Manchester United

That looks like a character from a Dr Suess book with the long neck and no chin

I can understand the 352 for a number of reasons, getting Rooney, RVP and Mata onto the pitch in their preferred positions and no fit LB and RB. Though i hope that LVG is a little pragmatic and if after some time it is not working up to his standards he looks at other systems.

They said in the press release that he is a midfielder so that must be what they consider him.

So... I don't know you guys squad all that well, but a strongest eleven like this?

                         De Gea

              Rojo - Evans - Jones

Rafael - Mata - Herrera - Di Maria - Shaw

               Rooney - van Persie

Not bad on paper but I'd be a tad worried defensively...

Yarn.

De Gea and Evans only usual starters.

I remember a few years back when we lost to Leeds.

Young bucks learnt a lesson today. Mk Dons played like it was their biggest occasion in their life. We played like it was a league cup that no one really cares about.

Hernandez must be done now.

#hasvangaalwonagameyet?

I think he did in Brazil.

Can anyone tell me if they'll be showing Man Yoo vs MK Dons on the Comedy Channel tonight?

I don't think so but there is a replay of City & Liverpool.

Something like this would be preferable:

Rafael - Evans - Jones - Shaw

            Herrera - new DM

   Rooney -  Mata - Di Maria

                    RvP  

I feel that the team you named  would get killed defensively with Di Maria and Mata in midfield. I think 3-5-2 is a very good system for our attack but leaves our defense exposed. I have said for ages how good I think Mata can be but now I'm wondering if he is worth it. If we don't sign another defensive midfielder then you are almost better to play Kagawa or Rooney in the hole. Mata is a good player but not in isolation. 

Now they've got ADM they can truly play like we did at the World Cup - pass it to the one good, creative player and have a bunch of journeymen at the back that can lump it to them at any opportunity. Van Gaal needs a Robben..

yea that's what i was getting at, van gaal doesn't really have the right squad make-up if he's really going to play 3-5-2 all season

If di maria is going to be the robben as valeo suggests, then how do you shoe-horn in van persie, rooney and mata as well?

<p>I think we'll probably still sign a couple of players; Blind, De Jong and Vidal seem most likely. But with the current squad I think a 4312 will work best. Puts Di Maria Mata, van Persie and Rooney all in their best positions.</p><p>                   De Gea </p><p>Rafael   Jones   Evans   Shaw</p><p> Di Maria   Carrick    Herrera</p><p>                  Mata</p><p>    van Persie    Rooney</p><p>Van Gaal showed during the World Cup and against Swansea he's willing to ditch 3412 when necessary, so I'm confident he won't stick with it if it becomes clear its not going to work.</p>

You play the system that you have the players that can do the job. No good sticking to something that your players can't do.

Pretty basic.

Bring back Moyes !!!

Oh cool, that was a good game. 

They're professionals. If they can't learn to play a different system than they should be sacked. Same as if they can't make five yard passes, or tackle a big mug of a striker, then they shouldn't be playing at the top level.

So De Gea could be a striker? Van Persie to wing back?

Did Chopper say that goalkeepers should learn to be strikers and strikers should learn to be defenders? Or that players should be able to adapt to different tactical set ups?

If you want the best out of a player you play him where it suits him. If you want the best out of a whole team you make a system that works for them.

Yes Rooney can played left wing, but he's not that good as he can be there. Would you sack him over that? No.

So what a stupid thing to say.

Probably less stupid than Leggy's interpretation of it.

It was intended to be stupid to show how much the guy knows about  football. Perhaps I should include you as well.

LOL

Hope Cleverley plays better for Villa, but I'm glad he is going as unfortunately  he was not up to it.   Bryan Robinson some years ago said he was 'the real thing' but within a few games it was obvious that he was not.

You could at least spell his name right

Who's Bryan Robinson?

That Community Shield game against City he showed much promise; direct, short passing and good movement.

I think it is best for everyone that Cleverley goes but I hate it when people celebrate someone leaving your club like they have.

No one is celebrating, as already mentioned I hope he does well at Villa but at the same time he is not good enough for Utd.

No one here but some people definitely are celebrating.

Surely they won't get rid of cleverly until they have Vidal (or someone else) lined up.  At the moment they have Carrick, Herrera and Fellani all injured - Cleverly isn't the best player in the world but at least he is a body and owns his own boots.

Frankie, I'm sure you would be better than him.

don't have my own boots though

I can't agree with the last sentence for the following reason.

In 2011 Utd demolished Arsenal 8-2  with this team. De Gea,Jones, Smalling,Evans,Evra,Cleverley,Anderson,Young, Rooney and Welbeck.

A few weeks later they beat Chelsea 3-1. 

Perhaps AF was actually better that you mentioned.

There is an article about this in an English paper written by Carragher which points out these facts.

Do you remember our team that day? Had the likes of Coquelin, Traore and Jenkinson start.

My comment was not about the Arsenal team, it was about the Utd side of which most are still there and the fact of blaming AF. for everything that is happening at the moment.

Someone's gotta say it - What a toothless performance. I know it's a new system/a work in progress/new players bedding in etc etc but fuck me dead that was bordering on dreadful. Could see the frustration etched on Rooney's face too.

So much for this easy beginning to the season. Even Moyes was better off this time last year!

Borrow Feverish's newly aquired ones.

Burnley really need to be beating those teams around them if they're to stay up.