Authors: Stretford End and Nik

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Manchester United won their third Premier League game on the spin, having beaten Arsenal and Bolton recently, with a 2-0 victory over Stoke City. Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov converted two penalties for the Champions, who are now level on points with league leaders Manchester City. United were missing Wayne Rooney, Phil Jones and Ashley Young – to name a few – but still managed a 33rd league win over Stoke City. United also managed to give a league debut to a young goalkeeper.

Here we discuss the talking points of the game and invite Stoke fans to join in the discussion below.

How United unlocked the door

Tuesday evening was a strange one in the sense that Stoke City theoretically played with three ‘forwards’ yet failed to field any in reality. Pulis’ men were well drilled from the off, setting up in somewhat of a ’4-4-2′, with Walters left, Pennant right, Jones and Crouch ahead of Whitehead and Palacios. But this doesn’t tell the entire story; Pulis was happy to concede the majority of the posession (United had 75% with a pass completion rate of 90%) in the hope that they would either nick one on the break or settle for 0-0 draw. Jones and Crouch started so deep when without the ball that they were effectively the 3rd and 4th central midfield players, with only one asked to press the United backline according to the position of the ball (Jones would nominally press from right to left, Crouch in the opposite manner). The deeply held line also had the effect of pulling Jermaine Pennant back for a large part of the first half in particular, where the former Liverpool player often found himself trying to combat Park and the left of centre Hernandez in the right back position (with Williamson pulled central). It was no coincidence that it was Pennant then who conceded the penalty that led to the crucial opening goal, clumsily sticking a leg out to foul the (admitedly clever) Park who had reached the ball first.

United struggle to penetrate: 3/22 successful crosses and 303 completed passes, 0-38 mins

Up until this point United had really struggled to breach the 10-man defensive strategy – especially with Stoke pressing each player so vigourously. Getting the ball wide to Park and Valencia as quick as possible was part of the strategy, but despite their best efforts, and the doubling up of Stoke defenders the wingers struggled to make an impact. Scholes and Carrick (who completed nearly 250 passes together) continued to penetrate from the centre, and both ball-playing centre backs (see Evans’ dashboard for passing, 93 passes) were often found high upfield as they sought to gain numerical advantage in and around the away team’s penalty area. Despite United’s dominance frustratingly not leading to clear goal-scoring opportunities, their patience was finally rewarded – with the Stoke City system effectively their downfall.

When trying to break on the counter down the left hand side with Walters, he was so deep that it only took the most basic of defensive interceptions from Smalling from which the move that led to the vital opener initiated. Valencia was quick to the ball, drawing out Wilson as well as Huth and Palacios, meaning that the Ecuadorian could find the unmarked and effervescent Berbatov, just on the edge of the area. With Stoke shuffling their backline accordingly, Berbatov’s neat lay-off to Scholes allowed the revived playmaker to survey the scene and play in Park with a perfectly weighted through-ball. It was an equally brave and disastrous approach from Pulis – brave in that his system had pretty much worked to pefection at that point (see chalkboard, 303/342 passes [114 in the final third] until the 38th minute), but disastrous in that such a deep and defensive approach was always likely to be counter-productive if their defence was to be breached. At 0-1, Pulis’ men were drained, confused and ineffective – their passing in the final third non-existent.

A debut for young Ben Amos

Ben Amos had made six appearances for United previously to the match against Stoke City, however none of these came in the league. Amos is now level with former United goal keeper Nick Culkin with a single Premier League appearance to his name (Culkin came on in the dying seconds against Arsenal back in 1999 when Raimond Van der Gouw was injured), although I’m sure United’s number 40 will pick up more appearances than his predecessor. Amos was decent in possession, only giving the ball away when forced to go long to Hernandez and Berbatov. Crouch and Jones didn’t have a single shot on target between them and Stoke only had two shots on target all night – so the youngster wasn’t really tested in the absence of David De Gea and Anders Lindegaard. Paul Pogba also made his league debut despite speculation about his current contract.

Penalties: Yes or no?

Tony Pulis was quoted as saying the following after the game:

“Jermaine is adamant, although it doesn’t show it on the television, that he played the ball first. On the second, it’s not a free-kick before the penalty. Then Valencia runs across Jon Walters and falls over. When you come to Old Trafford, if there’s decisions going, they go with the home side.”

The comments from the Stoke manager indicate that he didn’t think either were a penalty and cited “being at Old Trafford” as one of the reasons as to why they were given. As shots were quite limited all game (United’s two on target were penalties), it is easy to see why Pulis is frustrated by the two goal defeat, however I think it is hard to argue against both decisions. Pennant clips Park, whilst Walters drags Valencia back (see below):

Park gets to the ball before Pennant and hits the ball towards goal

If Pennant had of got a touch, the ball would have gone toward the byline, rather than towards the goal

Walters clearly tugs Valencia hindering his progress towards goal

So what are your thoughts? Penalties or not? Should Evra have had a penalty in the second half?

Player Focus

Park deserves a mention for playing with remarkable nouse and intelligence for the second consecutive game. His link up play with Evra and Hernandez was particularly good, as was his left to centre movement, dragging opponents out of position.

Scholes and Carrick reigned back the years. In a performance that was once typical of the complimentary central pairing, their mutual understanding, dilligence and precision across the pitch was outstanding. Both goals were the result of clever play from the centre in the first instance. As per the game at Anfield, Scholes seemed to thrive on the challenge of a combative opposing midfield. His close control and quick thinking were a joy to watch – 8 months since retiring, who’d have thought it?

Evans dashboard

Evans played in the ‘Pique’ role, frequently taking the ball forward and either beating his man, or laying the ball off out wide in order to push for a position in the final third. When a team sets its stall out as Stoke did, one of the centre backs must take the opportunity to step out and improve the passing angle and forward penetration. Jonny did this with aplomb. Will be sorely disappointed with his lax challenge on Carroll at the weekend, but has grown in confidence in recent months and is arguably the club’s best centre half at the moment.

Summary

A dominant United performance ended with a comfy victory over a lacklustre Stoke side. Maybe the one frustrating point was that United couldn’t add more goals to boost their goal difference, particularly on a night when Man City lost. Scholes and Carrick were once again at the centre of United’s play, orchestrating everything going on ahead of them. The game provided a good chance to rest Welbeck and Pogba made his league debut – an impressive cameo.

United are at Chelsea on Sunday, another big game against a team out of form and sorts. Young, Nani and Rooney all should make the squad along with De Gea so numbers should be better – hopefully no one’s being rushed back though.

Authors: Nik and Doron

Follow Nik and Doron on Twitter

United’s 100% league start to the season came unstuck at The Brittania as a bullish Stoke side held United to a draw. United, despite taking the lead were possibly lucky to even get a draw – crucial saves by De Gea and misses from Crouch kept the score level. There was bad news before the game had even started as Rooney, Carrick and Evans were all late withdrawals through injury – only to be followed by Hernandez ten minutes into the game. Eight first team players are now out injured and the squad will be well and truly tested over the next few weeks.

The general post-match feeling was that it was a point gained for United rather than two dropped – that could have been so different had a few key moments panned out in United’s favour, but it was not to be. Here we discuss some of the key talking points from the game and welcome discussion from both United and Stoke fans.

A game for Vidic and Evans and defensive concerns – (Nik)

It was always going to be a tough place to come (excuse the cliché) with the emphasis Pulis’ side places on set pieces and high balls to their forward players. Stoke City are quickly becoming a recognised force in the division, with many experts predicting a hugely creditable top 6-8 finish. In theory, United’s defence shouldn’t have had too many problems despite the missing Vidic and Smalling as well as having to replace Evans with Valencia very late on. Moreover, Crouch’s height sometimes betrays his fallibility in the air at aerial challenges, and Rio’s return was set to stabilise the backline. Yet Walters, Crouch, Shawcross and Delap caused United lots of trouble in the air, and it was all to evident that United missed that vital ingredient at the back: the ‘stopper’ – the defender who works ahead of the ‘sweeper’ and who can anticipate and intercept higher up the pitch. In this fixture last season, Vidic’s supremacy in the air nullified Stoke’s tactic (see Chalkboard 1), his key strength being the ability to attack every ball in his vicinity with great gusto and fantastic accuracy.

Chalkboard 1. Jones aerial tackles won (Stoke away 2011/12) vs. Vidic aerial tackles won (Stoke away 2010/11)

Chalkboard 2. Jones aerial tackles lost (Stoke away 2011/12) vs. Vidic aerial tackles lost (Stoke away 2010/11)

Chalkboard 3. Evans aerial success v Bolton

This term United have coped well with his absence largely because of the strength in depth the squad has in this position, but today’s problems were further compounded when Evans, our other key stopper (see Chalkboard 2 for his aerial prowess versus Davies in particular), and form centre-half, had a recurrence of a foot injury in the warm-up. Jones has started his United career with aplomb, but Ferguson’s original selection of the young Preston man was at right back, allowing for greater penetration going forward, and crucially, ensuring a more complimentary partnership of Evans and Ferdinand at the heart of the defence. Jones was careless when defending the corner that led to Crouch heading in from 7 yards, and Ferdinand was also caught out a couple of times, where de Gea continued his impressive form, twice thwarting the home side from close range. Stoke also played long balls into the channels in order to pull the centre half pairing apart, leaving United vulnerable again in the centre. The game has proved that strength in depth is great, but sometimes particular fixtures demand a specific defensive approach – Fergie cant prevent defensive injuries, but he must also be aware that he has started nine players across the backline since the start of the season, an area on the field where consolidation and familiarity are essential.

Stoke pressing limits United fullback ambition – (Nik)

Stoke’s discipline across the pitch was commendable, as was their intensity and purpose. It was notable from very early on in the game how high they were pressing, starting with the front two Crouch and Walters closing down United’s defenders in their own half. Walters in particular enjoyed dropping the deeper of the two, paying particular attention to Anderson when he sought to get the ball in deep positions. In short, the main reason for United’s lackluster display was that they didn’t respond; in fact Stoke must be given credit for not allowing United to respond. Despite two marauding runs from Jones, the defence was as deep as its been all season, and the entire backline seemed to lack confidence on the ball, as well as in aerial challenges (as above). This inevitably meant that the midfield line of four were 10 meters too deep, leaving far too big a space between themselves and Berbatov and Owen. Three key themes thus emerged: Whelan and Delap (assisted by narrow wingers) dominated the centre versus Anderson and Fletcher (the Scotsman performing generally well when on the ball), meaning that when the United pair did have the ball, the wide option was rarely viable as they were too deep; secondly, Berbatov tried to make amends for this dropping far too deep in order to receive the ball, and he likewise was unable to be penetrative with his passing. His touch and passing was neat and astute as usual, but Owen was often too far away from him, or running the channels with no support from wide.

Chalkboard 4. Shawcross focus – Evra thwarted

Thirdly, Stoke’s pressing and high intensity meant that our usual thrust from the fullback position didn’t quite materialise. Valencia and Evra found it difficult to take the ball forward with their usual panache and cause problems in the attacking third as Pennant and Etherington doubled up with Wilkinson and Wilson in stopping them getting out – especially in the first 60 minutes of the game. The home side seemed to pay particular attention to Young and Evra, who have both been superb this season as individuals and as a pair. Chalkboard 3 shows Shawcross kept his central-right position very intelligently in order to assist the fullback; likewise, Chalkboard 4 (heatmap) shows the attention Delap gave to United’s left side, paying particular attention to thwarting Evra’s out-ball. It was only in the last quarter of the game that Evra broke forward with his usual penetration, but alas, United were often short on numbers attacking the box. Of course, doubling up and showing the winger inside could not always pay dividends, as we saw with yet another stunning goal from the hugely productive Nani. Perhaps Stoke underestimated the latter’s ability to take the ball inside and shoot with his so-called weaker foot. Nani’s precision with his left foot has been superb in the last 12 months, and here he took 3 defenders out of the game in one jinxing run.

Chalkboard 5. Delap positioning

Shots on goal becoming a concern – (Nik)

Today, Stoke carried on the trend that has been seen thus far in terms of taking every opportunity to shoot at United’s goal (see Chalkboard 5, 13 in total, nearly half from outside the area). This is becoming a concern for the reds, and there have been a number of theories put forward as to why we are conceding more shots than any other team in the league; de Gea seen as ‘vulnerable’ by the opposition; United’s attacking approach play in numbers (Jones and Evra have been very ambitious) leaving us susceptible to the swift counter; the central midfield partnership being too attacking in outlook (Anderson has partnered Cleverley and Fletcher in the main, with Carrick, our main defensive minded midfielder giving way due to the team’s great form).

Chalkboard 6. Stoke City shots on goal

To some extent, all of these have validity, but perhaps the simple answer lies before our eyes: Fergie is currently undergoing yet another transformation in the team’s approach, both in personnel and in regards to tactics. We cannot expect the swashbuckling attacking football we have seen in recent weeks not to have a minor downside, and this seems to be it. With Young, Nani, Rooney and Welbeck/Hernandez interchanging with great ease and fluency to date, with the fullbacks and attacking central midfielder in close attendance, it is easy to conclude that opposing managers have got wise to a part-solution. This is still a concern for Fergie however, and especially when the ‘bigger’ teams are on the horizon (be that league or European competition), he will have to prepare the team with greater finesse. This is perhaps where we will see a change in starting formation with an extra central midfielder required to add that vital gusto in the middle of the park. Of course this may mean sacrificing one of our fantastic attacking quartet, unless of course the age-old dilemma resurfaces on Rooney’s ability to play a deeper role as well as maintaining his productivity and influence.

No striking edge – (Doron)

With Rooney out through injury, Hernandez going off injured early on, and Welbeck not sharp enough post-injury to start a game yet; Berbatov and Owen both played the majority of the game as the forward pairing. Despite playing a full game on Tuesday night at Leeds these are two strikers possibly with something to prove after finding themselves out of the first XI picture so far in the league this season.

If there’s one thing United had learnt so far this season from their strikers, it’s that having both in the box at the same time causes problems. There were a few fantastic examples of that at Bolton were Rooney and Hernandez’s opposing runs created goal scoring opportunities. Yet when in possession against Stoke, everything from the front two appeared to be in slow motion. Owen’s runs were good but he was often just a second too slow. Arguably the most frustrating aspect of the striking play though was Berbatov’s recurring failure to support Owen in the box. The pair attempting to replicate the Rooney-Hernandez partnership with Owen dropping off the ball deep and running into channels whilst Berbatov held a deeper more creative position with the aim of arriving late (or after Owen) into the penalty area.

Chalkboard 7. Berbatov passing and positioning

Chalkboard 8. Owen passing and positioning

Berbatov’s a tremendously skilful player and he does things no one else in the United team can do. However only 12% of his passes were made in the final third of the pitch yesterday (Owen made 35% in that area). What’s more, with Stoke pressing and not allowing United any time on the ball, it was a game for one or two touch football. Berbatov regularly was taking four or five touches, losing momentum.

One game is not enough to jump to drastic conclusions about either Berbatov or Owen, but neither staked much of a claim for selection ahead of one of Rooney, Hernandez or Welbeck against Basel or Norwich in the coming week. Every squad needs depth but that depth has to be able to make a difference when needed or rotated into the side. For Berbatov in particular, the league’s top scorer last year, it was a disappointing afternoon. He has many admirers because he’s such an entertainer but he also splits fans down the middle and can frustrate. Expectations from him are high and he in particular was a let-down but one shouldn’t forget that good strikers need support from the rest of the team too and other players behind them were also poor.

Choosing to keep these two players over the summer was a big call from Ferguson – his new United team is built on pace, energy and incisiveness, not necessarily attributes one would associate with either Owen or Berbatov right now.

Fine margins – (Doron)

Three incidents stuck out post-match; three moments that could have changed the game in United’s favour.

The first came inside the opening moments of the game. Hernandez was played through one-on-one with Begovic when he was knocked off balance by Woodgate behind him. Replays of the incident show Woodgate coming through the back of Hernandez to win the ball; contact was first with the man then the ball. Hernandez would go off injured a few minutes after as a result of the collision with Begovic that came as a result of the Woodgate foul. Referee Walton gave nothing though, however he was some distance from the action and possibly couldn’t have seen Woodgate making contact with Hernandez first. The linesman on the far side though had a clear view and still gave nothing, it surely would have been not only a penalty but a red card for Woodgate as he was denying a goalscoring opportunity.

Woodgate on Hernandez

Woodgate on Hernandez (2)

Woodgate on Hernandez – referee and linesman positioning

The second incident came about through a rare Stoke error. With United 1-0 up and the game still in the first half, a poor pass back to Begovic saw him hurried into a poor clearance by Ashley Young and eventually the ball fell to Nani who had a half-open goal from 20 yards but managed to but the ball high and wide. To be fair to Nani it all happened so quickly and he had little time to adjust his feet but even so, he should have scored.

Nani (half-)open goal chance

The third incident again involved the officials. Ashley Young’s initial shot was saved by Begovic and as the ball wasn’t properly cleared, Anderson fired it back in at goal only for it appear to hit the arm of Ryan Shawcross as he tried to turn his body away from goal. The officials didn’t give a penalty but instead awarded Stoke a free-kick for an offside decision.

Shawcross handball?

Shawcross handball? (2)

Shawcorss handball – referee and linesman positioning

Unlike the first incident, this time the referee has a clear unobstructed view whilst the linesman cannot possibly see if the ball has hit the arm of Shawcross or not; hence the decision to raise his flag for offside was correct according to what the linesman saw. Referee Walton potentially should have overruled it and awarded a penalty – Shawcross despite turning his body clearly has his arms flailing. Unintentional it may have been but in my opinion it still should have been given as a penalty to United.

In summary…

United’s 4-4-1-1 was matched very well by Stoke’s similar approach, and in particular their high-energy game enabled them to earn a point against the league’s form team. Fergie has commented on the ‘dreadful’ week his team has suffered, with injuries to Smalling, Evans, Carrick and of course Rooney, who have been superb this season. A point however is a decent result, despite the fact that the game could have been drastically altered 3 minutes in of course when Walton could easily have awarded a penalty and ordered Woodgate from the field for a clumsy challenge on Hernandez. Stoke pressed well, and Pulis’ men were organised with aplomb, not allowing United time on the ball across the pitch. Nani, Fletcher and de Gea were the stand-out performers, but Fergie will be slightly worried by the jaded performance at times from his men. Basel midweek should offer him the opportunity give key players a rest ahead of Norwich next weekend.

Author: Doron

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Others have visited the The Britannia Stadium and crumbled; some have moaned about a physical challenge and a not-so-beautiful type of football; not Man United though. United are looking for a seventh straight league win over Stoke though and instead of criticising Stoke’s different style of play, the manager and the players have been complimentary and warned that this should be considered as one of the hardest away games of the season.

The opposition:

Unlike Bolton where I attempted to dispel the long ball, physicality myth, there’s no point hiding away from it with Stoke. I don’t mean that in a critical way though – Stoke’s system of long ball football and an in-your-face approach works for them, playing to their strengths. Tony Pulis hasn’t attempted to make Stoke into something they’re not and the rewards have so far been reaped – European football has arrived this season along with some big-name (all relative) signings.

Stoke added to a mean defence by bringing in two experienced old heads – Woodgate and Upson, both former England internationals can add some know-how to a relatively inexperienced set-up. Whilst both may have fitness issues, their signings cost the club wages alone, two bargains. From Spurs came Crouch and Palacios in some expensive but good deadline day business. Palacios will add more grit and bite to their midfield whilst Crouch will simply add even more height to a front-line that already includes the leggy Kenwyne Jones. The one other signing was Cameron Jerome, at £4m he could well be a bargain too. He’ll provide Stoke with the option of playing differently, keeping the ball on the ground, his pace and constant running adds versatility.

What those signings bring apart from experience and some additional quality, is numbers. Stoke now are able to play the rotation game a bit more, balancing the league with Europe and domestic competitions. It’ll be vital that Pulis gets that right this year so that the squad doesn’t suffer from burn-out towards the latter stages of the season.

Given the personnel they have, there’s little to stop Stoke from aiming high – not just a top half finish but looking at breaking into the top seven. At home they’re formidable and have the backing of a vocal and passionate crowd; it’s away from home they must improve in order to progress up the table. What’s for sure though is that Stoke have now very much solidified themselves as a Premier League team.

Form:

League wins just keep coming for United, 21 goals in their opening five games included three against Chelsea last weekend. What’ll give Stoke some confidence though is just how many shots opposition teams are being allowed to have against United, it’s probably therefore worth praising David de Gea for the fact United have only conceded four goals in their opening five games. United are the only team with a perfect league record and are therefore the league’s most in-form side. A win will mean they already have over half the away wins and over a third of the away points that they got last season.

In Wayne Rooney, United have the league’s top scorer with 9 goals in 5 games. Ashley Young is leading the way with assists, he already has 6 assists, more than any other player in the league.

Stoke are 5th after five games and are unbeaten at home. That said, in their two home matches they’ve only managed to score one goal, but they’ve yet to concede. Their home start to the season hasn’t been easy, they drew 0-0 with Chelsea before beating Liverpool 1-0. Last weekend they were destroyed 4-0 by Sunderland and then midweek they were taken to extra time and then penalties by Spurs before triumphing. United had it easier midweek as a rotated XI won 3-0 very comfortably at Leeds.

Team news:

United should be able to welcome three players back – Danny Welbeck, Javier Hernandez and Rio Ferdinand have all been passed fit. Chris Smalling remains a doubt and a decision will only be taken on him on Saturday morning. Nemanja Vidic and Rafael remain long-term absentee. All other players are available and should be fresh after sitting out the midweek game.

Stoke will be missing Jones who picked up a hamstring injury against Spurs during the week. Fuller, Sidibe, Higginbotham and Diao will also miss the tie. Matthew Upson may well keep his place after a good display against Spurs.

United formation and starting XI prediction:

There are a few things to consider when facing Stoke – how to deal with the aerial bombardment and how best to win the ball and then keep it in the midfield. Selection therefore particularly in the centre of midfield may not be an easy decision.

If this fixture were taking place a week ago then I’m sure I’d be forced to question whether de Gea would be starting due to media attention on that subject. However, despite the fact he’ll be thoroughly examined by Stoke, he should start and if he makes errors, he’ll learn from the experience. With Smalling being a doubt, defensive selections appear simple; the complication would arise if Smalling is fit. Height will be needed in abundance so there could be a case for dropping Evra (who has returned to good form) in favour of Evans at left back. That does though seem unlikely as United will probably look to attack and Evra is one of the best attacking full backs in the world.

Nani and Young seem obvious choices on the wings after Valencia and Park played full games at Leeds. In the centre though, things get complicated. The Anderson-Fletcher pairing seems most likely after they lined up against Chelsea last weekend but Carrick and Fletcher is what I’ve gone for. They’d offer better protection to the back four and Carrick’s height when defending set pieces may be vital. When in possession, neither ever looks rushed, which for all his good form, Anderson can still appear to be. The wildcard option may be Giggs – he only played 45 minutes at Leeds and looked fresh and in control – getting him on the ball made things happen. Up front Rooney’s likely to be partnered by Hernandez although if ball retention is key then Berbatov could be favoured.

Key battle:

Begovic vs. Hernandez – Not for the first time this season, an opposition goalkeeper (and his defence) may be key in determining where the points go. Begovic has had an excellent start to the season making exuberant saves and doing the simple things very well. He’s proving himself to be a very good goalkeeper and a real bargain buy by Stoke. If there’s one thing that the Stoke defence may be susceptible to though it’s pace and movement…

…which Javier Hernandez has in abundance. He may not have scored last weekend but since his return from concussion he’s looked sharp and deadly. His movement at Bolton two weeks ago was lethal and it comes scarily naturally to him. Hernandez seems to have a thing about scoring at opposition grounds too, especially when United desperately need a goal. Last year he scored two goals at Stoke including a baffling back-headed flick!

Whilst there’ll be other match-ups on the pitch that will be crucial, this one could be key. Begovic will have to be on top form to keep Hernandez out and he’ll have to marshall his defence well.

History and last meeting:

United have only played Stoke six times in the Premier League era and they’ve won all of them. The Brittania tends not to be a particularly goalscoring affair though with only six goals scored in the three games played there, five of them by United – meaning United have also kept two clean sheets in that time.

Last season this fixture ended 2-1 to United. Two Javier Hernandez goals sealed a tough victory but the game may well be remembered by United fans for Gary Neville’s comedy showing in the first half which lead to his substitution at half time despite him going out and lining up to start the half.

Prediction:

United’s start to the season has been surprisingly perfect and form has not been sacrificed for entertainment. Stoke meanwhile have done well too but may well suffer from a long midweek game and an injury to Kenwyne Jones. This fixture is built up to be one of the toughest of the season but I think United will find it a bit easier than in past years and with that in mind I predict a 3-0 United win.

Referee:

Peter Walton – his fourth game of the season. So far he’s averaging five yellow cards a game with no clear favouritism towards either the home or away team.

Quick facts:

- United are the only Premier League team to have a perfect record against Stoke
- It’s nearly 27 years since Stoke last beat United
- Stoke have kept 7 clean sheets in their 11 competitive games so far this season
- Stoke are yet to score more than one goal in any of their league games so far this season
- Whilst United have allowed their opposition to have more shots on target than any other team, Stoke have allowed their opponents the fewest shots on goal
- Rooney is yet to score against Stoke, if he does he’ll be the first ever player in the Premier League to score in the opening six rounds

They say:

Ferguson on Stoke’s fans: “They have a great attitude and their support is brilliant. I love the atmosphere there. If you don’t attend to that you just get engulfed”

Ferguson on having Rio back: “There are occasions when you bring in the experience Rio offers because it does make a difference. The young players know that.”

Evans on defending at Stoke: “Playing teams like Stoke and Bolton definitely takes a lot more out of you. As a defender you’re having to sprint a lot as they play a lot of balls down the channels and you have to chase them and then get back out to take up your defensive line. You’re also jumping a lot to head long balls. You find yourself involved in the game a lot more than when you play against sides that adopt a more continental approach and try and keep the ball on the ground.”

Pulis on United’s start: “If you look at their team and the way they’ve started, I think United now have a better team than they had last year, and they won the Barclays Premier League title last year.”

Pulis on various United players: “I think Hernandez is the next Denis Law. His movement in the box, his anticipation, is fantastic. He’s quick, he’s got everything great goalscorers need and he’s certainly deadly in front of goal. And Ashley Young, what a great signing that’s turned out to be. Then you’ve got Rooney playing the best football he’s played for years, Nani scoring goals from everywhere. They’ve got goalscorers and they will be a major force again.”

Forum links:

The Stretford-End.com team have each given a predicted starting XI and final score ahead of the game – give us yours here.

For all pre-match banter, tactical discussions, team and score predictions click here.

Videos:

Despite as Yolkie describes in his match report a “laboured” win over Stoke for me there were two key reasons why United won. Firstly, Darren Fletcher and secondly United’s successful wide play.

Yolkie quite rightly highlights Nani, Rafael, Giggs and Fletcher as four of United’s best players tonight against Stoke. Darren Fletcher’s form has been criticised lately. After some very consistent seasons he’s had a bit of strange patch the past couple of months and has been overshadowed by Anderson and Carrick. Tonight saw him paired with Darron Gibson.

Gibson tends to hold a very disciplined role. This allowed Fletcher some freedom tonight to play his A-game – dominating a midfield. The chalkboard below represents Fletcher’s passing, notice how one could easily draw a rectangle around the middle area of the field and it would just about cover the area from which he played every pass.

A better way of representing this would be via the use of a heatmap (below). A huge 60% of Fletcher’s passes were played from around the centre circle – impressive given that Stoke were playing 3 men in the middle versus United’s 2 men. Fletcher had seemed to have lost his presence lately but this representation oh his evening perfectly illustrates that he had his mojo right back tonight.

Contrast Fletcher’s performance against Stoke with the one against West Brom. Granted, Fletcher started in a three man midfield and had to often shift wide when United reverted to two up top. However his heatmap from that game (below) shows him all over the pitch – a role and a style of play that doesn’t and did not suit him.

Fletcher’s change in form was completed tonight with a bustling performance. Tackles and interceptions are something he’s been shying away from lately however in those departments he was on top of his game tonight even if some of his tackles were deemed “unsuccessful”. Although Gibson’s graphics aren’t displayed, he made one interception and one tackle, compared to Fletcher’s three interceptions and seven tackles indicated below.

The other area of the pitch that United were dominant in tonight was out wide. Full backs who like to get forward has always been part of United’s game under Ferguson. Tonight was no different. Evra and Rafael both spent 52% of their time in the opposition half tonight as indicated below.

However the real key to having full backs who can play an attacking game lies in the attitude of the wingers themselves. Giggs and Nani have two very different styles of wing play at the moment. Both come inside at times but whilst Nani likes to stay wide and hug the touchline, Giggs will tend to drift into the centre more often. This is represent with the heatmap below.

These contrasting styles suit both Evra and Rafael. Evra likes to stay wide, so Giggs drifting in field draws a man in with him to create space. Rafael also likes to stay wide but does also like to come on the inside of Nani. Unlike Giggs and Evra who tend to have space between them. Rafael gets close to Nani to help draw away one of the two markers usually assigned to stopping the Portuguese winger. The different combinations out wide tonight and the movement of the wide players was too much for Stoke to handle and United had a lot of joy out wide.

The final piece in the puzzle tonight lies in Dimitar Berbatov. He likes to come deep and get on the ball but rarely on the right because Nani and Rafael work so closely together. So to add to Stoke’s problems he drifts into deep spaces on the left to allow Giggs to come inside and push on whilst drawing a centre back out with him. His movement to the left also helps to give Evra another option when Giggs comes inside. Berbatov’s movement is represent by the heatmap below.

United tonight did labour to a victory but it was well deserved. Frustration will no doubt lie in the fact that United had only two shots on target – the two goals with a further 7 efforts blocked and 10 off target. United’s wide and central play deserved better. Fletcher’s return to form was a welcome boost ahead of a big game against Liverpool on Sunday. Liverpool will have to be wary of United’s clever wide play, Stoke aren’t the first team to have failed to deal with it.

You can read Yolkie’s match report by clicking here, obtain the match details and you can follow me on Twitter

United laboured their way to three points – not for the first time – against Stoke, with Nani – probably not for the last time – the key man, scoring and assisting one. Chicharito returned the favour to his teammate, having being selected to give Wayne Rooney a rest, and although Sir Alex Ferguson will surely not be convinced by the manner in which this result was achieved, he will naturally be delighted he was able to preserve the energy of those he was intending to before the weekend.

The identity of the opposition in the 3^rd round of the FA Cup undoubtedly had an impact on Ferguson’s selection, though he was able to select his first choice right hand side with Rafael and Nani returning. Anderson and Carrick were given a rest on the bench with much expected of them against Liverpool, while Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand were given the night off altogether.

Thankfully – in the opening half hour at least – the players who were selected didn’t perform like they had been given the night off. An early, stereotypical, Gibson shot went wide on 5 minutes before Ryan Giggs had a big say on proceedings – first, having an appeal for an handball by Ryan Shawcross turned down, then seeing his shot deflect to Berbatov only to be turned wide, then having a free kick wide before dwelling on another opportunity, all in the space of 5 minutes. In the final wave of those attacks, though, the Potters finally succumbed. Berbatov led the charge, playing the ball wide to Nani, and his ball from the right hand side was sensationally backheeled in at the nearpost by Chicharito.

Stoke’s response was timid until after half time; an early sighter in the second half served as a starter for their main course, a goal – Tuncay was afforded space on the left and he was able to cross unchallenged, to Dean Whitehead, generously given a similar amount of room away from the previously Scrooge-like Smalling and Vidic to head in easily.

Thankfully for United the setback didn’t last long enough that nerves were allowed to truly settle; Nani collected the ball wide right and played into Chicharito. The Mexican played it back to Nani, who, benefitting from a wide run by Rafael to distract a marker, was able to cut onto his left and hit a beauty of a shot into the far corner and seal the result. And “seal the result” is the right phrase, for, with around 30 minutes on the clock, despite the odd flurry, the scoreline was never unduly threatened, and United were able to preserve their energies.

It has often been said this season – and many others, to be quite honest – that it is the importance of the result that is paramount. With the changes tonight and with a chance to make a clear 3 point gap appear, that is true, but what is also true is that United need to start putting sides to the sword more consistently if they are going to be able to truly convince even their own support.

Ratings : Kuszczak 6, Rafael 7, Smalling 6, Vidic 6, Evra 6, *Nani 8, Gibson 6 (Carrick), Fletcher 7, Giggs 7, Berbatov 6, Chicharito 7 (Owen)

Tony Pulis’s Stoke side are the first visitors to Old Trafford in 2011. With two wins in their last three games, Stoke are currently 8th in the league whilst United are still top – level on points with City. United could be without 9 members of their first team squad, by contrast Stoke have a virtually fully fit squad and will look to hunt down Bolton and Sunderland who are above them in the league.

It’s been a strange season so far for Stoke as it has for any team in the mid-table-melee. A few wins or losses can see a team propelled or dropped to a position that probably distorts their season so far. At present, Stoke are in 8th but the team sitting four places below them in 12th – Blackburn, are only 2 points behind them. Still, many people fancied Stoke to struggle this season so as has been the case for two years now, credit must go to Tony Pulis for keeping his side above safety for now and in a good position.

In two and a half years of Premier League football it’s fair to say that it’s quite easy to know what to expect from Stoke – physicality, long balls and long throws. Maybe I’m doing them a disservice, they have players who like to get the ball down and run with it – Matty Etherington is a fine example of one of them, someone who’s certainly realised his full potential at Stoke. Even if my generalisation of how Stoke play seems a bit harsh I believe it to be accurate – it’s certainly no embarrassment, it plays on the best attributes of a lot of their players.

Stoke’s position in the table is a reflection on some solid home form. 17 points from a possible 33 at home is hardly European form but supplemented with decent away form it’s on the right path for Premiership survival which ultimately remains the goal for Stoke. On the road, Stoke have 10 points from a possible 27, that’s ok, importantly it’s better than a lot of the other teams around them have done. Stoke come to Old Trafford sitting 10th in form league with 8 points from a possible 18 in their last six games (incidentally, United are top with 16 points from a possible 18). Stoke’s away form sees them with 7 points from a last possible 18 on the road but isn’t necessarily a good indicator of how they may fare given that in the past two months they’ve only played four games away form home. I can see Stoke coming to try and keep it tight, play for a draw and when possible attack United from set pieces.

Stoke will only have Sidibe missing for this trip to Old Trafford. They come off the back of a good 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday. They may choose to freshen up the team a bit and bring in Whelan as a 5th midfielder for one of the strikers or with Tuncay sitting as a deep striker or almost a 5th midfielder.

Stoke have finally completed a permanent deal for Pennant and along with Jones and Etherington I expect him to be the biggest threat to United. I only hope for the sake of the game that neither team is too tired after a busy fixture period. It would of course be wrong to not mention Ryan Shawcross. The former Man United player has done little to dent his reputation since joining Stoke (unless you’re an Arsenal fan). He is still held in high regard by Ferguson who did want to keep him at the club. No doubt Ryan will want to put in a good performance at the stadium he could so nearly have been playing at.

I don’t expect any significant squad rotation from Tony Pulis. Whilst the squad may be tired their next game at the weekend is an FA Cup match against promotion-hopefuls Cardiff City who are going through an awful spell of form. After that game (in which I reckon Stoke could get away with some rotation) the fixtures go back to weekly games.

Enough on Stoke…onto United and my predicted line up:

So, that may not quite be the team expected but let me run you through my thought process here…

I expect Edwin to return in goal. His absence at West Brom was a bit confusing. Fergie offered to the media the suggestion that he’d been rested, but the manutd.com and MUTV team on Twitter all said he had flu. Either way, he should be back. I am intrigued as to whether Lindegaard will be on the bench. It depends on a few things – firstly Tuesday is the first day he can be registered to play in the Premier League due to the bank holiday so it depends whether his registration happens in time. Secondly, he could only be included in the squad at the expense of someone else given that the squad is full (there seems to be every chance that Hargreaves will be unregistered though). I think Rafael will be back after a deserved mini-break and I can’t see Rio and Vidic being rested. As far as I know O’Shea and Brown are still unavailable whilst Neville is unlikely to play again soon. Evra it seems is a doubt after getting a black and very bloated eye against West Brom courtesy of Vidic. I think it would do no harm to save Evra for the Liverpool FA Cup game at the weekend and play Fabio instead.

Midfield caused me a few problems. Nani should have recovered in time for this game so I’ve selected him on the right and Giggs on the left. Giggs wasn’t in the 18 at West Brom but with no reported injury I think he’ll return. In the centre though I had trouble deciding who to leave out. Fletcher is out of form but I felt this would be a good game for him to come in from the start to try and regain some confidence. I think Carrick has become quite key lately and I can’t see him being dropped. I’m a big fan of Anderson but thought he was ineffective against West Brom and I can see him being rested after a run of games in the first XI. Gibson is a doubt with a groin injury and although Scholes has been training again (despite Ferguson giving him time off) I think this game will be far too soon for him.

Up front I’ve taken Rooney out of the team. It was unclear after West Brom just how bad his injury was and I’d much rather he was named on the bench and was pumped up for Liverpool than risk aggravating an injury with selection in a game that really should be won with or without him. Chicharito is the player I’d like to see brought in, I feel bad for him – he’s done little wrong but has been reduced to the bench lately. I’m sure Berbatov will start. Of course the alternative might be Michael Owen but I’m already having visions of him scoring against Liverpool so maybe he won’t play against Stoke! Kiko Macheda seems to have gone on loan to Sampdoria so he’ll be unavailable – his agent said that only “formalities” needed to be sorted out before the move could be made official by United.

United can’t really afford to rotate too much as the league is the priority but the Liverpool FA Cup game on Sunday will be taken very seriously. The fixtures show no sign of letting up for United. Due to the Blackpool rearrangement, the end of January and start of February looks set to be a busy period.

Recent form shows United sitting top of the form league with five wins from the last six games. United’s home form is pretty ominous for Stoke – played 10, won 9, drawn 1. Stoke will of course be trying to remove the “unbeaten” tag from United – 19 league games and counting (not that I’m personally too fussed about it). Stoke did win their last away game and should they leave Old Trafford with maximum points it will be the first time they’ve ever won back-to-back away Premier League games.

This fixture doesn’t bare much for Stoke fans to be happy about. In the 2 previous Premier League visits to Old Trafford they’ve lost 5-0 and 4-0. In 5 Premier League games against United, Stoke have managed just one goal. Their last league win at Old Trafford game nearly 35 years ago – in all league meetings Stoke have won 5 of 37 fixtures played away against United. Most recently, United beat Stoke 4-0 on the final day of last season. The meeting the season before saw Danny Welbeck come off the bench to score a stunning goal on his Premier League debut (see video below).

Stoke will look to try and score first against United – when they’ve scored first this season they are unbeaten, winning 6 and drawing 1. However recent history suggests they’ll be lucky to score at all, Man Utd have won 10 of the last 13 league meetings between the sides without Stoke scoring. There is an individual landmark to be had on each team – Jon Walters could make his 250th career club start whilst Michael Carrick could make his 300th Premier League appearance. Any appearance by Ryan Giggs will take him onto 599 league appearances for Untied, one shy of yet another milestone.

Despite any potential tinkering to the United team I think this one will be a home win. Stoke don’t travel too well and United seem very strong at home. I therefore predict a 3-0 win for United just as I (wrongly) predicted for the Sunderland game.

You can share with us your thoughts ahead of the match and your favourite moments from games at home to Stoke on our forum.

As promised earlier, here is that stunning Danny Welbeck strike from the 5-0 win against Stoke on the 15th November 2008:

Before I sign off, here is the Stretford-End.com betting info ahead of the game against Stoke:

If you fancy a bet on this game, then with Stretford-End.com you get a special joining fee at Paddy Power:
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Man United Vs Wigan Atheletic Betting Odds (correct at time of publishing)
Man Utd to win 2/7

Correct score markets:
1-0 is 11/2
2-0 is 5/1
2-1 is 7/1
3-0 is 7/1
or if your’e brave…
7-1 is 175/1

First scorer:
Rooney 3/1
Berbatov 3/1
Hernandez 7/2
Fletcher 18/1

Anytime scorer:
Anderson 6/1
Vidic 6/1

If you think Berbatov may bag another hat-trick the odds are 9/1

Finally, if you think stoke will lead at half-time but fail to win, the odds are 11/1

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It was a case of Chicharito at the double as Manchester United finally exorcised their early season demons, rid themselves of their “Hyde” and finally got back to being Jekyll with a trademark last gasp winner at Stoke City. The Mexican striker scored in the first half then struck with just a few minutes left to snatch all three points after Tuncay had levelled for the hosts.

A tumultuous week at Old Trafford that started with an all too familiar surrender of points and featured the Wayne Rooney bombshell ended with the more conventional unconventional 85^th minute at the Britannia. Days after speculating that it would take a shake up of epic proportions – the like of which we witnessed this past 7 days – there is a real belief that the late, late winner could prove to be a turning point in United’s season.

Injuries to Wayne Rooney, Antonio Valencia, Ryan Giggs and Anderson meant that the selection was always going to be forced; we have speculated on Stretford-End.com about the possibility of deploying either Rafael or Evra further forward; today, Patrice Evra occupied left hand side as Sir Alex Ferguson decided to stick with a 4-4-2 formation.

It was effective, too. The Red Devils early counter attacking philosophy looked like it might pay dividends as they managed to outnumber the Potters on a number of occasions; as early as the 8^th minute, Berbatov led the charge, playing Nani wide. The in-form winger crossed to the back post where Chicharito unselfishly headed back, unfortunately no-one was there to convert.

After controlling the early exchanges, United taking the lead had an air of inevitability about it. Patrice Evra gave Nani the short option at a 27^th minute corner, returning the ball to the number 17, who crossed it to the far post – Nemanja Vidic headed back across goal, and Chicharito, with his body turning away from the ball, demonstrated supreme instinct to flick his head backwards and “head” the ball into the top corner. It was the second opportune goal that the Mexican had scored, after his “face goal” on his debut against Chelsea.

Matthew Etherington did almost benefit from Edwin van der Sar going walkabout from his goal, but the Stoke midfielder’s 40 yard effort never troubled the United goal, and Chicharito almost benefitted from a goalkeeping misjudgement at the other end, charging down a Thomas Sorensen clearance, but the ball went over. Before the end of the first half, there was time for Gary Neville to fortunately escape a red card on his 600^th appearance, after two mistimed tackles. The former United club captain had a case when he argued his first yellow card was harsh; but he most certainly should have been booked for his second.

Patrice Evra was involved in two opportunities that almost doubled United’s advantage before the break, but his header from a corner, and quick movement from a Scholes free kick amounted to nothing.

Neville’s stay of execution lasted around 4 minutes, as he emerged onto the pitch for the second half, only to be replaced by Wes Brown before the restart, following an amusing exchange with Sir Alex Ferguson.

It was clear that the visitors faced their biggest 45 minutes of the season so far. For the first part of the second half, both sides appeared cagey, with Evra’s two penalty appeals – one for a deliberate “nudge” by Rory Delap, and the second for a handball shout on Robert Huth. Neither could be described as conclusive, though – and it was van der Sar who was the next unusual source of attack, with a huge throw that found Berbatov on the half way line. His cross was met by Chicharito who shot wide with an outstretched boot.

The game entered the last 10 minutes, with Michael Carrick being introduced for O’Shea as Evra moved to left back, Darren Fletcher to right midfield and Nani shifted to the left side. It was impossible to escape the feeling that it was potentially a huge 10 minutes in United’s season, and it took just 60 seconds or so for the doom and gloom to return. Paul Scholes’ uncharacteristic loss of possession (after being 3^rd most accurate midfielder this season, and the highest in a two man midfield) was punished when Tuncay received the ball wide left, cut inside Evra and hit a smart shot into the top corner, leaving van der Sar helpless.

United were left with the same questions they have been asked so many times this season. Could they somehow recover from a setback, after seemingly being in comfortable control of a game? Could they find a find a way to fire themselves up and show the character that the club is renowned for, rather than the stumbling side bereft of ideas, impetus, penetration and confidence of the last few weeks?

The answer should have been inevitable and easy to predict; the improved form of Patrice Evra that seems to have been the simple switch of an “on” button on Tuesday afternoon, and the commanding display of Nemanja Vidic after teething problems adapting from natural leader to actual leader, suggested the conceded goal was merely one of those rare blips that happens from time to time. It was no surprise that it was Evra, having moved to left back, who was in the box on the 85^th minute, waiting for the cross after some imperious work from Berbatov. A miskicked Evra overhead kick was severely punished in September at Goodison Park; it was a sign of the times that one here resulted in the winner, as Chicharito was able to pounce just 6 yards out to convert what turned out to be the winner.

A late corner that Sorensen charged up for was the worst United had to deal with, and Nani almost added gloss to the score with a 20 yard effort – but Sir Alex Ferguson was just understandably delighted to see his side get their first away win of the season. It’s too early to say whether this will indeed signal a shift in United’s fortunes, but the change in attitude and mood surrounding the club, and the steely resolve among the players, suggests this could well be a turning point.

Ratings : van der Sar 7, Neville 6 (Brown 7), Ferdinand 7, *Vidic 9, O’Shea 6 (Carrick 6), Nani 7, Scholes 7 (Obertan), Fletcher 7, Evra 8, Berbatov 7, Chicharito 8

Now that the Wayne Rooney saga has reached a conclusion, we can get back to focusing on football and not all these off-the-pitch shenanigans. Manchester United are undefeated this season, but still waiting to record their first away win in the Premier League. United’s four away fixtures have resulted in draws, but Sunday’s trip to Stoke City will offer yet another opportunity to collect their first win away from Old Trafford.

The 2010-11 campaign marks Stoke City’s third consecutive season in the Premier League. The Potters are currently ninth in the Premier League table with a record of three wins, one draw, and four losses. Though relatively new to the top division, Stoke City have established themselves as a mid-table club since their promotion and are not a team that should be taken lightly. History is in favor of United, though, with the Red Devils winning all four of the previous meetings since Stoke City’s rise to the Premier League in 2008.

With regards to our own squad, I expect we’ll see numerous changes from Wednesday’s XI beginning at the very back with Edwin van der Sar coming in for Tomasz Kuszczak. Rafael has established himself as the first-choice right back in recent weeks, while Patrice Evra is almost an automatic selection on the opposite side of the defense. Skipper Nemanja Vidic should retain his place in the squad, but I expect Rio Ferdinand will return to action taking Chris Smalling’s place.

Midfield is a slightly trickier area to predict, especially with injuries piling up. Nani is almost undroppable at the moment, so I’m sure he’ll have a place in the squad. Though he can still be frustrating at times, the Portuguese winger is capable of producing moments of sheer brilliance. After a disappointing performance from Michael Carrick against Busaspor, Paul Scholes should return to the starting XI. Alongside him will likely be Darren Fletcher. The Scotland captain looked a bit off pace on Wednesday, but I’m sure it was no more than a fluke. Fletcher has become a guaranteed first team player, so I anticipate he’ll be the engine in midfield. Filling the fourth and final spot, I believe Gabriel Obertan earned himself a start after his midweek performance. His pace is a deadly asset, and he has a good touch as well. The Frenchman also seems to have the sort of creativity we’ve lacked so far this campaign. Look for Obertan to join his compatriot on the left come Sunday.

Finally, we have the strikers. Although he’s been in the press all week and has just signed a new contract extension, Wayne Rooney will take no part in this weekend’s fixture due to an injury. With Federico Macheda playing in the midweek fixture, I expect he’ll be rested with Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov partnering up front. Berbatov is the team’s leading scorer at the moment, but has gone quiet in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Chicharito is fresh off his first Premier League goal against West Brom and it goes without saying that he’ll be looking to add to his tally.

There are three players to keep an eye on in the Potters’ squad. I’ll start at the back with the club’s captain Ryan Shawcross, who was on the books at United in his youth. The 23-year-old centre back joined Stoke City from United in 2008 and has become an automatic fixture in the team since his arrival. Shawcross is an imposing figure in the back four and is very physical going into challenges, which has given him a reputation as a dirty player. There is little doubt that Shawcross is a very capable centre back and will provide our attack with some problems, but I am more concerned with our players’ safety. Intentional or not, the Englishman has a record of causing injuries with his challenges, and we cannot afford to have more players stranded on the sidelines.

Moving up into midfield, Stoke City have a unique threat in Rory Delap. The Irishman is not so much renowned for his performances in open play, but rather for his trademark long throw-ins. In his time at the Britannia Stadium, Delap has created 29 goals from his throw-ins. The United defense has been prone to conceding goals this season and Delap’s throw-ins will present an unfamiliar threat to the back four.

Finally, the Potters have a deadly striker in Kenwyne Jones. The Trinidadian striker has three goals to his name in the Premier League this season, which makes him Stoke City’s leading scorer. While at Sunderland, Jones was linked with moves to Liverpool, Chelsea, and Tottenham, but ultimately moved to Stoke City for £8 million making him the club’s record signing. Jones scored against United in his time at Sunderland and will inevitably be the biggest threat against keeping a clean sheet on Sunday.

Although there is some excellent talent gracing Stoke City’s squad, my gut tells me that United will collect three points on the road for the first time this season. My prediction for the scoreline is a 2-1 victory for United. I expect Jones will get his name on the score sheet, but it will still be United who takes the spoils. Berbatov is due another goal and I think he’s more than capable of getting it against Stoke City. We’ve been denied a glimpse of Berbatov’s class in front of goal for too long. After a good performance in the Champions League, look for Nani to grab his second goal of the week on Sunday. The Portuguese winger already has four goals to his name this season and another would continue to prove what a U-turn he’s made in the past 12 months.

This is a must-win scenario for United. Gaining confidence for away fixtures is my biggest concern at the moment. This run of draws away from Old Trafford must come to an end; these are not the results of a title-contending club. And as for titles go, United cannot afford to lose anymore ground in the Premier League. We’re currently in fourth place behind Chelsea, Manchester City, and Arsenal. There is a five-point gap between United and league leaders Chelsea, a gap which will likely widen on Saturday when Chelsea welcome Wolverhampton to Stamford Bridge. At the very least United must keep the gap at five points, and possibly even make up some ground in the title race should Wolves manage an unthinkable upset at Stamford Bridge. Falling further behind Chelsea, though not the end of the world, would be unacceptable after an unconvincing start to the season.

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You can follow Kyle on Twitter at KDill_MUFC.

Manchester United’s 4 goal defeat of Stoke City on the final day was not enough as Chelsea, as expected, destroyed Wigan Athletic at Stamford Bridge to take the Premier League title. Their mammoth 8-0 win over the Latics certainly impressed but United fans could at least look back at the half time state of affairs and lament the overly generous officiating that the West London side have been the beneficiaries of this term.

Sir Alex Ferguson went for a 4-4-2 in attempt to spell out the attacking message to the visitors even though there was an impending feeling of doom among the home faithful. But by the time Old Trafford had managed to shake off any collective pre-match anxiety their hopes suffered a blow when news of a Chelsea goal – scored by Nicolas Anelka with Malouda in an offside position – filtered through.

Dimitar Berbatov had retained a starting place despite his hatful of missed efforts last week and in the first quarter of the game was guilty of missing another hat-trick’s worth of chances. First, he was played through by Rooney and saw his effort blocked by Wilkinson – then, headed a couple of Nani crosses over, the second clipping the top of the crossbar. On the half hour United did get their breakthrough when Ryan Giggs’ corner was met by Vidic and the Serb’s header pinballed off too Stoke defenders, and landed at the feet of Darren Fletcher less than a yard out. Fletcher duly converted.

The Potters’ resistance was far greater than their recent capitulation at Stamford Bridge, but United were still playing well – the next 7 minutes summed up the season, when Chelsea were the beneficiaries of some more refereeing help, Frank Lampard converting a penalty that saw Wigan reduced to ten men.

Gary Neville had a cheeky effort comfortably saved before Ryan Giggs’ doubled the relinquishing champions lead. Dimitar Berbatov did well with a strong forward surge after receiving Rooney’s pass, and drilled a cross across goal. Giggs was there arriving from the right to side foot home from 12 yards and seal the result with 8 minutes of the first half still to play. Rooney could have put his name on the scoresheet after another good piece of play by Berbatov but Huth snuffed it out.

With the end result a formality and all eyes on Stamford Bridge, it was no surprise that with the ascendancy handed to them by the officials, Chelsea ran riot and scored 6 more over a despondent Wigan side that had already conceded 9 in one game in their travels. Rather more surprising was the bizarre nature of the Stoke supporters at Old Trafford. They have attained quite a good reputation for their vocal support at the Brittania but seemed intent on ruining all of that deserved goodwill. Their limp display at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago was quite rightly put down to “holiday fever” but it became clear throughout the second half that there was a deep rooted hatred of United, as the travelling fans cheered every goal scored in London – despite no particular notable affinity with Chelsea – sung strange songs such as “you’re gonna win f*ck all”, despite evidence to the contrary, and worst of all, started with the Munich songs.

United’s second half performance defied the fact that they knew they would be replaced as Champions as they relentlessly attacked the visitors – Nani had a chance from a Rooney pass and Scholes chipped wide, though it was already 3-0 by then – Fletcher’s clever reverse found Rooney and the forward’s trick was brilliant and unselfish, making space to fire across goal and ex-Red Devil Danny Higginbotham was only able to divert it into his own goal via the crossbar.

Edwin van der Sar was called upon to make two spectacular saves; first from Rory Delap and second from Danny Pugh – that little spell served no purpose than to prove Stokes proper commitment to the game where it had been sorely lacking 2 weeks ago. Ji-Sung Park, on for Rooney after he had pulled up with a groin injury, made it 4 and a confirmed bittersweet last day hammering when he headed in Ryan Giggs’ corner.

The classy visiting voices wrapped up their own performance after the game when continuing their sick chants through Sir Alex’s public address to the Old Trafford crowd. If nothing else in defeat they were able to at least cement United fans’ hope that they will be relegated and take their pathetic idea of what it means to support their own team with them.

The recriminations will now begin regarding United’s own shortcomings in the title race. Lacking guile in midfield? Perhaps. Lacking a convincing alternative for Rooney either in shape or personnel? Probably. Found short after a spell where 8 first team defenders were injured in the winter? Most definitely.

Regardless of the circumstances, pushing for a record breaking fourth consecutive title was always going to be a tough ask because it has never been done before. Chelsea, remember, have only just got their fourth ever. That task was made impossible because of the defining intervention of a Liverpool supporting referee, a Liverpool player who didn’t want Manchester United to win, and another poor refereeing decision with the score at 0-0 at Stamford Bridge in the final game. The worst thing is, this didn’t need to happen. Chelsea may well have won at Old Trafford, may well have won at Anfield, and would no doubt have won today.

There will be no speculation, no investigation into the abhorrent – and in the case of the first two, corrupt – set of circumstances that lead to Chelsea wrestling the title away from Manchester United. But, it should at least appease the United fans in knowing that the league table on this occasion has lied. It didn’t need to, though.

Ratings : van der Sar 8, Neville 7, Ferdinand 7, Vidic 7, Evra 7, Nani 8, Fletcher 7, Scholes 8 (Gibson 7), *Giggs 9, Rooney 7 (Park 7), Berbatov 7 (Macheda 7)

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What increasingly looked like a banana skin for Manchester United ended up as a comfortable routine 2-0 at Stoke City that sent the Champions to the top of the table for the first time this season, but only thanks to divine intervention that came in the form of two Ryan Giggs’ assists as the Welshman came from the bench to rescue the game.

In a dour first half, there was a half shout for a penalty when a Paul Scholes drive hit a Stoke defenders hand, but referee Howard Webb waved away the claims. Giant defender Huth was booked for a lunge on Scholes, and only the midfielders quick feet prevented what surely would have been a nasty injury, while Luis Valencia squandered a chance to give United the lead.

Nani had an opportunity in the last few minutes of the first half but Stoke keeper Sorensen was equal to it. Nani’s performance was probably the main talking point of the first half – the Portuguese wingers’ form has often polarised fans and this latest outing was certainly one for the frustration pile.

It was Nani who made way for Giggs when his second half showed no indication it was ever going to improve and while Giggs’ showing last weekend may have indicated he would make a difference few would have predicted how quick that impact would come.

After less than 7 minutes the answer came, when the wingers trademark pass across the goal was converted by Berbatov. The goal afforded the visitors a degree of calm and assurance while Stoke’s system reshuffle did them no good. There was only going to be one winner from this point and the three points were secured when Ryan Giggs again – who else – was provider from a whipped free kick that John O’Shea rose perfectly to convert.

It was hardly the most fluent performance from United but they were never really in danger, and at a place like Stoke that is no mean feat. Indeed it may well be that Sir Alex will take greater satisfaction at some degree of normalcy being resumed at the back.

Berbatov’s goal may not on its own silence the ever growing list of doubters, while Nani’s performance will cast further doubt on his progress, but in the evergreen Ryan Giggs – who has now provided a staggering 8 goals for his team mates already this season – United have a creative force that appears to have no equal in the Premier League.

Ratings : Foster 6, O’Shea 7, Ferdinand 7, Vidic 7, Evra 6, Valencia 6, Fletcher 7, Scholes 7 (Carrick), Nani 5 (*Giggs 8), Berbatov 6, Rooney 7 (Owen).