*** 2014/15 Pre-season Friendly Thread ***

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Roma team:

Skorupski, Romangnoli, Benatia, Emanuelson, Calabresi, Ucan, Paredes, Florenzi, Keita, Iturbe, Destro​

Benatia, no goals for us then. :p
 
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Would you be against Cleverley as a squad option? So say you want Strootman/Vidal/Di Maria/whoever to be in the middle with Herrera/Carrick/Mata/etc... with a combination of those lot being the main midfielders, then Cleverley as a rotation/backup guy? Essentially so you don't have to rely on him much, and that lack of pressure may mean he can develop/fulfil the potential a number of coaches have seen in him.

I've no issue with Cleverley as a squad option, personally, I think if he's confident and is playing in a confident team he'd do quite well. I don't think he'll become a world beater but he could certainly become good.

I think everyone should get a chance under LvG. I'm just watching the press conference now (Cleverley is with him) and he's asking the press to direct questions to Cleverley so it seems he's trying to put a lot of faith in him - as evidenced by making him the captain. He keeps patting him on the back as well. :D

Cleverly captain ahead of Rooney? I know its a friendly but surely Rooney would be higher in the pecking order.

I'm sure he is, but LvG is likely just trying to make Cleverley the centre of tonight's game to see if he can actually perform with some confidence, or similar.
 
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laughs 2-0 (not sure its deserved given dodgy Utd defence but will take it happily)

All Roma have been doing is chipping it over the top to Destro, and bar a couple of dodgy moments we've looked relatively solid.

Rooney is looking great though.

Reece James looks a very good left back...
 
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Isnt that exactly what Rooney did to Mata for the 2nd goal?

The quality of the opposition has certainly gone up from the other night, but just not sure how good Roma are in comparison to Stoke etc let alone Everton, Spurs , Arsenal

Rooney's ball was a beast though, not your typical chipped offside trap pass.

I think Roma are pretty good... not a full strength team but then neither is ours.
 
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hmmm thought the starting XI was weak - this XI could infact be weaker lol

Amos, M. Keane, Smalling, Shaw, Lingard, Kagawa, Nani, Young and W. Keane

Not sure who has stayed on apart from Cleverly

Cleverley and Blackett are both playing the full 90.

If this game hasn't shown what a passenger Cleverley is (in any game) then I don't know what will.

Will Keane did well to outmuscle Benatia then!
 
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Cleverley - garbage.
Nani - garbage.
Young - meh.
Kagawa - might as well keep him, handy player in a couple of positions.
Hernandez - can't really see where he'll fit in, Welbeck offers more overall.

The young players, Lingard, the defenders, etc, all look quite promising. Much rather see them getting chances, and we sign an experienced defender and better midfielder to further balance the squad, and so on.

Smalling has done really well in the second half.

Roma have had some decent players out there and they've not really had a sniff in the second half (yet). Lob aside, obviously.
 
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It's gone well really, highlighted obvious flaws, but we still got the win and played quite well overall, all things considered.

Both their goals were far more luck based than ours, too. :p
 
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Man Utd vs Inter

Lindegaard; Smalling, Jones, Evans; Valencia, Fletcher, Herrera, Young; Mata; Rooney, Welbeck

Handanovic; Ranocchia, Vidic, Juan Jesus; D'Ambrosio, Jonathan, Kuzmanovic, Krhin, Dodò; Botta, Icardi
 
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