United (H) - Sun 6th March, 16:30 | Pre-Match Thread

[Pezzer2]

Just listened to the 93.20 podcast ahead of the derby, the usual surprising arrogance with no acknowledgement of the fact Pep has 1 home win over a seemingly "appalling" Utd team since he joined, this also includes a LC semi=final 2nd leg....a bit like our patchy home record against Spurs, who just happen to have a similar style of play as Utd.
Had to laugh at one of them trying to dismiss the relevance of the stat about Raz having the worst turn over record of our forwards as being irrelevant...yep, that's right, Pep loves players who can't keep control of the ball, it's fundamental to our style of play that, giving the ball away as often as possible....jings.
I suppose you can point to the one win being in the only match that actually mattered, the 3-1 in 18/19 season.
I'd like a front three of Foden Grealish and Mahrez, Raz has an appalling record versus Utd....hasn't scored against them for us and frankly, has been schooled by an average Wan Bissaka the last few games.
Happy to welcome Kyle back at RB, we will need his pace.

I think you're very harsh. The strength of the 93:20 is the variety of different contributors who all add something different. Ahsan is bullish and most of the time the glass is half full. I love the positivity and he's not scared to put his head on the block. Chris speaks very eloquently and the young lad Harry speaks very well with contrasting views. Its a cracking podcast.

We have the right to be confident we are the Champions of England and despite our poor record against them at the Etihad, its not arrogance as anyone can see we're the better team. I trust Pep and trust the players. I'm under no illusions that its going to be tough but still reckon we'll see it through with a 3-1 win

Your right about Raz having a bad record against United but thinking of it objectively. Its a totally new season with Wan Bissaka having a poor season. Pep has hinted he may have a different approach, Defenders hate pace and Sterling might run into dead ends but he'll have a pop and make Wan Bissaka work. Saying all that I wouldn't mind Foden playing on the left with Bernardo in the false nine. I'm torn between Jesus and Mahrez on the right, as Mahrez is having a great season and he would tie Shaw and Maguire in knots. The more cautious approach would be to put Jesus there to have the discipline and work rate to stop the threat of Shaw getting forward( I think Jesus played on the right in the Old Trafford derby.) We need to stop them at source whether thats Pogba or Fernandes. high press with more intensity than of late and just smoother them from start to finish

 

[Bluekiwi]

Best answer yet. I'll try that, you are further away than I am. Cheers.

You are welcome and I hope you are as successful as I have been getting to listen to the games while I am out and about..

 

[Corky]

Moony on the podcast made a good point re our poor recent home record to the rags - the games we’ve lost to them have by and large not been must win games. The 17/18 disaster although still painful now didn’t alter the big picture nor did last season’s no show league performance or the league cup SF 2nd leg.

The 2019 totally killed any hope of a title challenge. All we had to do was win the next 22...

 

[fitzy blue]

It may have done us a favour liverpool closing up on us, as now its given the team more incentive to win.
If trafford somehow manage to fluke a win, no doubt from catching us on the break which I'm sure will be the way they play, the media will love it and plaster it on as many pages as they can, but no doubt conveniently forgetting to mention they're still 16 points behind us.

 

[Blue and still suffering]

In some ways the Rags need the win more than we do, especially if the Gunners beat Watford in the early game. So the pressure could be more on them than us.
Hate Derby games so even though I will be wishing I had sofa to sit behind. Will take any positive result on offer.

 

[Wanchope n me Dickov]

We will smash them if the crowd turn up.
Let’s do it for Warney!

 

[Wanchope n me Dickov]

3 - 1 Mahez, Bernie, Phil

 

[goater1985]

We are a better football team, we have better players so should win on paper.

It’s at the Etihad which means :

De Gea will be at his absolute best.
We’ll make cross after cross after cross which will be cleared each time.
They will have 2 attacks and 2 shots on target and score both.
City 1-2 United

I hope i’m wrong

Sadly what I feel

 

[mike1923]

Smash the rag bastards

 

[mike1923]

Not good for the rags they win Liverpool probably win the title and equal their number of wins. We beat Leeds and Blackburn to give the rags a leg up in tight title races , both times they blue it. Nice if they could jelp us when they go to Anfield.

They want the 3 points
They aren’t getting it. 3-1 city