im happy enough to get a light win or worst case draw given the possible pitch condition and Blackpool's form against big team
p.s i will step in local stadium if Butt are playing for <anything> FC in Malaysia Super League.. possibly buying his jersey too.. that's BPL's power (or MU to be precise)

and dont forget HK peopel love Man UTD, i dont know why

04 Dec - Blackpool (A)
07 Dec - Valencia (H)*
13 Dec - Arsenal (H)
19 Dec - Chelsea (A)
26 Dec - Sunderland (H)
28 Dec - Birmingham (A)
01 Jan - West Brom (A)

I guess December is really killer month. Even West Brom consider average to hard match. We need lady luck starting this week 

anyone in for a 4421 formation?

vds
rafael-vidic-rio-evra
nani-scholes-fletcher-park
rooney-berbatov
Own Goal 
Sheep

UNITED AHEAD OF THE GAME

Hello Mr Martin. Really doing this work weekly is so exhausting and may be boring, but really interesting to read these stats. I have a simple question to ask you. I have been researching widely about the head-to-head of all Premier League teams against Manchester United. Could you tell me if there is any English team which has won the most against United at the head-to-head in the Premier League?

Kind Regards, Sherif Magued (Manchester Utd fan)

MARTIN SAYS: Our friends at Opta have detailed Manchester United's head-to head record against all of the other 43 teams to have played in the Premier League. Unsurprisingly, United have more wins than their opponents in 41 of these head to heads.

The only team to have enjoyed more wins than losses against United in the Premier League era is Chelsea. The Blues have won 12 of their 36 meetings, while United have won 10 times.

One side has won as many as they have lost - and that team is Burnley. The Clarets have only played United twice in the Premier League era, winning one and losing the other!

As you can see from the table below, United have a win record of 50% or better against every Premier League team, apart from Chelsea and Arsenal. They also boast 100% records against six teams - Barnsley, Bradford, Hull, Stoke, Watford and Wigan. This truly is an amazing set of statistics for a team that has played in every Premier League season.

United's head-to head record against each team in the Premier League (win percentage in brackets):

Chelsea: P36 W10 D14 L12 (27.8%)
Arsenal: P36 W15 D11 L10 (41.7%)
Burnley: P2W1 D0 L1 (50.0%)
Ipswich Town: P10 W5 D3 L2 (50.0%)
Reading: P4 W2 D2 L0 (50.0%)
Swindon Town: P2 W1 D1 L0 (50.0%)
Liverpool: P37 W20 D7 L10 (54.1%)
Leeds United: P24 W13 D7 L4 (54.2%)
Sheffield Wednesday: P16 W9 D4 L3 (56.3%)
Derby County: P14 W8 D4 L2 (57.1%)
Middlesbrough: P28 W16 D7 L5 (57.1%)
Blackburn Rovers: P33 W19 D9 L5 (57.6%)
Manchester City: P27 W16 D6 L5 (59.3%)
Newcastle United: P33 W20 D10 L3 (60.6%)
Fulham: P19 W12 D4 L3 (63.2%)
West Ham: P31 W20 D7 L4 (64.5%)
Aston Villa: P37 W24 D10 L3 (64.9%)
Bolton Wanderers: P23 W15 D5 L3 (65.2%)
Sunderland: P19 W13 D5 L1(68.4%)
Leicester City: P16 W11 D4 L1 (68.8%)
Wimbledon: P16 W11 D3 L2 (68.8%)
Nottingham Forest: P10 W7 D2 L1 (70.0%)
Portsmouth: P14 W10 D1 L3 (71.4%)
Everton:P37 W27 D6L4 (73.0%)
Tottenham Hotspur: P37 W27 D7 L3 (73.0%)
Southampton: P26 W19 D2 L5 (73.1%)
Birmingham City: P12 W9 D3 L0 (75.0%)
Crystal Palace: P8 W6 D2 L0 (75.0%)
Norwich City: P8 W6D1 L1 (75.0%)
Oldham Athletic:P4 W3 D0 L1 (75.0%)
Queens Park Rangers: P8 W6 D2 L0 (75.0%)
West Bromwich Albion: P9 W7 D2 L0 (77.8%)
Wolverhampton Wanderers: P5 W4 D0 L1 (80.0%)
Sheffield United: P6 W5 D0 L1 (83.3%)
Charlton Athletic: P16 14 D2 L0 (87.5%)
Coventry City: P18 W16 D1 L1 (88.9%)
Barnsley: P2W2D0 L0 (100.0%)
Bradford City: P4 W4 D0 L0 (100.0%)
Hull City: P4 W4 D0 L0(100.0%)
Stoke City: P5 W5 D0 L0 Win percentage: (100.0%)
Watford: P4 W4 D0 L0 (100.0%)
Wigan Athletic: P11 W11 D0 L0 (100.0%)

I like Ian Halloway style though, he plays attacking football, leaking goals like no tomorrow and doesn't afraid of anything.

As long as we keep those defenses tight, I can see we will snatch a win there

fixed

oh and any team that beat Liverpool at Anfield should not be underestimated I think

OLD TRAFFORD legend Viv Anderson reckons Manchester United's current crop of youngsters are simply not good enough.

The former full-back watched in horror as Alex Ferguson's team crashed 4-0 at West Ham in Tuesday's Carling Cup quarter-final.
Jonny Evans, 22, played alongside 21-year-old Chris Smalling at the heart of the defence, with Fabio, 20, at right-back.

All three had shockers and Gabriel Obertan, 21, and 20-year-old Bebe were no better in midfield.
Anderson, 54, told the club's own TV channel, MUTV: "I don't think they are quite up to the task everyone thinks they are.
"We changed the whole back five, including the goalkeeper. And that is a bit of an ask.
"It has backfired on Ferguson, you could see that in his face.
"He is going to have to really think about the younger lads, they cannot match up to the expectations of this club."
United did keep a clean sheet with Smalling and Evans at the heart of their defence in last week's Champions League tie at Rangers.
But Anderson said: "It was a bit of a false dawn. That night the system suited us as Rangers had only Kenny Miller up front.
"West Ham played with two up front and that was difficult for us. We conceded some shocking goals.
"It was a hard night and a learning curve for these young lads - especially for the back four."

Another United legend Lou Macari was equally damning, admitting there are no rising stars coming through at Old Trafford.
The Scotsman said: "I can't remember the last time I saw one of them come into the team and you thought a star had arrived.
"You go back to the time when Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs played in a game against Port Vale and you knew they had arrived.
"I keep wanting to see the same thing happening now but I just can't. They were given an opportunity but they let let the manager down."
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Macari believes the most shocking thing about Tuesday's display was how United's youngsters were shoved off the ball at Upton Park.
And he believes boss Fergie should have stuck with more of the side that battered Blackburn 7-1.
He said: "West Ham bullied us - and they are the one team who can't bully anyone.
"We read and talk all the time about players getting tired but I am not a great believer in chopping and changing.
"But if those who played on Saturday had played again, do you think they would not have been able to play at Blackpool this weekend? They would be itching to play.
"Berbatov scored five against Blackburn and would have been on an all-time high.
"If he had scored another couple on Tuesday, there would have been even more pats on the back."


6

good comment from ex-MU players ...