Out of the Master’s Shadow
You can guarantee that when Paul Ince took over the Blackburn Rovers job from Mark Hughes, games such as this Saturday’s against the club he represented with such distinction during his playing career was one of the first he looked for when the fixture list was released.
Indeed, the concept of even facing the Premier League and European champions must have seemed a long way away this time last season when he was guiding Milton Keynes Dons to the Football League Two title. Ince, though, has taken the giant leap to the Premier League in his stride if recent results are anything to go by.
Beginning with a barnstorming opening-day victory at Goodison Park against Everton, ‘the Guv’nor’ should be very pleased indeed to see his Rovers team sitting in a comfortable seventh place in the table after claiming further wins at home to Fulham and away at Newcastle United.
The ex-Inter Milan player has also, importantly, managed to add some further quality to the Blue and Whites squad. His signing of Paul Robinson seems to have re-invigorated the much-maligned goalkeeper, right-back Danny Simpson has been an astute loan singing from this Saturday’s opponents, whilst the Latin flair and technical skills of Chilean Carlos Villanueva has lit up the Rovers attack.
Such an impressive start to his Premier League career has certainly allowed Ince to cast aside any of the doubts that were sent his way upon his ascension to the Ewood Park hot-seat.
However, there aren’t many bigger tests for a manager than when Manchester United come to town.
However, Ince has inherited a team that has performed well above expectations against the Red Devils in recent years, with Rovers pinning back United’s title hopes last season in a hard-fought 1-1 draw as well as recording a David Bentley-inspired 4-3 win in 2006.
If the former Reds idol can continue this impressive run on Saturday, then you can be sure that Sir Alex Ferguson will have to crack a wry smile at yet another one of his protégés coming back to haunt him.
With or Without Wayne
There are some players who have an uncanny knack of finding the back of the net every time they walk onto a football pitch, whilst there are others who seem to be in a constant cycle of hot and cold spells when it comes to getting their name on the score-sheet.
That Wayne Rooney seems to fit so firmly in to the latter category will make the news of his potential absence from this game even harder to take for United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Rooney had looked to be coming back to his effervescent best in the Red Devils’ last two games, scoring a beautifully crafted goal against Bolton Wanderers and setting United on their way to an elementary 3-0 Champions League win against Aalborg with an uncharacteristically composed finish.
Furthermore, the mid-week jaunt in Denmark dealt a much more serious blow to Ferguson’s playing stock with the news that Paul Scholes will be out of action until 2009 due to the knee ligament damage he picked up in an innocuous challenge against AaB. The Oldham-born playmaker may not be the player that he once was, but anyone who saw his cameo appearance against Bolton Wanderers couldn’t have failed to recognise the quality and finesse that Scholes adds to the United midfield.
This latest injury will also exacerbate a problem position for United this season due to the continuing fitness issues for Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves, as well as the poor form of Anderson since his return from Olympic duty with Brazil. Blows such as these though will have been compensated by Dimitar Berbatov’s two goal salvo against the Danish champions.
The tall Bulgarian will be an important figure if the Red Devils are to come away from Ewood Park on Saturday with all three points.
Victories against their North West neighbours have though been scarce in recent years, a fact that Sir Alex Ferguson will no doubt be aware of when he rues the loss of his inspirational No. 10 for this match.
FORM GUIDE
Blackburn Rovers
27th September vs. Newcastle United (A) won 2-1 (PREM)
24th September vs. Everton (H) won 1-0 (CARLING CUP)
20th September vs. Fulham (H) won 1-0 (PREM)
13th September vs. Arsenal (H) lost 4-0 (PREM)
30th August vs. West Ham United (A) lost 4-1 (PREM)
Manchester United
30th September vs. Aalborg BK (A) won 3-0 (CHAMP LG)
27th September vs. Bolton Wanderers (H) won 2-0 (PREM)
23rd September vs. Middlesbrough (H) won 3-1 (CARLING CUP)
21st September vs. Chelsea (A) drew 1-1- (PREM)
17th September vs. Villarreal C.F. (H) drew 0-0 (PREM)
TEAM NEWS
Blackburn Rovers
Rovers will be without the services of Paul Robinson (calf) as he is still a week away from a return to action. The ex-Tottenham man joins long-term injury absentee David Dunn (shin) on the Ewood Park treatment table. Defender Danny Simpson will also be in the stands for this game - he is ineligible as he is a loan signing from Manchester United. Australian international Vince Grella (calf) should though be available to Paul Ince for the visit of the Premier League champions.
Last starting XI (vs. Newcastle United): Brown, Simpson, Nelsen, Samba, Warnock, Emerton, Olsson, Tugay, Derbyshire (Ooijer 84), Roque Santa Cruz (Roberts 84), Villanueva (Fowler 62).
Subs Not Used: Bunn, Pedersen, Andrews, Treacy.
Squad: Brown, Bunn, Nelsen, Samba, Warnock, Emerton, Ooijer, Pedersen, Grella, Andrews, Treacy, Olsson, Tugay, Villanueva, Derbyshire, Roque Santa Cruz, Roberts, Fowler.
Manchester United
The ease of the Red Devil’s mid-week victory in Denmark has come at a cost with Paul Scholes (knee) out of the first-team frame until January. The veteran player joins team-mates Owen Hargreaves (knee) and Michael Carrick (ankle) on the sidelines to leave Sir Alex Ferguson short of central midfield options. There is better news for Gary Neville, however, as he should return for the short trip to Blackburn after being rested against Aalborg. Wayne Rooney (ankle) does though remain a serious doubt for this game after his early withdrawal against the Danish champions. Injuries to goalkeepers Ben Foster (knee) and Thomas Kuszczak (knee) will mean that Ben Amos retains his place on the United bench.
Last starting XI (vs. Aalborg BK): Van Der Sar, Rafael Da Silva (Brown 66), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Scholes (Giggs 16), O'Shea, Nani, Berbatov, Rooney (Tevez 59).
Subs Not Used: Amos, Anderson, Park, Evans.
Squad: Van Der Sar, Amos, Rafael Da Silva, Neville, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evans, Evra, Ronaldo, Giggs, O'Shea, Nani, Anderson, Park, Fletcher, Berbatov, Rooney, Tevez.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Blackburn Rovers
After being sporadically linked with United over the summer, Roque Santa Cruz will want to show Sir Alex Ferguson his true worth. The Paraguayan powerhouse was a constant thorn in the side of the Red Devils when the two teams met at Ewood Park last season, giving Rovers the lead with a trademark header, and Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic one of the toughest tests they received during United’s glorious campaign. A repeat of such a dominant display will give Paul Ince every chance of claiming his first major Premier League scalp.
Manchester United
With his two goals against Aalborg in mid-week, Dimitar Berbatov started to pay back the huge transfer fee that brought him to the club. Strikes against Danish minnows will, however, be quickly forgotten by an expectant United following if the Bulgarian doesn’t continue to get his name on the Red Devils’ score-sheet. Football fans are a notoriously fickle bunch though, and if the ex-Tottenham man caps off a promising week with a match-wining strike against Blackburn Rovers you can bet that any of their initial misgivings will be quickly forgotten as they celebrate another three points.
PREDICTION
Ewood Park has never been a fruitful hunting ground for Manchester United, with one win in their last three visits to Blackburn standing testament to this fact.
The task for Sir Alex Ferguson has also grown even harder in the last few days with Paul Scholes’ worrying knee injury and the fitness doubts surrounding a rejuvenated Wayne Rooney.
Bearing this news in mind, Rovers manager Paul Ince should have his troops fired up on Saturday to give his former manager’s charges a real test of their Premier League winning credentials.
Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Manchester United
Matt Monaghan
No comments:
Post a Comment