Trying to call this is a bit like a game I used to play with my kids, poker dice, where you roll five dice and it is completely random what you end up with.
This is the first time I have so little idea of what to expect from both sides that I actually think I need to make two predictions, rather than one.
I can guarantee you this, though. Whatever result I go for, it will end up being the opposite of what actually happens.
Tottenham demolished Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford in September but that does not really have any bearing here.
Spurs are getting players back from injury and Timo Werner, James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario are among those training again, but how fit are they going to be for this game?
Ange Postecoglou says his players are out on their feet and we could see that in their FA Cup defeat at Aston Villa, so a lot depends on how much they have left in the tank.
As for Manchester United, well I’ve been reading reports this week that some of their players are unhappy with Ruben Amorim’s style of play.
There is lots going on off the pitch too, with stories that more redundancies are planned at the club, following controversy over a rise in ticket prices., external
Who would have thought when Ineos completed their deal to take a stake in United 12 months ago that, within a year, they could possibly be as unpopular with fans as co-owners the Glazers are.
In regards to Amorim, I just think he needs time. He arrived in mid-season, he has his way of playing and United will have to give him the players who fit that system, so it might take a window or two before we see him with the team he wants.
There needs to be patience there, but we also know football fans are impatient. They want to see some improvement in the short-term, and it is hard to argue they have made any progress since Amorim took charge.
I still have a sneaky feeling they might edge this game but I cannot really tell you what I am basing that on.
This is a big game for Ange too, now his side are out of both domestic cups, but I am going with United, just.
Sutton’s prediction: 1-2 or 4-0 [only 1-2 will count as Chris’s score]
Dan’s prediction: These two are both having a shocker – it looks like the league table is upside down when you see them down in 13th and 14th, and hopefully we will be above both of them by the time this game is played. They both need a win pretty badly, so I can see this being a draw. 2-2
Leave a Reply