Manchester United vs Fabregas-less Arsenal

So here we are then. With just three competitive (if you prefer not to count the Community Shield as meaningful) games of the season played, we face our first big test in the shape of Arsenal.

While last season’s meeting at Old Trafford in the Premier League was hardly of massive significance, tomorrow’s encounter will certainly provide a decent benchmark to how we are shaping up in terms of our title credentials this campaign.

The big news? Cesc Fabregas will NOT be playing for the Gunners. Now while I don’t like to single out opposition individuals on the impact they can have on a game, Fabregas has looked pretty darn impressive in the opening couple of games this season. Given our own injury worries too, his absence should certainly provide a welcome boost.

I doubt you’ll need reminding but Rio Ferdinand continues to miss out for us with a thigh injury although a return against Spurs on September 12th has been pencilled in as a realistic comeback date. Despite Jonny Evans’ concerns over his own fitness, it would appear that he will continue to play through the pain barrier to line-up alongside Nemanja Vidic at the heart of the defence.

Ben Foster will undoubtedly continue to deputise for Edwin van der Sar between the sticks while I expect Patrice Evra and John O’Shea to vacate the two full-back berths. In central midfield we (well Sir Alex really) is faced with something of a conundrum. After Anderson’s well documented paddy, will Fergie continue to leave him out despite the Brazilian’s eagerness to brush the incident under the carpet. Michael Carrick was another to miss out against Wigan but with Darren Fletcher pretty much a nailed on starter, I predict it will be one of Carrick or Anderson to come in ahead of Scholes.

Following a decent, if not inspirational, performance from Antonio Valencia against his former club last weekend, he should start on the wing with Nani continuing on the opposite flank. That said, Park has always seemed to perform well against Arsenal so I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he does make the starting eleven. That leaves the inevitable strikeforce of Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov as I can’t see Owen getting the nod in a game of such significance.

In his pre-match press conference Sir Alex has called for our results to improve against the so-called big four (where we only won one out of six last term) but he has played down the significance of tomorrow’s clash with the Gunners.

“With 35 games left, you can’t say that this game will be decisive,” he said.

“But what means a lot to us is that last season against the top teams we dropped six points to Liverpool, five to Arsenal and two to Chelsea. We really need to address that and do better in these games. One opportunity comes along on Saturday and I hope we take it.”

In an ultimately similar fashion (gone are the days of a Wenger-Ferguson feud I’m afraid), Wenger has admitted that he is desperate for Arsenal to prove they can pick up victories away from home against the club’s fighting for the title. Prior to beating Chelsea in November last year, the North Londoners hadn’t beaten a top four club away from home since 2006.

“We want to show that we can win the big games away from home,” he said.

“This is a good opportunity to do it. We know we go to Old Trafford with a good belief and that is very important before a big game like that.”

Whether Arsenal will be more up for the game considering we outclassed them over two legs in last season’s Champions League semi-final remains to be seen but in terms of our recent record against them, we’re certainly on top, especially at Old Trafford.

Arsenal have clearly come flying out of the blocks this season and I believe it’s going to be just as much a test of our credentials as it will be for Wenger and his side. Freshness may be a factor later on in the game with Arsenal having played against Celtic in midweek although at this early stage of the season I can’t see it being too much of a hindrance to them.

Despite the loss of Fabregas, the likes of Arshavin, van Persie and Eduardo all have the ability to cause us problems which is why I’m tentatively predicting a draw as the outcome.

Prediction: 1-1

Photo credit: Getty Images

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From Pogba to Petrucci - United’s Reputation Is On The Line

Paul Pogba. I’m pretty sure none of us had heard anything about this young starlet before last week. In fairness, I doubt the season ticket holders at his former club Le Harve had even had the chance to comprehend his potential before he was whisked away under a cloud of smoke dosh.

Time to crack open the champagne? Well I doubt our latest signing would be too delirious at the thought as at just 16-years-old, Pogba is two years short of the legal drinking age and he can forget about driving himself to Manchester. The signing of the France U-16’s captain has, rather understandably, been greeted with sheer condemnation from the midfielder’s former employers.

“Le Havre wishes to express its indignation regarding the dealings of Manchester United’s directors,” the French club said in an official statement.

“This foolish act is even more unacceptable because it comes from a club with such stature.”

The statement went on to claim that United were guilty of offering large sums of money to the parents of Pogba in an attempt to persuade their son to opt for a switch to the Theatre of Dreams.

It’s a touchy subject really. On the one part we have acted within UEFA guidelines and simply offered a promising youngster the chance to nurture his talents with the most famous club in the world. At the other end of the spectrum you have the argument claiming that Pogba is just 16-years-old and that he shouldn’t be uprooted from the club of his youth, and indeed his homeland, at such a young age.

I have to say that I can fully comprehend the animosity that has been shown by Le Harve towards our club and board of directors. When this sort of topic comes up I always find myself saying ‘how would we feel if another club did this to us’ and it’s particularly prevalent here. Let’s just say for arguments sake that Real Madrid came in and poached a young Salford lad that was destined for greatness before he had even reached his 17th birthday. I don’t know about you but I’d be furious!

In these situations it’s worth pointing out what would be best for the player himself. As long as he is happy with moving abroad with his family in tow, there is no doubt he will receive the best possible football education in the Carrington environment. If the young lad proves to have the ability there is nothing to suggest that Sir Alex won’t give him a chance in the first team in the next couple of years too. Whether this is an issue of compensation, morals or even both, it really is a subject up for debate at the moment.

I guess the thing that gets me in these sort of transfers are the reports that suggest we slipped a few extra quid in the direction of the respective player’s parents to smooth negotiations. A similar thing happened with Federico Macheda and Davide Petrucci who we acquired as a 16-year-old from Lazio, offering his father a position as a groundsman at the club in an apparent attempt to sweeten the deal. That signing was met with similar outrage by the Italian club and it would seem we could be looking to ‘poach’ again in the future too.

Without concrete facts it’s difficult to point fingers but are you of the opinion that the club’s reputation is being dragged through the mud or are we merely offering potential stars the chance to flourish, acting completely above board in our actions?

No Ronaldo? No Problem For United!

There is no doubting the immeasurable void that’s been left in the United side following the departure of one Cristiano Ronaldo. When you remove a player capable of scoring 42 goals in a single season, there’s bound to be a gaping hole left behind. While Sir Alex clearly had no choice but to allow the Portuguese the chance to fulfil his dream of playing for Real Madrid, our trusty Scottish manager has undoubtedly had a major say on who potentially joins/has already joined the club this summer.

Antonio Valencia, Gabriel Obertan and Michael Owen - the three newest members of the Manchester United squad. OK so the aforementioned signings certainly haven’t got pulses racing amongst many of us but shrewd they are nonetheless at a combined total of around £20 million. The underlying fact is that no one in the world can replicate the unprecedented talents of our former number 7 and that’s been represented in our transfer dealings. Ronaldo simply can’t and won’t be replaced, but my question is…are we really that worried?

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I am firmly of the belief that some of the transfer fees being bandied about during the current transfer window are utterly ridiculous. OK so we are hardly innocent with the £80 million received for Ronaldo but I guess that’s the price you have to pay for the world’s absolute best. I ask would we really be comfortable with the purchase of Franck Ribery for a similarly extravagant price? I certainly wouldn’t. Especially not when we may just have all the ingredients for a successful campaign already in place, right under our very noses.

The stage is set for another Portuguese international to step up to the plate this season. The sale of Ronaldo could just prove to be a god send for Nani and this is his big chance to grab the limelight and prove his fantastic credentials. I wrote an article not too long ago suggesting that perhaps it could be time up for the former Sporting Lisbon man at Old Trafford. Well scrap that, as starting from August 16th, this is Nani’s new beginning.

Antonio Valencia has already shown glimpses on his debut against Boca Juniors yesterday that he could be a very useful addition indeed. Zoran Tosic looks neat and tidy and with a terrific left foot and we know all about the tenacity and work rate of Park and what that brings. While little is known about Gabriel Obertan, Fergie wouldn’t have brought him in if he wasn’t convinced that the Frenchman was capable of developing at the club.

When you put it like that, life after Ronaldo may turn out to be very rosy indeed. Wayne Rooney has already indicated that he’s ready to take on the burden and deliver the goals this season and Sir Alex has appreciated that Dimitar Berbatov could be a much more potent threat if he’s played as the more advanced striker. With the predatory instincts of Michael Owen and the youthful exuberance of Federico Macheda and Danny Welbeck, I believe we have enough attacking options without needing to unnecessarily splash the cash.

One of the key components that contributed towards our success last season was the consistency of our back four. Well to my knowledge, nothing has changed in that department and I suppose an added bonus that comes with the sale of Ronaldo is an extra willing worker vacating his place in the midfield. I must also point out that in Ferdinand and Vidic, I am in no doubt that we possess the strongest defensive partnership in European football (with arguably the most promising centre-half in Jonny Evans too).

Although let’s pause and take a breath for a minute. I can’t deny that there is a very small but niggling thought lodged firmly in the back of my mind chipping away at me with every day that passes in the build-up to the new season. I’m hopeful that it will be put to bed by the time we reach Christmas but, dare I say it, what if we head in a similar direction as Arsenal and life after Thierry Henry. The Barcelona star was a similarly massive influence to the Gunners as Ronaldo has been to our cause over the last few years but let’s try not to dwell on that as I’m confident we have the strength in depth to not only cope, but to flourish without the world’s best player among our ranks.

Jose Mourinho CAN succeed Ferguson at United

OK so it’s hardly the best kept secret in European football but Jose Mourinho has admitted that he fancies a crack at succeeding Sir Alex at United. At 67-years-old, Ferguson clearly doesn’t have too many more years of management left in him, but does the former Chelsea boss really tick all the right boxes? I honestly don’t think he’s a bad shout you know.

“I would consider going to Manchester United but United have to consider if they want me to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson,” Mourinho told the Daily Mirror.

“If they do, then of course.”

Now I know many of us have our reservations about the Portuguese and his management methods but there’s no arguing with his credentials. First things first, taking over from the most successful manager in the club’s history will prove to be the tallest of tall orders for the eventual chosen one. Just imagine the pressure! Well while Mourinho is undoubtedly as arrogant as they come, that is arguably the principal trait that Ferguson’s successor will need. A manager that doesn’t wholeheartedly believe they have what it takes to match the Scot’s achievements at Old Trafford is probably destined for failure. Jose Mourinho would claim he could surpass Sir Alex’s accomplishments and it’s that sort of egotism that could handle the whirlwind of inevitable pressure.

There have only been three other managers that have tasted Premier League glory during Fergie’s legacy. Kenny Dalglish with Blackburn in 1995, Arsene Wenger in 1998, 2002 and 2004 and Jose Mourinho most recently in 2005 and 2006. My point is that Mourinho has been there and done it in England’s top flight and he knows what sort of ingredients are required to deliver a Premier League title. The likes of Martin O’Neill, Steve Bruce and David Moyes haven’t, which is one of the reasons why I would put the charismatic Portuguese at the front of the queue.

A UEFA Cup and Champions League success with Porto and also a Serie A title with Inter Milan in his first season in Italy only add to Mourinho’s already impressive CV. His record in the transfer market isn’t half bad either with the signings of the likes Michael Essien, Didier Drogba, Arjen Robben and Florent Malouda. OK so there have been some pretty terrible acquisitions too but not even Ferguson gets it right every time (Taibi, Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson all spring to mind).

I know many of you will call Mournho’s tactics into question arguing that he would abandon the free-flowing, attacking football we have become accustomed to seeing at the club. Well I’m confident that he would adapt his management style, accommodating the player’s he has at his disposal and I really don’t see a great deal of change in that department. Mourinho isn’t stupid. He will know the likes of Nani and Wayne Rooney are at their best when they are given the freedom to go and express themselves. I’m sure he’d be capable of finding a suitable balance anyway.

The main worry I have for Mourinho would be that he would have to hit the ground running. Every Manchester United fan with half a brain trusts Sir Alex in whatever he does where every decision is supported as we know that he will always have the best interests of the club at heart. Like Wenger at Arsenal, Fergie is part of that rare ‘job for life’ breed and when he does eventually call it a day, the whole mentality of the fans will change. Even the slightest whiff of failure or ill judgement and the majority of supporters will turn against Mourinho. Jose, you’ve been warned.

So there you have it. I’m happy to throw my cards on the table and admit that I would be cautiously optimistic if Jose Mourinho was installed as the next United boss. With the biggest job in football comes even bigger responsibility so do you feel that the 46-year-old is capable of becoming the extra ‘Special One’ at United? I guess that’s a question for David Gill to answer.

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Soccerlens Podcast: A Pep talk, Iniesta and the brilliance of Barcelona

On the fourteenth episode of the Soccerlens Podcast, Stephen Darwin is joined by the editor of TEAMtalk.com, Simon Wilkes to look back at Barcelona’s triumph over Manchester United in the Champions League final in Rome.

The show will be debating exactly where things went wrong for Sir Alex Ferguson and his side and Simon will be offering his thoughts on just how good this Barcelona team is under the leadership of Pep Guardiola.

Download link (mp3, 20mb, 22 mins)

Champioles! Champioles!

On this week's episode of the Manchester United Football FanCast Steve, Dan and Dov are in celebratory mood as United are confirmed as Premier League champions for the third successive season!

The lads will be looking at the victory over Wigan and the draw with Arsenal that sealed the title and look out for a big and somewhat heated debate surrounding Carlos Tevez and his future at Old Trafford.

Dov will be looking at exactly how the reserves faired in the Manchester Senior Cup Final, and Steve will be bringing you details of all the winners from the club's annual Player of the Year awards ceremony.

Stay tuned for all that plus much more in another unmissable week of the Manchester United Football FanCast!Remember if you want to contact the show then you can e-mail the lads at unitedpodcast@gmail.com and make sure you sign up to the Manchester United Football FanCast Facebook group too if you haven't already done so!

Steve, Dan and Dov would like to thank you once again for your continued support and we hope you enjoy this week's show!

Wayne Rooney - The only option left?!

It’s been quite a regular occurrence of late hasn’t it? No I’m not talking about Ronaldo winging or even a Carlos Tevez transfer story. I’m specifically referring to Wayne Rooney, his versatility and this endearing quality he possesses to play left wing.

Ok so it’s not the biggest revelation since the discovery of electricity as it has been tried and tested before. Although there’s no denying that what it does provide us with is options, affording Ferguson complete freedom to tinker and tweak his attacking line-up however he pleases. And boy has it worked admirably the last few games.

With Rooney operating on the left we have seen Berbatov and even Ronaldo flourish as the central striker. Who knows as Ferguson studies this alternative system, he may even see sense and grant a certain Argentine a future with us that he so desperately craves. With a tighter more compact system and Rooney as an out and out striker, surely that wouldn’t have been the case.

In fairness Wazza squandered the simplest of chances against Wigan on Wednesday, a simple header that he would normally have buried in his sleep. Although since being deployed on the left Rooney has rarely failed to excel and fears that his talents were being wasted out wide were quickly put to bed.

We all feared that a fleet footed Theo Walcott would rip a confidence stricken Patrice Evra to shreds in the Champions League although on both occasions (at OT and the Emirates) Rooney played a part in thwarting the pacey England man to almost a non existence.

The spirited and industrious Rooney may not be the best tackler in the world but he’ll certainly put in a decent shift to aid forward thinking Evra who we all know can be prone to getting caught too far up the pitch. While it’s fair to say that Rooney’s defensive duties haven’t really been tested to the max this season, a meeting with Messi later this month will surely be a decent benchmark to determine his full credentials. Not to jinx it but I’m sure he’ll pass with flying colours.

There’s no doubting Rooney’s genius in the role just behind the striker but in my opinion he’s been given something of a new lease of life on the left. With Giggs a seemingly better option in the middle these days, Nani hardly being flavour of the month with Sir Alex and Tosic something of an unknown quantity at first-team level at least, Rooney is certainly the best viable option for me.

The way he cuts in with that bludgeon of a right foot and lashes towards goal, defenders will often know exactly what he’s about to do but stopping it is a completely different ball game. It’s certainly a joy to watch anyway.

To digress ever so slightly, Rooney’s aggressive nature has led to much criticism for years but to be honest I feel that it is a key component in his armoury that makes him such an unassailably brilliant player. Yes he needs to keep his anger in check in the most precarious of situations but a lot of the time he successfully channels his temper and he can often unfairly get into trouble purely for a reputation that precedes him.

While Ronaldo will never comprehensively commit his future to United we will all still justifiably admire his mercurial ability. At completely the other end of the spectrum you would have to literally drag Rooney out of the dressing room if he’s ever to leave Old Trafford - a trait that I think should draw much praise and adulation as I don’t know where we would be without this sublime scouser.

Manchester United vs Arsenal - Premier League Live!

The champagne is on ice and one more point against Arsenal will hand Sir Alex his eleventh Premier League title.

Join me on Saturday from 12:15PM (BST) to follow all the action from Old Trafford and hopefully we can celebrate lifting the Premier League trophy for the third successive season!

It promises to be an exciting afternoon of football that's for sure!

Old Trafford expansion just the ticket? Not a chance!

When the suits at the FA decided to build the new Wembley they probably envisaged, or at least hoped, that they would possess a stadium capable of eclipsing that of any other in the country. I imagine the conversation ran something like this: ‘Well Old Trafford stands at around 60,000, let’s make Wembley 90,000, just to be on the safe side.’

Nine years on from that time and Wembley Stadium will soon rather inevitably have to relinquish the mantle of highest capacity football venue in England, or so we are led to believe. Although it’s not gospel and is yet to be comprehensively confirmed, recent news suggests that Old Trafford will soon be extended to 95,000 seats.

Obviously this is fantastic news for supporters in terms of creating more opportunities to see United up close although is it fair to say that ticket prices will fall as a result? I beg to differ.

It is believed that Sir Alex has long lobbied the Glazer family for expansion, urging our American owners to improve the affordability of watching United in hope of attracting a new generation of supporters. Although with ticket prices set to go up even further once again next season, it’s easy to see why fans have voiced their frustrations.

So when the likely developments to the South Stand and presumably the South and East quadrants do take place, can you really foresee a drastic change in club policy?

In all honesty I can’t see why the Glazers wouldn’t want to squeeze every last penny out of us. They aren’t stupid and they know that Manchester United is a club, nay a brand, that has the potential to attract supporters from around the globe and will have little trouble filling even 95,000 seats on a regular basis. So why drop ticket prices when the market will, however begrudgingly, continue to fork out £40 odd a ticket to see the likes of Ronaldo, Rooney et al.

In 2004 the most expensive ticket at Old Trafford was £29. Four years on and that amount has risen to £49. Who knows what the price may be come 2014. A scary thought for the regular match-goer no doubt.

As much as our success on the field has provided an ideal smokescreen for the Glazers, there is no hiding the fact that the club is experiencing elevated levels of debt and that £700 million figure is rising every day.

The cost of stadium expansion will likely surpass the £100 million mark and with the need to maintain consistency on the pitch too, costs could quite worryingly spiral out of control in the future.

Who’s to say that when Sir Alex does eventually decide to call it a day we may initially struggle in a new era and spend a couple of seasons out of the Champions League? Imagine how damaging that could be for the Glazers in generating profit. Imagine the cost of a ticket then…

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Is it really time up for Nani at Old Trafford?

It doesn’t look good does it? Brought off at half-time whilst trailing at home to Tottenham which rather ironically then helps spark that tremendous comeback. I can understand why he wouldn’t be desperate to stay behind and encourage his teammates but it wasn't the wisest decision ever made and it’s difficult to defend a quite childish, sulky and rather petty reaction to yet another below-par individual performance.

It didn’t get much better for the Portuguese winger in midweek either. A quick glance at Sir Alex’s team sheet for the Champions League encounter with Arsenal and the four letters ‘Nani’ were absolutely nowhere to be seen, not even on the substitutes bench.

I appreciate that I have to be careful with what I say from here on in as I am aware of the seismic split in opinions on the Cape Verde-born man of inconsistency and what he brings to our club but I’ll throw in my ten pennies worth and happily accept whatever flack is bound to be coming my way!

For a start let’s deal with this season and what exactly has gone wrong for Nani in United red. Well in the handful of Premier League appearances he’s made (just five as a starter would you believe) he’s hardly set the world alight but you can’t ignore the fact that he’s not even been afforded a full-ninety minutes.

Ji Sung Park’s notably impressive form (despite having tailed off somewhat in recent weeks) this season clearly hasn’t helped Nani’s cause either. You can bet your bottom dollar that if our tricky left winger were playing for anyone else in the Premier League he would have started far more than six league games and would've surely had more of a visible impact.

This may surprise you somewhat but I can actually reveal to you quite a different statistical story, especially if you purely take into account domestic league goals and assists. Park, for all his work rate, endeavour and tenacity, has scored one league goal and picked up three assists in the 21 Premier League fixtures he has been involved in. Nani on the other hand has played in only 11 Premier League matches (most of which were as substitute with miniscule amounts of time left) yet still has a goal and two assists to his name. Make of that what you will.

However well he does to cover it up, I’m sure Sir Alex will have surely expected slightly more from a player he shelled out around £14 million for in the summer of 2007. It can’t be denied that our manager has stood firmly by Nani's side from the moment he stepped into Manchester, offering as much support as humanely possible. We saw it first of all with the Lucas Neill headbutt and since then Fergie has seemingly backed down in banning the 22-year-old winger’s somersault celebration too. Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha would certainly be wise not to take his current mentor for a ride as his patience is probably wearing pretty thin right now, however well he conceals it.

Incase you were wondering, Nani himself had this to say having been brought off at half-time against Spurs: 'I have no problem with the manager but I am still in my apprenticeship here.'

And it’s fair to say that at 22-years-old he is still learning his trade at a club where expectations are elevated like no other. Yet for how long can you keep blaming Nani’s immaturity and inept performances on age and how long will you give the apprentice to finally fulfil his massive potential?

Unfortunately for Nani, when you play for Manchester United, time is not something you can heavily rely on. With the acquisition of Zoran Tosic in January and rumours consistently linking Antonio Valencia with a move to the club, it’s really now or never if Nani is to grab his chance.

With all this relative negativity it’s about time I started talking about the strengths that Nani possesses and why he could still prove something of a valuable asset to us in the future.

Well we all witnessed exactly what he was capable of during his first season at Old Trafford last year and it was arguably one of the better debut season’s of any foreign import that has arrived at the club - certainly in recent times anyway. In 24 starts he scored four goals, created eleven and generally seemed much more confident in his own ability. He was no Stranger in Moscow either, coming on to play a part in extra time and then scoring in the shoot-out too.

Despite Nani’s lack of involvement in the league this season lest we forget that he has played a significantly important part in other competitions for us. Not only has he appeared in seven Champions League matches enroute to the semi-final but he was a major contributor to our Carling Cup success with three goals in six appearances. Add the couple of strikes he managed during our FA Cup campaign and Nani’s season starts to look less disappointing, even if ever so slightly.

Nani is now and always will invariably be stuck in the shadow of Ronaldo due to his style, potential and even nationality. It’s ultimately unfair as his Portuguese compatriot performed miracles last season and probably won’t ever achieve such lofty heights again during his career. Poor old Nani has come under stark criticism for not producing similar results but there is no other player in world football quite like Cristiano (bar Lionel Messi perhaps). To be fair you could argue that Ronaldo was some way behind Nani in terms of development during his second season at the club and look how our patience paid dividends then!

I’m going to stop rambling on now and place my cards firmly on the table by predicting that Nani will not only get a start in the lunch time game against Middlesbrough on Saturday but will also make an impression in the match too. Be it a goal, an assist or just a full-ninety minutes, Nani needs game time and when he has it, I’m sure he will produce.

Whatever your stance may be on Nani, there’s no question he’s been used in fits and spurts throughout this season and has clearly been unable to build up any real momentum as a consequence. I am by no means Nani’s biggest fan, far from it infact but hopefully Saturday will go some way to proving that the former Sporting Lisbon man does still have a future at Old Trafford. I sincerely hope he does anyway.

As featured on RedRants

Manchester United vs Arsenal - UEFA Champions League Live!

Can Arsenal bring an end to Manchester United's sublime Champions League record of 23 games unbeaten or will Ronaldo deliver another thunderbolt to send Arsene Wenger's side packing?

Join me at around 7:15PM (BST) tonight for a good ol' fashioned British (Well half the Manchester United team + Theo Walcott and perhaps Kieran Gibbs) clash of momentous proportions!

It is ofcourse the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg and it certainly promises not to disappoint!

Manchester United vs Arsenal - UEFA Champions League semi-final Preview

Arsenal and Manchester United prepare to do battle at Old Trafford this evening in the first chapter of their Champions League semi-final with both sides desperate to steal a march in the tie as they look to book a place in Rome for the final.

It’s Wenger vs Ferguson as two masters and age-old adversaries of the Premier League meet for what Sir Alex has already predicted to be a ‘terrific’ encounter between two giants of the English game.

Wenger himself has pre-warned United that the Gunners are a ‘different animal’ to the side that were knocked out by Liverpool in last season’s competition.

Arsenal know they have a daunting task ahead of them if they are to be the first team to beat Manchester United in the Champions League since AC Milan two years ago.

With match winners scattered all over the pitch, it’s certainly going to be an intriguing two-legged affair.

Team News

Manchester United

The only major injury concern for Manchester United will be that of their captain Gary Neville who will definitely be missing for the first-leg at least. John O’Shea, Wes Brown and Brazilian youngster Rafael are all in contention and will be vying for the right-back slot.

Carlos Tevez will be eager to be given the nod upfront having helped turn the game in United’s favour following the 5-2 victory over Tottenham on Saturday. A four-pronged attack of Tevez, Berbatov, Rooney and Ronaldo is an option for Ferguson but it would be bold move by the United boss.

Recently crowned PFA Player of the Year Ryan Giggs looks set to make his 800th appearance for the Red Devils and having been rested against Spurs, he could be in line for a start tonight.

Manchester United (likely): Van der Sar, O’Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Carrick, Fletcher, Giggs; Berbatov, Rooney.

Arsenal

Arsene Wenger’s rather inexperienced side travel to Old Trafford with plenty of injury worries. Former United centre-back Mikael Silvestre is a doubt for the clash while Gael Clichy and Robin van Persie are both definitely missing.

In-form Russian Andrey Arshavin is ineligible for the Champions League having featured for Zenit St. Petersburg earlier in the competition and stand-in left-back Kieran Gibbs is another doubt as he nurses an ankle injury.

On a positive note for the Gunners, Johan Djourou is available for selection again which will help ease their defensive problems with William Gallas a long-term casualty.

Arsenal (likely): Almunia, Sagna, Toure, Djourou, Silvestre; Song, Nasri, Fabregas, Denlison, Walcott; Adebayor.

Two Key Tussles

Evra vs Walcott

Having been given a torrid afternoon by Aaron Lennon on the weekend, Patrice Evra will be under further pressure tonight to deal with the pace and direct running of Arsenal’s whizz kid Walcott.

Young Theo proved exactly what he is all about during Arsenal’s 4-4 draw with Liverpool and with Evra struggling for form, this duel could be the most significant of the night.

Adebayor vs Ferdinand

Togolese international Emmanuel Adebayor certainly has the physical presence to cause problems for messers Ferdinand and Vidic.

Ferdinand was a man mountain for United in Porto but he faces a striker in form when it comes to Europe in the shape of Adebayor.

The Gunners’ front man has five goals in five games in the Champions League this season and he undoubtedly has the ability to produce moments of magic, just like that goal against Villarreal.

Champions League Form

Manchester United: X,D,W,X,W
Arsenal: L,W,L,X,W