Hello and welcome to Villarreal v Manchester United!

My experience is that this account is reliable in terms of United information.

Course you are sweetheart.

Scholes then notes that if United can't get a shift out of their wide attackers, which they haven't this season. they're n trouble - and does anyone expect that from Martial?

Back on BT, Ferdinand is now taking United's defenders apart - in particular, the lack of communication between Lindelof and Maguire. We see Watford's first goal, in which Lindelof is yards ahead of the front post, and Ferdinand notes that he'd never be that far from it, but that Maguire should be hauling him back. He says he did a lot of shouting and sometimes it wouldn't be helpful information, but the sound and volume of his voice would switch people on.

Carrick, wearing a v-neck under his blazer - dearie me - tells BT this is a fresh start, just as every game is. Asked what he wants to change, he says the result, and that he's got as gameplan to stick to, he trusts the players and wants them to go out there and deliver. Sometimes you can do too much talking, the next game is the biggest one, and other assorted cliches. Asked about Bruno, he doesn't say anything good, just that Van de Beek is a great player, he's got five subs, and the bench is important. Asked again, he notes that none of the players have been at their best, he loves Bruno as a player and a person, he ran himself into the ground at Watford, and he's there to make decisions. I'd like him to have been pressed for detail there, because I don't think we're any the wiser - which is how Carrick wanted it.

On my Twitter, people are telling me that Bruno is exhausted, a fair point. But I'd not be leaving him out of this one, because if United go out of this competition, their season is over at the highest level.

What Martial does give United is an out-ball, if he's in the mood - a big if. But if he is, he holds the ball up better than any of United's other forwards, which might be helpful.

Back to that United team, the players who really deserve dropping are defenders. Luke Shaw is concussed from the weekend [insert joke here], so Alex Telles gets a go; Diogo Dalot has been too poor to get Aaron Wan-Bissaka's spot; and Harry Maguire, who knows. He's suspended for the weekend too, but I guess Carrick is too mistrustful of Eric Bailly.

In a very open La Liga, Villarreal are a miserable 12th. Butdon't be deceived: their top level is a good level, and their pass and move style is extremely effective against the United's traffic cones.

As for Villarreal, they seem to playing a 4-4-2 tonight - at Old Trafford, they went 4-3-3. They're missing Gerard Moreno, their most reliable scorer, but Arnaud Danjuma, the best player on the pitch at OT, is up front - though he didn't play at the weekend, injured. Paco Alcacer is also out, but Etienne Capoue and Juan Foyth make it.

On BT, Paul Scholes is taking no prisoners, saying that he's mates with Carrick, but him and McKenna were tasked with coaching the team - Solskjaer was a manager - so he's no idea while they're still at the club and how they can feel comfortable enough to do it. Rio Ferdinand is more practical, saying he gets it, but football is cut-throat and he might never get the chance to manage United again, so what can you do.

I don't know, Martial is the last player I'd trust in a game like this, and I'm also not sure about the combinations - United now have very little pace in behind. I'd have played Van de Beek too, but I'd have played Bruno with him and, along with Sancho, used them to try and out-football Villarreal. I'm not certain what the attacking plan will be here.

So a bloke who might only be in charge for a week, drops the two best players in the team over the last two years, for the most important game of the season.That sounds nuts to me, even if Bruno Fernandes has been poor recently - he's also created more chances than any other player in the Premier League - and Marcus Rashford is coming back form injury. Fernandes is replaced by Van de Beek, who was excellent in the second half against Watford, while Rashford's place goes to Martial, who was excellent the season before last.

Teams...

and we didn't even mention that United have just sacked their manager - on which point, Michael Carrick, the caretaker before the caretaker, hasn't mucked about with the team he's named...

This is an absolutely monstrous game. A win for either side takes them through; a draw would probably leave both wanting a win in their final group game, which for Villarreal is Atalanta away and for United is Young Boys home, which is to say the former would be concerned and the latter relieved; a defeat for Villarreal and they'd still probably need to win that last game, while a 1-0 or two-goal defeat for United and they'd need to hope Atalanta didn't win their last two, but otherwise a win in their last one would be alright. Got it?