[Jodz]

Day: Saturday
Date: 9th of Septemeber 2006
Time: 16:15 GMT
Place: Old Trafford
Match: Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur
Competition: English Premier League 2006/2007
Matchday: 4

GO UNITED GO!

Thoughts, Expectations, Predications ??

 

[MUFC]

2-1 to United I'd say. Spurs are the first quality opposition that we'll be playing this season, and we're still missing Scholesy and Rooney.

 

[SalfordRed]

I’ll be ecstatic if we get any sort of win from this one. We’ll need to perform a lot better than the Watford outing if we want to keep the 100% start going. I have to admit I’m fairly pessimistic about this fixture despite Spurs sluggish start. Our vulnerability in the air will have been noted, and Berbatov or Mido can thrive if they get the service. Cue Rio doing his usual leg waving routine rather than going in with his head... This is where we need the likes of Vidic.

 

[Jodz]

I agree. This match will be our first tough competitor this season. We'll have to perform alot better if we wanna grab the 3 points.

Come on United. We need the full match points.

 

[unitedred]

This will be a tough game, our last game before Rooney and Scholesy return.

I predict a close 2-1 win for United, Ronaldo and Saha with the goals.

 

[KingSingh]

if evra plays i think lennon's threat can be neutralised. With a passionate crowd behind us and confidence high i think this will be a good win for us especially with arsenal coming up next.
Carrick to score first followed by a red for davids and a late saha strike gives the reds a 2-0 win at home

 

[unitedred]

Berbatov is a confirmed Spurs absence, groin injury.

 

[SalfordRed]

if evra plays i think lennon's threat can be neutralised. With a passionate crowd behind us and confidence high i think this will be a good win for us especially with arsenal coming up next.

Assuming Lennon is on the right (could be a chance he’ll end up on the left or swapping flanks a fair bit now Malbranque is on the scene) I would much rather go with Silvestre. Quite apart from needing his greater aerial presence in the team I do feel Lennon’s biggest problem is getting muscled out of games. Both our Frenchman have the required pace to deal with him, but only one can try to bully Lennon. Moreover Spurs have had a tendency to play a fair number of balls over the top for him to run onto, a service Silvestre can handle with less difficulty.

Anyway truth be told I’m as bothered by our lack of attacking ideas against Watford. Once again the lack of width and movement in the final third left us largely impotent in open play. If Spurs come looking for a point we will have real trouble.

Your Arsenal point is an interesting one; do you really have faith in our squads professionalism? Under Fergie as often than not we drop points either side of big games. The Giggs type has become dominant imo.

 

[KingSingh]

arsenal and spurs play pretty similar football, especially with berbatov out keane and defoe become a poor mans henry and van persie. both will provide a test of our defense especially coming off the watford game. I think we were lucky we had that nightmare game at vicarage cause if we put in that kind of performance against a top ten club we would have lost. I think fergieaccepts that tottenham are a big threat now and so do the players and they willl approach the game with more determination than say againt a spursside four years ago.

 

[manutdc]

Not entirely sure but I think Malbranque is still out with an injury, or is on the process of recovering from the injury and will probably not be involved.

A sharper performance at the back will be crucial this time around. Keane and Defoe can cause many a problem.

 

[KingSingh]

yup malbranque is definitely out but i think chimbonda might edge out stalteiri for the right back spot

 

[SalfordRed]

Is he? I must admit thanks to Coleman’s pathetic actions (consigning Malbranque to the stiffs for wanting to see out his contract is a bit rich given the fuss Coleman made about players honouring contracts during the Saha saga) I haven’t paid any attention whatsoever to Malbranque’s health, or lack thereof. What is the nature of the injury?

 

[manutdc]

I believe it was a groin injury, though I'm not completely sure. I think he had surgery over the summer and he's still in the recovery process.

 

[chewbm]

When will we be having a target man upfront ?? It's depressing to see the wingers surging forward and delivering crosses with nobody in the middle.. Saha keeps drifting to the wings leaving the middle empty... Come'on... bring someone in the mould of RvN to deliver the killer blow..

 

[manutdc]

Saha was pretty effective as a target man against Celtic, he had a couple of headers that were just barely off target.