Premier League 2020/21: West Brom vs Man Utd. Sun 14th Feb 2pm KO

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Fair to say West Brom haven’t had the new manager bounce they hoped for when Big Sam came in the defence is still leaking goals for fun.

Team news Pogba is out and Bailly is a doubt not expected to be back from his latest injury.

We know what to expect they’ll defend in numbers sit deep and try to break and capitalise on set piece chances which is exactly what we hate so our attacking players will need to be at their best and ruthlessly punish any mistakes. Ex Utd keeper Sam Johnstone in the sticks has proven a fantastic shot stopped so we need to be clinical.

In terms of selection the big talking point amongst fans has been the form of our keeper and is this now the time to drop him? I think we should but I don’t think Ole will. Back 4 with Bailly unfit kind of picks itself with Pogba out I think he goes Fred & McT in midfield maybe he gives VDB a go in that slightly deeper role but his performances haven’t exactly forced Ole to pick him.

Predicted XI

DDG

AWB Lindelof Maguire Shaw

McTominay Fred

Greenwood Bruno Rashford

Cavani

Utd need the points not really to put pressure on City but to keep/build the gap between us and the chasers for top 4.
 
I'd throw Donny in there. Do we really need Fred alongside McTominay against West Brom?
 
I'd throw Donny in there. Do we really need Fred alongside McTominay against West Brom?

Given the way McTominay is playing surely we play them and give him the license to go forward and just let Fred sit?

If Ole does think Donny can play that position it shouldn't get much easier that this game he played him in this role in the home game and he did pretty well so maybe he gives him another shot.
 
DeGea
AWB Lindelof Maguire Shaw
McTominay VDB
Rashford. Bruno. Martial
Cavani

Not really a fan of 4231. Maybe get VDB near Bruno in a 4141, which frees up Bruno to roam. Effectively a 4131 + Bruno chasing the ball. We should be building the team around Bruno because when he’s out of the side we are lost.
 
DeGea
AWB Lindelof Maguire Shaw
McTominay VDB
Rashford. Bruno. Martial
Cavani
Would go along with that. Although would play Greenwood instead of Martial. Just need to go for the jugular and not give WBA any encouragement. It’s one of those tricky games that you think is going to be easy (ahem Sheff United) but then when it comes to it is harder than you think. Still fully expect a comfortable win.
 
DeGea
AWB Lindelof Maguire Shaw
McTominay VDB
Rashford. Bruno. Martial
Cavani

Not really a fan of 4231. Maybe get VDB near Bruno in a 4141, which frees up Bruno to roam. Effectively a 4131 + Bruno chasing the ball. We should be building the team around Bruno because when he’s out of the side we are lost.

Doesn't 4-2-3-1 basically build it around Bruno? The key to that system working is a truely genuis number 10 who scores and creates I think it's why that system never really worked under Mourinho or Ole until Bruno arrived as we didn't have that number 10.

We basically play 3 strikers so we don't want to lumber them with much defensive responsibility.

We can get pedantic sometimes with formations as they are only really relevant without the ball. I'd argue Utd play 4-2-1-3 because our wide forward don't really defend we play them very high in our defensive structure we don't really expect them to track all the way back we want them sitting in the space the opponents full back leaves when he's tempted forward.

I mean really the 4-2-3-1 is just a fancy name for the system Fergie played in the early 90's with Cantona off Hughes and 2 wide players.
 
Those wingers were definitely more defensively sound. I'd argue that was the 4-4-1-1

I do think we can get caught up in naming the formations to often. You could easily say United play a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1

The front 4 aren't expected to do that much donkey work. Could even suggest it's a 4-2-4 haha! But either way it's the same starting 11 in the similar roles. I agree with Cosmic in that we should play Donny and let him push up slightly further. Get him linking in with Bruno a bit.
 
Updated the title game is tomorrow not today.

Ooops
 
Shame no Greenwood from the start maybe saving him for midweek.

Not surprised at him sticking with De Gea but can’t grumble to much about the line up.

Not many attacking options off the bench so the starters will need to get the job done.

Would be nice if we could start a game well for a change and not spend the first 15 minutes half asleep.
 
That's a damn mare from Lindelof. It just cannot be continuously defended he needs to go.

Thankfully it's very early. I'd barely sat down with a tea. Literally as they crossed the ball in FFS.
 
I’m sorry Lindelof that is just not good enough you cannot lose that headers in that position.

Neville going nuts about the defence not pushing up but surely that’s because the keeper never moves from his line that ball was in the air a long time and he didn’t move an inch.
 
Radio are laying it at De Gea being indecisive. I'll watch later. But our CB and keeper need changing, it's too frequent
 
Not sure why the blame is with De Gea. When that ball comes in its 90% Lindelofs ball the striker is behind him and he loses the header.

Could he have come? Maybe. Should it have made any difference. 100% not.

Should have equalised already. Hell of a touch from Fernandes
 
Looks like it’s very windy ball hung in the air on the cross. Lindelof just didn’t dominate the situation and the striker bullied him out the way borderline foul but he wanted it more than Lindelof.

De Gea could maybe have come and I think a better keeper would have.

It 100% goes down to a Lindelof balls up but Neville right to highlight our centre backs being far to deep when that cross come in.
 
Again the defence just not strong enough. We had no challenge on the ball crosser and then let another WBA player get a good header. Just haven’t been at the races so far.
 
Someone from the defence needs dropping next game it’s not good enough week after week.

Unless he needs a rest really not sure why Greenwood hasn’t started gives our attack much better balance.

Just need to get over what happened and grind out the goals to get the win but we can’t keep gifting our opponents easy goals.
 
Very much reminds me of the Sheff United game - we look similarly lethargic. Just need to fashion a goal out of somewhere.
 
At the moment it looks like our attacking plan is to hope Maguire makes something happen ffs
 
Maguire creating problems stepping out of the defence but just so many bodies to get through.
 
What a hit from Bruno he’s been rubbish all game them pulls that out absolutely ruthless.

Lindelof again letting that cross come in with no challenge gifting them a set piece his head has totally gone.
 
We were away there, those three corners at least gave it another 30 seconds of time added on. The ref has been pretty rubbish.
 
Refs never add on more time because of corners we all know that.

He has allowed quite a few late tackles to go unpunished though just because you play advantage doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go back and book the player.
 
I haven't seen anything yet, so just listening

I don't know why why we play martial ahead of greenwood. Rashford is more effective on the left.

De Gea needs dropping, they said again at near HT that he should have done better.

The CB pairing needs changing, the obvious choice is Bailly for lindelof

We don't need Fred and Mctom in a game like this
 

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