Will Fellaini be fit for Sunday?

Gibson has been out much longer than was first thought, and it is a slow and painful road back to health for him. Hopefully different people will be right in that he will at least be ready along with Hibbert, but their fitness is a serious question.

I would play Gibson no matter what, he is the key to us keeping it tight at the back and he helps out the defence as well as gives us good quality long range passes going forward. I would go as far as saying that if Gibson is not ready then we will lose the derby.

Neville is a disaster, a waste of space in central midfield and must be replaced if we are to not lose by high numbers. Moyes has a habit of picking players out of position and players totally out of form. Phil Neville is this year's example of that, last season it was Cahill who was dismal throughout, and Moyes stood by him all the way.

We simply can not afford to play Neville in midfield any longer, he is way too old for that job now. If Gibson and Fellaini are not ready, I would go for Heitinga, and have Hitzlsperger on the bench ready to come on if things go wrong. Moyes waits too long to make a change when things go wrong, sometimes he never does.

The red shite look weak going forward, but pretty strong in the back. I would bet on them having possession most of the game, they will get chances to score, but all-in-all this match is won in the midfield, just as QPR won against us there... Wigan did the same.

Without Gibson and Fellaini I would be pleased with a draw, we need more than luck to win, we need to fill the HUGE hole in midfield.

Keep Neville out of midfield and use Fellaini to control Gerrard, Allen and/or Sahin. Hopefully they can control downing.........

I could accept (painfully) defeat if I thought we played our best but they just outclassed us. This never happens, however; in fact, the times we have won we've not usually had our best team out. We're unbeaten at home over a long period and have beaten most of the league's top sides there. The worst outcome should be some sort of limp low-scoring draw.

If it was anyone else, even Man City, no-one would be expecting us to lose this game — regardless of the personnel out. We have always been defensively strong and solid at home. For some reason, whenever that lot turn up, we just turn into amateurs and several of our players lose their heads and forget stuff that they do so well every other week of the year.

Howard
Coleman Jagielka Distin Baines
Mirallas Fellaini Osman Oviedo
Naismith
Jelavic

Hibbert will play if he's fit and — like he's done against the likes of Ronaldo, Lennon, SWP and countless other wingers with growing reputations — he will put the young pup firmly in his place.

Coleman v Sterling would give me cold sweats!!

Howard
Neville Jagielka Distin Baines
Mirallas Fellaini Osman Oviedo
Naismith
Jelavic

but knowing Moyes far more likely:

Howard
Coleman Jagielka Distin Baines
Mirallas Neville Osman Oviedo
Fellaini
Jelavic

with Anichebe nailed on to make an appearance later on — or, worst case, start at the expense of Mirallas or Oviedo.

For that reason I reckon Anichebe is nailed on to start on the wing. Probably the right one, with Mirallas on the opposite and either Fellaini or Naismith behind Jelavic.

(I'm not saying you're prediction is wrong just...SURELY not!)

Wigan and QPR are hardly tough opposition either. The reason a lot of people (myself included) are fearing the worst is because we've seen it all before. It doesn't matter what players either side has missing, how their form is, who has the better team, who is at home, who deserves to win, history tells us they usually win

The reason they will most probably win will be because of some sort of refereeing error/decision that will go their way. It always does. I firmly believe we have a far superior team than them but we always get major decisions go against us in derbies. FACT.

Ithangyew!

The striker was sent off two minutes before half-time in the 2-1 defeat at Vicarage Road after being shown a second yellow card for an alleged stamp on Nicky Bailey.

Hornets boss Gianfranco Zola indicated after the match that he would appeal against the decision and the FA have upheld his view.

The 20-year-old, who is currently on international duty with the Czech Republic, will now be available for the clash with Peterborough on 20 October.

Do the same rules apply in the Premier League? If so why Have Everton not appealed Pienaar's yellow?

Patrick-Poor journalism, the player got a straight red. And as someone pointed out to me on another thread, you can't have two yellow cards rescinded.

That said, lets get a bloody win:

Howard
Neville
Baines
Jags
Distin

Mirallas, Gibson, neville, osman

Fellaini
Jelavic

I understand your points, and do not disagree, but....... I think that this weekends derby is there for us to win.

Sam, you say Qpr/Wigan aren't tough opposition, but both games away from home against teams battling with all they have and we never lost, one with 10 men, and the Wigan game we should of won because of reasons we all know.

We're going to bury them Sunday.

As an aside I was surprised to see that you can't appeal any yellow card if it is a judgement call by the referee.

I'd be confident of a 3-0 win....

As it is though,

Howard
Coleman Jagielka Distin Baines
Mirallas Neville Osman Oviedo
Anichebe Jelavic

I know Oviedo hasn't started in the league yet, but I think his pace could offer something different and he can also defend. Furthermore, we paid good money(-ish) for him, so he should be a direct replacement for Pienaar.

I've got everything crossed for a 1-1..... Sad but true!!!

Expect
Fear
Hope
Want

Howard
Coleman Jagielka Distin Baines
Mirallas Osman Fellaini Oviedo
Naismith
Jelavic

Makes sense to me. I just pray Neville doesn't play in the middle and Vic doesn't play on the wing. Square pegs and holes etc.

The buck-toothed acrobat will be exhausted after abusing the ref, and that rolling about must take it out of you.

The stars are lining back up in our favour: 2-0 to the tricky Blues!!!

We just go to shit when we play them. I hope we lose that mentality but come Sunday I bet a few of us will be scratching our heads at the team selection, positions etc.

So forgive us all for being negative. It's just that getting shafted up the rearjusain't