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West Ham (H) Preview
30 Plays11 days ago
Kieran hosts a preview of the West Ham game for a mid-week game. That means the dreaded word "rotation" gets thrown around as we head into the festive fixtures part of the season!
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Transcript
Kieran's Return & Man United's Recent Success
00:00:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello everyone and welcome back to the daily Manchester United. har This is a voice you haven't heard for a long time, isn't it? It's a face you haven't seen for a long time. But it's me, it's Kieran, I'm here again after a bit of a hiatus and all of a sudden United's starting doing good things again. Yeah, weird that. After the win against Crystal Palace, the comeback from behind, we're not staying around a Palace much longer. We're going to head to West Ham for a midweek game for Manchester United. shah You couldn't write this stuff if you tried.
00:00:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, off the back of that 2-1 win, which was quite nice to see, Xerxes getting a first goal, and I think it was about 364 days, I read. So that was good for him. Nearly a year of yeah a calendar year, whilst he hasn't gone for a goal. So it wass nice to see him on the score sheet and Mason Mount getting on the score sheet as well. Again,
00:01:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
both of them from set pieces. Make of that what you will. But in any case, it was nice to actually see us win a game. Unfortunately, I didn't see sort of the whole game. I've had to see snippets. But um yeah, Palace seemed to be really on top in the first half. And then the second half, United started to kick in and actually remembered how to kick a football around. It was nice to see. it Just sort of, they awoken and that was that. and Both goals kind of from set pieces. Again, I've mentioned that already, but it's worth saying again.
00:01:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Whether that's a case of, you know, things are working in the training ground. I mean, the second goal is great. I loved it. You know, the roll from Fernandes and then, you know, Mount mount just takes it on. It's a great goal. um So that was good. And just looking at some of the stats as well, Ethan's on shots taken, eight on target for United, six on target for Palace.
00:01:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it was a case of... Yeah, I mean, did we deserve it? If you look by the XG that I'm looking at, maybe not, but who cares? We've got three points and
Current Standings & Upcoming Challenges for Man United
00:02:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
that's what matters. And that puts us seventh place at the time of recording behind Sunderland.
00:02:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
I would have, admit I didn't expect that coming into this, but we have a better goal difference than Liverpool. Again, i didn't expect that. We're actually above Liverpool. Thanks to goal difference. Again, didn't expect that. So yeah, it's, it's looking well, o okay.
00:02:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
I look at the table and I just think, Europe's only three points away. But then again, i got into this. ah I got lulled into this trap last year. If you were listening around that time around, last year was exactly the same. I got lulled into that false sense of security of, oh, it'll be fine. We're in Europe.
00:02:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're not that far away from Europe. We'll be fine. All of a sudden, we finish 15th. Yeah, just just, you know, if you hadn't already heard, you know, I'd finished 15th last season. But there we go. But focus must go to the West Ham game. And West Ham's form, I would say, i would describe it as patchy. That's the best way I can describe it. but They've just come off of a 2-0 loss against Liverpool. Liverpool, who were struggling to score, who were struggling to get goals. Actually, I retract they were struggling to score. They weren't struggling to score. They were struggling to win. They were struggling with actually conceding goals. I sort of watched the highlights from the game in the Champions League where a handball is apparently, well...
00:03:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
According to Virgil van Dijk, it's said up there is fine. And if you're listening along, it's just me raising my hand up in the air. I'm sure you've got that from inference. But West Ham currently 17th place. They have been struggling for form. I mean, they're coming off a back of, well, I'd say they're struggling for form. But looking back at their last five games, that's two wins and a draw, I think. So it's not the worst run of form, but they haven't started the season off at all well. It took them quite a while to actually get up and running. And... Yeah, doesn't it show? i mean, the first win of their season, I'm just having a look through, was the win against Newcastle in November, match day 10. So it took them a while to get going. But when they did...
00:03:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
They picked up a win against Burnley. They drew away at Bournemouth, which in fairness is not actually the worst result in the world when you come to think of it. A 2-0 loss at Liverpool at home again, you know, against Liverpool, who on paper have a fantastic team. Don't think that's the end of the world.
00:04:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
They have a team that's not really performing and singing from the same hymn sheet at the moment. But yeah, a midweek game, Thursday. You can watch the West Ham game. It'll be on, if you're watching the UK, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports main event. God, two of them. It's great. we are We are in the big time now. That is for sure.
00:04:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
But a game against West Ham.
00:04:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's not an easy game. Nothing. No games are easy games. And we've proven that time and time again, where we're all in this together as Manchester United fans, that it just doesn't work out that way, does it? But at the moment, seventh place isn't bad. I think, you know, our predictions were around sixth to eighth place. I went on a miserable rant just before I went on my hiatus and said we're going finish bottom half. Do I still think that?
00:05:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
What's this space? No, I think we'll get top half. and think I think I've got top half. But again, something that's going come up and something that has been coming up over the last month, especially whilst I've been away, is that little consistency with tactics and maybe a little bit too much consistency.
00:05:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
the The game against Everton comes to mind. you know If a team goes down to 10 men, half an hour in, they just have to get men behind the ball because we'll also put men behind the ball. Doesn't make a lot of sense in my mind, but there you go. That's where your sort of tactical prowess and your flexibility has to evolve and it has to bring something. Even if you were to push up the wingers as sort of midfielders along the flanks, would have been better than having five five players behind the ball. it just didn't make a lot of sense.
00:05:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
But hey-ho, you know, we lost against Everton,
Concerns Over Consistency at Man United
00:05:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
but we've got to win against Palace. And it's it's that inconsistency that seems to be a little bit, well, I would probably say a little bit worrying.
00:06:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's going to be my point of view. But worrying and we're still top half of the table is okay. I think we've had games where we've not been in control and managed to actually somehow get the points. The win against Liverpool earlier in the season comes to mind.
00:06:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Where I was hiding behind a sofa at my friend's house watching that one. That was brutal towards the end of that game. But, you know, it it comes to it. I mean, um I'll be honest with you.
00:06:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
i wasn't expecting us to have... um on To say a good of a time is harsh, I think, because we're four points off City at this point. I just think teams around us are also struggling and teams around us are also struggling with inconsistency, which benefits us because that means we're seventh.
00:06:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I don't know. West Ham should be, i don't want it to be an interesting game, but it unfortunately will be. And I think for all the wrong reasons. So I just want to go there and get a win. Please, Manchester United, please get yourselves a win.
00:07:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know. It's going be tricky. It's going to be tricky. Well, in the meantime, when I come back, it's going to be at a bit of a predicted 11 as to who I think will start for Manchester United. This should be a good one. And you can let me know if you agree or disagree. But before that, we'll go to a quick break. When when we we come back, it's predicted 11 time.
Team Updates & Squad Changes
00:08:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, team news then. This coming from directly from the Manchester United website, courtesy of an article by Adam Marshall. So thank you, Adam, for putting together the article and giving us an insight into how the team is looking potentially for the West Ham game. Mateus Cunha, Adam says, will hopefully be available again after his two-game layoff.
00:08:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
while we also await updates on Harry Maguire and Benjamin Sesco. What was nice to see was Lissandro Martinez, as the article mentions, came off the bench against Palace late on to make his first appearance since February, which was great to see. You know, we've missed Litcher.
00:09:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've missed our little butcher at the back. And I think... Honestly, this is now going to put my theory to the test of we are a better team with Litcher in the side. So hopefully he's going to get back up and running. He's going to make sure that, you know, he gets back to his best. Will he start against West Ham? I don't think so. I think it's going to be a doubt for that one. But, you know, hey, I'm always here, you know, to see...
00:09:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
how that will all play out. I hope it is a case that he's back to full fitness, but will he be back to full fitness this time, this side of Christmas? I don't know. And especially when it comes to Christmas with the fixture congestions, again, i don't know.
00:09:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we'll see. We'll see. I hope he does. I hope he yeah he makes that. We've got Shea Lacey, who's been an unused substitute for the past two games, getting closer to a first-team debut. I could see him coming off the bench against West Ham. I mean...
00:09:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's going to be a case of we we're going need rotation. We're going to need, we're coming into the Christmas fixture congestion time. And whilst we haven't had to struggle with fixture congestion like other teams around us have had, this is our first midweek game, I think,
00:10:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
since about, I want to say October, might have been earlier than that. um So this is, you know, a test now of fitness. It's a test to make sure that all of the players are ah fit and ready. And this is where the fixed congestion will come in and rotation is going to be a huge factor for Manchester United, especially in this period where other teams have already had it, say Champions League, Europa League, Conference League.
00:10:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
This is United now coming into that period of rotation is going to be key. And if Shea Lacey can provide that, it's going to be crucial. going critical. Other team news from West Ham, of course, Lucas Paqueta got himself sent off in the last game against Liverpool for, I believe, dissent in the end with a second yellow card.
00:10:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Again, I don't know, but he's he's on the attack, so we'll just leave it there. In any case, he'll miss the game against Manchester United. And it course, to the according to the article, Fabianski is out with a back problem. Oliver Scars is absent due to shoulder injury and Crescente Somerville could return. And he's a player that I kind of think can make an impact. And he's definitely one of those that I'm expecting to hear his name
00:11:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Shouted as the commentators say he scored like his first goal in, on I don't know, so much, so much so. But hey, it is what it is. um i i would say that i don't want that to happen. I have a sneaking suspicion it might.
00:11:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
But hey, what can you do? What can you do? What comes to now then is with Litscher making his way back into the side, I
Predictions for Man United's Lineup Against West Ham
00:11:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
don't think he'll start. So let's get this let's get this started then. Lamens probably starting in goal makes the most sense. He's been patchy, but I think okay in the end.
00:11:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
um I think at back three... Shaw will probably start his, what is it now, 301st game for Manchester United. ah are they Amazing. Amazing that he's ah he's been here for that long. I think De Ligt, Jorow, I think, didn't have his best game against Palace. Obviously, responsible for the first but or the the penalty, I should say, because, of course, the penalty was taken twice. That's why I said first penalty, but I'm wrong. It was a first penalty that was taken twice and scored both times. It was, yeah, it was clumsy from Jorow. It He didn't have to do it or he felt like he needed to, but you know it cost us a goal.
00:12:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's young. He'll learn. And i think he' that means I think he'll start in the next game. I think it will be a back three, a sane back three of Shaw, De Ligt and Jouro. That's purely the fact that I don't think Ligt is going to be fit to start. And I don't think Maguire is going to be risked at this point. It sounds like from the Manchester United website that their awaiting update probably means that he's going to be missing from that one. Same with Cesc.
00:12:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
as well. Wingbacks, I i want to see Dorgou back. I feel like I'm one of those that just feels like Dorgou is, I think he's good enough.
00:13:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know Sam over the past few weeks has has sort of said that he's not good enough for, you know, top class Man United teams. And that may be the case. But for right now, for what we have right now, I think he's a good player. So I would i would play him more often. I just, I'm not a fan of Dalot.
00:13:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Down the left-hand side, I'd rather Dorgu. I don't think Dallow plays his better football down the left-hand side, and that feels like a conversation we had a year and a half ago. He's shown spells, but I don't think they're good enough. I think he'll i want Dorgu to start at left wing back, and I think he will start. He did come on as a late substitute as well.
00:13:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
So hopefully that's the case. Hopefully he'll he'll start. Do I think he'll start? Yes. Deep in the midfield, we know Fernandes as that deeper role-playing game-maker in that midfield. We'll probably start. Now, will Casemiro start a midweek game? This is where we could see someone like Kobi Menuh come into that midfield, start against West Ham to allow Casemiro to have that rotation. Because up to this point, really, Casemiro has been...
00:14:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
not been relied on in sort of the midweek games or whatnot. So I think this is a chance for Mainu to start alongside Fernandes. Will it work? I don't know. But I want to see it happen. i want to see it try because Mainu at this rate is probably going to go out on loan in January. If we don't use him enough, he's going to go out on loan. So i'd rather use him now than than regret using or regret not using him further down the line. So I think Mainu will start. I think Casemiro will be on the bench. Probably Casemiro will come on later in the game.
00:14:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
either to give us that defensive bolster when hopefully we've got a lead or provide us that spine in the back to allow us to press on if we need a goal. Who knows? Who knows? I'm doing my best to guess, but hey-ho. I think Hamad as well will start down the left ah leftw wing, right wing back.
00:14:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
i It's either going him or Masurawi. um I think Ahmad is probably going to start that one. I think this is the game to start him.
00:15:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
You need a team that's going to attack West Ham. And that that sounds like, to me, Dorgou and Ahmad, down those left wing backs, join the attack, essentially make it that four or five attackers up front, really overload West Ham and hope they don't counter.
00:15:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
He says. He says. Attacking midfield, I see no reason why Mason Mount doesn't start again. You know, he's coming for the injured Cunha. I would start him again alongside Umbermo. It makes the most sense to me. Why change something that last game tu proved that it wasn't broken? And then who starts up top? Well, if Cesc goes out injured, Xerxe...
00:15:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
is probably going to start. And I really hope that goal he got, it's a nice finish as well. I hope that goal he's got has given him the confidence to press forward and push on and be that striker we know that he you know is he's got the potential to be.
00:16:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
is he going to be a world-class striker? Probably not. But is he going to be one of those cult strikers you just think, in those dark times, he was there and he got 15, 16 goals a season. That's what I want from Xerxe.
00:16:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he describes himself as a nine and a half. Well, maybe he'll work with Mount and Bermot and Fernandes to sort of work out, hopefully, a couple of goals for him. He's got the one goal. He got it his first goal in over a year in football.
00:16:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's see what he can do come the end of that one. Score prediction, I think it's going to be Man United 2, West Ham 1. I do think there's going to be a silly goal we concede, but that's that's that's the way it is, I think. I don't think we'll keep a clean sheet, but I think we'll get the win.
00:16:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
And let me know, predicted 11. It's probably wrong, but oh I did my best. I had my guess best shot at it, and we'll see what happens. Thank you so much for listening as well. Make sure you join the conversation as well. Perhaps I got the team wrong. Perhaps you know something that I don't.
Social Media Engagement & Closing Remarks
00:16:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
o Let us know on the social medias. We're at GSPN Man United. You can find us on Facebook, on Twitter and X, on Instagram and on TikTok as well. So make sure you join the conversation there. You can also watch our episodes on YouTube. Don't forget, if you're listening on Spotify or Apple, you can head over to the Daily Man United podcast. It's the GSPN. Daily Man United podcast. It's such a long name, so you have to remember it. And that's the tagline. You can watch all the episodes now and you can see I'm having a smile at you.
00:17:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you see Spotify and Apple listeners, you're missing out if you're not watching on YouTube. In the meantime, thank you so much for watching and listening today's episode of the Daily Manchester United. We'll be back then.
00:17:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
to hopefully review a win of the West Ham game. Who knows? But I hope you'll join us for it. In the meantime, I've been Kieran. You've been listening and watching. Take care of yourselves, and I'll talk to you in a bit. Bye-bye.