So who do you play Paul or Fred v The Foxes

POF

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I’d play both Fred and Mctominay with Pogba/Matic on the bench to change things second half. We desperately need some energy in there. I don’t think think it’s a coincidence that since teams have got fitter and the tempo of the games has increased as the restart has gone on Matic has started to look pretty poor again. Everyone says we need backup up for him but really we should be trying to replace him as a starter.
I'd do the same. Fred/McTominay is a good combination. Neither looks match fit but their energy will be important in this game. Pogba/Matic can come on if chasing the game.

The biggest hurdle in the West Ham game was zero options off the bench. If any sub option is a downgrade offensively it's difficult to make a positive substitution.
 

OverratedOpinion

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I think both, Matic's form seems to drastically drop when he plays too many minutes in a short amount of time.
 

Davs

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We are struggling with energy in the middle of the park for sure these last few games and the players look like they've been run ragged!

I wouldn't be against giving Fred the nod and bringing Pogba on 2nd half.
 

fps

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Christ, do people realise how important this game is? Posts about dropping Pogba, Bruno, Rashford are ridiculous. Their output has been fantastic and they could decide our Champions League future in one moment.
It’s insane. Matic is playing very well as well, plenty in the tank.
 

midnightmare

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Pogba and Bruno with Fred or McTominay as the third and Matic on the bench. Scott vs Fred is a strange one. It seems like Fred is the better one in the more defensive sense, but Scott was preferred at DM by Jose (that epitome of attacking football) and Scott is also the one name-checked by both Ole and Matic as the successor to Matic. Also, Scott does offer (based on simple physical attributes) more of a presence on set pieces at both ends.

All that said, I reckon its pretty much certain we will see Matic start again... Ole will likely push him to make one last effort...

Oh and yes, Pogba vs Fred is the strangest comparison I've heard of...
 

P-Nut

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That's one way of ensuring we don't get top 4
We've been alright using it until the Chelsea game and it massively stifles Vardy getting behind.

I'd personally go 4222 if we'd used it before, allow Pogba and Bruno to push further forward whilst having Fred and Matic protecting the defence. Zero chance we go for that though.
 

fps

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We've been alright using it until the Chelsea game and it massively stifles Vardy getting behind.

I'd personally go 4222 if we'd used it before, allow Pogba and Bruno to push further forward whilst having Fred and Matic protecting the defence. Zero chance we go for that though.
We won’t be going for an unusual system in a game of this importance, that would be asking for trouble. It’ll be first 11 in the formation they’re used to.
 

P-Nut

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We won’t be going for an unusual system in a game of this importance, that would be asking for trouble. It’ll be first 11 in the formation they’re used to.
I know, that's why I said if we'd played it before. No chance I'd be risking it on the fly in such a massive game.
 

Dan_F

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He will go with the same team. The West Ham game was the one to bring in some other players, not the Leicester one.
 

Charles Miller

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Need to line up the best players in decisive games and they have to take responsibility.
 

fps

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I know, that's why I said if we'd played it before. No chance I'd be risking it on the fly in such a massive game.
Be an interesting one to develop for the future!
 

gerdm07

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Pogba, Bruno and Matic start for me. They are knackered but we probably only need one good half from them to take a lead. Then start subbing.
 

Classical Mechanic

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I'd start with Fred-Pogba-Matic. Pogba playing in the advanced position in a game with counter attacking opportunities suits him. Bruno is knackered but will be a great impact sub if needed.
 

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Pogba's needed to replace DDG, after his ball parrying display last night :o
 

talking robot

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Drop Fernandes. His form has been poor the last few games. Play Matic + Fred + Pogba in a midfield 3 with Pogba playing as a #10. Bring on Bruno at half time if we are chasing the game.
 

TMDaines

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Yeah what could go wrong when Leicester defense is weak and slow, we play midfielders with no one from wings running in behind, on the other hand deal with their strongest area which is also midfield with Ndidi, Tielemans playing.
The problem is that we have no wide players, apart from Shaw, AWB and Dalot who do tend to stick outside the opposing full backs. Rashford and Greenwood invariably cut inside. James just looks confused, because he looks like a right winger to me, whose biggest strength is the ability to cross and pass on the run. Everyone keeps trying to tell him he's an inside left too though because of a hot scoring run 11 months ago.

Expecting your width to come from our forwards doesn't seem the right way to go.
 

TMDaines

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I mean... play Pogba.. but, I really question Pogba's role since Bruno came. Sure, Bruno is brought to be the primary leader in terms of the offensive threat. But since he's come, it looks as though Pogba is just under no circumstances going to create anything himself. In that West Ham game, we could have easily played Scott or Fred or even Andreas, and our attacking wouldn't have been any different. That's worrying.

If this is the role Ole tells Pogba to play, I think he's largely putting unnecessary restraint on a great attacking asset. I'm not advocating that Bruno and Pogba both play CAMs - but Pogba is this clubs most expensive signing, he's the World Cup winner, he's the most experienced outfield player... I, and hope Ole as well, really expect more from him, than him just constantly passing to Matic/our defenders, and expect them to... what... I don't know.

I'm worried about the Leicester game. Can definitely see us playing for a draw, then conceding late on, and not knowing what to do. Splendid times, these.
I'm so surprised at how little we play 4-3-3. It just seems such a better shape for this team.
 

roonster09

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The problem is that we have no wide players, apart from Shaw, AWB and Dalot who do tend to stick outside the opposing full backs. Rashford and Greenwood invariably cut inside. James just looks confused, because he looks like a right winger to me, whose biggest strength is the ability to cross and pass on the run. Everyone keeps trying to tell him he's an inside left too though because of a hot scoring run 11 months ago.

Expecting your width to come from our forwards doesn't seem the right way to go.
Rashford made many runs from wide positions, which was usually picked by Pogba, also knowing how poor their defenders are, it would make sense to stick with Rashford, Greenwood, Martial and ask them to run at their defense whenever possible.

Leicester usually push high, Spurs tore them apart on counters.
 

The Irish Connection

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I'd start with the same we did vs West Ham. People pay a lot of attention to Matic lack of offensive contribution, but they seem to ignore the immense work he does defensively. He basicly had to cover our whole midfield alone last night. Do people pay attention at all? At the end of the game, he looked like he wanted to fight his own teammates. I understand why. He was left to fend for himself vs the whole of West Hams midfield. Can't remember last time Matic had a go at his teammates.
Yeah, I thought Matic was good last night, it’s not his job to create really, and was good to see a bit of passion.
I wouldn’t have a problem playing Fred, but if he wasn’t playing well enough would bring Matic on.
 

Cantonagotmehere

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Play Pogba, but if we don't make the Champions League it has to be said he is huge part of missing out on 4 points that would have gotten us there.
 

noodlehair

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I'd play Fred and McTominay, but honestly even then I think we're in trouble in the midfield area as we've given the two of them so little game time that it's pretty much impossible to expect them not to be rusty. While Matic and Pogba have had so much game time their performance levels have dropped off a cliff, and they aren't going to suddenly play well again just because people hope they will.

Christ, do people realise how important this game is? Posts about dropping Pogba, Bruno, Rashford are ridiculous. Their output has been fantastic and they could decide our Champions League future in one moment.
Pogba quite possibly already has when he decided he'd rather we conceded a penalty than let the ball hit him. Or when he inexplicably decided to do an oil tanker turn in his own area against Southampton and lost the ball.

Bruno and Rashford have been key even in recent games, along with Martial and Greenwood. We have to play the front four. No one else has done much to suggest they need to be there over the last 4-5 games. Maybe Shaw as it's very noticable we suffer from him not being there, and maybe Bissaka simply because we don't have another right sided fullback. Certainly no one in central midfield and our central defence and goalkeeper aren't exactly confidence inspiring at the moment either.
 

Andersons Dietician

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Yeah if anyone is getting dropped it would be Matic for Fred. Not sure we need the height advantage Matic gives and would rather have Fred just pinging risky balls forward.
 

davidmichael

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I think we’ll play a 3-4-3 with Wan-Bisakka and Shaw if he’s back from injury out wide and Matic and Pogba in the middle then Fernandes in the hole behind a duo of whatever two Ole goes with of Martial, Greenwood and Rashford.

I don’t see how Ole can drop Pogba if we play a back three as playing Matic with anyone else means we’re over reliant on Fernandes as our only source of creativity from midfield, we can bring Fred on to give us a better a solid defensive foundation if Fernandes or Pogba are looking tired.
 

Squeaky Bumtime

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Fred, McTominay and Pogba. Give Bruno a rest.

I know it's a crucial game for CL but Leicester needs to go for the win and that midfield lineup is good enough to soak up the pressure with Bruno coming in later.
That's if Pogba won't be strolling around again. I hope he won't.
 

Tiber

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Fred and post-contract Matic in midfield? Hard pass.
 

gza the genius

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Bruno has been worse than Pogba the last couple of games, absolutely nothing is coming off for him.

I think I'd go:

Mctominay - Matic
Pogba

Having Bruno to come off the bench would be great and we've got Fred as well if/when Matic tires. We need to switch something up though either way I think, our midfield 3 is running out of steam.
 

peridigm

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Pogba. No question. Chances are if he started against Spurs after the lockdown we'd have won that match. You play your best players when results are on the line.
 

M Bison

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It's strange that we look so tired. I know its only a few days rest in-between games but still, they're professional athletes and i'm surprised they cant handle the number of games.
 

glazed

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Both. Since Leicester have to win I'd flood the midfield and man mark Vardy.

Rashford is a passenger on his current form so he'd be benched.
 

glazed

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It's strange that we look so tired. I know its only a few days rest in-between games but still, they're professional athletes and i'm surprised they cant handle the number of games.
Maybe the training is too much?
 

RKEANE16

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Have all the other teams been rotating their players very much? I keep seeing everyone saying our players are knackered but all of the other games I've seen the players don't look too bad. I mean Southampton looked super fresh when they played us.

If everyone else has been rotating then fair enough but I can't imagine that's the case
 

MyOnlySolskjaer

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Fred, McTominay and Pogba. Give Bruno a rest.

I know it's a crucial game for CL but Leicester needs to go for the win and that midfield lineup is good enough to soak up the pressure with Bruno coming in later.
That's if Pogba won't be strolling around again. I hope he won't.
A rest for what game?

This is pretty much a final. Players will perform on adrenaline on the final day. This guy has been good for a goal/assist for almost every game. I don't get why anyone would bench that output.
 

bosnian_red

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Definitely McTominay and Fred. Theyre going to dominate possession (theyre a better drilled side for that anyway), we'll play on the counter as they need a win. Get the hard workers in there, defensive strength and have enough pace and power to break things up then hit on the break. Absolutely need the freshness so they run all game.