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The 2012-2013 Manchester United Thread: Thank you, Sir Alex


ddidiodion

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Shockingly, it's Giggs who doesn't watch Gerrard at all there.

Was hoping I'd see you retract this after replays. Giggs is following Gerrard, clearly (and probably illegally with an anal ref) blocked off by a Liverpool player (Agger?)

Was at work so just managed to listen to the tv, luckily managed to see Rafael's goal. So very, very :cool:

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Was hoping I'd see you retract this after replays. Giggs is following Gerrard, clearly (and probably illegally with an anal ref) blocked off by a Liverpool player (Agger?)

Eh? He tracked him in the box but then wonders out the box leaving Gerrard free. No player was near him, iirc.

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League runners-up on GD having to rely on a dodgy sending off and a getting a cheap penalty for a dive to beat a team in relegation spots :thup:

you know all these bottom half teams raise their game when the big boys come to town. That was their CL final today, just another Sunday to us.

we were very sloppy today, passing and touches were off with everyone. Rio and Rafa only ones who didn't disappoint.

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Great Goal :cool:

Oh and,

I love the way all the build up was about Utd fans disgracing themselves and they behave...... Whilst liverpool fans booed the victim of racial abuse

From twitter but I have to agree

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Says the one who felt it necessary to defend what he didn't say. Good one.

I didn't defend anything, I was obliquely asking what point it was you were trying to make in the hope that would illuminate the purpose of your seemingly irrelevant opening gambit. You could just say what you were getting at :p

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Red card was familiar. That's how Evans got sent of a couple of times.

Funnily enough, reminded me very much of the Evans/Holden challenge, which no-one else seemed to think should have been a double red. Evans part in it similar to Kompany's challenge on Nani the dismissal for which everyone was decrying as tackling being outlawed. Looked like Evans initially though he could get there first and was going to plant his left foot to strike the ball clear with his right, but then lunged in a bit when he saw that Shelvey was going in full force. Thought a yellow apiece or just a yellow for Shelvey would have sufficed given how much Halsey was letting go, which of course should have been a second yellow anyway after his challenge on Rafael ;) (which differed from Scholes' challenge that he was booked for how?)

Carrick needs to start being that positional DM he has the talent to be.

No, playing DM limits Carrick's game and makes idiots want him sold (though playing 'Scholes' Legs' doesn't help either). If we want a DM, we should buy a DM.

Playing Carrick with Giggs was a bad decision. It means Carrick must do the defensive work for two people, and he isn't mobile enough for it. It should be Cleverley/Anderson and Carrick for games like this.
Me as well. Forum software is weird.

For the big games, I think the line-up should be:

-----------------Keeper-----------------

Rafael------Rio---------Vidic--------Evra

-----------Carrick---Cleverley-----------

Valencia---------Kagawa------------Nani

----------------Van Persie--------------

Wingers can be switched around depending who is on form and who isn't. Same for RVP (Rooney/Welbeck/Hernandez) and Kagawa (Rooney/RVP). Scholes can come on to steady the game if needed.

Should be all games, really.

Lindegaard was excellent in goal today. Will be interesting to see if he plays every league game today or whether it remains a rotational system.

Excellent? Handling was suspect on a couple of occasions, and while he kept it on the pitch for the most part, his kicking was still questionable. And despite what Fergie says, I don't consider being dropped at the first mistake a rotational system.

Giggs was awful. Is he really sent onto the pitch with the instructions "play wherever you like, the others will pick up the slack"?

I think a big part was that in about the third minute his classic 'blind backheel to nobody' trick actually paid off thanks to Kagawa's awareness, and he thought his work was done.

League runners-up on GD having to rely on a dodgy sending off and a getting a cheap penalty for a dive to beat a team in relegation spots :thup:

Will take anything from our bogey side.

Oh and,

From twitter but I have to agree

Yeah, thought that with all the focus on fans and chanting and that they might find it in themselves to wind their necks in for the afternoon at least, but nope. Once again it was the loudest noise they made bar the goal and YNWA.

Seems as though our fans did alright. Could hear our chants loud and clear throughout and never heard anything controversial, despite the obvious response to "We won it five times" and the natural follow up to 'Racist *******' that kicked the media off last weekend.

Abject performance for the most part, crying out for the legs of Cleverley or Anderson in midfield.

Kagawa and RvP both looked a little isolated again.

Nani's passing was shocking for most of the first half but some of his link play with Kagawa towards the end was encouraging enough to make a case for keeping him on considering the understanding they seemed to have built against Gala.

Hope Rafa and Rio's injuries aren't major issues. Agree that Rio was a rock today and my MotM.

Ultimately three points at Anfield is always going to be a bonus - felt like proper 'just cancel the fixture and give them the three points up front' time when they went ahead and we at least showed the character to peg them back so quickly. Shouldn't need that to wake us up for any game though, let alone a derby.

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Funnily enough, reminded me very much of the Evans/Holden challenge, which no-one else seemed to think should have been a double red. Evans part in it similar to Kompany's challenge on Nani the dismissal for which everyone was decrying as tackling being outlawed. Looked like Evans initially though he could get there first and was going to plant his left foot to strike the ball clear with his right, but then lunged in a bit when he saw that Shelvey was going in full force. Thought a yellow apiece or just a yellow for Shelvey would have sufficed given how much Halsey was letting go, which of course should have been a second yellow anyway after his challenge on Rafael ;) (which differed from Scholes' challenge that he was booked for how?)

....

No, playing DM limits Carrick's game and makes idiots want him sold (though playing 'Scholes' Legs' doesn't help either). If we want a DM, we should buy a DM.

.....

Ultimately three points at Anfield is always going to be a bonus - felt like proper 'just cancel the fixture and give them the three points up front' time when they went ahead and we at least showed the character to peg them back so quickly. Shouldn't need that to wake us up for any game though, let alone a derby.

I actually turned around and said that if Evans had caught Shelby then we would have been down to 10. It seems whoever catches the other guy in those clashes is the one who gets the red. And I actually agree with you about not liking Carrick to play deeper but we need someone to get a hold in midfield and stop relying on the defence to regain possession.

The performance prior to the Liverpool goal was absolutely shocking. Once Liverpool scored I had written off the game as I couldn't see that type of reaction happening.

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Cleverley doesn't really add all that much in terms of winning the ball back, and his positioning can be questionable. It's going forward he has his main strengths. Scholes obviously doesn't quite have the legs any more, but he reads the game so well, and actually often wins the ball for us via tackles (yes! :eek:) and reading the pass. Some of the same story with Carrick. We don't have a proper ballwinner in the team, and puzzlingly SAF doesn't seem to go after that type of player either.

Maybe next summer? :D

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Cleverley doesn't really add all that much in terms of winning the ball back, and his positioning can be questionable. It's going forward he has his main strengths.

Nah, though obviously ostensibly an attacking midfielder, Cleverley is deceptively effective defensively. Just goes about his business with such quiet efficiency it can easily be overlooked. Made the most tackles from either side against Everton and only Rafael made more (both sides again) against Fulham.

Should be interesting to see what we put out against Newcastle. Something like

DdG (:()

Keane

Evans

Vidic

Buttner

Nani

Fletcher

Anderson

Cleverley

Hernandez

Welbeck

Would be nice. Minutes for Powell would be nice too, and some of the younger lads if we get a commanding lead.

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Yeah, they seem to be testing the water with the U21s before the mass loan out. Thing is it's better for a few of the lads to play a few games (i.e. by playing a strong enough side to get through) than a load playing one and getting knocked out. Never mind the age old debates about whether you can really judge them when they're not playing with the seniors. Plus, DdG, Buttner, Fletcher, Anderson, Hernandez and Welbeck would all be guaranteed a run out surely? Harsh on them otherwise.

Would be up for playing another centre half to Vidic but I think Keane must play at RB to give Rafa a rest, and playing two kids in the defence would be asking for trouble imo. Our best U21s are midfielders (Lingard, Petrucci, arguably Cole and Tunnicliffe), plus maybe Josh King, which with Fletcher, Anderson, Hernandez and Welbeck needing minutes doesn't really fit. Not really a lot of quality at reserve level; the (2nd year and) younger players look decent but are all diddy and would just get abused. Apart from Blackett maybe.

Got Macheda to fit in somewhere too if we've still got any hope for him.

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Its a hard balance to create definitely in terms of youth and experience. From your lineup I would have Johnstone in goal and Nani and Cleverley out for maybe Lingard and Powell. With Tunners, King, Henriquez, Wootton and Petrucci all on the bench.

Big fan of Johnstone but a bit of a baptism of fire to throw him in against Newcastle. Can Powell play out wide? Or would you have Welbeck wide with Powell off Hernandez? Either way I'd like for us to use Powell as a CM where possible; had him replacing Fletcher around the hour mark. Reckon we need a Cleverley or Anderson in alongside him from the start in case they need to do some of his running.

If Lingard plays out wide he'll be isolated, bullied and everyone will be calling him ****, same as with every other young player we give a run out wide to begin with. Has Henriquez played for the U21s yet? Thought we were taking our time to bed him in somewhat before considering him for the first team. Wootton is bang average.

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I'd like to see Fletch and Tunnicliffe in midfield (if Fletcher is ready that is) with Powell playing right up next to Macheda with freedom to roam. Anderson may need the game time more, in which case it will have to be Anderson and Cleverley as I don't trust either to look after Tunnicliffe positionally, if it is Cleverley and Anderson then I'd rather Petrucci get a game ahead of Powell as I think as he'd help out more in midfield. Maybe Welbeck on the left to get some game time? At the back I wouldn't risk Ferdinand or Vidic (unless Vidic needs the games), Evans next to Wootton probably with Buttner and Keane either side.

Something like this?

          De Gea

Keane Evans Wootton Buttner

   Fletcher Tunners

Lingard   Powell   Welbeck

         Macheda

or this?

          De Gea

Keane Evans Wootton Buttner

   Anderson Cleverley

Lingard   Petrucci   Welbeck

         Macheda

Looking at the second one I could see Macheda becoming isolated which will be difficult, even though it's a stronger midfield.

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Love to be proven wrong but I reckon that team gets knocked out :D 5 debuts and a lot of pressure on Evans as the senior centre half, a half-fit (at best) Fletcher and Welbeck.
I think we're getting knocked out unless we put a first team out tbh, even then it's doubtful, Newcastle will play their first team. Only way I see us getting a result is with Ferdinand, Carrick and RvP starting, none of which I'd be happy to risk in a league cup game.

Agree with this, even if Newcastle come with a 2nd string, SAF will play a wonky formation and try to shoehorn as many people that need games into the 11 as possible.

It will be unbalanced and get ripped apart.

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