[Flying_Heckfish]

City playing anything other than 4-4-2? United not being able to hold onto the ball? Yaya being up for it?

 

[Annihilate Now!]

I can definitely see this being a game that Yaya is arsed about. Shouldn't affect our passing rhythm though.

 

[MUFCgal]

De Gea

Valencia
Smalling
Jones
Blind

Carrick
Herrera
Fellaini

Mata
Rooney
Young

 

[JB7]

Going to be heading to this from Liverpool on Sunday. First time I've come from that way on a matchday. Anyone be able to let me know how bad the traffic is likely to be on the M62 & M602?

 

[Barca84]

All this talk of Toure? He's a shadow of the player he was last year and if anything now looks to be a weakness you can exploit. On his day he can dominate a game but the title is gone, he's half out the door, and this being a derby will mean feck all to him.

Talking of exploiting weaknesses I want to see Kompany put under some serious pressure. He also knows he's entering the endgame with City and he's cutting a pretty desperate figure of late. ADM relentlessly having a go at him could be pretty productive.

 

[vibe]

Chelsea are clear of us in the table. But City? They are below us in the league? Am I reading the table wrong?
Anything less than 3 points against City will be a huge disappointment. We are better than them.

To be fair, I did make that post prior to the Palace match, which was City's rock bottom this season.

But I still think that if we get a point out of this, we should be happy. They historically up their game against us.

 

[Heardy]

Clattenburg confirmed as the ref.

 

[Chaky_Best]

Touré is still world class when he decides, and when he’s free from defensive duties. He’s been awful when he chased shadowed as he’s maybe less fit than last year, but still, he’s one of the best player in the PL, and it would be a HUGE mistake thinking that we have everything to be safe against him, Silva and Aguero, knowing that during the last 3 or 4 years, they broke us completely during games.

So be careful, Aguero is not Sturridge, Touré is not Henderson, and Silva is above Lallana and Coutinho, this would be a tough tough game, so we’ll have to raise our game

Anyway, I would like to think that Fellaini is in good form, enough we say, to compete with Touré’s physicality, and maybe that the likes of Kompany and Demichelis would be less inspired as usual and Wayne much better to break them.

-----------------------------------------De Gea----------------------------------------
Valencia----------------------Smalling------Jones-----------------------------Blind
-----------------------------------------Carrick----------------------------------------
Mata-------------------------Herrera--------Fellaini------------------------Di Maria
-----------------------------------------Rooney----------------------------------------


-----------------------------------------Aguero----------------------------------------
Milner---------------------------------Silva--------------------------------------Navas
-------------------------------Touré-----------Fernandinho----------------------------
Clichy----------------------Demichelis-------Kompany-----------------------Zabaleta
------------------------------------------Hart-------------------------------------------

 

[rotherham_red]

I'll be honest, as much as Ronetta is winding us up, I can see where he/she's coming from. They always turn up for the Derby and treat it like their cup final and we somehow never do. Even when we've won the derbies since the last time they were promoted it's rarely been because we wanted it more, rather it's been because we've either been patently better than them or because they've had an absolute mare.

Just remember how confident many of us felt going into the game at the Etihad in November. City were without Silva, and we came to town on the back of us drawing against Chelsea when many gave us little to no hope; and City were getting outplayed in the lead up to the match by Newcastle and CSKA at home in League Cup and Champions League respectively, and away at West Ham in the league, yet they still beat us easily (outside a good spell for us in the last 10 minutes).

Do I think the same will happen again? Not necessarily, cos City have seemingly lost all of their rhythm and we have found ours, but never bank on them collapsing totally... Especially against us.

 

[Mali_Zeus]

I'll be honest, as much as Ronetta is winding us up, I can see where he/she's coming from. They always turn up for the Derby and treat it like their cup final and we somehow never do. Even when we've won the derbies since the last time they were promoted it's rarely been because we wanted it more, rather it's been because we've either been patently better than them or because they've had an absolute mare.

Just remember how confident many of us felt going into the game at the Etihad in November. City were without Silva, and we came to town on the back of us drawing against Chelsea when many gave us little to no hope; and City were getting outplayed in the lead up to the match by Newcastle and CSKA at home in League Cup and Champions League respectively, and away at West Ham in the league, yet they still beat us easily (outside a good spell for us in the last 10 minutes).

Do I think the same will happen again? Not necessarily, cos City have seemingly lost all of their rhythm and we have found ours, but never bank on them collapsing totally... Especially against us.

I think noone is thinking they'll collapse.

Its true that in derbies form goes out of the window especially in this derby in which we have been doing awful for a while.
But we're in a better position right now and need to take advantage of that fact.

Dont remember that people were confident in November either. Maybe I'm wrong. We werent in so great form then either.
Situation is completely different now. We have a starting 11 at last, a team which is starting to click and playing some good stuff and City on the other hand is out of form, their confidence is shot and Pellegrini is on his way out it seems.
Saying all that they could and probably will turn out on Sunday and it will be a very tough game.

 

[kafta]

For the first time in a long time, we go into this game with a midfield that can hold its own facing City's. If we play at the same level as the last 3 games (particularly spurs and liverpool), we should be able to win this. Palace pressed them and disrupted their rhythm, we should be able to do the same.

 

[marukomu]

As I said earlier I would take a 0-0. I think their top level is still above ours although our form is better at the moment. You can just see these game raising sods playing their best game this season against us.

 

[Browniee]

Clattenburg confirmed as the ref.

He'll either be a cnut to us or City.

 

[sunama]

Ah some of oppo fans here.. They never learn.

Thats what happened before we played Liverpool
There were a few LFC fans in here stating that they were the better team and would steam roll us.
It looks like the same mistake is being repeated by MCFC fans. They never learn. And this is a good omen I think.

 

[Ronetta]

I'll be honest, as much as Ronetta is winding us up, I can see where he/she's coming from.

Honestly, my intention was not to wind you guys up. That was just a bonus ;-)

And to be completely fair, who knows who will win Sunday since it's a derby and in these games anything can happen.

But I was being serious about City's form. We are at our worst with teams that park the bus, and that is NOT you lot. I expect an open game with end to end stuff and chances galore and in those circumstances I expect us to come out on top. Doubtless you expect the same the other way around.

Should be a brilliant game I think. May the best team win!

 

[sunama]

As I said earlier I would take a 0-0. I think their top level is still above ours although our form is better at the moment. You can just see these game raising sods playing their best game this season against us.

Sure, they will raise their game. We are Man Utd after all and every team in the country wants to do well at Old Trafford.
But then we can also raise our game.
Man Utd fans were scared of Tottenham, scared of Liverpool, scared of Villa and now scared of Man City.
This underdog/negative mentality has to stop.

 

[Winrar]

I'll be honest, as much as Ronetta is winding us up, I can see where he/she's coming from. They always turn up for the Derby and treat it like their cup final and we somehow never do. Even when we've won the derbies since the last time they were promoted it's rarely been because we wanted it more, rather it's been because we've either been patently better than them or because they've had an absolute mare.

Just remember how confident many of us felt going into the game at the Etihad in November. City were without Silva, and we came to town on the back of us drawing against Chelsea when many gave us little to no hope; and City were getting outplayed in the lead up to the match by Newcastle and CSKA at home in League Cup and Champions League respectively, and away at West Ham in the league, yet they still beat us easily (outside a good spell for us in the last 10 minutes).

Do I think the same will happen again? Not necessarily, cos City have seemingly lost all of their rhythm and we have found ours, but never bank on them collapsing totally... Especially against us.

It was the smalling feck up that mainly cost us the game.

 

[Ronetta]

Sure, they will raise their game. We are Man Utd after all and every team in the country wants to do well at Old Trafford.
But then we can also raise our game.
Man Utd fans were scared of Tottenham, scared of Liverpool, scared of Villa and now scared of Man City.
This underdog/negative mentality has to stop.

I don't think you should consider yourselves beaten before you start. But don't imagine you're playing Spurs, Liverpool or Villa either. P6, W1, D0, L5 should remind you of that.

 

[hbgreg]

But I was being serious about City's form. We are at our worst with teams that park the bus

No, I think your worst two games this season was vs Barca who hold the ball and control the tempo.

It's easy to say "our worst form is with teams that park the bus"... uh, all the top teams struggle against teams that park the bus? Barcelona dismantled City and made City look like they were 10 leagues below.

United have the talent, ability, and play style to beat City easily, unless someone from United fecks up (like Smalling) I don't see a different outcome.[/QUOTE]

 

[hbgreg]

I'll be honest, as much as Ronetta is winding us up, I can see where he/she's coming from. They always turn up for the Derby and treat it like their cup final and we somehow never do. Even when we've won the derbies since the last time they were promoted it's rarely been because we wanted it more, rather it's been because we've either been patently better than them or because they've had an absolute mare.

Just remember how confident many of us felt going into the game at the Etihad in November. City were without Silva, and we came to town on the back of us drawing against Chelsea when many gave us little to no hope; and City were getting outplayed in the lead up to the match by Newcastle and CSKA at home in League Cup and Champions League respectively, and away at West Ham in the league, yet they still beat us easily (outside a good spell for us in the last 10 minutes).

Do I think the same will happen again? Not necessarily, cos City have seemingly lost all of their rhythm and we have found ours, but never bank on them collapsing totally... Especially against us.

We played good vs City before and after the sending off, we still had a good chance to grab a goal and equalize in the last ten minutes despite being a man down.

 

[FacerTheRed]

United just has to play the possession game like they have done against Spurs & Liverpool. Stick with the trio of Carrick, Herrera & Mata and City would not handle it. Get felliani in there for his height and strength, Rooney up top, if i see RVP on starting line up ill face palm my face to death... and then Young or Di Maria on the left. Stick with the back four, even though they aloud a skidish goal go in vs. Villa last weekend, need to keep the partnership consistent. Fullback is going to be united weak factor, I'd go for Tony in RB because there no point bringing in Rafael back into fold now in a big game like this. And on the left i'd stick with Blind, despite he could be facing against the pacey Navas. His football brain might just overcome him and keep him at bay.

---------------------De Gea-------------------
A.Tony--------Jones-------Rojo---------Shaw
---------------------Carrick------------------
--------------Herrera-----Felliani------------
----Mata-----------------------------Young/Di Maria
---------------------Rooney------------------

 

[Sied]

Clattenburg confirmed as the ref.

Ahh fecks sake. I hope we benefit from the inevitable dodgy big call he'll make.

 

[Annahnomoss]

Will be a difficult game. Not sure if Fellaini is suited at all to this game his possession game isn't strong enough and I don't think the random crosses in to the box will win this match for us. He isn't great defensively either and not at all good for a counter-attacking game.

Same goes for Di Maria in the central midfield if we want to play possession football.

That said we don't have a lot of options now when we finally clicked, but I wouldn't be surprised if we went for something else tactically in this game with Blind/Carrick in the midfield together.

 

[.Rossi]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...tml?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490


Ohhhhhhhh bollix...He's going to start, isn't he?!

 

[podurban2]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...tml?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490


Ohhhhhhhh bollix...He's going to start, isn't he?!

I wouldn't be too worried. With LvG's recent comments about RvP it is most likely he will remain on the training ground for at least another week before being match fit.

 

[Di Maria's angel]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...tml?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490


Ohhhhhhhh bollix...He's going to start, isn't he?!

Nope, definitely won't be. No one to drop him for.

 

[Infra-red]

Form means very little going into these games, as history has shown us.

I am confident of a City win, not because of my blue tinted specs (though tinted they are), but because City tend to win unless one of two things happen:

A) the opponents park the bus and we press and press and start to play higher and higher up the pitch and then we get caught out on the break, often with comedy defending on our part. Or,

B) we are totally outclassed and overrun in midfield and can hardly get hold of the ball. Particularly when Yaya can't be arsed on the day.

I don't see A or B happening. (A), you won't be parking the bus and a fast, open and expansive game plays right into our hands. And (B) because Yaya will most definitely be up for it. A midfleld four of Yaya, Fernandino, Silva and Nasri (or Navas) will be enough to keep you lot busy. And we may very well play 5 in the middle anyway with Silva as the attacking mid behind Aguero. Either way, you aren't going to keep us off the ball for most of the game, which you would need to do.

Therefore I predict a City win. City usually win if A or B doesn't happen.

So to be clear, City tend to win games unless the opposition has more possession than you and out-plays you, or they have less possession than you, but hit you on the break. How exactly does this distinguish City from any other football team on the planet?

 

[Ronetta]

So to be clear, City tend to win games unless the opposition has more possession than you and out-plays you, or they have less possession than you, but hit you on the break. How exactly does this distinguish City from any other football team on the planet?

It doesn't. I don't remember saying it did.

But as I say, you're not a park the bus team are you. Can we agree on that?

So the other way you might beat us is with better possession and basically outplaying us, Barca style. Now I know you lot are brimming with confidence right now, but back down to earth, Barca you are not. Messi, Xavi and Iniesta might be able to boss our midfield, fair enough. What do you think those three would do to Carrick, Herrara and Fellaini?

 

[Mali_Zeus]

It doesn't. I don't remember saying it did.

But as I say, you're not a park the bus team are you. Can we agree on that?

So the other way you might beat us is with better possession and basically outplaying us, Barca style. Now I know you lot are brimming with confidence right now, but back down to earth, Barca you are not. Messi, Xavi and Iniesta might be able to boss our midfield, fair enough. What do you think those three would do to Carrick, Herrara and Fellaini?

Or we can just outplay you. Not barca style but our style.
maybe that can happen,who knows. Maybe some club who isnt Barca can outplay the mighty City.

 

[Ronetta]

Or we can just outplay you. Not barca style but our style.
maybe that can happen,who knows.

Maybe. I don't see it myself, but we'll know soon enough.

 

[Ronetta]

United have the talent, ability, and play style to beat City easily

Sorry I missed that gem :-)

-----------------------------------------De Gea----------------------------------------
Valencia----------------------Smalling------Jones-----------------------------Blind
-----------------------------------------Carrick----------------------------------------
Mata-------------------------Herrera--------Fellaini------------------------Di Maria
-----------------------------------------Rooney----------------------------------------


-----------------------------------------Aguero----------------------------------------
Milner---------------------------------Silva--------------------------------------Navas
-------------------------------Touré-----------Fernandinho----------------------------
Clichy----------------------Demichelis-------Kompany-----------------------Zabaleta
------------------------------------------Hart-------------------------------------------

Yes, that line up of your is better than us all over the park isn't it.

 

[Sandikan]

We've lost the last 3 at home to this lot, although one year we'd won the title, and our focus had gone. But still, we'll need to play top notch, as like someone pointed out, this isn't Henderson, Lallana and Sturridge, this is Toure, Silva and Aguero.

Different class entirely, but will they be at their sulky worst? Hope so!

 

[m1y2]

Anderson's back?

 

[Sandikan]

Form means very little going into these games, as history has shown us.

I am confident of a City win, not because of my blue tinted specs (though tinted they are), but because City tend to win unless one of two things happen:

A) the opponents park the bus and we press and press and start to play higher and higher up the pitch and then we get caught out on the break, often with comedy defending on our part. Or,

B) we are totally outclassed and overrun in midfield and can hardly get hold of the ball. Particularly when Yaya can't be arsed on the day.

I don't see A or B happening. (A), you won't be parking the bus and a fast, open and expansive game plays right into our hands. And (B) because Yaya will most definitely be up for it. A midfleld four of Yaya, Fernandino, Silva and Nasri (or Navas) will be enough to keep you lot busy. And we may very well play 5 in the middle anyway with Silva as the attacking mid behind Aguero. Either way, you aren't going to keep us off the ball for most of the game, which you would need to do.

Therefore I predict a City win. City usually win if A or B doesn't happen.

Incredible arrogance!

Well, you're having a pretty poor season, so A or B must have happened a lot this year

If you come as low as 4th, Pellegrini is long long gone.
I fear the day you get a top manager, as with your budget you could be really unstoppable. But to date you haven't had one.

 

[Ananke]

City should be worried. Both teams will be up for it but on one side you have a team finally clicking where everything seems to be going right...and the other a team beginning to fall apart. Man for man on paper, you'd say City have the better quality. But they've gone from battling for the title to battling for 4th place in a short space of time.

Players like Kompany and Yaya have been the backbone of city, and this season they've crumbled. If they dont drastically change in this match, I honestly don't see them getting a result.

We're full of confidence. As long as we go in with the right gameplan and exploit the areas they've struggled in these last few weeks, it's our 3 points. I do think once one goal goes in, it'll be end to end. Lots of goals I hope.

 

[Di Maria's angel]

It doesn't. I don't remember saying it did.

But as I say, you're not a park the bus team are you. Can we agree on that?

So the other way you might beat us is with better possession and basically outplaying us, Barca style. Now I know you lot are brimming with confidence right now, but back down to earth, Barca you are not. Messi, Xavi and Iniesta might be able to boss our midfield, fair enough. What do you think those three would do to Carrick, Herrara and Fellaini?

Your mighty team was utterly dominated by Allen, Henderson and Coutinho; who, a few weeks later, were made look like a bunch of school kids for 45 minutes by Carrick, Herrera and Fellaini, in their backyard.

Your arrogance resembles the rubbish which was spouted by Liverpool and Tottenham fans on here about our chances of beating them. I think you'll be in for a shock, come Sunday, as your team is woefully out of form. 4 wins in your last 11, is it not? We're high flying and I won't be surprised if we completely dominate you, as we did Liverpool. But hey, opposition fans seem to know best...

 

[ItsEssexRob]

Your mighty team was utterly dominated by Allen, Henderson and Coutinho; who, a few weeks later, were made look like a bunch of school kids for 45 minutes by Carrick, Herrera and Fellaini, in their backyard.

Your arrogance resembles the rubbish which was spouted by Liverpool and Tottenham fans on here about our chances of beating them. I think you'll be in for a shock, come Sunday, as your team is woefully out of form. 4 wins in your last 11, is it not? We're high flying and I won't be surprised if we completely dominate you, as we did Liverpool. But hey, opposition fans seem to know best...

To be fair form means nothing in these games. Citys ceiling level is still higher than Uniteds, even if they are playing averagely and United playing well.

It'll be an exciting game, but I would like a 0-0 draw with a few red cards!

 

[Sandikan]

To be fair form means nothing in these games. Citys ceiling level is still higher than Uniteds, even if they are playing averagely and United playing well.

It'll be an exciting game, but I would like a 0-0 draw with a few red cards!

why? just in case you go on a 3-4 game losing streak and let either back in?!

 

[Infra-red]

It doesn't. I don't remember saying it did.

But as I say, you're not a park the bus team are you. Can we agree on that?

So the other way you might beat us is with better possession and basically outplaying us, Barca style. Now I know you lot are brimming with confidence right now, but back down to earth, Barca you are not. Messi, Xavi and Iniesta might be able to boss our midfield, fair enough. What do you think those three would do to Carrick, Herrara and Fellaini?

I'm not sure, you certainly gave the impression that your post was conveying something revelatory, rather than simply a basic description of the only 2 outcomes in any football match (win lose or draw); either the opposition will have had more possession, or you will.

As to whether or not United are a 'park the bus team', it's not a tactic they frequently employ, although it was used to reasonable effect away at Arsenal, and Van Gaal certainly showed he wasn't adversed to it during the World Cup. Incidentally Whelan, N'Zonzi and Diouf managed to boss your midfield (for possession) back in November (in a game they lost).

 

[Infra-red]

To be fair form means nothing in these games. Citys ceiling level is still higher than Uniteds, even if they are playing averagely and United playing well.

It'll be an exciting game, but I would like a 0-0 draw with a few red cards!

You can't be worried about either of us catching you at this stage. Arsenal might be in with a (very very slim) shout, but there's no way the title ends up in Manchester come May.