Hi Pals, posting this early as I may not be about....didn’t enjoy this season....in the big league! My Old mate Clayton Blackmore has invited me over to his pad, for the match, drinks and a parade of dancing girls for my perusal! I of course will decline, despite my impotence! I’m a’coming!
The only thing certain about the game is that Old Sparkey and Dai will predict a city win....bloody brilliant!
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has pledged to involve Manchester United youngsters such as Tahith Chong, Angel Gomes and Mason Greenwood against Cardiff. Club captain Antonio Valencia hopes to be fit enough to make a farewell appearance after a decade at United. Jesse Lingard could return after injury but Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez, Bryan Robson and Anthony Martial are fitness doubts. Cardiff are without loanees Harry Arter and Victor Camarasa because of a calf strain and dead leg respectively. Martin Fisher: A week of two incredible comebacks. A weekend when an epic title tussle will reach its climax. A season that will see four English clubs meet in European finals... but, for once, instead of writing such headlines, Manchester United are noticeable by their absence. Second last season and seemingly back in the pack, they're miles off the pace again. With a summer of comings and goings predicted, this could represent an Old Trafford farewell for several donning the famous red jersey. But will it be Cardiff manager Neil Warnock's curtain call? After relegation at 70, retirement may yet beckon but he would miss football - and football would certainly miss him. Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: "Challenging for the title next year would be a miraculous season because we are so far behind at the moment, points-wise. "It's not like when I used to play that it was us or Arsenal that were going to win the league, and then Chelsea came. "Now it's a very, very competitive competition and we're challenging against the best teams in the world for these trophies. That tells us that it's going to be a great challenge. We want to get back to where we used to be." Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock, who has one year left on his contract, on his forthcoming meeting with the club's board: "I've got my own idea what I want to say to them and try to help the club forward. "We will need two or three good signings to get us there. It could be an exciting time and it would be nice for me to leave them in the top flight. "I think we've arrived as a football club this year. We're a big club and we've got to think big now." Cardiff will have a bit of a go but United should beat them. But there is nothing riding on the result - it is what happens next that is important, for both sides. Prediction: 2-0 Lawro's full predictions Head-to-head Manchester United are unbeaten in eight league meetings since a 0-3 away defeat in November 1960 (W6, D2). United won this season's reverse fixture 5-1 in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first match in charge. Cardiff have never kept a clean sheet in 15 away games against United in all competitions. Manchester United Manchester United will finish outside the Premier League's top four for the fifth time in six seasons since Alex Ferguson retired as manager. They are winless in five games in all competitions, and have only managed two victories in their past 11 (W2, D2, L7). The Red Devils have only kept two clean sheets in the league at Old Trafford this season, guaranteeing their lowest tally in a campaign since 1962-63, when they were also limited to two. It's 14 league and cup games without a clean sheet for United, their worst run since a 16-match streak from October to December 1970. They have won an unrivalled 18 of their 26 matches on the final weekend of a Premier League season. Their most recent closing defeat came against West Ham in 2006-07. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had an eight-month spell as Cardiff manager in 2014. He was unable to avoid relegation from the Premier League and left the Bluebirds after seven league matches of the following season with the club 17th in the Championship table. Cardiff City It's nine defeats in 11 league games for relegated Cardiff, who won the other two. The Bluebirds have lost 24 times this season, a top-flight club record. They have led at half-time in only three Premier League fixtures this season - only Derby County and QPR have ever fared worse. Neil Warnock has suffered a third top-flight relegation, all in different decades: 1991-92 at Notts County, 2006-07 with Sheffield United and now at Cardiff City. Warnock has lost all four of his away matches at Old Trafford as a manager, with Notts County in 1991, Bury in 1998, Sheffield United in 2007 and Crystal Palace in 2014. Sharethis page
Part of me was hoping we'd lose this one. If we win, it's going to be a summer of "what ifs" and that's going to be horrible.
