Dugout Discussion

Greenwood absent and Pogba benched as Solskjaer names surprise starting XI

The last of four Premier League matches to take place on Saturday sees Manchester United head north to face Newcastle United.

Kick-off at St James’ Park is at 20:00 BST.

We suspected there’d be changes to the visitors’ team following the 6-1 humiliation at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur a fortnight ago but not many of us would have anticipated Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s starting XI.

There are five changes to the line-up that started in north London, with the suspended Anthony Martial among the players dropping out.

Marcus Rashford moves up front in the Frenchman’s absence.

That tactical alteration was much-predicted but the omission of Mason Greenwood from the matchday squad was a curveball, while Solskjaer has also sprung a surprise by changing both of his holding midfielders.

Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic drop to the bench, with Scott McTominay and Fred coming into the side.

Victor Lindelof also ousts Eric Bailly at centre-half, with the hitherto peripheral Daniel James and Juan Mata given the nod to replace Martial and Greenwood.

New signing Alex Telles is only on the bench but the under-fire Harry Maguire has recovered from injury to line up in defence.

The hosts’ team news is much more straightforward.

Steve Bruce has made only one change from the team that originally lined up in the 3-1 win over Burnley, with Jamaal Lascelles replacing the injured Fabian Schar at centre-half.


Newcastle United XI: Darlow, Krafth, Fernandez, Lascelles, Lewis, Hayden, Shelvey, Hendrick, Saint-Maximin, Joelinton, Wilson.

Manchester United XI: de Gea, Wan-Bissaka, Lindelöf, Maguire, Shaw, McTominay, Fred, Mata, Bruno Fernandes, James, Rashford.

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1,065 Comments Post a Comment
  1. Meinhoff
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Wtf was De Gea doing there?

    1. Dynamic Duos
      • 10 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Being trash like normal

    2. Zimo
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Yeah it felt like ball was going in slow motion. He could have tried to move instead of being a statue. Took 3 seconds for the ball to go in. Guess he's too cool to try

  2. aborg
    • 6 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Thanks god I got rid of Shaw on a WC. He’s been a disaster !

    1. Ron_Swanson
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      I binned him for Chilwell TF!

      1. aborg
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Good choice. I’ve got Chilwell in too on the WC

      2. threeputt
        • 14 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        me too ! he should have been sent off v Spurs

  3. Joey Tribbiani
    • 3 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Man Utd never dissapoints 🙂

  4. Jebiga
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Is it safe to bring in Robbo tonight ?
    No chance that he will be additionaly charged about the painful foul on Allan ?

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      What? LOL. Pickford has more chance of going to jail for assault.

  5. have you seen cyan
    • 4 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    LOL that goal xD

    1. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Newcastle are the new Villa.

  6. FPL Blow-In
    • 11 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    With the defence issues united should look at going to a back 5 with wing backs. Cavani, Greenwood and defensive mids can come in when the game is against us.

    ———Hendo/De Gea———
    —AWB——Maguire——Shaw—
    Williams—————————Telles
    ————VDB——Pogba————
    ——————Bruno——————
    ———Rashford——Martial———

    1. Ginkapo FPL
      • 12 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Not making Hendo no.1 outright is harsh

    2. Ron_Swanson
      • 13 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Defence is dreadful though

      1. FPL Blow-In
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        At least Shaw and Awb have a bit of pace.

    3. Bushwhacker
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Has Maguire. Needs changing.

      1. FPL Blow-In
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Maguire could still be good with another CB that has pace.

    4. Tinkermania
      • 4 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Ole is not reading this.

  7. AnfieldLad
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Shaw first on my bench. Podence better play

  8. Ibralicious
    • 9 Years
    3 years, 5 months ago

    Still can't believe it. Newcastle not even celebrates after scoring against us. That's how shambolic we are now, ridiculous.

    1. KGFC
      • 7 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      It is true and very hurtful 🙁

    2. Ibralicious
      • 9 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Celebrating**

    3. Zimo
      • 5 Years
      3 years, 5 months ago

      Hopefully this makes ole get sacked quicker so Poch can come

  9. Party time
      3 years, 5 months ago

      The only thing good about English football is Manchester Utd 😆

      1. Ibralicious
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Simmer down Hakim, Dirty Frank's got you running around doing loads of nothing innit

        1. Party time
            3 years, 5 months ago

            Better to run around than to support man utd, ya know? 😉

      2. Botman and Robben
        • 7 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        The man U clown show begins. Too bad Newcastle fans cannot watch the circus live at their stadium.

      3. Fred54
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Hello Pochettino....

        1. Bushwhacker
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Would he do Woodward’s bidding? If not, no chance.

      4. have you seen cyan
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Some people had Shaw at the start didnt they? Anyone still got him?

        1. Botman and Robben
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Even Shaw does not have himself in his FPL team.

        2. Bram
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 14 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Not even his mum.

      5. Don Kloppeone
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        I went for Pulisic over Rodriguez in the end on WC. Puli's heat map was all over the place today. His assist the assister was frustrating! Hoping it’s just that he’s not back to his best yet but it typically coincides with Werner and Havertz finally hitting form!

        Hopefully my choice won’t haunt me too much!

        1. Bushwhacker
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          With all the Chelsea firepower he will for sure.

          1. Don Kloppeone
            • 6 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            He will what? Do well?

      6. potatoace
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 12 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Talksport commentator:
        ".and Steve Bruce's tactic pay off in the first 2 mins"

        What? Pass it to Shaw?

        1. Nomar
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 14 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Sounds like a good tactic to me.

          1. potatoace
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 12 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            Paid off in the first 2 mins 🙂

            1. Nomar
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 14 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Should keep doing it, may reap further to rewards.....

      7. skodaole2
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Having 2.6 itb and this team would you do tonight Reece James -> Robbo for free to catch prise rise of Rob and price fall of James?

        Martinez (McCarthy)
        Castagne Dier Reece J. (Targett Justin)
        Son Salah James R. Pereira (Reed)
        Kane Jimenez Mitrovic

        1. Jebiga
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Same thinking, and i will probably do that even if its soooooo risky because games will be played every 3 days next 2-3 weeks

      8. Do I Not Like Orange
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 11 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Greenwood gonna be fantastic value under Poch.

      9. abhirup780
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        What a time to be a ManU fan!

      10. Hazz
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 6 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Crazy how United have gone from -the- form team to the complete opposite. Their squad is exactly the same.

        1. Crouching Tiger
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Indeed. Unbelievable stuff.

        2. diesel001
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Tactics make a difference.

        3. Top Lad Dakes.
          • 7 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Right? Towards the end of last season everyone had Rashford Martial Pogba

        4. Bushwhacker
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Same team that jammed through a bunch of games last season while Leicester and Chelsea fell to pieces. Sometimes its better to be lucky than good ; but for Ole that has to run out.

        5. Baps hunter
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 6 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Yes, remember many planning to get them in for gw1 🙁 (yes, including me)

        6. Piggs Boson
          • 12 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          As I was saying in pre-season, their underlying data during that period was not good. They were just finishing very clinically, especially Greenwood and Martial. We saw it catch up with them in the last few games as they started to struggle.

          I had pretty low expectations going into this season.

          1. Goonsquad245
            • 7 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            You were one of the only ones. All I heard pre season was Greenwood martial and Bruno 200-250+ players.

            1. Nomar
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 14 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              This

            2. Piggs Boson
              • 12 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              Yeah, haven't owned a United player yet, though was weighing up someone for GW2 until I saw Palace play well against Saints.

              Their defensive stats were actually pretty decent, weirdly enough. Not sure what's happened there...

              But going forwards they were barely creating. Overperforming in terms of goals scored.

        7. Peteex
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Last Time I have seen ManUtd in form there was Greenwood, Pogba, Martial etc. in ManU starting 11

      11. Ron_Swanson
        • 13 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Anyone else got Brewster coming on for Mason? Must be a few

      12. Right In The Stanchion
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Please don’t leave Ole. Too much comedy for the rest of us.

        1. Bram
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 14 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Bring back Moyes - I enjoyed his time at Old Trafford immensely.

      13. have you seen cyan
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Man U just isnt a big club anymore, they are Leicester level at best

        1. Ron_Swanson
          • 13 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Manchester now Tier 3 apparently

          1. Nomar
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 14 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            Not if Andy Burnham can help it.

          2. Ibralicious
            • 9 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            Still the biggest club in the world, but being run like Blackburn Rovers (though I think even they beat us in this transfer window)

        2. FPL Blow-In
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          That’s generous

      14. rnrd
        • 9 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Why united have bought van de beek for benching him while the guy has shown class every single time he played in just impossible to understand

        1. skodaole2
          • 11 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Exactly my thinking, I think its obvious with OGS there he wont get the chances he should. Its ridiculous to lose 6-1, playing without Martial and your change in the team is Mata

      15. Tinkermania
        • 4 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Don't speak too soon. This is Penchester UTD

      16. Vazza
        • 3 Years
        3 years, 5 months ago

        Poll question

        Which Man U player is going to get sent off first?

        1. Tinkermania
          • 4 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Maguire!

        2. Dynamic Duos
          • 10 Years
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Maguire

      17. Party time
          3 years, 5 months ago

          Werner will haul again next gw. Maybe it’s time to bring him in

          1. Peteex
            • 11 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            Ok, If you say so Hakim

            1. Party time
                3 years, 5 months ago

                Just get me & captain 😉 I will rip this shambolic defence apart

          2. Dynamic Duos
            • 10 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            Does Shaw like burgers and cake more than Utd and football?

          3. Dacra
            • 9 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            Defence is a waste of time.

          4. Chewibb
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 5 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            OGS (Own Goal Shaw) might spell the end for OGS

          5. dunas_dog
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 8 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            Why did Man U buy Van De Beek? He must be regretting coming.

          6. threeputt
            • 14 Years
            3 years, 5 months ago

            So how many actually went Box Office purchase of this game ?

            1. Nomar
              • Fantasy Football Scout Member
              • 14 Years
              3 years, 5 months ago

              You can get it on Twitter, in Arabic.