Blackburn v Man United Preview: Ryan Nelsen Sounds a Warning Note
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BLACKBURN ROVERS:
Ryan Nelsen wants Manchester United to win the Premier League, but the Blackburn skipper has warned Sir Alex Ferguson's wounded side not to expect any favours at Ewood Park.
Nelsen could return to the side for the visit of United after missing the last six league matches due to a knee injury.
And although the New Zealand international defender is a huge admirer of United, Nelsen is determined to add to United's misery following their Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich.
Blackburn are safely cushioned in mid-table but, with a home game against Arsenal on the penultimate weekend of the season, Sam Allardyce's side will have a big say where the title is heading.
"We can affect the final outcome of the Premier League title and that is really exciting when you can do that," said Nelsen.
"In all honesty I would like to see the Premier League stay up north. It is not like I am fan but I would like Manchester United to win it again just because of my northern allegiances. It is good for the area.
"Of course we won't do them any favours though. Our form at Ewood Park has been proven over the whole season though and that is partly due to the fantastic crowd behind us. Ewood has been a fortress for us and I'm sure United won't look forward to coming here."
Rovers manager Allardyce, who dented Chelsea's title charge last month, spent Thursday with United manager Ferguson at Aintree races.
Ferguson was offered some consolation from Wednesday night's European exit after his horse 'What A Friend' proved a winner, but Allardyce is determined not to hand his friend further cheer this weekend.
"Sunday is a very competitive local derby for us and all the lads are looking forward to the game," said Allardyce. "We did well against Chelsea a few weeks ago and we will be looking to do that again on Sunday."
Strategy: Beware the wounded animal. That will be Allardyce's message to his players before this game. But having enjoyed a decent season in front of their own fans, Blackburn will not be the opponents United had hoped for as they look to keep their title hopes alive. Nikola Kalinic has endured a stuttering start to his Ewood Park career, but this is the perfect stage for the Croatian forward to show he is worth every penny of the £6m Rovers shelled out for him last August.
Injury Update: Nelsen has been out since February with a knee injury but came through a midweek reserve game and could feature. Vince Grella also played in that game, but came off after a clash of knees. Keith Andrews (calf), Yildiray Basturk (hamstring) and Lars Jacobsen (groin) will undergo late fitness tests.
MANCHESTER UNITED:
Ferguson always insists he is confident that his players can bounce back from disappointment but the main frustration of the past week is that even a perfect finish to the campaign might not be enough.
Out of the Champions League and trailing Chelsea by two points, United can only win and hope.Victory at Ewood Park would take them a point above Carlo Ancelotti's side.
Ferguson will not accept that the title is Chelsea's to lose until he sees John Terry jumping up and down with the trophy but he has made little attempt to unsettle the Londoners in the way he has attempted to disrupt the likes of Newcastle, Blackburn and Arsenal in the past.
A record fourth straight title appears to be a distant dream now but Ferguson is confident his players can respond at Ewood Park. He said: "It's not the first time we've had to face losing a big game and having to do something about it. We've got five games left and they're five important games.
"Even if we win all of them it doesn't mean we can win the league, with the position Chelsea are in but they've got those games to play themselves and at this time of the season, things can happen.
"We've faced this situation many times over the years after the disappointment of Wednesday. It's part of the history of the club and we've been good at that.
"That's the thing the players need to be reminded of, they've done it in the past many times because they, as Manchester United players, always have to face the responsibility and expectation.
"They have a chance to win the league and so have Arsenal who are a point behind us but you'd rather be in Chelsea's position, two points in the lead with five games left. We hope that something can happen. Five wins would give us a good chance but I think Chelsea will be thinking the same thing and five wins gets them the title."
Strategy: With no Wayne Rooney once again, Ferguson will be wondering whether to go with Dimitar Berbatov as a lone striker. He has acknowledged that is his preferred system and, although he backed the Bulgarian, he also intimated that it does not suit the former Tottenham man.
If he does go with Berbatov, he will either have to play another forward, Federico Macheda or Mame Biram Diouf, or put a midfielder in position to get beyond the lone striker.
Blackburn have lost just twice at home all season and Ferguson knows exactly what to expect from the team of his old friend Allardyce, meaning that the likes of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand will be crucial.
He has also claimed that bringing back the experience of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville could be crucial at Ewood Park. "Blackburn are Blackburn," he said. "Sam's got the best out of his players and that's what good managers do.
"They're 11th in the league, their form has been good, some of their recent form has been very good. It's never easy going to Blackburn and it won't be on Sunday."
Injury Update: Rooney is absent with his ankle problem and Wes Brown is still out with a foot injury, while Michael Owen, Anderson and Danny Welbeck are long-term absentees.