EPL ~ Manchester United 7 Blackburn 1 - Nov 27

zocoss SG

Saturday, 27 November 2010

Time: 11:00 pm - (Live)

Mio Channel 102 / 110

EPL Game 15

Manchester United :

Van der Sar, Brown, Rio, Rafael, Smalling, Vidic, Evans, O'Shea, Fabio, Evra, Park, Carrick, Berbatov, Nani, Scholes, Hernandez, Anderson, Rooney, Obertan, Macheda, Bebe.

Rooney9 SG

Only goal difference separates Manchester United and Chelsea at the top of the table, and yet Reds boss Sir Alex Ferguson insists his team must improve.

The United manager, a stickler for demanding nothing but the best, has called for his players to “wake up” if they want to prise the Barclays Premier League trophy away from the Londoners’ grasp.

“The last two performances in the league haven’t been good enough,” Sir Alex said in Glasgow this week. “We’ve not played well. We should have lost by six goals at Aston Villa but somehow we got a point out of it. And against Wigan we made things difficult for ourselves – we could have won by five or six.

“We’ve been a bit more fortunate that some of the other sides who haven’t played well, though. At least we took something from the games.”

That fighting spirit, the ability to grind out results even when the side isn’t playing well, pleases the boss.

“At least I know I’ve got players who are prepared to do something – and did something – about situations like the one we found ourselves in at Villa Park. That says a lot about the character of the human beings I’ve got, which is satisfying for me.”

But in order to mount a serious title challenge the Reds will need to eradicate the lapses of concentration that plagued the team in the early stages of the season.

“At Everton we could have won by six or seven and ended up drawing 3-3. At Fulham we missed a penalty kick with a couple of minutes to go and then conceded an equaliser. That’s not the kind of thing we enjoy.“

Sir Alex isn’t wasting much time dwelling on those disappointments, though. United may not have hit top gear this term but the Reds are level on points with league leaders Chelsea and ahead of 18 other sides in the division.

“We can look at the points we threw away and think, ‘We could be six points clear.’ You can analyse things like that across the whole season, but the only thing that matters is where you are at the end of the season.

“We know the last two games haven’t been up to our standard but the incentive of being at the top of the league is a big one. It’s time to wake up.”

zocoss SG

It may be all sweetness and light again between Wayne Rooney and the Old Trafford faithful, or at least the United striker hopes it is, but he still has to shift the significant rust from his improved frame before the reservations are dispelled. One penalty kick aside, Rooney was well below-par against Rangers in midweek and despite the chance to usurp Chelsea at the summit, Sir Alex Ferguson is expected to start the striker against Blackburn. "Playing is the name of the game for him now," he said. Darren Fletcher and possibly Paul Scholes may miss out through injury while five Rovers players require late fitness tests.

Venue Old Trafford, Saturday 3pm

Tickets £46

Last season Manchester Utd 2 Blackburn 0

Referee L Probert

This season's matches 10 Y27, R4, 3.10 cards per game

Odds Manchester Utd 2-7 Blackburn 12-1 Draw 5-1

Subs from Kuszczak, Brown, Anderson, Giggs, Smalling, Hernández, Fábio, Rafael, J Evans, Obertan, Macheda

Doubtful Scholes (groin)

Injured Fletcher (ankle, 13 Dec), Hargreaves (hamstring, 13 Dec), Valencia (broken leg, Feb), Owen (hamstring, unknown)

Suspended None

Form guide WDDWWW

Disciplinary record Y24 R0

Leading scorer Berbatov 6

Subs from Bunn, Kalinic, Chimbonda, Benjani, Nzonzi, Emerton, Linganzi, Goulon, Hanley, Doran

Doubtful Benjani (hamstring), Emerton (hamstring), Givet (illness), Nzonzi (hamstring), Pedersen (hamstring)

Injured Grella (groin, 4 Dec), Andrews (groin, Jan), Olsson (hamstring, unknown)

Suspended None

Ineligible MB Diouf (terms of loan)

Form guide WLWWLL

Disciplinary record Y24 R1

Leading scorer Pedersen 4

• United have not failed to score at home since losing 1-0 to Aston Villa last September

• A defeat for Blackburn would be their 50th all-time loss to Manchester United

• Rio Ferdinand has played more minutes than any other outfield player (720) without committing a foul this season

• Morten Gamst Pedersen scored both Blackburn's goals in their only Premier League win at Old Trafford (in September 2005)

• Dimitar Berbatov scored six times in his first five league appearances of the season but has now failed to find the net in his last seven games

omgukilledkenny SG

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Rafael Da Silva, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Nani, Carrick, Anderson, Park, Berbatov, Rooney.

Subs: Kuszczak, Giggs, Hernandez, O'Shea, Evans, Fletcher, Obertan.

Blackburn: Robinson, Salgado, Samba, Nelsen, Chimbonda, Jones, Emerton, Dunn, Goulon, El-Hadji Diouf, Roberts.

Subs: Bunn, Givet, Linganzi, Mwaruwari, Hoilett, Hanley, Morris.

Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire)

Rooney9 SG

3-0, with Berbatov scoring 2 goals and 1 goal by Park. surely this is game over. wonder if Rooney get to score in this match from open play?

omgukilledkenny SG

Anderson's doing a good job bossing Utd's midfield.

Rock^Star SG

how come i have never seen man u play with such vigour and invention this season?!?!? I think it has to be the return of rooney. Carrick seems to play the anchor midfielder these days.

Rooney9 SG

this is the best man united lineup this season thus far. now awaiting for Rooney to return to form by scoring goals. luckily man united did not rely Rooney to score goals in his absence.

Rooney9 SG

5-0 now. Berbatov hat trick and Nani scoring a beautiful goal. still Rooney hasnt even threaten with one shot.

Rooney9 SG

Berbatov scored 4 goals in this match. Nani is really improving as a player now. very soon he will improve and maybe try to improve his scoring prowess the way Ronaldo did. I be happy if Nani can score 10 goals in a season.

Chris88110 SG

One more and even if Chelsea win, WE STAY TOP

Rooney9 SG

I am hoping newcastle can draw chelsea at their own den.

McVay SG

"When Manchester United are at their best I am close to orgasm."

-Gianluca Vialli

tripsky SG

wow i expect us to hit ten goal~~ go go go!!!!!!!

Rooney9 SG

Berbatov scored 5 goals. will he be the first person since the formation of EPL, to score 6 goals in a match? Will Rooney even score a goal in this match?

Rooney9 SG

united really cannot keep a clean sheet in this match even though united scored 7 goals.

CKeer SG

Evan is the idiot la. Really should have sold him and kept Pique.

Did you see how he tries to be clever in the final few minutes after Rio gave him the ball at the back? If one of the Blackburn players stole in, it could so easily be 7-2.

Rock^Star SG

One more and even if Chelsea win, WE STAY TOP

no la....now the GD is equal.

zocoss SG

Evans came on and gave a goal away... Hiyo this guy ah...

Rooney9 SG

why didnt fergie play Smalling instead of Evans? wrong choice of players lar. why fergie replace Vidic with Evans for, was he injured or taken off as a precaution or simply to rest him?