22 Aug 2018 23:49:38
What do peoplej think should happen Monday?
Personally i'd like to see lindelof and bailly shaw and young given the chance to redeem them selves . 1 bad even awful game doesn't make them totally useless. I hope they get a run of games to develop some sort of understanding.
I expect to see matic return and possibly sanchez and jessie.

1.) 23 Aug 2018
23 Aug 2018 00:35:40
Agreed Ken.

2.) 23 Aug 2018
23 Aug 2018 00:47:33
I would play smalling, if he didn't get injured against the scouse would of prob started any way.

3.) 23 Aug 2018
23 Aug 2018 00:56:50
Ken -

For me I'd play 3-5-2.

I'd retain both Lindelof and Bailly but give them some added protection and bring in Smalling. I'd persist with Young and Shaw as wing backs. If Matic is fit I think he must return alongside Pogba and Fred and I'd play Sanchez (if fit) and Lukaku up front.

I just think that formation best suits the players in our squad at the moment. An extra CB provides additional support and reassurance. It also means our full backs/ wing backs can push higher and provide some much needed width. Pogba still gets the cover and support he needs in midfield and Lukaku also has support meaning he doesn't get isolated up front.

From the bench we get Martial or Rashford in their best position. Lingard can replace Fred in a similar role he played for England at the WC.

When we play 4-3-3 we have no width and our wide players often get dragged far too deep and become auxiliary full backs. Nobody has really performed well from the right anyway. As we play so deep Lukaku is often isolated up front and we just don't look any kind of threat in that formation.

As Jose didn't get the players he wanted in the window namely another CB and RW I think he now needs to change formation. Sanchez looked razor shape in pre season playing up front. When he returned to the left against Bayern and Leicester he looked as bad as last year.

4.) 23 Aug 2018
23 Aug 2018 02:08:56
DLIB
Weren't have that amazing CB last season but never really played 3 at the back .

If we had of spent 80 on Maguire in the summer and he broke his leg first game of the season would that if been our season over?

5.) 23 Aug 2018
23 Aug 2018 06:41:42
Jred - I'm sorry pal I'm not sure what you mean.

I'd play 3-5-2 for the reasons I've stated in my above post. I just think it gives us a better balance defensively and more options going forward that's all.

6.) 23 Aug 2018
23 Aug 2018 07:50:16
I think it’s clear the 4-3-3 is not particularly exciting.

Personally I’d play Darmian as wing back in a 3-5-2, and Shaw or Young left back and play Smalling if fit.

Matic picks himself if he is available with Fred/ Ander and Pogba with Sanchez supporting Lukaku.

7.) 23 Aug 2018
23 Aug 2018 08:00:10
I'd take Darmian over Young any given day of the week. He was miles ahead of Young when he played against Leicester.

And Matic to start alongside Fred and Pogba.

8.) 23 Aug 2018
23 Aug 2018 09:13:49
I wouldn’t have Smalling anywhere near our first team, the Jones/ Bailly partnership is statistically best but stick with Lindelof and Bailly, show some faith.

9.) 23 Aug 2018
23 Aug 2018 11:05:31
Same exact team. Show us why we're wrong about most of you being useless, half efforted chumps.

10.) 23 Aug 2018
23 Aug 2018 13:20:57
It could be a rout on Monday if we don't keep the ball better and play with energy. Brighton are relegation material but Spurs are the antithesis of Utd at the moment.

Time for Jose to earn his crust and the players to do likewise - A good game for Sanchez to come in and prove his quality if fit enough, we need a lift.

11.) 23 Aug 2018
23 Aug 2018 13:59:36
I agree with DLIB and think that 352 is the best formation for the current set of players we have. In the back 3 however I can't work out who best fits to be in there alongside Lindelof/ Bailey. Do we go with the old steady of Smalling, one of the CB/ LB players like Rojo/ Darmian who we all say are rubbish going forward. Or we go a bit left field as we did against Madrid and play a DM in there like McTominy in the same way that Carrick was mentioned in previous years as an ideal in a back 3 to bring the ball forward.
I just don't know and at the moment unfortunately it feels like neither does Jose!

12.) 23 Aug 2018
23 Aug 2018 14:12:27
I find the formation debate interesting.

My son plays youth football at a high standard. It appears that in modern coaching, formations are different depending on whether you have possession of the ball or not ie defending or attacking.

Thus the team that my son plays in have a formation of 5-3-2 when they are defending which becomes 3-4-3 when they are attacking. The fullbacks push into midfield and one of the midfield players joins the attackers.

Obviously there are many different scenarios and I am sure it is even more advanced at professional level.
Thus our interpretation of formations is only part of how a team plays.

13.) 23 Aug 2018
23 Aug 2018 15:48:58
Hoggy

In a 3-5-2 we would become a 5-3-2 when defending but a 3 - 1 - 4 - 2 when we attack.

The wing backs pushed high and wide to create width and make the pitch bigger. Pogba and Fred would move forward in support of Sanchez and Lukaku making late runs into the box. Matic would hold in front of the back 3 to prevent the counter attack.

In a 4-3-3 formation we are basically a passive 6-3-1 when we defend and god knows what we when attack because we are so deep the move breaks down before we can get anyone forward. We then just retreat behind the ball again. Most of the time our only forward pass is a long ball into Lukaku.

I understand that in all probability the wings backs in a Jose team will invariably get pushed deep but at least if we have an extra player up front in support of Lukaku we might be able to get out more often and it at least gives us another forward option. It's then dependant on the wing backs sprinting forward to support the attack and provide the width. Sounds easy on here!