Manchester United Preview

[Eddie]

Well, after facing a difficult challenge against Liverpool this weekend we now face possibly the biggest of them all: Manchester United at Old Trafford. United are currently in second spot on goal difference and until up until this weekend they had been scoring goals for fun and easing past sides, although scoring two goals at the Emirates was no small achievement. Our own form has been nothing short of fantastic and since going out of the UEFA Cup and not really turning up against Portsmouth at home we had been on a run of wins that was only ended at the weekend against Liverpool.

With this match being played on November 11th I thought it might be fitting to look at the history of the two clubs around the war period.

Both teams enjoyed success in the years prior to the outbreak of the war, but the war would bring about not only a suspension in league football but also an end to the good years for both clubs. Manchester United had won the title in 1908 and 1911, Blackburn in 1912 and in 1914, with Rovers finishing third in the final season before the war brought an end to league football. United’s pre-war team had been somewhat marred by a match-fixing scandal, while they also only just avoided relegation in the final league season.

With league football suspended regional fixtures were arranged, with players being brought out of retirement in order to replace those who had gone to war. Whilst many games were still played there seemed to be some public resentment to the fact that professional football was continuing while other suffered and it didn’t provide the distraction from daily life and the war that one might have thought.

The war would rob many talented players of their prime footballing years, but even more sadly it would see some never return from the war, something that seems almost impossible in today’s world of cotton-wool footballers.

Rovers lost Eddie Latherton, who died on the 14th of October, 1917. He had been an important part of Rovers’ title-winning side and

Manchester United lost three players during the war; Sandy Turbull, Oscar Linkson and reserve player Patrick McGuire. Turnbull was a talented player who had played for City before moving to United and helping them to their two league triumphs. He died on the 3rd of May, 1917. McGuire and Linkson both died in 1916.

The war would change the world forever and certainly the demise of certain football clubs is not one of the most significant changes, but United would have to wait until 1952 until they won the First Division again, while Rovers would have to wait until 1995 until they once again one England’s top division.

As well as that I thought I would stick to the usual format as I have a good friend who is a United supporter and who knows a decent amount about football, at least by Old Trafford standards. With my father being a lifelong United fan this match always has extra-meaning in my household, so hopefully we can pull off a result.

Were you optimistic going into the season?

Had to be. We won the title last year and I really liked who we brought in. I though Hargreaves and Tevez would almost complete the side, but we do still have problems at the back at times.

What were your thoughts on Rovers before the season started?

I like Hughes and I thought you lot had a decent side. I expected you to challenge for the UEFA cup and you’ve been a little better than that so far, which is good as Liverpool are behind you. I still expect you to finish 6th-8th.

Who have been your key players so far?

Vidic has been great at the back when he’s been fit, as has Ferdinand. Rooney is getting back to his best and I think that is the real reason why we’ve been so good in the past few weeks.

Biggest disappointment?

Maybe Giggs, this might be a season too far for him. Ronaldo hasn’t been great either, but I expect he’ll turn it around soon.

Would Hughes be your first choice to replace Ferguson?

Possibly. It depends on what he does between now and then, but if you keep improving as you have been then I think he would be a good choice.

Rovers player you fear most?

Pace worries me most against our defenders, especially if Neville and O’Shea play, so I’m not too worried about the threat of most of your players. You have some good attacking players, but I’m more worried about the team rather than individuals.

Prediction?

United 3-1

Form in the last 5 games:

Rovers - W W W W D

United - W W W W D

I'll update this when I know who will be missing, although it will be Reid, Savage and I would think Roberts for us. Neville could be in line for a return for them, while Scholes is certainly out.

Well, I’m not overly optimistic going into this one and I think United will win it by the odd goal or two. I’m going to say 2-0 United, but hopefully we can keep our unbeaten run going and even get back to winning ways. Thanks to Sam for answering my questions.

[American Rover12]

Good preview. Like you said, can't be too optimistic about a fixture like this. A point would suffice just fine in my book.

[Mike Graham]

great review Eddie.....thanks

I am particually naffed off with TV and Manure over this game; I delayed a business trip to Seattle from the Saturday to Sunday to go to this game, now I will be half way over the Atlantic when Benni scores!!

I will miss the Villa and Newcastle home games due to rearrangments and now the home game against Wham due to the move from Sat to Sunday and me having to go to a wedding.

So lets stuff the mancs; in the meantime i'm saying goodbye to my ST's next season due to TV making ST's a complete waste of time.

[arealbrfcfan]

If anyone has 2 spare tickets for this game pm me. Thanks!

[1864roverite]

Mike

Being a union man can you not exert some sort of influence on them :!:

For me this game has ti be the ultimate test of Rovers progression, a sort of some mid term examination of our credentials.

I wont be visiting mould t as I refuse to pay their extortionate prices for such crap seating, nor would I ever dream of buying any o their manure merchandises on sale behind the bars, so my money is in the back pocket ready to watch it on arabic tv.

Everyone will have manure down for an emphatic win and why shouldnt they ? After all its little old Blackburn Rovers theya re playing and I suspect that every fixed odds coupon will show Rovers at a healthy 10-1 for an away win, I would even imagine a scoredraw being even better odds.

Just how Rovers cope with the diddy men of Rooney and Tevez, added to the diving of clownaldo is something only Mark hughes can know, add this to the shooting prowess of Nani and Rovers seem to have a real problem on their hands come Sunday.

I cannot see Tugay coping with the midfield but then again without Scholes manure are missing their nemesis against Rovers. I just hope that The Axe is fit to take his place as the holding midfielder.

The back four of Emerton Nelsen Samba and Warnock is a steady back four crucial to any platform Rovers build in the game, every supporters knows that if you keep manure out of the net for 20 minutes, the crowd goes into eerie silence and the players suffer. Its the midfield that concerns me and this is where the game is going to won or lost or even drawn !

The Axe, if fit, has to play the holding position. Bentley, Dunn (if fit),MGP (or even Benni Mac) and Tugay have to form a solid barrier across the middle. Playing with 5 midfielders can thwart manures ability to move the ball forward, it also allows a man marking job on either Rooney or Tevez or even clownaldo. I thik that Warnock has to be on his best game as he will have the Portuguese muppet down his flank all the time.

By playing RSC alone up front, we have a player who can hold the ball waiting for Bentley, MGP or even tugay to find a bit of space because for me in Vandersar, they have a keeper who is susceptible to long range shooting.

Its a tough ask for Rovers but the aim should be to frustate the hell out of them. What they dont need is manure streaming forward and us on the back foot for 90 minutes as I dont think Rovers could withold such pressure.

For those going, enjoy. But please, find a sweet shop nearby, dont give your hard earned cash to the manc money machine.

[waggy]

i hope us changing the fixture date to the benefit off utd is the only thing we are go to give them,since the glazers took over at utd i have not been to a utd - rovers game,this will be no different

[Rovermatt]

We haven't a hope at Old Trafford. They'll win comfortably once we hand them a goal late in the first half.

3-0 United.

[krislu]

If everyone play at their best then we stand a chance. The key is stopping their wide men. We should put Emerton on the right wing and Ooijer at right back, Bentley on the bench. Hopefully we will have Mokoena back adding some steal in the centre of midfield.

Would also like Derbyshire to start the game. Against ManU we need someone to run into channels behind their defense. Both Benni and Santa want the ball to be played in their feet...

[OJRovers]

If anyone has 2 spare tickets for this game pm me. Thanks!

Have we sold out? There might be some left

[ABBEY]

not at 40 quid we wont have....0-2 rovers

[OhmiBRFC]

Was looking forward to this game but their is no way I am paying £39, not been to any away games this season as I refuse to let myself be ripped off.

[laughatthedingles]

The fact is United are at the top of their game unlike the other top 3 when we have come up against them this season and therefore we cannot really gauge how well we will do until we watch the game which makes for an intruiging prospect.

We however are not playing at our best and have quite a depleated team at the moment, therefore it is possibly not the best time to playing manure but on the flip side we are probably higher in confidence than we have ever been and also have 'fringe' players given a chance and desperate to prove they warrent a regular starting role:

Ooijer has been present since the beginning of this run and prehaps the best compliment I can pay him is that I haven't been worried about him being there.

Emerton has recently shown his versitility and despite my opinion that he is most definatly not a centre midfielder and I wouldn't like to see him there much longer, the endevour he always shows means he is able to deputise admirably.

Tugay looked good when he came on and could be in line for a start due to Dunny's apparent knock.

Mokoena could be back which I feel would add so much more balance as well as offer the opportunity for Ronaldo to be cut in half (always a good thought).

Gamst needs to improve, without him we lack something, not quite sure what it is, maybe its simply balance but one thing is for sure his workrate still means he warrants a place for me, his delivery will come back and when it does its deadly.

Bents is not exactly buzzing at the moment but still provides moments of quality.

Benni and Santa are one third of the reason we have had this run, really beginning to form a good partnership.

The other two parts are big Brad, reliable and quality as ever and without doubt Samba and Nelsen, I would not swap either for ANY other centre half in the country, they will in my opinion provide United's ugly forwards with their biggest test to date.

All in all an interesting encounter, maybe it wont be the result of the game that is the marker for our season as some people have suggested but more the reaction to the result, if its a positive result then will we get over confident or if its not a positive result can we bounce back immediately??

[S15]

5-0 United.

[Manchester Blue]

i hope us changing the fixture date to the benefit off utd is the only thing we are go to give them,since the glazers took over at utd i have not been to a utd - rovers game,this will be no different

We didn;t move it for their benefit, GMP insisted on so much notice and as we were still in the Uefa they moved it. Probably for the benefit of their overtime i;m sure. First time I can remember missing this for years it's usually my favourite away day. Not sure i'd have paid £39 anyway but luckily decision was made as missus is due any day now.

They really are on fire at present and it's tough to see us getting anything, however if anyone can, Hughesy can. (the Rovers Manager that is not the message board member)

[Eddie]

I really think a rule should be introduced whereby away supporters have to pay the same price as their most expensive seat for the reverse fixture (obviously not if the original price was cheaper). It is unfair to price away supporters out. It might upset some supporters who would see away fans getting cheaper tickets, but then that is something that they could take up with their club.

[Eddie]

Yeah there are tons of problems with it and it would never happen, but it would be nice to see clubs that give their fans cheaper tickets really being rewarded.

[colin]

That £39 price has put me right off.

I'll probably be able to do both Manchester City away & Wigan away for that. So, despite me being able to get there in 20 minutes on my bike I'm not going to contribute to The Glazers' money-grabbing antics.

They can go forth & multiply. I'll go and walk up something in the Peak District instead.

Great preview Eddie. Thanks.

[Paul Mellelieu]

Bought a ticket at the weekend. I know it's stupid, but it's my home fixture. Back in 15 minutes after the final whistle.

Fingers crossed. Eyes closed. 1-1 anybody?

[joey_big_nose]

I dont really think we are going to win this one. If Savage and Reid were available then perhaps but we are just a bit too soft in the middle right now.

A 1-0 loss would be par, a draw a great result. The one thing we lack is a bit of pace to hurt very atacking sides like Man U on the break. I wonder if Bellamy wishes he had come back to us, this is the sort of game we could have really used him.

Still looking forward to it though.

[daren]

United have improved from a poor start, but have yet to hit the heights they achieved last season. Rooney and Tevez are playing well together, but their central midfield is as poor as it's been in years, and they still are giving away sloppy goals at times. Nani had that one great (deflected) shot but aside from that hasn't been too impressive and Andersen's not ready for the big time. Ronaldo's still not at his best. Far from it, to be honest.

We cannot play Ooijer at right back - he would get absolutely skinned for pace. It has to be Emerton, for me. If we're still stuck for a holding midfielder, maybe he could fit in there, as his defensive positioning is quite good and I've generally be impressed with his passing. I hope that Mokoena is fit, though.

I have 1-2 to the Rovers in my head, for some reason. Hope I'm right!

[philipl]

Cannot help but think, if Rovers score first and early, we could well suffer another 6-2 thrashing.

[Silencio]

United have improved from a poor start, but have yet to hit the heights they achieved last season. Rooney and Tevez are playing well together, but their central midfield is as poor as it's been in years, and they still are giving away sloppy goals at times. Nani had that one great (deflected) shot but aside from that hasn't been too impressive and Andersen's not ready for the big time. Ronaldo's still not at his best. Far from it, to be honest.

We cannot play Ooijer at right back - he would get absolutely skinned for pace. It has to be Emerton, for me. If we're still stuck for a holding midfielder, maybe he could fit in there, as his defensive positioning is quite good and I've generally be impressed with his passing. I hope that Mokoena is fit, though.

I have 1-2 to the Rovers in my head, for some reason. Hope I'm right!

Dunno if I agree about Anderson, I watched him run the show against Wigan, Kiev and Middlesborough and he did OK against Arsenal. Him and Hargreaves is a good pairing (as I live in South Korea they always show Man Utd.) Their defenders are good individually but are prone to lapses. Evra bombs forward and Brown gets caught ball watching at right back. If MGP gets some form he could cause them problems.

[American Rover12]

I agree Bish. In Anderson's last few games out, he's really taken form.

[roversmum]

Oh dear. Got tickets and coach booked, now find Miss Roversmum has an audition at Royal Academy of Dance on Monday so will have to drive down to London. Anyone know of a decent pub round Battersea where we can catch the game?

[elwaxo]

Oh dear. Got tickets and coach booked, now find Miss Roversmum has an audition at Royal Academy of Dance on Monday so will have to drive down to London. Anyone know of a decent pub round Battersea where we can catch the game?

does that mean you have a spare ticket roversmum?? I'd be more than happy........