what we supposed to patiently wait til saturday morning til we're allowed to talk about it, fuck off
0-0 if jones is in midfield
1-0 city if he's next to rio
we'll play 451 so we won't get hammered again, or win
LKHM
hoofing
hoofing
Reds aim to beat odds and rivals in cup clash
(39 posts) (14 voices)-
triggs
Member
Will both teams play some squad and some first teamers? Or both fully go for it with first choice?
Yaya and Silva have been their best players in the last few games against us, but Silva’s not on top form and Yaya’s not allowed to play due to African Cup. Unfortunately Barry’s suspended, although even he’s looked decent this year. If we can keep Silva quiet and Fergie gets ‘em pumped up, I fancy us to get a win.
I think United will play 451, he’ll play Jones in midfield provided Smalling’s fit.
De Gea
Rafael-Smalling-Rio-Evra
Tony V-Ando-Jones-Carrick-Welbeck/Young (if fit)
Rooney
With Nani and Berba to bring on if we need to change it. Chico looks well out of sorts.
Posted 1 year ago # -
uncleknobheadforfucksake said:
what we supposed to patiently wait til saturday morning til we're allowed to talk about it, fuck offNo it just doesn't help when there's multiple threads, so I'll eventually roll them all into one!
Editor & Moderator at http://www.unitedrant.co.ukPosted 1 year ago # -
Alfonso Bedoya
Moderator
Mancini won't have Toure... that's a big loss for them...
"Badges, to god-damned hell with badges! We have no badges. In fact, we don't need badges. I don't have to show you any stinking badges, you god-damned cabrón and ching' tu madre! Come out from that shit-hole of yours. I have to speak to you."Posted 1 year ago # -
han
Member
Alfonso Bedoya said:
Mancini won't have Toure... that's a big loss for them...doubt it will matter
they'll be queing up to bugger us on sunday if we play anything like the last 2 games
if SAF does perform a miracle and shrek wants to drag this team to a win, i will be one happy redPosted 1 year ago # -
Magic of the Cup? Manchester United might need it this weekend, as Sir Alex Ferguson’s side heads into the derby as clear underdogs for the first time in many years. The Scot’s side is seeking to repair some of the considerable damage done over the past week after defeats to Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United, which have handed Manchester City the initiative in the Premier League title race. But Sunday’s visit to Eastlands for the FA Cup third round offers potential redemption. City, now odds-on to take the Premier League, will start favourites to repeat last season’s FA Cup semi-final victory.
Ferguson’s efforts to bring home silverware this season are being undermined by a lengthy and persistent injury list, with key defenders Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans still absent for Sunday’s visit to Eastlands. Tom Cleverley, now back in light training, will also miss the game alongside long-term injury victims Nemanja Vidić, Michael Owen, and Fábio da Silva. Ashley Young is unlikely to return for another fortnight, while Rafael da Silva could make the side after being benched for the trip to Newcastle.
Indeed, injuries and home advantage means that City will expect to take the tie, admits Ferguson, with the Scot banking on a cup tie spirit to send the Reds into the fourth round at the old rivals’ expense.
“There are no new injuries from Wednesday so it’s the same squad for Sunday,” confirmed Ferguson.
“There’s no progress really to report. Chris Smalling is the one I’d love to get back but he’s got a really bad bout of tonsillitis. We expect to have him training by Monday. Jonny Evans has still got his calf injury. But there are enough experienced players in the squad to cope with a really difficult tie on Sunday.
“I always say about the FA Cup that we take anyone in a home draw so the advantage is with City, in this respect, in terms of the home draw. But it’s a cup tie, a local derby and anything can happen in these games. I think we’ve been expecting City to do well. They’ve got a strong squad and, apart from Mario Balotelli, all the players are very experienced. So it’s not unexpected where they are now. But they also know we’re right behind them.”
The challenge to City suffered a double blow in the past week with defeats to Blackburn and Newcastle. United had looked set to take the Premier League lead as the season entered its second half. Instead, the focus is now on the Reds poor form and defensive instability. Having shipped three goals in each of the past two games this week, Ferguson knows that he must tighten up a leaky back-four at Eastlands. It is a challenge not aided by so many absenteesMeanwhile, key midfielder Michael Carrick says that the team is banking on its ability to recover quickly from setbacks for the match against City. Carrick is one of many United players not to have won the cup – of the current squad only Darren Fletcher and Ryan Giggs have winners’ medals. It’s a fact that the 30-year-old midfielder is determined to put right.
“We’ve just got to get on with it. We tend to overcome setbacks pretty well here and hopefully we can do the same,” Carrick told ManUtd.com.
“Sunday’s game is a massive game – against our biggest rivals – and we’re looking forward to it. The fixture’s gone to another level from my first two or three derbies. You’ve got to be impressed by City. As well as having some great attacking threats, able to hit you at any time, they’re also a solid unit and hard to break down.
“We want to be playing in the big games, when there’s real pressure and a whole lot at stake. These are the games in which we really test ourselves and in the past, we’ve been really good at finding a way to win. That’s what we’ll be focusing on on Sunday.
“We just want to go through and be challenging to win the competition. A lot of the players here at United, including me, haven’t won the FA Cup and the club hasn’t won it for a number of years. That’s something we want to put right. Okay, with our biggest rivals and our local rivals in front of us on Sunday, it makes the game a whole lot bigger. But on the face of it, we just want to progress and be successful in the competition.”
United’s chances of progressing will depend greatly on how tight Ferguson’s back four remains at Eastlands. Rio Ferdinand and Phil Jones suffered a torrid spell at St. James’ Park, with the home side scoring three. It could have been many more. But with Vidić, Evans and Smalling all out, the partnership is likely to resume at Eastlands.
Ferguson may well choose to pack midfield though, hoping to win a battle in which may be missing key Yaya Touré. Although the Ivory Coast international is due to report for the Africa Cup of Nations Ferguson doubt’s whether City manager Roberto Mancini is telling nothing but the truth.
The Scot is likely to deploy Wayne Rooney as a lone forward, with Carrick, Ryan Giggs, Anderson and Park Ji-Sung competing for spots in central midfield. Antonio Valencia, Nani and Danny Wellbeck will compete for the wide positions.
“I am not sure Touré won’t be available for Sunday,” added a suspicious Ferguson.
“He probably will. I don’t know the whole background but apparently, he doesn’t need to meet up until Monday, I read somewhere, which suggests he should be playing on Sunday. All the teams who have African players have never really suffered much. If you check the records, they all seem to sail through it. I don’t think it makes a great impact when you have a squad of players. There are plenty to occupy those positions until they come back.”
Meanwhile, City will also be without forward Mario Ballotelli and defender Kolo Touré, who is due to meet up with the Ivory Coast squad. Manager Mancini could recall outcast Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong in Yaya’s stead, while James Milner, David Silva and Adam Johnson will compete for a place in wide areas.
Facing the tournament holders is a reminder to those in the squad that Ferguson’s side has not lifted the FA Cup since beating Millwall in 2004. Defeats to Arsenal and Chelsea in subsequent finals each came with a touch of ill fortune, and United will surely need to turn that around to win at Eastlands. Yet, says the United manager, the lack of Cup medals in the squad will motivate his men to push that little bit harder on Sunday.
“It’s probably a motivating force for the players who haven’t got medals,” admitted Sir Alex.
“Particularly someone like Rio Ferdinand. He mentioned to me last season that he hadn’t got an FA Cup medal and I couldn’t believe it, given the length of time he has been at the club. Everyone likes to win the FA Cup at least once in their life.”
History is with the men in Red – just. United has five FA Cup victories over the Blues, to City’s four. And of the 160 previous meetings, United has won 66, to City’s 44, with 50 drawn.
Match Facts
Manchester City versus Manchester United, FA Cup – third round, Eastlands, Sunday 8 January 2012, 1pm.Potential Line-ups
City (4-4-2): Hart; Richards, Kompany, Lescott, Zabaleta; Silva, De Jong, Milner, Nasri; Džeko, Aguero. Subs from: Pantilimon, Kolarov, Clichy, Savić, Barry, Johnson, Nimely, Razak.United (4-5-1): Lindegaard; Rafael, Jones, Ferdinand, Evra; Valencia, Carrick, Anderson, Park, Park; Rooney. Subs from: De Gea, Fryers, Anderson, Pogba, Cole, Giggs, Nani, Lingard, Diouf, Hernandez, Welbeck, Berbatov.
Form
City: LWWDLW
United: WWWWLLOfficials
Referee: Christopher Foy (St. Helens)
Assistant Referees: Simon Beck & Steve Child
Fourth Official: Michael JonesPosted 1 year ago # -
sheesh
Member
Completely agree with this article. It's got to a stage, I think, where the problems are more deep-rooted than the midfield issue. Can't really put my finger on it but somewhere along the line in the last few years, it seems to me that we've lost our way.
We cannot afford another 3 years of the Glazers but I hate to say that we cannot afford another 3 years of Fergie, either.
We're going backwards.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Alfonso Bedoya
Moderator "Completely agree with this article. It's got to a stage, I think, where the problems are more deep-rooted than the midfield issue. Can't really put my finger on it but somewhere along the line in the last few years, it seems to me that we've lost our way."
I can put my finger on it... Glazers!... End of!
Ferguson has his faults... quite a few... and why he continues to defend the Glazers, is a frustrating mystery... but he's still capable of running this club better than anyone else. But he needs a team worthy of the club... and that requires more funding than the Glazers are making available.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Waxfoot
Member
Posted by unregistered user: WaxfootThe fact is that SAF is being asked to work within a budget most managers not fit to shine his boots would baulk at.
“The Glazers are siphoning money in such staggering quantities that, in the past three years, United’s net spend is lower than that of Hull City, Blackpool and Burnley.”
from here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jan/07/sir-alex-ferguson-manchester-united
Posted 1 year ago # -
Waxfoot
Member Posted by unregistered user: WaxfootBut then he did write this article, which is steeped in misjudgment: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2006/jul/31/sport.comment
Posted 1 year ago # -
Scholes is on the bench. That's our Jan transfers done then. ffs.
Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.
Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice - Steven JobsPosted 1 year ago # -
lol - what thread are we using? i'll switch to the live one.
Posted 1 year ago #
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