BUILD UP: Sunderland (h) - give the kids a chance!

Will the second return of the season by a United legend who owes everything to Ferguson be as eventful as the first? Quite simply: no. However, I feel that today – and games such as Sunderland at home - will test our ability and power at the front. We are without Owen, obviously a blow (yet according to the big man yesterday, he “certainly won’t be out for three weeks”), however again this should be a welcome chance for us to utilise our other, less favoured/just as talented resources.

I do hope he gives Macheda and/or Wellbeck a go today. The reality is that with a forward line worth £60 million, you’re obviously going to want to use and abuse this extortionate amount of talent week-in-week-out, however the youngsters and players with something to prove (the crocked Owen happily slotting into this section) of course need games; so what better than lining them up in front a potential whipping side? I understand this is ridiculously harsh on Sunderland, who find themselves 8^th (a position they’d surely love to occupy until May) and a respectable 12 points from 7 games. So this could no doubt prove to be a toughie, yet an ideal game to identify important signs of ability and distinguish between the capable and incompetent.

So, if you’re reading Mr.Ferguson – which, of course you are…big fan is Sir Alex – give the boys a chance. Bring Evans back into the fold alongside Vidic or Rio (give at least one of them a break after the shitty couple of weeks they’ve had); let Gibbo take his place alongside Carrick in the heart; and please oh please give the array of gifted under 21 striking options more than 10 minutes on the pitch.

The Sunderland defence, just as teams like Stoke proved last week, certainly know a thing or two about sitting back and ‘parking it’ when it comes to playing against us; their sole objective being to earn a point so that the papers can claim ‘SHOCK OF THE SEASON!’ and they can pat themselves on the back over the ‘incredibly resilient defensive display’ they put up. Let us see what our youngsters can do in situations like this and how they can overcome such ‘resilient’ defending, with Wellbeck’s pace and Macheda’s touch, they would surely bring something new into the mix and complement the up-front establishment…but we’ll see.

Prediction: 2-0

I cant see them scoring, and as I’ve said, they’ll make it hard for us to score – even though without our 30 goals + player we see to do that ourselves these days without any help! I think we can manage a couple though, and how I would love them to involve an unconventional, youthful element...