Nigeria Content Online

Manchester
United on Saturday showed the stuff of champions – getting a positive
result when a negative looked more of a reality. Javier Hernandez’s
goal against West Brom was all that was needed for the Red Devils to
get an unlikely 2-1 victory at the Hawthorns. Alex Ferguson should not
make the mistake of playing Gary Neville against Stoke City’s Matthew
Etherington.

In the first
match-up at the Britannia Stadium in October, United won by the odd
goal but there were refereeing controversies in the match.

As Roberto Di
Matteo complained about the referee in Saturday’s loss to United so did
Stoke’s coach, Tony Pulis complain vehemently against referee Andre
Marriner in the loss to United in October. It had all seemed to be
heading for a 1-1 draw with Tuncay Sanli’s spectacular equaliser ten
minutes from time but Hernandez scored the winner with his head two
minutes from time.

Pulis’ complaint
was that Marriner decided not to show Neville a second yellow card for
two rash challenges on Etherington. He insisted the former England
international should have been sent off.

He said in October:
“Let me ask you this – if it was a Stoke City player playing at Old
Trafford and he’d committed two fouls like that, what do you think
would have happened? We just have to take it on the chin. We’ve played
nine games this season and four decisions have affected those games.

“Referees are going
to make good and bad decisions but when they’re making ones that affect
a game of football, and then it’s disappointing. We’re very
disappointed but if the shoe was on the other foot I think it would
have been different.”

The coach and his
players have to concentrate at Old Trafford as the table-toppers are
not in the mood to hand out belated Christmas presents. Stoke’s record
at Old Trafford is a miserable one with no win in 34 years. Though the
Potters have improved significantly this season, any good result from
Manchester will be seen as a bonus.

Ferguson agreed
that his team were lucky to get any result for the Hawthorns. “It is a
massive result for us today (Saturday), a lot of games you have to
battle and we had to do that today. As I said, of all the times we have
won leagues in the past we have had performances like this where they
have battled all the way.” And the Scotsman agreed that Neville was
lucky to escape a penalty and a red card.

“Gary was lucky to stay on. It was a penalty. At first I thought he had got a touch but when I saw it again, he was lucky.”

There are fitness
doubts concerning Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra and Darron Gibson. Rooney
got kicked on his left ankle by Chris Brunt on Saturday with Evra and
Gibson also needing treatment after the game but Nani might be
available after a hip complaint.

Osaze needs a goal against Fulham

West Brom have had
a dip in form, losing their last four consecutive matches, even though
the team has been playing well. West Brom have lost to Aston Villa,
Bolton, Blackburn and United in their last games.

Added to that
statistic is that their highest goal scorer this season, Osaze
Odemwingie has been fluffing his lines in front of goal. The height of
the misses was his scuffed penalty kick against Manchester United on
Saturday. Odemwingie is still stuck on six league goals, with his last
goals coming on December 5 against Newcastle United. But despite the
miss, Odemwingie has been given the thumbs-up by one of his team mates,
Chris Brunt.

“Peter scored the
penalty at West Ham and when he put the ball on the spot and we were
all pretty confident he would score. He’s going through one of those
spells at the moment when nothing seems to be going right for him in
front of goal.

“I’m sure that will turn as long as he keeps working at it. He’s done very well this season so we won’t hold that against him.”

The match-up of the
day should be between Fulham’s giant defender, Brede Hangeland and
Odemwingie. Hangeland has looked composed in the middle of the Fulham
defence and could be the subject of transfer enquiries from bigger
sides in the January transfer window.

He will need to be at his most alert to stop a hurting Odemwingie,
who will be determined to score and help his side to a first win since
December 5, 2010, thereby erasing the memories of that penalty miss.