Manchester United vs Olympique de Marseille / Tuesday 15-03-11 7:45pm

Peyton Manning

Old Trafford, Manchester
Tuesday 15th March 2011
KO - 19:45 GMT

Headshot

Nice work tom, very professional

Truth be told im worried about this match. I also think it will be another boring ****e match

Probably 4-5-1 formation with Rooney leading the line

Nailz

Sky Sports 2 it is then.

Here hoping for a comfortable win. After the good result and performance at the weekend and numerous recoveries from injuries, including the long term one of Valencia and hopefully soon-to-be-playing Hargreaves, I think confidence should be high, and I can see something like a 2-0/3-0 home win here.

Liam O

must compliment the presentation too

hopefully United come out all guns blazing and bring the game to Marseille and put it to bed early on. Marseille are nothing special but the longer the game goes without a goal the more belief they'll have.

Blatter

Headshot wrote: »

Nice work tom, very professional

Truth be told im worried about this match. I also think it will be another boring ****e match

Probably 4-5-1 formation with Rooney leading the line

Can't see anything else other than 4-4-2.

We rarely play 4-5-1 at Old Trafford and if we do it is usually against a Barcelona/Arsenal, a team that dominates possession. It's a formation that us suited to counter attacking football.

We are at Old Trafford and Marseille are no great shakes so 4-5-1 would be far to negative. Better off going for an early goal and kill the game off.

5starpool

Marseilles only chance is a score draw I think, but utd will win 2 or 3 nil imo as the home form has been rock solid.

Headshot

I can see 4-5-1 alright because its saf in europe

Marseille have to come out and attack and utd will try to get them on the break

Blatter

Headshot wrote: »

I can see 4-5-1 alright because its saf in europe

Marseille have to come out and attack and utd will try to get them on the break

I think it will be the other way around.

They don't have to come out and attack. The impetuous is on us to attack as we are the home team and the superior side. They would be delighted with 0-0 and will hope to try to nick one on the counter attack.

Samba

Both teams coming into this match off the back of 2-0 wins, Marseille won away to Rennes over the weekend taking them to second place in the league.

I hope united show up tomorrow and we take the wind out of their sails early on, if not this is going to be a nervy match.

I'll go with an excitable 2-1 with Hernandez to come on as a sub and pinch the game. I'm quietly hoping there won't be any need to bring him on, other than to give a striker a rest.

I expect a different game to what we saw in Marseille.

MagicMarker

So, what do we think, I doubt Val will start but I'd like to see...

raf - Smalling - Vidic - Evra

Val - Carrick - Scholes - Nani

---

Berba - Rooney

I think we'll see O'Shea instead of Raf too.

Cantona's Collars

Looking likely Vidic will miss the game,that will be a blow.Still think we should have enough to beat Marseille,not expecting a classic-workmanlike 2-0 win.

JimsAlterEgo

zerks wrote: »

Looking likely Vidic will miss the game,that will be a blow.Still think we should have enough to beat Marseille,not expecting a classic-workmanlike 2-0 win.

where did you hear that?

Average-Ro

The date in the thread title wrong? Oh Tom, you were doing so well 'till then....:D

Can't see past a 442 myself. At home and need to score.

Cantona's Collars

JimsAlterEgo wrote: »

where did you hear that?

Daily Fail,so don't be surprised if Vidic plays.

VW 1

Sitting in Manchester airport train station can't wait for this one,hopefully another solid performance to kick on from the hungry performance at the weekend.
Think it will be a 4-4-2 especially after the way we attacked the Liverpool and Chelsea games away from Home,even if this is cl match.
Would like to see Chico in this one as I feel he has earned his place but I don't see verbs being dropped. I doubt Valencia will be starting so nani and Rooney on the wings for me with scholes in the centre partnered by carrick/fletch depending who is available. Usual back four of RAF vidic if fit smalling and evra.
Prediction:2-0 united

Mitch Connor

My line up prediction:

...............VDS

Raf..Smalling..Vidic..Evra

Nani..Carrick..Scholes..Giggs

......Rooney..Berbatov

Thinking behind it:

Back five picks itself, if fit - there are question marks over Vidic. If he doesn't make it, it will have to be Brown to come in, hopefully to a better performance than we saw against Liverpool in combo with Smalling.

In midfield, right wing will be either Nani or Valencia - whichever one Fergie thinks it best to start with. I don't think both will start. I have two reasons for thinking that.

1. Fitness concerns on both of them - play one from the start, sub off for the other in the second half.
2. By playing Giggs you have more flexibility in the formation - we can start 442 with Rooney and Berbatov up top and Giggs on the wing. If needed later on we can drop Rooney out left and move Giggs centrally to provide more cover in central midfield.

Up top I'm going with Rooney and Berbatov. Rooney because...... well, it isn't even a question (rightly or wrongly), he will start - I do feel his versatility, as mentioned above, will be a factor in the game. Berbatov ahead of Chico, cause I think Berbatov will be of more use. As much as I love Chico, I don't think his passing game is up to all that much (it is not, however, bad) and I think Berbatov will be key to us retaining possession of th ball - which is key in a game like tonights.

PHB

****ing nervous about this game. We need a performance from the midfield.

Mitch Connor

So annoyed. I thought this game was on tonight. Half freaking over and United making a meal of it!

http://twitter.com/#!/UEFAcom

2-2, coming back from 0-2. Obertan has been sent off, surprised he even started to be honest.

COME ON UNITED!

Terribly start to the game, 2 down in 3 minutes! Fantastic start to the second half though. Keep it up lads, we'll make the next round yet!

EDIT: 3-2! Another own goal (bout time he got scoring again). Macheda has missed a penalty though (not sure what relevance Sampdoria training has though). Unbelievable start to the second half!

JerryHandbag

^^ eventful first 3 mins of that second half, to say the least!


I fancy Marseilles to get an away goal tonight but I think we'll have just about enough at the other end. Interesting to see what kind of reception Gabriel Heinze gets (presuming he's fit), not a good one I would imagine! Shame because he was such a cult hero but his antics before he left put a sour taste in lots of Utd fans mouths.

v3ttel

I do hope Gabby Heinze gets a good reception.

To be fair, he was a warrior for us, rock solid and has had nothing but kind words to say about the club since he has left.

It would be embarrassing to hear a former cult hero booed because he had a momentary brain-fart, which he has recently said he regrets.

Mitch Connor

Rooney10 wrote: »

I do hope Gabby Heinze gets a good reception.

To be fair, he was a warrior for us, rock solid and has had nothing but kind words to say about the club since he has left.

It would be embarrassing to hear a former cult hero booed because he had a momentary brain-fart, which he has recently said he regrets.

F'im tbh.

I had no problem with him wanting to leave, but he went to court to try and force a move to Liverpool. No way should he get a good reception from the United fans tonight.

TheTownie

Mitch Connor wrote: »

he went to court to try and force a move to Liverpool.

Down with that sort of thing! :pac:

grames_bond

Careful now!!

(had to be done)

smokedeels

I'm no problems with the guy, afaik he got on with things after he left and didn't insult the club to the media, he deserved the plaudits he won after his first season but with the Liverpool episode in mind I'm pretty neutral as to how he's received tonight. A decent chant or two - ala Foster this season - would make me chuckle.

RasTa

Rooney10 wrote: »

It would be embarrassing to hear a former cult hero booed because he had a momentary brain-fart, which he has recently said he regrets.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2319515/Gabriel-Heinze-to-fight-block-on-Liverpool-move.html

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

His cult hero status is long gone, same as Ince.

JerryHandbag

Vidic out according to SSN. Balls.

Nailz

JerryHandbag wrote: »

Vidic out according to SSN. Balls.

Fuck.

Melion

Nani playing just 9 days after losing a leg???? Surely this is his next career move

stumpypeeps

The thing about Argentinians is the couldn't give 2 shiny ****es what fans think. They're over hear to advance their career, make money and return to Argentina as a success. What do they care about a bunch of English fans they'll never have to see again. E.G. Tevez, Mascherano, Heinze.

CR 7

Melion wrote: »

Nani playing just 9 days after losing a leg????

You must be devastated,

7/3/11

Melion wrote:

I said last night, id be very confident he will play in Uniteds next game. Some peoples reactions last night would make you think he is out until Euro 2012 though.

A week and a half later, and after missing the most important match of the last few weeks, and still counting..

Team hasn't been released yet either.
(Unless you are Mike Phelan, which would explain a lot)

bennyx_o

UTD Team: VDS, O'shea, Smalling, Brown, Evra, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Nani, Chico, Rooney

Subs: Fabio, Rafael, Valencia, Obertan, Berbatov, PIG, Gibson

Professey Chin

Berba must have shot someone in the face

Fuhrer

Dont really care if United go out or not, just want them to play some good ****ing football for once

Cypher_sounds

Happy with that starting 11 and good to have Valencia on the bench to call upon if needed.

Any news on the Marseille line up? Is Gignac starting?

Cypher_sounds

Fuhrer wrote: »

Dont really care if United go out or not, just want them to play some good ****ing football for once

Who do you support?

MagicMarker

Without Vidic we're facing an up hill battle.

Pal

Fuhrer wrote: »

Dont really care if United go out or not, just want them to play some good ****ing football for once

Dont really care if United go out or not, just want them to stop moaning

yabadabado

Marseille XI:
Mandanda;
Fanni,
Diawara,
Heinze,
Taiwo;
Mbia,
Cheyrou,
Gonzalez;
Remy,
Gignac,
Ayew.
Subs:Andrade Hilton Cisse Kabore J Ayew Abriel Valbuena

Liam O

Giggs and Scholes both starting is a big risk and I'm not sure if it will pay off. Brown will make mistakes tonight and that I'm sure of. Would much rather O'Shea in the middle and Brown as the RB tbh. Overall I'm not confident at all but United always seem to start with a bang in the 2nd leg of CL ties so I hope tonight is no different.

Blatter

Brown is potentially a serious problem at the back.

Would have preferred O'Shea playing beside Smalling and Rafael RB.

Liam O

Pal wrote: »

Dont really care if United go out or not, just want them to stop moaning

who to stop moaning

wheres me jumpa

Nerves kicking in now, cant believe Marseille are causing me this much discomfort.

TheTownie

Confident United will get a good result tonight.

Surprised Berbatov isn't playing. Not that I wanted him to start but I expected him to.

Delighted Chico been given a chance in a big match like this. Definitely fancy him to score tonight.

Patsy fyre

Sqeeeky bum time lads...

smokedeels

berbadropped, very surprised. Chico/Rooney is looking like a good partnership, but you have to feel for the guy.

ShamoBuc

Should be an interesting game. Coming into an away leg behind by a goal will force them to play somewhat offensively. I expect them to keep it some way tight till ht unless they fall further behind. If it's nil all at ht - I fance they will pull out all the stops - and they are a dangerous enough side. Utd should still come through but my money would be on a 1-1 , 2-1 to utd on agg.

Nani back? That month flew by.

nkay1985

Brown back there is potentially a big problem, considering himself and Smalling won't have much confidence in themselves as a defensive pairing. Agree that I'd prefer JOS at centre half but don't think it'll happen.

Still think United should have enough. United by one goal, scored off Chico's left testicle.

Professey Chin

ShamoBuc wrote: »

Should be an interesting game. Coming into an away leg behind by a goal will force them to play somewhat offensively. I expect them to keep it some way tight till ht unless they fall further behind. If it's nil all at ht - I fance they will pull out all the stops - and they are a dangerous enough side. Utd should still come through but my money would be on a 1-1 , 2-1 to utd on agg.

Isnt it 0-0

Liam O

rarnes1 wrote: »

Nani back? That month flew by.

guess he must be playing injured. Not that anyone will give him any credit for it :rolleyes: sure he's not the type of player that would do that.

Liam O

Liam O wrote: »

guess he must be playing injured. Not that anyone will give him any credit for it :rolleyes: sure he's not the type of player that would do that.

Jaysus lad, calm down. Only a bit of banter

On another note, is Berbatov getting a bit of a raw deal recently? He's been started as a sub a bit recently