Manchester United vs Real Madrid (Pre-season Friendly)

Status
Not open for further replies.

Hodgetts

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
1,053
Smalling injured again. Glaringly obvious now I hope to LVG that we do need at least defensive cover.
 

Dazzmondo

Full Member
Joined
Jul 13, 2013
Messages
9,272
Lol, well there go those rumours. Jones playing cb, Fletcher playing cm.
 

hundred_trillion

New Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2013
Messages
667
Location
Ich nichten lichten
Must have just been a knock for Jones? Though Smalling was wrapped in cotton wool instantly so I don't know why Jones wouldn't be...

Who reported that he was injured?
 

mrmagoo

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jul 19, 2013
Messages
228
god that lineup is weak and seriously lacking quality, its like a carling cup lineup in midfield and wing backs
 

Wayne's World

Full Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2010
Messages
9,300
Location
Ireland
Great to see young Keane getting a chance against the best side in the world currently, will only help improve his game further.

Looking forward to this now, will be a cracking game I imagine with loads of goals. I'll go 3-2 United :)
 

Hodgetts

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
1,053
Not that easy mate. Dortmund don't want to sell, don't need to financially and the player doesn't seem in a rush to move.
Hummels won't be coming in I doubt, but even then the point regarding Vermaelen stands. Good CB when fit but that really is a huge when, and considering the main problem with our CBs is their consistent injuries, we don't need to buy another crock.
 

Nash27

Full Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2013
Messages
351
i don't know why but seeing both young and valencia in our first team just makes me annoyed and sad. We need more quality than that to win the league.
 

Sanchez7

Full Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Messages
1,768
Location
London
Will be a good test in midfield, Madrid have two world-class(or close to) midfielders. Isco playing as false 9?
 

SolidState

You don't even know how ITK he is
Joined
Feb 12, 2013
Messages
1,821
i don't know why but seeing both young and valencia in our first team just makes me annoyed and sad. We need more quality than that to win the league.
Agreed I didn't think I'd see this two years in a row knowing the inadequacies of both players.
 

Anduin

Full Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2008
Messages
5,578
Location
Magical Manchester United.
Good line-up considering Smalling is injured. Ideally we will bring in RVP when he is back for Welbeck, a midfielder for Fletcher, Rafael for Valencia, Shaw for Young (when he's fit finally) and Smalling for Michael Keane.
 

Phil

Full Member
Joined
Aug 15, 2003
Messages
11,404
Well on paper.. We are not going to win this.
 

SolidState

You don't even know how ITK he is
Joined
Feb 12, 2013
Messages
1,821
Give over, LVG said it was a small problem that they weren't gonna take a risk on.
Even with Jones fit we need more cover we just lost three world class defenders, what a bizarre reply.
 

Hodgetts

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
1,053
Give over, LVG said it was a small problem that they weren't gonna take a risk on.
Even if this is the case, it's still evidence that our defenders are frail.

Edit: This is without even considering the impact the loss of Ferdinand, Evra and Vidic has left as SolidShite said.
 

Trizy

New Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2014
Messages
12,009
Man Utd XI: De Gea; M Keane, Jones, Evans; Valencia, Herrera, Fletcher, Young; Mata; Rooney, Welbeck.


................De Dea
.......Evans...Jones...Keane
Valencia....................Young?
...........Herrera...Fletcher
.................Mata
........Welbeck....Rooney


Young wing back? bigger question, why is he still an United player?!
 

gooDevil

Worst scout ever
Joined
Oct 2, 2008
Messages
25,162
Location
The Kids are the Future
Well, here we go, first game starting Valencia and Young as our wing backs.

Hopefully Real really challenge them and we can see what they're worth.
 

gooDevil

Worst scout ever
Joined
Oct 2, 2008
Messages
25,162
Location
The Kids are the Future
Man Utd XI: De Gea; M Keane, Jones, Evans; Valencia, Herrera, Fletcher, Young; Mata; Rooney, Welbeck.


................De Dea
.......Evans...Jones...Keane
Valencia....................Young?
...........Herrera...Fletcher
.................Mata
........Welbeck....Rooney


Young wing back? bigger question, why is he still an United player?!
He's been playing there the whole tour.
 

SolidState

You don't even know how ITK he is
Joined
Feb 12, 2013
Messages
1,821
Sigh....

Anyway the coverage will start at 8.30 on that live united site.
 

Stobzilla

Official Team Perv
Joined
Jun 7, 2004
Messages
21,946
Location
Grove Street, home.
Even if this is the case, it's still evidence that our defenders are frail.

Edit: This is without even considering the impact the loss of Ferdinand, Evra and Vidic has left as SolidShite said.
I initially knee jerked and thought it was more based at Smalling than a general point about cover, apologies, I do to an extent agree but I also think our young players are up to the task.
 

Dracula

caf plane air-master
Joined
Jan 23, 2012
Messages
3,991
I'm a bit confused. How can we need a draw to get into the final? I thought all matches went to penalties if draw, or do penalties not count in the group standings?
 

Red Rebel

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jan 2, 2014
Messages
806
3-5-2 requires either attacking fullbacks or defensive wingers.

3-5-2 does not require wide play as much 4-4-2 in fact the wide men roles is much reduced.

3-5-2 is in response to 4-2-3-1 which essentially took over 4-4-2 that we were so fond with.
 

Hodgetts

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jul 13, 2011
Messages
1,053
I initially knee jerked and thought it was more based at Smalling than a general point about cover, apologies, I do to an extent agree but I also think our young players are up to the task.
No worries! I'm not sure about the younger players though. I do think they will eventually be good enough, well I hope that is the case anyway, but having lost so many experienced heads all at once I think we could do with someone in there to steady the ship, like Vermaelen. Just Vermaelen is more injury-prone than all of our CBs anyway so then we're back to square one.
 

Damien

Self-Aware RedCafe Database (and Admin)
Staff
Joined
Mar 4, 2010
Messages
97,267
Location
Also won Best Gif/Photoshop 2021
You successfully predicted 11 players in the starting XI and substitutes, earning you 11 points in the Lineup Prediction League. Bonus points may still be applied after the match if you correctly guess all substitutes.

:drool: Will probably be the case for many, mind.
 

Cassidy

No longer at risk of being mistaken for a Scouser
Joined
Oct 2, 2013
Messages
31,492
I'm a bit confused. How can we need a draw to get into the final? I thought all matches went to penalties if draw, or do penalties not count in the group standings?
You get 1 point for a draw, 2 points if you win the shoot out. We only need 1 point to go top.
 

Scorpy

Absolutely crapping it and loving it!
Joined
Mar 24, 2008
Messages
13,277
Location
The Holy Land
For all those worried about the lost experience of Vidic, Rio and Evra:


“You have to know that I’m not always convinced by the experience of players,” said the new United boss.


“As I have said many times in the media, a boy like Clarence Seedorf was 16 years old when I gave him his debut in the Ajax squad at that time. But at 16 years old he was sometimes more experienced than a player of 30 years old. So it’s always dependent on the personality.


“You named Rooney. But for example, Michael Carrick was injured yesterday or the day before that. That is a blow because he is also an experienced player.



“It’s very important that we have experienced players but not only in age, not only in football experience but also experience as a human being. Because my philosophy is not only in football but in total and with that there are not so many experienced players. I’m sorry.”
 

Stobzilla

Official Team Perv
Joined
Jun 7, 2004
Messages
21,946
Location
Grove Street, home.
No worries! I'm not sure about the younger players though. I do think they will eventually be good enough, well I hope that is the case anyway, but having lost so many experienced heads all at once I think we could do with someone in there to steady the ship, like Vermaelen. Just Vermaelen is more injury-prone than all of our CBs anyway so then we're back to square one.
The romantic in me likes the idea of Evans being the leader of a group of 6 including him, Jones, Smalling, Blackett, Keane and Thorpe.

Carrick with his previous centre back experience is almost built for that middle part of the 3 and Fletch did a grand job there, although against a spent LA side.

I wouldn't be against a much experienced head coming in though, someone to lead these young lads coming up, that Vidic lad at Inter would be perfect.
 

Scorpy

Absolutely crapping it and loving it!
Joined
Mar 24, 2008
Messages
13,277
Location
The Holy Land
Yeah thats all good n all but its the quality of the players we will miss more.
What quality exactly? The three of them have been shadows of themselves for quite a while and last season proved it even more. Yeah, Moyes was shite, but he didn't make them make embarrassing mistakes over and over again. M. Keane and Blackett can't do worse.
 

izec

Full Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Messages
27,254
Location
Lucilinburhuc
What quality exactly? The three of them have been shadows of themselves for quite a while and last season proved it even more. Yeah, Moyes was shite, but he didn't make them make embarrassing mistakes over and over again. M. Keane and Blackett can't do worse.
Evra was still decent.
 

laughtersassassin

Full Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2014
Messages
11,497
What quality exactly? The three of them have been shadows of themselves for quite a while and last season proved it even more. Yeah, Moyes was shite, but he didn't make them make embarrassing mistakes over and over again. M. Keane and Blackett can't do worse.
Ye they might not do worse but then again remember we need them to do well enough to at least get top 4 anything else is kind of unacceptable.
 

Devil_forever

You're only young once, you can be immature f'ever
Joined
Apr 28, 2007
Messages
11,010
Location
Head of the naval division of lolibfascon
For all those worried about the lost experience of Vidic, Rio and Evra:
And for those going on about how valuable their experience is, a whole lot of good their experience did last season, they provided nothing, maybe Evra at a push. Rio made things worse by leaking the damn line ups, experience can be valuable but those 3 didn't seem to put theirs to much use. It really didn't show on the pitch once.

I'm not really fussed about their quality either as all of them looked past it or bordering on the edge of being past it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.