Nani and Javier Hernandez grab the goals as a much-changed United side squeeze past Reading at Old Trafford to set up a showdown with Middlesbrough or Chelsea in the Quarter Finals. John Terry admits he’s no longer a guaranteed starter at Chelsea, Marc Wilson steps up his comeback with another reserve outing, Sir Alex Ferguson reckons Shinji Kagawa won’t be at his best until next season, while Junior Hoilett is set to offer Harry Redknapp an extra option out wide as United roll up to Loftus Road this weekend.
Man United 2 Reading 1
Sir Alex Ferguson made eight changes from the side that drew at Real Madrid in the Champions League last midweek, with only David De Gea, Phil Jones and Danny Welbeck retaining starting roles. Jones was utilised as a right-back this time round but lasted less than 45 minutes before limping off with an ankle problem – Antonio Valencia dropped into the back-four to cover, with Nani climbing off the bench to take his place in midfield. Wayne Rooney missed out for the hosts with a sinus infection, while Robin Van Persie was rested to the bench. The Dutchman replaced Ashley Young with 27 minutes left on the clock, though it was fellow-sub Nani who finally made the breakthrough, firing home courtesy of a Valencia assist. The Portuguese winger than teed up Javier Hernandez seconds later to head home his sixth goal in seven appearances – United now face the winners of the Middlesbrough v Chelsea tie, with the game scheduled for the weekend of Gameweek 29.
Post-match reports suggest Jones left Old Trafford on crutches and with his foot in a protective boot. Sir Alex Ferguson wasn’t too optimistic on the former Blackburn man’s chances of making it in time for the weekend trip to QPR, going on to say:
“We’ll assess him in the morning. It’s an ankle injury. I imagine he won’t be ready for Saturday.”
Brian McDermott made six alterations for the visitors. The Reading boss opted for a 4-4-2, with Adam Le Fondre partnering Noel Hunt up top, while the likes of Ian Harte, Pavel Pogrebnyak and Alex Pearce were rested. Hope Akpan and Nick Blackman were both cup-tied and Jimmy Kebe missed out with a knock. After going two down, Jobi McAnuff gave the Royals brief hope by clawing one back on 81 minutes but United held on to leave McDermott’s side to concentrate on their survival bid.
In Other News
John Terry has accepted he is not an automatic starter under Rafa Benitez. Despite declaring himself fit for the midweek trip to Sparta Prague, the Chelsea skipper was an unused sub in the 1-0 win but returned to the first-team for Sunday’s FA Cup win over Brentford. Terry grabbed the Blues’ fourth in a comfortable victory but due to a knee injury and Benitez’s rotation policy, this was just his third start since the Spaniard took the reins from Roberto Di Matteo. With Gary Cahill, Branislav Ivanovic and David Luiz all offering cover in the heart of defence, however, Terry seems to have realised his minutes under Benitez won’t be quite as regular as previous managers, though he went out his way to play down reports of a falling out:
“I’m not silly. I’ve been out for four months – the other two guys have been playing really well, so it is going to be difficult for me to get back in. Naturally I want to play games; the manager doesn’t need to ask me that question to know what answer he is going to get. I am not one to go in and knock the manager’s door down. I respect the other players. I have to fight for my place, the same as everyone. The most frustrating thing was that when Rafa came in, I wasn’t fit and I wasn’t able to impress him and show what I am about. I have got a bit of catching up to do. He has not seen me at 100 per cent. I still need a couple of games, that is clear. But if I am called upon all I can do is come in and play well. There is no rift.”
Marc Wilson continued his return to fitness with a 60-minute appearance for Stoke’s reserves against Scunthorpe yesterday. The left-back has already discussed his comeback on the Potters official website and, having played 90 minutes for the reserves last week, is confident of making it in time for Saturday’s trip to Fulham. Now down to 3.9 in FPL, Wilson is being pencilled in by many Fantasy managers, with home clashes against West Ham, West Brom and Villa in the following five, he offers a far cheaper route into Tony Pulis’ than any other regular, with the likes of Ryan Shawcross and Robert Huth priced at 6.0 and 5.7 by comparison.
Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he doesn’t expect to see the best of Shinji Kagawa until next season. The Japanese playmaker has failed to make the same sort of impact as Robin Van Persie in his debut season at Old Trafford but his manager reckons this is down to a culture clash, after he arrived last summer from Borussia Dortmund:
“The difference between German and English football is that in Germany you can’t foul. You are not allowed to touch anyone in Germany, so he has come from that environment to the Premier League, which is totally different. There is a physicality to our game which is different from Germany, but next year he’ll be better.”
Granted, Kagawa spent a couple of months on the sidelines with a knee problem from October to December but he’s struggled for game time and returns since returning from injury. Four starts from Gameweek 20 onwards have harvested a single assist, with Ferguson hauling him off midway through the second-half – Kagawa has failed to feature in each of his side’s last two league matches and looks set to continue as a somewhat peripheral for the foreseeable future. With United 12 points ahead in the league right now, though, there’s the possibility that Ferguson will utilise him more often if they go on to seal the title earlier, affording him more time to settle in anticipation of the following campaign. Kagawa’s form has been typical of United’s midfield, with no real reliable Fantasy contenders emerging to offer cover of their attacking potential: Antonio Valencia, Nani and Ashley Young have also disappointed.
Junior Hoilett is optimistic of returning to action this weekend as QPR prepare to welcome United to Loftus Road. Speaking to the club’s official website, the former Blackburn man revealed:
“I started training last week. I’ve been doing some rehab and strength work and will hopefully be ready for the next match [against Manchester United]. It’s been really frustrating, especially when a new manager comes in and you can’t show him what you can do because of injuries. I’ve struggled with the same hamstring problem. Hopefully it’s sorted now and I can get going. I feel I’m over it now. It’s been difficult. I came back from injury and got my chance, then got injured again. I’ve just had to stay focused and hopefully get going again…It’s not a good feeling getting relegated. I know what it’s like, so it gives me extra drive to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Hoilett’s comeback would certainly bolster Harry Redknapp’s options on the flanks ahead of a strong run of fixtures and offers an alternative to the likes of Shaun Wright-Phillips, Jamie Mackie and Andros Townsend out wide. Now down to 5.6 in FPL, he’d started to hint at some decent form before picking up the hamstring injury, with a couple of goals in his last five starts under Mark Hughes, but as of yet it’s unclear where he would fit in Redknapp’s plans. With Southampton, Sunderland, Villa, Fulham and Wigan to follow the United game, though, he may prove a decent punt if he can establish himself as a regular once again.
Finally, Alan Pardew has confirmed that Hatem Ben Arfa is back in the frame for Newcastle they approach Thursday’s Europa League tie with Metalist Kharkiv in Ukraine.
“We are looking well and Hatem Ben Arfa has come back…I am sure our fans are looking forward to hearing that and we had our full squad training which is great.”
The Frenchman seems unlikely to be thrown into the mix in Thursday’s tie, however, as Pardew looks to balance his lineup for the European tie and Sunmday’s encounter with Southampton.
“We have to sit down and make sure we get team selection right. Southampton is a huge game for us and so is the second leg of this tie. We’re going to have to call that right. We know there’s a tail-off of energy from Thursday to Sunday, so we’re going to have to make sure the team’s good enough to get us what we want out there in Ukraine, and also good enough to beat Southampton.”
Pardew has suggested that both Shola Ameobi and Sylvain Marveaux will be amongst those given the opportunity to impress over in the Ukraine.
