A preview of Manchester United v Crystal Palace this weekend.
Manchester United v Crystal Palace
Venue: Old Trafford – Manchester, Saturday 14th September 2013 – Kick-off – 12.45
League Form last five – United : LDWDW
League Form last five – Crystal Palace: WLLWW
Top league scorers this season:
Manchester United; van Persie (2) Welbeck (2).
Crystal Palace; Chamakh (1) Gabbidon (1) Gayle (1) O’Keefe (1).
Top league Scorers last season:
Manchester United; van Persie (26) Rooney (12) Hernandez (10) Kagawa (6) Evra (4).
Crystal Palace; Murray (30) Zaha (8) Phillips (7) Moritz (5) Dikgacoi (4).
Discipline this season all competitions:
Manchester United; Yellow (6) Red (0).
Crystal Palace; Yellow (3) Red (0).
Discipline last season:
Manchester United; Yellow (57) Red (1).
Crystal Palace; Yellow (65) Red (2).
Likely Starting Line-ups:
Manchester United; De Gea, Smalling, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Cleverley, Fellaini, Welbeck, van Persie.
Crystal Palace: Speroni, Ward, Gabbidon, Delaney, Moxey, Puncheon, Jedinak, Bannan, Campana, Jerome, Chamakh.
Team News: United:
Phil Jones’ ankle injury sustained in 1-0 defeat at Anfield is due to be assessed again later. Limping off after 37 minutes he would be a welcome addition to the squad, but will likely be saved for Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Wayne Rooney is not expected to be available while recuperating from a head injury. Rafael da Silva is nursing a hamstring injury and will be unavailable as is Darren Fletcher recuperating from a long-term bowel condition.
Team News: Crystal Palace:
Paddy McCarthy (groin), Yannick Bolasie (hamstring), Jerome Thomas (ankle), Glenn Murray (knee) are all unavailable for selection.
New summer signing Jack Hunt unfortunately suffered a broken ankle in Palace’s last match, and is a another injury to add to the clutch of players nursing early season wounds. Florian Marange, Stephen Dobbie and Owen Garvan have all been left out of the 25-man squad.
Managers’ Notes:
United: Mr Moyes is delegating like any good manager; Steve Round the assistant manager talking on Thursday with ManUtd. com on new signing Marouane Fellaini noted; “Marouane Fellaini has all the physical and mental attributes to bring something to the United midfield. He will add some real physical presence to us in midfield, some strength, and he scores goals.”
The assistant manager added “He’s a player that will get regular double figures, and he is maybe a player that we didn’t really have in the middle of the midfield. We have some very good footballers – Michael Carrick is an unbelievably good passer, Tom Cleverley is busy, lively and links play, Anderson will drive forward with the ball, dribble and create. Maybe we needed that bit of presence and authority that can sit in the middle of the pitch and dominate a game from that perspective. It gives a nice blend and balance to mix the midfield up.“
Steve Round noted further that Marouane Fellaini’s character will enable him to make the huge change under the world-wide spotlight at Old Trafford; “He’s a very strong character, with very good self-belief, it won’t daunt him to play at this level.”
Palace: The Crystal Palace gaffer Ian Holloway speaking on Thursday noted how much of a talent Wilfried Zaha is ahead of this weekend’s match, while Wilf has yet to feature in the Premier League.
Holloway waxed lyrically with obvious delight “David Moyes will select him him at the right time – and that could be on Saturday come 12.45pm.” The Eagles boss further added the affection he had for the winger “What he could do was sensational and so unique. I was giggling at times. The way he handled himself was so commendable. He was offered boot deals and agents telling him they could get him this and that. “I remember Ronaldo doing a load of stepovers, but not getting anywhere. But where he is now is down to Manchester United. I was so proud of that boy, I can’t tell you. He was never rude, he was innocent. He’s an absolute joy to know, I wish him all the very, very best.”
Crystal Palace will be without their charismatic manager, as Holloway will sit this one outside the technical area for comments directed at Mark Clattenburg in the fall-out of the Eagles defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. Resulting in a two match ban for the vociferous boss.
Holloway further painted his pictures with words “Let’s enjoy it. I’m excited by all these games, but it’s just another game. I believe the lads are getting together and believe they can get to grips with this division. I certainly won’t be parking the bus. We have to go there and make a good account of ourselves.”
The Last Meeting.
30th November 2011.
Crystal Palace pulled off a shock 2-1 win in the Carling Cup deep into extra time to reach the semi-finals and knock United out.
After a tepid first half, Crystal Palace substitute Darren Ambrose rifled in a 35-yard howitzer into the top corner to put the Eagles in front in the 65th minute. One of the goals of the season!
United recovered and Fredrico Macheda gained a penalty and duly converted the spot-kick 4 minutes later. Palace hung on bravely as United pressed for the winner, but indeed it was Palaces’ Glenn Murray who nodded home from a free-kick to put the Londoners into the semi-final.
United had made 10 changes to the team that drew at Newcastle in the prior match, but United did still select 8 full internationals but failed to deal with the Championship side’s energy and purpose.
While United registered the lion’s share of possession (59%) to Palace’s (41%) the visitors were not in awe of United entering the penultimate phase of the competition for the first time in 10 years. United included the now departed young trio of Fryers, Pogba and Morrison in the match.
Key Notes – Facts.
Prior to Crystal Palaces’ victory in the League Cup, the Eagles last won in December 1989 against United in Division 1, at Old Trafford recording a 2-1 triumph.
United had not gone two games in a row without scoring since August 2007.
Crystal Palace have bagged a mere 25 points on the road in their last 25 league games (excl, playoffs).
Palace won at Old Trafford in their last visit in November 2011, a 2-1 triumph in the League Cup.
Our new signing Marouane Fellaini won more aeriel duals last season (151) than the 11 midfielders in total that played for United last campaign, a cumulated (94).
United have yet to hit the back of the net in the first 30 minutes under David Moyes, last season Manchester United scored a league-high 33 goals in the first thirty minutes.
Ryan Giggs has never netted against the Eagles in the Premier League in his 7 appearances.
The last newly promoted team to win at Old Trafford were Middlesbrough recording a 3-2 victory back in season 1998-99.
The boss has matched Sir Alex Ferguson’s results from his first league three games; 1 win, 1 draw and 1 defeat.
In Palaces’ match against Sunderland at Selhurst Park of the Eagles 18 shots on goal 12 were outside the 18 yard box.
When Crystal Palace were last in the Premiership season 2004-05 they recorded only 1 point from their first 6 matches, to date they have 3 points from 3 games.
Summary:
A nailed on home win? No, there is no guarantee but with a brute of a opening 5 league games for the club to navigate. The manager watchful of Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday in the Champions League, United should have too much in the early season tank to dispose of newly promoted opponents.
Mr Moyes’ team selection will be fascinating with a big European game 3 days later, the derby at the Etihad 8 days from this league game. It should be about squad rotation, getting the job done with the big-hitters and substituting them, for the must win City game. A morale boost for everyone with 5 league games gone to defeat Manchester City.
The boss will be firing on all cylinders to get his first home win against the ‘newboys’ after suffering defeat against fierce arch-rivals Liverpool last weekend. Mr Moyes having never tasted victory at Old Trafford with Everton, should pull off the win…. To build some momentum and confidence as two extremely tricky ties follow quickly after Saturday’s tie against no-pushovers; Crystal Palace.
Prediction:
Manchester United 2 Crystal Palace 1
Now let us know your prediction for the match…
image: © Tom Brogan
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