please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Saturday, 31 December 2011 Man Utd v Blackburn, 12:45 Manchester United will hope to provide Sir Alex Ferguson with a fitting 70th birthday present by finishing 2011 top of the Premier League table with victory over Blackburn Rovers. After steering United to a record-breaking 19th title last season, he can send the reigning champions into 2012 looking down on their rivals, with current leaders Manchester City not playing until New Year's Day. Following the Boxing Day results, which saw United hammer Wigan 5-0 and City draw 0-0 at West Brom, the local rivals are level on points, so even a draw against bottom club Blackburn would send the Red Devils top. However, despite a woeful record of only one win in their last 18 Premier League away games, Blackburn will head to Old Trafford buoyed by Monday's 1-1 draw at Liverpool. The result was not enough to lift under-fire manager Steve Kean's side off the foot of the standings, but it could have injected confidence into his injury-hit squad. Rovers will also hope to banish the memory of last season's abject performance at Old Trafford when Dimitar Berbatov scored five goals in a 7-1 romp. Berbatov heads into Saturday's encounter in fine form after following up a late goal in the 5-0 success at Fulham with a hat-trick in the thrashing of Wigan. The Bulgarian, though, is by no means guaranteed to start, with Wayne Rooney pushing for a recall after appearing as a substitute against the Latics. LAST MEETING please log in to view this image United have fond memories of last term's encounters with Rovers, having followed up a 7-1 annihilation at Old Trafford, Berbatov scoring five times, with a 1-1 draw that clinched the title at Ewood Park in May. Wayne Rooney's penalty cancelled out Brett Emerton's opener to spark celebrations of a record 19th league success. INJURY WOES Michael Owen is still sidelined, while Ashley Young, Anderson, Darren Fletcher and Tom Cleverley are missing from United's midfield. Defence is also a major concern for United after Michael Carrick started at centre-half, and Antonio Valencia at right-back, in the win over Wigan. Jonny Evans was then forced off at half-time, leaving Patrice Evra to partner Carrick, with youngster Ezekiel Fryers coming on as a substitute at left-back. Evans is out for a couple of weeks to join Nemanja Vidic on the sidelines, while Chris Smalling will miss out due to tonsillitis after Ferguson dismissed reports the England international was suffering from glandular fever. Ferguson is hoping Phil Jones will be fit enough to return to face his former club, and probably partner Carrick, while Rio Ferdinand has a chance of making the bench. Blackburn also have a lengthy injury list, with defence the main area of concern for Kean ahead of the game. Gael Givet, Ryan Nelsen, Scott Dann and Michel Salgado will all miss out, while first-choice goalkeeper Paul Robinson is also absent. Robinson's understudy Mark Bunn impressed in the draw at Liverpool and he is likely to face a similarly busy afternoon against the Red Devils, who are the only team to have scored in every Premier League game this season. Kean is hoping Martin Olsson can return from a hamstring injury, while David Dunn and Junior Hoilett will have their respective hamstring problems assessed. POSSIBLE TEAMS: Man Utd: Lindegaard, Valencia, Carrick, Jones, Evra, Nani, Gibson, Giggs, Park, Rooney, Berbatov. Blackburn: Bunn, Lowe, Samba, Hanley, Henley, Vukcevic, Nzonzi, Pedersen, Petrovic, Formica, Yakubu ODDS Man Utd 1/8 Draw 7/1 Blackburn 20/1 ----------------------------------------- P GD PTS 1 Man City 18/ 38 45 2 Man Utd 18/ 33 45 3 Tottenham 17/ 15/ 38 4 Chelsea 18/ 15/ 34 5 Arsenal 18/ 8/ 33 6 Liverpool 18/ 7/ 31 7 Newcastle 18/ 3/ 30 8 Stoke 18/ -10/ 25 9 West Brom 18/ -7/ 22 10 Everton 17/ -2/ 21 11 Norwich 18/ -6/ 21 12 Aston Villa 18/ -4/ 20 13 Fulham 18/ -5/ 19 14 Swansea 18/ -5/ 19 15 Sunderland 18/ 0/ 18 16 QPR 18/ -14/ 17 17 Wolves 18/ -13/ 16 18 Wigan 18/ -20/ 14 19 Bolton 18/ -19/ 12 20 Blackburn 18/ -14/ 11 ----------------------------------------- OTHER PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES Saturday, 31 December 2011 Arsenal v QPR, 15:00 Bolton v Wolverhampton, 15:00 Chelsea v Aston Villa, 15:00 Norwich v Fulham, 15:00 Stoke v Wigan, 15:00 Swansea v Tottenham, 15:00
I changed my mind on the scoreline this morning. However I have swayed back to my original prediction of 8-1
Team from manutd.com United team: De Gea; Rafael, Carrick, Jones, Evra; Nani, Valencia, Park, Welbeck; Hernandez, Berbatov. Subs: Lindegaard, Anderson, Diouf, Pogba, W.Keane, Cole, Fryers. Now, wasn't Ando predicted to be out until Feb? How good are our medical staff!? Makes me wonder about Hargreaves though...
SAF did give a press conference yesterday saying Ando was training well, but did also say he needed more time in the gym. He may get 15 mins at the end if we're cruising. As long as he doesn't do a Hargreaves - try to rush himself back too soon in some desperate bid to prove himself and end up crocking himself even more... I think SAF has figured out the solution to our CM woes - don't play a single central midfielder in central midfield!!
FREE Link to game http://www.firstrowsports.tv/watch/100296/1/watch-manchester-united-vs-blackburn-rovers.html
