United (H) - Sun 15th Dec, 16:30 | PL | Pre-Match Thread

[A590 blues]

Time for big boy pants to come out.
What we've witnessed over the past decade vastly eclipses the poor run were on.
Put our chances away defend properly we win not saying handsomely but we will.
The lads need us to get behind them more than ever now be proud and give them everything.
Hopefully a good day and a happy trip home

 

[bluethai]

For a quick fix, take Haaland off and switch to a false nine system. This will tighten the defence, strengthen the midfield, and make the attack less predictable, avoiding the wasted striker slot that's been marked out by every opponent, forcing us to play like we're with 10 men lately.

 

[mixer]

Who would you go with?

I would prefer Walker to sit this one out bit looks like we don't have any other option.

Stones and Ake won't be fit, Rico is suspended.

Unless he goes with Dias, Akanji and Gvardiol as a back three an uses Nunes as the inverted full back role which has been done before. Not ideal really.

I must admit in the daze of another shit show last evening i forgot about Ricos red, were probably too open with 4 at the back never mind 3 so maybe Peps hand is forced and he has to start.

 

[Lavinda Past]

Too many of our players are falling by the wayside. Some just aren't good enough, most are tired, some seem to lack confidence or belief in themselves. Most are simply 'ghosting' through games.

Pep looks a shadow of the man he was. A man in the midst of the worst period of his whole football career, trying to motivate a squad that appears to have lost the ability to perform in his system, or worse still, their belief in his system.

'Credit in the bank' counts for nothing in the modern game. It's sentimental nonsense. If Pep can't turn this around quickly, it's time for a change.

A win against one of the worst rag teams ever on Sunday would be no more than papering over cracks. A defeat like the FA Cup final would be a disaster.

If the team can't get up for this game, there's no bloody hope for this season. If we lose, I won't be bothered at all to see the back of Pep and most of the squad next season.

This is Manchester. This is OUR CITY. Sentimentality goes out of the window if our players give it up on Sunday.
We MUST win.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

Time for big boy pants to come out.
What we've witnessed over the past decade vastly eclipses the poor run were on.
Put our chances away defend properly we win not saying handsomely but we will.
The lads need us to get behind them more than ever now be proud and give them everything.
Hopefully a good day and a happy trip home

The defend properly is the hard bit!

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

Too many of our players are falling by the wayside. Some just aren't good enough, most are tired, some seem to lack confidence or belief in themselves. Most are simply 'ghosting' through games.

Pep looks a shadow of the man he was. A man in the midst of the worst period of his whole football career, trying to motivate a squad that appears to have lost the ability to perform in his system, or worse still, their belief in his system.

'Credit in the bank' counts for nothing in the modern game. It's sentimental nonsense. If Pep can't turn this around quickly, it's time for a change.

A win against one of the worst rag teams ever on Sunday would be no more than papering over cracks. A defeat like the FA Cup final would be a disaster.

Thankfully there are supporters who do not share your feelings expressed.
Beating the rags isn't the be all in the great scheme of things, and is reverting to the mentality of when we were bumming around as "everybody's favourite 2nd team"

Too many seem stuck in the " beating the rags " mentality, when there are far more important issues at hand.

We have lost to the cunts before and still rubbed their noses in the shit with better achievements further down the line.

It is a pain having to play this game at this moment in time, but it is what it is.

Hopefully beat them and then get on with the serious issue of building up confidence and performances.

 

[marco]

against all odds i do have a feeling were going to put a show on after last night 3-0 city

 

[I'm not really here]

To commemorate our current form, I propose we all go to the derby wearing our old/retro city shirts

 

[blue b4 the moon]

A new session of the guess the team compy starts with this game. Can you get into the head of Pep?

Pop along to the thread in the match day forum to join in rather than just posting teams in this thread.


Rules & regs are in that forum before session 1 game 1. Any queries please pm me.

 

[sh249]

I’d go something like this:

————-—-Ortega———-
—-Akanji—Dias—Gvardiol——
———-Wright—Kovacic———
Bernardo—Foden—Gundogan—Grealish
—————-Haaland———-

Prioritise control, keep that back 5 in shape at all times (no full backs out on the wing, or playing as a kind of false no. 8).

Leaves us with options from the bench:
De Bruyne, Doku, Savinho, Nunes (could start in place of Gundogan).

No chance of it happening, of course.