesc with a hattrick........


Some of the posts here are embarassing.

Sure, its extremely unlikely we'll get a point, let alone a win, but people expecting a big hammering and a cricket score is just ridiculous.

 

[Taher Shah]

I think Di Maria should go back to CM .


I also think Rojo is going to have a nightmare match

 

[Insanity]

My god...

Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!

How dare did someone question the mighty Van Gaal in his wonderland. Burn insanity for stating the truth! Burn him, the Blasphemous! Insanity! Madness!

PS: Why don't you come up with a decent retort, instead being overly melodramatic? Let's forget the game of one-upmanship for a while and discuss the facts like we should.

 

[Jonno]

1-3

 

[Insanity]

Our gradual improvement in performance is what I find comforting. Also, we have a manager who has more than enough experience when it comes dealing with big games.

The gradual improvement has been basically Di Maria instilling pace and uncertainity that we have been missing for a while. The performance from the defense and the midfield has not seen any improvement.

I have been reading posts since this morning (it's Diwali, feck work) and the assertion is that they only scored from two chances and failed to create much besides that. Even in the Fulham crossing extravaganza last season they scored from two chances and failed to create any chances.

We have been a possesion team under Fergie, and to a certain extent under Moysie too. Where is this improvement? I can bet the possesion numbers under this kind of opposition aren't any different than the last 2-3 seasons. Also, our slowness and inability to create much from the possesion would be similar too.

 

[Mali_Zeus]

Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!

How dare did someone question the mighty Van Gaal in his wonderland. Burn insanity for stating the truth! Burn him, the Blasphemous! Insanity! Madness!

PS: Why don't you come up with a decent retort, instead being overly melodramatic? Let's forget the game of one-upmanship for a while and discuss the facts like we should.

I will come up with decent retort after you calm down a bit.

Melodramatic? That you are sir.
Or madame by the look of your posts?

 

[Parma Dewol]

Can't wait for this game. I'm of the opinion we need a proper test against a top side. Expecting all the players to be up for this one.

That said, it's a massive test considering Chelsea's current form.

 

[vibe]

We'll loose 0-14.

Jones OG X5, Rojo OG X1, Costa with 5 goals and Cesc with a hattrick........


Some of the posts here are embarassing.

Sure, its extremely unlikely we'll get a point, let alone a win, but people expecting a big hammering and a cricket score is just ridiculous.

Why? Chelsea have the best attack in the league, we have the worst defence in the top 10. I mean I can see why you'd scoff at 0-10 predictions, but a 1-6 or something similar is scarily plausible.

Call it knee jerk or whatever makes you feel better. I'm just looking at the facts here.
We have no chance to even be in this one.

 

[Mali_Zeus]

Why? Chelsea have the best attack in the league, we have the worst defence in the top 10. I mean I can see why you'd scoff at 0-10 predictions, but a 1-6 or something similar is scarily plausible.

Call it knee jerk or whatever you like, I'm just looking at the facts here.

Football is a funny old game and it doesnt alway works like that, best attack vs worst defense and it's 6 or 7-0..
It usually doesnt work like that.

Sure it could happen but I dont see it.

We'll probably loose unfortunately but it wont be by that big of a margin.

Although with people being this pessimistic and depressed I wouldnt be surprised if we surprise everyone and play a good game, maybe nicking a point somehow.

 

[red_hatz]

O

The gradual improvement has been basically Di Maria instilling pace and uncertainity that we have been missing for a while. The performance from the defense and the midfield has not seen any improvement.

I have been reading posts since this morning (it's Diwali, feck work) and the assertion is that they only scored from two chances and failed to create much besides that. Even in the Fulham crossing extravaganza last season they scored from two chances and failed to create any chances.

We have been a possesion team under Fergie, and to a certain extent under Moysie too. Where is this improvement? I can bet the possesion numbers under this kind of opposition aren't any different than the last 2-3 seasons. Also, our slowness and inability to create much from the possesion would be similar too.

Our possession stats are higher under Van Gaal than with Moyes last season. Also if you can't see the significant improvement in our midfield over last season even despite Di Maria then god knows what you've been watching. The amount of goals we've scored from midfield! The problem is of course the defence. Both goals conceeded yesterday were on the counter and were individual mistakes from defenders. Other than that we controlled the game for large periods.

 

[vibe]

Football is a funny old game and it doesnt alway works like that, best attack vs worst defense and it's 6 or 7-0..
It usually doesnt work like that.

Sure it could happen but I dont see it.

We'll probably loose unfortunately but it wont be by that big of a margin.

Although with people being this pessimistic and depressed I wouldnt be surprised if we surprise everyone and play a good game, maybe nicking a point somehow.

Football doesn't work any way, mate. So for me to say that we'll get battered 0-7 is exactly as ridiculous as you saying we will, absolutely and by no circumstance get battered. We can't predict the future, especially in a game so unpredictable. Both of our guesses are equally as arbitrary.

All we have to go by is assumptions. And I'm just saying us getting our backsides handed to us on a blue platter with a little lion engraved on it is the most logical outcome. That doesn't mean it HAS to and WILL happen, just that it makes the most sense.

 

[BenRobbins]

2-0 Chelski

 

[MJJ]

We'll loose 0-14.

Jones OG X5, Rojo OG X1, Costa with 5 goals and Cesc with a hattrick........


Some of the posts here are embarassing.

Sure, its extremely unlikely we'll get a point, let alone a win, but people expecting a big hammering and a cricket score is just ridiculous.

5-0 is a cricket score?