Predicting Red Devils' starting line-Up against Newcastle United
After a patchy start to their respective campaigns, Manchester United and Newcastle United will face-off each other in on Sunday, in what could be called as a must-win game for the clubs.
The Red Devils have struggled for consistency this season, and after their 3-2 loss against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, Alex Ferguson and Co. find themselves four points behind league leaders Chelsea.
The Magpies on the other hand, have failed to replicate their form from last season thus far, and have been able to muster only nine points from their opening six games.
What follows is a prediction of how the Red Devils could line-up for the highly-anticipated game.
Defence
It is no secret that Manchester United currently have a massive injury-crisis at the back.
Nemanja Vidic, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are all unavailable.
Smalling might be back in training, but it is unlikely that the England international will play even a reduced role during the game, as the former Fulham defender has been out of action for almost three months, and Fergie will likely give him sufficient recovery time before considering him for first-team action.
Jonny Evans too is a doubt after the 24-year-old suffered a dead leg during the club’s midweek win against Cluj.
Thus, Ferguson could pair up youngster Scott Wootton and Rio Ferdinand at the heart of the Red Devils’ defence, with Rafael Da Silva and Alexander Buttner taking the flanks.
Patrice Evra might be a regular starter at the left-back role, but the Frenchman was mediocre against Cluj, and could struggle against the pace and movement of the Newcastle players. Hence, Buttner appears to be a more reliable and suitable option.
Andres Lindegaard is likely to be the man between the posts, as Ferguson prefers the Dane over Spaniard David De Gea for league games.
Midfield
The biggest question over here is whether Ferguson will go with a three-man diamond midfield like against Cluj, or with the traditional and orthodox two-man midfield, like against Spurs last weekend.
Personally, I feel that the three-man midfield will get the nod, as it a relatively stable and organized option wherein the much-required nexus between the defense and attack is formed.
The two-man midfield can be easily exploited and overrun by the likes of Tiote, Cabaye and Ben Arfa and in all fairness, is just not a decent option to go with against the big-teams or in Europe.
Paul Scholes should start, as the Englishman was rested against Cluj, and he could be paired alongside Cleverley and Anderson.
The latter two were excellent during the club’s midweek fixture, and their partnership will be pivotal in countering the dominant duo of Tiote and Cabaye.
Michael Carrick should do with a reduced role as he’s been mediocre so far this term, whereas Darren Fletcher is an outside contender for the starting role.
Attack
Upfront, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney are shoe-ins.
The two make United’s attack arguably the best in England, and Ferguson is likely to play them together again this Sunday.
Partnering them could be Japanese sensation Shinji Kagawa, in his No. 10 role.
The three could freely dominate the final third of the pitch, and regularly interchange roles and positions to trouble Newcastle’s feeble and vulnerable defence.
The 4-3-3 formation will enable Kagawa to get more involved in the game, and consequently contribute more towards the team’s attack. He will regularly get the ball, and will have able players in the form of Rooney and van Persie to execute his plays.
One of the main reasons for United’s struggles this season has been the team’s inability to get Kagawa involved in the game, and this avenue of problem could very well be solved.
Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez will have to content themselves with a place on the bench. Same goes for Nani, however, the reason for the omission of Antonio Valencia is the lad’s apparent fitness issue.
Possible Manchester United Starting XI