Former Blackburn boy Phil Jones is publicly a fan of his ex-club. However, the Manchester United defender will be left with no other option than wishing defeat for the visitors on Saturday.
Rock-bottomed Blackburn Rovers are yet to win away from home but they’ve managed to secure draws at 5 separate occasions.
“We won’t find it easy, though. It’s going to be tough,” Phil Jones reminded ahead of the game according to Manutd.com.
“I know what sort of squad Blackburn have and there are some cracking players there. We can’t take them lightly.”
It is interesting to observe that Manchester’s two foes, City and United, are joint leaders at such a point in the campaign. They share the same record in terms of wins, draws and losses.
Manchester United’s only defeat in the Premier League this season occurred at Old Trafford in a stunning encounter which ended 6-1 in favor of the Citizens. The latter, meanwhile, fell in the hands of Chelsea not long ago.
Subsequently, both Manchester United and Manchester City have 45 points from a possible 54. Possibilities that the English Premier League cup will fall in Manchester look real. If the Red Devils and the Citizens carry on with their form, the race for the title could become a two-horse affair very soon.
A view of the English Premier League's standings at the top:
| POS. | TEAM | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | D | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PREMIER LEAGUE 2011/2012 | ||||||||||
| 1 | Manchester City | 18 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 53 | 15 | +38 | 45 | |
| 2 | Manchester United | 18 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 47 | 14 | +33 | 45 | |
| 3 | Tottenham Hotspur | 17 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 34 | 19 | +15 | 38 | |
| 4 | Chelsea | 18 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 21 | +15 | 34 | |
On Saturday, Manchester United could close the year 2011 on a high. The reigning champions recently exhibited their attacking skills with a 5-0 victory over Wigan Athletic at Old Trafford. They are now poised to follow up with a win over Blackburn Rovers.
As Ryan Giggs avowed in an interview with his club’s official website on Thursday, the Man City and FC Basel games are two moments to forget and everyone at Old Trafford is working on burying them.
Roberto Mancini’s Citizens, who need to bounce back after stumbling to a goalless draw away to West Bromwich Albion, won’t play until January 1. Consequently, Fergie and his men can optimistically contemplate, at least for a while, the Premier League’s top spot.
For Giggs, like for Manchester United’s millions of fans across the world, 2012 could be a glorious year – even without Champions League football. The veteran confidently told Manutd.com that “the experience that the manager, the players and the coaching staff have of what's required in the second half of the season, as well as the overall hunger and desire to win competitions will help us.”
