EPL: Manchester United vs Sunderland

last SG · 2007-09-01T00:29:37+00:00

He's not nicknamed baby assasin for no reason. Anyway, United is luckless yet again, plenty of possession but cant get at least 2 goals past opponents, 3 go...

Dead_Man_Inc SG

Craig Gordon
he is good, man utd will have to find ways to get pass him

zocoss SG

Roy has to swim with sharks now, says Fergie

Roy Keane's successful passage into management may have come as no surprise to Sir Alex Ferguson, but the Manchester United manager has warned his former captain the learning curve is about to become an awful lot steeper. Having worked in tandem for so long, the pair will meet as touchline rivals for the first time tomorrow when Keane takes promoted Sunderland to Old Trafford.

He returns with a rapidly growing reputation, but after helping guide his former charge during the difficult first few months of his new job, Sir Alex has told Keane he must learn to adapt to a fast-changing game if he is to survive. "Roy and I have a good relationship and I still get plenty of texts off him," Ferguson said. "He has done great at Sunderland. "He has the basic ingredients to succeed. He's intelligent, strong-minded and can make a decision, which is a great start. What he does not have is experience and the time factor that would allow him to settle into the job. He did a fantastic job getting them up but he's in the big pool now, swimming with sharks.

"I spoke to him several times about becoming a manager and he started taking his coaching badges while he was a player here. He asked me for advice once or twice when he first started. "But I gave him the best advice before he left here. In this game there are a lot of things you can't accept but you have to find a way around it because things change and it's an emotional game. "It's important to understand the new money coming into football and the new type of owners and chairmen. New managers are integrated into all that but over the last few years I've seen things that, as a young man, I would have exploded at. "I wouldn't have accepted some of the things going on today but somehow you must have the patience to wait and use your experience at the right time. Jumping in as I would have done a few years ago would have created even more problems."

Ferguson, 65, accepts he was forced to change once he decided to remain in charge at United after initially planning to retire at 60. "I was getting a bit obsessed at that time and developed my interest in horses," he added. "If I hadn't done that I don't think I could have carried on. I had to learn to delegate. "Roy said to me: 'You've changed', but I told him you have to change or you'll kill yourself. I've definitely softened but I'll still react if someone gets my back up."

Notoriously dismissive of the high-profile lifestyle of some modern players, Ferguson admits even he got sucked into flaunting the trappings of wealth when he went to watch son Darren's Peterborough side last week. "I got a helicopter the other day," he added. "Mick Phelan (the United coach) reminded me I was the one who used to go off my head when anyone else used helicopters and private planes. "But I told him: 'Mick, when you get to my age, you're not going to drive to Peterborough when you're in a hurry'."

omgukilledkenny SG

Man Utd: Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Brown, Silvestre, Pique, Evans, Scholes, Nani, Giggs, Carrick, Hargreaves, OShea, Eagles, Fletcher, Tevez, Campbell, Dong, Saha.

Sunderland: Gordon, Ward, McShane, Nosworthy, Anderson, Collins, Varga, Higginbotham, Harte, Wallace, Etuhu, Richardson, Miller, Yorke, Leadbitter, Kavanagh, Jones, Chopra, Murphy, Stokes, Connolly, ODonovan, Cole.

Dead_Man_Inc SG

Saha should face Black Cats

Sir Alex Ferguson expects Louis Saha to be involved in Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash with Sunderland at Old Trafford.

The French striker was pencilled in to play some part against Tottenham last weekend, only to be left out of the final 16-man squad. After another intensive week of training, however, Sir Alex has revealed that he should feature against Roy Keane's Black Cats.

"Louis is such an important player for us," Sir Alex told his pre-match press conference. "I don't think he'll start, but he can be a very important player if he comes on. He gives us another option, there needs to be more of a cutting edge about our game."

The 29-year-old striker has not appeared for United since a substitute cameo in May's defeat to AC Milan, and has been recuperating from a knee injury all summer.

Fellow injury victim Anderson could also feature on Saturday, having trained after suffering a hamstring strain earlier this month.

The Brazilian could make his United debut after arriving in a summer transfer from Porto, and he has impressed his new manager with his commitment to succeeding in England.

"I'm really pleased with Anderson's development over the last couple of weeks in terms of his training," said Sir Alex, who also confirmed that Gary Neville will not be fit in time for Saturday's match.

It'll be Roy Keane's first visit to Old Trafford as a manager having steered the Black Cats to the Championship crown last season. Still worshipped by United fans following his 12-year career with the Reds, Sir Alex fully expects the former skipper to be granted a special welcome on Saturday.

"He'll get a great reception," insisted the boss. "That's one of the things that makes me so proud to be manager of this football club. The reception our fans give to former players who come back to Old Trafford, both as a player and a manager, tells you what a great club we are.

"You only need to look at the ovations they've given Bryan Robson, Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham, Mark Hughes and Steve Bruce, it'll be the same for Roy on Saturday."

omgukilledkenny SG

Hope Saha at least makes the bench...finally.

zocoss SG

vs

Man Utd v Sunderland - Channel: 27 - 12:15am - (Live)

Man Utd striker Louis Saha makes his long-awaited return to the squad after injury and Anderson could feature too.

Wayne Rooney (foot), Gary Neville (thigh) and Cristiano Ronaldo (banned) are out and Ole Solskjaer has retired.

Sunderland new boys Kenwyne Jones and Danny Higginbotham could play, though Jones has a slight hamstring problem.

Ian Harte and Andrew Cole are short of match fitness, Greg Halford is banned and Paul McShane (shoulder) and Kieran Richardson (back) are doubts.

Man Utd : Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Heaton, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea, Evra, Silvestre, Fletcher, Eagles, Carrick, Scholes, Hargreaves, Nani, Anderson, Giggs, Saha, Tevez.

Sunderland : Gordon, Ward, Nosworthy, Kay, McShane, Anderson, Higginbotham, Collins, Wallace, Etuhu, Yorke, Miller, Leadbitter, Richardson, Chopra, Jones, Stokes, Murphy, Connolly, O'Donovan.

REFEREE
Martin Atkinson (Yorkshire)

zocoss SG

Sunderland watchers wonder if he is deliberately creating a mini Old Trafford by the river Wear. After all, his current squad and staff feature nine United old boys including Andy Cole, Kieran Richardson and Dwight Yorke.

Quote from Roy Keane:

"We tried to get the United team bus driver as well but he wouldn't come," joked Keane. "I have not necessarily gone out of my way to bring ex-United players and staff to the club. It just worked out that way, and it helped I knew them personally.

Laughing

sand king SG

Laughing Bus driver

sand king SG

One more game till shirt number 7 returns, I can't wait!

he jolly well not pick up anymore Red Cards.

leo-kun SG

is Harte the guy used to be from Leeds?

HyuugaNeji SG

man united sure thrash sunderland.

CKeer SG

Yeap. He takes wicked free kicks. Mr. Green

Cheers.
CK

imprezaWRXSTi22B SG

thats history la....

anyways who's watching tonight??

omgukilledkenny SG

meme!

hopefully they'll manage to show Ole saying thanks to the fans.. Crying or Very sad

club18 SG

go keano all the way..
make a giant killing!
Laughing

omgukilledkenny SG

BIG-MATCH FACTS

1. Never banked less than six points after the first five matches of a Premier League season. The only season they claimed as few as six points from a first possible 15 was 2004-05 when they went on to finish third.

2. Won one of the last six Premier League matches; 1-0, home to Tottenham, last Sunday.

3. Providing the least value for money in terms of goals on show in the Premier League so far this season. Their four games have yielded just four goals (two for, two against).

4. One of three clubs with the weakest attack in the Premier League. Reading and West Ham have also scored just twice, although the Hammers have only played three matches. The Royals and the Red Devils are averaging one goal every three hours of Premier League football played.

5. Only scored more than a single goal in one of the last nine Premier League matches; the 2-4 victory at Everton on 28 April. Conversely, they have only conceded more than a single goal in one of the last 10 league matches; in that visit to Goodison Park four months ago.

6. Failed to score in four of the last six league outings.

7. On the longest current run in the Premier League of 44 games since a loss by more than a single goal; the 3-0 reverse by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 29 April 2006.

8. Kept back-to-back clean sheets at Old Trafford, and one of four clubs yet to concede a goal at home in the Premier League. The others are Manchester City, Newcastle and Wigan.

9. Conceded more than a single goal in only one of the last 28 home league matches; the 3-2 win against Reading on 30 December 2006. Clean sheets have been kept in 17 of those 28 games.

10. A trip to Everton awaits after the international break, before Chelsea visit Old Trafford.

Sunderland ended the Red Devils' 100% home Premier League record against them when the last meeting at Old Trafford on 14 April 2006 ended goalless. Goalkeeper Kelvin Davis produced the performance of his life on that Good Friday, as the Black Cats ended United's fading title dreams but also sealed their own, inevitable relegation.

Roy Keane returns to Old Trafford for the first time as an opposing manager, as Manchester United against Sunderland, pits the oldest and youngest managers in the Premier League against each other.

This will be Sir Alex Ferguson's 1,159th match in charge of the Red Devils, and Keane's 48th at the help of the Black Cats.

Defeat for Manchester United would make it their worst ever start to this stage of a Premier League season.

The Wearsiders are suffering their worst spell under Keane, with three straight defeats in league and Carling Cup.

United are looking for the one shut-out that will make them the first club to accumulate 250 clean sheets in the Premier League.

Ryan Giggs is a double short of 100 career League goals.

If he plays:-

John O'Shea will be making his 200th start for Manchester United.

Xtrider SG

Kieran Richardson for a Hat Trick Laughing

omgukilledkenny SG

cool..Anderson and Eagles playing.

Giggs and Carrick not playing.

edit: oops Scholes is playing..

Saha's on the bench Mr. Green

zocoss SG

Wah Anderson and Eagles first time starting... Smile

omgukilledkenny SG

wa the reception for Keano so good Surprised Very Happy

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