United Looking for Wigan Win
- By Lewis Doe on February 25, 2011 07:36 GMT
Manchester United will be looking to bounce back in emphatic fashion against Wigan after a poor 0-0 draw away in Marseille.
Not an awful lot happened in the first leg of the last 16 Champions League clash and Sir Alex Ferguson could make several tweaks to his side in order to get more creativity out of his players. Defensively United were superb but it was a frustrating display going forwards.
John O’Shea could be replaced at right back for the match against Wigan. O’Shea seemed too happy to smash the ball forwards instead of playing it out from the back in the draw against the French club. This gave away possession during key periods of the match on more than one occasion.
Chris Smalling should retain his place next to Nemanja Vidic in the heart of the attack as he was one of the only players to come out of the tie with a lot of praise. Smalling looked at home, comfortable and used to pressure situations. It wouldn’t be a surprise to many if he now got a long run of games in the team.
Paul Scholes should come back into the midfield at the expense of Darron Gibson. Scholes came on against Marseille and instantly looked more of a threat. The experienced midfielder never gives the ball away, is very aggressive and can spot one or two intelligent passes that can sometimes make the difference in a tight game.
If Ryan Giggs is available for selection then he is bound to play down the left of the team and will swap over with Nani when required. Giggs’ experience and quality was missed against Marseille because he could have taken the sting out of a very intense and intimidating atmosphere.
An attacking trio of Nani, Dimitar Berbatov and Wayne Rooney should all continue at the top of the team. Nani looked very lively against Marseille but tried a trick too many on frequent occasions which was frustrating. Rooney’s versatility means that he can drift out to the right of the team if United need more width to get in behind Wigan.
Berbatov didn’t have the best of games against Marseille but credit has to go to the defence of the French team for keeping him quiet. Berbatov looks good in possession and lays the ball of well. However, against Marseille, every time there was a hint of danger from him, there were two defenders right on top of him pressing him for the ball.
In terms of injuries for the game, it’s unlikely that Park Ji-Sung, Rafael Da Silva and Rio Ferdinand will feature against Wigan. Ryan Giggs is in contention but needs frequent rests because of the fixture pile up and his age. Antonio Valencia is progressing well in training but Owen Hargreaves will play no part at all in the match.
United are 8/15 to win, Wigan are 7/1 and the draw is 16/5.
