<span class="titolo">Prem Preview: Manchester United - Middlesbrough</span></p> <span class="sommario">What: English Premier League Who: Manchester United (2nd, EPL, 23/30 pts) v Middlesbrough (17th, EPL, 8/30 pts) When: Saturday, 27th October, 2007, kick-off 15:00 (GMT) Where: Old Trafford, Manchester.</span></p> In-Form United Look To Make It Eight In A Row</p> Manchester United are really starting to find the form that took them to the Premiership title last season. They are on a run of seven successive league victories and Alex Ferguson will fully expect to extend that run against a Middlesbrough team that have lost their last three in the league. Middlesbrough have an excellent recent record at Old Trafford, losing just once at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ since 2002, with two wins and three draws in that time. United have the best defensive record in the Premier League so far this season, and after grinding out 1-0 wins earlier in the campaign, they have recently found their range in front of goal. Having scored four in each of their last three games in all competitions, Alex Ferguson’s men are in impressive form at both ends of the pitch, and another win here would set up a mouthwatering top of the table clash with fellow pace-setters Arsenal at The Emirates next weekend.</p> United may be able to welcome back summer signing Owen Hargreaves, and his return would be a welcome boost given the injuries to Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes in the United engine room. Ferguson also brought in teenagers Nani and Anderson in the summer, and the youngsters are slowly finding their feet in the hustle and bustle of the fast paced Premier League having joined from the slower paced and more technical Portuguese League. Wayne Rooney is in a rich vein of form, with Carlos Tevez proving to be the perfect foil for the burly England forward in recent weeks, and Rooney has hit 7 in his last 7 games for club and country, a run that could be extended here.</p> Struggling Boro Hoping To Stop The Rot</p> For Middlesbrough, this game comes at the wrong time. After losing four on the trot in all competitions the last thing Gareth Southgate wanted was a trip to the champions. They are looking like a team with no confidence and only the presence of some poor sides at the bottom of the table may keep them above the bottom three at the end of the season. The summer signings of Mido, Tuncay and Aliadiere as replacements for the prolific Yakubu and Viduka have not yet worked with all three new boys struggling with fitness and form. At the back the presence of England internationals Jonathan Woodgate and Luke Young has not prevented Borough from leaking goals left, right and centre and Southgate will surely be worrying how his side can cope with the likes of Tevez, Rooney and Ronaldo who are starting to click after a slow start to the season.</p> Middlesbrough follow this daunting trip with games against fellow strugglers Tottenham and Bolton, who have both parted company with their managers recently, and Southgate knows that they are the real big games for his side. Anything they can muster from Old Trafford would set them up nicely to start climbing the table. With United in such great form however, anything other than a home win would come as a major surprise.</p> FORM GUIDE (Prem unless otherwise stated)</p> Manchester United</p> Oct 23 v Dynamo Kiev (a, CL) WON 4-2 Oct 20 v Aston Villa (a) WON 4-1 Oct 6 v Wigan (h) WON 4-0 Oct 2 v Roma (h, CL) WON 1-0 Sep 29 v Birmingham (a) WON 1-0</p> Middlesbrough</p> Oct 20 v Chelsea (h) LOST 0-2 Oct 7 v Man City (a) LOST 1-3 Sep 30 v Everton (a) LOST 0-2 Sep 26 v Tottenham (a, LC) LOST 0-2 Sep 22 v Sunderland (h) DREW 2-2</p> TEAM NEWS</p> Manchester United:</p> The strength of United’s squad has been tested already this season with first team regulars Gary Neville (calf), Michael Carrick (fractured elbow), Paul Scholes (knee) and Louis Saha (knee) all missing. Squad players Ben Foster (knee), Mickael Silvestre (knee) and Park Ji-Sung (knee) are also on the treatment table. Owen Hargreaves may be fit to return in midfield.</p> Last Starting XI (v Dynamo Kiev): Van der Sar (Kusczak 80); Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, O’Shea; Ronaldo, Fletcher, Anderson, Giggs (Simpson 80); Tevez (Nani 72), Rooney.</p> Possible Starting XI (4-4-2): Van der Sar - Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra - Ronaldo, Anderson, Hargreaves, Giggs - Tevez, Rooney.</p> Middlesbrough:</p> Defenders Robert Huth (ankle), Matthew Bates (knee) and Emanuel Pogatetz (knee) are all missing for a side that are leaking far too many goals. Midfield creator Julio Arca (knee) and forward Jeremie Aliadiere (hamstring) will also be sidelined.</p> Last Starting XI (v Chelsea): Schwarzer; Young, Riggott, Woodgate, Taylor; O’Neil, Boateng (Cattermole 67), Rochemback, Downing; Tuncay Sanli (Craddock 84), Mido.</p> Possible Starting XI (4-5-1): Schwarzer - Young, Woodgate, Riggott, Taylor - O’Neil, Boateng, Rochemback, Cattermole, Downing - Mido.</p> Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).</p> PLAYERS TO WATCH</p> Manchester United - Anderson, the Brazilian midfielder signed from Porto in the summer, has taken time to settle at Old Trafford but his performances in the away wins over Villa and Dynamo in the past week have been calm and assured. He is being deployed much deeper than in his days in Portugal, but is revelling pulling the strings alongside Paul Scholes. Anderson has already proved to be a more than competent replacement for Michael Carrick and he will be keen to keep his place and continue his development at Old Trafford on Saturday.</p> Middlesbrough - Jonathan Woodgate was imperious at times last season after joining his home town club from the mighty Real Madrid. The central defender has struggled to keep up that form in a side that have had a terrible start to the season, and Woodgate will need to be back to his best if his side are to hold a United side that are brimming with goals and confidence at the moment. Woodgate will need to use all his positional sense and composure to cope with the movement of Tevez, Ronaldo, Rooney and Giggs.</p> PREDICTION Manchester United 3-1 Middlesbrough United should have more than enough firepower to overcome struggling Middlesbrough and set up a mouthwatering top of the table clash at the Emirates next weekend. With Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez starting to find their form, a trip to Old Trafford is a fearsome prospect for the visitors, particularly after a run of four consecutive defeats.</p> </p> </p> </p>
