The common consensus is that if Cardiff wallop us today, that will be curtains for our manager, while a narrow defeat or draw would give him more time. As I have said before, it’s D-Day. Either the owners get rid now or make the decision to stick by him come what may.
We have a reasonable record against Cardiff. We have beaten them twice this season already if my memory serves me correctly. But they are a team on the up. Their victory over Newcastle shows how much they were keen to impress their new manager, and they will certainly be up for this game. It is rumoured that Solskjaer will start with Craig Bellamy and you just know what that means – a former player coming back to haunt us. Let’s hope that our ‘stellar’ new signing Roger Johnson can do the same with Cardiff, that is if he isn’t too busy backing off and running towards his own goal for most of the game… such a cynic.
My colleague EXHUemployee has tweeted that he has heard Adrian will play in goal today. I hope he is wrong. He just doesn’t do it for me. He makes the defence nervous, and for all that he made some good saves at Manchester City in every game he has played in in the lat couple of months has been at fault for at least one of the goals we have let in.
It seems as though we can look forward to the return of James Tomkins, which means George McCartney can return to his usual left back role in place of the injured Joey O’Brien – so that’s the defence. I hope Carlton Cole plays up front instead of the about to depart and usually hapless Maiga. Just when you thought Maiga might be running into a bit of form he put in his usual awful showing in the last two games, although he wasn’t alone in that. We’re also due a performance from Joe Cole who has been very ordinary to say the least recently.
The other niggle that I have is Andy Carroll. He is set to play some part in this game, although it is clear he is far away from being fit. There is a school of though that the only way some players can ever get fit is to play in real games. However, if Sam’s calculated risk doesn’t come off, will he ever be forgiven? I just hope Andy Carroll himself considers himself ready to return.
I don’t have a good feeling about this game, but then again I rarely do nowadays.
TEAM: Adrian, Demel, Rat, Tomkins, Johnson, Noble ©, Collison, Taylor, Downing, Jarvis, C.Cole
Subs: Jaaskelainen, McCartney, Diarra, Diame, J.Cole, Maiga, Carroll
No Morrison. Make of that what you will.