Derby Pre Match thread

[Father Paul]

We are playing the Scum, not a team of world beaters. No need to play an extra defensive midfielder. If we play 2 in the middle of Yaya and Fernandinho we will not get over run. We will have 60% of the ball. United are not at our level. In games when we have more of the ball than the other team we need yaya as part of the midfield to dictate and control the game. United will have Shrek & Martial on the pitch, that's essentially 4-4-2 so I don't see where we will get over run.

Does anyone remember the first 20 mins last season, probably the best ive seen us play. Go at them from the start, bang in an early goal and then we have the players to hurt them on the counter.

Hart
Sagna
Kompany
Mangala
Kolarov
Fernandinho
Yaya
Navas
Sterling
De Bruyne
Bony

Not a team of world beaters, but like it or not they are one of our main rivals for the title. A very good case can be made that they will directly target a YaYa/Fernandinho
partnership in midfield, and yes we could get overrun like last season at the swamp despite our impressive start. We must not lose this game, and playing Fernando would hopefully nullify the rags and release YaYa to damage them like he did last night when he got forward. This of course means one of Bony/Navas/Sterling would have to sit on the bench. Personally I would drop Bony but I can understand why this would not be universally popular.

 

[NQCitizen]

Might take a bit of stick for this but Zaba is horrendously off form and I think it'd be unfair to drop Ota and Mangala.

Hart
Sagna Ota Mangala Kolarov
Dinho nando
Navas yaya kdb
Sterling

If we play Bony we play 4-4-2 as he can't/won't run in behind and I really don't think we can afford that here.

Imo despite being at the top this derby just feels less important than recent ones. I've no doubt we could lose and win the league but I'm not unconvinced we could win this and not win the league.

Take a draw right now, looked absolutely spent against Sevilla.

 

[Jazzman]

Take a draw right now, looked absolutely spent against Sevilla.

Well I reckon the Rag's will be at least equally spent having to travel home from Moscow :-)

 

[cibaman]

The Yaya - Fernando - Fernandhino combination looks good on paper but on the few occasions that we've started with it its been very poor (eg at QPR last season and Spurs this season).

To get the best out of Yaya (and the team) we do not need an extra midfield player behind Yaya, we need one in front of him. Yaya was playing very well earlier this season with Silva playing ahead of him in a 4231. That set up forces Yaya to sit back a bit more, be more selective (and hence more effective) in his runs forward. It makes the greatest use of his main attribute, his passing game. It allows him to knit play together with short passes, mixed in with the occasional defense splitting longer pass. Move him forward and you remove that threat.

Since Silva has been injured and we've moved Sterling or De Bruyne into the middle, in a more advanced position than Silva was playing, Yaya's physical limitations have become more noticeable. He tries to get forward too often, to move into the space where Silva would have been. That's when he ends up being stranded in no man's land.

If Silva is absent on Sunday we should switch De Bruyne into the middle, but playing a tad deeper than normal for him.

 

[Kinkys Left Foot]

No the moderator quite clearly made reference to him supporting one of the most racist clubs.

The Yaya - Fernando - Fernandhino combination looks good on paper but on the few occasions that we've started with it its been very poor (eg at QPR last season and Spurs this season).

To get the best out of Yaya (and the team) we do not need an extra midfield player behind Yaya, we need one in front of him. Yaya was playing very well earlier this season with Silva playing ahead of him in a 4231. That set up forces Yaya to sit back a bit more, be more selective (and hence more effective) in his runs forward. It makes the greatest use of his main attribute, his passing game. It allows him to knit play together with short passes, mixed in with the occasional defense splitting longer pass. Move him forward and you remove that threat.

Since Silva has been injured and we've moved Sterling or De Bruyne into the middle, in a more advanced position than Silva was playing, Yaya's physical limitations have become more noticeable. He tries to get forward too often, to move into the space where Silva would have been. That's when he ends up being stranded in no man's land.

If Silva is absent on Sunday we should switch De Bruyne into the middle, but playing a tad deeper than normal for him.

Amen

Zabba looked tired or injured last night when hooked - if he doesn't recover think it will be Sagna at RB and Alex at LB.
Kompany to start and come off at 60 mins for Ottamendi.
Midfield as above - wonder what they'd look like as a diamond - with either Sterling or Navas providing the pace out wide on the R and AK on the L.
Bony to start up front Nacho to come on if required.
We can and will beat them!

JH
BS VK EM AK
YT
F01 F02
KDB
RS/JN
WB

 

[lasereyes]

Team selection is going to be critical in this game. Yaya is a bit like the ageing boxer that has one fight too many. He can still land a knockout punch now and then, but he has slowed over time. If Pellers does play Yaya (which I think he will), then he will have to drop one of Sterling or Bony, and bring in Fernando to strengthen the middle.

Now and then's pretty unfair ... he set up both our goals yesterday.

 

[lasereyes]

Not a team of world beaters, but like it or not they are one of our main rivals for the title. A very good case can be made that they will directly target a YaYa/Fernandinho
partnership in midfield, and yes we could get overrun like last season at the swamp despite our impressive start. We must not lose this game, and playing Fernando would hopefully nullify the rags and release YaYa to damage them like he did last night when he got forward. This of course means one of Bony/Navas/Sterling would have to sit on the bench. Personally I would drop Bony but I can understand why this would not be universally popular.

That's the common wisdom of playing 2 defensive CMs, but it just hasnt worked out that way. Yaya playing further forward is generally less effective as you eliminate his ability to make surging runs from deep. He got forward for our 2 goals yesterday regardless of the set-up - the first goal was when we had 2 in CM; the second was when we had 3.

I'm struggling to think of any game where Yaya has been effective starting upfront. In fact our worst game this year away to Spurs was when he did.

 

[sh249]

The defence you have looks sound though not sure about Kolorov. As I said earlier the midfield MUST be beefed up by playing the two Ferns.Bony will be a liability against the rags way to slow. We need someone who can get in behind them.

The fact Yaya in a two means we will be over run in midfield and giving our defence less protection.

Don't really agree with any of this. There was little problem with playing Fernandinho and Yaya in midfield at the start of the season when we racked up 5 wins on the spin without conceding. De Bruyne for Silva makes next to no difference in terms of our defensive set up.

Bringing Fernando into the team won't, in and of itself, make us more solid. That will only happen if we get back to being as compact as we were at the start of the season with Kompany leading the back line and ensuring we defended aggressively, closing off the space behind the midfielders. And I don't really understand the 'overrun in midfield' argument anyway - they'll likely play 2 of Schneiderlin, Carrick and Schweinsteiger with Herrera or Mata ahead of them - how is that much different to us playing Yaya and Fernandinho, plus De Bruyne? And inasmuch as Yaya can and does often struggle against quick, mobile midfielders, he won't against the likes of Carrick and Schweinsteiger - who are arguably even more immobile than he is.

As for Bony - he obviously hasn't been pulling up trees and was pretty crap last night. But he's had success against the rags before, and I'd expect him to bully Smalling and Jones a bit. And with Navas and Sterling out wide, we've got players who can go in behind and stretch the game.

 

[doctor whites]

While we should not be lying awake at night thinking about it we should be concerned. We saw what happened in raggy land last time and I for one don't want to
see a repeat. Would be nice to win but in light of the circumstances a draw would be more than acceptable. As may have been pointed out there has not been a draw in this fixture in a while. A nil all at home a few years back is the last I can remember. Keep the faith.

Stay cool your worship KEEP THE FAITH?? are you a mod mate

 

[ninjamonkey]

United will no doubt play with a 3 man midfield. We'll get overrun if we don't set up similarly. Fernando in, Bony or Sterling to drop out.

----------------Hart

Sagna Kompany Mangala Kolarov

------Fernando Fernandinho

Navas -------Yaya------- De Bruyne

----------Sterling/Bony

Man for Man we have the advantage in pretty much every position. Simply match them in tactics and we'll win comfortably. Give away midfield control by not playing the extra man in there and we'll struggle.