However, United are the only team
in the Premiership to have not
dropped a point to Stoke since their
arrival in the top division in 2008.
Whilst this is an admirable statistic
the irony starts to ooze from the
fact that whilst Stoke’s home record
was as equally admirable last year,
United’s away rewoicord was
notoriously not. Only five wins
were recorded on the road and one
of those was at the Brittania. The
statistics and odds all point at a
United win, surely?
As a blinkered and as one-eyed fan
as a pirate riding a racehorse
supporting Pirates United I do fancy
United to do a job. However, whilst
most of my predictions this season
(including the Chelsea and Arsenal
games) have seen me gamble on
two or more goal victories, I would
be delighted with a one goal victory
on Saturday.
The Brittania faithful will be
desperate to see Pulis’ men hit
United hard and stop them playing
the free-flowing football that has
seen them come out of the blocks
like Usain Bolt after visiting Ben
Johnson’s chemist. Their first target
is going to be the ever improving de
Gea. Expect to see plenty of shots at
him, long throws and high balls
which Crouch can attack and
threaten.
Apparently Rio Ferdinand is fit so he
could come back into the back four
alongside either Jones or Evans.
Smalling is 50-50 so we could see
the brilliantly reckless Fabio slot in at
right back. Expect to see Evra don
the captain’s armband in Vidic’s
absence.
The midfield is starting to take shape
and we can’t really look past Young
and Nani out wide and Anderson in
the middle. What was becoming
Cleverley’s place is up for grabs and
it’ll depend on if Ferguson prefers
Fletcher’s tenacity and spirit for
battle or Carrick’s cool head and
awareness of the simple pass.
Personally I think he’ll go for Carrick.
Up front, Rooney would almost
certainly have been a starter and his
partner would have come from one
of three – Owen (unlikely), Welbeck
(less likely), Hernandez (most likely).
However, rumours this morning
suggest that he has a slight groin
strain which could put him out for a
little while. This author does feel for
Michael Owen as, no matter how
many goals he scores, I don’t feel
he’ll ever get a good run of games.
The future is Hernandez, Welbeck
and Macheda and after Macheda’s
last outing at Elland Road I think it’ll
be a while before we see him in the
first team again. However, with
Rooney out, Ferguson may reward
Owen with a run out this evening.
Thinking about that game at Elland
Rod, I worry for the future of
Berbatov. I’m one of his biggest
fans and thought he had a half
decent game on Tuesday but his
lethargy and arrogance wasn’t
suited to a man desperate to get
back into the first team. Berba, in
my eyes, had to show more
urgency to warrat Ferguson playing
him over the enthusiastic triplet of
Owen, Hernandez and Welbeck.
In all, United will do well to win at
Stoke and I do have a cheeky pound
on them to win 5-1. The length of
the odds for such a result and my
luck suggest that they’ll do well to
get a draw or a narrow victory.
Many teams this year will come
away with much worse.
field is starting to take shape
and we can’t really look past Young
and Nani out wide and Anderson in
the middle. What was becoming
Cleverley’s place is up for grabs and
it’ll depend on if Ferguson prefers
Fletcher’s tenacity and spirit for
battle or Carrick’s cool head and
awareness of the simple pass.
Personally I think he’ll go for Carrick.
Up front, Rooney would almost
certainly have been a starter and his
partner would have come from one
of three – Owen (unlikely), Welbeck
(less likely), Hernandez (most likely).
However, rumours this morning
suggest that he has a slight groin
strain which could put him out for a
little while. This author does feel for
Michael Owen as, no matter how
many goals he scores, I don’t feel
he’ll ever get a good run of games.
The future is Hernandez, Welbeck
and Macheda and after Macheda’s
last outing at Elland Road I think it’ll
be a while before we see him in the
first team again. However, with
Rooney out, Ferguson may reward
Owen with a run out this evening.
Thinking about that game at Elland
Rod, I worry for the future of
Berbatov. I’m one of his biggest
fans and thought he had a half
decent game on Tuesday but his
lethargy and arrogance wasn’t
suited to a man desperate to get
back into the first team. Berba, in
my eyes, had to show more
urgency to warrat Ferguson playing
him over the enthusiastic triplet of
Owen, Hernandez and Welbeck.
In all, United will do well to win at
Stoke and I do have a cheeky pound
on them to win 5-1. The length of
the odds for such a result and my
luck suggest that they’ll do well to
get a draw or a narrow victory.
Many teams this year will come
away with much worse.
January 31, 2010, 03:47:49 PM