Man U (H) - Sunday 27th October 2pm
A derby of the disillusioned, moaning from fans seems quite likely from one side or both this weekend. We’ve had a bad year against top 10 sides but this weekend we’re not playing one.
Kudus out means we’re going to see at least one enforced change - should there be more? Discuss
COYI
Kudus out means we’re going to see at least one enforced change - should there be more? Discuss
COYI
Comments
Todibo - Mavropanos - Kilman
Wan-Bissaka - Álvarez - Souček - Emerson
Bowen - Antonio - Summerville
Areola, Coufal, Cresswell, Irving, Rodríguez, Soler, Paquetá, Guilherme, Ings
We need something from this game. We need to get back to some semblance of solidity & with no Kudus & Paquetá out of form it offers us the chance to go to a back five. I’d also drop Areola. The last 5 goals conceded he should have done better with all of them.
I suspect we'll see Summerville come in for Kudus and that will be that, although the other possibility is shifting Paqueta out wide and bringing either Alvarez or Soler back in to replace him centrally. That would be tough on Summerville though, as he's our only natural left sided forward and to find himself behind both Kudus and Paqueta for his natural position wouldn't be nice.
Like Spurs they had a bit of a clear out over the summer, McTominey, Varane, Martial, Sancho, Greenwood, van de Beek and of course Wan Bissaka are all gone.
Unlike Spurs there have been several new additions and Ten Hag has made a lot of changes to his starting XI although there has been a little more consistency in the last few games,
Only three players, Fernandes, Rashford and Dallot, have started all 13 games in all competitions with only one other, Onana, starting every Premier League game
At the back their big summer signing was 18yo French U23 CB Leny Yoro who joined from Lille for £52m then broke his metatarsal after just 10 days and needed surgery
Maguire. Malacia and Shaw are also injured with Victor Lindelof recently returned to the bench after recovering from a toe.
They signed two players from Bayern Munich, Dutch CB Matthijs de Ligt (£38.5m) who has started five of the last six and Moroccan RB Noussair Mazraoui (£12.8m) who was dropped to the bench last weekend after seven Premier League starts
CB Lisandro Martinez has started every game apart from Villa although he has played as a LB in the last few games. The biggest surprise must be the inclusion of Jonny Evans who has started the last two and will celebrate his 37th birthday in January
In the middle of the park Christian Eriksen has started the last three but injuries to Casemiro, Mainoo and Mount could offer a place for new arrival 23yo Uruguayan Manuel Ugarte (£42m PSG). Another option is 20yo Toby Collyer who is captain of the U21s and made his first team debut in the Charity Shield
Garanacho has started three of the last four alongside Rashford and Fernades and is currently top scorer with five although two of those were against Barnsley in a 7-0 League Cup thrashing (Eriksen and Rashford also got two goals each in that match)
Amad Diallo and Antony are both options currently occupying the bench
Up front Hojland has started the last three games after recovery from a hamstring and scored the winner against Brentford. Summer signing Dutch 21yo Joshua Zirkzee (£36.5m Bologna) scored on opening day against Fulham but hasn't added to his tally in 10 appearances since then
They play Fenerbahce tonight so maybe more news to come
We don't have a good record at Old Trafford but then who does?
We beat them up there in the League Cup September 2021 but our last away draw in the Premier League was July 2020 (behind closed doors due to Covid) and our last away win was May 2007, a meaningless game at the end of the season that no one paid any attention to
Man Utd starting XI
Onana
Dalot De Ligt Lindelöf Martinez
Eriksen Ugarte Mazraoui
Rashford Zirkzee Garnacho
Fernandes was banned after picking up two yellows against Porto and Jonny Evans was out with a knock
Casemiro was a substitute and came on in the second half for Lindelof so obviously the injury he picked up at the weekend wasn't as bad as first reported
Hojlund replaced Zirkzee while Antony replaced Rashford but was carried off on a stretcher and was replaced by Daillo
The unused subs were a couple of keepers and three teenagers
Ten Hag is running out of first team players
Hopefully it makes them sluggish
Best guess
Onana
Dalot De Ligt Lindelöf Martinez
Eriksen Casemiro
Rashford Fernandes Garnacho
Hojlund
Or
Onana
Mazraoui De Ligt Martinez Dalot
Eriksen Casemiro
Rashford Fernandes Garnacho
Hojlund
Or who knows
The midfield is a big issue for me. Souček & Álvarez need to come in as I find Rodríguez too slow. Paquetá doesn’t deserve to play. I think a back three with a front three of Bowen, Antonio, Summerville is the best way. Or, give Paquetá an opportunity on the left where he played last season for Moyes when we did fairly well, linking up with Emerson. I’m pretty sure Areola will be dropped.
I imagine it’ll be…
Fabiański
Wan-Bissaka - Todibo - Kilman - Emerson
Souček - Álvarez - Paquetá
Bowen - Antonio - Summerville
But think this could be better…
Fabiański
Todibo - Mavropanos - Kilman
Wan-Bissaka - Álvarez - Souček - Emerson
Bowen - Antonio - Paquetá/Summerville
Ward-Prowse’s energy & legs really are being missed in this team. He got around the pitch, put pressure on, used the ball well & quickly when he had it; we are missing that efficiency at the moment.
Subs: Areola, Cresswell, Coufal, Summerville, Guilherme, Ings, Todibo, Soucek, Irving.
Subs: Bayindir, Lindelof, Zirkzee, Diallo, Ugarte, Evans, Wheatley, Amass, Fletcher.
Altair Bayindir Turkish 26yo back up keeper
Ethan Wheatley 18yo striker
Harry Amass 17yo LB
Jack Fletcher 17yo AM/CM
Also like Alvarez back and Soler given a chance
Don't like Mavropanos starting over Tobido, huge step back
Also don't like Fabianski being back, even if Areola has really struggled so far this season, he's just too old
Gutted for Summerville
Not sure Lopetegui has got this right, but I also don't know what would work so guess we will see come 4pm