If that's how we plan to set up then I reckon Kagawa will be off. Can't see him getting in ahead of mata or Januzaj.

"It's just a shame your weakest area is your defence, and you have selected 5 defenders"
---------------

Who told you Raphael could defend?

Jones can play DM role like Michael Carrick sitting in for the back 4.

Are you guys playing a Europa League qualifier or something?

Biggest draw in the world, have to play fixtures everywhere. Bloody nuisance.

Mind you, it's why our kit deals are worth more than your club

Did someone really just say Adnan can play wing back?

comment by Saggy8 (U19042)

posted 26 seconds ago

Are you guys playing a Europa League qualifier or something?
...................
No we are playing in preseason tournament internation champions cup with the final if we make it there on August 4th:
http://www.manutd.com/en/Tour-2014/Fixtures.aspx

Man utd in preseason training:
http://www.manutd.com/en/Tour-2014.aspx#

Van Gaal happy with how things have gone so far:
http://www.manutd.com/en/Tour-2014/Tour2014News/2014/Jul/louis-van-gaal-pleased-with-early-manchester-united-training-sessions.aspx

Mean International Champions Cup. We get to reunite with vidic and Ronaldo and Beckham already has had a photo with Van Gaal seeing both his 2 former teams play each other.

Patrice Evra was in La to say his final goodbyes
http://www.manutd.com/en/Tour-2014.aspx#

Oh i see, is that to make up for the Charity Shield that you can't win this year?

Maybe that's be why he wants Verm, perfect for LCB in a back 3?

comment by Saggy8 (U19042)
posted 1 minute ago
Oh i see, is that to make up for the Charity Shield that you can't win this year?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FA said we have to give the others a chance to catch up, hence the hiatus....

Devastated we can't compete for the Community Shield this year, what a trophy, nearly as impressive as the Emirates Cup

Could also be:-

---------------------------------De Gea--------------------------------
Rafael-------------Smalling-----------Evans-------------Shaw
---------------------------------Jones---------------------------------
-----------------------Herrara-----------Cleverley----------------
----------------Mata--------------------------------------Welbeck
------------------------------------Rooney---------------------------

Or:-

---------------------------------De Gea--------------------------------
Rafael-------------Smalling-----------Evans-------------Shaw
---------------------------------Jones---------------------------------
-----------------------Herrara-----------Cleverley----------------
-----------------------------------Mata------------------------------
------------------------Rooney--------------Welbeck-----------

United losing

TOOR, that's my thinking.

I'd imagine we'll see something similar to all three during pre-season.

comment by Darren The King Fletcher - Maroudona (U10026)
posted 24 seconds ago
TOOR, that's my thinking.

I'd imagine we'll see something similar to all three during pre-season.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Definitely. Van Gaal likes to have players playing in many different positions and he'll want to see if they are able to carry off different systems, even switching mid-game.

Welbeck and cleverly at the club still is mortifying

Switching mid-game?

Revolutionary

comment by Pundit /\_/\ (U16869)
posted 7 seconds ago
Switching mid-game?

Revolutionary
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Have you had brain surgery recently?

TOOR

It'll be interesting to see how our players adapt to it. Especially if there's less of a focus on width.

When we played the diamond in the cl a couple of years ago it didn't work that well. But we had Rooney playing at the tip of the diamond and he's not as creative as Mata.

comment by Darren The King Fletcher - Maroudona (U10026)
posted 2 minutes ago
TOOR

It'll be interesting to see how our players adapt to it. Especially if there's less of a focus on width.

When we played the diamond in the cl a couple of years ago it didn't work that well. But we had Rooney playing at the tip of the diamond and he's not as creative as Mata.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think the diamond would suit your players. You can control the midfield with not great individual players in the middle, when you don't have the ball and with your lack of quality wingers and the fact that Januzaj seems like he'd be very usefull in the more advanced role in the centre, you have cover there also.

Also this allows your full backs to get forward with the defensive midfielder dropping in, to provide a three at the back whilst you're on the attack.

Yeah that's true. The reason we played the diamond was to get more possession of the ball in midfield, and it did that, however, the problem we had was that we were lack creativity to break teams down and when they broke our cm's were being dragged out wide to cover and they clearly weren't comfortable.

Whenever Fergie changed it back to playing with wingers we looked better defensively and offensively.

Unless you're really dominant in central midfield, and can play well through the middle, it causes issues, for me, and becomes vulnerable down the flanks.

It's why I'm still reluctant for us to change things around so drastically as I don't think we have the personal to pull it off well enough.

And for all the fawning over the Dutch's 352 they only impressed me in the second half of the Spain game when using it.

Overall they looked better when he switched to the back four. Worth trying things out in pre-season to see how it works, though.

would you put fingers into Hazel Irvine?

Pardon?