Man Utd vs Newcastle Preview and Arsenal scrape it, Liverpool leave it late

August 17, 2008

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Sunday, 17 August 2008
Barclays Premier League
Man Utd v Newcastle
Old Trafford
KO: 16:00

United kick off the defence of their title against Newcastle this afternoon and will be hoping to recapture some of the form which saw them hammer 11 goals past the hapless Geordies last season. Whilst Newcastle haven’t landed all of their player hitlist this summer and are suffering from injuries and absentees of their own, they should prove tougher opposition this time out having had an impressive run out in their pre-season victory over Valencia last week.

Ronaldo, instrumental in both the 6-0 and 5-1 league hammerings, will be absent (until late September at the earliest) but Rooney, who scored twice in the (5-1) match at St James last February should be available, having recovered sufficiently from his mystery Nigerian virus to train all last week. Carlos Tevez will almost certainly partner Wazza up front.

Nani has two further games of his suspension to serve, Anderson is currently looking forward to an Olympic semi-final with Brazil and Hargreaves is apparently still injured. United’s midfield will probably be composed of Carrick, Scholes, Giggs and Arsenal-bother-in-chief, Darren Fletcher.

At the back the only selection question concerns the right back berth - will Fergie have Neville or Brown line up alonside Ferdinand, Vidic and Evra? Probably Neville since he managed a 65 minutes of the Community Shield. Don’t be surprised to see Brown come on as sub - or possibly even Rafael Da Silva if things are going particularly well with quarter of an hour to go.

Man Utd from:
Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Neville, Brown, R Da Silva, Ferdinand, Vidic, O’Shea, Evans, Evra, Silvestre, F Da Silva,Carrick, Scholes, Fletcher, Gibson, Possebon, Giggs, Martin, Tevez, Rooney, Campbell.

Newcastle from:
Given, Beye, N’Zogbia, Taylor, Coloccini, Enrique, Cacapa, Bassong, Edgar, Butt, Geremi, Milner, Duff, Guthrie, Gutierrez, Martins, Smith, Edgar, Harper

Rivals Watch
**********
Arsenal - When goofy-faced Samir Nasri slid in the easiest of finishes on 4 minutes at the Emirates, it looked to all intents and purposes that Arsenal would dish out a traditional new-boys battering to the Baggies.

West Brom were shell-shocked from the early set-back and had the air of rabbits in the headlights for the first twenty minutes. Guilty of the cardinal newbie sin - showing the opposition not enough respect but too much, it took them until the second half to realise that Arsenal weren’t - for all of their smart passing and quick breaking - that terrifying. Overall impression ? The Baggies will be alright, although you have to wonder whether they have sufficient guile up front to score many. Some of their players - like Cech - need to wake up and remember this is the Premier League: things happen 20% faster than elsewhere.

We predicted much to the anger of the interloping Goonerfans they would come fifth this season, and, even though Spurs predictably ballsed up against Boro, we aren’t changing our mind. Their team really does look too light-weight - it is a Fabregas and Adebayor injury away from aesthetically-captivating mediocrity. If that lot win the league, we’d be effin gobsmacked. We have to say - we’re impressed with Sagna though. He is quality.

Liverpool - If Arsenal are a Fabregas and Adebayor collision away from jeopardy, then Liverpool are a Torres and Gerrard mishap away from a predictable mid-season tailing off into relative obscurity.

Apart from a decent first 15 minutes from Sunderland, Liverpool controlled posession for the majority of the match but failed to do anything vaguely threatening with it. Plessis in midfield looks out of his depth and is apparently already injured, and apart from his audacious shot from his own half (oh…and his goal assist) Alonso’s passing was curiously wayward. Gerrard was his usual capable (against everyone apart from us) self and Sunderland didn’t really do enough (a Murphy header and a Diouf chance) to threaten the Scouse back line to settle on a judgment of the new boys, except to say that Dossena looks reasonable.

The ageing Hyppia looks vulnerable and Carragher likewise might be susceptible to a few howlers this season. Torres who did bugger all for 80 minutes apart from make Nosworthy look word-class, predictably demonstrated his own word-class credentials by popping up with a corker seven minutes from time. Much as we hate to say it: he’s the best striker in the league and Liverpool had better just pray he stays fit. As for Robbie Keane - well, what is there to say but he doesn’t look like a £20 million striker on the evidence of his latest two outings. We’re sure things will improve for him, though.

Hopefully not toooo much

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