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MIDDLESBROUGH v MANCHESTER UNITED TACTICS TALK 2-12-06
Stuart Ward
This week Manchester United visit the Riverside, for a match that many Boro fans are hoping will be another three much needed points in our push up the table.
As always we will look at Manchester United first.
Key Players
Wayne Rooney - The large headed, jug-eared maestro seems to be coming back to his brilliant best form. On his day this kid is utterly devastating.
He will drop a little deeper than his strike partner and dictate play form just behind Boro's midfield.
He is fantastic with both feet, can run at people, take long range shots and is a lethal finisher. He really needs to be given close attention.
Louis Saha - The French striker is finally showing what he is capable of this season, returning to his form from when he was at Fulham.
He is just lurking round the box and seems pretty much unable to miss at the minute. He could be the replacement United need for Van Nistelrooy.
He is strong in the air and has great upper body strength whilst on the ground, and is quick with it.
Saha possesses the cool head that all strikers need in front of goal. Woodgate and his back line will have to keep a close eye on him.
Paul Scholes - The midfielder is back to his best for United after a strange eye injury last season.
His runs and more importantly goals from midfield are returning apace, and there has even been talk of McClaren begging him to come back into the England side.
Boro need to get about him early. If you can wind him up, he is always likely to get himself booked. He is the worst tackler in the Premier League.
The Manager
Sir Alex Fergusson - Although I think it is ridiculous that a bad tempered red faced Scot has been given a Knighthood for winning trophies with the side he inherited from the United youth system, he is still a bit of a good manager.
His sides do play nice attractive football and I enjoy watching them sometimes. They attack in waves, just battering away at opponents until they subside.
Possible Lineup
Van Der Sar
Neville Ferdinand Vidic Evra
Ronaldo Carrick Scholes Giggs
Rooney Saha
This is a team that many are heralding as the strongest that has been put together in the red faced ones term at Old Trafford.
Van Der Sar, despite being 785 is a top quality shot stopper, although he was made to look a little foolish by Boro last season.
In defence, I am still to be convinced by Rio Ferdinand. He certainly isn't in the top two centre halves in the country. Vidic, Evra and Neville are good solid players, Vidic being a particularly commanding centre half.
In midfield, there is threat from everywhere.
The prodigious Ronaldo has unbelievable ability on the ball, but is a bit of a tart who doesn't like being roughed up. He will whinge, moan, dive and generally get under the opponent's skin.
For this reason I would put Mad-Dog left back and have him lump the daylights out of him. If the Portuguese wonderkid is left to himself, he will tear Boro apart.
Giggs on the other wing has been doing the same thing for years. His jinking runs look pretty standard from the touchlines but they are remarkably effective.
In the middle, the much over-rated Carrick will drop deep and try and control the game with his passing, whilst Scholes will bomb forward to support the attacks.
Up front, the best English talent (arguably) ever produced seems to be getting back to his menacing best.
If Boro let him, he will run the show. Hopefully George can back up his claims that he feels like he is playing better and try and keep him a little bit more quiet. I doubt it though.
Right, with United out of the way, lets move onto the Boro.
Key Players
Jonathon Woodgate - Yes, I know, he makes an appearance here every week. That is because he is head and shoulders our best player.
The guy oozes class. He thrives in big matches like this, and I can see him being immense for Boro again.
He will have a stern test, coming up against Rooney, Saha and the forward running Scholes. He managed perfectly well against Thierry Henry though, so I think he is up to the challenge.
Lee Cattermole - I expect the youngster to come in as part of a midfield five for Boro today.
He will be really up for the match today, and I think that he will be the absolute heartbeat of the Boro side.
He will be tasked with thundering into tackles, getting at Scholes and Carrick and Ronaldo. He will get the crowd going with some hard tackling and get his teammates showing the same commitment and passion that he does.
He will be vital today.
Stewart Downing - Rested in recent weeks due to a slight knock, the England winger will return today and look to give Gary Neville hell.
He should be fresh and quick. He will have the support of a packed Riverside cheering him on.
I honestly fancy him to make Neville look rather silly. I hope he shoves some more words down critics throats.
He will need to get forward and support the Yak, who I think will be up fornt by himself.
The Manager
Gareth Southgate - he was given permission to continue as Boro manager last week. Not sure if that is good or bad, but that is another debate for a different article.
Boro have looked tactically dodgy a few times this season, but on other occasions Southgate has got it spot on.
I just hope he realises that he needs to approach this game differently to the Chelsea victory earlier in the season. If we try and sit back against this lot we will get abused. Badly.
Likely Lineup
Schwarzer
Xavier Woodgate Huth Pogatetz
Morrison Cattermole Rochembach Boateng Downing
Yakubu
I expect Boro to line up 4-5-1 in an attempt to flood the midfield and stifle United's creativity.
The defence looks solid as always, and we are generally good at the back now. Woodgate looks like he is here to stay, and he has made his mark on the team defensively.
Even though he isn't captain he is leading our backline like Gareth used to.
Our full backs are going to have a tough time against Ronaldo and Giggs and some tough early tackles wouldn't go amiss here me thinks.
Gareth is going to pack our midfield, with Boateng and Cattermole there to put their foot in hard and try to stifle the creativity of Carrick, and Scholes.
We will need to use our width today. Downing and Morrison will be vital for our chances. However, even if they get forward it will be pointless if no one gets forward to help the Yak in the middle from midfield.
Up front, Yak will be asked to do his lone ranger act again. He isn't scoring goals at the minute, although it is hard when you are being asked to play by yourself against four defenders!
The midfield NEED to get forward to help him, and I would actually pick Jason Euell today as he is bound to get a goal sometime or other..
How it will go
I fancy Boro today. We always pull something out of the bag against the bigger teams, and I think it will be the same today.
We need to play with plenty of fire and heart, and if we do I can see us nicking it 2-0 or 2-1.
Until next week, I am a hungover Stuart Ward. See you all at La Riv.
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