Looking Forward to Saturday?

So who's looking forward to Saturday? Another trip up north and probably the Addicks hardest game all season, away to manure at the Music-Hall of Snores. As far as the Addicks formation goes, it'll probably end up as 1-9-1 with all hands to the pumps to try to avoid a walloping. Some people have even tried to suggest doing a manure and putting out the reserves to ensure nobody vital gets himself injured for the following more winnable games. But that's all nonsense, we'll need the strongest team on the pitch in every one of the remaining games, at least to try to keep the score down.

But wait a minute, what's this happening up there in Dream City? It seems that Fergie has his own problems. Relegated to 4th biggest club in the world behind Madrid, Barca and Juve according to deloittes and the players are going him problems as well. Edwin van der Sar has apparently breaken his nose at White Hot Lane over the weekend and will be missing. Rooney is currently suffering with a bad back doing too much shopping and is out of the England squad against Spain last night and hopefully missing on Saturday as well. And little Ronnie, on his way to Salford Pools to practice his diving techniques, has been caught speeding and given a fine of a nice round Grand for doing 60 instead of 40. He enjoyed his 22nd birthday this week but after being given the Portuguese captain's armband in the friendly against Brazil, didn't impress manager Solari too much and was withdrawn after an hour. Maybe Fergie was on the phone asking him to be kept fresh for Saturday.

The visit of the Addicks will be undermost in Fergies mind and is obviously going to cause him a few sleepless nights as he decides whether or not to take us seriously. As they try for their ninth successive home win, he'll have a few issues with trying to convince his players not to be too casual as it would appear as certain a Home Banker as Mike Tyson up against Tiny Tim. In the game of football, to Giggs and Co it'll only a question of how many.

But Pards has other ideas and will have watched them last weekend and is keenly plotting a Double over them after winning at 1-0 Upton Park as recently as, well, last December in fact. The Hammers won the foul count that day 25 to 10 which goes some way to showing how he may be approaching this coming game.

They'll be no place for anyone just off the injury table and we would have probably seen the same 11 for the 4th game running if it wasn't for the fact that I'm sure I read somewhere that the Elk got a yellow card against Chelski and will therefore be missing. Maybe time for a Diawara start, then. Meanwhile, Thatcher will be covering little Ronnie and making sure he doesn't fall over too needlessly and on the other flank Sankofa against Giggs will be interesting - maybe we should stick Kish in there as well, just to be on the safe side.

One thing for sure is that the players will be looking forward to the game. Something to tell the grandchildren in years to come. 75,000 people from all over the country booing your every touch and standing up every time you lose the ball. But watching last nights England game can only have lifted their spirits, as it's obvious that away teams can win at Old Trafford especially when Carrick is playing. All we need is a lotta luck and a screamer from Holland. Dream on.....