Manchester United vs. Blackburn Preview

Manchester United will be seeking to hammer another nail into Blackburn Rovers relegation coffin when the two sides meet at Old Trafford on New Year’s Eve. As home bankers come, they do not get much more obvious than this and anything other than an easy home win would be a massive surprise.

United have been known in the past for their ruthless play and attacking ability and although they have so far failed to hit top gear this season, Alex Ferguson and his men will surely be confident of slotting a few goals past what is an ailing Blackburn Rovers side.

Rovers were turned over at home in dismal fashion by Lancashire rivals Bolton Wanderers on the run in to Christmas and it is likely that the club will be hunting for a new manager by the time this fixture comes around.

And even despite how bad Blackburn have been this campaign, going to Old Trafford managerless would surely be an even bigger recipe for disaster.

Whoever takes over the wheel at Ewood Park will be under huge pressure to deliver results following a run of just seven Premier League wins in 37 games.

Blackburn fans have been calling for Steve Kean’s head for the majority of the campaign and even a spectacular home victory against Arsenal did little to stem the tide.

Alex Ferguson will relish the opportunity of picking up an easy three points in this fixture as the intensity of the title race increases.

Rivals Manchester City face a tricky trip to Martin O’Neill’s Sunderland in this round of games and an emphatic win for United would certainly put some heat on Roberto Mancini before he travels with his team up to Tyneside.

If Rovers are to stand any chance of frustrating the champions the likes of Ryan Nelson and Christopher Samba must step up to the plate.

Nelson has been a lynchpin for Blackburn over the past few seasons however he has appeared a shadow of his former self over the past few months – and Rovers really need a leader.

The latter has been subject of much interest from other Premier League clubs and many pundits have suggested that his mind has not quite been on the Rovers job for some time.

United’s superiority is confirmed by the skinny 1/5 on offer for a home win and although this is not worth taking alone, it can readily be trebled with Arsenal and Chelsea to bank home wins on the same day at odds of around even money.

Both Nani and Ashley Young should enjoy themselves down the flanks and their pace will be the main weapon which condemns Rovers to a heavy defeat.

With the supply line in full flow it may be worth looking at Wayne Rooney to rediscover his touch and the England hitman could easily bag himself a couple of goals to boost his confidence moving into 2012.

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07/01/2012     © Frixo 2024