New season, same old Man Utd? It’s hard to envisage Erik ten Hag picking a vastly different team to the one that ignored Ralf Rangnick. It’ll be a familiar-looking Arsenal side too, but for rather more positive reasons.
In no particular order, here’s how we reckon the Big Six will line up this weekend…
Liverpool – versus Fulham (A)
Pretty straightforward for Jurgen Klopp. Diogo Jota was fit to scribble on his new contract but a hamstring injury keeps him out of the opening run on of games, so Liverpool’s new-look front three will get its first airing in the Premier League. Alisson will be fit, apparently, taking his place from Adrian, who just about managed to get through the Community Shield without doing something inexplicable.
One player who might feel a little hard done by is new boy Fabio Carvalho, especially since the Reds are facing his former team after an impressive pre-season campaign. No doubt Klopp will give him some minutes from the bench.
Alisson
Alexander-Arnold Konate Van Dijk Robertson
Henderson Fabinho Thiago
Salah Nunez Diaz
Manchester United – versus Brighton (H)
It’s rather more tricky for Erik ten Hag. United are hosting Brighton at home and though the new manager would doubtless love to put on a show, he has to balance that with the fact that Brighton have demonstrated that they can play this United off the park. Perhaps it isn’t the time to bed in new signings.
We suspect Ten Hag will resist the temptation to play Christian Eriksen from the start, meaning McFred breathes again. When Eriksen is needed – he almost certainly will be – we’ll probably see him off the bench.
The front three picks itself though there are bigger questions over the defence. Lisandro Martinez will be a huge player for Ten Hag – is he ready to come straight in at the expense of Harry Maguire or Raphael Varane? He should be, but we have a feeling Ten Hag will pick a very familiar – a far-too-familiar – XI, with perhaps Tyrell Malacia the only new signing on show. And even he might miss out…
De Gea
Dalot Varane Maguire Malacia
McTominay Fred
Sancho Fernandes Rashford
Martial
Manchester United need Ten Hag to roll successive double-sixes for them this season
Manchester City – versus West Ham (A)
Pep Guardiola is a funny so-and-so to second guess. And City’s preparations for the new season add an extra layer of…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Football365…