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Match Review : BPL - UNITED 1 - 0 Birmingham

Posted by sChuMee
1st goal : Wayne Rooney

It's the season opener at OT.. it has been quite an enjoyable summer IMO.. It has been 20 years since the defending top flight champions lost on the opening day of the season - Arsenal losing 4-1 against Manchester Utd at Old Trafford in Aug 1989.

Manchester Utd are unbeaten in their last 20 league matches against Birmingham, since losing 5-1 at St Andrew's in old Division One in Nov 1978.

Sir Alex Ferguson has never lost a home league match on the opening day of the season in charge of Manchester United. His sides have won nine and drawn four of their 13 opening matches of the season at Old Trafford under Ferguson.

FERDINAND OUT FOR UNITED! A shocker for Sir Alex Ferguson, who will go into the opening game of the season with John O'Shea as his captain, partnering Jonny Evans at centre-half. Ferdinand picked up a calf injury in training to add to his alread-sore back. Nemanja Vidic, Wes Brown, Gary Neville and Rafael da Silva are all injured too meaning the latter's twin brother Fabio da Silva will play at right-back.

United then have Ben Foster return between the sticks after he missed England's 2-2 draw with Holland with a "minor injury". Fabio, normally a left-back, fills in for brother Rafael on the right and an all-Irish centre-half duo of Johns sees O'Shea skipper United alongside Evans, who missed Northern Ireland's draw with Israel with an ankle knock that Sir Alex is hoping has fully cleared up. It's not all doom and gloom for United - Wes Brown is deemed fit enough for a place on the bench.

Interesting bench for United - Michael Owen and Ryan Giggs have bags of experience and quality while Belgian Richie de Laet is only there because all their other defenders are crocked.


Foster


Fabio Sheasy Evans Evra


Valencia Fletcher Scholesy Nani


Roo Berba


Subs : Kuszczak, Brown, Owen, Anderson, Giggs, Gibson, De Laet.



Berbatov is back on as United knock it around the midfield but, after a good turn and pass by Scholes, Evra over-runs it out for a throw to Birmingham.

Fabio gets forward down the right, back to Fletcher who feeds Scholes, Rooney gets it back to goal but Ferguson closes him down. Some hesitant defending from United but Evans gets it clear and the hosts build patiently.

Fabio gets forward again, Valencia on the overlap beats Vignal and hits the byline, he swings over an inviting cross but despite the red shirts lining up no-one can get a head on it and Blues clear.

Still United, Fletcher combines with Rooney who lays it off to Valencia on the edge of the D but he can't work a shot so looks wide but there are few options and Blues clear.

Birmingham counter down, Fahey down the left crosses but only Jerome is there and he watches is sail over his head. United can hit on the break now but Larsson is back covering to clear. Nani now gets it on the left, good cross searching for Rooney but Queudrue sticks out a leg to clear. Still United come forward and Evra swings it in high but Rooney and Valencia get in each other's way and the header spins easily into Hart's arms.

Good ball wide to Valencia from Berbatov, the Ecuador winger knocks it to the edge of the box where Fletcher has a pop but he scuffs the shot and Blues can clear.

Fletcher in the centre circle, he lofts it wide left to Evra on the overlap with Carr stuck marking Nani, he's in space and drills a low shot on goal but well-held by Hart.

Poor kick by Hart, low and straight to Valencia who quickly threads it in for Berbatov but Carr stuck with him and, as Berbatov falls to the ground the ref waves play on and Hart breathes again! That looked a last-man foul by Carr but Lee Mason thought not!

United break now, this is an end-to-end start, long ball knocked on by Rooney and Berbatov is in but Hart flies out to block the finish, it drops to Rooney but Johnson hurls himself at the England striker, it pops up for Nani on the right but Johnson again blocks and Birmingham survive!

United bombing forward now, a passing triangle with Fletcher knocking it to Rooney 25 yards out, he sends a dipping curling shot towards the top right and Hart flies across to tip it over one-handed for a corner! Great shot, great save!

Evra on the left to Nani who finds Valencia, who is now playing on the left as Nani switches right. Pretty fluid from United both on and off the ball. Carr clears from Rooney though.

Some nice one-touch play from Birmingham to use their whole midfield to take it right to left but it's out for a throw, United win it back and Berbatov has it on the left, Scholes on the ball but Fletcher gives it away.

Scholes tries a crossfield pass looking for Valencia but, even though he rises on the line to head it on, it was out of play.

Fahey wide to McFadden who has some space with Fabio behind the play, decent cross low towards the edge of the six-yard box with Jerome flying in but Foster dives down to claim well. O'Shea and Evans were hesitant with the ball sent between and across them.

Ferguson strolls forward and puts it wide to Vignal getting forward but his cross is too close to Foster.

Nani now jogs down the left but his cross is a tad casual and straight into Hart's arms.

Birmingham with a decent spell of possession, McFadden to Fahey who lofts it in high but too much on it for Ferguson on the left in the box but he somehow gets to it but the cross-shot is into the chest of Foster.

United with a swift counter, Valencia finds Rooney on the left and he can set up Berbatov but he goes it alone and sends a weak, low shot straight at Hart.

Valencia cuts in from the right and has a pop but straight at Hart. He is a different kind of player to Ronaldo, more inclined to hit a cross early than try step-overs and ambitious shots.

Valencia knocks it in from the left to Berbatov but he is a yard or two offside.

Fabio on the right does well to win a corner although an early cross would have been nice.

Good delivery from the corner with Evans and O'Shea attacking it but half-cleared and Berbatov has a pop, blocked, United think handball but play on!

Good United pressure as Nani gets it on the left, he has a bit of space so cuts inside and has a crack but it curls into the arms of Hart.

Wide to Valencia who knocks it around Vignal but the Frenchman with a superb slide tackle, Fabio's right on top of him though and it's with Valencia again but Vignal slides in to put it out for a corner.

Fabio latches on to the ball on the right, he skins Vignal and zips into the box and drills a wicked cross-shot that Hart can only tip away and Johnson hacks behind for a corner! Great wingplay from young Fabio, who is identical to his twin, unsurprisingly.

Birmingham are on the rack here, Nani cuts inside and plays a one-two with Fletcher, now Rooney and it squirms in for Berbatov but Johnson sticks out a leg and puts it behind for a corner.

Birmingham fail to clear the corner and Nani gets it on the edge of the box but he spanks it well over. Poor finish. United come forward again, a long ball nodded down casually by Berbatov to Nani on the left, he puts in a brilliant, dipping cross AND ROONEY WITH THE GLANCING HEADER IT BEATS HART BUT OFF THE INSIDE OF THE POST AND STRAIGHT BACK TO ROONEY WHO TAPS IT IN FOR 1-0! His 99th goal for United and Birmingham finally crack.

Corner to Birmingham on the left then. Great delivery from Larsson AND QUEUDRUE FLIES IN UNMARKED AND HE HEADS PAST FOSTER BUT OFF THE LINE BY THE HEAD OF EVRA! Evra and Fabio were guarding the posts with there lives and, in that case, to good effect. Poor marking from United though, again Evans and O'Shea not 100 per cent at the races.

Evra gets down the left again, United playing very wide, but his cross is cleared by Johnson.

More good stuff by United as Scholes and Fletcher interchange passes, Valencia now into Fletcher cutting into the box but he can’t get a shot away and the chance goes.

The ball is sent to Berbatov on the edge of the box who spins Vignal with a quite outrageous flick but shockingly Mason decides it is a foul for high boot! Ridiculous, the ball was played in at ankle height and Vignal hurled his head at his feet! The touch sent him through too, it would have been a brilliant goal. What on earth was Mason thinking.

Valencia commits a foul on the Birmingham left, Carsley waits for Johnson and co to come up for that.

Evans wide to Nani who turns and slips a wonderful reverse pass in for Evra overlapping and he's in to cut it back TO FLETCHER WHO MUST SCORE BUT HE SOMEHOW PUTS IT WIDE!! Oh what a miss, after some brilliant play from United.

Lee Mason blows the half-time whistle, 1-0 to a free-flowing United, Birmingham have had their chances though.

HALFTIME!!!

Nani is taken off after feeling pain in his shoulder, which he popped out last weekend. Veteran winger Ryan Giggs comes on in his place

United immediately on the attack as it drops to Rooney who takes it on his chest, lets it bounce and hammers a wicked half-volley towards the top left which Hart flies across to palm away for a corner!

Fletcher to Scholes, Valencia on the right cuts inside and finds Evra who is in midfield, knocked around via Giggs, Scholes, back to Valencia, a one-two with Fabio but Valencia is tackled by McFadden.

Rooney cuts inside and clips a clever lofted pass wide for Valencia but just a touch too long for him and all he can do is knock it weakly back for Johnson to clear.

Lovely ball wide by Scholes and a good first touch from Giggs to let him take it on the move but the through-ball to Berbatov is poor and Queudrue clears. United get it back though, high to Giggs on the left, loads of space to fizz in a low cross which Berbatov takes on the turn but his touch is slightly heavy and sends it wide instead of into his languid path.

Scholes wide to Valencia who beats Vignal and digs out a hanging cross that Rooney flies in for but headed away by Johnson!

Rooney now has it on the left, he spots a diagonal run from Berbatov and floats over a delightful cross AND BERBATOV MUST SCORE BUT JUST AS HE PREPARES TO HEAD IT IN QUEDRUE APPEARS FROM NOWHERE TO FLICK THE BALL BEHIND! Great defending by the Frenchman

Composed defending by Evans after United give the ball away, playing it back to Foster who calmly passes to O'Shea who brings it forward. Birmingham are not getting a sniff at the moment.

Evra has it on the left but an aimless ball is headed clear by Johnson.

United have had 80 per cent of the ball in the first 10 minutes of this second half

United break, the ball comes into Rooney 25 yards out, he looks wide for Berbatov but as he prepares to play it Vignal flies in two-footed to take him out, advantage says Mason but the ball spins too wide for Berbatov to shoot so he pulls play back, free-kick on the edge of the D and a yellow for Vignal.

Giggs to take it left-footed and he swings it over the wall to the top left but Jerome in the wall gets a touch to send it just over!

Giggs to take the corner. He bypasses the area and it lands for SCHOLES WITH THE VOLLEY but into the ground and hacked clear. United still have it though, Valencia on the right with a good cross but blocked for a corner.

Giggs with the corner but headed clear, the second ball comes in deep from Fabio but Berbatov is pushing in the box and Blues have a free-kick.

Good flat delivery from McFadden but Foster parries and United clear, a quick break, Valencia on the left, headed away but Berbatov has it, now Scholes wide to Fabio but his cross is too deep for Rooney.

Berbatov gets it wide right and, confronted by Vignal, hustles to the byline and wins a corner.

Taken short to Fabio, one-two with Giggs, Fabio lofts it far post AND BERBATOV RISES WITH THE HEADER BUT OFF THE LINE BY CARSLEY! That was headed top right. The ball is still with Berbatov though but he is swarmed by blue shirts and Birmingham clear. He thinks he was fouled as Carr trod on his foot but Mason waves it away.

Michael Owen gets his Premier League debut for United, on for Berbatov. Wes Brown comes on for Evans, who was nursing an ankle knock.

Fletcher turns 30 yards out, he turns again looking for the pass, Scholes now but he sells Fletcher short and Birmingham break.

Carr bombs down the right but there is no support really and United clear. Wide left to Owen who knocks it in for Rooney, he lofts it wide to Benitez who is in but a heavy first touch is blocked and Blues clear! It's a dangerous counter too, Benitez is in on the left, the flag stays down and he knocks it inside past Brown AND HE MUST SCORE BUT A BRILLIANT STOP BY FOSTER!

United attack now, Giggs surges forward, Rooney now, one-touch to Owen who slides it wide to Valencia, he puts it to SCHOLES WITH THE DRIVE FORM THE EDGE OF THE BOX but diverted wide for a corner!

Giggs on the left in lots of space, he eyes the line of the six-yard box and places it for ROONEY FLYING IN WITH A FLICKED HEADER BUT IT BOUNCES INCHES WIDE OF THE FAR POST!

O'Shea on the right for Birmingham, inside to McSheffrey who flicks it wide to Carr but his cross is poor, straight down the throat of Foster.

United still bossing possession but they seem unable to fashion too many clear-cut opportunities.

The hosts bomb forward again, Valencia and Owen combine and Rooney has it but his pass into Owen is cleared.

Giggs to Valencia on halfway, he slides it through to Owen who is clean through, rounds Hart and slides it in but the flag was up, he was half a yard offside.

Rooney flicks the ball from halfway and Owen races clear of the Blues defence, he still has some pace it seems and is clean through and is this it but no, Hart flies out to block the finish which flies agonisingly wide for a corner! Almost a magical introduction for Owen..

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