Manchester United Vs Sunderland Official Sunderland Not606 Match Thread please log in to view this image Ryan Giggs takes charge of his second Manchester United game, as Sunderland continue their battle against relegation at Old Trafford. Giggs marked his first game as interim boss with a comfortable victory over another relegation candidate in Norwich, and he will be looking for a repeat against Gus Poyet's Black Cats Back-to-back wins have seen Sunderland leap out of the relegation zone and suddenly they look on course for a great escape, with three games of their league season remaining. Connor Wickham will be supremely confident going into the game, having been the Premier League's top scorer in April, a feat which saw him named Player of the Month. But history in this fixture is very much on the side of United. Manchester United have never lost at home to Sunderland in the Premier League, and from their 12 meetings at Old Trafford, the hosts have won 10 of them. Indeed, Sunderland are without a win in 23 league games against the Red Devils overall, taking just five points in total in that spell. Match Appointments REFEREE: Howard Webb ASST. REF. 1: D Cann ASST. REF. 2: S Massey 4TH OFFICIAL: A Marriner Manchester United Team News Striker Wayne Rooney is a major doubt for Manchester United's match against Sunderland as he is ill and also has a tight groin. Fellow striker Robin van Persie will be assessed on Friday to see whether he has recovered from the knee injury which has sidelined him since March 19. Goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard (illness) and defender Rafael (thigh) are doubts while interim player-manager Ryan Giggs has said he is unlikely to name himself in the match day squad. Sunderland Team News Gus Poyet could name an unchanged side following their successful run in recent weeks. Italian international Emanuele Giaccherini will be pushing for a starting role, though, after impressing when he on against Cardiff last week - scoring one goal and setting up another. One man not involved is on-loan midfielder Ki Sung-yueng, who has tendonitis of the knee. Head to Head please log in to view this image EPL Form please log in to view this image This Seasons Reverse Fixture please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Last Seasons Corresponding Fixture please log in to view this image What the 'Experts' Say please log in to view this image Lawrenson Sunderland are on a really good run but I think Manchester United will beat the Black Cats, and not just because they are the better team. With Ryan Giggs in temporary charge after the sacking of David Moyes, there is a real feel-good factor around Old Trafford again, including on the training ground and in the dressing room where everything is now fine, apparently. All that is great for Giggs, but it tells me there were some bad apples in the squad, and also that much of what has happened at the club this season is down to player power, which is a less savoury part of the story. Defeat for Sunderland will not be the end of their survival hopes, far from it. With two home games left, against West Brom and Swansea, they have got a great chance and I also think the ball has finally started rolling for them a bit too. Lawro's prediction: 2-0 Merson Both of these teams had really good results last week; I knew Man United would turn into the Harlem Globetrotters against Norwich and Sunderland have turned the corner and are on a right roll now. I think the euphoria factor that surrounded Ryan Giggs might go because it looks like Louis van Gaal is getting the job, but I would still go for them to win the game. I think Sunderland will stay up because they've got two home games coming up. They'll want to get this out of the way and win one of the next two, which look like decent fixtures for them. PAUL PREDICTS: 2-0 Stats n Facts Manchester United have won 10 and lost none of their 12 Barclays Premier League home games against Sunderland (D2). The Black Cats are without a win in 23 league games against the Red Devils overall, taking just five points in total in that spell (D5 L18). Adnan Januzaj scored a brace on his first ever Premier League start in this seasonâs reverse fixture with Sunderland (2-1 to Manchester United). After nine Premier League games without a win, Sunderland have won their last two. Wayne Rooney has scored six goals in his last five Premier League appearances, with the six goals coming in three braces. Gus Poyetâs side have scored in all but one of their last 10 away league games. Sunderland have taken seven points against the top four this season; more than Man Utd, Arsenal and Liverpool and level with Man City. Connor Wickham was the top scoring Premier League player in April with five goals. Wickham has scored five goals in his three PL appearances after netting just one in his first 37 top-flight outings. Sunderland have won only six of 28 Premier League games played in May. Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook Betting please log in to view this image Links http://www.manutd.com/en/Visit-Old-Trafford/Maps-And-Directions.aspx?section=maps Streaming http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?matchid=257281&part=sports
Arrgggh, not Webbers. Shrek out would be a big plus, esp if VP is still gone. LittlePea and Welbeck don't get me shaking in my boots, nor does the ManUre midfield and defence when you look at the depth there.
Sunderland have not beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford since John Major was Prime Minister and Ryan Giggs was in his twenties. Fergie’s original fledgling will be in the dugout for the second time amid rumours that he could manage elsewhere next season. Time is running out for several of United’s old guard and this otherwise inconsequential fixture against Sunderland could be the end for a few of them. I thought the last time we beat at old Trafford was May 1968. .????
Got to say I can't see you getting anything today as Man U will be playing fro Giggs but I hope you do. Good luck today and Wednesday. See you all next Saturday.
I don't understand how/why Webb is still allowed to referee Man U games seeing that it is common knowledge that he favours them so much..
Unchanged team and hopefully an un changed desire and will to win that weve seen in the past 3 games. Anything today is a bonus, just hoping the 4 around us lose this weekend. Head vs heart again. Head says weve got united at the worst time and they'll nick a tight 2-1 Heart says we'll shut them out and connor will continue is scoring streak. Hawaaaay!
Expect WBA to lose at Arsenal. Expect Cardiff not to win at SJP expect Norwich to lose at Chelsea Expect Fulham to not win at Stoke. Worst case seems we lose a point on Fulham and Cardiff. I don't think any real damage will be done this weekend. **** imagine if we won and they all lost! You can't say it's a million to one shot.
Been looking on a few United forums and **** me they are bitter about the 'Poznan' incident. They reckon they are the biggest club in the world yet they give a **** about a few Sunderland fans having a laugh in the sun on the last day of a season? What a bunch of bell-ends man, I didn't agree with it as we had a good relationship with United, but to still give a ****, I find that hilarious. We'll probs lose today, but we'll get over the line midweek. ****ing love big midweek games me.
Quite importantly, as long as neither Fulham nor Norwich get a surprise win this weekend, WBA are safe before they come to us. In this scenario I can see a big survival party Wednesday night!
Aye, I'm confident we'll get the win against WBA, they aren't a park it side they'll try and win, always quite liked WBA going back many years to a 2-2 last day draw at Roker Park, they took the whole Roker End and it was packed, they had beach balls and lilo's floating about, they were class that day, before, during and after the game, I've had a soft spot since. I was sat in the WBA end at the 0-3 at the Hawthorns the other year as well, and they were ****ing class, they ripped us to bits like, but really good natured, might have been different if we weren't getting splattered like. I'm really ****ing interested in Hull today, I reckon they can, and will, win at Villa, and put them horrible bastards right in the mix. I'd love a scenario where somehow Norwich survived at Villa's expense.
Wickham needs to keep up his remarkable chance conversion rate. In the first half Norwich had loads of chances to break and score, but their decision making was poor, recently we've been really clinical hopefully that stays the same
United XI: De Gea, Jones, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Nani, Carrick, Fletcher, Young, Mata, Hernandez Subs: Amos, Smalling, Valencia, Fellaini, Januzaj, Welbeck, Van Persie Sunderland XI: Mannone, Vergini, Alonso, Brown, O'Shea (c), Cattermole, Larsson, Colback, Johnson, Borini, Wickham Subs: Bardsley, Altidore, Ba, Giaccherini, Bridcutt, Scocco, Ustari
