Birmingham v Manchester United

this are the sort of game we should be winning, we need to increase the lead we have in the table.
 
Manchester United playmaker Nani is set to return to the side against Birmingham on Tuesday night after recovering from injury.

Nani missed the Boxing Day game against Sunderland with a hip complaint but is likely to be selected for the trip to St. Andrews.

"Nani's been feeling his hip a little bit in the last couple of days, so we left him out," manager Sir Alex Ferguson told MUTV. "I think he should be ready for the Birmingham game."

Ferguson knows the Christmas period is gruelling, and with Park Ji-Sung tied up with Asian cup commitments and Paul Scholes sidelined with a groin injury, the Scot is trying to keep the team as fresh as possible for the upcoming games.

He added: "Fletcher had a bit of a cold, he came down with it this morning and we couldn't take any chances with it."

With McLeish’s team having suffered through the fixtures postponements, United will be facing a Birmingham team that have not played for a fortnight.

Ferguson is aware that an away fixture to the Blues is a tough prospect at any time, but when they have had an extended break, the challenge is intensified.

He said: "They'll be fresh and going down there's always a difficult place to go to. They've got a strong home record and they're difficult to beat on their own ground.

"We're well aware of that and hopefully we can get the players fresh, give them their recovery tomorrow and make maybe a couple of changes to freshen that part up and hopefully we can get the result we want."

Sir Alex Ferguson expects Nani to return to Manchester United side for Birmingham game - Goal.com
 
We absolutely have to win this game.

Brum aren't in great form, and if with chelsea fecking it up again we need to put our marker down. The race to #19 starts with an away win tonight.
 
True we're sitting pretty at the top, but we've played 10 games at home, and 7 Away - out of those away fixtures, we've won only ONCE.

It goes without saying that to win the title we need to put a strong run and that includes winning away.

This game will be VERY important.
 
Oh ffs...stick to tennis eh?

Are you honestly saying we don't have enough to beat Birmingham?

We have enough to beat B'ham. Just like we had enough to beat Bolton, Sunderland, Villa and the rest.

We're in far better form now than we were back then but we've great run of home wins, we need to start winning away as well and Birmingham is not exactly an easy place to go to. They've been shit this year and yet only one team has won there in 8 games? Their just going to park the bus at home so it won't be too easy but if Nani plays I think we should win this.
 
Van der Sar
Rafael Ferdinand Vidic Evra
Nani Carrick Anderson Giggs
Rooney Berbatov​

3 points

That will be excellent and I think we're gonna go with this team.
 
That was an interesting stat of how many of our games have been at home.

Time to start winning away from home. You have to if you want to be champions.
 
It was hardly a ridiculous opinion, to be fair. As has been pointed out by others, Brum have a pretty impressive home record, at least in respect of avoiding defeat. Add to this the fact that they have had a long break whilst United played yesterday, and there is a distinct advantage in their favour, which could well offset United's superior ability.

Personally, I think United will be sufficiently buoyed by the opportunity that's been presented to us by Chelsea's current troubles, and that we'll just have enough to win.

We have enough to beat B'ham. Just like we had enough to beat Bolton, Sunderland, Villa and the rest.

We're in far better form now than we were back then but we've great run of home wins, we need to start winning away as well and Birmingham is not exactly an easy place to go to. They've been shit this year and yet only one team has won there in 8 games? Their just going to park the bus at home so it won't be too easy but if Nani plays I think we should win this.

I take all the points about Birmingham and I don't look at this as a foregone conclusion by any means but to go into a game against Birmingham with 'a point would be a good result' is a bit defeatest.

If United had that attitude we would never have won anything like as much as we have.

We should be able to stuff these guys easily, but it doesn't mean that on the day circumstances might dictate a close game, a loss or a draw.

To my mind there is little difference between a draw and a loss...
 
Wow it just dawned on me that we're playing today. I mean, I knew we had a game, but when you don't watch football for so long two games in two days really take you by surprise.

To all those of you saying brum are going to be fresher, let's not forget - we didn't get out of second gear against Sunderland so fitness shouldn't be an issue, particularly for a club like ours. How often do you see us punish teams in the dying minutes when they can barely breathe?
 
I'm almost certain we'll go behind early minutes, from then on it will probably be a frustrating night finishing either 1-1 or 1-2 if we have a semi-good day.
 
Im worried about this, its not a nice fixture at the best of times but especially given Birmingham haven't played today and will be much the fresher side.

Praying we have Nani back, maybe Fletcher, both Giggs and Anderson were bought off after an hour today obviously with an eye on this one to, a point might not be the worst result in the world.

mmm hate say but I would also be happy with this , our away form is not the best this season so far and Birmingham are not that bad a side at home.
 
What's with all the brum love in this place? They're not exactly world beaters and we're just getting into the mood of things. If anything, them surprising us early on might do the team some good and we might actually have to get out of second gear for the first time this season.
 
What's with all the brum love in this place? They're not exactly world beaters and we're just getting into the mood of things. If anything, them surprising us early on might do the team some good and we might actually have to get out of second gear for the first time this season.

and there is the problem , so far this season we have been dire away from home.
Dont really think it is Brum love here , just a realisation that our away form is way off , we have more than enough to beat them and beat them well , we are due a good win away from home and tonight would be an excellent place to get it
 
Bollocks to a draw, we should win this comfortably considering the form of both us and Birmingham.
 
mmm hate say but I would also be happy with this , our away form is not the best this season so far and Birmingham are not that bad a side at home.

Our poor away record shouldn't make us settle for points, it should spur us to win them rather than being afraid.
 
and there is the problem , so far this season we have been dire away from home.
Dont really think it is Brum love here , just a realisation that our away form is way off , we have more than enough to beat them and beat them well , we are due a good win away from home and tonight would be an excellent place to get it
The only difference between our home games and our away games were those awful lapses in concentration - something we have sorted out now. For crying out loud, we have title ambitions, we can't see Birmingham away as a decent place for a draw. A draw would be two points dropped, not one gained.

Bollocks to a draw, we should win this comfortably considering the form of both us and Birmingham.
Well said my good sir.
 
Too much has been made of our poor away form...we are still unbeaten FFS! With a fit Rio and Vida we have the ability to gain a couple of smash and grab 1 0 wins over the next five days...that would be so sweet!
 
Just got a feeling Rooney will score tonight, might have a little pop in the bookies on the way to the pub
 
The only difference between our home games and our away games were those awful lapses in concentration - something we have sorted out now. For crying out loud, we have title ambitions, we can't see Birmingham away as a decent place for a draw. A draw would be two points dropped, not one gained.


I agree and I hope we have sorted out are away form.
Not saying I would like a draw just saying that it would not be a disaster
 
Some of you lot need to take your balls out of storage and fecking use them! It's a good job the team don't go in to games thinking a draw would be a good result!
 
What's with all the brum love in this place? They're not exactly world beaters and we're just getting into the mood of things. If anything, them surprising us early on might do the team some good and we might actually have to get out of second gear for the first time this season.

No Brum love but they've lost only 1 home game in all of 2010. It's not going to be as easy as some people think it will no matter what their current form.
 
I reckon:

VDS
Rafael, Rio, Vidic, Evra
Nani, Carrick, Anderson, Giggs
Berb, Roon

Bench:- PIG, Fabio, Smalling, Fletch, Gibson, Hernandez, Bebe

Nani Roon & Berb to rip em up 1-4 at least!!
 
After the Sunderland game Fergie said there would be "some changes". Obviously we're expecting Nani to come in but will there be any more? Smalling? Hernandez? Brown? Fletcher? Kuszczak?
 
Hope some changes only refer to Nani coming in for Park. They've had 2 weeks off, so everyone should be able to play 2 games in 2 days not to mention the people that maybe needed not to play the full 90 were taken off early anyway and the rest of the team went into cruise control after the second goal.

Especially with Shitty trouncing Villa - we need to put them back in their place, 3 points is all that will do.
 
Hope some changes only refer to Nani coming in for Park. They've had 2 weeks off, so everyone should be able to play 2 games in 2 days not to mention the people that maybe needed not to play the full 90 were taken off early anyway and the rest of the team went into cruise control after the second goal.

Especially with Shitty trouncing Villa - we need to put them back in their place, 3 points is all that will do.

Fergie likes his rotation though. We could easily see:

Kuszczak
Brown Smalling Vidic Evra
Nani Fletcher Carrick Giggs
Hernandez Berbatov​
I doubt it but you know Fergie...

In fact SSN's predicted line up is:

Sky Sports News said:
Man United: Van der Sar, Rafael, Vidic, Smalling, Fabio, Nani, Anderson, Fletcher, Giggs, Rooney, Berbatov.
 
Rooney is playing well for the past couple of games, he has come close a few times so today will be good for him.