West Brom Vs. Man Utd (SS2 - 12.45)

MagicMarker · 01-01-2011 11:16am #1

Manchester United will hope a visit to a happy hunting ground will kick-start their away form as the Premier League leaders start 2011 with a trip to West Bromwich Albion.

Though United remain the only unbeaten team in England this season, the club's away form belies their position at the head of the standings after seven draws from eight games on the road.

Lee Bowyer's contentious late equaliser denied United three points at Birmingham City on Tuesday and Sir Alex Ferguson's squad return to the Midlands to face the only side to have taken points from a trip to Old Trafford this season.

West Brom came from two goals down to draw 2-2 in the reverse fixture back in October, although the result was in large part to a horrendous howler from United's veteran goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.

The Baggies have been inconsistent since that meeting and are currently on a run of three successive defeats in the Premier League.

The club have also lost all four home Premier League encounters with United and Roberto Di Matteo has a host of defensive issues for Saturday's lunchtime game.

Team news

Gabriel Tamas is suspended after being sent off in Tuesday's 3-1 home defeat by Blackburn Rovers, while Gonzalo Jara is also banned after collecting his fifth booking of the season in the same game.

Jonas Olsson continues to be sidelined by an Achilles injury and Paul Scharner is a concern after missing training on Thursday due to illness.

Steven Reid looks likely to replace Jara at right-back, and Pablo Ibanez should come in at centre-half, while Gianni Zuiverloon has been recalled from his loan spell at Ipswich Town.
One boost for Di Matteo, though, is the return of influential winger Chris Brunt after he served a suspension against Blackburn.

United boss Ferguson must decide whether to freshen up his team after making just one change for the Birmingham draw on the back of the Boxing Day success over Sunderland.

Nani wait

That alteration was enforced as well, with Park Ji-sung replaced by Darron Gibson after the South Korean headed off on Asian Cup duty.

The key difference, though, at St Andrews compared to the comfortable win over Sunderland was that Ferguson deployed Wayne Rooney in a wide position rather than as a foil to Dimitar Berbatov.
The Premier League's top scorer Berbatov produced another crisp finish against Birmingham and he has scored eight of United's last 11 goals.

Paul Scholes and John O'Shea are again unlikely to be involved for United, while Darren Fletcher could come back into the side after appearing as a substitute against Birmingham.

Ferguson will also hope that Nani, who has missed the last two games with a hip injury, is available to provide the width in United's midfield.

Possible starting XIs:

West Brom: Carson, Reid, Ibanez, Scharner, Shorey, Thomas, Morrison, Tchoyi, Mulumbu, Brunt, Odemwingie.

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Nani, Fletcher, Anderson, Giggs, Rooney, Berbatov.

I'm going to go with 0-3. Rooney hatrick

MagicMarker · 01-01-2011 11:47am

Jesus, slow day.

That_Guy · 01-01-2011 11:48am

MagicMarker wrote: »

Jesus, slow day.

*flings empty whiskey bottle at thread*

Trying to sleep.

JerryHandbag · 01-01-2011 12:01pm

Van Der Sar has flu! Tommy Cusack in goal.

KevIRL · 01-01-2011 12:06pm

neville, smalling, vidic, evra, fletch, carrick, anderson, obertan, rooney, berba

smokedeels · 01-01-2011 12:07pm

United Starting Line-Up

Kuszczak

Neville
Smalling
Vidic
Evra

Fletcher
Carrick
Anderson
Obertan

Rooney
Berbatov

SUBS: Amos, Fabio, J Evans, Gibson, Bebe, Owen, Hernandez.

I don't know the formation, unless Anderson/Fletcher play on the wing, it looks like a 4-5-1.

Fair play to Neville making his 400th appearance, but I'd feel more secure with Raf at RB, don't see the need to rest a 19 year old. Happy/curious to see Obretan and Smalling start.