EPL : Manchester United vs Watford - Jan 31st
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EPL : Manchester United vs Watford
Top plays bottom on Wednesday as Barclays Premiership leaders Manchester United welcome Watford, buoyed by their FA Cup fourth-round victory at West Ham United on Saturday, which followed a notable win over Blackburn in the league. United failed to capitalise on Chelsea's defeat at Anfield last week as they were beaten by Arsenal's late turnaround, but they overcame Portsmouth's resistance in the cup at the weekend and will be confident of taking all three points against the rock-bottom Hornets, who have not won at Old Trafford since 1979 and remain seven points adrift of safety. The only previous Premier League meeting between these sides at Old Trafford was in October 1999, when Andy Cole's double helped United to a 4-1 win. Watford may have scored just four goals away from home all season, but they will be encouraged by the fact that United have recorded only one clean sheet in their last nine league games. -
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03:54 am - 05:57 am, LIVE on Star Sports. Should be the early morning of Thursday. -
UNITED PAIR READY FOR RECALL
Sir Alex Ferguson expects to welcome Cristiano Ronaldo and Louis Saha back into his squad for Manchester United's Barclays Premiership clash with rock-bottom Watford on Wednesday.
Both men missed SaturdayÂ’s FA Cup triumph against Portsmouth but should be available for selection against the Hornets. -
Louis Saha will miss Manchester United's Premiership encounter with Watford after failing to recover from a knee injury.
Sir Alex Ferguson had hoped the French striker would be available to face the rock bottom Hornets - but Saha will only return to training in the morning and has an outside chance of making Sunday's trip to Tottenham.
Wayne Rooney was due to be among the substitutes but may start after his two-goal salvo against Portsmouth at the weekend, while Cristiano Ronaldo returns to the squad after a brief break in Dubai.
Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster is ineligible for the trip to face his parent club.
Richard Lee is set to step in as the Premiership's bottom side take on the leaders at Old Trafford. Striker Darius Henderson missed training sessions with an ankle problem but should feature and defender Malky Mackay is expected to shrug off a calf niggle.
Centre-back Danny Shi ttu (ankle) remains a doubt and midfielder Gavin Mahon is still being troubled by a calf problem so may remain sidelined.
Teams:
Man United : Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Neville, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Silvestre, O'Shea, Evra, Heinze, Park, Fletcher, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Richardson, Ronaldo, Rooney, Larsson, Solskjaer.
Watford : Lee, Chamberlain, Mariappa, Mackay, DeMerit, Stewart, Smith, Francis, Bangura, McNamee, Bouazza, Henderson, Powell, Doyley, Kabba, Ashikodi, Shittu, Mahon, Priskin. -
wanna wach this match leh
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Rooney is back to his best, says Queiroz
Carlos Queiroz has warned Watford to beware Wayne Rooney as Manchester United look to consolidate their lead at the top of the Premiership against the club lying bottom in the table at Old Trafford tonight.
After struggling for form over the opening half of the season, Rooney has recently sparked back into life, and goal-scoring form. The 21-year-old followed up his goal at Arsenal by scoring twice in the FA Cup win over Portsmouth at the weekend, the second a chip few would have dared try.
"When he does something like that, we immediately know we have a different forward in the next game," said Queiroz. "It didn't really surprise me - because when the opportunity arises in training, Wayne always tries to do special things like that."
When the concern over Rooney's form was at its height in December, Queiroz was among those to urge restraint, insisting a slight dip in standards was only natural considering how much the player had pushed himself to make England's squad for last summer's World Cup after breaking his foot in April. Added to that, the former Everton man missed three games at the start of this season after a pre-season dismissal against Porto.
However, having watched Rooney score his 11th goal of the season, Queiroz believes the youngster is almost back to his best. "Forwards are special in the sense that one goal can change the quality of their game from one moment to the next," he said. -
I sense a thrashing here. Since Young is sold and Foster unavailable, the Hornets will definitely suffer.
4-0 rout!
Cheers.
C.K -
i was expecting alan smith to be sub out after the 3rd goal....
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Larsson is not bad, scoring almost immediately after coming on. Whats with Richardson? Too few games under his belt? He's got speed but thats about it, everything else is bad, passing is poor, cannot shoot on target. I think he's bit kancheong...
Watford, I think, came prepared to lose as I don't see them bringing the game to Man U. They went about half-heartedly - especially after that own goal - think that one break their morale.... -
All along, I maintain my stand that Richardson should be sold.Originally posted by red_amoeba:Larsson is not bad, scoring almost immediately after coming on. Whats with Richardson? Too few games under his belt? He's got speed but thats about it, everything else is bad, passing is poor, cannot shoot on target. I think he's bit kancheong...
Watford, I think, came prepared to lose as I don't see them bringing the game to Man U. They went about half-heartedly - especially after that own goal - think that one break their morale....
He offered pace but he lacks teamwork. Most times, he should pass, but shoot.
He is not kancheong, but Kiasu. Either he is ordered by SAF or he just to make his big break but he is simply one level short...
And from this game, it highlights the fact, that MUFC's future is built on two rocks, Rooney and Ronaldo. Without them, MUFC will lose pace, creativity.
As seen with Larsson, he is much faster than Ole, thus able to link up better with Rooney, and immediately scored a goal.
With Liverpool and Arsenal all hitting form, it will now be a tight 4 horse race. -
why u so zhun?Originally posted by CKeer:I sense a thrashing here. Since Young is sold and Foster unavailable, the Hornets will definitely suffer.
4-0 rout!
Cheers.
C.K -
Originally posted by Dead_Man_Inc:why u so zhun?
Cheers.
C.K -
after the 1st goal, MUFC did drift into a complacency mood.
you can see SAF's face bloody red, when Rooney instead of shooting did a pass just outside the six yard box. -
One funny comment I read ->Originally posted by iceFatboy:All along, I maintain my stand that Richardson should be sold.
He offered pace but he lacks teamwork. Most times, he should pass, but shoot.
He is not kancheong, but Kiasu. Either he is ordered by SAF or he just to make his big break but he is simply one level short...
And from this game, it highlights the fact, that MUFC's future is built on two rocks, Rooney and Ronaldo. Without them, MUFC will lose pace, creativity.
As seen with Larsson, he is much faster than Ole, thus able to link up better with Rooney, and immediately scored a goal.
With Liverpool and Arsenal all hitting form, it will now be a tight 4 horse race.
"This trouncing is as it should have been. However, the more Richardson goes on display the more his market value goes down.
Jimmy Gilchrist, Winnipeg
31/01/2007 at 23:36"
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchesterunited/comments/view.html?story_id=234846 -
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i thought there are reports that richardson is going off during the january transfer window?
i always thinks that richardson and pennant is one kind , liverpool should buy him , and they will dominate the both wings in EPL -
richardson is quick leh. i feel he is a rough diamond....
but he aint young anymore is he. carrick seems to be improving. maybe he should try shooting from long range... of coz rooney and ronaldo are the 2 pillars. hope ronaldo wun be leaving, now that he has improved on his game. and hope man utd keeps larsson too.