Will Manchester United beat Tottenham on Saturday?

Yes

By Gary Boswell

He chews them up and he spits them out! David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo and now Wayne Rooney. Except that Wayne is staying and if you bought all that media gumpf last week as an indication of Manchester United as a club in turmoil then more fool you.

We only get the bits they want to feed us and I personally remain solidly in the Sir Alex is boss camp. He sends them out this weekend and they do a job on Stoke that highlights the newest young thing on the block, Javier Hernandez. Business back to normal with the trademark late winner just as it looked like Stoke had nicked a point. Vintage United and very much orchestrated from the bench as far as I could see. All the signs are that Hernandez will ultimately be doing the Ferguson bidding in the months and years to come. If he’d wanted Rooney out (and he may well still do for Ferguson is canny business manager aswell as proven football boss), you wouldn’t have seen the boy for dust in my view. Much more likely that Sir Alex is trying various methods to get some form recovery. Get Rooney focussing back on his football.

I thought Edwin Van der Sar’s ‘Robert Green’ against Albion was more worrying. If that happens again you might start considering laying the odds at Old Trafford as a regular feature. Although I’ve thought about it after missing out when my Baggy boys visited, I don’t seriously expect that as the start of a trend.

Unlike Liverpool, I do not consider Manchester United’s slightly indifferent early season form to shape their season. Ferguson tinkers before Xmas every year before solidifying his mettle at the business end. No different this year. There are changes to his preferred starting eleven as always. New and younger players breaking through is his forte and there’s no shortage this year. He gives them time to bed down without it costing too much. I’d say it is working again. The young line up against Bursaspor weren’t spectacular but they won as they should. That is the Ferguson way.

You’ll see the big guns out against Spurs. They are going to have to take Gareth Bale very seriously after what he has been doing but Spurs’ defence is still highly broachable. A current form dip to boot with the points dropped at home to Everton.
For all their supposed troubles, United have scored eleven in four home league games and there is no question in my mind that they have the potency to undo the Spurs defence. Nemanja Vidic and Van der Sar do their job at the back (and granted that is more the issue with United having conceded an unexpected twelve in nine so far), the win is still there for the taking.

I expect a good game. Harry Redknapp will have no fears coming into this climate and he has got Spurs believing in their ability to score goals. The [6.2] win price is a degree of value if you think United are vulnerable but personally I don’t. I’m strongly predicting a home win. Nani, Dimitar Berbatov, Darren Fletcher – nevermind Hernandez - are good enough for me with or without Rooney now.

[1.66] is giving nothing away and I don’t consider this one of my value calls but I’ll take it nevertheless. A winner is a winner and I expect United to be that.