EPL : Birmingham vs Manchester United - Sept 29th
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vs 
EPL: Birmingham vs Manchester United
Date : September 29th, Saturday.
LIVE! on Football Channel, 27.
Kick off : 12.15am, late match. -
steve bruce
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Originally posted by thoreldan:steve bruce
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Hopefully this will be smooth sailing for us.
Fergie always has trouble when he's up against ex-United players, Mark Hughes and Coppell to name a few. -
0-1, i guess
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BIG-MATCH FACTS
* Sir Alex Ferguson plots tactics against one of his former players, not for the first time this season. He'll be hoping for three points against Steve Bruce's Birmingham, 28 days after gaining three over Roy Keane's Sunderland.
* Both clubs return to league business after midweek defeats in the Carling Cup. Birmingham's was 3-0 at Blackburn; United's more of a shock, as a young inexperienced line-up were defeated 0-2, home to Championship Coventry.
* United are chasing a fifth successive league win and clean sheet, and could go to the top of the table.
* Birmingham have won half as many league games as the Red Devils, but scored one more goal.
* The Midlanders have won one, drawn one and lost one of their three home Premier League matches, scoring three goals and conceding three; United have won one, drawn one and lost one of their three away Premier League matches, scoring two goals and conceding two.
* It's 29 years since Birmingham last beat Manchester United. They've drawn six and lost 12 league games against them since an emphatic 5-1 top-flight victory on 11 November 1978, when Kevin Dillon, Alan Buckley (two), Don Givens and Jimmy Calderwood were their scorers.
* This is the Brummies' third of seven consecutive league fixtures against north-west opposition. One of only two defeats in 11 Premier League games against north-west clubs was 3-0 away to Manchester United on 26 March 2006. -
MANCHESTER UNITED
1. Wednesday's defeat to the Sky Blues ended a five-match winning sequence in league and cup, in which no goals were conceded.
2. On their longest winning sequence in the Premier League, since completing seven in a row on 31 March.
3. Not conceded in 419 minutes (six hours 59 minutes) of Premier League football since Geovanni scored the winner for Manchester City on 19 August.
4. Sunday's 2-0 win over Chelsea is the only time in 15 league and cup games more than a single goal has been scored in a match.
5. The fourth lowest scorers in the Premier League; just six goals in seven matches. Their Premier League matches have yielded fewer goals than any other club - just eight (six for, two against).
6. Keep more Premier League clean sheets than any other club (five).
7. Boasting the joint meanest defence in the Premier League with Liverpool. Both clubs have leaked just two goals, at one every 315 minutes (five hours 15 minutes) on average. Not conceded a single goal in the first and last half hours of any Premier League match so far this season.
8. On the longest current run in the Premier League of 47 matches since losing by more than a single goal; the 3-0 reverse by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 29 April 2006.
9. Lost one of the last six away Premier League matches; the 1-0 defeat by Manchester City on 19 August.
10. This match precedes Tuesday's Champions League Group F home tie against AS Roma.
Key Player Notes
Louis SAHA is the only Manchester United player to have scored more than a single goal.
Edwin VAN DER SAR leads the race for the Barclays Golden Glove, with five clean sheets.
Wayne ROONEY has scored in each of the last three Premier League matches against Birmingham.
Ryan GIGGS is a double short of 100 career League goals.
If on the field from the outset:-
GIGGS will be making his 450th career league start - all for United.
Cristiano RONALDO will be making his 100th Premier League start for the Old Trafford club.
Chris EAGLES will be making his 50th English league start (Manchester United, Watford and Sheffield Wednesday).
Gary NEVILLE will be making his 350th Premier League start - all for the Red Devils.
If he plays:-
Michael CARRICK will be facing the club where he was on loan for a month in 2000. -
HEAD TO HEAD
Manchester United have won all their home Premier League matches against Birmingham, in addition to the first two at St Andrews. But the last two corresponding fixtures have been drawn.
Home and away
League (inc PL): Birm'ghm 24 wins, Man United 39, Draws 25
Prem: Birmingham 0 wins, Man United 6, Draws 2
at Birmingham only
League (inc PL): Birm'ghm 15 wins, Man United 12, Draws 17
Prem: Birmingham 0 wins, Man United 2, Draws 2 -
Edwin VAN DER SAR leads the race for the Barclays Golden Glove, with five clean sheets.
how many clean sheets does he need to win it? -
Originally posted by sand king:how many clean sheets does he need to win it? The most by the end of the season lor. Reina got it this season.
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Ohh! thanks.Originally posted by omgukilledkenny: The most by the end of the season lor. Reina got it this season.
I hope VDS gets it this time
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Hope Gaz and Owen makes it for the game.
At least the subs bench. -
Manchester United: Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Pique, Evans, Ronaldo, Hargreaves, Scholes, Carrick, Eagles, Anderson, Nani, Giggs, Rooney, Tevez, Saha.
Key opponent:: Gary McSheffrey - goal threat -
Hmm i got a feeling Rooney will score, Rooney or a Midfielder.
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hmmm will be a good match to watch
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so late. sian.....
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But next day is SundayOriginally posted by imprezaWRXSTi22B:so late. sian..... No Work/Study. 
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fug i will be out!
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its ok, u can catch all the updates hereOriginally posted by Pitot:fug i will be out! -
Kick off in a few minutes!
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oh finally..
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Goal by Ronaldo
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wah, today here so quiet ar?
giggs wasn't really on form today sia.. -
Why the sudden long balls
Never really realized it. -
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2007/10/01/united-are-so-good-it-s-scary-89520-19874709/
Birmingham 0-1 Man Utd
By Martin Lipton Chief Football Writer 01/10/2007
Want to know why the whole of the Premier League should start getting scared?
It isn't just because Manchester United are second, two points behind Arsenal after five straight wins.
Nor is it because they have conceded only two goals in their eight games, their best defensive start to a season since the establishment of the Premier League back in 1992-93.
No, the reason everybody should be really worried is that they haven't played even half-decently yet - except in the one game they lost!
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As Cristiano Ronaldo picked Birmingham's pockets at St Andrews, leaving Steve Bruce heartbroken and poor Franck Queudrue rueing his moment of defensive aberration, the sheer efficiency of Sir Alex Ferguson's side was made clear.
United have scored just seven goals so far this season - only Derby, already doomed to an immediate return to the Championship, have notched fewer.
But those seven goals have netted 17 points, even though the strike partnership of Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez is still nowhere near fully-formed, even though Owen Hargreaves has played only three games, even though Gary Neville hasn't kicked a ball, and even though Nani and Anderson are still miles away from English football pace.
No wonder there is a mood of growing confidence in the United ranks.
Rio Ferdinand, whose shaky first half was followed by a far more convincing second period as United locked the door after Ronaldo's steely-eyed finish, summed up that feeling.
Ferdinand said: "Though we are near the top of the table, it is not too important at this stage of the season.
"But if after the Christmas and New Year period we are still up there, we can then start saying we are on the right track."
That was a comment right out of the Fergie mantra.
Blues boss Bruce, frustrated that all his side's first-half efforts were thwarted, bolstered the defender's view.
Bruce, who admitted he would pay to watch the "fantastic" Ronaldo, said: "With the array of talent they've got, you know it's only a matter of time before they start really playing well.
"Look at the top end of the pitch. Look at their movement, their ability. Rooney is coming back, Ronaldo is coming back - they're worldclass players.
"So it's only a matter of time. At the moment they're still getting the results even when they don't deserve them.
"They are so efficient at the moment. They are also rocksolid at the back.
"To win anything you need a decent defence. It's all right having fantastic players up the pitch, don't get me wrong, but you still have to have a sound base."
Ferguson conceded it was another three points stolen - like the wins over Tottenham and Everton.
Ironically, the only game in which they have really played the attacking football that is their hallmark came in the derby defeat at Manchester City.
While Tevez and Rooney are rare talents, they have not gelled yet. Even so, the United players feel it is only a matter of time.
Ronaldo, who marked his 100th league start with his 36th Premier League goal just after half-time as he made Queudrue pay for what Bruce term a "horrible mistake", said: "Both are fantastic players and I'm enjoying playing with them.
"Tevez is a new player and doing a fantastic job for us. Rooney has played all the time and everybody knows how he can play. They are both great players."
And Ferdinand agreed. "I am not leaving this club to go to any club to play against those two!" said the defender. "I play against them enough in training.
"Carlos got stronger as the game went on. He and Rooney are similar in that they work hard for the team.
"Carlos gets in the holes between their midfield and the defence and if he can keep doing that and slipping the ball through to Wayne, it will be a formidable pairing.
"If you add Louis Saha in there as well, I think we have got something really special if we can continue to keep everyone fit. They all offer different propositions."
The warning was unmissable. The message was clear: Be afraid. Be very afraid.
43% POSSESSION 57%
6 SHOTS ON TARGET 3
10 SHOTS OFF TARGET 7
4 OFFSIDES 5
4 CORNERS 4
14 FOULS 11
3 YELLOW CARDS 1
0 RED CARDS 0
ATTENDANCE: 26,256
Man Of The Match: Vidic
TEAMS AND RATINGS
Birmingham: Taylor 6, Kelly 6, Djourou 7 (Schmitz 76), Ridgewell 7, Queudrue 5, Larsson 7, Nafti 6 (O'Connor 85), Muamba 6 (Palacios 70, 5) McSheffrey 7, Kapo 6, Jerome 6.
Man Utd: Van der Sar 7 (Kuszczak 46, 7), Brown 7, Ferdinand 6, Vidic 8, Evra 7, Ronaldo 7, Carrick 6, Scholes 6, Giggs 5 (Saha 64, 5), Rooney 6, Tevez 6 (O'Shea 90).
Referee: STEVE BENNETT
Man Utd have won 65 corners this season, more than any other side