Two-match bans for Fellaini and Pienaar

My hope would be to go for it with a side like below, with strong flanks and 2-up front to keep Spurs defence pinned back as much as posible. I fear that the past-it Neville and frankly not up to it Naismith will feature instead. That said, if Oviedo doesn't play in this, he might as well start looking for another club.

Mucha
Coleman - Heitinga - Distin - Baines
Mirallas - Osman - Gibson - Oviedo
Jelavic - Anichebe

Subs: Vellios, Neville, Naismith, Hibbert, McAlney, Duffy

On the bench, I am sure Hitz and Barkley will feature. Not sure that Hibbo is back ?

Mucha
Coleman
Baines
Distin
Heitinga
Gibson
Osman
Mirallas
Oviedo
Barkley
Victor

"Totally forgot about Barkley there!"

The thing about Naismith is that he can't tackle, pass, run, shoot, head, take corners, cross... He tries hard so I don't blame him, he is very blatantly not Premier League standard. I do however blame Moyes for selecting him.

Give Barkley a chance... Or Oviedo. Jelly to replace Felli.

I hate how fickle football fans can be...really annoys me.

Lads, season has gone. We never had a hope of finishing 4th with all the draws in first half of season. Then we had the debacle of the transfer window with a woeful past few weeks/months.

Beat the "Champions" all you want but nothing can polish the turd of last week. Ironically, I believe (due to the draw and other absentees in latter rounds) this was a better chance of silverware than last season (even tho we got to Semi's)

Start thinking about your summer holidays lads coz that's what the players and manager are thinking about (even the ones who intend on staying with us)

The team gave us all a wonderful response yesterday (I almost got a lump in my throat when Jelavic scored!) and with the absence of options on the bench, Phil Neville is as close as we've got to Lee Carsley and there is the hope that Neville will give a suitable response of his own against the Stoke Neanderthals and Spurs missing link.

Plus Moyes doesn't single out players for blame often and leaving the club captain out for 2, 3, 4 games is probably not going to happen as it could look like scapegoating (no matter how culpable he was in that game).

Secondly, James - football fans are fickle, yes. The TW poll results have changed quite a bit in the last five days. A week ago, 52% did not want Moyes to renew his contract but that figure is now down to 47%. It doesn't make sense to me. Talk about short sighted!

I disagree with you about 4th, though, James. It's improbably but definitely possible. I have been swimming against the tide and saying that for a couple of months. Why? Because where we finish is not, repeat NOT, a pure indication of how good we are, how well we are playing or the ultimate good health of the club - it also depends on the form of our competitors.

Our rivals are very much up and down, so that gives us a chance. None of the teams from 2nd to 8th are showing consistent form. Spurs look good and Bale looks supreme at the moment, but I very much doubt they will continue like that until the end of the season. Also, don't forget that they (and Chelsea) are still in the Europa League, which will hold them back.

It's only a no brainer if you have no brain.

For Moyes, the number one objective of Premier League survival has long since been safe, the secondary objective of a top four is, frankly pretty unlikely unless one of Arsenal, Chelsea or Spurs hits a really long losing streak and sadly Arsenal appear to be recovering a bit.

So finding the search for a replacement for Fellaini should be a major priority (assuming that he really has set his heart on going, and to be honest, like Lescott, he would be mad not to go for a guaranteed Champions League club).

Moyes must also know whether there are any others heading for the door (Baines?) and should be using the fag-end of the season to find out just what he may have to be starting with next time around. Of course, this may just colour his decision as to whether to stay or not ...

I know this wont happen but look how Bale has developed since his move upfield. Bainesy's creativity and shooting prowess is there to be seen and a joy to watch. I cant get too excited about his defensive qualities. Oviedo will obviously replace him if, heaven forbid, we lose him in the summer. COYB.

I do agree with James Brand though. Anyone who thinks we have a chance at 4th is clearly deluded.

I'd still chop off my left nut if we finish 4th!

I think Moyes team selection spoke volumes yesterday, that was the first time other than when we have had to play two games in a week that Phil Neville has not been selected. Add that to being hooked at half time against Wigan tells me we will only see him off the bench for the remainder of the season. And I also suspect he will announce his retirement at the end of the season.
So I would be expecting Naismith and Jelavic to the side that started yesterday.

I also thought that two yellows was a 1 match ban along with the same for the accumulation of yellow cards so why have Pienaar and Fellaini been landed with double.

Also I hope the FA suspend Probert after yesterday's shocking performance. I personally would check his twitter account to see if he follows City.

Very predictable

Personally I would replace put Osman cm and play Barkley in the role behind the striker but that isn't happening. Suddenly Moyes is flavour of the month on here.

How predictable was yesterday's result? When the pressure is off, plucky little Everton punch above their weight.

I watched the Sunday Supplement this morning and nearly choked on my cornflakes when a reporter said that we were blessed to have a man like Bill Kenwright as chairman.

5 yellow cards = 1 match ban
10 yellow cards = 2 match ban

2 yellows in a game = 1 match ban
2 yellows in a game twice = 2 match ban.

They add an extra game for persistent/repeat offenders.

ps: Pienaar only gets a one game ban doesn't he?

But please say NO to Pip and Naismith...

Also does anyone else think Mancini is a spoilt classless brat? Or is it just me?

Why not bring him and jela back into yesterdays team to give us some presence?

Mucha

Coleman Heitinga (or Duffy?) Distin Baines
mirallas Gibson Osman Anichebe
Barkley
Jelavic

It is fans with no belief that we can do better and finish in the top 4 like you who are symptomatic of the problems with our club. United believe that they can win and so more often do . Man City do not have that belief and so bottle it, just like we have in the past. 4th is still possible, we just have to beat Spurs and Arsenal to have any hope.

Agree with comment above we do seem to play better when limited numbers to pick from.

Similar with Piennar though his lack of form goes back further. Odd flashes à la Reading but poor in general, his break-up play was his biggest contribution yesterday — not his creativity.

Is it an especially likely, odds on, chance? No it is not.

Plenty of points to play for though and we are playing most of our rivals for 4th (all away from home though).

Can we do it? Yes.

Will we do it? Unlikely.

Will the boys in the royal blue jerseys have more chance if we back them with all we've got? I think so.

It's got nothing to do with belief! Man Utd have a fabulous winning mentality (which I think is what you're getting at) but that mentality comes by winning previous titles, having the best players, manager etc...we cannot even put ourselves in the same sentence as them as we haven't achieved anything like them to get "used" to winning...
You honestly think beating Spurs and Arsenal away will grant us 4th? We have to go away to ALL our CL rivals (including that lot across the park and Chelsea).

Actuallly, it's a separate issue but for what it's worth, yes I would sell all on-field assets if it ensured there would be a club for my grandchildren to support (I'm 30). Maybe it's the Scottish in me but I hate debt and I would take 5-10 years of mediocrity/rebuilding if selling Baines, Felli etc cleared our debts...
But back to point in hand - who said I wouldn't be going the match? All I said was I would enjoy going to the remaining matches not worrying at the back of my head whether or not we were going to make 4th. IT WON'T HAPPEN (yes it's mathmatical, but come on...). Just enjoy the rest of the season without putting yourself through the torturous pain that pinning hopes onto our beloved football club will and has brought.
Yes I hoped for 4th but after all those draws I knew our rivals would hit a bit of form and our lack of transfer activity has left us found wanting...

Pienaar though, should really know better, than to pull fouls like he did yesterday, he is a much better player than that.

I do sympathize with the team though, they almost no protection against city, who where fouling like mad men possessed at times, and yet despite some of their late and nasty tackles drew barely any yellows at all from the reff, in fact I was suprised how several of the repeat offenders for city hadn't been handed straight red's for some of their challenges and off the ball shenanigans.

But, non of this, should ever make our players lash out in anger...it's us that gets hurt, not the opposition.

They have an albeit tiny outside chance of finishing in 4th, and trying to qualify for champions league football next season, and now we have 2important players out, for exacly the same thing. The mind boggles.

The end of the world? I do not think so. Fellaini isn't exactly world class, and the people who think he is, should stop taking cocaine or heroine :p

In all seriousness though, it's not the end of the world, we've won matches before, when he's been out for 3 or 4 weeks, and the same can be said for Pienaar, because Ovideo can replace him and I think the young costa rican needs a run in the team. I wouldn't be surprised if Ovideo will one day be much better than the over hyped Pienaar no one but us wanted :p

Whn you look at the table, we have played 29, while spurs have played 30 and so have the neighbours...both being beaten this weekend.

As stupid as this may sound, spurs don't bother me in the slightest, they have been slipping up a couple of times now in the league, we are 2 behind arsenal, and only 7 behind 3rd placed chelsea, we know that all 3 of those teams above us are really unstable at the moment, and we have to go to all 3 of them..right now, i'd bite your hand off to play spurs and arsenal, and against chelsea they are not so hard as they seem, if you don't show them the respect they do not deserve...don't sit back and defend and you can win..which reminds me.... I could see golem in the crowd where I was sitting urging everyone forward near the end.. and the Jelly goal, absolute peach..but a deflection..he won't mind though

Mucha
Neville
Distin
Heitinga
Baines
Coleman
Osman
Gibson
Oviedo
Mirrallas
Anichebe

Mirrallas in the attacking mid/2nd forward role. Neville and Coleman on the right to do a job on Bale.
Oviedo gets a game on the left.

He won't trust Vic on the right - that player needs to backup the right back against Bale.

I'd go for Oviedo and Naismith (only if he plays in the middle).

Final thing: I hope Moyes does not put Neville in. I know that will happen, but I hope Moyes sees some sense.

Unfortunately as those above have observed, its almost certain to be Neville and Naismith who get the nod.....this is why people get so frustrated with the manager!

The fans' opinion of him doesn't amount to a hill of beans and he doesn't learn from his past mistakes. Therefore, it will be a let-down at Spurs, sorry to say, as Neville no longer has it and Naismith never has.

For all those suggesting Barkley should play I would suggest you listen to Stubbs comment on his last game for the under 21s, not very flattering to say the least. But what does he know I guess will be the cry from those who want kids to play at any cost.

Ernie, Bales appears to be playing more down the middle than on the left these days.

Spurs have actually got 4/5 tough games in a row now:

Swansea (a), Us (h), Chelsea (a), Man City (h) & Wigan (a).

Not inconceivable that they could lose 2-3 of those and draw another.

Arsenal have got a much better run-in so need at least a draw there.