Weekend Outlook (04 Jan 2009)

Southampton vs Manchester United

"...Expect more 1-0 victories as we try to pull off wins while conserving leg freshness...."

- JayWalk, 04 Jan 2009

A happy 2009 to one and all as I return from my month-long break from writing previews.

It's the start of an extremely crazy month for us as we are loaded with a hectic schedule of 7 games this month.

Expect more 1-0 victories as we try to pull off wins while conserving leg freshness. Something that Fergie has already started for the past 3 games.

Looking at the last match against Middlesbrough, Ronaldo was pretty out of sorts and we were lucky to have Bubba bailed us out like Tevez did in the match before that.

It was a one-sided match with 34 shots attempted vs 9 and 8 on-goal versus none. Pretty quiet day for the goalie who didn't need to make a single save. Even with 62% possession, we only managed a solitary goal, under any normal day would have been worrying but as this coming month is a marathon month, we just have to make do. Good thing we are on break from the ECL until February. Even with the deepest of squad strength, we would have been stretched so thin that we undermine ourselves at every tournament.

Looking ahead, I am not sure if we are going 100% for this game and under normal circumstances, we would have thrown the League Cup match instead. But given that we are so close to the finals and are hot favourites to lift the League Cup trophy, perhaps this FA Cup game would be the sacrificial lamb instead.

Let us not forget, we have the big game against Chelsea next weekend.

JayWalk The Talk: Tevez is on home leave this weekend and Evra and Ferdinand are out injured.

On the Saints' front, we will be missing Lallana and Holmes.

JayWalk The Walk: As much as I am doubtful about the commitment of ManUtd in this game, I think we still have enough to qualify to the next round against a team who is 40 places below us and we haven't lost to them in a FA Cup tie since 1976.

The stats are in our favour as we have not been knocked out at this stage since 1984, meaning a record 24 consecutive qualification to the fourth round.

We have also the track record of winning our last 3 away games while Southampton has not won in their last 12 games (both home and away).

Bookies are making ManUtd give a 1.5-ball handicap and a slightly more favourable 1.90 decimal odds to beat it. As at press time, wagers are skewed in favour of betting on ManUtd at 77%.

Verdict: Given that this tournament does not take into consideration goal-difference, a 1-0 victory is as good as a 5-0 one. As such, assuming that ManUtd wants to win the League Cup semi-final and still meet Chelsea with full power, they may just go for the 1-0 victory and rotate the key players thereafter.

Avoid taking this handicap.

Disclaimer: The above views are purely my own two-cents' worth. In other words, I cannot and will not guarantee that my predictions are accurate. If you want to bet on the game, do so at your own risk. Also, please bet responsibly and within your means regardless of how "sure thing" that game may appear to be. As the old saying goes, "The Ball Is Round". Good luck.