Another week, another Lancashire derby, as the mighty Manchester United entertain one of only three other teams to win the Premiership, the once mighty Blackburn Rovers, now re-building under the fierce Welsh manager and former much-loved United striker, Mark Hughes.
United get things underway lined up in what looks like a cautious 4-5-1 of Edwin Van der Sar in goal, the current back four of John O'Shea, Rio Ferdinand, Mikael Silvestre and Kieron Richardson,and then a 5 man midfield of Cristiano Ronaldo, Darren Fletcher, Alan Smith, Paul Scholes captaining the team and Ji-sung Park with Ruud van Nistelrooy as lone striker.
Both Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs are left on the bench along with Tim Howard, Liam Miller and Phil Bardsley. Let's hope they feel positive and actually play a slightly more positive though still cautious 4-3-3 with Ronaldo and Park getting forward to support the lone wolf!
It's a pretty one-sided first half with United making all the running and Blackburn defending deeply and looking for the quick break forward. It's a pretty open game with both sides making chances although they're coming roughly two to one in United's favour.
Suddenly, with just over half an hour gone, Blackburn win a fairly harmless looking free kick out on the United right. Blackburn's Norwegian midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen whips in what looks like a fast cross but somehow nobody connects with it and it goes straight in at the United far post and it's GOOALLL to Blackburn Rovers 0-1.
After this shock, the sellout crowd is stunned but United keep pushing forward in search of an equalizer, alas to no avail and it's half time with United losing at home.
The second half gets underway with Blackburn already looking happy to settle for the current score and just defend deeply but the Red Devils look determined to strike back.
Article comments