United v. West Brom Preview

By: Taylor Rockwell | January 27th, 2009

Barclays Premier League
The Hawthorns
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
KO – 19:45 GMT (2:45 PM EST)

I can’t decide how I feel about the current rate of United fixtures. On the one hand, I love that we apparently have a game every 43 seconds, but on the other, half our squad may be dead by April. It’s a tricky situation, and one that’s not likely to be made any easier by the fact that we remain alive in four separate competitions (EPL, Champions League, Carling Cup, and the FA Cup). It’s definitely annoying to see our injury sheet and note more names there than on the fit-for-duty list. However, I would much prefer to have too many matches than not enough.

Remember him? Owen Hargreaves (last healthy in the spring of 1976) is just as concerned about United’s list of walking wounded as you are…

That said our roster for tonight is noticeably bare. Most likely, United will be without the services of roughly 367 first teamers (including Evra, Brown, Ferdinand, Evans, Rafael, Park, Nani, Anderson, Hargo, Rooney, and possibly Welbeck AND Fabio). So, there’s a distinct possibility that tonight’s starting XI will have a bit of a makeshift look to it.

The good news? So too will West Brom’s. The Baggies have an injury list ten names long, including four of their centre-backs (Abdoulaye Meite, Jonas Olsson, Leon Barnett, and Neil Clement) and captain Jonathan Greening. Nevertheless, West Brom manager Tony Mowbray remains fairly optimistic about his side’s chances tonight.

“We have won a few games and drawn a few. We go into the game hoping to give Manchester United an uncomfortable night. United haven’t been as free-flowing and there have been a few games recently where it has been 1-0 or 2-1. If we can make it a tight game for them and a nervous game for them, the longer it goes, you never know in football.”

I wonder what the Baggies game plan could possibly be. Free-flowing attack? Lots of possession? Creating exciting chances? Nope. They’re going to sit ten men behind the ball and hoof it up for counterattacks. Awesome.

Predicted Starting XI: VDS, Fletcher, Vidic, Neville, O’Shea, Slave, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Berba, Tevez. Bench: PIG, Chester, Eckersley, Possebon, Gibson, Tosic, Macheda (seriously… that’s all we’ve got).

Taylor’s Prediction: Everything about this match should make me nervous. This will be our seventh match in 20 days. We’re without six potential defensive starters. Wayne Rooney is hurt. Slave has (I believe) a stomach bug. We’re playing away to a team that will be looking for a draw. It’s going to be VERY cold and wet. Darron Gibson could figure at some point. And yet, I am expecting United to thump their opposition tonight. One quick goal, and it could easily be a 3 or 4 nil victory. My guess is that Berba gets one in (at the very least). My hope is that we see A LOT of Zoran Tosic tonight… and that the Serb makes an immediate impact with a goal or eight. Regardless, a full three points would be a welcome result. Come on you Reds!