Crystal Palace PREVIEW!

So after two wins on the bounce you could say that United are in great form, against a Palace side who are really struggling and a win would be a formality? Well you're wrong. This is 2016 Man United, and throughout the entire season we have won two games and then lost the next, two steps forward three steps back! Lets face the facts, we crawled across the finish line against Aston Villa on Saturday, the same Aston Villa who have lost their last 10 Premier League games and currently have the third lowest points total for a Premier League side. But we won and we sit four points behind Arsenal, a side who are wobbling, and a side who I think can be caught!

Let us now look at the positives going into the game tonight. Marcus Rashford seems to be improving even more, and I do believe if he scores more goals between now and the end of the season, we shouldn't bother buying another striker. As for him going to the Euro's, I would not even consider it, with the likes of Kane, Vardy, Rooney and Sturridge ahead of him, I think he would be better having a rest than sitting on a bench in France watching it unfold. The U21's last night secured their third premier league title in four years in classic united fashion, Varela smashed in a injury time winner to seal the title and win the game on the night. So despite Manchester Evening News' scathing criticism of the youth team, it would appear they are very, very wrong!

I would mix it up a little bit tonight, but not too much, I think its imperative we keep the pressure up on Man City and Arsenal. Four points is definitely catchable! I would go with the following line up!

GK - De Gea (Obvious choice.)

RB - Fosu-Mensah (He appears to be massively growing into the team and I think its important that he continues his progress and keeps on playing!)

CB - Smalling (He has become a very reliable and solid defender, second name on the team sheet, every week.)

CB -  Blind (I would have rested Blind, but I think he has been brilliant this season and we have no real, solid other option so he needs to be there.)

LB - Rojo (This should be his final chance, and the chance to show he has it. Recently he has been poor and this is his rehearsal for next season, perform or leave.)

CM - Schneiderlin (This game will be won in midfield, palace have loads of energy there and Schneiderlin can combat this. His performances have improved second half of season.)

CM - Herrera (I am a huge fan of Herrera, and I don't see him playing at the weekend. I would give him the chance tonight. Energy, killer passes, get him in!)

CAM - Mata (I pick Mata for his set pieces, palace foul a lot and Mata is brilliant with set plays, too early for Rooney to start.)

LW - Memphis (Think he needs another start, more confidence, and let him play his football and express himself, Lingard needs a rest)

RW - Martial (Strange that he wasn't starting vs Villa. A must start for me, rotating with Rashford upfront constantly, confusing the defenders.)

CF - Rashford (Truly earns his place, must start, knows where the goal is.)

Subs: Romero, Valencia, Darmian, Fellaini, Lingard, Young, Rooney.

The danger man in the Palace side is Yannick Bolasie. He has that unpredictability about him, plenty of pace, skill and power and Smalling and co in the defence will have to be on guard against him. I also like Cabaye, and I actually would have liked to have seen him in our side, I think he is underrated and has an excellent set piece. 

Prediction 2-0 United (Martial, Memphis)

I am going to be positive in my prediction, the players are getting the results and one loss in 7 is not bad. I think the players will be encouraged to attack more and be more lethal in front of goal, I can't believe we only managed one against Villa. It will be tough but Palace are not in form themselves, winning 3 times in 14 games, they are struggling for goals too. Lets smash them!

West Ham (Review)

We did it, we are through to the Semi-Finals of the F.A Cup. Against all expectation we managed to beat probably one of the best West Ham sides in the last 10 years in their last F.A Cup game at the Boleyn Ground. It was a performance that oozed professionalism and I thought that we wanted it more than them from the very first whistle. We attacked with real intent and looked very dangerous every time we got close to the West Ham box we looked like scoring. I think Herrera in the midfield made a real difference. His attacking intent and attacking movement freed up the space for the forwards and he managed to find Martial and Rashford many times. 

Man of the match for me however was Martial. Although he didn't score on the night, his movement and his ability to beat a man created many chances for us and set up Rashford's brilliant goal. Rashford's reputation again increased over night after his brilliant performance last night, with a lot of pundits and fans alike making the suggestion that he should go to the Euro's with England. I have to be honest, I think its too early for him to be considered for England. Let him play his football, enjoy it and keep the pressure to a minimum, and make sure he develops more and he is on the plane to the 2018 world cup!

When Fellaini was announced in the starting 11 social media reacted in a frenzy, he has been very poor this season, but I thought he was good against West Ham, besides his goal which essentially he knew nothing about. His passing was accurate, and he looked like he was really motivated to win the game, as did the rest of the team. Timothy Fosu-Mensah got another important 90 minutes of football under his belt for the first team, and put in another captivating performance, keeping Dimitri Payet very, very quiet. If he continues to develop I could see him becoming a massive player for the club, I just hope that he doesn't become tempted if Real Madrid or Barcelona came knocking.

Looking ahead to this weekend, we probably have the easiest tie possible in the league, Aston Villa at home. A team that is nearly relegated, and if we win against them on Saturday and others drop points they will be down. In regards to the Semi-Finals of the F.A cup, we play Everton at Wembley on Saturday 23rd April, lets hope we can get to the final where we could potentially be playing either Crystal Palace or Watford in the Final. Lets hope for 3 points at the weekend on Saturday against Villa and keep the red flag flying high!

West Ham away F.A Cup (Preview)

Tomorrow we take on West Ham in a Quarter final replay, after be demolished 3-0 at the hands of Spurs on Sunday. Something has to change, it seems like the story of this season is that we win a couple of games then always go back of the boil, 2 steps forward and then 3 steps back. But in the F.A cup we have strung together some consistency, but there are not many harder places to win this season than at the Boleyn Ground. West ham are in decent form, and that form had led them to 6th in the league and knocking on our door. They are hard to beat, and especially at home, as Arsenal found out on Saturday, by scraping a draw. 

I have got to be honest, normally I have confident in the team, and always believe, even when we don't perform and look terrible. But this time I really cannot see us getting through, I think as a team, West Ham are one of the best in the league, and at the Boleyn they have always been hard to beat. Last time we played at Old Trafford it was a 1-1 draw, and Dimitri Payet scored that excellent free kick, maybe we were a bit unlucky with that on the day.  But if we want to win we need a truly stellar performance, and from the whole team. However reports have come out that after the Spurs game the dressing room is in meltdown, and players have lost it with LVG, they don't share his philosophy and think his substitutions are ridiculous. I think he has well and truly lost the dressing room. 

The only way we can win this game is if we perform excellently in a defensive manner, and our striker, Martial is up for the game and takes his chances. I think his critics were a bit unfair concerning his miss on Sunday. By the way who made the chance? Martial. He did all the work and his team are not really helping him get more chances, the creativity in the centre of the park is lacking big time, and I struggle to see where the balance between defence and attack is. 

Here is the line up I would like to see: (4-2-3-1)

GK- De Gea: Doesn't need justifying! 

RB- Fosu-Mensah: If he is fit, he 100% deserves the chance, was our best player Sunday. if not fit I would go with Valencia, his pace and aggression will be key vs West Ham. 

CB- Smalling: Doesn't need justifying again, our leader and best player this season. 

CB- Blind: Key player for us, need his football brain, moulding into a great CB.

LB- Borthwick-Jackson: Played Monday, but I love his attacking intent and he can cross a ball, Rojo was pathetic against Spurs. 

CM- Schneiderlin: Great in the box to box role, can break up the midfield's domination. This game will be won in the midfield, and energy is needed.

CM- Herrera: Deserves a game and I think he can provide energy and that killer pass that we have been lacking. 

CAM- Periera: Needs a chance. He probably wont play, but I think he deserves an opportunity, creative, clinical and passionate. 

LW- Lingard: Been one of our bright sparks and provides pace, and creativity again. Mata has been off the boil recently and should be benched. 

RW- Memphis: Give him a chance!!! He needs a start and a chance to impress. Obviously has the talent and quality and no better chance than vs west ham. 

ST- Martial: Prefer him up top. Can create a chance for himself, bring others into the game. Need to give Rashford a rest. 

Subs: Romero, Mcnair, Valencia, Carrick, Mata, Weir, Rashford. 

The danger man for me is obviously Payet. He is deadly from set pieces, and we need to watch the fouls that we concede, otherwise he will punish us again. Also Carroll, I actually think Smalling will keep him quiet but he needs to be limited and needs to be controlled. Again, another reason to be careful at conceding set pieces. 

Prediction: 2-1 (Carroll, Payet: Lingard).

I don't like to be negative but I want to be realistic too. I think we will go out and the pressure will crank up on LVG. We will go ahead and then sit back, LVG will probably make some dodgy substitutions and we will lose it. Confidence is low. But lets hope I am wrong and we get to Wembley and to the Semi-Finals. 

Spurs vs United (REVIEW)

So we have just lost 3-0 to Spurs in a game where we again had lots of possession and even lots of possession in the opponents half, but also once again failed to create any substantial chances that threatened Lloris' goal. Just the 1 shot on target in the whole game, and no suprise it was Martial that created and attempted the chance.

So where did it all go wrong? Was it coincidental that the minute man of the match for us, Timothy Fosu-Mensah went off injured, then we fell apart and 6 minutes later we were 3-0 down? As well as he did I don't think the entirety of the blame can be put on that one misfortune I would also love to provide a reason to divert the blame from LVG but it simply was down to him, once again.

I'll start with the shocking decision to take Rashford off at half time, a young player who has re-injected hope into our doomed season, what a way to dent a youngsters confidence. To then bring on Young, and play him as a centre forward, by the way we had Depay, a competent and far better player on the bench. It is like a child has got hold of FIFA and is playing around with the selection, week in week out, LVG is making laughable decisions regarding the team selection.

The team looked like they had no real game or tactical plan! Every time we got into the Spurs half there was little to no movement and all we seemed to do is attempt to find Martial on the left wing, but most of the time go back into defender and then invite more pressure onto ourselves.

This has been happening all season and this week our luck ran out and Spurs ran riot over us, and in truth, if not for De Gea it should have been a bigger score line. The only positive from the game at all was the fact that Fosu-Mensah had another decent hour of first team football under his belt, he looks a real talent and would love to see him playing next to Smalling more regularly, and Blind playing in midfield. 

I would be very suprised to see LVG here next season, he has taken the heart and soul out of United, and he looks like a beaten and lost man. As for our top 4 hopes in a way I would love to say yep, it's over now, but I still think, in this league and in this specific season, nothing can be ruled out. However it seems unlikely.

Next up for United is a very tough FA cup quarter final replay at West Ham on Wednesday. I will be very suprised if we make it into the semi finals, but let's be hopeful, and keep the red flag flying high! 

Spurs Vs United: (PREVIEW)

Spurs have had a ground breaking season, finally they seemed to have moved away from disappointing their fans every season, by nearly getting into the top 4 and being inconsistent all season. Their record against the top 6 is pretty good. Most impressively, they have thumped Man City 4-1 and home and beaten them at the Ethiad. they have become a hard team to beat, and I think their defence has been the best in the league. But can we beat them? Absolutely.

We scraped past them 1-0 in the first game of the season at Old Trafford, but we still won, and I think a similar score line is on the cards. Our form is once again improving and we know if we win this game, our top four hopes go from fragile to very very possible. I would go with a counter attacking set up, lets face it, spurs will have most of the possession and they use it well, if we press high and hit them on the break with Martial, Rashford and Lingard we can hurt them. I think we are very competent now defending from open play, the main problem that I see week in, week out is defending set plays, we always look fragile and I think we need to be careful against spurs, with the sheer height of their team. Here is the Line up I would select for the game: (4-1-2-3)

GK -De Gea: No reason to explain his selection, no reason at all.

RB- Darmian: He has got some match fitness together and I think he needs a run in the team.

CB- Smalling (C): Our best player this season in my opinion. A leader at the back, never looked fragile or exposed this season, second name on the team sheet. 

CB- Blind: I don't like Daley Blind playing at CB, I know he's a much better defensive midfielder and i think he can offer more from DM. however he has been brilliant there this season, he has played every game for united, he is an intelligent footballer. 

LB- Fosu-Mensah: I think he has been brilliant when he has come on for united. 18 years of age but he plays the game with confidence and he looks the part. 

CDM- Schniederlin: brings tonnes of energy to the midfield and should start every game.

CM- Herrera: more energy again, and tenacious. We need loads of energy against spurs, Alli needs to be contained. 

CM- Carrick: Rotate with Schniederlin all game, mix it up, we need his experiance.

LW- Martial: I think they have a weakness with Rose. I think martial can expose him more than Rashford, if we win it will be won through good wing play.

RW- Lingard: Mata is too slow for this fixture. We need pace, speed and unpredictability, and Lingard is all those, he has played well recently, start him.

CF- Rashford: you all know what he can do, think he can use his speed to get at the spurs defence. 

Subs: Romero, CBJ, Valencia, Periera, Fellaini, Memphis, Mata

Kane for me is the one player that spurs have who is nearly world class. Similar to Lukaku last week, he knows where the goal is and can come out of no where and score. Alli is also an obvious danger, but he can see red fast. 

Prediction: 1-1 (Kane, Martial)

Even if we only draw this one, its still a good result. The pressure is on spurs. I think it will be a draw but i wont be surprised if we sneak a win, come on Untied!!!

Everton Review!

Yesterday Manchested United grounded out a 1-0 win against a tricky Everton outfit. I think it's fair to say that United were far from their best, especially the first half, and Everton were generally poor, which is a suprise as they only lost 1 away game in the league before yesterday. It's now 2, 1-0 wins on the bounce no, and before the City and Everton games, few people thought United would take 6 points out of them. 

For me, man of the match was indefinitely Daley Blind. He has played every single game this season for United, and mostly in positions in which he is competent in, but unremarkable. He kept Lukaku quiet at every minute of the game, looked calm and composed throughout and never looked like making a mistake. However he has been outstanding 9/10 times he's pulled on the red shirt this season and he's a serious contender for player of the season for me. When Fosu-Mensah came on at half time I felt he made a real difference, he also grabbed his first assist and looked very conpetent for an 18 year old. He will hopefully be a United player for years to come. 

On a negative note, I did also think Carrick had a laboured and mistake ridden game. He played very well at City, but I thought yesterday he was poor on the ball with passing and gave away the ball a few times. I still think he should have a year extension on his contract and become more of a squad player, he's been excellent throughout the years and he has turned in some good performances this year. 

For me these two great results will mean little if we don't get something from White Heart Lane this weekend. Even a draw would be a okay result but confidence is high in the squad and the youngsters should be given the starts again! Onwards and upwards! 

Man United vs Everton (PREVIEW)

United entertain Everton at Old Trafford on Sunday, looking to complete the double over the toffees for the first time since 2007. United should come into the game with confidence, after a fantastic win at the Ethiad against rivals man city before the international break, but unpredictability in performance has been the bane of Manchester United's form throughout the season. However, United have won 3/5 of their last previous games in the League, and should just start the game as favourites to beat Everton. 

Everton go into the game very much in the same stead as their opponents. Very unpredictable in form and results and they have turned up on times this season and performed very well against top sides. But inconsistencies have lead them to currently being 13th in the Premier League table, a position that most Everton fans will be discontent with. Recent form wise Everton have only won 2/5 games, however they have a more impressive away record, winning 3/3 trips on the road in the league, something of a concern for United, maybe. 

United Lineup 

GK- De Gea: an obvious one, he picks himself in the team.

RB - Darmian: more match fitness under his belt for Italy, think Varela was poor in the Derby. 

CB- Smalling: again, picks himself.

CB- Blind: did well against England. And played well against Aguero, his long balls could be useful against a weak Everton defence. 

LB- Rojo: more match fitness for Argentina, get him a run of games, like his passion and aggression. 

CDM- Schniederlin: should be starting every game for me, solid player who breaks up attacks and works hard. 

CM- Herrera: compliments Schniederlin well, provides balance to the midfield, has a killer pass in him, need his tenacity against Barkely. 

CAM- Mata: technically the best player in the squad. Far superior player as a no. 10, creative, set piece genius, lots of opportunities vs Everton. 

LW- Depay: play the lad! 2 assists for Holland in break. Give him game time and a run of games and he performs, need unpredictability. 

RW- Lingard: played very well against city, takes people on and can score goals, bags of energy. Rashford needs a rest after 8 games on bounce. 

CF- Martial: prefer him as a complete forward, offers more, play to feet. 

Subs; Romero, Varela, Fosu-Mensah, Valencia, Carrick, Periera, Rashford. 

The danger man for Everton has to be Romelu Lukaku. With an impressive 25 goals in all competitions this year, he needs to be dealt with. I think he's one of the best strikers in the league, and on the brink of being one of the best in Europe. Barkely is also a threat from long range and set pieces, he needs to be denied space. 

Prediction; 3-1 United. (Martial, 2; Herrera: Lukaku). 

Come on United!