Topic: Pre-match thread: Manchester United vs Liverpool

[MonsLibpool]

Just worried we are short on fire power up front.
Mo is an obvious threat. The who?  Hope fully Luis fills up the blanks.

Set pieces are key.

[Kenny's Jacket]

Would be funny if they get the game called off only to have it rescheduled when our squad is less depleted with injuries and suspension.

The rules state we are awarded the game. It happened to Middlesboro, who forfeited the match.
We should flex our muscles and highlight the rules, which we failed to do last year.

Sick of the PL not imposing the rules.

[Andy @ Allerton!]

Just need to play Allisson and Keita

Rest all the lads and keep it to a respectable 12-0

[Studgotelli]

Game 3 and we’re at must win stage

Please just win

[Caston]

Just worried we are short on fire power up front.
Mo is an obvious threat. The who?  Hope fully Luis fills up the blanks.

Diaz is a major threat if he doesn't come so deep and plays like he did second half against Palace

Firmino scored a brace against United not long ago

Not got much on the bench though so hopefully those 3 can do the job!

[MJD-L4]

Into these tonight, reds!

No fucking about - quick start and don't concede first please!

2-0 Mo & Diaz.

[So… Howard Philips]

Into these tonight, reds!

No fucking about - quick start and don't concede first please!

2-0 Mo & Diaz.

That would be marvellous.

Subject to any more injuries Gomez and VVD should be more than capable of dealing with their attacks.

[naYoRHa2b]

Think Nunez would of terrorised Martinez in this so it's dissapointing from that point of view.

Hopefully Bobby is more up to speed because against Fulham it was like playing with 10, which I know we did well with against Palace, probably better than 11 but not sure we should play every game like that.

Same goes for Fabinho, just need to find intensity because it's crippling otherwise.

As it's Man United I hope the players have that extra motivation to help get us the win.

[Gerard00]

Any win will do as 2 points from 9 given our fixtures and Utds form would be bordering on disaster.

Not sure if its surprising or not but the pressure is all on us- looking at the usual reports its all about whether utd stand any chance of winning - given their form its understandable but heaping the pressure on us always seems to backfire in some way so i'm hoping we live up to the hype and find our shooting boots tonight.

[vicar]

In some ways its a shame Brentford hammered them as I think they will now compromise and set up much more defensively. I think TAW suggested that they might put Martinez in front of the back 4 and try to hit us on the break, that wouldn't surprise me. Had they not been thrashed I think Ten Hag would have persisted with his more attacking midfield. I now expect a more pragmatic defensive team and approach from them.

Feels like we need to start fast and put them under pressure, if we do and score I would expect them to crumble. If we don't then I would be concerned with giving them hope and something to build on. Sancho and Rashford are very capable given the right circumstances. We need to push them back and isolate whatever forwards they play.

[has gone odd]

They have much more to lose by not going for it than we do. Am sure it will be a cagey start, though as the game opens up, gaps appear and they will be hopefully be horribly exposed. Our team should mop them up.

[thaddeus]

In some ways its a shame Brentford hammered them as I think they will now compromise and set up much more defensively. I think TAW suggested that they might put Martinez in front of the back 4 and try to hit us on the break, that wouldn't surprise me. Had they not been thrashed I think Ten Hag would have persisted with his more attacking midfield. I now expect a more pragmatic defensive team and approach from them.

Feels like we need to start fast and put them under pressure, if we do and score I would expect them to crumble. If we don't then I would be concerned with giving them hope and something to build on. Sancho and Rashford are very capable given the right circumstances. We need to push them back and isolate whatever forwards they play.

I agree.  They dominated possession against Brentford but I don't think they'll be trying that against us.  We'll see a lot of "qaurterback passes" from Fernandes looking to spring their wide forwards.

If Gomez is fit and starts I'm pretty chilled about them playing that way as we can snuff out the threat to a large extent.  It will make it harder to score if they defend deep and in numbers but that's hardly a new challenge for us.

As others have said the first goal seems very important.  We started slowly against Fulham and conceded while we started really well against Palace but missed chances and then conceded.  More than those games though getting a goal up and ratcheting up the tension amongst the Man U players and supporters feels pivotal.

[disgraced cake]

Not just Nunez, but Jota could have totally had their small centre half off, he's outstanding in the air.

These were truly abject against Brighton and especially Brentford. For me there's nothing they can do to change things up that should be of any worry given our own quality, but tonight we have to perform too. No excuses. If Christian Eriksen is playing in that number 6 role again I expect genuine tears on thousands of faces at Old Trafford as another pummelling should be in order. I want Harry Maguire to receive untold abuse. That said, any win will do ...

[BarryCrocker]

It would be great if we could give Casemiro a lovely welcome to his new club by flogging them at home.

[lamonti]

Don't see it being a one-sided scoreline like last year, surely United have enough about them even in their shit state to make it difficult for us.

Score first, be patient and take them apart. Any win would do for me, particularly with yesterday's results.

[RedSmoke]

Don't see it being a one-sided scoreline like last year, surely United have enough about them even in their shit state to make it difficult for us.

Score first, be patient and take them apart. Any win would do for me, particularly with yesterday's results.

Agree with all of this.

Not comfortable with how the media seem to be expecting us to batter them...

[[new username under construction]]

Don't see it being a one-sided scoreline like last year, surely United have enough about them even in their shit state to make it difficult for us.

Score first, be patient and take them apart. Any win would do for me, particularly with yesterday's results.

They'll definitely try harder than any other game this season, hopefully that's not enough though

[markedasred]

They will behave like a cornered rat, after the humiliation of being at the bottom of the table and facing the team they hate most, with the 9-0 of last seasons two thrashings. We are just a bit off, possibly a little twitchy because of results so far. We should win, but we all thought that about the 1st 2 games. Two in the first half please lads to calm me down, given that its another low options bench again.

[peachybum]

Set pieces are key.

Problem with this is we're missing threats with no Konate/Matip. Gomez doesn't even go up for corners when he plays. Add to that no Mane anymore(and no Nunez to replace that threat) and Elliot in midfield. i'm not sure our set pieces will be as lucrative as we'd like.

[Robinred]

Yep, the timing of this game given the recent results and media stuff does us absolutely no favours - Klopp said he’d have preferred to play these after they’d won 4-0; I think that’s very shrewd, and was for our team’s consumption as much as everyone else.

[peachybum]

If we score first they'll go down without a fight. Unfortunately scoring first isn't something we've been doing lately.

[Fruity]

Relegation battle this one. Please just win don't care how. We need to take our chances when they come.

[kesey]

I hope Harry Beckenbauer is up to his usual tricks tonight.

[robertobaggio37]

We need a Bobby special, it's been a while since he's had a memorable game for us.

[Saus76]

A bit of negativity in here. Let's not forget how good we are - and how shit they are. Regardless of injuries, our expected team is strong and more than capable of winning.

[StevoHimself]

I hope Harry Beckenbauer is up to his usual tricks tonight.

Reportedly, he isn't starting.

[jillcwhomever]

Problem with this is we're missing threats with no Konate/Matip. Gomez doesn't even go up for corners when he plays. Add to that no Mane anymore(and no Nunez to replace that threat) and Elliot in midfield. i'm not sure our set pieces will be as lucrative as we'd like.

Van Dijk will go up for set-pieces, I don't know why we need both CB's to be doing that anyway.

[BigRedFeetBed]

I'm confident we win..not as confident as last season but I reckon we still do them. Cant have them taking anything at all away from this game..Social media would be awful but RAWK would be absolute carnage!

3 points, plenty of goals to put a + next to ours, no red cards, no injuries. Clean sheet would be nice too.

5-0 to us please 

[Rawkybalboa]

Reckon they gonna play Martinez in front of the defence. I f we play high line they gonna go for Sancho Martial and Rashford hoof over the top and get them running past us. They used there speedy players in the friendly and they gonna try again. ronaldo benched.

[peachybum]

Van Dijk will go up for set-pieces, I don't know why we need both CB's to be doing that anyway.

It's not about CB going up. it's about having a number of guys great in the air attacking the ball. Obviously if we had VVD, Konate and Darwin in the box you increase your chances of one of them getting on the end of a corner or free kick. Right now we have VVD and that's it unless Phillips plays. It's also a concern when defending also.

[CS111]

Yep, the timing of this game given the recent results and media stuff does us absolutely no favours - Klopp said he’d have preferred to play these after they’d won 4-0; I think that’s very shrewd, and was for our team’s consumption as much as everyone else.

I also don't like the media angle on this game. It's like how many are we going to win by. No mention anywhere of a Man Utd win. As a player that must hurt. I expect them to start like Fulham did against us, all guns blazing. I hope we don't get off to one of our 'recent slow starts'
It's a must that we score first.

[tubby]

Reckon they gonna play Martinez in front of the defence. I f we play high line they gonna go for Sancho Martial and Rashford hoof over the top and get them running past us. They used there speedy players in the friendly and they gonna try again. ronaldo benched.

They've been training with Varane alongside Martinez.

[Ciara (with a capital "C")]

Reckon they gonna play Martinez in front of the defence. I f we play high line they gonna go for Sancho Martial and Rashford hoof over the top and get them running past us. They used there speedy players in the friendly and they gonna try again. ronaldo benched.

Is that a position he played for Ajax?

[Nick110581]

Be surprised if they drop Maguire.

And think Ronaldo will start too.

[Ycuzz]

Reportedly, he isn't starting.

Sadly..

[Rawkybalboa]

Is that a position he played for Ajax?

Yes except that he used to clean up with Ajax

[Caps4444]

Agree with all of this.

Not comfortable with how the media seem to be expecting us to batter them...

Not comfortable with their pace up top, especially if we play are usual high line.

Seems they could go with Sancho, Martial and Rashford.  However rubbish they have been they have the pace to hurt us on the counter.

[Rawkybalboa]

Not comfortable with their pace up top, especially if we play are usual high line.

Seems they could go with Sancho, Martial and Rashford.  However rubbish they have been they have the pace to hurt us on the counter.

Agree with this. We really leave our defence exposed sometimes

[hide5seek]

Game 3 and we’re at must win stage

Please just win

It is must win. We know were going to need 90+ points  to win the title, nearer to 100 would be better.

[Oldmanmick]

Wonder how these planned protests will affect the United players. A scabby 1-0 win will do us.