Team for Manure!

[Davalon]

If JOC isn't playing and we're not moving Enda inside and bringing Ossie In, then I don't see much point in playing the usual system.

There hasn't been enough attacking threat down the flanks and if we can't offer that at OT we need to match them elsewhere.

A big part of our success has been teams struggling to get to grips with our style of play. That has gone missing in these last two games.

 

[Welshblade]

We can't start with a back 2 of Basham and Robinson. Just...no.

I think if there's no Egan, O'Connell or Jags then we've got to bring Rodwell in and stick to our 3 at the back. Let Rodwell sit in the middle, almost as a sweeper. Get Norwood and Berge to sit deep and get some pace up top and hope for a miracle.

I would like that have Norwood on the left and Berge on the right with L.Freeman as a free agent no.10 in front of them.

 

[mancunianblade]

Why is everyone choosing Verrips over Moore? Can't say I've seen Verrips play so have no opinion but Wilder has opted for Moore over him in the past two outings which I think is a clear indication as to who CW prefers unless he's injured and I've missed it

 

[Bladesman]

If JOC isn't playing and we're not moving Enda inside and bringing Ossie In, then I don't see much point in playing the usual system.

There hasn't been enough attacking threat down the flanks and if we can't offer that at OT we need to match them elsewhere.

A big part of our success has been teams struggling to get to grips with our style of play. That has gone missing in these last two games.

This is Ben Osborn's time to shine!

 

[west_yorks_blade]

No need to overreact after yesterday.

just need to drop everyone who was poor.

So the team should be Bash and ten other squad players.

 

[BornOnShorehamStreet]

Are folks really that pissed off at Norwood after a bad game? I’m sure that will be the worst he’ll play this season. When he’s on song we’re on song.

I just think we are astonished at the number of times he gave the ball to them. Yes it can happen from time to time but he seemed to be practicing it yesterday!

I thought Berge had his best game for us (not saying much I know) and I'd give him a go over Norwood unless there is a way to have them both in the midfield.
Might give Olly time to think and if it wasn't working, bring him on second half. The last few EPL games are, (now that Europe has gone and it has), opportunities to experiment.

Anyway, we've a cup to win

 

[LondonBlade89]

The problem with being a "system team" - ie. a team whose quality is greater than the sum of its parts owing to the system and squad unity - is when aspects of it fail, you've not got an awful lot of quality underpinning it, at least at the very highest level. If Newcastle's system fails, they've got potential game-winners like ASM, Shelvey, Almiron or even Matt Ritchie to fall back on. Even among the relegation threatened teams, Villa have Grealish who can take the game by the scruff of the neck. Palace have Zaha. Even Norwich have Buendia and Pukki.

Our issues all feel linked. The wing inter-play isn't as good, therefore Norwood's having less time on the ball, most of the balls are going long either from him or the back instead, and our strikers aren't holding the ball particularly well. Nothing is working and so we're reliant on individual brilliance, which we're also not getting. Fleck is the most likely to provide it but yesterday felt like it was too much of an ask given the long break and recent injury.

So what do you do? I understand if Jags isn't fit the desire to tweak the formation, particularly if something like a 4-2-3-1 gives us a chance of getting the best out of Berge. But I think if he's able to play, there's no reason why we should make large-scale changes.

Personally I'd keep the formation the same, put Jags at CB, Lundstram in at RCM, Fleck if fit at LCM and stick McGoldrick and either Zivkovic or Moose up top. With the exception of the striker changes, I think most would agree. So on the striker changes, my thinking is that McGoldrick provides good opportunities for link-up play. He comes in for McBurnie, whose starting looking like Didsy at times but isn't quite there. Then you want some pace to trouble Man Utd's defence. Enter either ZIvkovic or Moose. Finally, and this is probably the most unpopular one, I'd swap Berge in for Norwood. Norwood has returned bang off it, and if we're struggling on the wings I think I'd sooner have a more athletic player in that position. Berge can look cumbersome at times but he's better in this area than Norwood. I can totally understand if people think it's a bit too radical to punish a player whose been one of our stand-out players this year, but he's not been at the races and with how turgid our play has been, I think we need a boost.

 

[Liaminho9]

A thought i've had, however unpopular it might be, is that we may need Berge in the starting 11 to combat the physicality of Pogba.

 

[Blade58]

Moore

Baldock
Bash
Jags
Stevens

Ollie
Berge
Fleck
Didzy

Ziv
Moose

Let's surprise em with some pace up front

4-4-2, Norwood through balls and Didzy link up balls

Diamond in middle

Berge in front of back 4
Ollie in front of Berge
Fleck and Didzy left and right

Shit or bust as they say

 

[Swannyblade]

Moore/Verrips

Baldock Bash Jags Stevens Osborn

Norwood
Lundstram Fleck
McGoldrick

Moose

 

[west_yorks_blade]

Moore/Verrips

Baldock Bash Jags Stevens Osborn

Norwood
Lundstram Fleck
McGoldrick

Moose

Playing two keepers as you suggest may be our best bet.

 

[Swannyblade]

Playing two keepers as you suggest may be our best bet.

Jags can be goalie wag as well

 

[Rob86]

Moore

K.Freeman
Rodwell
Jags
Robinson
Norrington-Davies

L. Freeman
Berge
Lundstram

Leon
Zivkovic

Racking my brains trying to think of more fringe players, just highlights how fucking light we are with the up and coming schedule. Fucking Covid has ruined my life more than football, but the way we’ve started is the icing on the cake

 

[Sam64]

Moore

K.Freeman
Rodwell
Jags
Robinson
Norrington-Davies

L. Freeman
Berge
Lundstram

Leon
Zivkovic

Racking my brains trying to think of more fringe players, just highlights how fucking light we are with the up and coming schedule. Fucking Covid has ruined my life more than football, but the way we’ve started is the icing on the cake

Ben Osborn still can't get a start

 

[Rob86]

Ben Osborn still can't get a start

Osbourn for Lunny

anymore I’ve missed ? Maybe Norrington-Davis at LCB and Osbourn at LWB. Rest Robinson

 

[Harry's Game]

..................................Moore

Baldock.........Bash.................Robinson............Stevens

Lunny........Berge.....Norwood......Freeman...........Fleck

................................Macburnie


Four, Five, One Look to contain, hope Man U have an off day and we get a bit of luck.

I have only gone for Macburnie instead of Didsy or Mousett as I think we will need his height to defend set pieces.

Look with the back line decimated a point at Old Trafford would be the result of the season, a win would be one of our greatest results of the last 40 Years. In reality I would probably settle for a similar result as at Anfield and get the fuck out of there without any confidence smashing humiliation.

So frustrating as pre Covid with our strongest team out I fancied giving them a real game.

 

[TomTheBlade1889]

I think bringing back the no.10 role would help us hugely going forward, although it may hinder us abit defensively without the extra defensive midfielder. Duffy did it exceptionally well, when he played well the rest of the team seemed to play well. His link-up was excellent and helped us keep possession. Our strikers only seem to get a touch of the ball when it's knocked long to them, a cross comes in or when they drop deep to receive it - a number 10 would provide more of direct link to them and would allow us to play through the middle more effectively at times. Freeman is our closest to that so I'd like the the gaffer to give him game there to see how it plays out.

 

[Sam64]

Would personally go

Moore
Baldock - Bash - Jags - Stevens - Osborn
Lunny - Norwood - Fleck
McGoldrick
Moose

 

[GreenhillBladeinToronto]

Apologies if I’m repeating previous comments as I have not read the whole thread, but this makes sense to me as (may ) keep us solid and compact when defending, and allows us to get back to the overlapping CBs by preferring Enda to Robbo in that role and has Didsy for link play so we don’t have the huge gap between mid and forward(s). And it takes Berge out of the lime light who is not ready (hopefully next season he may start to show why he is/was so highly rated) and is currently almost doomed to fail as he has become the scapegoat and doubt he has the thickest skin to handle it

 

[PeterNdlovu081]

Moore
Stevens
Basham
Jagielka
O'Connell
Baldock
Norwood
Fleck
Lundstram
McGoldrick
Sharp

 

[Come from away]

other than the goalkeeper and jags I doubt there will be any changes

 

[Keen Blade]

..................................Moore

Baldock.........Bash.................Robinson............Stevens

Lunny........Berge.....Norwood......Freeman...........Fleck

................................Macburnie


Four, Five, One Look to contain, hope Man U have an off day and we get a bit of luck.

I have only gone for Macburnie instead of Didsy or Mousett as I think we will need his height to defend set pieces.

Look with the back line decimated a point at Old Trafford would be the result of the season, a win would be one of our greatest results of the last 40 Years. In reality I would probably settle for a similar result as at Anfield and get the fuck out of there without any confidence smashing humiliation.

So frustrating as pre Covid with our strongest team out I fancied giving them a real game.

Liverpool never got out of first gear at Anfield and we slinked away without laying a glove on them - Man Utd will be pushing for a big win to boost confidence in their scrap for Europe and if we put in anything like the last 2 performances , they'll get it.

 

[Keen Blade]

I think bringing back the no.10 role would help us hugely going forward, although it may hinder us abit defensively without the extra defensive midfielder. Duffy did it exceptionally well, when he played well the rest of the team seemed to play well. His link-up was excellent and helped us keep possession. Our strikers only seem to get a touch of the ball when it's knocked long to them, a cross comes in or when they drop deep to receive it - a number 10 would provide more of direct link to them and would allow us to play through the middle more effectively at times. Freeman is our closest to that so I'd like the the gaffer to give him game there to see how it plays out.

CW has admitted being too scared to play a no.10 all season , so he isn't going to do it at OT after what's just happened in the last 2 games.

 

[CoatesyBlade]

Moore - (he's on the bench Verrips isn't means to me he's better).
Bash-Jags-Stevens (Hopefully JoC for Jags)
Baldock -Osborn
Lundstram-Berge-Fleck
Moose-Sharp (McGoldrick if fit for Sharp)

There’s no f’ing way Norwood is getting dropped after one poor game. He’s the heartbeat of our team. I really want Berge to get in the team, get hold of the ball and run through teams... but he’s not showing that right now so the best options are Lunny, Norwood and Fleck

 

[Tezza1889]

Does anybody think man u might rest a few players... Asking for a friend..

 

[Wards]

Does anybody think man u might rest a few players... Asking for a friend..

Your likes of Rashford and Bruno may get a rest - sadly they’ll just bring in Ighalo and Pogba! In all seriousness though I think they’ll put the full lot out against us to ensure we’re not going to be challenging for that last Champs League place. And they’ve had an extra two days recovery.

 

[west_yorks_blade]

Does anybody think man u might rest a few players... Asking for a friend..

I’m sure they will at half time when they are six up

 

[Tezza1889]

Your likes of Rashford and Bruno may get a rest - sadly they’ll just bring in Ighalo and Pogba! In all seriousness though I think they’ll put the full lot out against us to ensure we’re not going to be challenging for that last Champs League place. And they’ve had an extra two days recovery.

Watched pogba when he came on the other night, real big time Charlie, but he has the quality to back it up.. Frightening..

 

[Wards]

Watched pogba when he came on the other night, real big time Charlie, but he has the quality to back it up.. Frightening..

Yep. Sorts his head out and he’s an unbelievable talent.

 

[Al. 59]

For me, let's see Berge & Norwood together as a pair. The defence is going to need extra protection on Wednesday night & we're up against Pogba & Bruno.

Moore

Baldock
Rodwell
Basham
Robinson
Stevens

Lundstram
Berge
Norwood
Fleck

Mousset.

This is just the starting team I said after the Newcastle game.
Gives Berg a CM role, extra defensive cover and hopefully hold out for a point.
Funny and Fleck need to be attacking at every opportunity