Alan Hansen’s Premier League Preview: Stoke v Manchester United
Manchester United travel to Stoke this weekend brimming with confidence after impressive victories over both Tottenham and local rivals Man City. The champions really impressed me at White Hart Lane and although they left it very late against City, there’s no doubt they deserved to win the match. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side may miss the guile of Cristiano Ronaldo but they have maintained their competitive winning edge and it’s hard to back against them at the Britannia Stadium.
It’s well worth noting that United won both home and away against Stoke last season without conceding a goal. However, they did not have it all their own way at the Britannia Stadium as an 83rd minute Carlos Tevez goal was all that separated the teams. Sir Alex’s side may have suffered an upset at Burnley earlier in the season but after such impressive performances, it’s hard to imagine they are ripe for another shock defeat.
Wayne Rooney is in the form of his life after scoring 6 goals in his last 6 league games and no side will find him easy to handle. The young striker has been backed up superbly by the form of veteran Ryan Giggs who rolled back the years against Man City last weekend turning Micah Richards inside out with his dribbling ability. The Welshman has already created 24 goal scoring chances for his team-mates this season which is more than any other player and a fantastic testament to his enduring ability in the Premier League.
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United have already shown this season that their will to win is still very strong. This campaign they’ve scored more 2nd half goals than any other side (11 goals) which perfectly illustrates their commitment and desire. Without the goals of Ronaldo, Sir Alex’s side have had to rely more on their ability to grind out results but results over Arsenal, Spurs and City suggest they are still going to be right in the title shake-up.
Stoke do possess an excellent record at the Britannia Stadium but although I don’t see United having an easy match, I do expect them to win. After all, they may have lost some flair but United haven’t lost the fighting spirit that has made them champions.
Tags: Alan Hansen, Manchester United, Premier 10, Premier League, Stoke
