Bluff, a question Do you think there is any link with the fact we are playing in Baltimore at the M & T Bank Stadium and any potential stadium rights deal for LFC.I can understand why we are playin at Fenway, but why in Baltimore... makes you wonder!!!
I haven't even looked at the venue but is that the Ravens ( NFL team) stadium? If so Baltimore is used a lot for games like this, Last year the Milans and Chelsea played there in this pre-season type of game. I plan on going to one of them so maybe more info might pop up? I think FSG are being cautious due to the previous owners and a really unstable economy so I know we want this and that but we have to look at the other side too. I will also ask what type of money are a majority of United players on? Bar your Rooney, Ronaldo, probably berba, Rio, vidic, I think many will be on money similar to our players, if we want to talk about throwin the wages in. Again, I want the success and the spend but am trying my best to look at bigger pictures.
You can tell we're on a bad run when the Match Thread is halfway down the board 1 hour and 20 minutes before kick off
Team news circulating on Twitter - Doni, Flanagan, Carra (WHY OH WHY?), Skrtel, Enrique, Henderson, Shelvey (YES), Kuyt, Gerrard, Downing, Suarez. No Carroll, bad idea. No Coates, bad idea. Hopefully it's Kuyt on the right not Hendo but we know Kenny's mind doesn't work like the rest of us.
I really can't understand why Coates isn't being used more. Especially in games when Agger is out and we have nothing to play for in the league. He can't do any worse than Carragher has been and this is surely his last season - as much as it pains me to say.
Carroll on the bench. Why did we even buy him if we're going to stick him on the bench? Players of his type need games. Poor.
Now is the perfect time to be building up Coates with the season pretty much a write off now. I understand being sentimental for Carra in (possibly) his last season, but this makes no sense. Looks like a 4-5-1 with Downing/Kuyt out wide meaning Suarez will probably end up isolated again. Unless Kuyt moves further forward, meaning Hendo will fill in on the right side where he'll be useless. Not really understanding this team sheet...BUT another start for Shelvey who's looked really promising lately. Hopefully he can keep building on this run.
I agree that Coates should play as this must be Carraghers last season so we need Coates to have confidence to play at this level. I just hope we can get a win, we need players in the right frame of mind for the cup game.
Don't know what happened behind the scenes last week but you cant hide the fact that Carroll was embarrassed in numerous ways, not scoring, diving and being taken off to the cheers and waves of Newcastle fans. Spearing to the bench surprises me though.
Agree about Spearing. I think he's done a good job in there since Lucas' injury. Also a bit worried as neither Gerrard, Shelvey or Henderson are particulaly defensive so could be a problem picking up the midfield runners.
There's some stat whereby we lose most of the games spearing plays. I do however think he's done a good job. With Shlevey, Henderson and Gerrard in the middle though (if we line up that way) then we have enough agility to dominate the midfield without worrying too much about not having a designated defensive midfielder. Also with Kuyt and Suarez being the main attacking threats we tend to press high up the pitch which again makes Spearing less effective. The problem we have at the moment is that our manager is now rather regularly making team selections that are at odds with what us fans want and expect. If we were winning difficult games then we'd be saying Kenny knows his tactics (e.g. the 3-5-2 against Chelsea) but these have been games we should have won and with players and formations we are struggling to fathom, which unfortunately is often the beginning of the end for many managers.
I would put that down to him having to play since Lucas' injury, remember our poor form goes back to christmas. Which begs the question...is he really good enough to cover Lucas? I think we need someone who is better than him and Adam who can play next to Lucas and cover for him if he gets inured. He has experience, just not match fitness.
