Man Utd v Birmingham
Barclays Premier League
Venue: Old Trafford
Date: Saturday, 22 January Kick-off: 1500 GMT (台灣時間 1/22 23:00)
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TEAM NEWS
Manchester United are without right-back Rafael, who is serving a one-game
ban after his red card last week.
Fabio, John O'Shea and Wes Brown are all candidates to replace him, while
Paul Scholes may figure at some stage.
Birmingham can call upon Cameron Jerome and Sebastian Larsson after both
missed last weekend's derby with Aston Villa.
Ben Foster returns to Old Trafford for the first time since his ￡6m summer
move, but defender Scott Dann has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
Manchester United (from):
Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Lindegaard
O'Shea, Brown, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Smalling, Evans, Evra, Fabio
Nani, Obertan, Carrick, Fletcher, Scholes, Gibson, Anderson, Giggs, Bebe
Rooney, Berbatov, Hernandez, Owen
Suspended: Rafael (one match)
Injured/unavailable: Hargreaves (hamstring), Park (international duty),
Valencia (ankle)
Birmingham City (from):
Foster, Carr, Johnson, Ridgewell, Murphy, Bentley, Fahey, Ferguson, Gardner,
Hleb, Derbyshire, Jerome, Larsson, Taylor, Bowyer, Phillips, Zigic, Beausejour
Mutch, Jiranek.
Injured: Dann (hamstring), McFadden (knee)
MATCH PREVIEW
- Under-par but still undefeated, the current Manchester United side may not
be playing in the vintage style of some of the teams built by Sir Alex
Ferguson, but his current crop still look like the team to beat.
- The club are only the seventh in top-flight history to remain unbeaten after
21 league matches, and it would take a bold person to bet against them making
it 22. Birmingham's defensive strength has been undermined by long-term
injury to Scott Dann, and the visitors also have one eye on next week's
Carling Cup semi-final second leg against West Ham.
- Among Birmingham's most recent line-up, only Stephen Carr and Barry Ferguson
were alive the last time the club beat Manchester United 33 years ago. The
Blues won 2-1 at Old Trafford in January 1978, and followed that up with an
emphatic 5-1 home win in November of the same year.
- In fact, 1978 is not only a landmark year for Birmingham, it also coincided
with Alex McLeish's playing debut for Aberdeen, and subsequently the
appointment of Ferguson as Dons manager the following August.
- Ferguson has only ever been beaten five times in 65 Premier League matches by
sides managed by any of his former players. McLeish, at the fifth time of
asking, is dreaming of finally getting one over his former tutor, and with it
ending United's unbeaten run.
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
‧ The four previous Premier League matches between Sir Alex Ferguson and
Alex McLeish have been tight affairs. Both games at St Andrew's ended in
1-1 draws, while United have edged both matches at Old Trafford 1-0.
‧ United have scored in every Premier League home match this season, while
Birmingham have scored in seven of 10 away games.
‧ Manchester United are the only current top-flight side that Birmingham
City have failed to beat during the Premier League era.
Manchester United
‧ United are four points down on Arsenal's 'invincible' squad of 2003/04.
United have 12 wins and nine draws from 21 games, compared with the
Gunners' 14 wins and seven draws.
‧ Sir Alex Ferguson's men have won seven straight Premier League matches at
home since a 2-2 draw with West Brom in October.
‧ Wayne Rooney has not scored in six home Premier League matches. If he
fails to score against Birmingham it will equal his longest ever Premier
League run without a home goal, set three years ago this month.
‧ If selected, Edwin van der Sar will be making his 300th career Premier
League appearance.
Birmingham
‧ The Blues have drawn four of their last seven league fixtures.
‧ Stephen Carr has taken 246 throw-ins this season, the most in the Premier
League.
‧ If selected, Lee Bowyer will be playing in his 450th career league match,
while Sebastian Larsson could make his 200th club appearance.
LEADING GOALSCORERS
Manchester United
Berbatov 15 goals (14 league);
Hernandez 9 goals (6 league)
Birmingham
Gardner: 5 goals (4 league);
Jerome: 4 goals (3 league)
Ridgewell: 4 goals (3 league)
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Mike Jones
Assistant referees: John Flynn & Andy Madley
Fourth official: Phil Dowd
LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS
Manchester United (D0-0 v Tottenham, a):
Van der Sar; Rafael Da Silva, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Nani (Anderson 61),
Carrick, Fletcher, Giggs, Berbatov (Hernandez 78), Rooney.
Subs not used: Kuszczak, Owen, Smalling, Scholes, Evans.
Birmingham (D1-1 v Aston Villa, h):
Foster; Carr, Johnson, Ridgewell, Murphy, Bentley, Ferguson, Hleb (Zigic 76),
Gardner, Fahey, Derbyshire (Bowyer 84).
Subs not used: Taylor, Phillips, Beausejour, Mutch, Jiranek.
M.E.N Prediction: United 2-0 Birmingham
- looks like a routine win on paper
Key opponent: Larsson - provides a theat from set pieces
Skysports.com prediction: United 2-1 Birmingham
One to Watch: Wayne Rooney
Lawro's Premier League predictions United 2-0 Birmingham
Birmingham just kept going when these two sides met at St Andrew's just after
Christmas and got a point out of nothing, really, although there was a bit of
controversy over Lee Bowyer's late equaliser!
But they will find things a lot more difficult here. The Blues have big
problems getting goals and, consequently, getting points, on the road.
Birmingham will improve because their manager Alex McLeish is bringing in
players that will make them a better side but Old Trafford is not the place
to go to when you need a win. United are not only at home, but they are in
very good form so it is not a very good time to be playing them.
http://tinyurl.com/4hjhtfb
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/9363496.stm
http://www.skysports.com/football/match_preview/0,19764,11065_3284146,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/football_focus/9367022.stm
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