Preview: United v City

Finally here then, time to put up or shut up. Weeks of office banter, needless headlines, oneupsmanship, the odd arrow and golf ball, £42 a f*cking ticket, unwelcome boasts from Spokesman Cook, Carlito's revenge, etc, etc. At 8pm tomorrow Fergie and Berto will go head-to-head in what promises to be the third gripping city duel of the season. Can't wait!

Mancini's selection for Sunday's FA Cup win at Scunthorpe gives us a good idea of his starting eleven for tomorrow. Given, Richards, Garrido, Barry, Tevez and Bellamy should all return to the side. The trip to Glanford Park gave all Belgian central-defence Kompany and Boyata more time together, and i think they'll continue, with Nige roaming just in front and Micah switching to full-back.

Nani's performance against Hull on the weekend puts him in the frame to start, perhaps with Giggs central alongside Darren Fletcher. Luis Valencia and Dimitar Berbatov are likely to return after being benched during that routine win, and Rio Ferdinand's assault on Craig Fagan is likely to be met with no punishment, as you might expect. Wes Brown may move to right-back.

I think that attacking United is very much the key to us getting a positive result. Not sure i can see Mancini doing so, but sitting back and inviting waves of attacks is highly likely to cost us. I honestly think we have to forget the first leg completely, and go out with the ultimate aim of scoring. Do that and we've got a great chance.

We have an enormous job on our hands, anyone would taking such a slender lead to Old Trafford. United tend not to come off second best in such important games, whatever your thoughts on the competition, and the words of Carlos Tevez and Garry Cook will give them extra motive for seeing us off and taking them a step further to retaining the trophy.

Three players stand out as being particularly dangerous, though those who made a difference in the earlier Swamp derby proves it's nigh on impossible to predict who might influence a game with any authority whatsoever. Giggs, Rooney and Valencia, however, in my opinion, represent the biggest threats.

For me, Giggs looks no less a player in the middle of the park as he did on the left at his marauding best. His assist for Michael Owen's late winner earlier in the season is a prime example of just what he can do when given time on the ball, and i've lost count of the times i've watched him effortlessly change games. If Mancini goes with a five across the midfield then someone, possibly Pablo Zabaleta, will have to man-mark him.

Rooney's record speaks for itself, twenty goals in twenty-seven starts. At Old Trafford he's particularly destructive, and especially if Berbatov starts as expected then he too will drop deep, roam around the centre of the park, drift to the left flank and generally be a nightmare to pick up. Dedryck Boyata has played to the right of Vince Kompany, so could require schooling through the game by him and Nigel de Jong.

Lastly, Luis Valencia has had a good first season so far at his new club. He's a player i like a lot; strong, direct, a real predatory winger with a great burst of pace. He's capable of giving any left-back in the country a going over, and he got behind Garrido with ease in the first leg, and was always an outlet for cross-field passes. On the Legoland pitch he'll have even more space, will hog his line and rate his chances of getting the beating of the Spaniard. Again, others will need to help, namely Bellamy and Barry.

The worry, in an attacking sense, is that Tevez gets stranded up top, we've no real out-ball and resort to the sort of hoofery that cost us late in the league fixture, and could have in the recent second leg once we'd made changes. Our better counter-attacking football this season has come through Martin Petrov and Craig Bellamy, and i'd be surprised if they weren't the two who'll play wide, and with both cutting in onto their natural sides they'll certainly give Brown and Evra food for thought.

I think we have to admit that United are huge favourites to make the final, but stranger things have happened, and our record against the better sides this season has been excellent. Any sort of draw or win would see us through, a goal would swing things firmly in our favour. There's no real motivational talk needed by Roberto, the players will feel the atmosphere from the dressing room. Go out and make yourselves heroes, lads, it's been far too long.

Possible teams:
Rags: Van der Sar, Brown, Evra, Evans, Ferdinand, Fletcher, Valencia, Giggs, Rooney, Berbatov, Nani

City: Given, Richards, Garrido, Boyata, Kompany, de Jong, Zabaleta, Barry, Petrov, Tevez, Bellamy