Manchester United host Stoke City tomorrow night in what is their first of many December fixtures. The Red Devils have won their previous two Premier League games and after a brilliant performance against Hull on Saturday, they will hope to record their 3rd consecutive victory. Here are 5 things to look out for:
1. Bojan Krkic
The Spaniard signed for Stoke in the summer from Barcelona and produced an excellent performance against Liverpool on Saturday. The 24-year-old will have to be closely watched by an underconfident United defence, as he can be a serious attacking threat. On Saturday, Bojan was described as “the best player on the pitch” by Stoke manager Mark Hughes and the winger’s best moment of the game was when he cut into the box and struck the post after a darting run. This is exactly what the United defenders will have to be wary of tomorrow night.
2. Confidence
United have finally found some confidence whilst on the pitch, which hasn’t happened in a while. Louis van Gaal’s squad are finally starting to gel, and it’s starting to reflect on the pitch and in the league table. The performance against Hull is what we were used to seeing under Sir Alex Ferguson and the Reds will hope to replicate this at Old Trafford tomorrow. Hopefully for United fans, this new and improved style of play will continue throughout the season.
3. Radamel Falcao’s return
The eagerly anticipated return of Colombian frontman Radamel Falcao may finally come to its conclusion tomorrow night, as the striker played the closing stages of the game on Saturday. The 28-year-old is yet to settle into his new home of Old Trafford, but he will hope to prevent any more criticism with a good performance tomorrow night. Most fans wish that the striker will start the game as he is yet to prove his ‘superstar’ status.
4. Ander Herrera and Michael Carrick
The two midfielders performed excellently on Saturday and are welcomed back into the starting XI. The Spaniard picked up the man-of-the-match award, and provided the assist for Robin van Persie’s wonder-strike. Carrick also played a killer pass to the Dutchman, but his diving header was expertly saved by McGregor and also ruled offside. Nevertheless, they created a tempo to the play and controlled the midfield. They were the main reason for United’s possession-based dominance, which totalled at 77% by the end of the game. This could be a newfound pairing, and with the addition of Daley Blind, could be the solution to United’s lack of solidarity in the middle of the pitch.
5. United’s old-school spirit will continue to be demonstrated
The performance against Arsenal was something of a miracle, as the Reds left the Emirates with 3 points after Arsenal having the upper hand for the majority of the game. Their counter-attacking play was near flawless, and their clinical finishing twinned with their ‘never say die’ attitude granted them the victory. On Saturday the Reds showed how to dispatch a weaker opposition with ease and flair. It’s safe to say that United are cruising towards their very best once again.
