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+----- Thread: WBA vs Man Utd - Match Thread (/showthread.php?tid=564)
WBA vs Man Utd - Match Thread - Ska'dForLife-WBA - 15-10-2014
Fun ride, this Premier League. Most Albion fans have enjoyed a stress-free October after our week of wins to close September and the best performance we've delivered in years at Anfield sadly failing to deliver the reward it deserved. And yet, the alarming fact is that all it will take is a Newcastle or Burnley win on Saturday - both possible - and we'll be looking over our shoulder again by Monday night. If we then fail to get anything from this, the pressure will be right back on for our next stretch of winnable fixtures.
A timely reminder that in this division, there's no such thing as a write-off...
![[Image: Louis_van_Gaal_Adolf_Hitlerjpg.jpg]](http://s7.postimg.org/68jngohe3/Louis_van_Gaal_Adolf_Hitlerjpg.jpg)
Louis Van Gaal strenuously denies rumours that he'll be instilling discipline at Old Trafford by adopting a tougher image.
Manchester United at the moment have that feel of a second-hand car from a dodgy dealership; the flash front end with its souped-up engine attracts plenty of attention, but in spite of the best of paint jobs, they can't quite disguise the fact that it's welded to a back end with no wheels and an exhaust made out of bog roll tubes. They can score goals from nowhere, and they've proved it. But more than a few teams who've put pressure on that back line so far this season have seen it collapse, and Albion have to be prepared to take advantage of that.
Irvine will presumably set up to try and frustrate United and prevent them scoring, and there's nothing inherently wrong with that approach, but we'll need a plan B if they do make a breakthrough. With Saido in red-hot form, hopefully we'll make the effort to try and take the game to United if we fall behind.
No sane person demands victory against Manchester United, no matter how weak or unsettled they may be, but circumstances dictate that we need to take this match seriously and try to nick whatever we can. The really crucial matches for us will be in the weeks ahead, but something from this one would be a real bonus.
Classic Match
West Bromwich Albion 4-0 Manchester United
Football League First Division: 16th October 1976
Oh, how they hated visiting the Hawthorns in those days. It's a long time ago, but we can dream.
RE: WBA vs Man Utd - Match Thread - Stairs - 15-10-2014
Fantastic picture of LVG
RE: WBA vs Man Utd - Match Thread - Stairs - 15-10-2014
Doubt we can get a result but it is at home and so I will keep fingers crossed and hope for a point.
RE: WBA vs Man Utd - Match Thread - wba_1996 - 15-10-2014
No Brunt and Varela probably not fit to start. I would go for a 4312 with plenty of defensive coverage in the midfield and fullbacks who will provide the width, the three up top should provide the creativity and goal threat on the break:
Foster
Gamboa - Dawson - Lescott - Pocognoli
Gardner - Yacob - Mulumbu
Sessegnon
Berahino - Ideye
Gamboa - Dawson - Lescott - Pocognoli
Gardner - Yacob - Mulumbu
Sessegnon
Berahino - Ideye
RE: WBA vs Man Utd - Match Thread - Ska'dForLife-WBA - 15-10-2014
In addition to that match from 1976, I recently dug up these highlights from December 1966, with seven goals all in the first half. We lost, but Albion matches against Man Utd were certainly ding-dong battles in that era.
RE: WBA vs Man Utd - Match Thread - drewks - 15-10-2014
(15-10-2014, 21:07)wba_1996 Wrote: No Brunt and Varela probably not fit to start. I would go for a 4312 with plenty of defensive coverage in the midfield and fullbacks who will provide the width, the three up top should provide the creativity and goal threat on the break:
Foster
Gamboa - Dawson - Lescott - Pocognoli
Gardner - Yacob - Mulumbu
Sessegnon
Berahino - Ideye
Like that team - although I can see Mozza in for Yacob maybe?
Don't think we have anything to be too fearful about here, and I really hope that AI sets us up to have a real go and not be just containing/defensive.
Unlike Stairs I CAN see us getting at least a draw here but hopefully all 3 points - I'd actually be disappointed to lose
RE: WBA vs Man Utd - Match Thread - Luke_East_Baggie - 16-10-2014
I really like the look of that team - I don't know in all honesty if it's what we should be playing.
However, If we play that team, does it isolate our midfield / top men? Does it force us to play more "long balls" to relatively small top men? Does it encourage Man U to go forward as we are shorter in the attacking areas?
Do we want Man Utd to come at us? Do we want those extra bodies in the back to stop them having space? Will the 3 CDM's alternate in going forward?
So many questions! I hope Irvine doesn't not go with these sort of formations because of pressure thinking that we are going to "park the bus" though!
RE: WBA vs Man Utd - Match Thread - WBA-Josh - 16-10-2014
Foster
Gamboa-Dawson-Lescott-Pocognoli
Mulumbu-Gardner
Sessegnon-Morrison-Blanco
Berahino
Myhill
McAuley
Wisdom
Yacob
Dorrans
Samaras
Ideye
RE: WBA vs Man Utd - Match Thread - wba_1996 - 16-10-2014
Thats why I'd put Yacob in the middle as the natural holding midfielder to sit in front of the back 4, Mulumbu and Gardner are more box-to-box and can get forwards as well as tracking back and covering for the full backs. Encourage Gamboa and Poco to bomb forwards when we get the ball as that will provide our width, Sess has a free role to do what he does best and the two strikers will be looking to get in behind and shold be good enough to score against ayone. Job done
RE: WBA vs Man Utd - Match Thread - BaggieMan - 16-10-2014
If we drop deep and rely on our defence, we'll lose. We need to attack, attack, attack coz Man Ure don't like it up 'em Capt Mainwaring, they don't like it up them !
Love to see Brown playing alongside Saido with Gamboa at right back exploiting the flanks. Can't make my mind up whether it should be Mozza, Dozza or Yazza Yacob.....