3-0, Gary Neville hat-trick. The "injury" was just an elaborate mind game leading up to this match.

 

A win is what we need nothing more nothing less.

.......................Vds
....brown......rio........vidic.......evra.....
...ronaldo....carrick....anderson....nani....
................rooney.....tevez...

2-0 ronaldo rooney

 

I rather we play Hargreaves at RB.

 

hargreaves isn't really an experienced back so we can't really chuck him in,in the big derby i'd prefer having brown he did a decent job at analfield

 

He did a damn good job at RB against Portugal at the WC.

 

Happy as I am to see Ronaldo's current form, (****er better save some for this summer ), I think that in one way, he should be a concern to Manchester United fans.

Surely the team is too reliant on his goals? He gets hurt, or has an off night, and who's going to step up? Right now, no one else looks able, and I wonder if Rooney and company are starting to feel embarrassed by their comparative inability to contribute. Your competitors have their goals coming from a couple of sources. The next phase of the season will be a tough test.

ok...maybe I'm being too negative...after all...you ARE sitting in a pretty good position, but I don't think anyone would mind seeing Rooney and Tevez take their chances better, and a goal or two from the mid field would be reassuring too.

 

Surely the team is too reliant on his goals? He gets hurt, or has an off night, and who's going to step up? Right now, no one else looks able, and I wonder if Rooney and company are starting to feel embarrassed by their comparative inability to contribute. Your competitors have their goals coming from a couple of sources. The next phase of the season will be a tough test.

No they haven't. Arsenal's second top goalscorers are Cesc with 7 and Rosicky with 6. Ours are Tevez with 11 and Rooney with 8. Arsenal have had 13 different goalscorers, we've had 12. We beat Chelsea and Liverpool without him scoring, and we scored 8 past Villa and Boro without him getting on the scoresheet.

 

I see that most of you guys have Rio and Vidic as CB's in their starting 11. But fergue said that RIo is doubtful for sunday and they have to wait for medical report in Vidic's case.

So i guess it will be either Vidic+brown or Vidic+Pique . and frankly i would prefer brown and Owen as RB then to send Pique into game of such Improtance.

 

I would prefer Pique to brown. Brown looked shaky against Derby in CB, so how would he do against torres?

I am gonna go against the grain and say 1-1 or even 1-0 to Liverpool for several reasons.

1. They have nothing to play for, the worst they will get is 4th and its not really worth losing sleep over getting 3rd as its much of a muchness. There is no pressure on them in this game, unlike United who have been stumbling there way through the last few games (finishing has been awful!).
2. You know when a team is just due a win against us, well thats the way I feel about pool! Cant explain it
3. I hate predicting united wins in these close games as it makes me nervous. Call it superstitious but I prefer to predict a defeat then a win!
4. Ronaldo is due a big game in big games, United have been relying on him to keep them going but he is yet to proove he can dance around the likes of liverpool and chelsea defences!

Tevez will be a vital player. He has scored against the top 3 teams this season, he knows where to be when in the big games. We also need a big game from Rooney and Anderson.

 

I agree Drummer, I don't understand how some can be so confident against Liverpool but indifferent about Roma. Liverpool have a weaker squad than us but they often step up and punch above their own weight against us, just like City they seem to have a habit of beating us as many times as we beat them. It's like tossing a coin.

The game will probably be crap because Ferguson will play safe and field the slowest team available from the kick off. If we do manage to capitalise on all points I suspect it will be through a deflection or something.

 

.

 

I think everyone knows what the line-up will be, its pretty blatant:

brown---rio--vida---evra
--------hargreaves
------scholes--carrick
ronaldo--------------giggs
----------rooney

I predict a 1-0 win for United with Ronaldo hitting the penalty!!

 

I hope we play Carrick-Anderson in midfield and play with width and attack in numbers. Liverpool play to frustrate more skillfull teams so we should take advantage.

 

Let us beat the bastards.....any goal, whether from dopey, ***** or whoever, as long as it is a win.

Just not a loss please, we'll still lead come next week but can't imagine the site of them beating us at OT.

 

Liverpool are good over 2 legs. This isnt 2 legs lol

 

but the theory behind 2 legs is stopping the opposition at Liverpools away games, I hate the way they play but they do this effectively with 4at the back and 2 holding midfielders or deeper midfielders.

Has anyone thought about liverpool really going for the win? its a 1/10 chance but im sure I read somewhere Rafa still thinks the title is at least a possibility; so doubt he would just come to play for the draw?

 

4-0 to United

 

i was closest!!

 

Agreed Boss -

Liverpool never seem to actually go for it; rather 7 behind the ball and get in on the break.

I'm hoping for a classic; but the big 4 rarely play classics anymore....

 

Too much at stake to go all out attacking in these games.

I would absolutely love us to get a set piece early on and for Ronnie to bang it in to settle nerves.

And Scholesy + Giggsy will start, they were excellent in this fixture last season with Giggsy setting up both goals including Scholesy's first.

If those two turn up on Sunday I will feel very confident, hopefully they won't be utter dross again and end up replaced after 60 minutes or so...

 

Scholesy and Giggsy in the same team gets me worried - Just think the game slows up too much with them together, and if we are being honest they are no where near where others members of the team are (fitness, match sharpness, performance etc)

Set peice - nick a goal, and be solid through the middle will be the call for us. I dont think Liverpools wide players will hurt us too much, and it could end up a stalemate through the middle.

This game could be a bore

 

All these avatars are confusing ****. It takes me 3 extra seconds to analyze the situation and realise to who i am talking to (dont get me wrong, i love them), the searon im moaning is because i am smashed, merci

 

we should get avatars done up with your own name and number

Eg

Beech
69

WOOOOOOOOOOO!!

 

I expect a shitty game similar to the one at anfield and i expect people to come here after the match and compare ronnie's perfromances from bolton and liverpool. even though he will be the one who will have the odd moment's of genius ala rooney setup at anfield.

Liverpool are kind of team who wont allow the other teams to express themselves. Please dont expect ronnie to do the same that he did against bolton. But i still think he will be the difference (an odd flick or an assist or a rocket of his own) in what is going to be one hell of a boring match.

 

Steve bennett in charge for this one, so we'll be playing against 12 men.

 

This is kind of funny in hindsight.

 

its going to be a tough match, Liverpool is really in form, Torres is becoming a superstar and both Vidic and Rio are going to have to help each other when one of them is marking Torres. But I want to see SAF bring out a line up with experience and that evens no Nani and Anderson instead Giggs and Scholes with Ronaldo and Carrick, in these kinds of matches experience is always better than youth. 3 points in this match probably = another Title b/c the Chelski vs Arsenal is 99.9% going to be a tie 1-1.

1-0 Tevez

 

http://legacyeditorial.gettyimages....2008|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|0|7||manchester+united|9221119423669064695|0|0|0|0&p=7&tag=1

pictures of ferdinand training and he looks pretty happy, hopefully that means he will be playing

 

Rafa rage over latest Fergie mindgame

Rafael Benitez has accused Sir Alex Ferguson of attempting to manipulate referee Steve Bennett ahead of Liverpool's trip to Manchester United on Sunday.

United boss Ferguson has repeatedly called for star player Cristiano Ronaldo to receive more protection from officials in the days leading up to this weekend's match.

The Scot insists he fears the Portugal winger will be driven out of the Barclays Premier League by the type of rough treatment Ferguson claims he witnessed in the recent FA Cup defeat to Portsmouth.

But Liverpool manager Benitez believes his opposite number is simply playing mind games.

'Ferguson is clever, that is clear,' Benitez said. 'After a difficult game, he was talking about referees and before an important game (against Liverpool) he is talking about protecting Ronaldo.

'The referees, though, have experience and they will know Ferguson. This kind of treatment must be the same for all the teams and all the players.

'I wasn't surprised last week to hear what he was saying. I just want to go into the game with the same situation as the other team.'

Benitez is confident Bennett, who is due to officiate at Old Trafford on Sunday, will not be influenced by Ferguson.

'I think the referee has experience and is strong enough so I don't see it being a problem,' said the Spaniard, who believes his own players deserve just as much protection as Ronaldo.

'Ferguson is very clever and has a lot of experience.

'I don't know what he was thinking about exactly, but if you need to protect Ronaldo, you also need to protect (Fernando) Torres and (Steven) Gerrard and all the skilful players in the league.'

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=518453&cc=5901


Ronaldo gets tackled more than Torres and Gerrard combined.

 

Ferdinand will start, its all mind games. Wouldnt be surprised is VDS came back miraculously!! Or even if GN somehow managed to get full fitness. Fergies top dog at the "who will play" stakes.

United getting an early goal would set the game up nicely for everybody concerned. Early goal for pool and the game will be a dead stick.

Liverpool havent been impressive of late. As results go they have done well, but if you look at how they played they havent exactly set the league on fire. United have been fumbling their way along nicely, winning at any means necessary (sign of true champions) but they need a good win against a good team to revive moral and belief among all concerned with OT.

Losing to pool wont lose top spot irrespective of what happens later in the day, but could sow the seeds of doubt amongst the squad. Arsenal have had their blip and the pressure is off them now that people think they already bottled it. I expect arsenal to show more against chelsea then they have against anybody over the last month. We all know how Arsenal respond to playing well and good results going their way. They are superb when they get a run going and might of had their blip at the best time of the season. Any later and there wouldnt be anytime to rectify their position. Getting a good result against chelsea will get their shattered confidence back on track.

A draw at OT seems the most likely and wouldnt be the worst thing in the world. I would take 4 points off the scousers at the start of most seasons and thats how I would look on this game.

 

The game's a day away and I am already having goosebumps!

Its never nice to lose to these thieving (unts and more so now when their fans seem to be back to their delusional best and think that their team is "the best in the world"!!

The most crucial aspect tomorrow will be who scores first. If Liverpool somehow manages to nick one then expect their usual dire performance of shutting up shop and couple of blinders from Reina to take all three points. If United get the all important first goal then the game will open up and though we might concede, I believe that our players have the quality to take advantage of the space that will be afforded by the chasing pack.

Its always difficult playing against an inferior side with only 3 Premiership quality players amongst their ranks because such teams usually reckong these sort of games as their highlight of the season and tend to put in a massive shift.....case study shitty Citeh!

Rafa will pack the left midfield with shites like Riise and Aurelio so dont expect magic from Ronaldo as he will be marked by 3 players constantly. Perhaps, Rooney and Tevez can take advantage of this and utilise their freedom better.

A scrappy 1-0 win will do nicely but I expect a dour 0-0 draw or maybe even an upset to make the season for these desperate lots.

 

Why is everyone talking about losing lo liverpool. In the last seven games in the league against us they have won one and lost six scoring 1 goal in the process. Thats pathetic. Iam not saying we cant lose but if any one should be confident against them, it should be us. Fergie has always got the better of benitez , if we can trust any one in getting us through this its him.

Please dont tell me liverpool have improved a lot. yes they have, but they have improved last time in anfield also. Iam extremely confident that we will win this. In fergie i trust.

 

Why is everyone talking about losing lo liverpool. In the last seven games in the league against us they have won one and lost six scoring 1 goal in the process. Thats pathetic. Iam not saying we cant lose but if any one should be confident against them, it should be us. Fergie has always got the better of benitez , if we can trust any one in getting us through this its him.

Please dont tell me liverpool have improved a lot. yes they have, but they have improved last time in anfield also. Iam extremely confident that we will win this. In fergie i trust.

thats the point there due to get one over us some time soon