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United have goals in mind
18/03/2008 08:52 - (SA)
Manchester - Manchester United want to get back on the goal trail when they face Bolton Wanderers at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
Sir Alex Ferguson's side will move three points clear of main title rivals Arsenal if they can beat a Bolton team languishing in the Premier League relegation zone.
It will be the second time in five days United have faced one of the bottom three following their victory over basement club Derby County last weekend.
Ferguson, though, is concerned that his normally free-scoring side appears to have lost confidence in front of the goal with recent games marked by a glut of missed opportunities.
Cristiano Ronaldo's invaluable winner at Pride Park was only United's second goal in three outings and did put them ahead of Arsenal on goal difference.
While Ferguson praised the Portugal winger for the way "he eventually scored with the most difficult chance he had," he'll want United to take more of their opportunities between now and the end of the season so as to prevent their title defence becoming too reliant on slip-ups by the Gunners and Chelsea.
'Real relief'
"We're getting really good chances and we've got to start putting them away," said United defender Wes Brown.
"We made it hard for ourselves against Derby. We could have finished the game in the first 10 or 15 minutes. Luckily we got the winner in the end, which was a real relief."
Brown admitted that, scoring problems aside, United's return to the top of the table had given Ferguson's men a timely boost.
"It's always good to be top," he added. "If we can get another three points against Bolton, it'd be great for us and we know then that if we win every game, we will win the league again."
United manager Ferguson has a selection dilemma following Ben Foster's impressive debut in goal against Derby.
The England keeper was drafted in because Edwin van der Sar is injured and regular deputy Tomasz Kuzsczak was serving a one-match ban.
But with the Pole available once again, Ferguson must decide whether to return Forster to the substitutes bench.
"In his debut in a competitive game for United, he showed what England are going to enjoy for the next 10 years," Ferguson said of Foster. "I think he'll be England's goalkeeper without question."
Launching pad
United's visit to the Reebok Stadium in November marked the high-point of Bolton's season with the Wanderers running out 1-0 winners.
Manager Gary Megson hoped that would be a launching pad for his side's campaign but four successive league defeats - including the depressing loss against ten-man Wigan last weekend - have left them deep in trouble.
Megson's men were booed off the pitch after a 1-0 defeat at Wigan and their cause has not been helped by the loss of keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen for the rest of the season with a back injury.
With nine games left, Bolton must still face United, Arsenal and Chelsea. Their prospects look bleak and captain Kevin Nolan admitted they faced a major struggle to stay up.
"We were poor against Wigan, especially in the first-half. In the second-half we put them under pressure but it was just that goal we needed," Nolan said.
"We were rightly booed-off by our fans. It's always disappointing to see that and to see the anger in their faces. As club captain I ask them to please stay with us.
"We need them in our hour of need. It's up to us to stand up and be counted. We've got nine games to get ourselves out of this. It's not the time to talk about it, we need to do it."
- AFP
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