REAL MADRID-JUVENTUS PREVIEW

REAL MADRID-JUVENTUS PREVIEW….LOS MERENGUES LOOK SET TO QUALIFY FOR THE KNOCKOUT ROUNDS WITH THREE GAMES TO SPARE

Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid continue the club’s pursuit of La Decima tonight at the Santiago Bernabeu. An ambition that has grown taller since Vicente Del Bosque led the whites to Title no 9 eleven years ago. Since then, it had been difficult to even reach the quarter-finals until a certain Portuguese master came along and took them to three straight semi-final appearances, only to be stopped by Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund-all Bs and former European Champions. The club is saddled with the burden of delivering a record 10^th European cup and fans have waited so long for this to happen. No less than ten managers have tried since the departure of VDB. None has even reached the Championship match.

In Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid possess one of the best managers in the history of the game. He has won the Champions League as a player and a manager and also reached the final-All with Silvio Berlusconi’s AC MILAN. Last time out, his PSG team gave a good account of themselves in the competition…only exiting on away goals to almighty Barcelona who later collected a spanking from eventual winners, Bayern Munich. The Italian has done well since he started work at the Capital and bar a painful defeat at home to Atletico, his team have given a good account of themselves. Some might point out to matches v Elche, Levante and others also. The 32 time La liga Champions sit third in the League three points behind leaders, Barcelona and one behind 2^nd placed Atletico Madrid.

Tonight’s visitors are Antonio Conte’s Juventus. The Old Lady of Italian football got stung by Beppe Rossi on Sunday at the Artenio Franchi in Florence. The former Villareal marksman scored the first hat-trick of his tupsy turvy career v the defending Serie A Champions in a match they had no right to win after going two goals down. Another Spaniard, Joaquin Sanchez added a well taken goal to further dent the Turin giants pride. The Italians were beaten by Real in the Champions League final fifteen years ago and matches between them have been exciting and keenly contested. Former Captain, Alex Del Piero had one of the finest nights of his Legendary career here at the Bernabeu..so there’s no reason why Carlos Tevez cannot do the same with the same iconic NO 10 jersey.

Juventus have only two points from two games played and face elimination if they don’t at least take three points from the double header v Los Blancos. Roberto Mancini’s Gala have Copenhagen to play over two legs and if they win both, trouble looms for the Bianconeri. Paul Pogba has been bullish in the build-up to this game. Confidence is sky high in the Italians camp that they can spring a surprise or two in Spain and finish the job off in Italy. This is by far Conte’s toughest test as manager of the Turin based outfit.

Los Merengues saw off Schuster’s Malaga at the weekend despite Willy Caballero’s heroics but it is the drop in form of Isco that is a source of concern to Carlo and Zizou. The ex-Malaga playmaker had everyone on their feet at the beginning of the season. Now, he seems to have lost that spark. No better time to regain it than tonight. While Isco Alarcon has been dwindling, Angel Di Maria has been soaring. The Argentine wing wizard is now an ever present in Ancelotti’s starting eleven. His performance v the Danes in Matchday two is one of the best individual displays ever witnessed in the Champions League. The peak of the show was his amazing rabona assist for Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2^nd goal that night. His place is secure even with the return of Bale. The whites go into today’s encounter knowing they can seal qualification with a win and results go their way in the other match. It will be something great as there are three more matchdays to play.

PREDICTED LINEUPS-

REAL MADRID-

Iker, Arbeloa, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo, ILLARRA, SAMI K, ISCO, CR7, BENZEMA, DI MARIA

JUVENTUS-

Buffon, Padoin, Chiellini, Bonucci, Barzagli, Vidal, Pirlo, Pogba, Tevez, Marchisio, Llorente

San Iker is set to replace Diego Lopez between the sticks tonight with Varane set to come in for Pepe. Ancelotti will know more than to under estimate his former employers. The midfield should be fine against the likes of Pirlo and Arturo Vidal who was left out of the starting eleven at Fiorentina for arriving late from international duty. The Chilean should be re-instated into the starting line-up. Upfront, the Tevez-Llorente partnership is showing signs of cliquing. Conte can change either of them (The latter most likely) for the diminutive Giovinco otherwise known as the ‘Atomic ant’.

Ohireime P Eboreime

TWITTER-ohiskaka1990                               

MANCHESTER UNITED-REAL SOCIEDAD PREVIEW

                                                          

            

    

  

MANCHESTER UNITED- REAL SOCIEDAD PREVIEW…TIME FOR REDEMPTION FOR BOTH SIDES. PRIDE AT STAKE

David Moyes seems to have run out of ideas. In actual fact, majority of Manchester United fans are perplexed by what they are witnessing this season. The red army lie in a distant 8^th position in the League- 8 hefty points behind early front runners, Arsenal and what’s more painful is that the managers substitutions have been borderline idiotic and clueless. The new man at the helm lacks the tactical know how to change a game as recent results have shown. If not for Adnan Januzaj, maybe relegation would have been the case with eight matches already played.

On Saturday, with United leading 1-0 and aiming to put the game beyond the reach of Le Sheriff’s Saints, Moyes pulled off one of the most shocking decisions the OT faithful have ever witnessed- Taking out the tired and under performing Wayne Rooney for Smalling, when Kagawa and Chicharito were waiting to be called upon. The puzzling part of the whole bewildering drama is that neither Wazza nor RVP performed well and he couldn’t muster the courage to take out one or both of them. It was terrible. Now any team coming to the Theatre is confident of at least leaving with a point. A far cry from the Fergie days. Although the great man experienced some difficulties in his first five years as manager of the 13-time EPL Champions.

The Champions League has represented a brief relief from the blunders of domestic action. Tonight, Carlos Vela’s Real Sociedad visit Manchester with the hope that they can spring yet another surprise. Very likely that they can. It was another Basque side that destroyed the red devils in the Europa League last year. Marcelo Bielsa’s Bilbao came, saw and ruthlessly demolished SAF’s men with what Moyes has called one of the most outstanding away performances he has ever seen. Iker Muniain, Ander Herrera and company tore their hosts a new one and went on to complete the demolition job at San Mames.

But things are a bit different now. That was the Europa League and the opponents were high on confidence. Today’s match up pitches two struggling teams against each other with one’s fortunes slightly better than the other’s. Manchester United might have demons to bury in the League, but in Europe, they jointly sit atop their group alongside Mircea Lucescu’s Shakhtar on four points from two games played. Victory today for them might spell the end of any hopes the Anoeta side have of progressing from the group.

Since putting Lyon to the sword in the playoffs, Sociedad have fallen apart, only claiming one victory at the Mestalla. Shakhtar dismantled them in game one and Leverkusen saw off their resistance last time out in Germany. Coming to Old Trafford now might be the best thing for them as they can capitalize on the poor form of their opponents tonight.

Sir Alex Ferguson chose to launch his book on the eve of a very important match for a team he managed for 27 years, revealing some very astonishing details of his reign which has not gone down well with some of his soldiers. It seems the great Scot can have everything his way. The timing is not perfect, but what has happened has indeed happened. Focus is key for members of the current squad, including the beleaguered Wayne Rooney who expected to be lambasted by his former boss. He might charge him for libel. Who knows? Patrice Evra has also been in the news all week after he tongue lashed Les Blues Legends, Bixente Lizarazu and Luis Fernandez for constant criticisms of him. He went further to drop the bombshell that he is bidding farewell to his beloved club of the last seven years, at the end of the season. Good luck Monsieur

PROBABLE LINEUPS-

MANCHESTER UNITED-

DDG, Rafael, Jones, Evans, Evra, Carrick, Fellaini, TonyV, Kagawa/Januzaj, Rooney, RVP

REAL SOCIEDAD-

Bravo, C.Martinez, Gonzalez, I.Martinez, De la Bella, M.Pardo, Bergara, Prieto, Griezmann, Vela, Seferovic

For Manchester United, it is likely that Adnan Januzaj will play a part once again, After his jaw dropping displays in recent weeks, the club had no other option but to include him in the Champions League squad after previous omitting his name for what they termed as tactical reasons. All bullshit. Antonio Valencia should find a place in the Starting eleven after impressing in the first two games. Roo and Robin should partner in attack once again and the imposing Fellaini who has done nothing since his arrival, is set to fill one of the central midfield spots. Of course we know one name is ever present in United’s midfield. Rio and Vidic are major doubts for the game. Cleverley and Welbeck have a chance to feature.

The Basque club haven’t fared since dismantling Lyon in the qualification round and new manager, Jagoba Arrasate who was Montanier’s assistant last season, has found his predecessor’s boots too big to fill. A morale boosting win at the Mestalla should restore the confidence within the set-up. More pleasing for the Spanish club is the return to fitness of Captain, Xabi Prieto. Frenchman, Antoine Griezmann has opined that they are not in Manchester for sightseeing and Carlos Vela who credits RVP for his growth and development, has become a key player for the club. His goals last season played a huge part in qualification for this elite competition. They are without Esteban Granero (long term knee injury) and ILLARRA has since gone to Real Madrid.

Ohireime P Eboreime

Twittter-ohiskaka1990

SUNDERLAND-MANCHESTER UNITED PREVIEW

                      

                          

Who would have thought that going into the 7^th week of the season, Manchester United would lie a distant 12^th? Eight points behind Leaders, Arsenal-another huge shock. Even Hull City is placed ahead of the defending champions of the EPL and it is a worrying sight for the fans. Unbelievable development. Going into this evening’s game at the Stadium of Light, David Moyes is looking for redemption as his boys have let him down in no small measure. Three defeats from six games represents Manchester United’s worst League start in about two and a half decades. Life after Ferguson has been tortuous. Anything short of victory today will raise more questions about the choice of David Moyes.

Before the trip to the Etihad, stats came out that Moyes has a very good record over there WITH EVERTON. Well, we all know how it turned out afterwards. Another of such information has surfaced again that Moyes has lost just one of sixteen matches v the black cats. Then again, that was with the blue half of Merseyside. His new job hasn’t gone as planned and a 1-1 draw at the Dombass Arena was seen as a very good result by a lot of people. That is not and will never be the Manchester United way. The last time the red devils suffered three straight defeats in the League was twelve years ago and the last time the team had seven points after the first six games, they went on to finish the season in 13^th position and that was before Ryan Giggs made his debut.

The Manchester outfit are sweating over the fitness of Wayne Rooney who picked up his 4^th injury this season prior to the European fixture in midweek. A knock to his shin meant he was unavailable for selection in Ukraine. He should be fit to run out at the Stadium of Light. That might mean Danny Welbeck dropping out of the starting eleven, except he will be deployed to the wings in a 4-3-3 set-up. Robin Van Persie is expected to start his first premier League game since the Palace win and he has a good record, haven never lost to the team from Wearside in League play.

Caretaker Kevin Ball could do with a victory to further stake a claim to the permanent position at the club he has served for the better part of his football life. If Steve Clarke and West Brom could break a 35 year hoodoo last weekend, Sunderland can follow a similar path and there’s no better time to do it. Striker Fabio Borini is fit and eligible after sitting out last Sunday’s loss to his parent club, Liverpool. Steven Fletcher is close to returning for the Black Cats but this match comes too soon.

Sunderland were unlucky to be the hosts for the return of the Gunslinger last time out. Luis Suarez struck a brace to condemn the Wearsiders to yet another defeat. The 10 game ban did little to derail the Uruguayan and he continued from where he left off last season. Liverpool fans will hope he has truly repented of his many sins and turned a new leaf. For David Moyes, he knows there’s no margin for error yet again. Another defeat will send more than a million tongues wagging. As Ryan Giggs said a few days ago, things have to be put right.

PROBABLE LINEUPS-

SUNDERLAND-

Westwood, Gardner, O’Shea, Cuellar, Colback, Larsson, Ki, Cattermole, Giaccherini, Johnson, ALTIDORE

MANCHESTER UNITED-

DDG, Rafa, Vidic, Evans, Evra, Carrick, Fellaini, Kagawa/Nani, Valencia, Roo/Welbeck, RVP

Wayne Rooney is still a doubt for this encounter and Shinji Kagawa hasn’t proved himself worthy of a consistent run in the side after some lacklustre performances. The introduction of Adnan Januzaj for the Japanese playmaker last weekend should serve as a wake-up call. Luis Nani did himself no harm with his good performance which ultimately counted for nothing. Nonetheless, he should get a run out today-either as a starter or a sub.

Former MUFC player, John O’Shea faces the club he served for ten years today. Another former red, Wes Brown misses out through injury. Something that has sadly been synonymous with his very promising career. Ties and relationships will be put to one side, at least for 90 minutes.

Ohireime P Eboreime

TWITTER-@ohiskaka1990

EL DERBI MADRILENO.......EL CHOLO TAKING HIS TROOPS TO THE BERNABEU WITH CONFIDENCE

…ATLETICO IN THE MOOD FOR YET ANOTHER VICTORY…REAL WELCOME THE CHALLENGE

Diego Cholo Simeone has revived Los Colchoneros since he took over as manager. Three trophies in the last two years lay claim to the fact that he has done miracles with a team left deep in relegation waters by his predecessor. This season has been even more fantastic. The sale of talisman, Radamel Falcao to Monaco has done little to their lofty ambitions. David Villa was brought in to replace the Colombian, but it is the Brazilian-Spanish Diego Costa that has impressed the most, continuing from where he left off last season. The prolific hardworker leads the La liga scorers chart this term with 7 goals (tied with Lionel Messi). One ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo. Turkish wing wizard, Arda Turan has put pen to paper on a contract extension and the likes of Raul Garcia, Mario Suarez, Tiago, Koke, Gabi, Diego Godin, Miranda and Thibaut Courtois have weighed in with their immense contributions so far. Not forgetting Filipe Luis, Juan Fran and others.

It is 14 whole years since Atletico last won any league match against their City rivals and more illustrious competitors. Not since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s brace at the Bernabeu have Los Rojiblancos managed a victory v Real Madrid until last season’s Copa Del Rey Final win which ended almost a decade and a half of pure agony. There ids no better time to add to that triumph as we all know who the in-form team is with Madrid stuttering in midweek and Atletico coasting all season.

Real Madrid only managed to secure all three points at Elche courtesy of some comedy refereeing by Cesar Muniz Fernandez who is no stranger to controversy. Gerard Pique opined that it was like a scene from the movies when a penalty was awarded to Los Merengues. Only the official saw that Sergio Sanchez wrestled Pepe to the ground when indeed they were both tugging at each other’s shirt. But Pique has no right to criticize a decision made by Muniz Fernandez. He was the man at the center when BARCELONA stole victory at the death v Sevilla and the Andalusians had a legitimate goal chalked off for handball. Arbeloa has since replied his national teammate’s trash talk.

The nine time European Champions must be at their very best to think of defeating a team high on confidence this evening at the Santiago Bernabeu which has been a fortress for a long time. But Atletico Madrid have shown that they can win there and they are no push overs. They fought Barcelona home and away in the Supercoppa meetings and only lost because they let Neymar score a tame header at the Calderon. Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino admitted that the matches were evenly contested. A winner had to emerge and that was why Barcelona carried the day in the end. Simeone’s men fear no one and have destroyed Zenit in the Champions League as well. In David Villa, they possess a man who has what it takes to hurt Real. Seven of his career goals have been scored against the 32-time La liga champions.

Gareth Bale is likely to make his long awaited, overdue home debut today and what a match to do it. If he does great, it will go down well with Madridistas at the Bernabeu and around the World. The headache for Ancelotti is who to replace Bale with. Is it the in-form Isco whose start to life as a Blanco has been nothing short of magical? Or the hardworking Angel Di Maria whose industry and selflessness gives Madrid something different?

Borrowing a few words from Rob Train, Diego Simeone has turned the Rojiblancos into a footballing battering ram with Diego Costa providing the blunt edge and David Villa the velvet tip. The perfect analysis. Villa might not have scored many goals, but his ability is not in doubt and it has shown this season. His intelligence and all round forward play have led to direct and indirect assists, leaving spaces for Diego Costa to work on and ultimately exploit. It is no accident that the Spanish Federation are considering the possibility of capping the aforementioned at International level. Vicente De Bosque has also put calls through to Koke and Mario Suarez and that has been down to what ‘EL Cholo’ has brought to the Calderon.

Sid Lowe stated that the Derby is no longer one sided and we can’t help but agree. The CDR victory on 17 May has gone a long way to remove the fear factor Atletico have when they face Real. Lady luck was on their side in that final. They won and that ended a run of 14 years without tasting victory in the Madrid derby.

The end result might come down to small details. Real have found it difficult to break down well oiled, well drilled defences this campaign as matches against Elche in midweek and Villareal at the Madrigal showed us. It is also common knowledge that Ramos and Pepe make a lot of mistakes as a pair and occasionally go into challenges rashly. Carlo Ancelotti might have to stock pile his midfield with ILLARRA-KHEDIRA which means no space for the creative excellence of Luka Modric. Isco to pull the strings from attacking midfield and Di Maria to work on Luis/Juanfran. The Real manager is aware that Atletico are far more physical and powerful. Although his team can boast of more quality individuals. Afterall, they have Cristiano Ronaldo whose 210 goals for the club have come in just 206 games. Thiabut Courtois has boasted that he knows how the Portuguese Captain executes his free-kicks. Might come back to hunt him.

Both teams know what to do. Play to your potential and limit that of the opponent. Easier said than played out. A great match in prospect.

Ohireime Eboreime

Twitter-@ohiskaka1990

LONDON DERBY..

…A TALE OF THE APPRENTICE AND THE MASTER GOING HEAD TO HEAD…

                                 

When Andre Villas Boas left the Mourinho camp for pastures new four years ago, little did we know that he will become one of the most respected football managers on the globe. Since forging his own path, the now Tottenham manager has followed in the footsteps of his mentor and teacher until he joined forces with Daniel Levy. Bad blood has existed between him and the man who is largely responsible for turning him into the astute tactician that he is today. We have often seen how partnerships and relationships in football turn sour. SAF and Beckham immediately comes to mind. There are many more like what has happened at Galatasaray in the last few days. It goes to show that nothing lasts forever.

Pre-match pressers have been lively and interesting and media gurus are enthused when a Mourinho comes to the press room as he always has the pressmen literally eating from his hands. The non-nonsense and very outspoken Portuguese managerial gem does not mince words. It was AVB who fired the first couple of shots, saying Mourinho didn’t want him to be too close to him and take his opinion and that since he left for Academica, the once sweet and great friendship between the two has collapsed and the damage is near irreparable. Football fans probably like what happens on the pitch but some of these tantrum throwing makes everything a lot more exciting. AVB is also very annoyed that Willian Borges was stolen right under the canopy of Spurs. The Brazilian had a medical in North London but ended up in West London as a player in one of the most bizarre transfers of all time. The Chelsea hierarchy also failed to listen to Levy and Baldini regarding the potential transfer of the maligned Juan Mata. The Modric situation has gone unforgiven and the Europa League holders are determined to add more misery to a Spurs side currently on a roll.

Mourinho has since hit back at AVB for making their relationship status a public affair and went further to say he doesn’t care what his compatriot and rival says or feels. He added that he is no kid to start talking about a personal feud between him and a former pal. He definitely likes doing the talking on the pitch and a nice victory at White Hart Lane today isn’t far from his thoughts. The pensioners won a very spectacular match there last season courtesy of a certain Mata. The man Mourinho wants to change his playing style or remain a sub or spectator.

The lilywhites whitewashed Aston Villa at Villa Park in midweek by four unreplied goals. Jermaine Defoe scored a brace to take his all-time scoring feat to 139 for the club. Nacer Chadli and Paulinho were the other scorers and the depth of the squad at AVB’s disposal is frightening to put it mildly. Defoe, Holtby and Chadli may not start this afternoon with the likes of Soldado, Sigurdsson, and Christian Eriksen taking their place. Aaron Lennon is on the road to recovery and a new Gareth Bale has been unearthed. Erik Lamela has as sweet a left foot as the departed winger and the number 11 jersey fits him perfectly well.

Chelsea also defeated Swindon in midweek and that was without a host of regulars. El Nino Torres and Ramires scored for the Blues who lost Marco Van Ginkel to a long-term injury in that encounter. A very bad situation for the young man who Jose so loves. They know quite alright that Spurs are a different proposition and are aware that the task ahead is herculean. Only Arsenal have defeated Spurs this term and the hosts are yet to concede a goal at the Lane this season.

The last gasp victory in Wales was greeted with joy and relief and Spurs it comfortably ahead of Chelsea in the early table. They know it is an unfamiliar sight and they want to make the most of it. The investments this summer is paying off and Vlad Chiriches made his bow in the Capital One Cup demolition of Villa. Eriksen looks the real deal and Sigurdsson is relishes the competition for places. Chelsea have won the last two games after losing two before then and scored four goals without reply. Mikel Obi even ended his 7 goal and 261 game drougth on a weekend where Rayo had more possession than Barcelona and still lost 4-0, Aaron Ramsey hit the back of the net for the 7^th time this season and the famed Rio/Vidic pairing was taken to the cleaners by Aguero and his gang of Blue moon ninjas. Jose Mourinho has admitted that he is yet to find his main eleven and this experiment might be tested to the limit by Spurs come tea time.

Roberto Soldado is yet to repay the huge investment made on him. Two spot-kicks aside, he has been woeful by his standards and should stand up and be counted. It is during the big games that big players or so-called, come to the fore and duels don’t come bigger/fiercer than Chelsea and Jose Mourinho.

Fireworks are expected on the pitch today as always. It is off it that will be most anticipated as Mourinho the Master and AVB the student go head to head in a match that is more than just a match. The ‘SPECIAL ONE’ delivered a sound beating on his master, Luis Van Gaal (now Holland manager) in the 2010 Champions League Final (Inter-Bayern Munich). Who says a student cannot topple his teacher?

PROBABLE LINEUPS-

SPURS-

Lloris, Walker, Vertonghen, Dawson, Rose, Dembele. Paulinho, Sigurdsson, Eriksen, Lamela/Townsend, Soldado

It is a straight fight between Andros Townsend and Lamela for a slot in the starting lineup which Townsend is currently winning. Lloris, Rose, Soldado and Sigurdsson will all return to the eleven. Aaron Lennon returned to training yesterday and should make the bench.

CHELSEA-

Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Cole, Ramires, Lampard, Oscar, Hazard, Schurrle, Eto’o

Knowing Jose very well, he must pick at least nine of the above listed players for today’s contest. Juan Mata and David Luiz haven’t satisfied him yet with their performances and should continue on the subs bench with Oscar, Schurrle and Hazard coming in. The Brazilian especially is Mou’s favourite player at the moment.

Who prevails? JM or AVB..It is left to be seen.

Ohireime Eboreime

Twitter-@ohiskaka1990

MANCHESTER UNITED-WEST BROM PREVIEW

                                           

Defending champions, Manchester United host the baggies in a match that is seen as a must win for the hosts after getting clobbered by neighbours, Manchester City in last weekend’s derby. Eliminating Liverpool out of the Capital One Cup in midweek took some of the heartache away. Nevertheless, United know there is no margin for failure forthwith.

West Bromwich Albion have had an indifferent start to the season unlike the previous one when they came out flying out of the blocks, claiming some astonishing results along the way. The Lukaku magic has since deserted them and gone to the blue part of Merseyside via the blue part of West London. Steve Clarke still made some notable additions to the squad in the close season with the likes of Stephane Sessegnon, Morgan Amalfitano, Victor Anichebe all lured to the Hawthorns. Scott Sinclair also joined from the Etihad alongside other names like La Celeste skipper and defensive rock, Diego Lugano.

The Midlands club was sent packing out of the Capital One Cup (on penalties) in midweek by a young Arsenal team. Making amends today will be the main driving force. However, Old Trafford is not a place where you harbor hopes of a smooth sail. To make matters worse, the visitors face a wounded Manchester United whose pride has been battered and bruised.

The red devils will be buoyed by the return to fitness of Dutch scoring machine, Robin Van Persie who needs four goals to equal Patrick Kluivert as the highest goal scorer in the Netherlands history. The main attacking threat for the Manchester Club was sorely missed in last weekend’s derby. Although, he would have done little to turn things in his team’s favour. We all know defending is not one of his strong points:). Wayne Rooney is also firing on all cylinders and nowadays, if he doesn’t find the net, he will definitely get someone to do so. The Englishman is like a man reborn and his 4 goals in the last 4 games has proved that he is still perhaps the most important player in the Moyes set-up. Class is permanent it seems. Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, the forgotten sharp shooter, sent a strong message to the United coaching team with an intelligent finish to down Liverpool in midweek. What that run and goal meant is that he does not deserve to be overlooked and if he is, it should only be because of Wazza and RVP and definitely not Danny Welbeck who has failed to deliver for a very long time. Four goals in the last one year is unacceptable for a striker who dons the famous outfit of Manchester United. In that dry spell for Danny, Chicharito has hit 19 goals in just 23 starts. Numbers and stats don’t tell the whole story they said.

Saturday’s encounter is another opportunity for David Moyes to win over more doubters. Despite the shaky start to his reign, he still has the best start of any manager at the club in 67 long years. That is saying something huge. 5 wins in 8 games is not too bad. Well, any kind of loss to Manchester City is synonymous to anguish for anyone who is associated with the MUFC crest. Moyes has said RVP will feature. It is whether he will throw him on from the start that is unknown at the moment. If the Dutchman doesn’t make it, there are capable replacements as Chicharito has shown quite often. Rafael Da Silva is also back after a spell on the sidelines and the Rio/Vida partnership, torn apart at the Etihad, must shore up a defence that has leaked 11 goals in the last 6 games. That stat is not for a team intending to defend one of the most difficult competitions in all of football.

Nicolas Anelka has yet to sparkle for the Baggies since his arrival. The well travelled Frenchman has been hit with personal problems in recent weeks and that must have played a part. We all know what he can bring to any team and he has nothing else to prove. His abilities cannot be overemphasized. Watching him closely is surely better than giving him acres of space. Shane Long has hurt Manchester United before. The baggies also possess players who can win games on their own. Record signing, Sessegnon quickly comes to mind.

PROBABLE LINEUPS

MANCHESTER UNITED-

DDG, Rafa, Rio, Vidic, Evra, Carrick, Fellaini, TonyV, Nani/Young, Roo, RVP/Welbeck

The big dogs are ready to return after being rested for the Liverpool clash. Carrick and Fellaini will most certainly be returned to their positions in midfield with Valencia taking his place on the right. Many United fans loathe Ashley Young as a result of his consistently poor outings for the club. He hasn’t stopped there. He has now resorted to cheating which has been strongly condemned by the gaffer. A lot of supporters don’t want to see him in subsequent starting elevens. Moyes may not see it that way. He might start today. Another guy who can be sure to feature from the start is Danny Welbeck.

WEST BROM-

Myhill, Jones, McAuley, Olsson, Ridgewell, Mulumbu, Morrison, Amalfitano, Sessegnon, Sinclair, ANELKA

The trio of Sinclair, Sessegnon and Anelka carry the hopes of Clarke’s men. If they combine to good effect, West Brom have more chances of at least claiming a point. Youssuf Mulumbu’s role is vital too. A heroic showing and then who knows?

The baggies are lucky to have been the last team Sir Alex managed the red army against and that day, the match ended in a 5-5 draw. The highest scoring draw in EPL history. But conclusions cannot adequately be drawn from that as SAF and Scholes have since drawn the curtains on their respective careers and ROMELU LUKAKU who hit a superb second half hat-trick is no longer a squad member. His presence and goals have been hugely missed. 17 in the League is the highest by any player in Brom’s history and that may remain for a long time yet.

Ohireime Eboreime

Twitter-@ohiskaka1990