Time for some Derby Heroes then!

[Dameerto]

Nice post - Im with you on Bellers - he really is in a purple patch and has been getting better with each match.

[Original Dub]

My money is on our superhero. He hasn't put a stamp on a Manchester derby yet and after all, he is..

[youtube]hdRThyK4G7k[/youtube]

Was just about to post the same thing... except Ireland did put a fair old stamp on a derby a few years back - one of the ones fowler scored in...

I also think this game could be won with a midfield performance because we'll have a similar attack as last year but a better defence...

Stand up Stevie!

[MaineRoadMemories]

I'm not holding out much hope for Ireland. He looks like he is playing through an injury to me and not playing to his full potential. As some other posters have said, a hero is more likely to be a Toure, Richards or Lescott header from a Barry dead ball.

They only have Vidic who really attacks the ball in the air. He can mark one of them but that leaves two others who could get a goal and make the day special. On a side note, Lescott cannot let Rooney turn him like he let RVP, hopefully he has learnt that lesson well. Berbaflop has no chance against Toure so the rest is down to who can win the middle of the park.

[lythamblue]

[
I also think this game could be won with a midfield performance because we'll have a similar attack as last year but a better defence...

Stand up Stevie!

Actually, we never had SWP or Bellamy at OT last year ..... they were both out injured.

That's where we suffered, because we actually defended quite well and had a lot of posession in midfield. We just didn't have the pace to break out and hurt them. Accordingly, it was all too easy for them to come back at us.

[crossan]

As we are going to be without some of our superstar's its time for some of the supporting cast to make name's for themselves and continue our 100% run in this seasons premiership.

[city9_4eva]

with robbie tevez santa cruz injured, ade suspended, boji, caicedo, and jo on loan, we are left with bellers and benji for this sundays derby as recognisable strikers. I honestly don't no what id do if i were hughsy. id probly play
Given
Richards Toure Lescott Bridge
SWP Ireland De Jong Barry Petrov
Bellamy

what starting 11 would other people play?

[edge275]

with robbie tevez santa cruz injured, ade suspended, boji, caicedo, and jo on loan, we are left with bellers and benji for this sundays derby as recognisable strikers. I honestly don't no what id do if i were hughsy. id probly play
Given
Richards Toure Lescott Bridge
SWP Ireland De Jong Barry Petrov
Bellamy

what starting 11 would other people play?

I wouldn't play Petrov because he's still pretty raw from the injury he had all last season and we will need all of our players to pull together for this one. I'm not sure Petrov believes in the project as his agent said he was disappointed not to go to Spurs.

Also Petrov's main asset is that he is an excellent crosser of the ball. I don't think that's much use for this game as Ferdinand and Vidic will eat them up all day and we haven't got anyone who could really get on the end of the crosses. Bellamy vs Vidic and Ferdinand vying for a cross ball is a bit of a mismatch.

SWP will do well as he's a good dribbler and that's what we'll need to penetrate them. Passing, guile and taking players on in order to open them up.

For that reason I would play Sylvinho on the left, I think he'd do a great job there and still fit as a fiddle at 35. He'd also be better defensively than Petrov as we'll be under the kosh quite a bit I expect.

Therefore my team would be:


--------------------------Given-------------------------

Richards--------Toure--------Lescott---------Bridge

Weiss---------Ireland----------Barry---------Sylvinho

--------------------SWP----------------------------------

-----------------------------Bellamy----------------------


I think the team above could get a result. We could also swap Sylvinho and Bridge round from time to time.

[city9_4eva]

u make good points, and i agree now on the petrov front, but what about de jong in the middle in front of the defence, he was amazin against arsenal, i think we need that against united

[bluemoon]

I wouldn't play Petrov because he's still pretty raw from the injury he had all last season and we will need all of our players to pull together for this one. I'm not sure Petrov believes in the project as his agent said he was disappointed not to go to Spurs.

Also Petrov's main asset is that he is an excellent crosser of the ball. I don't think that's much use for this game as Ferdinand and Vidic will eat them up all day and we haven't got anyone who could really get on the end of the crosses. Bellamy vs Vidic and Ferdinand vying for a cross ball is a bit of a mismatch.

SWP will do well as he's a good dribbler and that's what we'll need to penetrate them. Passing, guile and taking players on in order to open them up.

For that reason I would play Sylvinho on the left, I think he'd do a great job there and still fit as a fiddle at 35. He'd also be better defensively than Petrov as we'll be under the kosh quite a bit I expect.

Therefore my team would be:


--------------------------Given-------------------------

Richards--------Toure--------Lescott---------Bridge

Weiss---------Ireland----------Barry---------Sylvinho

--------------------SWP----------------------------------

-----------------------------Bellamy----------------------


I think the team above could get a result. We could also swap Sylvinho and Bridge round from time to time.

That's actually not a bad setup, might even be worth considering switching SWP for Ireland in different periods of the game. It'd be a huge stage for Weiss to make his full Premiership debut on and one I'm sure he'd relish, but I think it's unlikely to happen.

[Esky]

I remember that the Italy team in 2006 was, because of the big scandal in Serie A, under similar pressure from the press, attacks coming from every part on the players, the coach, etc. Well, guess what, Italy won the World Cup. Siege mentality can do wonders for a team, and I believe it will for us.

Granted, it's amazing how much a Fabio Grosso dive in the second round can help you in a game you didn't deserve to win. We won't have it as easy as that at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Given
Richards Toure Lescott Bridge
De Jong Zabaleta
Barry
SWP Ireland
Bellamy

Very centralized side, providing Richards is fit, but as before we're not going to get any joy from playing behind Evra/Chuckle/Silva and crossing the ball to Bellers. That negates the need for Petrov.

If Richards is too ill to play then..

Given
Zabaleta Toure Lescott Bridge
De Jong Barry
SWP Ireland Sylvinho
Bellamy

More of a routine shape to that one. Despite his Champs League form, I don't think Sylvinho would be up for 90 mins. Either way, Weiss and Petrov should start from the bench.

[CityFanFromRome]

Granted, it's amazing how much a Fabio Grosso dive in the second round can help you in a game you didn't deserve to win. We won't have it as easy as that at Old Trafford on Sunday.

You mean against Australia, right? Well we also played more than half of that game one man down because of the unjust red card Materazzi got (probably the first unjust one of his career, in fact, lol). And, I don't think that was a dive. Not the clearest of penalties either, but not a dive imho. But apart for that, my comment was to show an example of siege mentality resulting in a strong team spirit.