The BIG game is here. Our 6th game. On paper, our toughest test, in reality, the one that everyone is looking at to see if we’re going to be a problem this season.
Win it, folk are talking about title runs.
Lose, people are saying ‘same old Arsenal’ and the catastrophizers will be out in force telling us the end is nigh.
Reality is that the game is just another game and the outcome of it doesn’t really shape our season in any way. Our start has been blistering and results elsewhere have been pretty average elsewhere. We can’t be topped this weekend.
We should be taking the points though. We have been playing brilliant football, the team is focused, the momentum is with us. United are a bit of a mess at the moment, but they’ve had some good results of late, and today Antony and Casemiro will probably debut.
I’m expecting a really good starting 11. Sambi Lokonga is the player to watch, he’s a player that is extremely talented, but we don’t know if he can do it under the bright lights quite yet.
Good news is that Zinchenko, Ramsdale, White and Odegaard travelled. There aren’t really any excuses. We’ve played well with whoever we’ve rolled out this season.
This team looks SHARP:
That’s the best team we can roll with. Vieira, Eddie, and Smith Rowe are game-changers to come on late. I’m confident.
The ref situation is a concern. Paul Tierney isn’t just from Manchester, he grew up in Salford, where Old Trafford is. I very much doubt he was a neutral growing up and we’ve already seen him make poor decisions this season. My main hope here is that the reffing has been so diabolical this weekend, he might have a serious think before offering up a bit of ref flair in the 30th minute with a Xhaka late challenge. For all those that say the whinging doesn’t matter you should know there is an investigation into the botched VAR decision of the weekend. Who knows where it’s going, but I’d imagine the powers that be are getting sick and tired of refs dominating the headlines, even with the power of tech. West Ham and Newcastle were robbed yesterday. VVD wasn’t punished for a very blatant ankle snapper. Coutinho had a goal ruled out that was called offside too early. It’s disgraceful how one of the greatest products in sport, exported all around the world, for billions… can’t get a grip on shit officiating. You simply don’t get the same issues in other countries.
Back to the game…
As I said yesterday:
- Rise to the occasion to show the character has shifted
- Take our chances and assume we won’t get many
- Keep the concentration high, no more unforced errors
These are games that Liverpool and City just deal with. They don’t deal with the brand, they deal with what is on the pitch. United is a long way off being where it needs to be. We need to take advantage of that.
Gabi Jesus is built for games like this. As is Zinchenko. These are moments when your winners step up. They’ll give confidence to the players that have struggled to manage big moments in the past. Someone needs to step up and be a hero today, but we also need leaders all over the pitch
I’m excited. We’re either getting shithoused or we’re going to batter them. My money is on battering them.
REMEMBER TO TUNE IN FOR THE ON THE WHISTLE AFTER THE GAME. SUBSCRIBE BELOW AND IT’LL IT GIVE YOU THE TIMES!
Oh Villa won’t be letting Jacob Ramsey go if they aren’t willing to sell Luiz with a year left.
If it was a choice I would go all out on that midfield in January. Bring in Danilo and go for SMS as well. If we do that, it will be the final lift that we need to guarantee that top 4 spot. It will be like last time when spurs signed Bentancur and Kulusevski to give them that push. Diaz also did that for Liverpool. And they played every possible game they could play in a season reaching 3 finals.
Don’t think Arteta will ever learn to be honest. He has a blinkered vision and it ain’t going to change. Eriksen had a free ride in the middle of the field and Odegaard hadn’t the legs to close him down quickly enough. Not his fault just hasn’t the legs and in games against top opponents is why he is never prominent. Chaka was non existent and for the same reason but worse. Has not got an engine. Very one paced. Yes the defensive line was very high but when you are allowing the opposition midfield time and space to thread… Read more »
Samesong
“”CG Have always liked Nick Pope.”””
6ft 4.
Composed.
Keeps clean sheets for Newcastle ( Ramsdale clean sheet record is atrocious)
Leaned the basics at Burnley under S.Dyche
Not flashy.
On a bloody free.We bought Turner for £6 million
Ps. Hope you are keeping well.
Habesha
They won’t care if they played well. All they care about is the three points. I have a united friend (unfortunately) That was on an Arsenal pod cast before the game a few days saying that United will win by 3-4 goals and he explained that United will play low block. Counter attack.
Divine Sherlock summed it up excellently ETH had a game plan bringing on that extra Midfielder Fred when we were going for the win. We were niave in going all out for the win.
I’ve seen Antony getting described as the missing piece of the jigsaw based on yesterday
What banter is that
He had a nailed on 1 v 1 you’d expect any attacker to score, which he did, but was otherwise piss poor. He looks more Nani than Ronaldo…
If Antony can unlock deep blocks, then he will be the missing piece.
Same song I wouldn’t either if I was a United fan. But a reality check is just around the corner for all those smug faces. Their counter attacking game would be nothing if we had more athletic CM and DM yesterday. Liverpool were also caught the same way because they played Henderson as a #6 with Milner and Eliott infont of him. Fabinho was out of form and was benched on that day too. The only thing we need to learn is to buy athletic, and better midfielders. If we had them we would win even going for it. But… Read more »
It’s axiomatic that successful teams have ‘hungry for goals’ strikers. We had them in Wright and Henry. They may be versatile, do many other things, but their obsession is scoring goals. They live, breathe, die for that, Man City had Sergi Aguero, now they have Erling haaland. If Liverpool have a hiccup it’s lack of Mane. Chelsea acquired Raheem ahd Auba. And so it goes…. We got Gab J – fabulous player but NOT goal-obsessive. The closest we come is Eddie. He has a knack for scoring, the most valuable gift in football. An instinct for being in the right… Read more »
“”The closest we come is Eddie. He has a knack for scoring, the most valuable gift in football. An instinct for being in the right place at the right time.”””
💯 correct.
Sid unlocking defenses only counts for much of you have end product
The last couple of seasons in the weak Dutch league he’s not been putting up good numbers
Look past the pouting, chest thumping (proper try hard this one) and angry looks and we’ll see what’s left over. No evidence he was worth 85m before he joined and looked more like a 8.5m player yesterday. I’ll be surprised if he becomes a top player for United, I’ll put it that way
Yes Eddie definitely needs to play more. I would bench saka for the next game and let Eddie start. He and Jesus can interchange there
I would rotate the entire team on Thursday to be honest. But we don’t have a lot of players for that.
The line up I would play would be, Turner, Tomiyasu, White, Holding, Tierney, Sambi/Zinchenko, Xhaka, Viera, ESR (if he is fit and not injured), Marquinos, Eddie.
Some of our players that are consistently fit are going to have to play more matches till our injury crises in midfield ceases. Xhaka and White are available a lot and I would play them. We should be able to win away to Zurich with any team too.
Great at tricking defenders, he just plays with them. To Unlock deep block.
A flash, tricky winger who can irritate opposing fans with his petulance. X factor.
Bruno, Ericsen, Rashford can do the finishing.
Being critical or being honest.
Nick Pope is a better keeper than Ramsdale.
Martinez is a better keeper than Ramsdale.
Our second string keeper choice has been rank poor…..understatement!!
Ramsdale is an accident waiting to happen.
Who makes these choices?
I can’t stop laughing.
A few weeks ago I was saying the
same things that seem to be the consensus
now, and the Village Idiot and his two lackeys
were in full meltdown and obsession mode.
It’s funny how now that those same opinions
are now the consensus point of view they’ve suddenly
slinked into their holes and are nowhere to be seen.
Must suck to be a Football Know Nothing whose only
purpose is to attack those those discussing football while
having no original thoughts of your own
There are 12 EPL games, 6 EL games and 1 Carabao Cup game until the Jan TW opens. This squad is thin in midfield who will Edu and Tets go for, wingers or a CM/DM?
It looks to me there seems to be something rotten in keeping players from getting injured either during training sessions or matches it could be that is we are in a close top 4 race priority for incoming players may again shift. Deja vu last season’s Jan TW.