Gameday: United vs. West Brom, Condensed Edition

Alrighty, I'm on vacation waiting to usher in the New Year, so I'm gonna slack off a bit on the depth of my preview and just give you the important stuff. I'm also mooching off of hotel internet so hence the early Gameday post. Nevertheless the show must go on, so buckle your seatbelts, and hang on tight, cause it's gonna be a tough start to 2011.

The 411:
First up is West Brom who we had trouble against at Old Trafford back in October. Here's hoping our poor away form won't come back to haunt us as we head over to The Hawthorns to better our lead over Chelsea, City, and Arsenal.

Chasing the Title:
We're top of the league,
We also have games in hand.
Title's ours to lose.

That was haiku by the way.

Where We Stand:

1|United|18P|22GD|38PTS
2|Man City|20P|16GD|38PTS
3|Arsenal|19P|17GD|36PTS
4|Chelsea|19P|18GD|34PTS
--------------------------------------
5|Tottenham|19P|6GD|33PTS

Enemy Form:
The Baggies are 14th in the league with a record of L-W-L-L-L. Don't let that fool you though, remember back to when we played against them at Old Trafford and struggled to even manage a tie? I sure do and boy, was that a scary time. This time around, we've gotta make sure their manager, Di Matteo (who by the way looks like Johnny Tightlips), won't have a smug smile on his face after the final whistle.



Players to Look Out For:
West Brom's Chris Brunt has always been a danger with his smart and powerful football. He's got a good left foot and plies his trade on either wing, so our full-backs better be on their toes. Let's not forget who whipped the cross in for their first goal at Old Trafford.

Peter Odemwingie is also a threat. Other than that, not that concerned. It's more the style of play that Johnny Tightlips has instilled at the Hawthorns which is dangerous for us.

On the Home Front:
After surprising Ikmal (me!) with making only one change against Birmingham from the game against Sunderland, I'm not going to suggest any possible changes. Dimitar Berbatov is in red hot form and could seriously do some damage.

Nani could make a comeback from his injury, but we've got a game on Tuesday night vs. Stoke so he may not be rushed in.

That's a lot of games in a short space of time, surely this one will have a few different faces in it. Fergie might go 4-5-1 and play Berbatov up front on his own with Wayne Rooney on the left wing. Especially since Park's out, we need industry and Rooney's full of running, so that's a decision which wouldn't surprise me.

TSR's Thoughts:
1. Can we double our tally of away wins? We really really need it.
2. Hey, Fergie, can Michael Owen play a part in this game? Pretty please?
3. If United get a lead of 2 or more, then a win will surely be ours.

Bold Prediction:
United to win 2-1 after a scary fightback from West Brom.

So, from everyone at The Stretford Roar, we'd like to wish all of you a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

And may United bring more Glory in the next 5 months!