After bowing out of the FA Cup at the hands of Liverpool, Manchester United will be looking to get back to winning ways in the only domestic competition that they are still vying for when they host Stoke City in a Premier League fixture at Old Trafford on Tuesday. Stoke, like United, are still alive in the Europa League, but moved into the fifth round of the FA Cup as well with a win against Derby at the weekend and will be confident of winning points against the Red Devils, like they did in the reverse fixture earlier in the season. Their form at Old Trafford however doesn’t make good reading, with three losses in three after returning to the top tier.
Manchester United:
United had picked up the pace after a disappointing start to the new year and had managed to accumulate three consecutive wins, but the loss against Liverpool would have taken a lot out of Sir Alex Ferguson’s men. The Scot called the loss ‘sickening’ to endure after looking the better side during most periods of the game. However, to be fair it was the Red Devils’ regular defensive frailties which inevitably led to their loss at Anfield. Their backline at times looked lackadaisical, and without Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic looks incompetent against the bigger sides. David de Gea’s goalkeeping performance was not a masterclass either, with the Spaniard looking terribly unreliable and ruffled when attacked.
Ferguson therefore will be happy to know that Ferdinand is back from injury and fit for selection at center-half on Tuesday. Wayne Rooney and Nani however are still unfit and ruled out of contention for Tuesday’s game, meaning that Danny Welbeck will be partnered by either Javier Hernandez or Dimitar Berbatov. Nevertheless, heading into an absolutely crucial run of games after the encounter against Stoke, the Red Devils will be hoping to have their stars back from injury as soon as possible. United travel to Stamford Bridge next to face Chelsea before looking to give Liverpool some payback at Old Trafford. That is followed by a double header against Ajax in the Europa League, with Sir Alex hoping to make up for their Champions League exit with a good run in that competition.
Stoke City:
Stoke City are slowly becoming an amazingly consistent side in the Premier League, and are again holding onto a strong top half spot with more than half the season gone. As expected, they have been tough to beat at home with their physical approach, but what has really improved is their form on the road, as the Potters have won five of their last seven away games. Their recent results at Old Trafford are not the most encouraging however, as Stoke have lost each of their three games there since their promotion to the Premier League, condeding 11 goals in the process and scoring just one.
After spending a lot of money in the summer, Stoke have tightened their straps in January, and have seen only exits from the club in the current transfer window. Perhaps it is a sign that Stoke have moved on from a club that needs to scramble for players in the middle of the season to one that can resist the temptation of January moves because of the lack of value they offer. Europe is expected to be tough to get for the Potters again this season, but knowing Tony Pulis’ side, back-to-back finals appearances in the FA Cup or a strong romp up the Premier League table is a possibility that cannot be discounted.
Head to Head :
24 Sep ’11 : Stoke City 1 – 1 Manchester United
4 Jan ’11 : Manchester United 2 – 1 Stoke City
Form Guide :
Manchester United (LWWWL)
28 Jan ’12 : Liverpool 2 – 1 Manchester United
22 Jan ’12 : Arsenal 1 – 2 Manchester United
14 Jan ’12 : Manchester United 3 – 0 Bolton Wanderers
8 Jan ’12 : Manchester City 2 – 3 Manchester United
4 Jan ’12 : Newcastle United 3 – 0 Manchester United
Stoke City (WLDWW)
28 Jan ’12 : Derby County 0 – 2 Stoke City
21 Jan ’12 : Stoke City 1 – 2 West Bromwich Albion
14 Jan ’12 : Liverpool 0 – 0 Stoke City
7 Jan ’12 : Gillingham 1 – 3 Stoke City
2 Jan ’12 : Blackburn Rovers 1 – 2 Stoke City
Probable Line-Ups :
Manchester United (4-4-2) – Lindegaard, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Smalling, Carrick, Scholes, Park, Valencia, Welbeck, Hernandez
Anders Lindegaard has looked much the better goalkeeper out of the two United have, and is expected to replace De Gea on Tuesday, with Ferdinand expected to partner Jonny Evans in front of him. Rafael da Silva in recent games has shown temerity and has impressed, but is likely to be benched against a side known for its aerial capabilities, with Chris Smalling expected to fill in at fullback. Despite starting the game at Liverpool only a few days back, the injury crisis at United means that either Ryan Giggs or Paul Scholes will have to make a start in the center of midfield, with Park Ji-Sung to fill in for the injured Nani and Ashley Young on the left wing. Danny Welbeck’s recent form makes him a surety upfront, with the Englishman set to be partnered by either Javier Hernandez or Dimitar Berbatov.
Stoke City (4-4-2) – Sorensen, Shawcross, Huth, Wilson, Woodgate, Delap, Palacios, Etherington, Shotton, Walters, Crouch
Stoke have a clean slate in terms of injuries, with Tony Pulis able to select his best side for the clash at Old Trafford. Jonathan Woodgate was rested against Derby in midweek, and is expected to start at right-back, while Thomas Sorensen is expected to replace Asmir Begovic in goal. The Potters have a lot of options in midfield, but with the need to defend against the Premier League champions could field Wilson Palacios ahead of Glenn Whelan and Dean Whitehead. Ryan Shotton came out of the game against West Brom unscathed and could again beat Jermaine Pennant to the spot on the right side of midfield, while Jon Walters and Peter Crouch are expected to start upfront.
Prediction:•Stoke troubled United when the two teams met at the Britannia Stadium, but are unlikely to find the same success when playing at Old Trafford. United have a depleted squad and are on the back of a disheartening defeat, but are expected to bounce back strongly against Tony Pulis’ men.
Predicted Scoreline: Manchester United 3 – 1 Stoke City
(TheSportsCampus)
