Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur Match Thread

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Venue: Old Trafford Kick Off: Monday 22 August 20:00 BST

Match Facts. (courtesy of Berb and the BBC)

• United are unbeaten in their last 20 Premier League matches against Tottenham, winning 15.
• Spurs’ last league win at Old Trafford came in December 1989 (1-0).
• Man Utd have gone five Premier League games without a clean sheet.
  
• The Red Devils won 18 and drew one of 19 Premier League games last season, earning 55 out of a possible 57 points at Old Trafford.
  
• Wayne Rooney has scored five goals in seven Premier League games for Manchester United against Tottenham.
• Spurs won just three of their final 12 league games last season.
• Spurs scored 15 goals from outside the penalty area last season, four more than any other Premier League side.

Injury News

Manchester United: Vidic, Ferdinand, Rafael, Hernandez, Valencia, Fletcher
Expected to return: Evra, Owen

Tottenham: King, Gallas, Hutton, Jenas, Pienaar, Sandro
Expected to return: Modric

Preview
I think an entertaining match is on the cards here. Tottenham scored more long shots than anyone else last season and will be keen to test David De Gea as young keaper struggles to settle in the premier league and already finds himself under (somewhat unfair) criticism from the press. Long shots in particular were picked out as his weakness in La Liga and the defence surrounding him will be inexperienced with 3 main defenders sidelined. That said Old Trafford has been a fortress recently and you wonder what effect missing the first game will have had on spurs. Their only game so far this season being the walkover against Hearts.

Prediction: United 3-2 Spurs.

(ps. This thread will be far more heavily moderated than the preview thread. Off topic posts will be deleted and abusive ones punished so lets keep this thread clean guys)

 

Did you write this yourself? Jenas, Pienaar and Sandro are also injured, by the way.

Do you reckon Welbeck will start again, or will Berbatov or Macheda get a look in?

 

Corrected the injury list. Yes i did write this myself so there are probably more mistakes. If anyone spots any just say and ill fix it.

Will Welbeck start? Difficult question. He was very absent in the the West Brom game so logic would say that Berbatov should start but he is out of favour with Fergie for some reason. He would be my choice though.

 

I like it, it's very good.

I think we'll line up Friedel; Corluka, Dawson, King, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Huddlestone, Modric, Bale; VDV, Defoe.

I hope Friedel starts as Gomes looked nervous against Hearts the other night so I can only see him making more mistakes if he plays against Utd. Defoe and VDV showed the first signs of a partnership forming but it was only against a poor Hearts team and they didn't look very good when they were paired last season

 

could mention the fact about defoe's goals last season. something about outside the box but i can't remember

 

I expect this to be tough yet easier than west brom, weve been brilliant at home for a long time now (still on an unbeaten run).

 

Where did you read that then? Because from what I see Smalling and Evra just yesterday have come out and said how good he is.

 

As it stands, we'll be in the bottom 3 when we play you lot

 

Thread stealer!! [insert off topic rubbish here]

I think the reason Welbeck started was because of our teams performance in the Community Shield. But I expect/hope Berbatov to start. Same with Carrick. Spurs like to attack and with Vidic and Rio out, we'll the extra defensive cover in the midfield. apparently SAF already said that Smalling will play RB with Jones and Evans in the middle. I personally would rather have Fabio at RB. Last year Rafael kept Bale quiet, and I believe the game at OT was around Bale's hotstreak.

Going with 3-2 united

Spurs to score first, the Rooney, Nani, and Smalling to score, with Spurs to get a late consolation goal. Oh and none of the goals will be De Gea's fault.

 

I honestly do not think you would beat our carling cup team let alone our first with a couple of injuries

 

Are they not at the top of the page????

Match Facts. (courtesy of Berb and the BBC)
•United are unbeaten in their last 20 Premier League matches against Tottenham, winning 15

 

Why on earth do you think I am not entitled to give my opinion, just because you disagree with it??

 

I dont buy the idea that Vidic and ferdinand being injured is a crisis. Jones and Smalling are good enough to get in most sides in the division. Evans i am less convinced about but he is hardly a bad player. Not to mention we will be getting Evra back who can provide the experience.

 

Rafael's injured as well, though.
Add to that the new keeper, whose confidence may have taken a bit of a battering and you're only left with Evra from what was probably your best defence last season.

 

I apologise for the use of the word crisis, but in my opinion it will take more than having to use Jones and Smalling (who played an equal role in our title last year to Ferdinand) to make the kind of difference you are imagining.

 

3-0

 

You'd accept that a defence without three of it's first choice players is weaker than one that has them available though, presumably?
I think that's the point that people are trying to get across.

 

our "weak"defense is far superior to your best

 

If you don't think that Ferdinand, Vidic and Rafael would improve your defence Lidls, then why would you ideally want them to play?
Their replacements may be good players, but they haven't played together or with Evra and De Gea consistently and built up a rapport and they're not as good as the first choice players.
I really don't see how anyone can argue otherwise, to be honest.

RE: Comas/99

That's wonderful.
Cheers for that insightful post.
Is this enough attention for you?