Manchester Utd 0-0 West Ham Utd (05/12/15)

[BabyClaret]

Long as we don't play 4-2-3-1. 4-4-1-1 or 4-3-3 please.

[1860OnceMoore]

Rooney struggling for goals, Van Gaal criticised for lack of expansive football - All points to West Ham doing their usual and providing a solution to both problems!

I can only see this being a very easy 3-0 to Manure

[Dwight1970]

I think people need to start realising that we are quite easy to play against when we take the game to the opposition, when we have possession we tend to overplay which in turn leaves us open at the back and if we sit deep to defend without Payet we are no longer are clinical when breaking forward.

Until we mix our game a bit more in attack I fear we are going to struggle unless someone can step up in the role that Payet did, I can't see us being much of a threat to Manchester United so sadly a 2-0 defeat is on the cards for me.

[DaveWHU1964]

Other than their name there has been no reason to fear Man United for several seasons now. I hope we really give it a go because we can get something up there.

[Row X]

Man Utd not playing well: check
Man Utd just edging dull games by the odd goal: check
Star striker hasn't scored for ages: check
We have injures in key posistions: check

It has all the making of an 8-0 Man united win with Rooney playing like Pele, Best, Maradonna, Fat Ronaldo, Cocky Ronaldo and Messi all roled into one, scoring all 8.

[prophet:marginal]

The issue in this case will be to subdue the players Van Gaal deploys in wide positions. I have to say I am not confident that our FB's will match either Mata's trickery or Martial's direct running with the ball.

They also have the best keeper in the league.

I am tempted to rekindle the old Sam trick of having us line up in a 4-6-0, in Sakho's absence, so that we defend in numbers and spring forward on the counter.

None of our available options will make much progress in the lone striker role.

[Aceface]

It has to be damning that I'd be inclined to use Zarate and Antonio as two quasi-forwards for this rather than a striker on £90k a week. But Carroll playing solo away from home has never worked.

[Brian Fantana]

I'm liking that line up Burnley Hammer. Doubt very much it will happen though.....

I have a bad feeling we are going to be mauled by these lot, especially if they get an early goal, we have a tendency to fall apart very quickly after conceding.

Rooney hasn't scored for a while so nailed on he bags at least one against us..

[sendô]

Given the available options, I'd probably go:

----------------------Adrian--------------------

Tomkins--Ogbonna--Reid--Cresswell

--------------------Obiang---------------------
--------Song------------------Kouyate--------
Zarate----------------------------------Lanzini

-------------------Carroll------------------------

Assuming Sakho will be out.

[The Moth]

As long as we play with no fear and have a real go at them Ill be happy.

Fingers crossed we dont start with Carroll, would rather have Jelavic up front too be honest.

[jhammers]

Need to go at them on the counter. There's no way Carroll can start this one.

---------------------------Adrian-------------------------------
Tomkins-------Reid--------Ogbonna----------Cresswell
------------------Noble-------Song-------------------------------
------------------------Kouyate-----------------------------------
----------Lanzini-----------------Zarate-------------------------
------------------------Moses---------------------------------------

[De Niro]

Heading up to this with three man united fans, so would be extra nice to get a result!

Think I've been to Old Trafford 8 or 9 times and only seen us win once, over 14 years now.

Jenkinson is going to have to his game if he's up against Martial. He is their stand out player and thankfully Van Gaal insists on playing him out wide.

[MrHammer73]

Need to go at them on the counter. There's no way Carroll can start this one.

---------------------------Adrian-------------------------------
Tomkins-------Reid--------Ogbonna----------Cresswell
------------------Noble-------Song-------------------------------
------------------------Kouyate-----------------------------------
----------Lanzini-----------------Zarate-------------------------
------------------------Moses---------------------------------------

Like the look of that..maybe Obaing instead of Song if he is not fit enough to start. Carroll starting against Smalling will not work. Bring him & Jelly on when their defence is tiring.

[The Old Man of Storr]

Bilic has to get the players together and show them the Arsenal , Man City and Liverpool dvds - we have to be organised and keep running for each other , keep tackling , be an unit once more .
I agree with the poster who put Antonio up top , maybe along with Andy Carroll , they would be a complete handful for any team -

How about this team....

............................................................Adrian........................................................................

.....Tomkins....................................Reid.................Ogbonna........................Cresswell....................

...................................................Song................Obiang.................................................................

...............Lanzini....................................Zarate.................................Antonio.............................

.......................................................Carroll..................................................................................

I feel that Kouyate needs a rest as does Moses - I'd have them as subs along with Jenkinson , Noble , Jelavic , Oxford and Spiegel .

We can give this Man Utd side a game , maybe even nick it .

Manchester United 0 West Ham United 1 [ Andy Carroll ]

[The Old Man of Storr]

I think people need to start realising that we are quite easy to play against when we take the game to the opposition, when we have possession we tend to overplay which in turn leaves us open at the back and if we sit deep to defend without Payet we are no longer are clinical when breaking forward.

I think you make a good point there , Dwight - Everton caught us on the hop when we were the ones on the attack , Payet lost the ball quite near their penalty area , two passes later and Everton had scored .
However yesterday we had West Brom on the rack , our passing was clinical but our finishing was poor , we seem to lose our composure if we're leading then the opposition scores .
Lanzini has to play high up along with Zarate and either Antonio or Moses with Carroll up front - we need precision crosses for Carroll to do what he does best , another goal like yesterday would also go down well .

[Aloysius]

With the news Sakho is out for the foreseeable I would start Jelavic in this game as his hold up play is better than Carroll. I would also push Kouyate up into the advanced midfield position to add a bit of muscle

Adrian

Tomkins Reid Ogbonna Cresswell

Noble Obiang

Moses Kouyate Lanzini

Jelavic

[Knighter10WHU]

Adrian
Jenkinson Reid Ogbonna Cresswell
Obiang
Lanzini Noble Kouyate Zarate
Carroll

We need to start getting hold of the ball more, I'd be tempted to start Song in place of Noble/Kouyate for this one as well.

[Burnley Hammer]

We need to start getting hold of the ball more

and keeping it!

[chalks]

No plan b = absolutely no chance

thank the lord we picked up points at the beginning of the season. Its all beginning to look very much like last season isn't it

[carnage]

Someone just said play Jelavic instead of Carroll.

I am off for a lie down.