Preview: FA Cup 3rd Round - Manchester United vs Swansea City
The story of both the clubs has not gone according to the script this year. Manchester United, comfortable Premier League winners are doodling in mid table while Swansea city, League Cup winners are four points above the drop zone.
Both the teams are coming to this match on back of a home defeat.
Michael Laudrup has seen his thin squad come down to its bare bones by the demands of Europa league and the current festive season; whereas, Moyes is lacking creative options in the team. His desperation has forced him to play an unfit Rooney in the recent game against Tottenham and another game in four days might be too much for Rooney to handle.
United have never lost at home to Swansea and have always progressed when drawn against Premier League Oppositions in the last few years, though Moyes’s reign has seen all these historical statistics being hammered by the oppositions this season.
The Theatre of Dreams is no longer the fortress it once was and teams now come to the stadium smacking their lips looking to draw further blood of the wounded red devils.
Both the teams are without their leading marksmen in Van Persie and Michu. Though, Wilfred Bony and Welbeck/Hernandez are able deputies, as has been shown by their recent form.
Man Utd will also be without the services of Rafael, Phil Jones, Nani and Felliani. Swansea will be missing Pablo Hernandez, Michael Vorm, Gary Monk and Nathan Dyer.
Even though recent form might not mean much in a Cup competition, Moyes can take heart from the fact that his team was on a run of a 6 match winning streak before being halted by Spurs. The comeback and the verve shown in the last 20 minutes by his team should hold them in good stead for this match.
This game should see Kagawa replacing Rooney in the midfield, the Japanese playmaker is slowly running out of chances to prove his mettle to his current employers, and this could be one of the best opportunities for him to stake his claim. Darren Fletcher should be replacing the toothless Cleverly and add some fight in the Manchester midfield with Welbeck leading the front line.
Swansea will start with the similar line up which faced Manchester City with Britton and Lamah coming in for Pablo and Canas.
Man Utd cannot afford to lose this game and a second streak of consecutive losses at home would be too much for the Old Trafford faithful to accept. Moyes will ensure that his team shows the same determination as the last quarter of their match against Spurs.
Even though, Laudrup will not get a better opportunity to strike gold at the venue where they have never won before, the fact that the Red Devils have not lost a game in the cup competition this season shows that they have the talent and experience to see this game through.
Prediction: Manchester United 2-0 Swansea