NEMANJA Vidic is set to make his first appearance of the season for Manchester United in the Barclays Premier League match at Wigan.
Vidic suffered an ankle injury during the warm-up to a pre-season game in Munich last month but has trained without a problem for the last 10 days and will take his place in a central defence that will miss Rio Ferdinand (thigh) for another three to four weeks.
Gary Neville could also be involved from the start at the DW Stadium, although most attention will be focused on Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen, who are both still searching for their first goals of the current campaign.
Wigan supremo Dave Whelan has backed United to bounce back after their shock defeat at Burnley - but not against his club.
Whelan has no doubt that Reds manager Sir Alex Ferguson will overcome the critics and lead the Old Trafford outfit to another Premier League title challenge.
He said: "Sir Alex gets its right all the time. He's one of the greatest managers the game has ever seen.
"And if I was a United fan, I would be hoping that he will be around for another four or five years.
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"When United come to Wigan it's exciting. They're a great club I've got a lot of friends there, including Sir Bobby Charlton, and the whole club is just wonderful. We welcome them to our place tomorrow - and hopefully we can do to them what Burnley did."
Assistant boss Mike Phelan admitted he was disappointed that the Reds had not found the net in the defeat to newly-promoted Burnley on Wednesday night.
"We were disappointing in front of goal that is for sure," he said. "We had a lot of possession but didn't really create anything. Their goalkeeper only made three saves in the entire game, which is not enough. We should have done a lot better and it is something we have to correct - and correct quickly."
Ecuadorian winger Antonio Valencia could be back in the starting line-up for a visit to his old stomping ground after settling for a place on the bench at Turf Moor.
Wigan winger Charles N’Zogbia, meanwhile, is rated at 50-50 to be fit forthe game.
The Frenchman sustained an ankle injury in last weekend’s victory over Aston Villa, but was deemed fit enough to take part in Tuesday’s home defeat to Wolves.
However, the injury has not improved and he is a doubt for the United clash.
Wigan Athletic (from): Kirkland, Melchiot, Figueroa, Edman, Boyce, Bramble, Thomas, Scharner, Brown, N’Zogbia, Koumas, Watson, Cho, Gomez, Sinclair, Scotland, King, McCarthy, Rodallega, Pollitt.
Manchester United (from): Foster, Kuszczak, O’Shea, Neville, Brown, Evans, Vidic, Evra, Fabio, Valencia, Park, Fletcher, Anderson, Giggs, Scholes, Carrick, Gibson, Nani, Rooney, Berbatov, Owen, Macheda, Welbeck.
Key opponent: Titus Bramble - Had found his form again, but Reds need to put him under pressure
Prediction: Wigan 0 United 1 - A tough looking game for United after Wednesday, but they usually bounce back well
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Wigan v United: Preview
August 21, 2009
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Hope vida is ready - leave Nev at home please - he's just not up to it anymore.
Looking at the players in the squad we should win 4-0, but if they've not learned lessons from the past 2 games yet then it could well be another dodgy outing!
Fingers crossed and i hope the gods are favouring us this weekend.
Very nice comments there by Dave Whelan (and I too as a United fan hope Fergie is with us for another good few years). Good to see that not everyone sees United as the enemy but actually admires them for what and who they are. Still, compliments aside I hope Wigan don't do a Burnley on us!
'What's that comin' over th'ills, is it Nemanja, is it Nemanja...'
We lost to Burnley. No reason why we can't lose to Wigan too.
Wigan away is always tough. Last year we scrope through 1-2 having gone 1-0 down.
My gut feeling is a draw, but it wouldn't at all surprise me if we ended up losing again.
The team will probably be the following:
------------------------------Foster
O'Shea---------------Brown----------Vidic---------------Evra
Valencia-------------Fletcher--------Scholes------------Nani
-----------------------Rooney---------Berbatov
Why is Sol Campbell not in the squad for is debut?
I would like to see Macheda in tomorrow's squad. With 7 players on the bench I think that SAF should include 2 attackers as subs, unlike what he did vs Burnley (Berbaflop was the only attacking sub). My team for tomorrow should be - Foster; Fabio, Evans, Vida, Evra; Valencia, Fletch, Anderson (Carrick), Nani; Rooney, Berba (Macheda).
If it were up to me, I'd choose Foster, Brown, Evans, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Fletcher, Anderson, Nani, Rooney and Berbatov - tell them that, injury allowing they are the team for the next 5 games.
I'd play 441 and tell Rooney to do what the hell he likes!
Choosing one team to play all of the next 5 games is not normally good practice as you should select depending on who / where you're playing, but I think that we need to build some confidence and team understanding. At this stage of the season, players shouldbe fit enough to manage. Competition for places is vital and can raise everyones level, but it can also encourage you to try too hard to prove yourself (In my opinion something that a number of the youngsters have been guilty of)
I am also aware that I seem to be in the minority thinking that Fletcher and Anderson should play together, but I think that Anderson could be the key for us this year and Fletch would give him the freedom to get further forward and try to dominate games.
I'm quite confident we'll bounce back but more changes will be made. This is a must win 3 points so definitely Berb & Roon up top. We need to keep the ball and use it properly so Scholes will be back with Fletch along side. Valencia against his old club looks a good shout with Nani given another chance as well. Most say that Wes was only half fit in the week, so, will that have been enough to bring him on I wonder? Is Evans fit?
the defence although severely weakened is still good enough
rooney and berbaflop or macheda should be able to cause problems for wigan if they are given the service.
therein lies the question can the best midfield squad in the history(not) of united cope with the wigan engine room ? we shall have to wait and see.
Vida usually needs about 2 games to get upto scratch, but needs must.
Presuming we had a fully fit squad to choose from, what would peoples first choice 11 be??
If Anderson plays it must be in the middle; and if owen plays, it must be for the last 20 minutes, or if we have a lead, the second half.
Berba has to find some form from somewhere. The flashes of greatness at Spurs just haven't been shown at united; no long distance efforts, few jinks past players, and barely any decent finishes. His goals have been scrappy at best from recollection.
On his day i'm sure he's great, i just wish he'd share it with us!
Big game and we need a result cant afford to drop any more pints against the lower sides Fergie will be looking for a instant response.Macheada deserves a start and Valancia should play against his old club Vidic will bolster the defence other than Fletcher coming back into the side not many more options at the moment.
Some diatribe to those truant fans who keeps giving our players sticks n misnomers: Soccer is a game,much like gambling,a game of losing n' winning.man united have been too successful in the last couple of decades,all this ascribed to fergie who,was nighted whereupon.I an't English nor a typical man united supporter but i've schooled in manchester n' i love Rooney as a footballer n hate Ronaldo as a person.Nowdays am surprised tham i love Rooney more than John cena
Hope the team is.....
.....................Foster
Fabio.........Vidic........Evans.........Evra
A.Valencia.....Anderson.....Fletcher.......Nani
...............Rooney........Berbatov
Subs:
Kuszaczk
O'shea
Brown
Carrick
Giggs
Macheda
Owen
Hope we can bounce back in style against Wigan and hope to see some good football played by us and hopefully alot of chances made and taken.
please can you give a feed back about tosic isnt in the sqaud for tomorrow i think tosic is agood winger i saw tosic playing for serbia 15 days ago and scored 2 goals.tosic we need some games for und.j.mifsud siggiewi.malta
oh gosh yes , retire g neville please !
Foster
O'Shea Vidic Evans Evra
Fletcher Carrick Scholes
Valencia Berbatov Rooney
SUBS: Kuszczak, Neville, Brown, Park, Giggs, Owen, Macheda
I say give 4-3-3 another crack. To compensate on the flanks, Sheasy and Pat will have to get forward.
For everyone's information, Nani injured his shoulder again against Birmingham and it will be a while before we see him again. As for Tosic he picked up a knock (? ankle) in the reserves on Monday so he's out too.
I'll go with a back four of Fabio, JOS, Vida and EVRA.
I'm with the artist on this one, looks like the best team we could put out and would bolster the midfield and hopefully get a bit of cohesion going.
Then again, we're posting comments when we should probably be working, and not football managers - but i'm feeling it! oh yeah!
As long as Scholes, Giggs and Neville don't start, I don't care about the line up.Mind you I would like to see the kids get a go. What I do care about is seeing some passion, effort and team commitment, and that applies not only to the players but to the manager and coaches. Something has to be done to cure the virus that seems to have infected this so called team. There's nobody on the pitch that has shown the ability to lift this team, so it's up to the coaching staff IMO. What we've seen so far this season, and yes I know it's only 2 games in, is a lack of cohesion, game plan, along with a severe lack of passion, desire and effort. Players are jusy wandering about the field with little or no purpose. Take a look at the Burnley game, we went missing everywhere, and the space we left for them beggars belief. There was an instance in the second half where a ball came over from their left wing to a central attacker, about 25 yards out, dead centre goal and there wasn't a United player within 10 yards of him, not one! Fortunately he didn't do anything with it but this happened all night in the middle of the park too. What the F is going on, it HAS to be coaching, surely. I dread to think what the Gooners are going to do to us, never mind Wigan.
Game prediction: more of the same as we've seen because Fergie's stubborn and won't recognise the problems we have. We won't win, period.
Lets hope the embarrasement of our start to the season has been used as a 'kick up the arse' that is long overdue!!!
Team for tomorrow...
Foster
Fabio, Brown, Evans, Evra
Valencia, Anderson, Carrick, Nani
Rooney, Macheda
Subs...
Kuszcak, Vidic, Welbeck, Gibson, Fletcher, Owen, Park
Please let Anderson begin to be able to play his natural position, as an attacking midfielder!! Stop hindering his game with making him sit deep and often being the one who drops to collect from the back...is this why we bought him?? NO!!!
They owe the fans and the club a big performance, with a better attitude and something with which we can build on, but it will be tough but as always are biggest opponent is our complacency & attitude!!!
Just popped over from gods own BLUE side, you red girlies don't seem so confident about tomorrow. What's happened to the arrogance. I think you'll be fine you should scrape a draw.
night night girls. xxx.
agree with you seamus. would add that a change of coaching staff and manager is probably due. a year of rebuilding. rooney, evra and a misplaced winger anderson the only players with any idea so far, and rooney loses it too often.