Sunderland vs Manchester United - Sunday 24th August, 16:00PM

'The Louis van Gaal era began in disappointing fashion last weekend as Swansea City recorded a shock 2-1 win at Old Trafford, a result that brought Manchester United fans back down to earth following a hugely successful pre-season tour of America.
The Reds must now respond and head to Sunderland, hoping to maintain the positive away form that yielded 34 points from 57 on the road. However, the Black Cats are much-improved under Gustavo Poyet and head into this match on the back of an encouraging 2-2 draw at West Bromwich Albion.
Memories of last term’s Capital One Cup semi-final success over United are also fresh in the mind at the Stadium of Light.'

I'm predicting a tough earned 2-1 away win for Man Utd in light of RVP's return.

Lovely Bloke

kudos on a normal opening post for a match thread, and none of the fancy crest bullshít.

Baldy Conscience

Baldy Conscience wrote: »

kudos on a normal opening post for a match thread, and none of the fancy crest bullshít.

Going to be a tough encounter today. Sunderland look very organized under Poyet which concerns me.
However our form has been good away from home so this reads as a really good game for the neutrals tbh.

Hangballlouie

1-1. Utd will dominate but will fail to take advantage.

Augmerson

Utd 2-0.

Redzer7

3-1 Sunderland is what I'm going for.

Talib Fiasco

Core meltdown II

Lord TSC

Drab draw quickly glossed over by pictures of DiMaria with a United Jersey

Nalz

will Blackett start?

Trilla

Trilla wrote: »

will Blackett start?

Doesn't it depend on Evans?? Blackett would need to start the match if not.

Backstreet Moyes

Sunderland 1-4 United

Wickham, Rooney*2, Mata and Janjuaz

Nalz

Is Evans in the match squad? I'm hoping he is for United first of all, and my fantasy football team secondly!

Paully D

Relatively comfortable away win which will hopefully act as the smack in the face needed to the decision makers at the club that our squad is piss poor and we're short about 4 players with a week to go.

We're essentially even going into this game with 10 men as we still don't have a first choice, Premier League standard LWF fit and ready to play. Ridiculous.

We'll probably line out as below:

Mannone

Vergini/Jones O'Shea Brown van Aanholt

Cattermole

Rodwell Larsson

Johnson

---

Wickham

Fletcher

Professional Griefer

Same story as the Swansea game I think..

MagicMarker

Unfortunately, I think United will at best get a draw here.

---

De Gea

---

--- Jones --- Evans --- Blackett
Rafael

---

Young

---

Cleverley - Fletcher

---

---

Mata

---

---

Van Persie --- Rooney

kryogen

---

DDG

---

---Jones----Smalling

---

Blackett---
Rafael

---

Young

---

Flecther

---

Cleverley

---

---

Mata

---

---

Rooney

---

RVP

---

That is the best possible line up I can think of with the options, assuming RVP is ok to start

Agent Coulson

Utd to lose and Di Maria's price to go up by 20%.

Professional Griefer

De Gea; Jones, Smalling, Blackett; Valencia, Cleverley, Fletcher, Mata, Young; Rooney, van Persie

Copper_pipe

#SAFC: Mannone, Vergini, van Aanholt, Brown, O'Shea (c), Cattermole, Larsson, Rodwell, Buckley, Wickham, Fletcher.

Talib Fiasco

Jack Rodwell for MOM :rolleyes:

Pepe LeFrits

Comfortable enough win for the new little horse I reckon.

RobbingBandit

4-0 United, Van Persie hat trick.

Paully D

Copper_pipe wrote: »

#SAFC: Mannone, Vergini, van Aanholt, Brown, O'Shea (c), Cattermole, Larsson, Rodwell, Buckley, Wickham, Fletcher.

Johnson out because of illness. So we've Buckley on one wing and a striker on the other. **** me.

0-2, Van Persie and Rooney with the goals.

hjkl

Professional Griefer wrote: »

De Gea; Jones, Smalling, Blackett; Valencia, Cleverley, Fletcher, Mata, Young; Rooney, van Persie

The difference in quality between the front three and the rest of the outfield players is unbelievable!

Talib Fiasco

Professional Griefer wrote: »

De Gea; Jones, Smalling, Blackett; Valencia, Cleverley, Fletcher, Mata, Young; Rooney, van Persie

frimpong wrote: »

The difference in quality between the front three and the rest of the outfield players is unbelievable!

Young....eh? :pac:

https://twitter.com/ManUtd/status/503542270151622656

Man Utd Team

TheMilkyPirate

Talib Fiasco wrote: »

Young....eh? :pac:

The last three named aren't the front three

Talib Fiasco

TheMilkyPirate wrote: »

The last three named aren't the front three

Alright Buzz Killington...

kryogen

Really excited at the prospect of watching the top class ability of TC23 and Fletch on display in the middle of the park

mufcboy1999

Not at home today and not sure if it's ok to ask but can anyone pm me a decent link for the match ?

Cheers !!

Diabhal Beag

De Gea to cost United the win with a late blunder from a scuppered John O'Shea effort.

adox

Professional Griefer wrote: »

Same story as the Swansea game I think..

2-1 to the away team?


Nice one.

Nalz

frimpong wrote: »

The difference in quality between the front three and the rest of the outfield players is unbelievable!

Like the Dutch WC team!

eagle eye

That United team wouldn't frighten anybody. Very weak looking in midfield. They have three top attacking players but you have to give them a good supply and I don't see that happening very often.

I fancy Sunderland win this one with Larrson being a big danger taking shots from distance here. Fletcher is a very smart striker and will find gaps between the United back three.

madcabbage

Confidence is smashed and he starts Cleverly. FFS! :mad:

Talib Fiasco

madcabbage wrote: »

Confidence is smashed and he starts Cleverly. FFS! :mad:

Destroy and rebuild and all that I'm guessing?

adox

madcabbage wrote: »

Confidence is smashed and he starts Cleverly. FFS! :mad:

Who else is there?

MagicMarker

Is it me or is the UPC SD sky channel much worse this season? Are they trying to force people to get the HD add on?

FortuneChip

Stop calling him Dia Maria!!!

RobertKK

Dwight Yorke is not a mathematician.

Mata is at United for near 12 months...

RobertKK

FortuneChip wrote: »

Stop calling him Dia Maria!!!

He may be a God...

Harry Palmr

RobertKK wrote: »

Dwight Yorke is not a mathematician.

Mata is at United for near 12 months...

He joined in January. Nearly 9 months. Or is that the point you are making? Hard to tell.

kryogen

madcabbage wrote: »

Confidence is smashed and he starts Cleverly. FFS! :mad:

As opposed to?

RobertKK

Harry Palmr wrote: »

He joined in January. Nearly 9 months. Or is that the point you are making? Hard to tell.

Towards the end of January so 7 months.

Yorke said he is at United near 12 months and hasn't done enough.

madcabbage

adox wrote: »

Who else is there?

There is this fella called Kagawa, he might be more useful than auld Tom boy!

Nailz

Decent tracks being played at the Stadium of Light, bit of Pearl Jam there and then some Chilis.

4-2 United

steps_3314

Was looking forward to this and now see a midfield of TC23 and Fletcher...oh dear god. Back in may you really couldn't imagined that. Disgraceful. Suppose to be the biggest club in the world.

RobertKK

madcabbage wrote: »

There is this fella called Kagawa, he might be more useful than auld Tom boy!

Hopefully Tom's last game to start for United for a very very very long time - eternity would do me.

adox

madcabbage wrote: »

There is this fella called Kagawa, he might be more useful than auld Tom boy!

I would guess that Van Gaal doesn't see Kagawa as a player to play in a midfield two.

MagicMarker

steps_3314 wrote: »

Was looking forward to this and now see a midfield of TC23 and Fletcher...oh dear god. Back in may you really couldn't imagined that. Disgraceful. Suppose to be the biggest club in the world.

Why are you surprised? As soon LVG said Herrera was injured it was always going to be Fletcher and Cleverley starting today.

adox

steps_3314 wrote: »

Was looking forward to this and now see a midfield of TC23 and Fletcher...oh dear god. Back in may you really couldn't imagined that. Disgraceful. Suppose to be the biggest club in the world.

I don't know who else people expected to start today? It was obvious since Herreras injury that the two of them would start today.