United - Carrick Looks Ahead to Tonight!

After shaking off a knock that was supposed to see him sidelined for two weeks to play in the Community Shield, Michael Carrick is a surprise, but very welcome, inclusion in Sir Alex`s squad for the fixture tonight.

Already, in our match preview, we`ve emphasized the need to get off to a good start, especially with our rivals Chelsea already setting a strong pace, it`s a fact that Carrick, in a pre-match interview, has also concentrated on, explaining,

"Last season was a bit of a freak in terms of how many games both us and Chelsea lost and how many points were dropped."

"Competition is pretty fierce again now."

"Teams who have finished around the Champions League places are looking to break through and you really have to start firing from the off."

Like we`ve intimated previously, playing catch-up can be a soul-destroying affair. But what does Carrick, a Geordie himself, expect the Geordie nation to bring to the table tonight?

"Newcastle will be flying."

They are back in the Premier League and what better place to start than Old Trafford."

"They obviously want to get off to a good start and build up some momentum themselves."

"It is only two years ago that we played them in the first game at Old Trafford and drew. Hopefully it will be better this time."

I`d suggest that the Newcastle of two years ago, although they suffered relegation, were Premier League veterans who knew what to expect. The Newcastle of today, although they stormed to the Championship title last season, might just find it a little tough at old Trafford tonight!



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