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What United must do the Champions
League final is in the future but there is a present challenge which is
blue, in the form of Chelsea.

What does Alex Ferguson need to do?

Between being
cautious and going gung-ho? They lead the table with three points and a
point from today’s match will not be a disaster – so playing on the
counter with the pace of Wayne Rooney, Nani and Javier Hernandez, could
be the preferred option.

In the champions
league win over Chelsea, United showed a patient side and the ability
of Ryan Giggs to play the killer pass was key to the two-legged win,
even though the two sides mirrored a 4-4-2 formation.

So today, Rooney
will have to drop into the hole but he must be supported there by Giggs
– a feature that was missing in the 1-0 loss to Arsenal last Sunday.
Rooney was too isolated and was suffocated by the attentions of Alex
Song and Aaron Ramsey. Michael Carrick must get back to the groove he
showed against Chelsea in the Champions League clashes.

What Chelsea must not do

Chelsea must go
into today’s match with the notion that there is nothing to lose, and
that trophies are not won by second-place finishers. Chelsea have
reverted to their tried and trusted 4-3-3 formation and have scored 11
goals in their last four matches. Against Tottenham, Carlo Ancelotti
tried to pair Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres but the experiment did
not work out too well. So expect Drogba to start with Salomon Kalou and
Florent Malouda. Ramires should also start with Frank Lampard and Mikel
Obi.

As it showed
against Arsenal, United do not like players running at them like Jack
Wilshire did, so Ramires, though not as skilful as Wilshire, can still
commit the midfielders and defenders to track back. Branislav Ivanovic
will take up his battle against Nani and Ashley Cole could also
bejoined in battle with Antonio Valencia. Chelsea have momentum but
United have proven over the years that they do not accept defeat until
the final whistle.

Flashback

In the 1995/96
league title run-in, Newcastle manager, Kevin Keegan had a public
break-down; live on television after being needled by the ‘master’ in
psychological warfare, Alex Ferguson.

Keegan, while
responding to questions after a match against Leeds, lost his cool over
Ferguson’s claim that teams tried harder to beat Man Utd than Newcastle.

“I’ve kept really quiet, but I’ll tell you something: he went down in my estimation when he said that,’ Keegan said.

He continued, “I’ll
tell ya – you can tell him now, he’ll be watching – we’re still
fighting for this title. And I’ll tell you honestly, I will love it if
we beat them – love it!”

Newcastle ended up
second after United had clawed back a 12-point deficit with the
pressure of mind games with United manager Alex Ferguson appeared to
have taken its toll on Keegan. Newcastle were thus denied a first title
since 1927. Man Utd led the table by two points with one game left, and
beat Tottenham 3-0 to claim the trophy.

Quotes

“If you don’t
recognise who won the league the year before, you’re very foolish. It
is not easy winning the league, even if it was only by a point. They
still won the league and they’re a very experienced, formidable side
and anybody who finishes above Chelsea will win the league.” – Alex
Ferguson predicted in November that the season would come down to a
fight between his side and the Stamford Bridge outfit

“Obviously, it
gives Chelsea a major chance now and that’s what happens. They got
great decisions for them. We never seem to get these kinds of
decisions. They seem to be getting them. They got one to win the league
at Old Trafford last season so that’s a worry.” – Alex Ferguson started
his mind games on Sunday immediately his side lost 1-0 to Arsenal as he
accused referees of favouring Chelsea

“You need to use
character and personality to play this match. Both teams have that, but
it is the momentum. It is the best moment to play there because now our
condition is good and the momentum is also. But obviously it will not
be easy to play there. I don’t think we are better [than United]. I
think we have the same power, the same strength, and the same ability.”
– Carlo Ancelotti after the 2-1 win over Tottenham last Saturday

“We know if we want
to win the game we have to play with confidence. The results against
them in the Champions League were very good. I think that gives us the
psychological advantage. We just have to concentrate on our football
and winning the game. If we do that then everything will be fine. If we
win this one then it is a great advantage for us. It is nearly over
then. We have a great chance.” – Nani saying United hold a
psychological edge over Chelsea in today’s encounter

The referee – Howard Webb

When the name of
the referee for the Man Utd versus Chelsea match was revealed on
Monday, United fans gave a collective sigh of relief whilst Chelsea
fans started fearing the worst.

Ken Ochonogor, a sports presenter and an avid United fan put the appointment succinctly.

“When we played
Chelsea, they brought Atkinson, who is a Chelsea fan so the Premier
League had to balance it by giving us ‘our’ referee. Now we are sure
that the league will be won at Old Trafford on Sunday.”

And Webb’s alleged
bias for United started back in the 2008/2009 season. A match between
Tottenham Hotspurs and United in April 2009 was the day this legend was
born.

United were 2-0
down to Tottenham at half-time with the title race also balanced
precariously when Webb awarded Michael Carrick a more than dubious
penalty after he lost the ball and fell over Tottenham goalkeeper,
Heurelho Gomes in the box in the 56th minute.

Cristiano Ronaldo
scored and United, mounted a famous comeback. United finally won 5-2
but there is the likelihood that the comeback would have been
impossible if Carrick had not been awarded that penalty.

Spurs midfielder
Jermaine Jenas said afterwards: “I think it was a case of a referee
crumbling under the pressure at Old Trafford really than making
decisions.

“One thing which
struck me about it was that he didn’t even think. It was like he’d
already made his mind up when he came out for the second half that he
was going to give something.”

Webb was demoted to the Championship the following week as punishment for the mistake but United still went on to win the title.

Liverpool were also
left fuming in January when Webb awarded an early penalty to Dimitar
Berbatov to give United the lead, a decision that was classified as a
‘joke’ by Liverpool manager, Kenny Dalglish. To rub salt into an open
wound, Webb then sent off Steven Gerrard for a two-footed lunge on
Michael Carrick, though it must be said that it was the right decision.

Afterwards it
became a Twitter rant as former Liverpool player, Ryan Babel, posted a
mocked-up picture of Webb in a United shirt and the Football
Association promptly handed down a £10,000 fine for the Dutch player.

Also to help the myth grow, Webb has awarded United three penalties in the last four games he has officiated at Old Trafford.

But there in comes
the fear that Webb will try too much on Sunday to be seen as fair,
thereby hampering his ability to give key decisions the way of United.

It is hoped for
Webb’s case and other referees that today’s match will pass without any
incident and that United and Chelsea do not crowd the referee when
there are contentious issues to be addressed.

Managers’ head to head

Juventus 2 Man Utd 3; agg 3-4; (Champions League semi-final, second leg, April 1999)

AC Milan 3 Man Utd 0; agg: 5-3; (Champions League semi-final, second leg, May 2007)

Man Utd 2 Chelsea 2 (Chelsea won 4-1 on penalties); (FA Community Shield, August 2009)

Chelsea 1 Man Utd 0 – (Premier League, November 2009)

Man Utd 2, Chelsea 1 (agg 3-1); (Champions League quarter-final, second leg, April 2011) </