Post by gw on Oct 28, 2006 11:06:28 GMT -1
Reebok Stadium
Saturday, 28 October
Kick-off: 1500 BST
Coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on MOTD
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Bolton defender Quinton Fortune is unlikely to face his former club after picking up a calf injury in training.
Kevin Nolan is suspended and Abdoulaye Faye (concussion), Nicolas Anelka (knee) and El-Hadji Diouf (ankle) are all rated as doubtful.
Ronaldo could return for Manchester United after recovering from the flu virus that kept him out last week.
Boss Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to change his entire team from the side that beat Crewe in the Carling Cup.
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Bolton (from): Jaaskelainen, Hunt, Faye, Meite, Ben Haim, Giannakopoulos, Campo, Speed, Tal, Davies, Diouf, Anelka, Walker, Pedersen, Vaz Te, Fojut, Smith, Al Habsi.
Manchester United: Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Neville, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea, Silvestre, Evra, Heinz, Fletcher, Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Richardson, Saha, Rooney, Smith, Solskjaer.
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Bolton boss Sam Allardyce:
"We have to cope with what United will throw at us.
"We've just beaten Liverpool and if we could go to Old Trafford and win as well in such a short space of time it ould be something of a miracle for us.
"It's such a big game for us that the players will drive themselves to their very limits to try and upset one of the big boys again.
"But we are proud of our defensive record and will use that as catalyst to try and maintain it."
Manchester United captain Gary Neville:
"We started off so badly last season, and the season before, that we did not even give ourselves a chance.
"We've gone on fantastic runs from maybe November through to March in the last two seasons, going unbeaten for 20 games, but still could not catch Chelsea because they've been 12 points in front of us.
"This season we are determined not to get so far behind. We have to perform week in, week out."
BIG-MATCH FACTS
BOLTON WANDERERS against Manchester United is a top three showdown pitting the Premiership's tightest defence against the leading scorers. Victory for the hosts would see them leapfrogging the table toppers, who needed extra time to avoid the potentially embarrassing lottery of a penalty shoot-out against League One Crewe in the Carling Cup midweek.
Wanderers, who themselves were knocked out of the League Cup by Charlton on Wednesday, are experiencing their best ever start to a Premiership season - chasing a fifth successive League victory in Sam Allardyce's 200th Premiership match in charge.
Although the Trotters have beaten Manchester United twice in the Premiership at Old Trafford, they've never defeated them at home in this League. They've not enjoyed a home League victory over the Red Devils since a 3-0 triumph on 22 December 1978. A brace from Frank Worthington and an Alan Gowling goal decided the issue 28 years ago.
MANCHESTER UNITED are chasing their eighth victory in 10 Premiership outings, and fourth on the bounce. Like Bolton, two of their last three victims have included Newcastle and Liverpool.
United have dropped only five of the last 30 points away from home, winning eight of the last 10 on their Premiership travels. Sir Alex Ferguson's side boast an unequalled 10 different scorers of top flight goals this term.
The Red Devils 'doubled' Bolton last season and have won their last three Premiership meetings.
REFEREE
Rob Styles (Waterlooville, Hampshire)
Premiership referees' table
Rob Styles's 2006-07 Premiership card count
SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM
BOLTON WANDERERS
Club stats
Fixtures
3rd 20 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 1st
Lowest could fall: 4th
1, Last registered five successive Premiership victories between 4 January and 5 February 2005.
2. Bolton's previous best Premiership points tally after the first 10 outings was 18 in the season before last, but they already have 20 points in the bag.
3. Just two points inferior to Manchester United, despite scoring nine fewer goals. Bagged 16 points from the last 18 available, as opposed to United's 13 points out of 18.
4. Unbeaten in six League matches. Won five and drawn one since the 2-0 loss at Charlton on 26 August - their only League defeat this season.
5. Conceded only four goals in nine top flight games this term. Arsenal have also shipped just four goals, but from eight matches.
6. Kept clean sheets in six of their nine Premiership encounters (as have Portsmouth), and yet to concede a single League goal on home turf (as have Manchester City). Conceded on average one goal every 203 minutes (three hours 23 minutes) of Premiership football played this season.
7. Top tier games involving Bolton have generated fewer goals than any other club - 14 (10 for, four against).
8. Picked up 10 points from 12 at home in this campaign, and undefeated in seven League games at the Reebok.
9. Fielded fewer players in Premiership matches this season than any other club (17), and had more spot kicks awarded against them in top flight games than any other club, with the exception of Blackburn - both have conceded five.
10. Won 70 of 199 Premier League matches under Sam Allardyce.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Club stats
Fixtures
1st 22 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: Top, three points clear
Lowest could fall: 3rd
1. Top of the table on a goal difference of +4, but could relinguish top spot before this game kicks off, with Chelsea away to Sheffield United in the Saturday lunchtime fixture.
2. Bidding to record four Premiership victories on the spin for the second time this season.
3. Boasting the strongest attack in the highest League with 19 goals scored in nine games, that's one every 43 minutes played on average.
4. The only points dropped this term were from a 0-1 home defeat by Arsenal on 17 September, and a 1-1 draw, away to Reading on 23 September.
5. When United next finish level, it will be the 1,000th draw in their League history.
6. On the longest current run of 11 Premiership matches since conceding more than a single goal in a game (3-0, away to Chelsea on 29 April).
7. Holding a 100% record this season when opening the scoring in a Premier League clash (won six of six).
8. Holding a 100% record when keeping a Premiership clean sheet (won four of four).
9. One of two remaining clubs still unbeaten away from home in the highest echelon, with Aston Villa. Picked up 10 points from the possible 12 on the road. Kept one clean sheet in 12 away from home (at Charlton, 23 August), and failed to score in one of 12 (at Chelsea, 29 April).
10. This match precedes a trip to Denmark to face FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Wednesday.
KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES
BOLTON WANDERERS
Squad profiles
Ivan CAMPO is Bolton's leading scorer with four goals.
Only Abdoulaye MEITE has played every minute of every one of Bolton's League and Cup matches this season.
If he participates, Gary SPEED will be making an unparalleled 493rd Premier League appearance.
If he plays, Quinton FORTUNE will be facing his former club.
If he lines up for the opening whistle, El-Hadji DIOUF will be making his 50th Premiership start in a Bolton shirt.
When he next keeps goal from the outset, Ian WALKER will be making his 400th career League start (Spurs, Oxford, Leicester and Bolton).
Suspended: Kevin NOLAN
MANCHESTER UNITED
Squad profiles
Louis SAHA and Ole Gunnar SOLSKJAER are United's joint leading scorers with six goals each.
Wayne ROONEY will be keen to award himself a late birthday present of a first goal for Manchester United since the opening day of the season, four days after turning 21.
Rio FERDINAND is the only player to have been on the field for every minute of every one of United's Premiership matches this season.
Paul SCHOLES has scored seven goals, Ryan GIGGS four and SOLSKJAER four in Premiership matches against Bolton.
Alan SMITH will be 26 on match day.
If he participates, Edwin VAN DER SAR will be playing on the eve of his 36th birthday.
If he takes the field, John O'SHEA will be making his 150th League appearance (Bournemouth and Manchester United).
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
Bolton Wanderers 1-2 Manchester United
1 April 2006 - Ref: Alan Wiley
Bolton scorer: Davies 26
Man United scorers: Saha 33, van Nistelrooy 79
Sent Off:
HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
Home and away
League: Bolton 40 wins, Man United 42, Draws 24
Prem: Bolton 2 wins, Man United 8, Draws 4
at Bolton only
League: Bolton 24 wins, Man United 15, Draws 14
Prem: Bolton 0 wins, Man United 4, Draws 3
Saturday, 28 October
Kick-off: 1500 BST
Coverage on the BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on MOTD
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bolton defender Quinton Fortune is unlikely to face his former club after picking up a calf injury in training.
Kevin Nolan is suspended and Abdoulaye Faye (concussion), Nicolas Anelka (knee) and El-Hadji Diouf (ankle) are all rated as doubtful.
Ronaldo could return for Manchester United after recovering from the flu virus that kept him out last week.
Boss Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to change his entire team from the side that beat Crewe in the Carling Cup.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bolton (from): Jaaskelainen, Hunt, Faye, Meite, Ben Haim, Giannakopoulos, Campo, Speed, Tal, Davies, Diouf, Anelka, Walker, Pedersen, Vaz Te, Fojut, Smith, Al Habsi.
Manchester United: Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Neville, Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea, Silvestre, Evra, Heinz, Fletcher, Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Richardson, Saha, Rooney, Smith, Solskjaer.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bolton boss Sam Allardyce:
"We have to cope with what United will throw at us.
"We've just beaten Liverpool and if we could go to Old Trafford and win as well in such a short space of time it ould be something of a miracle for us.
"It's such a big game for us that the players will drive themselves to their very limits to try and upset one of the big boys again.
"But we are proud of our defensive record and will use that as catalyst to try and maintain it."
Manchester United captain Gary Neville:
"We started off so badly last season, and the season before, that we did not even give ourselves a chance.
"We've gone on fantastic runs from maybe November through to March in the last two seasons, going unbeaten for 20 games, but still could not catch Chelsea because they've been 12 points in front of us.
"This season we are determined not to get so far behind. We have to perform week in, week out."
BIG-MATCH FACTS
BOLTON WANDERERS against Manchester United is a top three showdown pitting the Premiership's tightest defence against the leading scorers. Victory for the hosts would see them leapfrogging the table toppers, who needed extra time to avoid the potentially embarrassing lottery of a penalty shoot-out against League One Crewe in the Carling Cup midweek.
Wanderers, who themselves were knocked out of the League Cup by Charlton on Wednesday, are experiencing their best ever start to a Premiership season - chasing a fifth successive League victory in Sam Allardyce's 200th Premiership match in charge.
Although the Trotters have beaten Manchester United twice in the Premiership at Old Trafford, they've never defeated them at home in this League. They've not enjoyed a home League victory over the Red Devils since a 3-0 triumph on 22 December 1978. A brace from Frank Worthington and an Alan Gowling goal decided the issue 28 years ago.
MANCHESTER UNITED are chasing their eighth victory in 10 Premiership outings, and fourth on the bounce. Like Bolton, two of their last three victims have included Newcastle and Liverpool.
United have dropped only five of the last 30 points away from home, winning eight of the last 10 on their Premiership travels. Sir Alex Ferguson's side boast an unequalled 10 different scorers of top flight goals this term.
The Red Devils 'doubled' Bolton last season and have won their last three Premiership meetings.
REFEREE
Rob Styles (Waterlooville, Hampshire)
Premiership referees' table
Rob Styles's 2006-07 Premiership card count
SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM
BOLTON WANDERERS
Club stats
Fixtures
3rd 20 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: 1st
Lowest could fall: 4th
1, Last registered five successive Premiership victories between 4 January and 5 February 2005.
2. Bolton's previous best Premiership points tally after the first 10 outings was 18 in the season before last, but they already have 20 points in the bag.
3. Just two points inferior to Manchester United, despite scoring nine fewer goals. Bagged 16 points from the last 18 available, as opposed to United's 13 points out of 18.
4. Unbeaten in six League matches. Won five and drawn one since the 2-0 loss at Charlton on 26 August - their only League defeat this season.
5. Conceded only four goals in nine top flight games this term. Arsenal have also shipped just four goals, but from eight matches.
6. Kept clean sheets in six of their nine Premiership encounters (as have Portsmouth), and yet to concede a single League goal on home turf (as have Manchester City). Conceded on average one goal every 203 minutes (three hours 23 minutes) of Premiership football played this season.
7. Top tier games involving Bolton have generated fewer goals than any other club - 14 (10 for, four against).
8. Picked up 10 points from 12 at home in this campaign, and undefeated in seven League games at the Reebok.
9. Fielded fewer players in Premiership matches this season than any other club (17), and had more spot kicks awarded against them in top flight games than any other club, with the exception of Blackburn - both have conceded five.
10. Won 70 of 199 Premier League matches under Sam Allardyce.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Club stats
Fixtures
1st 22 points
Highest achievable after Saturday's matches: Top, three points clear
Lowest could fall: 3rd
1. Top of the table on a goal difference of +4, but could relinguish top spot before this game kicks off, with Chelsea away to Sheffield United in the Saturday lunchtime fixture.
2. Bidding to record four Premiership victories on the spin for the second time this season.
3. Boasting the strongest attack in the highest League with 19 goals scored in nine games, that's one every 43 minutes played on average.
4. The only points dropped this term were from a 0-1 home defeat by Arsenal on 17 September, and a 1-1 draw, away to Reading on 23 September.
5. When United next finish level, it will be the 1,000th draw in their League history.
6. On the longest current run of 11 Premiership matches since conceding more than a single goal in a game (3-0, away to Chelsea on 29 April).
7. Holding a 100% record this season when opening the scoring in a Premier League clash (won six of six).
8. Holding a 100% record when keeping a Premiership clean sheet (won four of four).
9. One of two remaining clubs still unbeaten away from home in the highest echelon, with Aston Villa. Picked up 10 points from the possible 12 on the road. Kept one clean sheet in 12 away from home (at Charlton, 23 August), and failed to score in one of 12 (at Chelsea, 29 April).
10. This match precedes a trip to Denmark to face FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Wednesday.
KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES
BOLTON WANDERERS
Squad profiles
Ivan CAMPO is Bolton's leading scorer with four goals.
Only Abdoulaye MEITE has played every minute of every one of Bolton's League and Cup matches this season.
If he participates, Gary SPEED will be making an unparalleled 493rd Premier League appearance.
If he plays, Quinton FORTUNE will be facing his former club.
If he lines up for the opening whistle, El-Hadji DIOUF will be making his 50th Premiership start in a Bolton shirt.
When he next keeps goal from the outset, Ian WALKER will be making his 400th career League start (Spurs, Oxford, Leicester and Bolton).
Suspended: Kevin NOLAN
MANCHESTER UNITED
Squad profiles
Louis SAHA and Ole Gunnar SOLSKJAER are United's joint leading scorers with six goals each.
Wayne ROONEY will be keen to award himself a late birthday present of a first goal for Manchester United since the opening day of the season, four days after turning 21.
Rio FERDINAND is the only player to have been on the field for every minute of every one of United's Premiership matches this season.
Paul SCHOLES has scored seven goals, Ryan GIGGS four and SOLSKJAER four in Premiership matches against Bolton.
Alan SMITH will be 26 on match day.
If he participates, Edwin VAN DER SAR will be playing on the eve of his 36th birthday.
If he takes the field, John O'SHEA will be making his 150th League appearance (Bournemouth and Manchester United).
LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
Bolton Wanderers 1-2 Manchester United
1 April 2006 - Ref: Alan Wiley
Bolton scorer: Davies 26
Man United scorers: Saha 33, van Nistelrooy 79
Sent Off:
HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
Home and away
League: Bolton 40 wins, Man United 42, Draws 24
Prem: Bolton 2 wins, Man United 8, Draws 4
at Bolton only
League: Bolton 24 wins, Man United 15, Draws 14
Prem: Bolton 0 wins, Man United 4, Draws 3
