Match Day Thread The Cup Final of Cup Finals

So very much looking forward to this. Yeh we'll be the underdogs here but the atmosphere is building and I'm buzzing.

Some team news from Ten Hag - Antony and Martial both out. Interesting who he'll play through the middle. Rashford probably, with Sancho on the left. That may mean playing Bruno on the right with a midfield two of Casemiro + Fred/Eriksen.

I'd still much rather Rashford was on the left and lets see how Sancho does on the right?

Then again, do we start with Garnacho or bring him on from the bench?

As I've said before the least we can do is make this as difficult as possible for City and there's no doubt if we're at our best, in a cup final at Wembley we can beat them!

 

I'd like to see him play Rashford through the middle, Sancho on the right and Garnacho on the left.

 

It's the best starting line up, but it does mean you don't have much option from the bench.

 

We are going to need lots of energy and discipline in the middle of the park to put City on the back foot. Can we achieve both from kickoff? Or start with discipline and containment, then use the energy of Garnacho on the hour mark to stretch them? If City gets out in front, it will be difficult. But it’s a cup final and we simply have to go for it to win it.

 

I have to say the idea of trying to contain them is asking for trouble. We have no Martinez so heaven help us if we try to that. It'll be a **** approach all round imo and an awful watch.

I agree, we need to play our own game, attack their defence because it is susceptible, but work like dogs to close them down when they have possession and be tight defensively.

Easier said than done of course!

 

This match can only be won through courage by all the United players and taking chances coming their way. No doubt they will get chances and unlike the last league matches we need to convert most of them to have any chance of a win. Because they will convert their chances.

DeGea will need to have a great game and Haaland a poor one.

From the evidence of this season matches, it will be either a 5-0 thrashing by City or a tight 1-2 rearguard defensive display by United,

 

The 5-0 thrashing occurs when we completely lose our head. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen again. But with the right setup, cover each blade of grass to tackle those mofos when they have the ball, we have enough to hurt them in our collective front players. And we know City are susceptible to conceding goals.

 

Good start, fair play.

 

Weghorst to score in his last game and Rashford to finish things off.

 

McTominay! That should have been a direct intervention to get a volley on goal or something. But the poor lad lacks the ability.

 

We didn't get steamrollered, we gave a good account of ourselves against the runaway PL champions, so we can hold our heads up and move on.

 

You'd think we did get steamrollered if you listen to the BBC.

Seems like a goal in the first minute = dominating the whole game.

Was not the case. We lost by the odd goal.

 

At least we’ve made a game of it. They were clear favourites (I can’t remember a match in which we were so big underdogs). And on the balance of play and chances I think they deserved it. Just.

 

I don't have a problem with the result, its not as if that was the game that gifted them the treble - they looked tired towards the end so hopefully that will come to haunt them in the CL final. I thought our tactics were good,, the discipline was good, and it would have been so easy to collapse after the early goal - but we didn't. Credit to the team for taking the game to City, it didn't work out on the day, but no shame in the manner of our defeat.

 

We've now got a dodgy keeper though, eh?

100% definitely needs replacing, or at least some competition.

 

We lack the firepower up front, it's just ridiculous.

We haven't had a decent CF since RVP which is also ridiculous.

Just think about that.

At best you can describe our CF recruitment as short-term measures / stop gaps. Also ridiculous.

 

We have to get another defender in to finally solve our Lindelof/Maguire problems - neither of them are up to the job, but one of them should stay to provide backup, which one - I'd say Lindelof. Maguire is shot to pieces but his status as England player should ensure we get more money in the market. A more solid defence might even improve DeGea, so I don't see his replacement as a priority. Rice and Kane would be the icing on the cake but this talk of Mount just won't go away. I could be wrong but I just don't rate the player, but if paying less for him frees up the budget to get Kane, so be it.

Having said that, we really must up our game in terms of player sales and the fees we generate, its something that we have been piss poor at for a very long time. We must be able to pull in £80m to £100m given the numbers that are due to leave - if we do, then we get a free Harry Kane but also gain considerably in terms of how much we save on the wages bill..

 

Way too many players sitting on the bench collecting very handsome wages! We need to dial that back to strengthen the first eleven.

 

Mount is a very good replacement for Eriksen, who just looked finished yesterday. The game bypassed him, and he's aged very quickly.

Whether we get Rice as well remains to be seen, but if it's true West Ham are interested in Maguire and Martial then that should he looked at.

This talk of Kane being wanted by Real Madrid kills this one off I'd say. Levy would take their money over ours in a heartbeat. It would depend on Kane saying he'd rather come to us, but if Real are dangling that offer, and it would be an easier move, who can blame him.

Plenty other options for a centre forward.

de Gea needs genuine competition. Someone who will push him for his place in the team. Heaton isn't that.

de Gea was poor yesterday. The first goal, which he should have at least tried to save, shook him.

 

Kane strikes me as a bit of a home bird and the lure of beating Shearer's domestic scoring record is a tantalising prospect for him. He has a young family and seems to engage with an extended family on a regular basis, which suggests to me his preference would be to stay in the PL which puts us in pole position - all we need to do is assassinate Levi to make it happen. Joking aside, RM are a little cash strapped at the moment, they have just upgraded their stadium and appear to have their heart set on Mbappe next year - would Kane want to be upstaged ?

Hopefully we can get the deal done, Levi has spouted this 'never sell to United' crap before so hopefully its just bluster and bluff.