MATCH THREAD: Man Utd v Stoke (20:00)

roryc

v

Manchester United will check on the fitness of Wayne Rooney, who took a kick on the ankle from Chris Brunt at West Brom on Saturday.

Patrice Evra and Darron Gibson are also doubts after picking up knocks in that game, while Nani is hoping to return from a hip problem.

Stoke defender Robert Huth is available after suspension.

Mamady Sidibe remains sidelined with an Achilles injury, but Tony Pulis has an otherwise fully-fit squad.

Man Utd

Doubtful: Evra (black eye), Gibson (unspecified), Nani (hip), Rooney (ankle)

Injured/unavailable: Hargreaves (hamstring), O'Shea (calf), Park (international duty), Scholes (groin), Valencia (ankle)

Stoke

Injured: Sidibe (Achilles)



Expecting an easy enough United win here, hopefully Nani and Evra are fit to play

u140acro3xs7dm

roryc wrote: »

Man Utd

Doubtful: Evra (black eye), Gibson (unspecified), Nani (hip), Rooney (ankle)

Injured/unavailable: Hargreaves (hamstring), O'Shea (calf), Park (international duty), Scholes (groin), Valencia (ankle)

Are you having a laugh? Players miss games because they have a black eye. Maybe Nani or Ronaldo but I thought Evra had a set of Balls

roryc

Yeh was surprised to see it myself, depends how bad it is though. If he's having trouble seeing out of one eye you can't really play.

FF has him down as a 'facial injury'

RasTa

Hopefully Neville is added to that unavailable list after his performance against them at the Britannia

Xavi6

Van der Sar, Rooney and Ferdinand all unlikely to play apparently.

Still, that'll just mean it's 3-0 and not four or five.

u140acro3xs7dm

It would have to be really bad if he cant see out it 3 and a half days later.

If in doubt kick the middle one

u140acro3xs7dm

Xavi6 wrote: »

Van der Sar, Rooney and Ferdinand all unlikely to play apparently.

Still, that'll just mean it's 3-0 and not four or five.

Really hope Smalling comes in and not Evans if Ferdinand is out

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Some lad set up a facebook page saying if he got over 1,000 likes he would streak at this game, he's got over 5,000 so keep your eyes peeled lads!

roryc

Xavi6 wrote: »

Van der Sar, Rooney and Ferdinand all unlikely to play apparently.

Still, that'll just mean it's 3-0 and not four or five.

Where did you get the info on Ferdinand Neil?

Paully D

2 or 3-0 to Manchester United in what will be a cruise for them.

RasTa

Nani on the bus but no sign of Rooney, VDS or Neville I'm reading.

Jax Teller

I'd reckon something like this
Pig
Brown smalling vidic oshea
Nani fletcher carrick giggs
Chico berba

Big back four will evra really not play because of a black eye ? Maybe bring rafael instead of brown but might need a big back four .

Xavi6

roryc wrote: »

Where did you get the info on Ferdinand Neil?

Neil Custis and Daniel Taylor

Sgt Pepper 64

Got score draw written all over it!

eagle eye

keysersoze_88 wrote: »

I'd reckon something like this
Pig
Brown smalling vidic oshea
Nani fletcher carrick giggs
Chico berba

Big back four will evra really not play because of a black eye ? Maybe bring rafael instead of brown but might need a big back four .

I'd say Rafael is more likely because whoever is there has to deal with Etherington.

Lemlin

Will Rafael start this game tonight?

roryc

With no Rooney or VDS and a shaky defence I can't see United winning by much here.

And afaik O'Shea is definitely out injured

Wolfe Tone

Delap will be delighted with PIG in goal.

flahavaj

I think this'll be tougher than people think. Stoke is never easy home or away and United's defence suffers most when Rio is out. I don't fancy the idea of Amos and Kuszcak under an aerial bombardment either. Potential banana skin, especially in this craziest of crazy seasons. Jammy 1-0 off Chico's collarbone please.

Sgt Pepper 64

if Rooney is def out, you need Berba to step up to the plate

So this is defo not on TV tonight then no?

Spud83

flahavaj wrote: »

I think this'll be tougher than people think. Stoke is never easy home or away and United's defence suffers most when Rio is out. I don't fancy the idea of Amos and Kuszcak under an aerial bombardment either. Potential banana skin, especially in this craziest of crazy seasons. Jammy 1-0 off Chico's collarbone please.

Meh, 4-0 and 5-0 tell a different story.

The 5-0 was without Rio, or Rooney as well.

keano_afc

Utd will hammer them, this is Pulis we're talking about. He sends out his teams at OT in damage limitation mode.

The_Kew_Tour

United 2-0, goals in either half.

smokedeels

Sgt Pepper 64 wrote: »

if Rooney is def out, you need Berba to step up to the plate

Yeah, time for the league's top scorer to start pulling his weight......:rolleyes:

JerryHandbag

RasTa wrote: »

Nani on the bus but no sign of Rooney, VDS or Neville I'm reading.

Chance of a clean sheet so :pac:.

smokedeels

Deleted User wrote: »

So this is defo not on TV tonight then no?

Is it on a "foreign channel" and therefore stream-able?

kryogen

Ill happily take a scrappy dirty jammy 1-0 here

roryc

smokedeels wrote: »

Is it on a "foreign channel" and therefore stream-able?

If you stream it, they will come...

http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=100192&part=sports

nullzero

What's with all the 3, 4 and 5-0 predictions here?

This is Stoke City not some pub team.
Yes they're not favorites by any means but they're a tough set of bastards who'll kill themselves to stop United from both playing their football and by extention winning.

I'd be happy enough with a 1-0 win for United and no more injuries for once.

This will the the third game in a row for United against inferior opposition who have realised that while they can't out play the top sides they can very easily kick them off the park, just look at the Birmingham City and West brom games for a preview of what to expect tonight.

Without Rooney we'll struggle to break them down and I'd expect Berbatov to either get the one decisive goal without having the space and time to do much else or give up and not bother after being kicked out of the game.

This could well be a defeat for United tonight with all the players we could be missing against a side that have built their premier league reputation on being hard to break down and even harder in the tackle.

5-0? My arse.

Spud83

Highest prediction on the thread was 3-0

roryc

I agree, would be amazed if we won by more than 2... unless Berba hits another run of form!

nullzero

Xavi6 wrote: »

Still, that'll just mean it's 3-0 and not four or five.

Re Spud 83's post, I mustn't have be paying attention properly,

Even still 3-0 is a bit far fetched.

Spud83

nullzero wrote: »

Re Spud 83's post, I mustn't have be paying attention properly,

Even still 3-0 is a bit far fetched.

But why considering the last two results when we have played them at Old Trafford?

nullzero

Spud83 wrote: »

But why considering the last two results when we have played them at Old Trafford?

The injury list would be the main reason.

Spud83

nullzero wrote: »

The injury list would be the main reason.

fair enough, I still think we have more than enough to put Stoke away and would be disappointed if tonight wasn't a comfortable game.

I don't expect Stoke to do much attacking so I think our defense will be fine, especially if the midfield can control the game like they should.

If Nani, Berbatov, and Chico start we have plenty to cause them a lot of problems.

kryogen

Im sorry to say I expect you to be disappointed Spud!

Mitch Connor

Spud83 wrote: »

But why considering the last two results when we have played them at Old Trafford?

Look at how we are playing NOW. We generally have not played well enough in a lot of games to be looking at such big victories. Birmingham and West Brom being our last two games where we really didn't look like playing the type of attacking football required for such scorelines.

nullzero

Spud83 wrote: »

fair enough, I still think we have more than enough to put Stoke away and would be disappointed if tonight wasn't a comfortable game.

I don't expect Stoke to do much attacking so I think our defense will be fine, especially if the midfield can control the game like they should.

If Nani, Berbatov, and Chico start we have plenty to cause them a lot of problems.

I think we've been a bit too easy to stifle in the last two games and I'd fully expect Stoke to do what West Brom and Birmingham did before them, take the sting out of our attack by making the midfield a battle ground of niggly tackles and scuffles.

Given the talent in the United sqaud we should rise above it and win regardless of the nature of the game, but we haven't looked up for it in the last two games with the exception of Rooney who'll be a massive loss tonight if he doesn't play.

I'd gladly eat my words and see us trounce them 5-0 or even 3-0, but this is a tricky run of games for us and they've already taken their toll on our squad, plus everyone still wants to make mugs of United, so a cup final mentality will doubtlessly be on show from Stoke tonight.

Spud83

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Look at how we are playing NOW. We generally have not played well enough in a lot of games to be looking at such big victories. Birmingham and West Brom being our last two games where we really didn't look like playing the type of attacking football required for such scorelines.

both away games.

Our home form has been fine, comfortable against Sunderland, demolished Blackburn, nervy against Arsenal (to be expected).

Personally when I say comfortable I mean more like the Sunderland game, rather than a 3 or 4 nil. I don't expect a three nil, but I don't see the possibility of it as outlandish.

MagicMarker

Not feeling confident tbh.

Lemlin

nullzero wrote: »

What's with all the 3, 4 and 5-0 predictions here?

This is Stoke City not some pub team.
Yes they're not favorites by any means but they're a tough set of bastards who'll kill themselves to stop United from both playing their football and by extention winning.

I'd be happy enough with a 1-0 win for United and no more injuries for once.

This will the the third game in a row for United against inferior opposition who have realised that while they can't out play the top sides they can very easily kick them off the park, just look at the Birmingham City and West brom games for a preview of what to expect tonight.

Without Rooney we'll struggle to break them down and I'd expect Berbatov to either get the one decisive goal without having the space and time to do much else or give up and not bother after being kicked out of the game.

This could well be a defeat for United tonight with all the players we could be missing against a side that have built their premier league reputation on being hard to break down and even harder in the tackle.

5-0? My arse.

I didn't see the Birmingham game but West Brom hardly tried to kick United off the park. They are a good footballing team and should have had a penalty with Neville off as well.

I know United should have had a penalty too for Jerome's handball but West Brom play good football generally and I'm sick of hearing supporters of the bigger teams saying the mid table and lower level clubs kick them off the park. Some clubs do alright, there's no doubting that, but West Brom gave United a game eleven against eleven.

smokedeels

Lemlin wrote: »

I didn't see the Birmingham game but West Brom hardly tried to kick United off the park. They are a good footballing team and should have had a penalty with Neville off as well.

I know United should have had a penalty too for Jerome's handball but West Brom play good football generally and I'm sick of hearing supporters of the bigger teams saying the mid table and lower level clubs kick them off the park. Some clubs do alright, there's no doubting that, but West Brom gave United a game eleven against eleven.

Agree with this, Birmingham held United due to anti-footballing tactics and bad refereeing. West Brom simply outplayed us.

Stoke are one of the worst footballing sides in the division and I feel their standard "tactics" of long throw-ins and pushing the rule book in terms of fouls don't travel well.

If United are up for this I'm very confident of a win.

deisedevil

West Brom outplayed us. They had far more possesion 62-38%. Far more shots: 17-5 and we fould more 8-13. In general play West Brom looked the better team that day and were very unlucky not to get something from the game.

TheDoc

This is not on TV,?

Lads in work saying in it, can anyone confirm ?

Lemlin

smokedeels wrote: »

Agree with this, Birmingham held United due to anti-footballing tactics and bad refereeing. West Brom simply outplayed us.

Stoke are one of the worst footballing sides in the division and their standard "tactics" don't travel well

If United are up for this I'm very confident of a win.

I actually think Pulis is trying to move away from the days of Delap's long throws with a few of the players he's bought - Pennant, Tuncay. Etherington is a decent player too.

It will take them time though. They're a solid mid table team though so they are getting results and building the club.

I don't think United will have it as easy as some here think.

nullzero

Lemlin wrote: »

I didn't see the Birmingham game but West Brom hardly tried to kick United off the park. They are a good footballing team and should have had a penalty with Neville off as well.

I know United should have had a penalty too for Jerome's handball but West Brom play good football generally and I'm sick of hearing supporters of the bigger teams saying the mid table and lower level clubs kick them off the park. Some clubs do alright, there's no doubting that, but West Brom gave United a game eleven against eleven.

To be fair to West brom they did play well, but they put themselves about fairly handy too, just look at Brunts foul on Rooney in the last few minutes, had a United player commited the same offence they'd be pilloried.
There were plenty of mistakes from United against West Brom and that more than anything ruined United performance although it would be daft to suggest that West brom are a bunch of fairies that did nothing to foil United on the physical side.

I suppose my main point would be that of the three games, Birmingham City, West brom and Stoke, you'd expect a fair bit of hussle and bustle but you'd still expect United to win.
Without key players those expectations (of sure fire victories) can shift rather rapidly so I wouldn't be shocked by a surprise from Stoke this evening.

smokedeels

Lemlin wrote: »

I actually think Pulis is trying to move away from the days of Delap's long throws with a few of the players he's bought - Pennant, Tuncay. Etherington is a decent player too.

It will take them time though. They're a solid mid table team though so they are getting results and building the club.

I don't think United will have it as easy as some here think.

That's a decent list, and you can add Gudjohnsen's name too, but I've watch them several times this year and it didn't change my opinion, they were mostly games against "better" opposition and as you say it's transitional so it's probably not evident in those games.

Maybe I've been spoiled by teams like Blackpool and West Brom playing attacking football despite limited resources.

astrofool

deisedevil wrote: »

West Brom outplayed us. They had far more possesion 62-38%. Far more shots: 17-5 and we fould more 8-13. In general play West Brom looked the better team that day and were very unlucky not to get something from the game.

Where did you get your stats from?

http://www.skysports.com/football/match_report/0,19764,11667_3283937,00.html

deisedevil

astrofool wrote: »

Where did you get your stats from?

http://www.skysports.com/football/match_report/0,19764,11667_3283937,00.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/9327941.stm Stats at the bottom.

With either version of the stats and from what I saw we were blessed to get a win and West Brom must be kicking themselves.

Spazdarn

United have had enough crap draws, it's nice to see the late goals benefiting us for once (this year anyways)