Man Utd vs Liverpool (Sun 24-Oct, KO 16.30)

[Rory Fitzgerald]

A quick reminder below of United's last few line ups vs Liverpool,

A video dissection of Harry Maguire's defending and the pressure it puts on the rest of the team

Will Pogba play on Sunday, if he does, will it be LM of a 4-2-3-1 and tracking Trent

With Atalanta on Wednesday - the selection (or not) of Ronaldo will be interesting. If he picks Ronaldo vs Atalanta, then can he play 3 games in a week or is he being dropped for the more dynamic Cavani. If he doesn't pick Ronaldo, then its indicative that he starts on Sunday and can he chase the Liverpool defenders as Matip has carried the ball well into midfield this season.

 

1. Solskjaer's last 4 teams vs Liverpool (top 2 = 2020/21, bottom 2 = 2019/20)

He has not played Pogba in a midfield 2. The big question for me is whether Ronaldo plays upfront or Cavani. 

Cavani has the legs to run & press. Ronaldo does not. Matip took the ball a many occassions against City to run past Grealish and take the ball into midfield.

Cavani with Rashford & Greenwood either side is lots of energy to press and run behind. 

If he picks McTominay & Fred then has only 4 players to pick from the following 7; Ronaldo, Cavani, Greenwood, Rashford, Pogba, Fernandes, Sancho

 

 

 

 

2. Damien Delaney gives a cutting view of Harry Maguire's impact

"I feel sorry for Fred ...... he is put in some awful situations .... the gap behind him vs the gap in front of him is too big .... it all stems from Maguire dropping off because he doesn't have the mobility ...... if you held a bag of sand and cut the bottom then thats what its like when Harry Maguire drops off, it just sucks the whole team down "

Contrast that with Klopp after City "Our last line was too passive and it called the midfield line back, so Hendo & Curtis couldn't step out"

 

 

3. United's left side against Leicester - Sancho not tracking Pereira

If Pogba is given the role of LM in a 4-2-3-1 like at Anfield last season, then he is covering Trent. 

With the ball on the right for Leicester in all these occasions, you would expect to see Shaw tracking Salah and not leaving him to Maguire. It then asks the question of the LM player to keep an eye on Trent especially if VVD is hitting cross field swtiches. Thats a big question for LM for United - if Pogba is not in CM, is he asked to play the LM role and what that entails when defending.

 

 

 

 

[Gethin]

TL;DR: Let’s smash these f***ing Manc b*****ds 

[Boca]

Anthony Taylor reffing this ffs

[growler]

2.30am Monday morning kick off.

don’t make me regret it boys, mondays are hard enough.

[Hassony]

[Molby]

needs a hyphen or something 

[Bailo]

On 20/10/2021 at 11:38, Boca said:

Anthony Taylor reffing this ffs

I joked to my Manc brother it would be him. Didn't actually think Withernshaws finest would get the gig.

[Earl Hafler]

He did it last season, didn't he? 

[Bogman]

No Thiago, Jones back fully training today.

[Nebraska Red]

16 minutes ago, Bogman said:

No Thiago, Jones back fully training today.

Thiago is fast becoming our Darren Anderton.

Don't see Jones starting this, Henderson, Fabinho and Milner, I reckon.

[Gethin]

3 in 8 days for Milner's unlikely - although that aside I'd pick him over Jones here

Reckon Jota's getting a start here

Ali

TAA Matip VVD Robbo

Fab Hendo Milner/Jones

Mo Jota Mane

[Earl Hafler]

Bobby scores a hat-trick the league game before the Mancs and he's benched for someone with just one league goal since August ? 

I think not. 

 

[Nathan Explosion]

4 hours ago, Hassony said:

 

 

[Jonesy]

2 hours ago, Bailo said:

I joked to my Manc brother it would be him. Didn't actually think Withernshaws finest would get the gig.

Point of order ....

That's Cheshire's Anthony Taylor from Wythenshawe.

The baldy cont ...him not you. 

[jimbolala]

I dont enjoy the run up to these games, i think its PTSD from the 90s

[dyl]

4 hours ago, Jonesy said:

Point of order ....

That's Cheshire's Anthony Taylor from Wythenshawe.

The baldy cont ...him not you. 

Make your mind up - is it Cheshire, or Caernarfon?

[Sion]

4 hours ago, Earl Hafler said:

Bobby scores a hat-trick the league game before the Mancs and he's benched for someone with just one league goal since August ? 

I think not. 

 

'one league goal since August' is a bit of an agenda-y way of describing a player isn't it. He's scored 3 in 6 starts this season. He's hardly hitting Voronin levels. 

[Jonesy]

20 minutes ago, dyl said:

Make your mind up - is it Cheshire, or Caernarfon?

 I had to use that to get it past the swear filter ....I see it didn't get past you though....Cont gwirion 

[Buttles]

Solskjaer predictably umming and arring  about Fernandez’s fitness. Straight out of the Ferguson playbook. He was even stroking his chin whilst saying it 

Edited October 22, 2021 by Buttles

[Gethin]

28 minutes ago, Buttles said:

Solskjaer predictably umming and arring  about Fernandez’s fitness. Straight out of the Ferguson playbook. He was even stroking his chin whilst saying it 

[mofus77]

7 hours ago, jimbolala said:

I dont enjoy the run up to these games, i think its PTSD from the 90s

Absolutely. I'm sort of confident but as soon as I think about it the fear of losing kicks in. Would love a win of any sort. 

[Billy Talbot]

I like to keep an open mind about all the games. It's the hope that causes the PMT. 

We might win, we might lose. Likely it's going to be tight.

We're better than them though, which makes it easier on the brain on the run in and far worse after if we lose. 

 

[cocknose]

Keita, Henderson , fabinho 

Firmino 

[Ombudsam]

4 hours ago, cocknose said:

Keita, Henderson , fabinho 

Firmino 

I don’t think we’re that much better than them.

[Rory Fitzgerald]

Even at our recent best we’ve struggled to peak at Old Trafford. That’s my only hang up for this game. It’s a legacy thing. Otherwise, I have very little stress heading into this one. 

In order at LCM, I think it’s;

433 Keita, regular so far
433 Milner, more games than Curtis
433 Jones, hampered by recent injury 
424 Jota & Bobby, can play a different style
433 Ox, doesn’t keep ball like 3 other LCMs but without end attacking end product of Bobby/Jota

 

The first 20mins is all about Utd. They have tended to come out swinging and we haven’t settled in the ball when they have. That’s my only worry - us. I just want us to settle well early on. Don’t give them a good opening 10mins by losing balls under pressure.

They need a few mistakes from us. If we don’t give them any from their pressure, that’s a big part of their gameplan already failed.