The Manchester Derby Match Thread. 10/12/17 k/o 16.30

Cantona's Collars

Mourinho will likely start with Anthony Martial and Romelu Lukaku up front against Nicolas Otamendi and Vincent Kompany, should he recover from injury. The statesman-like Kompany has not been on the pitch in a derby defeat since the 2011 Community Shield, a statistic skewed by his numerous injuries and half-time withdrawals in two losses, one of which he was fortunate to avoid expulsion for a studs-up challenge on Daley Blind.

Kompany and Otamendi against Lukaku and Martial is like pitting two sports day dad racers against Olympians. Lukaku's running against CSKA was excellent in what was maybe his finest United performance and Martial has proved to be a more fitting foil than Marcus Rashford.

Mourinho has elevated United to the second-tallest squad in the Premier League and is hopeful of welcoming back Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marouane Fellaini at the weekend. Having those two, Lukaku, Nemanja Matic and Chris Smalling gives United a major advantage at set-pieces.

City only gave away 14 corners against Huddersfield, Southampton and West Ham in their last three league games yet still conceded from two of them and Southampton's strike came from a hit-and-hope cross which Fabian Delph misjudged.

"We spoke a lot about defending set-pieces but they are taller," Guardiola said after West Ham ruffled City's feathers. "It will happen again next week against United so we have to try and concede fewer set-pieces."

jayo26

United win I can't see any other outcome unless we don't score more goals then city.

loobylou

1-6, Fellaini to be sent off.

limnam

2-1 united.

Can't see city not scoring but we'll be hot on the counter.

Amazed if someone doesn't get sent off.

Paully D

14 yellows, 8 reds, 6 bans and 2 death threats.

And that's just this thread.

limnam

Cantona's Collars wrote: »

The great thing about those combined 11's they found 3 neutral experts to choose them.

Utd to win and put city back in their box

bucketybuck

limnam wrote: »

The great thing about those combined 11's they found 3 neutral experts to choose them.

And they all picked Otamendi!

J. Marston

What's the snow situation like in Manchester now? Game is going ahead but is it heavy enough to alter tactics from teams?

jayo26

J. Marston wrote: »

What's the snow situation like in Manchester now? Game is going ahead but is it heavy enough to alter tactics from teams?

Old Trafford is clean they have under soil heating so it wouldn't stick even if it did snow.

POKERKING

limnam wrote: »

Cantona's Collars wrote: »

The great thing about those combined 11's they found 3 neutral experts to choose them.

Neither otamendi or young should be there but then again it might be only including players available today. Mendy stones and jones would be ahead of them. Id argue Fernandinho over matic but many wont agree.

niallo27

Utd nearly 5/2 at home. Have they ever been as big, worth 20.

niallo27

niallo27 wrote: »

Utd nearly 5/2 at home. Have they ever been as big, worth 20.

I like it that way. Love when everyone has written Utd off before a ball has been kicked

niallo27

M!Ck^ wrote: »

I like it that way. Love when everyone has written Utd off before a ball has been kicked

5/2 is a slight underdog. I wouldn't say written off. I fancy the draw really.

marvin80

With their starting lineup, looks like United are going for this (they have to I suppose) - should be a cracking game.

Jesus starting ahead of Aguero is an interesting call.

limnam

marvin80 wrote: »

Jesus starting ahead of Aguero is an interesting call.

Phil Neville called it during the week iirc.

GreNoLi

Can only see a city win, doubt they will be as dominant as they were last season.

Mr.Nice Guy

I think Pogba's a big loss. I fear City will edge this. Hope I'm wrong.

Kirby

marvin80 wrote: »

Jesus starting ahead of Aguero is an interesting call.

Interesting is not the word I would use. F*cking mental is more accurate.

As good as Pep is, he has mental blocks with some strikers. There are a few similar strange decisions regarding strikers throughout his career so far. This is definately one of them.

Charlie19

Big game but what minute will we here feed the Scousers at.

Turtwig

Delph is city's weakest link. Fully expect utd to test that thoroughly.

Mike Oliver already at it

PhlegmyMoses

Herrera with some awful passing already.

Dirty from walker

Bridge93

Embarrassing reaction from Herrera. Unsurprising. Yellow all day but **** me

Rossi IRL

Yes Herrera,
Getting Walker booked early on

KdB had about an acre of space to himself there. That will lead to goals if it continues.

Fs young

PhlegmyMoses

Bridge93 wrote: »

Embarrassing reaction from Herrera. Unsurprising. Yellow all day but **** me

he got fairly clattered. It's about as hard a tackle as you'll see in football these days. Weird one to point out the reaction.

Bridge93

Bridge93 wrote: »

Embarrassing reaction from Herrera. Unsurprising. Yellow all day but **** me

Nah, just dirty from walker

Bridge93

It was dirty but for the amount of actual contact there was you'd swear he'd been shot. He does it all the time

marvin80

11/5 - red card in the match - good bet!!

Utd need to distribute the ball better when they won it back
Smalling and young guilty of giving it away

Utd just playing long ball hoping pace can trouble the defenders. Disappointing stuff really.

Nearly in
**** my heart

Coraline Microscopic Image

Coraline Microscopic Image wrote: »

Utd just playing long ball hoping pace can trouble the defenders. Disappointing stuff really.

Stop exaggerating

Walker with the dive

Rossi IRL

Should Walker of received a yellow there for diving?

Didn't look like anything in it

Trigger

Walker should be off

Father Hernandez

Walker lucky he wasn't caught diving

Could have been an early bath for him

sheroman01

Rojo, a sorry excuse of a defender.

sheroman01

Pep's scarf. haha. what a man.

LuckyGent88

Please stop with the horrendous long balls straight back to city

Bridge93

United defending well enough but Lukaku getting no help whatsoever.

Minderbinder

Young playing in defence worries me. He’s great when we have most of the ball or as a defensive winger, but I fear he’ll be caught out today.

United’s front four are miles away from each other.

Should have been a yellow for Jesus
Diving going unpunished

City fouling and getting away with it

ctrl-alt-delete

Think Jesus might have deserved a yellow there, fine challenge by Kompany if a little on the agressive side.

Turtyturd

Great tackle.

Kirby

Awful dive there.

Needs to be retrospective bans for that sort of stuff. Only way to sort it out.

super_furry

Fed up of arguing about penalties in the Liverpool thread, but I thought that looked a penalty on first and second viewings. Silly to hang a leg out like that either way.