Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
Stoke’s Geoff Cameron is still out with a hamstring injury, while Peter Crouch is not fit despite returning to training following a similar injury.
Marc Muniesa and Stephen Ireland are long-term absentees, but Ireland could return in the new year.
Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger serves the final game of a ban.
Matteo Darmian is still recovering from a hamstring injury but is likely to be fit to face Chelsea on 28 December.
Editor’s Note: The pressure is on Louis Van Gaal this Lunchtime as his stuttering Manchester United side travel to Stoke looking for a first league win in 5 matches.
The Dutchman is certainly feeling the heat at the moment and currently in a perfect storm of lousy run of form, knocked out of European action and Jose Mourinho potentially waiting in the wings
It hasn’t also helped Van Gaal’s case that they now find themselves in 5th place in the table after defeat at home to Norwich last weekend and he knows this slide must be arrested not just soon but today otherwise he could be shown the exit door by the Manchester United hierachy.
Defeats to Bournemouth and Norwich just simply isn’t good enough for a team of United’s stature and the fans have certainly let Managers and Players alike know that this is the case, will goal shy United spare Van Gaal’s blushes today
They visit a Stoke side who will be looking to claim another Manchester scalp after comfortably beating City 3 weeks ago. They currently sit 11th and Mark Hughes will be relatively happy with their current league position but will no doubt be looking to move into the top half of the table and that could very well happen at least for a couple of hours if they were to heap more misery on United
It would be even more sweeter for Mark Hughes especially with his own Manchester United history and I bet even he doesn’t like to see this footballing giant in the slumber that it’s in now
Last time out Stoke lost at home to a late Crystal Palace stunner after seemingly thinking they had secured a share of the points with a late equaliser but unfortunately them it wasn’t to be and they came away from The Britannia empty handed.
Unfortunately for Stoke I think it’s going to be the same for them today as United will win and ease the mounting pressure on Louis Van Gaal. An away win for me but if it doesn’t happen keep an eye out for a Portuguese vulture circling overhead at Old Trafford
