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CONFIRMED LINE-UP: United vs Juve - Chong on the bench

  • October 23, 2018

Scott Patterson

Scott is the editor of RoM and has a season ticket at Old Trafford. He started The Republik of Mancunia in March 2006. Follow @R_o_M on Twitter or @R_o_M7 on Instagram.

Pogba: I am at home here and it will always be that way
An evening with Eric Cantona part I – kicking the racist, loving Ferguson and working hard

142 Comments

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WeAreUnited October 24, 2018
Trevor

you dont say haha, but look they're classy people so dont worry lol
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Hendrix knightsmith October 24, 2018
WAU,

He is a very nice chap in all fairness .

Many years ago (when you could stand) we were playing Juventus at Old Trafford in the (then) European Cup).

Cannot remember much about the game apart from there was a clash of heads, and the Juve centre half had quite a nasty cut to the head .

They did no more than bring him off temporarily and stitch him up behind the goal right in front of me .

Wouldn't happen these days. they would need counseling !
N_N October 24, 2018
Yusef, how could we make Juve work for it when we couldn’t even keep the ball?
At one point in the 1st half they had 80% possession and had completed 3 times more passes than us.

I am tired of the media and people feeling sorry for us and even more tired of the manager and pkayers feeling sorry for themselves.
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Mark_Reid October 24, 2018
Hendrix boom boom.
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George_Irwell October 24, 2018
At the end of the 1973-74 season I travelled down to Stoke to watch United slip through the relegation trap door without much of a fight. Two days earlier, I'd been on the pitch at Old Trafford along with several hundred United fans in a vain attempt to get the game against Man city abandoned. Seeing your team get relegated is, without question, the lowest point for any supporter.

This season is nowhere near as bad as that. So I can't understand why an admittedly small number of people on this site are getting so worked up. What did they honestly expect?

Jose Mourinho said before a ball was kicked that it would be a difficult season, because our resident specialist in failure and centre backs, Mr Woodward, had decided that we didn't need any new players for the centre of our defence.

So despite Smalling, Lindelof, Jones (when fit), Bailly (when fit) and Rojo (when fit) doing a decent impression of a human sieve, and De Gea giving up all hope of retaining his Golden Glove award, don't give up. One new centre back, preferably with Premier League experience and not made out of glass, will make a huge difference. Mourinho was absolutely right to praise defenders Chiellini and Bonucci last night for the massive confidence they give to the rest of the Juve team, allowing the rest of the players to play without worrying about what's happening behind them.

Mr Woodward has a chance to show in the upcoming January transfer window that the football team is more important than our increasing number of Global Partners. United fans couldn't care less who our Official Global Lubricant Partner is (apparently it's Gulf). Similarly, United fans don't care that an unknown company called Kohler advertise on our shirt sleeves. They'd sooner see players wear their heart on their sleeve.
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B_United October 25, 2018
George - I suppose some of us feel mou is just bad for many aspects of the club, including from beginning but gave him a fair go.... So for me, come this pre season and his antics from there I've little to no patience for it and no expectation he'll change. He has variously started with our players, the board, other managers and clubs, cheeky flirts with psg... And is living off past success... Doesn't mean he can't make odd good comment or decision, and doesn't mean can't get credit when credits due... However I guess that's why for some this is more tiring and troubling than for others, can only bite your tongue for so long
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Yusuf October 25, 2018
Like I’ve said, Mourinho has made mistakes but his track record of success has earned him the right to be given time and funds to “ right his wrongs”

1. Mata is back in the side, in a different position.
2. Martial is back in the side and is effective!
3. Shaw is finally coming good.

The next step in this team would be to find an effective role for Sanchez and then come January, find an experienced Center Back that could bring Lindeloff and Bailly up a notch. Ideally, he should be Premier League experienced but you look around and only Toby is available... Harry Maguire is not the best option for me.

With Matics declining performances in the midfield, we should experiment with him in CB. He has the height, the strength, the awareness and the composure to play out from the back. I’d rather him that McTominay. It would also free up a slot for the more combative and energetic Herrera .

Martial———Sánchez———ROM
————Mata————-Pogba——
———————Herrera—————
Shaw—Matic——-—-Chris—-Dalot

With all this being said, I still wouldn’t expect us to play an exciting brand of football! It just isn’t in Mourinhos DNA
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Mobi October 25, 2018
George
You ask us not to give up, right after stating DeGea has?

And for everyone out there talking about Mourinhos comments on Centre backs and Bonucci/chiellini e.t.c, he's right of course, having players like them would make a huge difference.. but just stop and think for a moment, if we're getting outclassed by Juventus we can use that as an excuse.. but what excuse do we have for the premier league? There isn't ONE team in the league with 2 CB's of that calibre! Heck the only other team in Europe with 2 top quality CB's is Real Madrid.. you could argue spurs have 2 top CB's and Liverpool have one..
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Mobi October 25, 2018
Yusuf
His track record of success?

He hasn't achieved much after 2010.. look up his record pre and post 2010.. number of trophies, European success, sackings, trophyless seasons e.t.c
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Mobi October 25, 2018
The internet is losing it with some inter player last night after he slid behind the wall when Suarez was about to take a free kick, Suarez hit it under the jumping wall but of course hit the defending player who was there.. people are talking about how he's invented a new tactic for defending free kicks.. is it me or have we been seeing things like that for a few years now?

Also, take a moment out of your day to laugh at city and their young player zinchenko or something.. they were facing his former team in the CL, the player travelled with the squad, was part of the pre match press conference and talked about how he'd celebrate if he scored, clearly under the impression he'd be playing! Unfortunately for him, he was completely dropped from the matchday squad! Oh and did I forget to add, he bought 27 tickets for his friends and family who all turned up to watch his masterclass!
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George_Irwell October 25, 2018
In the 5 years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, United have lifted 5 trophies, which is 5 more than our biggest rivals down the East Lancs Road have won. In fact in this period, only Arsenal and Man city with 6 trophies each, have won more. If Phil Jones hadn't have got caught hopelessly out of position last May, ending up upending Hazard in the box, who knows, we might have added another FA Cup to the list.

No football manager comes close to Sir Alex Ferguson. Maybe years from now if another manager wins his 13th Premier League title, we might be in a position to compare. For now though it's a pointless exercise.

However there are some characteristics which Jose Mourinho and Sir Alex share. They're both winners. They're both fighters. They both have a mistrust of journalists, and they're both regular visitors to the FA.

Mourinho has won more trophies than anybody currently on the staff at Old Trafford. He's also won more trophies than any other current Premier League manager, including the media's darlings Guardiola and Klopp.

By standing up to Rent Boys coach Ianni at the weekend, Mourinho did what any United fan would have done and defended his club like Sir Alex always did. By contrast, David Moyes would have sat there with his head in his hands, while Louis van Gaal would have been busily scribbling notes in his ludicrous leather bound notepad.

Mourinho has been incredibly patient with journalists so far but his patience is wearing thin. Sir Alex would have banned the Daily Mail's Ladyboy long before now.

Mourinho and Sir Alex are/were regular visitors to the FA's disciplinary committee, with the latter still holding the record for the longest touchline ban ever imposed by the FA.

Mourinho's got lots of faults but at least he's not blind and he's not deaf, so he can see, hear and appreciate the vocal support from United fans he's going to need in this difficult season.
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B_United October 25, 2018
George - there is also very contrasting characterics... Couldn't see saf doing what mou did to Chelsea physio? Couldn't see saf poking another teams coaching staff in eye? Couldn't see saf making such a fuss about a ref that he retires with death threats? Couldn't see saf openly questioning quality of our players? Couldn't see saf using that and the board to excuse himself of any criticism? Couldn't see saf have flirts with other clubs? Couldn't see saf turn fans against our players?... But aye he's won some trophies...
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B_United October 25, 2018
I should also say though mou or not I don't enjoy not liking my manager... Just like I don't hearing or being part of slating any player for us let alone ones whom have dedicated chunk of their career and life to us... I don't say negatives in public but just to the man utd support family
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Mobi October 25, 2018
B_United
Excellent post
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United24 October 25, 2018
I gave up on Mourinho after the West Ham game.

I was optimistic at the time of his signing that we will win the league, but I was wrong

On hindsight, I know why.
Jose is a finisher, and not a builder.
United was not in a position where we could benefit from Jose.
Look at his record.
He took a persistently good Porto, and took them over the edge to win the UEFA and Champions league.
He took Ranieris Chelsea that had a Spurs mentality, and finished the job...2 league titles.
He went to Inter, a persistent league winner and got them over the top in Europe.
He went to Madrid, a very good side struggling to break the new Pep/ Barca phenomena, and won them the Spanish league.
He came back to Chelsea that had lost its momentum, added a little star dust, and they won the league again.

LVG did not leave a team that was any close to winning the league. It was a cup winning team ( FA cup) that he got to win two cups, Europa and EFL, and the best he could push it to was a distant 2nd in the league.

Jose can't build an entire team. It's not his strength. It may have even been worse if he took over immediately after SAF. Jose has his unique traits but he is not a philosopher.

We'll unfortunately have to start all over again.

Let's part ways mutually.
I can see Jose winning the champions league ( and treble) with Juventus or PSG, although Zidane may get the Juve job if Allegri does not win it this season.

United and Jose are a round hole and a square peg...
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Zana October 25, 2018
United 24

Agreed and glad to hear that, I gave up on Jose last season when we lost to Sevilla!!
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Mark_Reid October 25, 2018
United 24 spot on.
Jose hasn’t a clue how to buy players,just look at his record for us alone.
Who in their right mind would give this man more money to buy a center back.
He was on about the Juve center backs after the game whom I think combined cis less than Fred who can’t get a game.
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Mobi October 25, 2018
U24
Brilliant post.. nice different perspective!

For what it's worth, I gave up after the league game at anfield last season!
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Mobi October 25, 2018
Jose Mourinho has been told to bite his lip by United’s hierarchy. The Glazer family fear his outbursts damage United’s worldwide reputation. #mufc [Neil Ashton]

Marcus Rashford is set to get a run of games up front at the expense of Romelu Lukaku. #mufc [Neil Custis]

United will revive their interest in a left-back next year to provide specialist back-up for Luke Shaw. #mufc [MEN]

Anthony Martial will snub interest from Juventus, PSG and Bayern Munich to stay at United. #mufc [ESPN]

Lindelof: “He’s (Smalling) a very good player. I think in the last couple of games, we’ve been playing okay with each other. We communicate a lot and speak to each other and cover each other’s backs. I think that’s why we’ve been doing okay in the past couple games.” #mufc [MU]

Mourinho singled out Victor Lindelof and Anthony Martial for special praise after the 2-2 draw against Chelsea at the weekend. He was delighted with the performance and wants it to be the benchmark for the rest of the season. #mufc [Sun]

David de Gea and his representatives are ‘more and more convinced’ to stay at Old Trafford. The club have tabled an ‘important’ proposal. #mufc [Calciomercato via Sport Witness]

Marcello Lippi: “I was surprised by the non-play of Manchester United. United can’t stand and watch another team for an hour, even if it’s a super Juve. A team with that technical quality remained closed, as they’d already done for a long time against Chelsea.” #mufc [CdS]
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N_N October 25, 2018
Very good post UTD24, I feel the same and it was the West Ham game which was my final straw too. The results just aren’t good enough.

Watching the Newcastle & Chelsea games I can agree with george, in the sense we are not in a crisis, far from it, he has steadied the slide for now. I too believed from a long time ago the reason we play on the back foot is the distrust of our defence. He has had 5 windows to sort that, which unfortunately is still an issue.
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Yusuf October 25, 2018
I’m bored of all the Mourinho drama..
I’m bored of UtDs game play
...
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WeAreUnited October 25, 2018
- it was the West Ham game which was my final straw too -

same here.

now im playing the waiting game, meaning game by game and watching if we make any moves for a great manager and if this happens after the season or in the middle of it, and if its in the middle of the season then I have no idea who could it be apart from Zidane.
as for an interim manager, not against it, but neither for it. I'd take an interim only if things are very poisonous which they sometimes appear to be and sometimes not.

well see.
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Hendrix knightsmith October 26, 2018
WAU,

My Juve supporting pharmacist was very pleasant about the match.

He said he was obviously pleased with the result but was surprised how relatively easily the match panned out .

He said one thing he couldn't understand though is why Mourinho didn't make any substitutions to try and change things, as they never really looked like scoring
Mobi October 25, 2018
The Guardian: How well has José Mourinho spent money at Manchester United?.
https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.theguardian.com/football/blog/2018/oct/25/how-well-has-jose-mourinho-spent-money-at-manchester-united
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Mobi October 26, 2018
DeGea, Young, Smalling, Lindelof, Shaw, Herrera, Fred, Mata, Pogba, Rashford, Martial

That's what I would go with for Sunday..
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Bryan_Robson October 26, 2018
Mobi

Nice line up but I doubt Mourinho will drop Lukaku. Also, not sure why we've not seen more of Fred, the little little we have seen, he looked impressive
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WeAreUnited October 26, 2018
Trevor

if the Juve supporter is Italian they usually are classy when discussed about big clubs and us case we have history together wit them, but he indeed was right, it was baffling
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WeAreUnited October 26, 2018
Jose on Alexis

Mourinho told reporters: “In this moment he’s struggling because he’s injured and we come to the Chelsea match to try to help the team but his physical condition was not good and then he had to stop and was not available for Juventus and is not available for tomorrow again, so now is to be physically in the best conditions.
“He arrived January, in the first period of the season for him, I don’t think it is ever an easy situation for a player but this season he had a good start, a good pre-season, he started well against Leicester, and then he was injured.
“Then he came back and was injured again and he is the kind of player that needs to be really sharp.”

People honestly scapegoat Sanchez for trying things and losing the ball when the truth is, he has pt assists on plates for many player but they haven't scored.
YES he loses the ball, but so does others that TRY things, and yeah I know his wages and all, F that, we all know big clubs pay big money, Shaw just signed a freaking 200k contract.

Now we also get the reason for his struggling. Last season he came full force and all loved his attitude andall that, but as soon as some fans didnt see their favourite players playing, they started scapegoating him.

YES he has a lot to improve, but IF ONLY Jose the manager would understand that he needs to be close to the goal and also the lad has on his worst day a goal or an assist in him.

peace
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Hendrix knightsmith October 26, 2018
WAU,

Yes the Juve supporter is Italian, although he drives a Peugeot and not a Maserati, but I have had words.

Re Sanchez :

He has been very disappointing since his arrival at United for whatever reason , and I wouldn't be surprised if he moved to pastures new in the new year .

But saying that, he cannot be accused of lack of effort , and he has the one attribute which I really like, he is a ball player, and in a flash can conjure something out of nothing .

Him and Martial would be my first two names on the team sheet for outfield players, because at present I would say they are the only two likely match winners we have.
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WeAreUnited October 26, 2018
Trevor

Disappointing in the sense that we all expected more goals and more assists (could be on a lot more) but that only tells you how great of a player he is. But he hasn't been as bad as people make out of it. people only see misplaced passes and what not. I do agree that he should be doing much ire productivity wise but this is where the problem lies with Jose, he doesn't understand that Alexis has ALWAYS played closer to the goal.
In Udinese Barca and ARsenal and thats why he was so good there. YEs he lost balls and misplaced them even there, but because he was close to the goal, he had that goal or two in him

ALSO agree, Martial and Alexis should be the first names in the team sheet, BOTH have misplaced passes this season, and sometimes lacked in decisions but now after 3 years with the same manager and the attacking game not going forward

My time of accusing martial OR Alexis is over. it's clear that it's the managers fault that he cant get these players right.

both match winners
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United24 October 26, 2018
Where is Dalot?
I really want to see what it looks like to play a proper RB at United, again!
I also agree with Mobi that Matic and Lukaku should not start, although I doubt the latter will be dropped.

And to our so called better ball players, please f*cking take your chance.
I'm always excited when we put out a relatively great looking line up only for them to go and lose.

The next time they are available, Jose then feels justification for picking our headless chickens or donkeys again...

Let's do this!
3-1 to United!!
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Hendrix knightsmith October 26, 2018
United24

I think Dalot is still injured .

" Diogo Dalot, Marouane Fellaini, Scott McTominay and Alexis Sanchez returned from the international break with injuries and Mourinho seemed particularly unhappy with Chile's handling of Sanchez. " (Taken from Jose's press conference this morning ).

Mourinho explained of the injuries. "We play against Newcastle and we go to the national team period in a good situation and then after two weeks we lost Dalot in Portugal, Fellaini in Belgium, Alexis with Chile, we lost who else? McTominay with Scotland."
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N_N October 26, 2018
Mourinho is not Confident that DDG will sign a new contract, that’s because he wants to win shit! The board better do something asap, if we start losing our best players we will truly slip down the pecking order!

Sort it out!
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Hendrix knightsmith October 26, 2018
N_N,

This is the most worrying aspect of Jose staying, we could lose our best players, and fail to attract others .
B_United October 26, 2018
While watch what we do have regress or stall in development to certain extents... Not taking the players individual responsibilities of development away either though like,
WeAreUnited October 26, 2018
Since making his Manchester United debut on January 26, Alexis Sanchez has created at least 27 more goalscoring chances in all competitions than any other player at the club (60)

Say what you want abot him misplacing passes just like martial rashford lukaku and lingard, he is still creating the most.
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WeAreUnited October 26, 2018
If he was supplying someone like Ruud Van Nistlerooy, he'd probably have a bunch of assists.

Anyway. After 3 years at the helm, now Im blaming jose. He doesnt understand how these players shpuld play closer to the box

Peace
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Mobi October 26, 2018
WAU
He's obviously going to create a lot more than others when he's playing more..
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WeAreUnited October 26, 2018
Mobi

Oh so that’s the reason huh? That’s why he was the same with arsenal? sure.

Look i know you are all out for martial and rashford to play all the time (i love both and am a huge Martial fan, so big that once i was called bias when i celebrated his goals) and that clouds your and many others perception and doesnt allow to see how those two habe been as bad if not worse than Alexis (until now Martial stepping up with goals NOT gameplay)

So give me a break. He shpuld be the first name on the team sheet just like Martial Pogba DDG.
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George_Irwell October 26, 2018
Brilliant article on Mourinho and United by respected Daily Telegraph journalist and big United fan Jim White, in the latest issue of 'United We Stand' fanzine.

Plus great interviews with Michael Carrick and Ben Thornley and some interesting facts about our hated owners, the Glazers.

Don't forget to get your copy outside the ground on Sunday.
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Mobi October 27, 2018
WAU
It's got nothing to do with liking Martial more, whoever plays the most from our attackers should be creating the most chances..

Besides, we've got to look forward now to the future, Sanchez unfortunately looks finished and past it, I'm convinced the arsenal fans are right and the injury he got while on international duty with Chile in 2017 was when his career started to dip.. his performances for arsenal, Chile and united haven't been the same since..

Remember he's playing worse than Rooney was towards the end of his united career and everyone was saying he needed to go.. we didn't think of his past achievements and say he had to be the first name on the team sheet..

You're right about DeGea, but he's the only one who's proven he should be the first on there.. the rest are debatable and depends on who you prefer.. yes of course on paper Pogba is the best midfielder and you want him, mata, Martial and Shaw always in the line up from the players we have and aside from Mata, the other 3 are indeed the (foreseeable) future of our club..
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Hendrix knightsmith October 24, 2018
Very good Mr Reid, and she wasn't called " Calamity Jane" for nothing so should feel at home right away
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