Manchester United’s attempt to win a third straight Carling Cup begins on Wednesday night with a visit to the Google-unfriendly Scunthorpe United. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson will take a shadow squad to Glanford Park that could include Bebé and Gabriel Obertan in the party, alongside fringe, youth and star names returning to peak fitness.
Managed by 39-year-old caretaker Ian Baraclough in the wake of Nigel Adkins’ departure to Southampton, Championship side Scunthorpe remained in the division by just five points last season. It’s a notable achievement though, especially for a club in just its third campaign ever fought in the second tier of English football. Perhaps more so because with average gates a little over 5,000 The Iron boasts the smallest budget in the division.
Following a fight to save the club from relegation to League Two six years ago, Scunthorpe has enjoyed three promotions and a Johnstones Paint Trophy final appearance in 2009. But despite residing at the relatively new, although admittedly very basic Glandford Park, Scunthorpe remains favourites for the drop into League One this season.
Indeed, there is ample contrast to be made on United’s visit, albeit with Ferguson’s shadow squad in town, with the Reds likely to field up to seven full internationals in the starting team.
Of the senior players in United’s 18-man squad for the trip to Lincolnshire, Michael Owen will definitely play, while it will be no surprise if Park Ji-Sung, Anderson, Javer Hernández, Tomasz Kuszczak, Darron Gibson, Gary Neville, Chris Smalling, Obertan and the da Silva brothers also start.
Ferguson could use Rio Ferdinand at some point. The defender sat out United’s 3-2 victory over Liverpool with a stomach bug but is short of first team minutes this season.
“We played a lot of young players last season and they all acquitted themselves well,” Sir Alex told ManUtd.com.
“We’ll do the same tomorrow at Scunthorpe. A lot of my young players will play. Bebé is training very well. He’ll be involved tomorrow night. Federico Macheda will as well.
“The Carling Cup’s served us well over the last few seasons – it allows me to keep everybody happy in terms of giving people games and we’ve reached the last two finals, which has its obvious advantages. Playing at Wembley and competing for medals on the big stage is terrific for players’ development.”
Perhaps most exciting though is the prospect of Bebé in a first team shirt. The £7.4 million Portuguese winger has played just one reserve game and a brace of Under-21 fixtures since a surprise transfer from Vitória de Guimarães in August. But with a month of conditioning work behind him, many believe Bebé is ready for his début, after being left out of the reserves’ 5-1 victory over Bury last night.
“I am going to be a brilliant player for Manchester United,” the 20-year-old told the Manchester Evening News last week.
“After a couple more games I will be better. I have to be fitter because it’s a different type of football in England.
“I don’t know when I will be ready for the first team. I need to work hard and a lot depends on the boss whether he calls me into the team or not.
“Sir Alex has told me he is very happy with me and he wants me to train more and get into the first team.”
Owen, meanwhile, will start for the first time this season, having been force to wait in line behind Dimitar Berbatov, Wayne Rooney and new signing Hernández this season. It has been a period of frustration for the former Liverpool striker, who papers have linked with a January move to Gerard Houlier’s Aston Villa.
“I understand Michael’s frustration – he’s exactly right – but it’s because Berbatov started the season so well, then the international break came. It’s difficult,” Ferguson adds.
“We’ve got this Carling Cup game and he’ll start that. He’ll get enough football.”
Owen has made just 12 starts and 23 substitute appearances for United, scoring nine goals since the free transfer move from Newcastle United last summer. The 31-year-old former England striker scored in last season’s final against Aston Villa as United took the trophy for the second season in a row. Indeed, outside of the Carling Cup Owen has made just six starts for the club.
Once again the Carling Cup will offer a refuge for United’s younger and fringe players this season, with few having been used by manager Ferguson, despite the Scot’s professed faith in youth.
Indeed, with striker Federico Macheda unlikely to start for United at Owen’s expense the Italian is facing up to a third staight season of reserve team football and occasional substitute appearances.
Meanwhile, Iron manager Baraclough has no new injury worries ahead of United’s visit. Centre-back Rob Jones is fit again after a knee injury but may settle for a place on the bench with Niall Canavan starting. Garry Thompson remains sidelined with a groin injury and on-loan Brighton left-back Jim McNulty is out with an ankle problem.
“We’ve got this absolutely massive occasion with Manchester United coming to town, and there should be an incredible atmosphere in the stadium. But there will be no pressure on us to win the game except the pressure we put on ourselves,” said Baraclough, who is likely to be named as Scunthorpe’s permanent manager.
“Whatever team United put out it will be full of internationals, and if they’re at their best then our chances of winning will be minimal. But if we’re at our best and they have an off-night, there’s no reason why we can’t win the game.”
Scunthorpe has beaten Sheffield Wednesday and Oldham on route to the Carling Cup second round this season.
Opposition
Scunthorpe – 442 – Murphy; Byrne, Mirfin, Canavan, Nolan; J Wright, O’Connor, Togwell, Collins; Forte, Dagnall. Subs from: A Wright, Jones, Woolford, Thompson, Raynes, Slocombe, Grant, Boyes, Milne, Nolan, Coleman, Godden, Williams, McClenahan, Turner.
Officials
Referee: M L DEAN
Assistands: W D Smallwood & S J Long
Fourth Official: L S Mason
Form
United – WDWDDW
Scunthorpe – WLWWDW
I think we are more likely to go with this team:
Kuszczak
Rafael, Brown, Smalling, Fabio
Obertan, Gibson, Anderson, Park
Macheda, Owen
Bench: Amos, Neville, Ferdinand, Eikrem, Bebe, Hernandez, Rooney
May I ask why Scunthorpe is google unfriendly. I found that despite containing the word c**t google still auto completed my search.
Just wondering.
This was actually a problem in the early days of search engines, which as since been fixed: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scunthorpe_problem
Are we actually gonna see some youth play at last?!
It would have been nice to see Cleverly as well.
no owen
Like the side Ed suggested.
We might get Ferdinand in the back 4 though. Would be good to see Bebe on the bench. Doubt Eikrem will be involved as he played for the reserves vs. Bury. Would count Corry Evans out too for that same reason.
Apparently Bebe will play
looking forward to seeing Bebe
Team for tonight –
PIG; Wes, Smalling, Rio, Rafael; Gibson, Anderson, Park; Owen, Kiko, Chicharito
I like Wes at right back rather than centre back (too many misunderstandings with keepers over the years), but I’d rather Park were deployed centrally. Wouldn’t this be a good game for Obertan to start? Why not use a winger who needs matches rather than a striker?
Looking at the formation diagram, it appears that Park is one of three midfielders – United are not playing a 4-4-2. So, it’s three strikers up top, thus the inclusion of Hernandes.
Subs: Van der Sar, O’Shea, Obertan, De Laet, Corry Evans, Bebe, Eikrem
Interesting thought Obertan or Bebe would have started. Must be a 4-3-3.
Anyone got a stream for this? I’ve found about 12 for the Barcelona match, but none so far for United?
we need to be ruthlessly efficient from early on
http://www.myp2p.eu/broadcast.php?matchid=88208&part=sports
Only found one Sopcast stream 80517 high quality though
Cheers for that. I usually use Veetle, and it looks like they waited ’til the last minute to put one up.
Sopcast – 80517
Takes about 5 minutes to build up steam, but runs beautifully.
So Fergie’s not at the game tonight. Word from the club is he’s scouting Valencia vs Atletico Madrid. Smells fishy to me.
Smalling playing along side Rio… good chance to learn a thing or two.
United fans in good voice
Kit dunt look too bad either
Narrow formation
Hernandez & Macheda to provide the width
Sometimes, games like this create a problem for young strikers.
They’re so desperate to impress that they try to do too much, they play selfishly, missing the chance to play the right ball… sometimes… hopefully not tonight.
Anderson is the deepest midfielder FFS
they have started well
scunthorpe that is
we havent started at all ffs
Rio landed on his dodgy back
That’s another 6 weeks out
come on reds ffs
Is Anderson limping, or is he just not interested?
both
ffs what a bunch of cunts
Fuck’s sake.
yep
fucking jokers
Fuckin hell, they’re playin us off the pitch.
Fuck’s sake, come back from a piss and they’re 1-0 up
Some goal
bound to happen, complete mish mash team, players out of position all over the place, owen, a midfield of no midfielders, well done again scottish twat, or phelan
though we are behind, the game is ace
What the fuck is Gibson doing?
its not like we didnt know what to expect
it is fucking obvious that they are gonna be running themselves crazy and not giving us any time to pass the ball prettily and what the fuck are we doing but pussy footing around
Get in Gibson
Shut the cunts up
ha…nice spot by smalling
LOL… is that his first touch of the ball?
i will not call gibson any names from now on – great goal
Scoring a top goal
Seriously though this formation is a fucking mess
What are we gonna learn about players who are playing out of position
come on united
I remember Fabio saying that he moved right back to left back so that him and his brother could play in the same team
passing is shite
stick the bebe the beast on
this is pretty one fucking sided
Listen to em singin the Ronaldo song…
Going through the roster of great United players
We all live in a Georgie Best world
maybe phelan will be sacked if we lose
owen and co have had fuck all service tonite
smallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllling
now ram it up them hard
Top finish for a defender
Ha… Smalling… what the hell Fergie… make him a striker as well.
phelan needs to tell sweet pea that he needs to track back and not do a berbs
great finish by Smalling
“We’re going on the pitch”
did i just hear the viera song?
they are taking the piss with those long range efforts
Raphael… lol… what a little terrier.
Those twins are mad little buggers.
hope they knackker themselves out
unlucky macheda
1st attempt from our strike force
This sounds like the best away day of the season so far
Wish I was there
Why is Owen being booed?
Can’t that cunt Kojak catch?
credit to scunthorpe
they won’t give up
phelan needs to change the midfield because it is pretty ineffective
he has made a couple of decent stops to be fair on him
mad as fuck. anderson has been shite. he should be running the show.
not happy
He’s just comeback from injury!
im aware, but its not chelsea or arsenal we are playing, i expect better.
his passing has been woeful
no bebe?
I agree with Tel… this is a perfect game for Anderson show summat… so far, he’s played one good ball, and done a lot of walking around… not good enough.
don think we will risk playng till the win is secured.. so he probably wont play
owen scores ………….
Owen top run & finish
What a break.
please dont concede any more
Chelsea 1-3 Newcastle
pleased for owen
come on little pea now
Time for Bebe
anderson put in one beauty of a cross to macheda though- play him on the left ffs
park gets in on the act
1-4
lets hammer them now
If he does come on, I hope they give him more than a token 10 minutes, or something shite like that.
Macheda looks way too slow to have an impact among the bigger teams. Unless he turns into Van Nistelrooy that is.
he is more of the cart horse variety
Anderson hitting the forwards straight away, but the balls are shit
give it to hernandez ffs
scunthorpe still looking at scoring from distance
just not closing them down enough
What does it take for Phelan to give the kids a chance?
Great ball from Ando
Come on ffs… send on Bebe… let’s see what’s what.
Waste of time having Hernandez at the edge of a front 3 because he was basically on the wing
thank god gibbo wasn’t playing against us today,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Get in, 5
“You scouse bastard” haha
To be fair… Owen has had a good game.
Right… here we go.
ahhhhhh
baby on
ahhhhh
United bench loving the streaker
Sign him up… lol
this is one weird stat
scunthorpe have had 16 shots on target and 8 off after 75 mins
we don’t often give teams that kind of arse opening
owen for a hat trick?
Bebe dunt look bad so far
He does have the look about him, doesn’t he?
There is fire in his belly
well played both teams
credit to scunthorpe for not lying down and opening their cheeks
Chelsea 3-4 Newcastle
Full time
Come on Northampton
scouse cunts are playing cobblers
nice