Man United - boro KO 17:15, prem league (H) sat.

[RedArmy20]

another premier league game at home before we play 3 straight away games in the premiership,

but now its time to forget the games before and start thinking of the task up ahead...and this is not an easy one but as it has done over and over again playing at home will help us. no slip ups can be done now...its time to give 100 % and put boths hand on the title.

rio and oshea is back a boost for united's defence...so my line up should look like this:

vds(back?)
oshea,rio,brown,heinze
ronaldo,scholes,carrick,giggs
rooney,smith

we shall see how it goes in the game and then if we need to rest anyone...

2-1,3-1 maybe?

any win will do scabby 1-0 win doesnt matter its important COME ON!

[gdprof27]

I'm inclined to agree...although we may see Fletcher in to rest Giggs or Scholes before the Milan game. Giggs or Scholes to sub in at half in case we are still scoreless.

3-1, Ronaldo, Rooney, Solskjaer

[Red Yank]

Boro will be tough but being at home should give us the advantage, and I'm hoping we'll play a full strength side against them.

[Dizzy]

It's our last Premier League game at home until the end of the season isn't it?

I agree about giving Giggs a rest.

Again, at this time of the season, I'd take a scrappy 1-0, as long as we win.

[A-t-S]

any win would do ..Neville to return maybe ? or to at least play some part in the game.. ?
scholes should be rested as should giggsy...
i can see richardson starting...fletcher too...

[rollinred]

According to 'club statistician' Cliff Butler, he reckons it will be easier than we are expecting because Boro really don't have anything to play for and the fact that they are playing Man United won't give them a big 'wow factor'. I am inclined to disagree with him, I reckon that for any team the chance to do us over is enough reason to get out of bed and play us to the best of their ability. This one's going to be tricky, I plan to hide behind my sofa and cover my ears until final score.

Either that or set up Man U Boro on Fifa07 and hope that I win and channel the good vibes to the players....although that has almost never worked.

Squeaky bum time.
Gareth Southgate, a face only a mother could love!

[Rais.n.Hell]

rollinred said:

According to 'club statistician' Cliff Butler, he reckons it will be easier than we are expecting because Boro really don't have anything to play for and the fact that they are playing Man United won't give them a big 'wow factor'. I am inclined to disagree with him, I reckon that for any team the chance to do us over is enough reason to get out of bed and play us to the best of their ability. This one's going to be tricky, I plan to hide behind my sofa and cover my ears until final score.

Either that or set up Man U Boro on Fifa07 and hope that I win and channel the good vibes to the players....although that has almost never worked.

Squeaky bum time.
Gareth Southgate, a face only a mother could love!

Well said RollinRed!! ....i agree with you 100% (other than the hiding behind the sofa part )

[Chris]

I wonder what the odds are for another penalty.

Boro will be on some kind of revenge mission I feel. but im sure we will have too much fire power for them. Games with Middlesbrough are never easy and we never destroy them. Id take a 2-0 win and maybe a couple of players rested. We have to take all 3 points with those very hard away games coming. Praying for a Newcastle win on Sunday because, ill be honest, im shitting myself at these games.

[RedArmy20]

WIN! i honestly want us to trash every side coming in our way until players leave the champions league final with joy of winning the treble...i just want untied to prove to those chutski bastards that we still have the quality to take another treble...you dont...watch out...united are on their way...i dont care how just fucking win now...WIN!

[Busby Boy]

Adam's XI

Van Der Sar

O'Shea - Ferdinand - Brown - Heinzé

Solskjaer - Carrick - Fletcher - Ronaldo

Rooney - Smith

That's the team I'd go with, giving Scholes & Giggs a rest and bringing Solskjaer, Fletcher, O'Shea & Ferdinand into the starting line up.

One, because with so many injuries our players need to be given some match time so they're ready to be called upon and two, so we can just protect Giggs and Scholes a little. With Neville coming back soon those three are going to be vital. I'd also like to think we can give Rooney and Ronaldo atleast an half hours break.

Despite all these changes I think we can and will win but I don't expect an easy game. Boro will want to beat us after all has happened in the FA Cup clashes and as many have pointed out beating United when they're so close to the league title is vengeance enough.

Gary Neville should be back for AC Milan, but even still our defence has some similarity to it now, Rio & Wes have been a partnership, a solid one too, many a time before. Gabi out on the left and O'Shea would be the only real player who'd not be known as a first choice right back - so our defence is coming back together nicely now.

United though at this moment in time have EIGHT on the injury table (Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Park, Neville, Silvestre, O'Shea & Saha), although two of those could play on the weekend, in contrast Chelsea have ONE being Arjen Robben...so much for us having all the luck

Anyways..

Prediction
UNITED 2-0
Ronaldo and Rooney to torment Boro again, grabbing a goal a piece and maintaining United's slight advantage at the top.

I'll say this once and once only, c'mon Newcastle.

[rvel]

Boro at home is always a tough one, but we've had an incredible home record this year, it's been a long time since we had this good a record (only lost 5 points this season at home, against Arsenal and Chelsea).
Hard to tell, especially after that Cup game in which we barely beat them but I think we were on an off night.
Anyway I hope we win, and fingers crossed for Newcastle, remember Chelsea don't have that easy of a game either....

And this is our last home game until the last day.

[aussiegraham (Ret.)]

rollinred said:

This one's going to be tricky, I plan to hide behind my sofa and cover my ears until final score.

I thought I was the only one that does that (and I have to set an alarm to get out of bed to do it )

As long as we win, I won't care what the score is after the game (although during it I always want a comfortable Utd scoreline as that's the only way I can ever relax and enjoy watching!)

[andoverred]

I think we have done superbly considering the players that have been injured of late. We have lost 4 first choice defenders in the last 2 weeks and effectively only played with 2 defenders against Shef Utd the other night!!

I'm pleased that Ferdinand and O'Shea are due to return against 'Boro; but still no Neviller.

In recent weeks, we have been without Vidic, Silvestre, Park, Saha, O'Shea, Neville, Evra, and Ferdinand.

Chelsea dare to say we have been lucky

[Sky Sports 1]

Well we drew against them and won twice, the winning margins coming thanks to penalties earnt by Ronaldo, whom we all know they can't handle. Rooney is in the kind of form he carried us to 2nd place in last season, so i'm backing him to have a big game.

Giggs will probably start on the bench, Scholes will probably start as he's had frequent breaks this season thanks to his temprement. He should be able to handle the rest of the season with minimal problems. Carricks on hot form as well, wouldn't suprise me if he were taken off later. Richardson or Fletcher to replace Giggsy.

3-1 United - Rooney 2 Ronnie 1

[Red Yank]

Sound formation Adam, though it's a shame we don't have Park to play on the wing....but worse that we have Richardson who doesn't step it up. I wonder if Fergie will play him being that he scored a goal in the last match and keep Ole on the bench as back up. I'm sure he'd like to keep Ole well rested in the event we need him on Tuesday as he's an experienced striker in big European matches.