Swansea City Vs Manchester United

Pre-Match:

Swansea City vs Manchester United

VS

Liberty Stadium

Kick-Off: Saturday 10. 55 pm (IST)

The Red-Army will voyage 240 miles to Swansea City on a hectic Saturday afternoon fixture list of Premier League games, for an evening kick-off at the Liberty Stadium. Despite being tipped for the drop by bookmakers, the Swans have risen to tenth in the table after 11 matches. Having played the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool already this term, the Swans face their biggest test on Saturday against Sir Alex Ferguson's Red Devils. Swansea vs. Manchester United hasn't been a top flight fixture since the 1980s; last when United entertained their opponents, ran-out 2-1 winners.

Form:

Brendan Rodgers and his team is doing superbly in the Premier League and will be full of confidence after a fantastic draw against Liverpool. While this Swansea team is playing slick and crisp passing football, United has lost rhythm after their flying start, grinding out back to back 1- 0 results. Swansea is yet to lose at the Liberty stadium having won three and drawn two of their five games. In the process, they conceded just a solitary goal and scored seven; dispatched a hapless Bolton Wanderers side 3-1 in their last home fixture. United have improved their away record compared to last season with winning three and drawing the same number. United scoring rate has dropped alarmingly with netting just seven in their last six games. Two clean-sheets in the league after the drubbing in Manchester United, will give much needed confidence to their defence.

Injury Update:

Michael Owen is expected to be sidelined until at least Christmas with the thigh injury he sustained in United’s recent 2-0 home win against Otelul Galati. Danny Welbeck missed England’s friendly match against Sweden with a calf-muscle strain and is expected to miss this game as well. Chris Smalling also remains an absentee with a foot injury. Doubtful is the Ashley Young’s case due to a toe injury.

Steve Caulker -Tottenham Loanee at Swansea is expected to back in the starting line-up after recovering from knee injury.

Players to Watch- Out:

Swansea will be a different and unknown opposition (Sir Alex would definitely have made his players watch their videos) to United this week, contrast to their last away fixture at Goodison Park. Nathan Dyer, Scott Sinclair and Joe Allen have been their best players, pick of who is Joe Allen. The Carmarthen-born youngster, who has been with the club since the age of nine, made his league debut in the final game of the 2006/07 season as a substitute against Blackpool. The young 21 year lad has an eye for pass and is equally supported on wings by the trickery of Dyer and more conventional Sinclair. Their Dutch goalkeeper Michael Vrom signed from FC Utrecht has been in outstanding form this season; single handed won them a point at Anfield.

This could be good game to bring back Tom Cleverly whose fine start to season was hampered due to injury and also Valencia should be back in his natural position at right wing considering Young remains doubtful to start.

Probable XI:

Swansea City: (4-5-1 ) Vrom, Rangel, Williams, Monk, Taylor, Dyer, Britton, Allen, Gower, Sinclair, Graham

Manchester United: ( 4-4-1-1) De Gea, Jones, Vidic, Evans, Evra, Valencia, Fletcher, Cleverly, Nani, Rooney, Hernandez.

Player Talks:

Manchester United stalwart Denis Irwin has labelled Swansea a "revelation" in the Barclays Premier League.  Irwin has been hugely impressed with how the Swans have coped so far in the top flight, and believes sticking to their principles has been the reason for their fine start. "They've been a revelation. Their style of football is fantastic to watch so why change?" said Irwin. "It's the way they play their best. The manager feels it's the best way for them to get results and rightly so. Defensively they're more solid than Blackpool, I think you've seen that in the five home games they've only conceded one goal. The goalkeeper Vorm has been a real find for them and I think with the couple of signings that Rodgers has made as well, they can score goals."  

Swansea right-back Angel Ragnel said “For the club it is a great day because you see the massive steps we have made. Four years ago, the right-back was still plying his trade with La Terrassa in the lower tiers back in his native Spain. During the same campaign, Sir Alex Ferguson was guiding his team to another Premier League title - their ninth in 15 years."For me too it is a special day because not so long ago I was playing semi-professionally. If someone was to say then that I'd get the chance to play against Manchester United then I'd think they were completely crazy. We are in this division because we deserve it, and we are playing teams like Manchester United because we have worked so hard to get here. They have great players, but we are confident in ourselves too and I think it will be a very good game."

“Of course, it is going to be a massive test for us against Manchester United because you can look at any player they have and you can say he is world class."They have been one of the biggest clubs in the world because they have quality in every single position."He added: "We will be the underdogs but we have to use the momentum we have built in our home performances. That, along with the amazing support we have, can make a big difference on Saturday. But when you look around their squad and you see Rooney, Hernandez and Nani, for example, then you realise if you make the slightest mistake then you will get punished. We have to be totally focused."

Club Connections:   

Alan Tate, currently the club's vice-captain, learned his trade as an Old Trafford trainee, a stint which included two loan spells at Swansea, during which time he made nearly 40 appearances. The new Premier League campaign will be his 10th season at a club where he has played well over 300 games.

Busby Babe Kenny Morgans will have split loyalties when the Swans take on Premier League champions Manchester United on Saturday. Swansea-born Morgans played for both teams in the 1950s and 1960s, leaving his hometown club to join the Red Devils as a 15-year-old. At United, he shared digs with Sir Bobby Charlton and would become a firm fixture in the club's starting XI under Sir Matt Busby as a right winger. The 72-year-old, who hails from Cwmdonkin, was the youngest surviving member of the 1958 Munich air disaster that claimed 23 lives. Morgans has been a regular guest of Manchester United since his retirement. He travelled with the team to the Champions League Final in Moscow in 2008 and was the guest of honour at the 25th anniversary dinner of the club's Past Players Association in September. Michael Parkinson and current Manchester United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson were among the other guests. Morgans added: "I'm looking forward to meeting up with Sir Alex again but I'm hoping for a very entertaining game that ends in a draw."I hope Sir Bobby Charlton makes it to the game because we go back a long way and it would be nice to welcome him to my home city."But I'd also encourage the Manchester United fans to take time to explore the Swansea area because it's a fantastic place with the best beaches in the world."