Here's my thoughts for what they're worth: As a fan, I want to see passion and desire, but am pragmatic that based on form and resources, the likely result is a loss. Based on yesterday's results, this is not a train smash, and reasonably, given today's opposition, it will not be seen as a wasted opportunity. What we've got to do is 'bad rash' them as Kenny Jacket used to say in the Holloway era. Too many teams show too much respect, sit back deep and invite United on. We have got to push and press, using the energy of Mackie to avoid sitting deep and inviting them to play a high line. Zamora needs to do another Arsenal shift and unsettle the likes of Ferdinand and Evans. It would be great to see Mackie scaring Evra again and keeping his sorties forward limited. Drawing an early booking from their defence would be handy, and getting Scholes in the book will kerb things slightly. Unlikely as it might seem, if we are to dare to win, we've got to score first, and score twice, then work tirelessly in the last quarter of the match and hope that if we concede, as we perennially do, that we limit this to one goal and hold on for dear life. Any thoughts?
I like your thinking,but in all honesty I think we will get turned over. The one thing we dont have that is vital against a team that move the ball as quickly as manu is pace...Pace to recover and pace to get away from players. If our ball retention and ball control was superb,then you can get away not having much pace. I think the only chance of success,is to try and 'double up' on the pacy players ie Nani and also try to close down quickly. I just hope our boys have to crawl off that pitch at the end because what we dont have in pace and skill,we will need to make up with workrate and desire...
A good tactic would be to machine gun the Man Utd players down as the run on to the pitch! I don't want to make any predictions about the game but I think it is only going to go one way for most of the game. Who knows, you could put in another performance as you did last week and give them a hard time but even then I think Utd would still find a way to score 1 more than yourselves, it's what they do best especially in the run in to win the title.
