Man Utd (A) 14/8 - Build-Up & Match Thread

[Paddingtonwolf]

Now, do I actually get up at 4.30am to watch this?

Decisions, decisions…

 

[WsWolf]

I wouldn't. Just record it and watch as soon as you get up.

 

[YoungWolf]

Or. Get up and first read through the matchday thread. Then watch the highlights.

 

[Stan Hullis]

I'd rather not sleep for a week then have to read the matchday thread.

 

[Jinky]

I'm quietly optimistic about this evening. It's been alluded to already by GO, but there's a lot of outside noise about us and we may be pleasently surprised by the squad pulling together. A sort of "all for one, one for all" mentality. At least that's what I hope happens, my cautious optimism may be proven to be misplaced 5 minutes after kick off... but if a group of professional footballers can't get themselves up for the first game of the season, under the lights at Old Trafford with the footballing world watching, we may as well give up now!

Baptism of fire for O'Neil, for sure.

I've been wondering for a while if the plan is to get Cresswell in and play him on the left side of a back three, so it wouldn't surprise me to see him go with this:

Sa
Dawson -- Kilman - Toti
Semedo -- Gomes -- Nunes -- Lemina -- RAN
Cunha
Fabio
​

But I think our best 11 is probably this, at the moment:

Sa
Semedo -- Dawson -- Kilman -- RAN
Gomes -- Lemina
Nunes -- Cunha -- Neto
Fabio
​

No doubt we need to add a couple of players (and I've just seen we haven't given the numbers 4 or 9 to anyone yet so there's some hope of a couple of signings, maybe?!) - but we do have some decent options with the existing squad. Hwang has been alright in pre-season and doesn't stop running (plus has a knack of popping up with a goal). Sarabia can probably feel hard done by not being in the line ups above. Same as Bueno. Then we have Sasa off the bench who could be a great addition.

I know there's a lot of negativity around and a lot of noise surrounding the owners etc (all deserved), but the actual team playing the football on the pitch have enough about them to be competitive tonight. It'll be tough and we could well lose 3-0, but I hope we surprise a few.

 

[1986]

O' Neil tends to mix it up a bit , doesn't always go with the same formation , could just as easily be a back 4 as a back 5 . Then again - that was with Bournemouth , he might do things differently with us .

 

[Tredman]

I really can't do the 3 atb discussions again - for that reason alone I hope we don't do it. Also we don't have the players to make it work - so there's that reason too.

 

[Wolvensam]

I'm like Jinky and quietly optimistic for tonight. At the very least I think we'll be competitive and won't give up after 60-odd minutes/take our foot off the gas like we did last season at times. Hopefully with Silva upfront we'll have a bit of an outlet as well to bring the other attackers into play.

 

[The Bear]

He usually likes to match up teams. Add to that we've been playing a back 4 all pre-season, I don't see him ripping that up for an unfamiliar fornation in the first game.

 

[Jinky]

Utd are predicted to line up as follows:

Onana
Dalot - Varane - Martinez - Shaw
Casemiro - Mount
Antony - Fernandes - Garnacho
Rashford
​

I know Jeff Shi is a wanker etc, but on the field, we can definitely get at them. Rashford has always looked better attacking off the left rather than through the middle IMO. They only really have Martial to come off the bench and he's shite.

There is a lot of negativity surrounding Wolves at the moment (thankfully I've been sunning myself for 2 weeks and have managed to avoid most of it!), but we may surprise a few tonight. Carragher has predicted us to go down this season so I hope we bag three points tonight and stick two fingers up at the doubters.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Utd are predicted to line up as follows:

Onana
Dalot - Varane - Martinez - Shaw
Casemiro - Mount
Antony - Fernandes - Garnacho
Rashford
​

I know Jeff Shi is a wanker etc, but on the field, we can definitely get at them. Rashford has always looked better attacking off the left rather than through the middle IMO. They only really have Martial to come off the bench and he's shite.

There is a lot of negativity surrounding Wolves at the moment (thankfully I've been sunning myself for 2 weeks and have managed to avoid most of it!), but we may surprise a few tonight. Carragher has predicted us to go down this season so I hope we bag three points tonight and stick two fingers up at the doubters.

Agree with this but Martial seems to play much better when he’s a sub than when starting.

 

[Boozad]

I don't see him ripping that up for an unfamiliar fornation in the first game.

He’d probably be arrested if he did.

 

[jlo]

Utd are predicted to line up as follows:

Onana
Dalot - Varane - Martinez - Shaw
Casemiro - Mount
Antony - Fernandes - Garnacho
Rashford
​

I know Jeff Shi is a wanker etc, but on the field, we can definitely get at them. Rashford has always looked better attacking off the left rather than through the middle IMO. They only really have Martial to come off the bench and he's shite.

There is a lot of negativity surrounding Wolves at the moment (thankfully I've been sunning myself for 2 weeks and have managed to avoid most of it!), but we may surprise a few tonight. Carragher has predicted us to go down this season so I hope we bag three points tonight and stick two fingers up at the doubters.

That's what two weeks away from this forum does for you, I just don't feel optimistic at all for either today or the season though I agree with the premise that we have a team that could compete in the very middle of the table potentially. I'm glad we're facing Utd tonight and early on in the season, but optimistic? Nope.

 

[Tyrannosaurus Dan]

What is it about football fans?

When O'Neil was appointed, my attitude was 'well if the club can't be bothered then neither can I'. I wasn't going to even follow the match updates let alone watch it. Now it's the day of the match, I know I'm going to be sitting on the sofa watching it with my Wolves top on thinking 'maybe we CAN nick a draw here after all...'

 

[lemonjelly]

man utd fan i share an office with is expecting they will lose to us tonight. He's a level headed fella.

 

[Stan Hullis]

What is it about football fans?

When O'Neil was appointed, my attitude was 'well if the club can't be bothered then neither can I'. I wasn't going to even follow the match updates let alone watch it. Now it's the day of the match, I know I'm going to be sitting on the sofa watching it with my Wolves top on thinking 'maybe we CAN nick a draw here after all...'

It's true, I fixed my stupid cable they sent me and have now realised it is really useful for when I am in the car.

Stoopid Jeff & Vinny. I think I have a touch of the Stockholm syndrome.

 

[WsWolf]

Think it'll be shit to watch for the neutral. We'll have to sit deeper, playing a high line with Dawson & Kilman against rashford is suicide. Hopefully when we get on the ball we can create enough to score a goal or 2.

 

[jd1981]

I think tonight will follow a similar pattern to Arsenal v Forest, Saturday. We’ll 2 or 3 down and maybe Nick one back. Won’t play well but won’t be mauled.

 

[Alan]

Think it'll be shit to watch for the neutral. We'll have to sit deeper, playing a high line with Dawson & Kilman against rashford is suicide. Hopefully when we get on the ball we can create enough to score a goal or 2.

Tbf O'Neil should be 0% concerned with how a neutral feels about the "spectacle" of the thing.

Make their eyes bleed for all I care.

 

[Derby Wolf]

4 years ago this week since the 1-1 draw when Neves scored one of my favourite goals off the underside of the bar.

Remember top six teams genuinely fearing having to come to Molineux and now we're back to going there keeping it tight and hoping we don't get slapped.

It makes 2018-20 feel even more surreal like we've snapped back to reality.