[Gazza]

Saying this sort of thing, it seems that you assume that no conversations have been held about last Sunday, what Ten Hag is looking for today to start setting things right, and what that means for last Sunday's starters and bench.

Or how else do you think these things go behind the scenes and lead to this line-up? Purely Ten Hag insisting on proving himself right over everyone's backs? Sheer dumbness? Blackmail? (I'll let @rimaldo come up with interesting scenarios for that last option)

Exactly. EtH's message since Sunday has been "we're all in this together" and he's putting his team selection where his mouth is.

For example, I am pretty sure Sancho, the man who was given time away from the club to get himself back on track, will support his manager. Pretty sure Malacia, who EtH brought to the club and has trusted to play over Shaw on occasions, will understand.

 

[mancan92]

Come on not even Sancho for Antony? Surely

 

[Skills]

Weghorst

 

[laughtersassassin]

I get playing the same team in a way but can we please stop starting Wout Weghorst.

He isn't good enough.

 

[Shark]

I mean it was a very, very shitty day and one to forget. It's Thursday now. Just my opinion, but I do feel people need to grow up a bit if they're getting that upset at EtH's team selection tonight.

People aren't specifically getting upset because he's picked the same team but on top of that went with likes of Bruno out wide and Weghorst as a 10. Neither are working at all. I'm not sure why Weghorst is featuring at all in a home game he's been fecking terrible.

 

[gerdm07]

I think he is giving everyone a chance to redeem themselves and it will probably work. Predict 3-1

 

[United Hobbit]

WW - AGAIN???

 

[Joseunited]

Very all or nothing management that. Big risk.

Imagine this eleven losing again, how the hell do you pick the team vs Southampton?

Maybe we'll win tonight.

 

[Samid]

Was one player out both now and at the weekend - Wan-Bissaka

Third game in a row for me. ETH is killing my average ffs.

 

[Alvaro Maestre]

Some people here are just trolling. That's our strongest starting lineup. Sancho is nowhere close to his Dortmund level and Malacia is a good backup for Shaw no a starter. AWB makes more sense playing away and Garnacho is perfect as a sub.

 

[mu4c_20le]

My Weghorse shall always play

 

[George The Best]

The same players I’m sort of ok with. If it’s the same formation though then I have my doubts.

 

[Heardy]

Isn’t that the exact same line up that started against Liverpool?

Expected he’d change things up - bit obviously told them to go prove they’re better than the shambles they served up at the weekend.

 

[Rustyspider13]

Wow. I'm surprised with zero changes, but it makes sense from a managerial standpoint. Like it or not, the team that got spanked is our best team. EtH can't alienate them. So he has given them one last chance. One horrendous half can be a fluke, but if you can't get out of your head and perform tonight, then you simply can't take the pressure of playing for United. If you can leave Sunday behind and win this game, it means you've reciprocated the manager's faith in you. It's on the players now.

 

[Pirlo'sBeard]

Joaquin still playing at 41 years old.

 

[elisha27]

He does not want to give the impression he is punishing few players while the whole squad was shit.

This is exactly right I think. Not sure others are thinking through the message it sends by changing one or two players from Sunday's line-up.

 

[BuzzKillington]

What’s this last Sunday thing you’re all referencing? Did we play on Sunday? I must have missed it, I went out for a very long walk with my dog and had a lovely day, didn’t everyone else do something nice due to us not playing?

 

[Tom Van Persie]

Come on not even Sancho for Antony? Surely

Dropping one player from that shitshow on Sunday would send the wrong message. ten Hag knows what he's doing with this selection.

 

[RedIan]

Make perfect sense to pick the same 11, go out and show what you can really do. Restore your confidence and the fans confidence.
I do hope he sticks wout at 9, Bruno at 10 and Rashford on the left wing.

 

[bosnian_red]

Yeah my guess is had we won, he might have just had minor changes like Sabitzer/Wan bissaka/Sancho/Malacia in. Not necessarily rotation, but apart from Malacia all arguably starting competitors.

This is probably a chance to redeem themselves.

 

[pratyush_utd]

Wow. I'm surprised with zero changes, but it makes sense from a managerial standpoint. Like it or not, the team that got spanked is our best team. EtH can't alienate them. So he has given them one last chance. One horrendous half can be a fluke, but if you can't get out of your head and perform tonight, then you simply can't take the pressure of playing for United. If you can leave Sunday behind and win this game, it means you've reciprocated the manager's faith in you. It's on the players now.

You can argue Sancho to start over Weghorst. Put Bruno back at no 10 and Rashford as no 9

 

[SuperiorXI]

Windy tonight at the ground

 

[Fooza]

3 things are always guranteed..death, taxes and WW starting

 

[hobbers]

This is exactly right I think. Not sure others are thinking through the message it sends by changing one or two players from Sunday's line-up.

That it's a Thursday night game after a Sunday night game. And these players have almost all played 4 games in the last 13 days including a 7-0 slaughter at Anfield, cup final and vs Barcelona.

The mental and physical toll from those 3 games is enormous.

 

[pauldyson1uk]

What a joke. Didn't want to see any of them.

Dont watch then, but they all need to play after the shit show of Liverpool

 

[wormdoktor]

Cheer up lads, Arsenal are 2-1 down

 

[calodo2003]

River anyone?

 

[red_de_pologne]

As long as it isn’t Bruno on the left I’m fine with the chance to make things (a little) right

 

[Lights Out]

Same team.

Either thinking they all need to redeem themselves or doesn’t want 1 or 2 players being singled out by dropping them.

 

[rimaldo]

Saying this sort of thing, it seems that you assume that no conversations have been held about last Sunday, what Ten Hag is looking for today to start setting things right, and what that means for last Sunday's starters and bench.

Or how else do you think these things go behind the scenes and lead to this line-up? Purely Ten Hag insisting on proving himself right over everyone's backs? Sheer dumbness? Blackmail? (I'll let @rimaldo come up with interesting scenarios for that last option)

i’ve got a mate who once drove past old trafford and he says that erik picks each team via random number generator, and this kind of statistical anomaly can happen.

 

[United Hobbit]

I could understand shoehorning WW in if he was prime Messi, but he isn't, and is having to be played out of position because he's not good enough in his "assigned" position. The obsession is worrying, I really hope we don't sign him permanently

 

[The Oracle]

Same starting 11 suggests that none of them were carrying any injuries on Sunday.

Time for them to bounce back tonight.

 

[dwd]

Cheer up lads, Arsenal are 2-1 down

Well done

 

[fergosaurus]

Joaquin is 41

Claudio Bravo nearly 40 as well.

 

[Eric_the_Red99]

The same players I’m sort of ok with. If it’s the same formation though then I have my doubts.

Yes, I can understand the wisdom of challenging the same starters to make up for their failure - that may be good man management.

But if ETH is also going to insist on continuing to put square pegs in round holes (WW at 10, Bruno on the left) - which was a major factor behind the 7-0 - then that comes across as an arrogant, pigheaded, ‘no, it’s the children who are wrong’ stubbornness.

 

[Cheimoon]

Exactly. EtH's message since Sunday has been "we're all in this together" and he's putting his team selection where his mouth is.

For example, I am pretty sure Sancho, the man who was given time away from the club to get himself back on track, will support his manager. Pretty sure Malacia, who EtH brought to the club and has trusted to play over Shaw on occasions, will understand.

Other than that, I would also think Ten Hag will be quick to make changes (well, from half time onwards). If this is a chance for redemption, there must also be swift consequences for those that aren't taking that chance. Or at least, I wouldn't be surprised if that were part of the approach here.

 

[McGrathsipan]

I'm

Dropping one player from that shitshow on Sunday would send the wrong message. ten Hag knows what he's doing with this selection.

It's a massive feck you to the rest of the squad.
I'd be fuming if I'm still on the bench after the other lot got pumped 7 feck off nil.

Things will get ugly if they don't win this

 

[Dan_F]

As long as it isn’t Bruno on the left I’m fine with the chance to make things (a little) right

Yeah, surely we go back to more traditional positions for the front four now.

 

[Berbaclass]

Stop fecking moaning ffs. Trust the manager.

 

[VixV]

I think this is absolutely the right thing to do... to bring the same starting eleven back out.

I'm sure Ten Hag has viewed the last match, come to certain conclusions about it, decided what needs to change and what went wrong. By having the same starting eleven, he has given certain instructions and is expecting certain changes, maybe this time that the players will actually stick to the "game plan" and not crumble. How this match plays out could really solidify in Ten Hag's mind who needs dropping to the bench and who should start the next game.