United out for Revenge at Newcastle

Manchester United will be happy this game has come so quickly and they have a chance to put the FA Cup semi-final defeat to bed.

United missed out in a tight game against Manchester City that was decided due to one mistake by Michael Carrick in a crucial area of the pitch. However, United cannot change the result and need to turn their attention to Newcastle quickly as they seek to wrap up the title.

The defence for the match against Newcastle could be tweaked by manager Sir Alex Ferguson. There is the chance for John O’Shea or Wes Brown to come in at right back or into one of the central defensive positions. This would allow Ferguson to give one or two of his key defenders a rest before bigger and more important matches.

The midfield is also an area where he can mix things up. Ryan Giggs could come back into the mix at the expense of Paul Scholes and Darren Fletcher could be in line for a return after only recently returning to training. Park Ji-Sung, Antonio Valencia and Nani are all battling for wide positions in the team.

Anderson could be in line for a start if Ferguson decides to punish Carrick for the mistake which ultimately cost United a place in the FA Cup final. Anderson is certainly the more creative of the pair and this would allow Giggs or Scholes to sit in front of the back for and mop up after each passage of play Newcastle have.

Wayne Rooney should return to the attack of the side as he’s now completed a two match suspension for swearing down a television camera during the game at West Ham. Rooney was jumping up and down like a child on the United bench as he was helpless to do anything about United’s performance against Manchester City.

Dimitar Berbatov was given a chance to shine in the FA Cup semi-final with Javier Hernandez sitting on the bench and the Bulgarian blew it. This could mean Hernandez coming back into the side to partner Rooney but it’s anyone’s guess as many expected Hernandez to start with Berbatov during the FA Cup semi.

Ferguson has confirmed that Owen Hargreaves will play no further part in the side this season which could also suggest that he is on his way out of the club. Rafael Da Silva is still struggling with a slight knock that he picked up during the Champions League game against Chelsea.

St James’ Park I a ground where United have enjoyed some big wins in the recent past and they will be looking to make an example out of the home side in this game. It could be a long night for Newcastle as Manchester United go on the hunt for someone to take anger and frustration out on.