If spurs are not carefull, we are going to get a resounding spanking. I had a good feeling before the game at Old Trafford., I don't have the same feeling over this one. You see,. I believe, Sandro will be sadly missed ., and as good as Parker is, he can't give us what Sandro has given us so far this season. Parker is not fully match fit and may struggle if spurs play the game at a lively pace and IMO we need to play this one at pace, so as to make the best use of our strength going forward. The battle for midfield is therefor up-for-grabs, who so ever dominates and maintains possesses, of the ball in this area, of the pitch, will win the game. Spurs have been particularly unlucky this season with injuries in defensive positions, whereas, Utd have strengthened their attacking options and without doubt have enough tools to expose good defense minded premiership teams, let alone ours. Ferguson Enterises will try to exploit our obvious defensive flews., and he will not be parking his Race Horse, Horsebox anywhere in the Lane. So will Scotty Parker, Assou-Ekotto and Dawson be fit enough to shut down Utd ?. Is Kyle Naughton able to earn his graguation papers? here in this game ?. Will Williams spinach keep him going ?. The only way we might get something out of this game is to carry the fight to them, and rely on keeping the lead.
I'm challenging it because it's clearly not true, Notso. Despite two of the fixtures you've quoted not actually being the same as this one, as they were away, the Brazilian was subbed off in each of them. The score was in the balance each time. He was sent off in the other one and Bale scored in our victory at Old Trafford this season, too. So basically he's either been sent off, subbed off with the game still close, not played, they both haven't played, Bale's been at left-back or Man Utd have lost. Ferguson knows to double up on the Welshman anyway, so it's hardly down to Rafael himself as a one-on-one competition.
Check the teamsheets, and match reports, I have! and what I said is true, I said Bale hasn't played well against Rafael, and he hasn't. Three people have said the same so far, only you the opposite, which is typical and also predictable with anything I say these days, if I said the sky was blue you'd say the opposite, so I'll stick with the general consensus. I'd prefer you to split hairs with someone else, as you have also turned it into a home/away saga not me. Next!
No need to take it so personally, Notso. I just don't agree that someone that's been either dropped, subbed, sent off or on the losing side in virtually every game has played well. Whether others agree with me or not is irrelevant.
You'll find the smiley on the end is an indication of it being taken anything but personally, you'll have to do a lot better to wind me up. I find it no more than amusing! on the losing side in virtually every game......Rafael has been on the losing side in virtually every game?? ...and you wonder why I can't be bothered with this! If you're quite content with what you recall from the United games of the last few years, then good, because me and the others are quite content with ours, so we move on.
I didn't say that he'd been on the losing side in virtually every game. I said that he'd been either sent off, subbed off, omitted entirely or had been on the losing side in virtually every game. I failed to make it clear that I meant every game against us, though.
What you wrote was able to read two ways, it happens a lot. You also said that he wasn't even in the squad, when he was on the pitch?? It does not matter one jot how long he was on the pitch for, 75 minutes or 90, it does not change my point when he was. We still lost all but one, and bar the nil-nil have been generally ****, partly because Bale was shackled, along with others I should add though, we've had spells in matches I agree, but not much to get too excited about. Had I been allowed to continue I would agree with Luke in that Bale continues to improve as a player, and Rafael has not been as strong as his first year or two, so who knows this time.
In which game? He was on the bench last season and in the game at WHL in the 09/10 season neither player started or made the bench.
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United (Sunday, 16:00 GMT) I think this will be another close game and I wouldn't mind betting that Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson would take a point now. Tottenham are fourth and playing extremely well - and they won at Old Trafford earlier in the season. Yes, Sandro is injured and Emmanuel Adebayor has gone to the Africa Cup of Nations but United will still have to deal with Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon. Ferguson has got the depth in squad to counter that, though. He picked an attacking team against Liverpool last weekend but I don't think he will do the same at White Hart Lane. He will tailor his team for the opposition and that might include stopping Bale by picking Antonio Valencia down United's right. We have seen Valencia can play right-back and, if you have got a right-sided midfield player who is good going forward and defensively, then why wouldn't you play him against Spurs? United will unleash Robin van Persie and there have been some classic games between these two sides but I see it being a cagey afternoon. I suspect Andre Villas-Boas will pack his midfield and I don't see there being much space for either side. Lawro's prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Manchester United Lawro's 2012-13 Predictions & Table
Bale has dominated Rafael every time That's why Bale has been doubled up on every time the two have met Something the press conveniently ignore
I'm not hopeful of the game being on tomorrow,the pitch might be alright but the rest of the ground might be deemed to dangerous
I can only recall 2 occasions and I'm not sure what ground they were at. But there's certainly been 2 games that I have witnessed Rafael mark bale out of the game completely. IIRC, Nani(?!) doubled up and bale just ended up running into a dead end. I seem to remember Rafael and Nani keeping us pinned back down that side. Bale is a much better player these days anyway. I can see Rafael getting very frustrated if the fans get on his back. he's acted very immaturely at times over the last year or so. - this could work to our advantage.
Well neither were on the bench for this game in the 09/10 season http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...nited-3-Tottenham-Hotspur-1-match-report.html so you challenge me over 2 games in the last 8, not very reflective of the overall picture, and rather unecessary, as I never stipulated exactly how many times or where that it happened. You raised being subbed as a counter, why??, doesn't mean Rafael was having a poor game, would SAF wait 75 minutes if he was!!, poor reasoning from you there, more like job done, give him a rest. The only close one I recall was the nil-nil. The fact remains, Rafael has had the better of Bale for the majority of the time they've faced each other.
Really!! http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thefootballtacticsblog/2011/01/bale_and_rafael_square_up_agai.html I'd suggest you and the other bloke watch games with your eyes open.
Just don't do what we did and start tentatively- not that you would nor that we usually do against United TBH. Their defence is fragile and you should just go for it.
is it not incredibly likely that this game will be off? not because the pitch will be a problem, but because of the danger to fans and the likely problems with transport?
Mmm, the customary postponement of a game, then shoved into a nasty midweek evening slot when we least need it.
Pretty sure it won't be on tomorrow, Tots... You don't think that being sent off, omitted entirely or being subbed every single time suggests that he's had a hard time dealing with him? The 3-1 in which King scored was 1-1 when Rafael was pulled and the 2-0 with Nani's late, ridiculous goal was 1-0. He was sacrificed in the former and removed as a precaution in the latter. As the BBC article that you highlighted points out, it's not one player doing the damage against Bale, but two. Neville did a number on him with Everton by injuring him and doubling up with Coleman, essentially two right-backs. It even points out that Fletcher was given the task of tracking him from the centre, to make sure that he wasn't allowed to isolate the Brazilian. That's not an individual performance. That's a tactical change to nullify a major threat. Rafa failed to do anything about Bale when we played Inter and he basically ruined Maicon's reputation. Ferguson and Moyes aren't as naive, so they don't play attacking full-backs, leave them without real cover and let them bomb forward when they face the Welshman. Good management, not good individual performance.
You don't think that being sent off, omitted entirely or being subbed every single time suggests that he's had a hard time dealing with him? Nope, doesn't detract from what I said, Raf's bookings weren't on Bale, means sweet fa to what I said aswell, and other people and football journos who did that beeb article, for that reason alone I haven't read the rest. Chill out man!
If teams are doubling up on Bale then great. AVB (we hope) is just the tactician to work out what's happening and exploit it. If two people are marking Bale then logically there's space somewhere else!
