The Community Shield 2007: Chelsea vs Manchester United

[russe||]

Originally Posted by unitedfan

If I were to guess the line up:

--------------------Kuszczak---------------
-Neville----Ferdinand----Vidic----Evra-
-------------Fletcher---Carrick------------
Ronaldo----------Anderson---------Nani
-------------------Rooney-------------------

For us. We usually use these games to give new signings a go, so I'd predict Nani and Anderson (if fit) to start. Tevez I'd back to be on the bench. No need to throw an unfit Hargreaves or Scholes out there. Backup keepers also often get in these games, although I'm not sure of it.

I'll be very surprised if Nani, Neville or Anderson start. Anderson has only been back in training a week, Nani is recoving from a foot injury and Neville hasn't played a game of football since March due to injury.

[hanuma]

I'd say the best XI from preseason thus far has been

Cudicini
B-Haim Carvo Terry A.Cole
SWP Sidwell Mikel Malouda
Drogba Pizarro

It's an experimental side but worth mixing old with new to start with.

[hanuma]

I'm looking forward to this. Hopefully both teams decide to abandon the counterattack. Unlikely, but you never know.

Chelsea won't be playing the diamond anymore btw, so it could end up 442 v 442.

[unitedfan]

I'll be very surprised if Nani, Neville or Anderson start. Anderson has only been back in training a week, Nani is recoving from a foot injury and Neville hasn't played a game of football since March due to injury.

You're right, it seems they most certainly won't.

[kennethlindheim]

Hopefully it will be a more entertaining game than the FA cup final.

[unitedfan]

I'm sorry, but it seems certain fans brush games as unimportant, are not really thinking straight.

Being things what they are, this could mean millions of dollars in revenue for either club.

I gaurantee when the kickoff is on, the game will be taken very seriously by both clubs.

In the past it hasn't been. Obviously it's nice to get one over League rivals, but the guys who normally win it go on to fail in the league. And where do those millions of $$$ come from? Obviously it gets a bit of TV revenue, but you'd get more revenue from a tour of Asia or a fixture that was competetive. It will be interesting if both teams play with freedom, in sharp contrast to the FA Cup Final, but that's really just the upside of the "glorified friendly" label.

I'll watch it, I'll be happy if someone impresses but if, god forbid, it goes beyond 90 minutes it will be an eye closer. These fixtures usually either get you annoyed or prompt you to say afterwards, "watch out for that guy in the league," they don't spark the real thriller emotion. And they aren't preceeded by any intense antcipation.

[russe||]

Originally Posted by unitedfan

: We usually allways play our new signings in Shield games. I'd have expected both Nani and Anderson to start, due to this. Hargreaves and Scholes are out. Tevez is unfit, even if his registration was submitted in time.

It looks like a Carrik-Fletcher midfield, with Giggs, Ronaldo and Rooney the big names in attack. Who goes with them, considering Anderson, Nani, Park, Tevez and Saha won't, is probably gonna be Solskjaer. So

--------------------van der Sar------------
Neville-----Ferdinand-----Vidic-----Evra
---------------Carrick-----Fletcher---------
----Solskjaer-----Giggs-----Ronaldo-----
----------------------Rooney-----------------

Looks a possibility


Wait Ole and Neville are out too?

Nani has missed all the friendlies this week with an ankle injury. I can't see him starting. Anderson has only played 45mins of football since returning from Cope America and even that ended with him leaving the field with a thigh strain. I can't see him playing much, if at all. Hargreaves won't play. Neville and Solskjaer are injured yes.

Originally Posted by Jager

I'm sorry, but it seems certain fans brush games as unimportant, are not really thinking straight.

Being things what they are, this could mean millions of dollars in revenue for either club.

I gaurantee when the kickoff is on, the game will be taken very seriously by both clubs.

You do know that this game is a friendly? A lot of friendlies (especially ones played abroad) end with the winners getting a cup. Just cos it happens a week before the season and you get a trophy does not make it a serious game. I'm not making excuses and trying to devalue the shield (Man Utd have won it more times than anyone else), it just simply, IMHO doesn't have any value and isn't a game to take seriously.

Originally Posted by Mighty T.A.L.

Community Shield is not meaningless.You play for a throphy, money and honor.If there is any honor left in football...

I really don't think you get money for winning the Community Shield (at leas you shouldn't), its a friendly match for charity.

[Jager]

Originally Posted by russe||

You do know that this game is a friendly? A lot of friendlies (especially ones played abroad) end with the winners getting a cup. Just cos it happens a week before the season and you get a trophy does not make it a serious game. I'm not making excuses and trying to devalue the shield (Man Utd have won it more times than anyone else), it just simply, IMHO doesn't have any value and isn't a game to take seriously.

Things change. The dynamic that it is in the league was not present in years past, as the sport becomes more popular in the world, these simple friendlies take on more meaning.

Are they important as the important european trophies, absolutely not. But they are important for bragging rights and such.

And make no mistake, United will go into this to win.

[russe||]

Originally Posted by Jager

And make no mistake, United will go into this to win.

Of course, we go into every game trying to win. What you will see in this game though is both teams being more concerned with their players fitness than the match - slight knock = substituted, slight concern over an injury = you don't play.

[Jager]

Originally Posted by russe||

Of course, we go into every game trying to win. What you will see in this game though is both teams being more concerned with their players fitness than the match - slight knock = substituted, slight concern over an injury = you don't play.

For sure. However I wouldn't let that ruin for me or others.

Possibly for you diehard locals, this is nothing. But for fans across the globe, its sort of like the opening "bell" to the season.

Its great, and it here just in time to take the summer doldrums away.

The last number of years, the Supercoppa has been fought hard, and I see this being the same way.

[russe||]

Originally Posted by Jager

For sure. However I wouldn't let that ruin for me or others.

Possibly for you diehard locals, this is nothing. But for fans across the globe, its sort of like the opening "bell" to the season.

Its great, and it here just in time to take the summer doldrums away.

The last number of years, the Supercoppa has been fought hard, and I see this being the same way.

If it was going to give me a chance to see the new players in action then I'd be looking forward to it and yes it does (almost) signal the start of the season. However with our injuries we're unlikely to see much (if anything) of our new signings and we'll see, at best, a half strength United side take the field.

BTW there is also the Charity/Community Shield cure to think about, only one team in the last 10 years has won the league after winning the Charity/Community Shield - that despite it being contested by the previous season's Premier League and FA Cup winners.

[Sven]

Surley you would want to see to take advantage over Chelsea going in to season, be it friendly or not a win is a win.

[Olzy]

This is the probable team according to the Daily Mail yesterday

---------------VDS--------

Brown--Rio---Vidic---Evra

Eagles-Carrick-O'Shea-Ronaldo

----------Rooney-Giggs--

[unitedfan]

Chelsea: Cech, Johnson, A Cole, Ben Haim, Carvalho, Essien, Mikel, Lampard, J Cole, Malouda, Wright-Phillips.
Subs: Cudicini, Sidwell, Pizarro, Sinclair, Diarra, Worley, Hilario. Manchester United: Van der Sar, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Brown, Carrick, O'Shea, Silvestre, Ronaldo, Rooney, Giggs.
Subs: Kuszczak, Nani, Pique, Fletcher, Bardsley, Martin, Eagles.


Chelsea:

-------------------------Cech--------------------
Johnson----Ben Haim----Carvalho----Cole
----------Essien-----Mikel-----Lampard-----
--Wright-Phillips------Cole------Malouda--



Man United:

-------------------van der Sar------------------
--Brown----Ferdiand----Vidic----Silvestre--
Ronaldo-----Carrick-------O'Shea-------Evra
---------------Rooney----Giggs---------------