[Barry Crocker]

If Rafael, RVP and Evans are fit to start then i think we will win. CM is obviously a big worry but Rooney tends to drop deep to help out and its something Mata can also do. The key is tracking midfield runners when they have possession as last week we were ball watching far too much and not switched on which led to both goalscorers being unmarked.

 

[Fluctuation]

The injuries are a big issue but surely I'm not being overly optimistic thinking we should win this game.
Cleverley and Fletcher in midfield. Evans, Rafael and RVP should be back and we now have LVG at the helm! As long as we don't pick up anymore injuries we should be OK.

 

[United22]

Jones is great as a third midfielder with a duty like marking a man, as shown when marking Ronaldo. He is a terrible passer not adding much else to midfield, but as you are thinking ..... we may not have much choice.

He is a makeshift "destroyer", he is mobile and can help nick the ball off the opposition. Can't really expect anything from him in the creative department but I would rather have him there then let us get run over by relegation fodder midfielders. That seems to be our main problem, let alone the creativity from midfield our positioning and work rates are horrible and we keep getting sliced through the centre

 

[Keenst]

 

[Ali Dia]

There's an excuse for the rest of the team to disappear!

 

[2 man midfield]

 

[Ali Dia]

@Keenst , quality!!!

 

[GRon]

Any guesses as to who will be playing in the black hole. Fletcher and Cleverly would be a recipe for disaster. Jones and Fletcher perhaps?

 

[GRon]

Your should change your user name to black hole perhaps.

 

[2 man midfield]

Your should change your user name to black hole perhaps.

Carrick was a 1 man midfield in 2013 but this is ridiculous.

 

[santeria13]

Not sure if this is said in jest or you being serious...

Obviously the former..

 

[GRon]

Carrick was a 1 man midfield in 2013 but this is ridiculous.

I think the midfield was pretty poor in 2012-13 as well, but RvP was the the saving grace there.

Honestly, I would be happy if we got a point at Sunderland, with the midfield we will play. Oh how far we have fallen!!!

 

[FromTheBench]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[kingkevo]

Been a newbie but I've always looked at this site, and hate to say it we have so many fickle fans.
We go 1 down and it's all bla bla bla bla this is shit.
Score a goal and were top class, even our gaffer has said it.
Stick by your team good and bad. Planes ffs last year. I don't think we'll make top 4 this year but I hope we stand bye our gaffer. This game is a big game. Can see us scoring but at the same time so will they. 2-3

 

[Motorman]

Injured

Jeeez. What's happening in training!!?

 

[Turnip]

Been a newbie but I've always looked at this site, and hate to say it we have so many fickle fans.
We go 1 down and it's all bla bla bla bla this is shit.
Score a goal and were top class, even our gaffer has said it.
Stick by your team good and bad. Planes ffs last year. I don't think we'll make top 4 this year but I hope we stand bye our gaffer. This game is a big game. Can see us scoring but at the same time so will they. 2-3

It could also be that our performance over the last year has been consistently shocking, and while Moyes wasn't helping that LvG is showing that the players simply aren't up to scratch either.

 

[kingkevo]

It could also be that our performance over the last year has been consistently shocking, and while Moyes wasn't helping that LvG is showing that the players simply aren't up to scratch either.

So what happens now?
Have to sing your hearts out and back the team, be the 12 man.
We've been spoilt for years, one or two poor years and the toys are thrown out

 

[Dazzmondo]

Final prediction:

____________________________________________________________________

1. De Gea

4. Jones 12. Smalling 42. Blackett

25. Valencia 24. Fletcher 26. Kagawa 18. Young
8. Mata

20. Van Persie 10. Rooney

______________________________________________________________________

Bench: 40. Amos, 38. Keane, 2. Rafael, 23. Cleverley, 22. Powell, 11. Januzaj, 49. Wilson



Sunderland 0-2 Man Utd (Rooney, Van Persie)​

 

[kingkevo]

Final prediction:

____________________________________________________________________

1. De Gea

4. Jones 12. Smalling 42. Blackett

25. Valencia 24. Fletcher 26. Kagawa 18. Young
8. Mata

20. Van Persie 10. Rooney

______________________________________________________________________

Bench: 40. Amos, 38. Keane, 2. Rafael, 23. Cleverley, 22. Powell, 11. Januzaj, 49. Wilson



Sunderland 0-2 Man Utd (Rooney, Van Persie)​

So who's gona be the key midfield player here?
Mata will be non-existent in that team.
3 man defence will be a disaster

 

[Dazzmondo]

So who's gona be the key midfield player here?
Mata will be non-existent in that team.
3 man defence will be a disaster

This is what I think Van Gaal will choose, not who I would choose. Van Gaal played Kagawa at cm a lot in pre-season. He did pretty well there (though not as well as cam). It's either Kagawa or Cleverley and Cleverley had an injury until quite recently I believe. Van Gaal may not think he's fit enough to start. Evans is injured, Herrera is injured, Carrick is injured, Fellaini is injured, Lingard is injured, Shaw is injured, I believe Welbeck is still injured. There aren't many choices. The only players we could play in midfield are Fletcher, Mata, Kagawa, Cleverley, Powell, Anderson, Rooney, Januzaj or Jones. Obviously, the majority of those are either going to be played out of their preferred position or are not good enough to start. Others have not played the position enough or have not trained with the first team yet. It's straight up Kagawa or Cleverley, neither are great defensively.

 

[82pence]

I'd rather see Young as RWB and James as LWB then but I think both are fit for this one? Correct me if I'm wrong

My bad then, didn't think they were. Rafael it is then

 

[Sean_RedDevil]

If Carrick, Welbeck, Evans, Herrera, Anderson, Fellaini, Shaw, Rojo, Lingard, Lindegaard & Johnstone are all out.....

Starting XI: De Gea - Jones, Smalling, Blackett - Rafael, Kagawa, Fletcher, Young; Mata - Rooney, Wilson

Bench: Amos, M.Keane, Valencia, Cleverley, Januzaj, Chicharito, Van Persie

Goal
Of course De Gea should start.
But it will be interesting to see if Lindegaard is back on the bench after this tweet

Tweet

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Defence
Blackett should keep his place even if Evans is maybe fit (according to some rumours).

Midfield
I go for Kagawa in CM because i will cry if Cleverley and Fletcher (Anderson shouldn't even be on the team bus to Sunderland tomorrow!!!!) are both starting this match.....it isn't his best position but i hope Kagawa can give us 2-3 magic passes and does otherweise a solid job in CM.

Attack
I don't Van Persie should/will start and Chicharito should never start therefore i go for Wilson...i know Januzaj can play as striker too....but i would still play Wilson from the start (although i don't know how much training sessions he had after his injury)

 

[82pence]

Pretty sure they're both fit.

They won't be fit for long with our luck.

 

[kingkevo]

So why does everyone have janu on the bench? Am I missing something here? He should be playing every game

 

[Dazzmondo]

Welbeck appears to be training with the squad so he may come off the bench, or even start if he's properly ready. Zaha there too, but I'd be surprised to see him get game time.

 

[Dazzmondo]

So why does everyone have janu on the bench? Am I missing something here? He should be playing every game

Ahead of Rooney, Robin and Mata? Maybe in place of Valencia, otherwise can't see him making the team.

 

[santeria13]

That made me laugh.

 

[Gerald G]

De Gea; Jones--Smalling--Blackett; Valencia--Fletcher--Cleverley--Young; Mata; Januzaj--Rooney

subs: Amos, M.Keane, James, Kagawa, Welbeck, Hernandez, van Persie

Welbeck if fully fit.

 

[santeria13]

Ahead of Rooney, Robin and Mata? Maybe in place of Valencia, otherwise can't see him making the team.

I think it would be a good idea to play rooney into the hole and start Januzaj alongside RvP for this game. Sunderland play a 4-5-1 and having rooney there would essentially give us a third midfielder defensively. That, and mata's recent performances don't warrant a start imo.

 

[Per Linde]

I think (given that Evans is fit enough to play, otherwise Blackett in his position)

De Gea
....Jones-Smalling-Evans....
Valencia..Fletcher..Cleverley..Young
.................Mata.......................
..........RVP........Rooney..............

I hope:
De Gea
...Jones-Smalling-Evans....
Valencia-Fletcher-Rooney-Young
...................Mata.................
.........Januzaj.....RVP............

 

[kingkevo]

This 3 at the back lark I hope stops, our defenders are not world class.

 

[bosnian_red]

This 3 at the back lark I hope stops, our defenders are not world class.

Which is exactly why we're using 3 at the back. They aren't smalling/jones/Evans have proved during their united careers that they as of now haven't been good enough forming partnerships between them. Putting 3 central defenders makes it easier for them, it just takes time.

 

[nemanja15]

LVG said seven injuries.... Herrera, Carrick, Shaw, Lingard, Fellaini plus two?

We know everyone else is back in training at least (Rafael, Welbeck, Evans, Valencia, Cleverley, van Persie).

 

[Per Linde]

Johnstone is one of them

 

[Per Linde]

Maybe Will Keane the other?

 

[roseguy64]

How have they managed to feck up the work permit...

It's probably not been approved yet. No use delaying the signing because of that. Better to get Rojo in and have him train with the team. Very slim chance he'll get rejected.

 

[Brightonian]

It's probably not been approved yet. No use delaying the signing because of that. Better to get Rojo in and have him train with the team. Very slim chance he'll get rejected.

Given that he just played in a World Cup final, I'd say it's slimmer than slim.

 

[ZDwyr]

I think Sunderland will win this. Our injuries are just ridiculous. Hope I'm wrong about the result though.

 

[Paolo Di Canio]

Maybe we will see the return of Anderson tomorrow

 

[fordemonk]

Even in his worst form, he is capable of a lot more than cleverly surely!!!
PLAY KAGAWA