Stretford End: United And You

Preview: Tottenham Hotspur Vs Manchester United

19/06/2020

It is…. MATCHDAAAAAY! Manchester United are finally back in action after almost a three month gap. United take on Tottenham Hotspur away and for the first time will be playing at Spurs magnificent new stadium.

The Athletic have reported that Pogba could start on the bench. The Frenchman was out for quite a while after sustaining an injury against Southampton. Solskjaer has backed the former club captain to showcase his ‘world-class’ form and deemed him as one of the best midfielders in the world.

I’m expecting United to play in a 4-3-3 with Marcus Rashford spearing the attack alongside Anthony Martial and either Daniel James or Mason Greenwood. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was impressed with Greenwoods physique in training with reports stating that 18 year old having gained 3 Kg of muscles in the biceps, triceps and quadriceps while in quarantine. This will enable him to have a go at defenders as he’ll have the strength to face opposition’s tackles.

In the middle of the park, Bruno Fernandes who won 5 MOTM in 5 appearances will start alongside Fred and Scott McTominay. Ole could decide to go ahead with Matic instead of McTominay. Matic was in fine form before the pandemic. His experience could be crucial in today’s fixture. We could expect Pogba to make a cameo; I’m hoping he gets a longer run so that we could some Pogba-Mourinho altercations. I also pray we don’t see Andreas Pereira making it into the line-up today afterr turning into prime Kaka during the friendlies.

In defense we can expect Brandon Williams, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelöf and Aaron Wan-Bissaka to start. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Luke Shaw start ahead of Williams in LB. Finally, in between the sticks will obviously be David de Gea. I wish de Gea the best and hope he finds his form. The Spaniards position could be under pressure with Dean Henderson doing a colossal job at Sheffield United. But I still believe in De Gea and hope he puts on a master-class of a performance like the 11 saves he made in 45 minutes against Spurs in early 2019.

ManUtd will be without Axel Tuanzebe and Phil Jones due to injury but will have stars Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba available. On the other hand Jose Mourinho’s will be boosted by the return of Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Moussa Sissoko. Jose’s most trusted midfielder; Giovani Lo Celso remains doubtful though and will be assessed before the game. Dele Alli will be suspended for this huge tie after mocking an Asian man in a social media post on the coronavirus.

Mourinho is still unsure about his defensive line and will miss out on Japhet Tangana. I have no clue they will line up at the back. Spurs record signing Ndombele will be ready to start and could be partnered with Lo Celso/Winks/Skipp. In attack, Kane will play in the middle with Son and Berwijn on either wings.

Expect Mourinho to let United have more of the ball and play on the counter. Jose will be aware that the Red Devils haven’t performed quite well having more ball possession. Being our former coach, he will also have an in depth knowledge of our squad.

Both the teams were enduring contrasting forms before the pandemic and it will be exciting to see who gets the better of who. This game will have a huge impact in race for the ‘Top 4’ and both the teams will go all out. Expect a rusty start, but as the game progresses, a thrilling finish. Unless…. Jose parks the bus.