Manchester United vs Real Madrid Match Thread. 5/3/2013 K.O 19.45

Kirby

Blatter wrote: »

I know you're not in the competition anymore but if ye had played Galatasaray in the knockout stages I'm absolutely positive Drogba would get a great reception and even if he scored and knocked you out, I'm sure your fans would still love him.

While thats true, it's not comparing like with like. Drogba joined a turkish side. What if he had joined Millwall or west ham......Chelsea fans wouldn't be loving him then.

Ronaldo going to Madrid is not the same as him joining City.

Also, while Nani ruined that amazing goal....it highlights just how much of a petulant child Ronaldo is. What a temper tantrum. Not to mention the fact that Ronaldo would have done the exact same thing Nani did in trying to nab the goal if the roles were reversed.

IamtheWalrus

Kirby wrote: »

Also, while Nani ruined that amazing goal....it highlights just how much of a petulant child Ronaldo is. What a temper tantrum. Not to mention the fact that Ronaldo would have done the exact same thing Nani did in trying to nab the goal if the roles were reversed.

He said bad things about Ronnie... Get him!

Pinturicchio

^ That would've been one of the best goals I've ever seen.

Renn

nagirrac wrote: »

If we go out to defend we will be eaten alive, they are too good offensively and all it takes is a few free kicks and it could be game over.

Just like last week, especially in the second half?

Blatter

Kirby wrote: »

While thats true, it's not comparing like with like. Drogba joined a turkish side. What if he had joined Millwall or west ham......Chelsea fans wouldn't be loving him then.

Ronaldo going to Madrid is not the same as him joining City.

Sorry, I wasn't clear enough. I wasn't talking about Ronaldo if he joined City, I was just talking about him right now as a Madrid player. There's no reason he shouldn't get a great reception tonight whatever happens, which is what Gav was originally questioning.

Fighting Irish

what time will the line up be announced?

Pudsy33

Fighting Irish wrote: »

what time will the line up be announced?

Usually around 7 afaik

Pro. F

I suspect that Mourinho isn't properly in charge of this Madrid team. I think with all the trouble in the ranks he has had to go with a more hands off approach to managing the tactics and gameplan than he normally would. That is a massive bonus for United. Add to that the advantage from the first leg and United are favourites imo.

Professional Griefer

Is it only on ITV/RTE?

Pudsy33

Professional Griefer wrote: »

Is it only on ITV/RTE?

Nope, not on Rte. Tv3, ITV and sky.

MD1990

Pudsy33 wrote: »

Nope, not on Rte. Tv3, ITV and sky.

its not on Sky just ITV & TV3

adox

IamtheWalrus wrote: »

I don't have a good feeling about the night at all. If Utd keep it tight and don't go for it, they have a chance, similar to the defeat of Barca over 2 legs many moons ago. I can see an early Madrid goal though.

A club the size of Utd shouldn't be fearing Madrid the way they have been. Utd should be favourites for this tie with an away goal in the bag. But they're rightly not. SAF should be building a squad to compete with the likes of Madrid, not just running away with the league. Sounds ungrateful but a club the size of Utd should be a match for Madrid.

Eh they already got a score draw in the first leg in Madrid. That's competing in my book.

sawfish

MD1990 wrote: »

its not on Sky just ITV & TV3

Its a real blow that its not on sky, I like their pre-match build up. Would have been on from six.

Copper_pipe

Think cleverley and Kagawa will start

syngindub

is this a 20:45 kick off..wtf..thread title needs changing

Blatter

Blatter wrote: »

I wonder what chance of Rooney not starting?

Chance he could go with:

---

RvP

---

Kagawa

---

Welbeck

---

Nani


Reason I say is because in Madrid, he shifted Welbeck (even though he had the option to put Rooney there) into that position in the second half, and it worked really well in terms of stifling Alonso and Rooney was quite ineffective from the wing (as he is against most top level opposition in that position, it's just not his position) so SAF might be thinking that an in form Nani would give the side a far greater outlet playing out wide, and he isn't that much worse defensively in that position than Rooney, if at all. Kagawa is again a lot more suited than playing out wide than Rooney, and is off the back of a hattrick.

I must qualify this by saying that I don't think the above will happen but I think there is a chance of it if SAF really wants Welbeck on Alonso again and doesn't fancy Rooney out wide.

Looks like this has happened, no Rooney.

MUFC: DeGea Rafael Ferdinand Vidic Evra Carrick Giggs Cleverley Nani Welbeck Van Persie

ScummyMan

Giggs? **** off with the sentimental bull**** imo, bring him on with 20 mins to go as an impact sub if needs be, but this is too big a game for Giggs to be starting.

sReq | uTeK

Blatter wrote: »

Looks like this has happened, no Rooney.

MUFC: DeGea Rafael Ferdinand Vidic Evra Carrick Giggs Cleverley Nani Welbeck Van Persie

Huge news if rooney is left out, even over wellbeck on the left I think it's the wrong move.

OctavarIan

Rooney was woeful first half against Real last time around. Gave no help at all to Rafael who was being targeted and Jones had to put in a superhuman effort to make up for it. Blatter is right, either start Rooney centrally or don't start him at all.

MagicMarker

Is Rooney on the bench or out altogether.

sReq | uTeK

Man.UnitedLad wrote: »

Giggs? **** off with the sentimental bull**** imo, bring on with 20 mins to go as an impact sub if needs be, but this is too big a game for Giggs to be starting.

he should get the last minute, that's it.

RasTa

I'd have Kags over clev and Rooney over Danny.

Not happy.

Fans here must not watch United as Giggs has being outstanding anytime he has played in the last 2 months.

syngindub

syngindub wrote: »

is this a 20:45 kick off..wtf..thread title needs changing

Apologies CET

yabadabado

No Rooney .WTF?

Rekop dog

Astonished by that team. Advantage Real.

sawfish

de gea
rafael
vidic
ferdinand
evra
carrick
cleverly
nani
giggs
welbeck
RVP

Nailz

Oh dear, I can see Giggs coming off at half time...

Professional Griefer

Lopez, Varane, Ramos, Coentrao, Khedira, Ronaldo, Ozil, Alonso, Arbeloa, Higuain, Di Maria

mike65

Real have the A team starting.

grames_bond

Jesus - if I wasn't worried enough as it is - I see that team! Heart is going to take a battering over the next few hours!!

mike65

Rooney is not on the bench

edit Rooney IS on bench! :pac:

Pudsy33

Rooney out of the squad apparently. No Kagawa. The ****?

Edit: Rooney is in the squad

Blatter

mike65 wrote: »

Rooney is not on the bench

I hear he is on the bench

Edit: It's confirmed, he is.

#mufc bench: Lindegaard, Evans, Valencia, Young, Kagawa, Rooney, Hernandez.

OctavarIan

And the pessimism begins! Is something wrong with the team?

MagicMarker

Rooney is on the bench.

mike65

Nearly full blown panic mode there!

Should be a fascinating game, does Fergie think Rooney would be too easy to get at if he starts? A red waiting and all that?

IvySlayer

Putting Giggs in there is a very very risky move. I hope he proves me wrong.

Rooney injured or what?

Madness if he isn't

JaMarcus Hustle

SlickRic wrote: »

Rooney will start.

Giggs will not.

What type of reverse Scouse sorcery is this you WITCH!

Renn

rarnes1 wrote: »

Rooney injured or what?

Madness if he isn't

Probably the worst player on the pitch last week. Rafael wasn't great, granted, but 1v1 vs Ronaldo is never a nice spot for a RB to be in.

Professional Griefer

What a massive night for Giggs. 1000th game. United legend.

Blatter

mike65 wrote: »

Nearly full blown panic mode there!

Should be a fascinating game, does Fergie think Rooney would be too easy to get at if he starts? A red waiting and all that?

No I pretty much explained it earlier today.

He wants Welbeck on Alonso because he did such a great job on him when he moved centrally in the first leg in the second half.

RvP has to play and Rooney just isn't that great out wide. I'm fairly sure that's his thinking.

castletownman

RasTa wrote: »

I'd have Kags over clev and Rooney over Danny.

Not happy.

Fans here must not watch United as Giggs has being outstanding anytime he has played in the last 2 months.

Yeah against premier league cannon fodder (Everton aside) and in the FA Cup. Not against one of the best midfields in world football at the moment. Why couldn't Fergie leave the sentimentality for the weekend? Earlier on today I was quietly confident United could win, provided Fergie started the correct team. I'm now hugely pessimistic and am fearing that the midfield will be over-ran, and United well beat.

adox

Gonna be an interesting summer. Certainly the Rooney story will run and run no matter what happens tonight.

Still trying to figure out exactly what shape Utd will play?

4-5-1? 4-3-3?

Pudsy33

I'm unhappy with no Rooney or Kags, but I reckon Nani is gonna give us an amazing performance.

sawfish

Blatter wrote: »

I hear he is on the bench

Edit: It's confirmed, he is.

#mufc bench: Lindegaard, Evans, Valencia, Young, Kagawa, Rooney, Hernandez.

What a bench!! very attacking bench. Welbeck is dangerous attacking on the left, and works hard too.

ScummyMan

Massive night for Nani tonight, he really has to take this chance.

Rekop dog

I can't think of a single logical argument of how the team could be stronger without Rooney.

If he's not injured it may be the single most baffling decisions of Fergie's long career

MisterAnarchy

IvySlayer wrote: »

Putting Giggs in there is a very very risky move. I hope he proves me wrong.

I imagine Ferguson thinks Carrick and Giggs can replicate the performance they had against Chelsea in the Champions league 2 seasons ago.
The problem is that Real are a far faster ,more clinical and better side.

Utd will have to score first with that team lineup ,it's very negative.

adox

From Madrids point of view I'm sure they are hoping Ronaldo will stay wide for the majority of the game. That's where he did all his good work in the first leg.
When he drifted infield for most of the second half he was much less of a threat.