Manchester United heads into the penultimate game of the year still carrying more than half-a-dozen injuries, but facing a Wigan Athletic side on the precipice. United’s manager Sir Alex Ferguson received mixed injury news this week as the Reds aim for the Premier League summit against Roberto Martinez’ outfit, still glowing from the 5-0 victory over Fulham in midweek.
United faces a Wigan side still in the bottom three but in much improved form over the past month. Martinez’ side held Chelsea at home 10 days ago, and then Liverpool in midweek. Yet, absences notwithstanding, this is a fixture that United always wins, and with title rivals Manchester City facing a tricky fixture at West Bromwich Albion, United could top the league by Saturday evening.
Defender-cum-midfielder Phil Jones is likely to make the fixture despite coming off with a suspected fractured jaw against Fulham last week. The youngster will partner in-form Michael Carrick in central midfield once again.
But if United struck lucky with news that the 19-year-old’s injury was far less serious than initially diagnosed, the loss of Ashley Young to an ankle problem is another blow in a period when United has been hit hard by absences. Meanwhile, long-term victims Tom Cleverley, Anderson, and Michael Owen are unlikely to return until well into the new year.
Rio Ferdinand is again unlikely to feature, but Rafael da Silva could come into the side for his first game of the season.
“We have good news on Phil Jones: he should be okay for Monday,” confirmed Ferguson.
“He has some swelling in his jaw but there’s no break, no fracture, which is good news. We feared the worst because he lost his vision a bit in that period when he came back onto the field. Thankfully it’s good news.
“It’s not so good for Ashley Young. We’re still waiting on some of the bleeding to go away, which is quite extensive at the moment. It was a sore one so he’ll be out for a few weeks. Ashley was tripped as he went into the next tackle. He wasn’t positioned to go into that next tackle – he was half-falling at the time. The second tackle was a hard tackle – not a bad tackle – it was just the way he went into Ashley. He’s taken a real clump.”
“There’s not great news on the other ones – Michael, Tom and Ando are still on the sick list. But Rafael played in the Reserves last night, which will help him. As we get one back, we’re losing one. It’s not an easy spell for us but we just have to get on with it. The squad has handled the situation quite well. The form has been really good and I’m pleased with that. We’re scoring goals again, which is terrific.”
It is a contentious argument – one that supporters who witnessed last season’s humiliation against Barcelona, or indeed, the more recent calamitous defeat to FC Basel might contradict. In truth, few bar Ferguson believe that the manager’s state-of-mind is influenced by anybody but the club’s parsimonious owners. The word emanating from European clubs and agents is that United has no money to spend this winter.
“The criticism has been understandable,” added Ferguson.
“You lose a derby game 6-1, you’re knocked out of the Carling Cup and you lose to Basel, who aren’t a powerhouse. You can understand the criticism. But we show the resilience and determination to do something about it, each time it happens. That says a lot about the character of the team.
“All things being equal, I am perfectly happy with the strength of our squad in terms of depth, quality and age range,” Ferguson added in his programme notes for Monday’s game. “I will not be swayed by the endless tweets and blogs urging the club to get busy in the transfer market next month.
“As far as I am concerned I am marching perfectly in step, true to my beliefs and principles. While recruiting some of the world’s leading players can lift you into contention for honours, it doesn’t necessarily take you all the way, as I hope we will be able to demonstrate before the end of the season as other factors come into play.”
Ferguson’s stance will raise a few eyebrows, as will the Scot’s assertion that Carrick is now United’s pivotal player in a midfield that has struggled to dominate matches against superior opponents in recent seasons. But if United is to win a 20th domestic title in May then Ferguson is set to do so with his current squad, and victories over Wigan and others near the relegation zone are a must. United faces Wigan on Monday, followed by Blackburn Rovers at Old Trafford on Ferguson’s birthday, New Year’s Eve.
“I watched Wigan versus Chelsea the other day and I thought Wigan were terrific,” added the Scot.
“It says a lot for Roberto Martinez – he continues to play good football irrespective of what position they’re in. We have a good record against Wigan but we won’t take anything for granted. We need to keep out foot on the pedal. I don’t think they’re a relegation team. They do well against the bigger teams. Last year, I think they lost heavily to Chelsea and, this season, they got a draw and could have won. I think Wigan will stay in the Premier League.”
Meanwhile, Wigan make the short trip to Old Trafford without Steve Gohouri, who has flu. Striker Hugo Rodallega faces a late fitness test – the Ecuadorian picked up an injury during Saturday’s draw with Chelsea and then featured, injured, against Liverpool.
For one United player the Latics’ visit is a special occasion. Antonio Valencia joined United a little over two years ago, and with Young set to remain on the sidelines for several weeks, is once again a key part of the Reds’ attack this season. The winger has found a renewed spell of form in recent matches after suffering a genuine confidence problem earlier in the season.
“They’ll always have a special place in my heart,” Antonio told United Review.
“I came here from abroad and I was taken in as one of the family from the first day. It was a real special group of players that we had in those few seasons there, and it was great to be a part of. I have only have gratitude and fond memories of my time there. I still speak regularly with Maynor Figueroa, who is a close friend of mine.
“I do look out for their scores. I know at the minute they’re by no means out of danger, but they’re working hard and they’ve picked up some decent results recently and let’s hope they can get up there and be fighting for ninth or tenth place.”
Few will expect that fight to begin against United on Boxing Day though. The Reds have won 13 of 13 encounters during the Premier League era. Indeed, goal difference and the opportunity to close the gap to title rivals City may well be on the agenda.
Match Facts
Manchester United versus Wigan Athletic, Premier League, Old Trafford, Monday 26 December 2011, 3pm.
Likely Line-ups
United (4-4-1-1): De Gea; Rafael, Smalling, Evans, Evra; Valencia, Jones, Carrick, Nani; Rooney; Welbeck. Subs from: Lindegaard, Fryers, Park, Pogba, Cole, Diouf, Giggs, Macheda, Berbatov.
Wigan (4-5-1): Al Habsi; Alcaraz, Caldwell, Stam, Figueroa; McCarthy, Gomez, Diame, Jones, Moses; Rodallega. Subs from: Watson, Sammon, Di Santo, Pollitt, Lopez, Crusat, Watson, McArthur.
Form
United: LWLWWW
Wigan: DWLWDD
Performance stats
- United hit five past Fulham in the last Premier League game, with the Reds out running Fulham by 64.75 miles to 64.53 miles;
- Michael Carrick has a tackles won rate of 96 per cent this season, and covered the most ground for the Reds with 6.56 miles against Fulham;
- Jonny Evans made six clearances in the game against Fulham, the highest of any player in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index in the last round of games;
- Ryan Giggs was on target against Fulham, and continues his record of scoring in every Premier League season. Giggs has made just six shots at goal this season, but has contributed 174 passes in his opponent’s half, along with 10 dribbles and 10 crosses, leading to an impressive five assists. That’s an assist every 106 minutes, the second most frequent provider in the league;
- Meanwhile, Wigan gained a valuable point against Liverpool last week, with midfielder James McCarthy covering the most ground with 6.33 miles;
- Goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi was the Index’ busiest goalkeeper in the last round of games, making 11 saves.
Officials
Referee: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire)
Assistants: G Beswick, S Ledger
Fourth Official: A Taylor
Oh Phil Jones…he’s immense, unbreakable, the new Roy Keane and all that bollocks!! Come on people let’s get a grip here. The lad is ONLY 19 years of age and the way some people are hyping him up is quite laughable to be honest! Yes he’s a GOOD footballer but I have to say that he’s not a GREAT footballer! The hype around this lad is getting a bit much for my liking now. Also have to say that Giggsy’s performance against Fulham was immense! He was unbelievable it has to be said! I wouldn’t mind if he starts agin today in midfield and Jones at cb. I also don’t even think that Jones is a midfielder. U can’t even compare Gigg’s peformance in midfield to that of Jones’s performances in midfield this season. Oh well I trust Fergie and he knlws best at the end of the day. Anyways come on United! Let’s get the 3 points lads! Let’s av iiiiiiit!
“It is a contentious argument – one that supporters who witnessed last season’s humiliation against Barcelona, or indeed, the more recent calamitous defeat to FC Basel might contradict. In truth, few bar Ferguson believe that the manager’s state-of-mind is influenced by anybody but the club’s parsimonious owners. The word emanating from European clubs and agents is that United has no money to spend this winter.”
Yeah well, you know fuck all Ed… as do European clubs and agents… in fact, anyone who believes the Glazers are strangling transfer funds… is full of shit.
United is minted… it’s just that Ferguson is a daft, jock twat, that would rather spend money on Glenfiddich and nose cream, than waste it on the midfield…
Right Dannii???
United win… 3-0
“Badges, to god-damned hell with badges! We have no badges. In fact, we don’t need badges. I don’t have to show you any stinking badges, you god-damned cabrón and ching’ tu madre! Come out from that shit-hole of yours. I have to speak to you.”
Rest Carrick and Jones, that would be sensible
Come on West Brom
sensible yes
but we need our best 11 out on the pitch to get as many goals
wigan are not a bad side as of late and no doubt will be primed to attack
but united’s quality will come through today
Carrick starts in defence
…
Berba up top
Lindegaard; Valencia, Carrick, Jones, Evra; Park, Gibson, Giggs, Nani; Berbatov, Hernandez.
Bench: De Gea, Rooney, Welbeck, Rafael, Diouf, Macheda, Fryers
Smalling injured too? Bloody hell this is ridiculous.
pisstake team
surprised that phelan hasn’t donned a red shirt with all those crocks in our squad
hello unc
how was your xmas and aunty?
nice to see you back on form
xxx
Gibson starting …..hmmmmmm
not good
Come on united, hi HAN, and fellow ranters, hope you had a great christmas, but now back to footie,
Suppose Fergie is expecting Wigan to camp in their half, so our centrebacks will have a lot of the ball
If we get an early goal it’ll be piss
wigan will attack not defend if their recent games are anything to go by
hi mad red – hope you finished stuffing the turkey before your missus shoved it into the oven
aye back to footie
come on united
link?
parkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
1-0
Park nice to see him score 1-0.
I had to call in the fire brigade, to cut my knob free,
its on bbc 5 live extra if you don’t have a tv link
off the line from nani’s shot
need a couple more with our absent defence
I have no doubt that our manager is sadist!! Honestly..
evans is lousy
How else can he choose a team like that when we can not afford to drop any more points? Either that or he actually rates his players far more than we do. Oh well…
Is evans trying to get sent off.
That Mister Potato Crisps advert is embarassing
no change there then
he’s probably trying to figure out the worst side with which he can win
attack you shitheads
red card……..hmmmmmm
refs are so inconsistent
oh well
lets get a few goals now
berbatov is so shit its unbelievable…………..2-0
That’s better, 2-0, game over, more goals now.
this is pretty much a walk over now. would like a couple of more goals at least.
City 0-0
But the Dippers are losing 1-0 at home to Blackburn, hehe
stick rooney and welbeck on 2nd half and rip that goal difference to shreds this afternoon
and if albion can get a draw, it will be 1 great afternoon
fryers on for evans
Berbatov = G.O.A.T
please tell…
Best soapcast?
come on united – attack ffs
berbatov is so shite
3-0
Berba in the mood today.
Greatest
Of
All
Time
G.O.A.T
lets get a few more goals today
no matter how many we score, our defending has been suspect all season
wigan have created chances, both by work rate and errors by us
tony veeeeeeeeeeeeeee
come on united
penalty.
pen
come on berbsssssssssssssssss
5-0 berba 3.
Class penalty
but he is so shit…. right~~?
wanting a 6th would be greedy wouldn’t it?
City draw
west brom 0-0, good day.
albion getting a point
NICE
biggest cheer at OT this afternoon after that west brom result…….
great win , good also for goal difference, good for berba.
the wheels on the massive bus punctured today
United rising to the challenge
We will be top by New Year
Result!
Nice rendition of Suarez racist bastard today n all
16 goals in 4 games with only 1 conceded
We might not sign a midfielder on that form…
lovely stuff
Sidney – we don’t “need” a new midfielder; we just need to get the ones we have healthy.
Alex Ferguson expects Jonny Evans to be out of action for a fortnight after he was forced out of Manchester United’s 5-0 win over Wigan with a calf injury at Old Trafford this afternoon.
Evans was United’s only fit central defender heading into the game and failed to reappear for the second half as Dimitar Berbatov bagged a hat-trick.
And Ferguson confirmed the Northern Ireland defender will not make the New Year’s Eve encounter with Blackburn.
“Jonny came off injured. He has a calf injury and will be out for two weeks,” Ferguson told BBC Radio Five Live.
“We have had a nightmare the last few days. Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have both been ill. Rio Ferdinand called off yesterday with a back injury and Jonny Evans has come off at half-time.
“It does put you under pressure.”
It’ll be another bodgedtofuck team for Blackburn then
I’ve got an awful feeling that with all these injuries at the back we’ll end up signing Gary Cahill….
carrick evans berbatov valencia
four crap bollockless players currently playing well against the riff raff
uncle always looks on the bright side, thats why he is loved by all on here
We should not complain, we are at the top of the league despite the crappy team on the field. All of these good results makes SAF look like a saint. Are we just fortunate, lucky or is God on our side. We are like the energizer bunny, and we could be on our way to another league title with this crap. Unbelieveable!
nothing saintly about being dropped at the group stages of the CL by the likes of fc basle. mancunty, the chavs and le arse are still in this.
without investment it will be sheer luck that jones and rooney can survive the entire season without injury. i don’t buy it that carrick’s form can last all season and park /giggs have one good game a month, max. new goaly like de gea is bound to fuck up soon enough again too. same goes for a new defender like smalling.
still CL failure aside, so long as we tick along maxing out in the GD, it’s all good. number 20 is the goal now.
hernandez needs to sort himself out
He is just back from injury and he shits over your 1 goal every 2 months superstar Welbeck.
Not really. Not saying Hernandez is shite or anything, because clearly he’s not, but based on what I’ve seen this season, I would take Welbeck over Chicharito.
At least when Welbeck isn’t scoring, he’s offering a lot more to the team. Hernandez’s biggest strength is to find himself space where he can receive the ball. Welbeck is good at this but he is also the better player when he is with the ball in terms of his ability to take on defences and his passing.
One is the main man for Mexico and the other can’t get in the England team. Hernandez offers more pace, has unrivaled movement in the box and is a far superior finisher.
Welbeck has a few nice dribbles and lay off’s against your Fulhams and Norwich City’s and he is a world beater apparently.
gah, they’re both great. welbeck just needs time, hernandez needs to involve himself more in the build up – if he doesn’t score, he doesn’t do much. either way, they’re both fantastic young players.
Your point about international experience is irrelevant as to who is the better player but I will indulge it anyway:
Hernandez’s rivals for a starting place in the centre forward position for Mexico in the last World Cup: Pablo Barrera (Pumas UNAM), Adolfo Bautista (Guadalajara), Alberto Medina (Guadalajara), Cuauhtemoc Blanco (Veracruz), Giovani dos Santos (Galatasaray), Guillermo Franco (West Ham), Carlos Vela (Arsenal).
I mean, just look who Hernandez was up against. He must have been shitting himself.
Welbeck can’t get in the England team? Did you see the under 21 tournament last summer?
Welbeck’s competition is Rooney (who is undroppable) and then more experienced players like Defoe, Crouch and Bent (OK they’re not world beaters but they have more experience than Welbeck who’s only 21 FFS).
As for your notion that Hernandez is a ‘far superior’ finisher compared to Welbeck, that’s not true. If anything, this season alone, Welbeck has a slightly better goals to game ratio (6 goals in 18 games) compared to Hernandez (6 in 19).
Hernandez is great if you give him the ball. No one can question that he’s a good finisher but Welbeck is better able to create something for the team when he isn’t scoring than Hernandez is.
England U21, you mean the team if Andy Carroll agreed to play in would mean Welbeck wouldn’t have got a game and were totally useless at the tournament.
Wow, suggesting England’s many ‘talented’ strikers are what is holding Welbeck back, you would want to include Carroll,Walcott and Daniel Sturridge as others who are in front of him. Hernandez would likely be in that team if he was English but that’s a hypothetical. The Mexican front line, in particular Hernandez were impressive at that world cup and Hernandez when playing for Mexico exhibits a better all round game then we see at United where his role is to run in behind defenders.
I don’t get this Welbeck as a creative force thing either, he layed on a grand total of two assists in the league this year.
Ffs, what a shit argument, Ruud is clearly better than Henry.
and I was working on League goals, with Hernandez 6 from 15 and Welbeck 4 from 14, arguably neither have been good enough, but I know Hernandez has 20 goal seasons in him and I really don’t think Welbeck does.
Mexico’s forwards were fucking shite. Franco, in particular, was abysmal. His performance against South Africa is one that sticks out in the mind. Welbeck has arguably a better calibre of competition to get into the international set-up. Welbeck was one of the better England players in that under 21 tournament. Don’t let their collective failings kid you into thinking that he was second-rate. He certainly wasn’t. If anything, he was one of their better players.
Just out of interest, where do you get your statistics?
Based on what?
It’s not a great site but I would use ESPN Soccer Net for stats.
I base it on that Hernandez has 23 from 33 at international level, while plenty have come against some poor teams he has goals against France and Argentina in the world cup, he was near a goal every 2 games last year. It was a superb first season.
Welbeck at this point has primarily been an U 21 player and averaged a goal every 4 games at Sunderland, his all round game is better then Hernandez but I don’t think it’s anywhere near as good as some people seem to think.
Welbeck vs Hernandez? Ha!
Hernandez is a world class talent, the jury’s out on Welbeck. Chica..o won us the league last season.
I think Hernandez would get into any team in the world , obviously Wellbeck wouldn’t.
But he was shit against Barca, it that wasn’t his game it was Berbas game .It was why we bought him originally ….composure creativity and posseisson in the final third.
Wellbeck good, Hernandez better.
Just my opinion.
I’d take Sturridge over Welbeck
I look at sturridge iand just see a fancy defoe
welbeck, unlike sturridge or hernandez, will be a top draw footballer
FFS indeed,
Sturridge is already better the DeFoe and is likely to still get much better. You really ought to watch more football, his goal return is more then double that of Welbeck. If Sturridge improves his decision making he will be an excellent player.
agree with squigs and sidney, Sturridge has the potential to be class but i wldn’t write off welbeck just yet – guy needs a proper run with rooney alongside.
Struddige has more to his game than Defoe, and the proof is how he has become one of Chelsea’s most important players – a ‘make things happen when everyone else is being bollocks’ type player
He and Welbeck are very similar in terms of pace, power, x factor and finishing, but Sturridge is closer to the finished product IMO
Welbeck needs a run of games and soon everyone will appreciate what a class player he is. Look, I appreciate Hernandez is a fantastic player but I prefer a centre forward who has more about them than just score goals – which is why I prefer Welbeck. It just seems to me that Welbeck has more about him. Squigs talks about goal returns but Welbeck’s challenge is staying fit and playing regularly. The way he runs makes me worry that his hamstring is about to go at any moment.
If he can stay fit, and he can get a regular run in the side, the goals will come. He’ll have far better service from our wingers than what he had when he was on loan at Sunderland, for a start. He’s only (barely) 21. He will get better and better.