Premier League 2021/22 - Man Utd vs Newcastle - Saturday 11th September 3pm

Think a lot of the time at Juventus he played in a two up front he liked having another centre forward up with him at his age you can't allow him to get to isolated because he's not really going to hold the ball up or run channels he needs players close to him.

Sometimes he did start from a wider position but it wasn't really playing as a winger in the way he used to it was zero tracking back it just allowed him to start in a bit of the field where there was more space for him to get on the ball.

I'm really interested to see how him and Bruno work together as what I've seen when they play together for Portugal is them kind of getting in each others way a bit but Bruno normally plays a slightly more withdrawn role.

Those two are going to be great fun just moaning at each other for taking on stupid shots when they could have passed be a proper big brother/little brother thing I reckon.
 
I have been thinking that, Bruno looks terrible in the Portugal team. Can they play together.

Penalties etc. Could be a few problems, Bruno no longer the big fish
 
Think for Portugal he's often played as more of a centre mid in their 3 in midfield or coming in off the wing they don't really play a proper number 10 like Utd/Sporting have which is where he really thrived. For Utd they can almost play as a front 2 with Bruno dropping back to make the extra man in midfield when we need him to but if that happens then the wide players need to make sure they can stay pushed up to be close to Ronaldo.

It will be a problem Bruno has become the obvious penalty and free kick taker since he arrived but Ronaldo will certainly want to take the penalties but hopefully Bruno keeps the free kicks with Ronaldo having the odd long range blaster.

The thing is this I think Bruno already knows his place in the order when Ronaldo is around he knows there's a new king in town.
 
I know they've struggled to play together for Portugal but I see no reason why they can't excel together at United.

I think Portugal play more of a 4-3-3 don't they? Whereas for United Bruno can play in the 10 role that he's been playing and he can still burst beyond Ronaldo. In fact I think Ronaldo will like having Bruno there with him because Bruno brings energy.

What's interesting is that Ole apparently wanted to move to a 4-3-3? Well he can't do that now really can.
 
I've not really seen any evidence of this idea that Ole wants to move to a 4-3-3 I don't think he ever actually said anything about it in an interview and his signings this summer don't really suggest a move to 4-3-3.

If you want to play 4-3-3 surely you would expect him to sign a specialist holding midfielder as currently he doesn't have one.

To me that idea created more problems than it did solutions as we have so many attacking players it's hard for him to move from 4-2-3-1

Seen a few people talking up going to a back 3 which would be odd as we don't have any wing backs in our squad and why on earth would we want to sacrfice and attacking player to get a third centre back in. Just because it's worked really well for Chelsea doesn't mean it would work for us.
 
Callum Wilson is out for Newcastle

Miguel Almiron is able to play despite not turning up for Paraguay their FA have decided not to request a ban.

I do wonder how the Brazil players feel about their FA forcing FIFA to ban them from club matches.
 
Ole confirmed that they are still working on the Fred situation his ban removed.

What's even more odd is that Fred and Thiago Silva both miss a CL game as well because our games are on Tuesday but the City/Liverpool players don't because they play on Wednesday.
 
BREAKING: FIFA will overturn their decisions and allow Fred to play for Man United on Saturday as they believe 'there is no way in hell' he is from Brazil.
 
Seen a few people talking up going to a back 3 which would be odd as we don't have any wing backs in our squad and why on earth would we want to sacrfice and attacking player to get a third centre back in. Just because it's worked really well for Chelsea doesn't mean it would work for us.
Shaw played wing back at the Euros. I guess perhaps that's why they wanted Trippier?
 
Shaw played wing back at the Euros. I guess perhaps that's why they wanted Trippier?

Not sure I think Trippier was a Dalot replacement competition at right back more than anything else.

Utd have so many attacking players unless you are converting one of them to a wing back the squad doesn’t make sense. The only one I think that might have worked was James as a right wing back but he's gone.

Hopefully with Varane now we don’t need that extra layer of protection in the defence.
 
Still some International action to come but our next game is nearly upon us.

Guess the big question is will Ronaldo start? I am guessing he will. He should have a couple of training sessions and is up to speed with some action for Portugal. Can’t wait to see him again!

De Gea

AWB - Varane - Maguire - Shaw

Fred - Pogba

Greenwood - Bruno - Sancho

Ronaldo​

Hopefully Sancho is fit but if not I guess Martial will be on the left. I would say Ronaldo will be more of a starter up top although I guess him from the left and Cavani up top is an option. Will be intriguing to see how Ole fits all these guys in. I would also think Pogba will play in a two alongside Fred.
Can someone help me identify the date and game of this George Bedt photo ?
 
Sky have already announced their Game of the Day (full 90 minutes). Never seen them do this before; they usually wait until well after games have ended. I think we can guess which game it is...
 
He starts

Normal back 5.

Matic Pogba

Greenwood Bruno Sancho

Ronaldo
 
They get down the pitch on us too easily.

We need to do what Chelsea, City and Liverpool do more and use the cynical foul.
 
Looked a little hairy when Newcastle scored but overall a very good performance. The Lingard goal was an absolute peach team goal.

Also Ronaldo scoring was never in doubt!
 
Dream start for Ronaldo, I might even begin to believe we can win something with our awful midfield
 
They get down the pitch on us too easily.

We need to do what Chelsea, City and Liverpool do more and use the cynical foul.
Correct we were saying just this today at the match take a booking for the team if need be
 
Great to see Ronny back. Glad we had such compliant opposition for his home debut, instead of say, City. It was the perfect match for not only Ronaldo to find his feet, but also the heat was off Sancho. Ronaldo simply had to score, and the fact he had a poacher's goal then nutmegged the keeper showed he's still got plenty in his locker. It felt different today. Today it was this side can't lose, and that's a welcome return.
 
Dream start for Ronaldo, I might even begin to believe we can win something with our awful midfield
The only we we win or challenge for any title/Cup is to replicate Liverpool from couple of yrs ago. Firepower upfront to carry us all the way and Varane (Maguire?:confused:) to veil all the shortcomings in midfield.
 
These are fairly exciting times given the players we have brought in but I still have a fear that we will fall short for not correcting the midfield issue.
 
These are fairly exciting times given the players we have brought in but I still have a fear that we will fall short for not correcting the midfield issue.
Think that was very apparent in the game at the weekend, Matic legs are gone - just cant do the CDM role very well any longer unless he has a very mobile defensive player alongside - which isnt warranted against Newcatle at home.
 
Been stupidly busy lately so I finally had a chance to sit down and watch this last night, albeit through tired eyes and a glass (or two) or wine. I know he's 36. I know there were times where we forced balls into him when we shouldn't. I know it was just Newcastle, but that boy Ronaldo is just an irresistible force. Even after they scored, there was a feeling that we'd just score another and it would all be fine, a feeling that was the complete opposite to us conceding in the last few seasons.

I thought Matic did well, probably aided by the fact it was against one of the worst sides in the league.

DdG seems well on the way to recovering his form.

Despite playing on the left Sancho is coming along nicely and was playing off Shaw quite well.

Super nice to see us score 4 against a defensive low block. That wouldn't have happened last season.
 

Login or Register

Forgot your password?
or Log in using
Don't have an account? Register now
Back
Top