Dec 15
Manchester United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: Preview
Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at Red Rants have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register. Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted). So, give this a run if you’re up for it.
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The greatest tonic for a shock defeat is a relatively straightforward fixture as soon as possible. That’s what Manchester United have when Wolverhampton Wanderers visit Old Trafford later on this evening. After two straight wins, the first time that has happened in the top flight for 26 years, Wolves will not be short on belief especially after the 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, and United will be looking to bounce back in emphatic fashion against the newly promoted side.
Mick McCarthy will be bringing his men up the M6 for just under 100 miles, in high spirits the victory at the weekend coupled with United’s defeat will have Wolves believing they have travelled to face United at the perfect time. The well-publicised injury crisis has ravaged the Manchester United squad, and it looks like there will be the usual 50 absentees for the game this evening.
Tomasz Kuszczak will continue in goal as Edwin van der Sar is still out with a knee injury.
The defence against Aston Villa saw Wes Brown rushed back from his latest setback and he never looked comfortable. He should continue to partner Vidic at the back despite this. Rafael could make the bench, as Darren Fletcher will reprise his role at right-back. The left side is, as always, taken by the magnificent Patrice Evra.
The latest recipient of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Ryan Giggs will not be risked after tweaking his hamstring against Villa. I would expect Obertan to be given another start, alongside Carrick, Anderson and Valencia. Though Gibson will be looking for a recall to the team.
Michael Owen must wonder what he has to do to earn his place in the team, dropped after scoring a European hat-trick, but he should be restored to the first team against Wolves. Partnered by the ever-present Wayne Rooney, who will be looking to make amends for his horrendous attempt at diving during the game on Saturday.
Mick McCarthy was in jovial mood when asked about the game,
“They must be thinking ‘Wolves are coming and we have just been beaten by Villa… If ever there is a chance to get yourself back on track it is to slap these insolent little so and so’s coming up from the Black Country and we are going to give them the biggest doing they have ever had.”
Despite this Wolves will be without Michael Kightly and Andrew Keogh, out with ankle injuries, David Edwards will also join them on the sidelines. Former United youth player Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, will again be looking to impress his former employers, while United must be wary of Wolves’ record signing Kevin Doyle, who got the early winner against Tottenham at the weekend.
A win against Wolves would take Sir Alex Ferguson’s side level on points with Premier League leaders Chelsea for 24 hours at least. Wolves’ last win away to Manchester United came on 9 February 1980. The match will also be Sir Alex Ferguson’s 900th league match in charge of the Red Devils.
United should bounce back as they always do after a defeat and this will be no different, as in the Carling Cup match earlier on in the season where United triumphed 1-0.
Prediction: 3-0 United
Probable Line Up: Kuszczak; Fletcher, Brown, Vidic, Evra; Obertan, Carrick, Anderson, Valencia; Owen, Rooney
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Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at RR have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register. Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place betswhen the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted). So, give this a run if you’re up for it.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Manchester United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: Match Preview
- Manchester United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: Match Preview
- Manchester United 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers: Park Provides Inspiration To A Poor United Side
- Man Utd v Everton: Preview
- Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Manchester United: Preview
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (541)
Stephen (479)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Craig Mc (345)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
Very informative, Red Rants.
So many say that you will bounce back that I think you may be wrong. Two midgets for you on top. I don’t think they will do against our defence. We will get at least a draw. Just watch it!http://redrants.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif
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David I feel for you bro…. You just lost your record…
Nevermind what better way to start another winning streak… 
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I have this sick feeling that we’re going for 4-5-1 yet again with Giggsy in the hole behind Rooney.
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I’ve seen our future. And his name is Paul Pogba. Seriously, best player on the park last night in the reserves match, and he was also the youngest (more or less). Showed vision, touch and he’s already a big lad. Scored (off some part of his leg, not sure where) set up the second and was very tidy.
On a down note, we lost on penalties despite them missing their first two (we missed 3 in a row) which is pretty piss poor. Plus we played a really young, really tiny team against Bolton, and it kind of looked like men against boys some of the time. Cameron Stewart will never make it here, and for some reason he was leading the line.
No one else stood out, though Ben Amos was pretty good, made some great saves to keep us in it.
Don’t get why there was no Tosic, Macheda, Welbeck, King and so forth. Felt like a reserves reserve team!
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@Beachryan: Yeah.. There has been lot of raving about the lad. Won’t be surprised to see him getting promoted to the reserve team sooner and then Carling Cup team next season. If he is that good then we should really make him play higher and tougher level of competition to test his mettle and quality….
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TWO STRIKERS PLEASE.
that is all.
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i look forward to see the following Lineup today agaist Wolves. 4:4:2
Kuszczak
De Laet/Rafael, Brown, Vidic, Evra
Valencia, Scholes, Fletcher, Obertan
Rooney/Berbatov
Owen
Sub: Foster,Anderson,Tosic, Gibson, Welbeck, Rafael/De Laet,Gill & King
The game should be won in the first half and rest any of berba, Rooney, Evra, Fletcher.
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Todays team will surely be – a masterplan of square pegs – round holes.
.
GK -Berbatov.
RB – Rafael
CB – Gill
CB – Vida
LB – Gibson
MF – Scholes
MF – Wes Brown
MF – Tosic
LW – Macheda
RW – Ben Foster
Striker – Park on his ARSE
This is Fergie’s genious team against Wolves – with Park on his arse sliding on his arse into opposition box, and on into the goal taking the ball with him for a rare goal
Genious goal number two comes from Giant of a player Ben Foster, who out of the ref and linemens sight, he does a Thierry Henri and nicely places the ball into the oppositions net with a strategically placed HANDBALL. OT goes FUCKING WILD, SAF the square peg/round hole genious HAS DONE IT AGAIN. No wonder Sir Alex is Manager of the Century – he can get such performances out of nothingness
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@Traverse: I agree mate – and please don’t let one of them be Rooney!
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@Beachryan: Because they are all playing tonight mate in the CRADLE United team against hungry Wolves
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David Schiavone – United don’t know what it means to bounce BACK mate, not with style these days anyway
.
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Berbatov on another round of excuses for his shit performances for us. Poor little mite, the fee they payed for him is affecting his performances. FFS Berba grow a pair will you
. I am sick of our players making excuses for why they are not able to perform, all our strikeforce (apart from Owen, who doesn’t look for excuses) have always got a good tearjerking excuse for not being able to DO IT on the pitch.
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@CraigMc: At least he has shown that he balls when he accepted this the inevitable truth and harsh reality that no other UNITED players has yet accepted that….
Bro… I can totally understand how you must be feeling when people (including me I should be honest) go and Lil Man NANI, as Berba is exactly same to me as NANI is for you….
So next time be careful when you are be careful when you are having the GO at Berba as ONKAR will may come and haunt you…
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Hey, long since I posted.
Villa was jus a bad day in the office but as David has put it, what does our strikers really have to do to get a first 11 place and sure thats not score a hat trick.
Our record versus wolves have been all tight affairs with wolves parking the bus, the last 6 games have all ended 1 nil and I dont expect much. 1 nil to united
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@Onkar: I only tell the truth Onkar, and so you can’t shut me up, I am too good
. Berba has come out today admitting he is a shivering wreck because of the level of expectation on him due to his 30 million price tag 
. He needs to stop making excuses for his less than expected performances, and start to do his stuff – if indeed he has any stuff in him 
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@CraigMc: Not long ago Nani was being bashed when he was not given a sustained run in the side.
Prior to his injury Berbatov was playing very well and creating and scoring regularly.
Suddenly he’s injured, Fergie has decided that Gibson is a better player and Beba is mostly stuck on the bench. Still mangaed to have our two best chances against Villa though.
…Nani-tinted glasses?
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@NicoQB: You lot can be so tiring when the only arguement you EVER have to answer my comments is Nani. News flash mate, Nani isn’t 30 million pound striker brought in to specifically get the goals needed. Berba has played 3 times the games of Nani, and where are the goals. I mean how much longer can you keep making excuses for a 30 million quid striker who misses CHANCE after CHANCE after feckin CHANCE mate, and this against teams often from lower part of the PL
. But we don’t need too, because Berba has his own continued excuse for not putting the ball in the net – the expectation of his price tag 
. I mean I didn’t realise opposition teams had goalkeepers all called Price TAG – did you? Berba doesn’t have to beat a price tag, he has to beat a GK!
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@NicoQB: Oh and with regards to your Berba isn’t getting a run because SAF somehow thinks Gibson is better – I think you’ll find that Berba ala Hargo is needing knee surgery, and this means that SAF in his usually over cautious way, is using Berba sparingly. Nothing to do with Gibson mate. Although IF you want to talk Gibson he has found the net more than Berba in the couple of games he has played mate. Berba could learn from Gibbo how to hit a ball perhaps
. As you say Berba had out two best chances against Villa – AND MISSED THEM BOTH – typical mate!
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Huntelaar for Nani loan swap in January. You heard it here first. Because I just thought of it. We need a striker, they want Nani, Huntelaar isn’t getting a game.
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MUTV reckon Scholes and Gibson in midfield. Obertan to start on the left, and Rooney – Berba upfront.
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I’m so desperately pleading for a Rooney/Berba front 2, that it feels inevitable it won’t happen.
Tosic getting a game praps…?
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@Traverse: lol mate huntelaar is nowhere near good enough..no way should he throw nani away for him who is brtw owrth so much more, i sincerely wish tosic starts which will never happen
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@RMJ: Yeah right.
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For todays game I will quote Mr. T and say, “Prediction? ………PAIN.” United will treat Wolves like a cheap suit and or like a punching bag and pummel them for 90 minutes in an incredibly one sided affair that will end up 1-0 United.
And one more prediction I guarantee, is that we will most definitely see Paul Scholes in the lineup. Fergie always likes to use him against ragtag minnows because these are the only teams Scholes has the legs for anymore.
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If you can’t watch this game you can try FREE live streams
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Manchester United vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Live Streams
Live link:
http://livesoccer-stream.blogspot.com/2009/12/live-watch-manchester-united-vs.html
Active live streams:
http://onlinesports-channel.blogspot.com/2009/12/live-watch-manchester-united-vs.html
Online Tv streams:
http://sports-news-box.blogspot.com/2009/12/live-watch-manchester-united-vs.html
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Two midgets on top will require us to play with high pace and tempo… if we continue to make high balls into the box, we will suffer…
Let’s GO UTD!
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@CraigMc: THe reason I’m comparing Berba to Nani, is that you, of all people, should know that a player takes games to regain his form. As i said, he had good form prior to his injury and now he’s been out of the side to tend to his knee and suddenly the Berba bashers are out in full force.
So yes, he was injured, and when he came on against Villa , while not scoring he still managed to have our two most dangerous chances, which is half the job done.
Nani, more than most, has suffered from Fergie’s inconsistence in deciding who to play. That’s why I never bash him, rather I put his poor performances (and let’s face it, he has had more than a few of them) in the light of mitigating circumstances.
Hope you would have done the same for Berbatov.
And I don’t buy the crap about a player having to live up to his price tag. He has to live up to his previous performances, to what he has shown he can do (at Spurs), not his price tag.
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This has been a very interesting week regarding rumors which has got the old Grognard salivating at the possibilities.
1. Reports on United interested in getting Benzema from Madrid
2. Neuer looks to be the first choice of Fergie as our next #1 GK
3. Edin Dzeko may not be in AC Milan’s plans which may open the door wide for United to claim him
4. And if Dezeko does manage to go to Milan it may be because United or some other team has gone after Klaas Jan Huntellar
5. Finally as for players, a few rumors making the rounds about the possibility of Fergie yet again chasing after Fernando Torres if he returns from the Wolrd Cup victorious but Liverpool is not in the Champions League
All nice rumors and fun to read but all of them are probably just BS because I do not think Fergie has two plugged nickels to rub together.
The rumor I am most interested in though just popped up in the Guardian and it’s just stealing the Grognard’s thunder as I have been on about Laurent Blanc for months now as Fergie’s heir. Lets hope he is the man because I think his abilities and his youth is just what we want.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/dec/15/alex-ferguson-laurent-blanc-manchester-united?
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@Grognard:
Neuer – CHECK!
Dzeko – CHECK!
Blanc – CHECK!
good news indeed!
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: Adding to that list…. Miranda Kerr… Check!
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@Darth Red Diablo: Another comment from you that’s totally pointless.
Look I’m not against having fun from time to time, but I’ve noticed for a really long time that whenever you’re on here it’s been an odd wisecrack. I don’t mean to be rude, but I think you should consider occasionally offering something worthy of a debate than popping in with a wisecrack that doesn’t mean much.
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@Red Ranter: Alright… Guilty as charged RR….
Thing is I’ve been pretty stressed out by studies lately…. So mostly when I do come here… I don’t really try to make a debate… But you’re right… I’ll try to be more helpful to contribute to discussions….
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@Grognard: Sorry but this article was very poor.
The journo basically listed the reasons why according to him other candidates were not fit for the job and what Blanc did in his playing career. Not anywhere did he look at Blanc’s credentials as a manager
in terms of playing style, tactics, managerial policies…
Like most people who’ve claimed Blanc would be ideal for us, they’ve actually seen very little of Bordeaux playing and can barely make a n argument as to why the way Bordeaux way fit ours.
Just because he’s a journo, his championing of Blanc does not make his opinion any more valid.
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http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/389886017?-11193
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@Grognard: I read that, but don’t use Richard Williams to feel validated. He’s written some of the most dreadful and lazy pieces I’ve read in the Guardian.
Also, I don’t intend to pop your bubble, so to speak, but the “Laurent Blanc candidacy for the United job” was out in the open in the media long before you mentioned it in here.
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pig
de leat carrick vidic era
valencia gibson scholes obertan
rooney berbatov
owen anderson foster welbeck fabio fletcher
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Predictor 3000 says: 4-1 United!
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wolves have made TEN changes. Only Hanneman stays from their Spurs win. GOAL DIFFERENCE IMPROVEMENT PLEASE!
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@Traverse: Finally Fergie has understood that a proper RB is to be played at the RB position… It’s an attacking lineup!
Can’t wait to see the Obertan – Berbatov – Rooney – Valencia axis….
I hope we play a 4-2-4… Like in the Ronaldo days…
And I wish Valencia and Obertan would also switch wings like Ronaldo and Giggsy did…
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is game at 20:00 or 1945?
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Where is Nani…
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@Traverse: Glad to see Obertan and De Laet get a start and Rooney-Berbatov upfront. I might watch the game now
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I hope United can find a way to bounce back today, and convincingly at that although I suppose I wouldn’t say no to a nervous three points either.
It’d be nice to see Obertan and Valencia on the wings (please no Park) and Berba alongside Rooney. Berba needs to get his form back quickly or it’ll be 4-5-1s galore for the rest of the season.
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@owen: In Fergie’s doghouse. Which is a shame.
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Its a second string Wolves side too! If we don’t win this atleast by five goals to nil, I’ll be pissed. Not kidding, that should be the aim of this side today. TIME TO BOUNCE BACK WITH A VENGEANCE, and Mick has presented us with the most golden opportunity EVER.
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@Traverse: Is that a confirmed lineup? If it is, it looks good to me!
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29 Tomasz Kuszczak (G)
15 Nemanja Vidic (CD-L)
16 Michael Carrick (CD-R)
3 Patrice Evra (LB)
30 Ritchie De Laet (RB)
18 Paul Scholes (CM-L)
28 Darron Gibson (CM-R)
26 Gabriel Obertan (LM)
25 Antonio Valencia (RM)
9 Dimitar Berbatov (CF-L)
10 Wayne Rooney (CF-R)
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@Darth Red Diablo: This is why I axed you as my young apprentice. Too many wisecracks and not enough evil. You are the margarine of evil, diet evil (just one calorie).
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7 Michael Owen (SUB)
24 Darren Fletcher (SUB)
13 Ji-Sung Park (SUB)
12 Ben Foster (SUB)
8 Anderson (SUB)
19 Danny Welbeck (SUB)
20 Fabio (SUB)
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