Opposition view vs Man Utd (Away)

Editor Lloyd Reddin has travelled along the internet airways this week to Manchester to interview Man Utd fan Doron Salomon who is a part of the Man Utd fan page Stretford-end.com as Vital Man Utd`s editor was unavailable.

Reddin asked Salomon about all his pre-match thoughts and season expectations, before this weekend`s Premier League encounter between Stoke and Man Utd at Old Trafford.


1. Do you think you`ve lost the fear factor?

I think that’s a very fair thing to say and it’s not just because Fergie’s gone either. So far this season, with the exception of the Swansea game, we’ve not been ruthless or clinical. If we’re going ahead in games, we’re struggling to kill opponents off in the league and that’s giving teams hope – the longer a game goes on and it remains tight, the more belief opposition sides have as we saw against Southampton. Certainly right now, no one should fear us.


2. Do you miss Fergie? & how do you feel about his book? Anything that stands out to you?

Personally I miss him but then he’s played such a huge part in my life as a football fan. As a club we also miss him but he wasn’t going to be around forever and everyone has to move on. I’m trying to embrace the change and I’ve accepted ever since his retirement that I’ve been fortunate to witness such success and if the next period is less successful then so be it.

With regards to the book, I’ve not had a chance to read it yet but in some ways it’s nice to know he’s not held back and that it might actually be a good read. I guess what stands out the most is the lack of insight into the Glazer takeover and the Bebe transfer. He’s still on the payroll as a director so it’s maybe not as cutting as it could have been and I imagine there are some stories he’ll now never tell.


3. Adnan Januzaj? The real deal or another Macheda?

Haha well you see for me Macheda was never one to be unfairly hyped up. He’d warranted it all with an exceptional scoring record for our Academy and Reserves. Of course as things worked out he’d be stalled by injuries and poor loans but I won’t have anyone tell me he wasn’t an exceptional young player.

Back to the question though – Januzaj can be whatever he wants. He’s a beautifully balanced footballer who’s not lacking in confidence and already has an understanding and feel for the game that’s beyond his years. Whether he goes on to be a star or not will depend on luck with growing and injuries but at the moment there’s nothing to suggest his development will slow.


4. What are your expectations for this season?

Champions League qualification and a domestic trophy, ideally the FA Cup. In Europe, the quarter finals of the Champions League would be more than a good stage to reach.


5. What are your views on your manager?

I like Moyes and I liked his appointment. He may well turn out to not be the right man for the role but I want to think and hope he is. He’ll rightly be given time to settle and build his own side and hopefully he’ll get enough financial backing to make the latter happen. There are certainly things he has to improve upon already – some of his substitutions are strange and sometimes he’s rotated too many players in one go.


6. Who is your danger man?

At the moment it’s probably Rooney. He wasn’t at his best against Southampton last week but otherwise his performances for club and country have been good. He looks fit, sharp and seems to be happy enough on the pitch at the moment. Clearly there’ll be plenty of expectation on Januzaj if he plays but Nani too could well be a threat if he starts as he seems to be hungry to impress. Aside from those obvious attacking players, if you stop Carrick, you’ll stop United.


7. What would you say your strengths are as a team?

Good question and at the moment I don’t really know what the answer is. Defensively we seem to look better but even so, like I said before, sides seem to face us knowing they can score. I’d say maybe we’re still strong out wide with pace, trickery, power and goal threats.


8. What would you say your weaknesses are as a team?

Quite simply at the moment it’s an inability to finish sides off with the second and third goals.


9. Which player (s) do you fear from the Stoke City side?

Without wishing to be disrespectful I’m not sure that there is one player whose name I look at and think he might have the beating of his opposite number. I guess Crouch and Jones on their day have the ability to bully even the best defences and maybe they might target de Gea in the air a bit so we’d have to be wary of that.


10. Is there any Stoke players you would like to add to your squad?

Not immediately but I’m keen to see how N’Zonzi gets on. He seems a bit of a strange one – from the bits I’ve watched there doesn’t appear to be a lot of consistency in his performances but on his day he’s capable of really dominating the midfield area and everyone knows that United still have to improve there.


11. How do you think Stoke will do this season?

I think you’re looking at a relegation battle but one that you’ll do fine in. There are worse teams in the league but I’m not sure that there are enough goals in the Stoke side at present to really push on higher up the table. That might change with a good acquisition in January though.


12. Yours thoughts on former United striker Mark Hughes?

As a player he was an absolute monster of a striker and until Welbeck, was the last forward player to come through our Academy and play regularly in the first team. Since going into management though he’s rubbed United fans up the wrong way on a few occasions though and his record is patchy. I’d not be against seeing him do well but at the same time I’ve taken a bit of joy from his failings.


13. What is your likely line-up for the match?

At a guess:

De Gea, Rafael, Jones, Evans, Evra, Nani, Carrick, Fellaini, Januzaj, Rooney, van Persie – although if van Persie isn’t fit I’d like to think Kagawa will start behind Rooney like he ended the midweek match.


14. Finally, what`s your score prediction for the match?

Unfortunately for you I fear we’re due giving a side a hiding and Stoke’s goalscoring record isn’t great. It could be and I hope it is a hammering so I’m going to go with 4-0 to United but best of luck and enjoy the game.

Thanks to Doron for taking the time out to answer our pre-match questions.