There have been too many fixtures this season so far that have showed the Villa defence as not resilient enough to 'shut up shop'. The defensive style of football will not work against most teams, let alone a team of Man Utd's calibre.
What Villa do have, in abundance, is pace and counter attacking aggression (if it is used properly). It might be a good idea to try Gabby and Bent down the middle, with Albrighton and N'Zogbia on the wings.
As a Villa supporter I have a concern that McLeish will set up to attempt to soak up the Man Utd attack, and we will get a pasting. It has happened before, and the announced formation will give a good impression of how the game will pan out.
There are no doubts that Villa have the resources to get amougst any team, and this game would be a good idea for McLeish to realise that. His cautious approach will not keep United at bay, so if we are going to lose we might as well lose whilst having a good go at them. It is possible that if they score four, Villa could score five.
It might be unlikely, but it would be refreshing to see the Villa team go all-out attack from the kick off and get a decent result from it. It would make for a more entertaining game, and the change of tactic could be sufficient to convince McLeish of Villa's attacking prowess.
If Ashley Young does happen to play, it would be unfair to boo him. Indeed he did move to Man Utd, but he gave a lot of effort for Villa and he conducted himself well during the transfer. But, if Villa fans want to boo him I will respect and defend their right to do so!
(Follow me on Twitter @MattLeCameron)