Palace v Manchester United

Selhurst Park, Saturday 3.00pm

Iain Dowie

Team news

"It must be a big, big game for us. We can look no further than trying to create and cause an upset," said Dowie.

"We are not going into this game as underdogs to try and play with a plan to just contain.

"We are going to try and have a go at them. I would rather get beaten having a go than get beaten 1-0 in the last minute after defending for 90 minutes."

DARREN POWELL will be close to being considered for selection after a thigh injury, along with Wayne Andrews, who is nursing a hamstring problem, and Tony Popovic who has been ill.

United's Gary Neville is out with an ankle injury but Ruud van Nistelrooy will start up front.

Manchester United - league stats

Full league table

Manchester United - current form

Full form table

Our home record v Manchester United

Last five results

Date	Type	Home Team	Score	Away Team
18/12/2004	League	Manchester United	5 - 2	Crystal Palace
10/11/2004	League Cup	Manchester United	2 - 0	Crystal Palace
27/04/1998	League	Crystal Palace	0 - 3	Manchester United
04/10/1997	League	Manchester United	2 - 0	Crystal Palace
12/04/1995	FA Cup	Crystal Palace	0 - 2	Manchester United

All time results

One to watch

Cristiano Ronaldo

People call this guy a ‘one-trick pony’, Big Ron has suggested that he ‘over-lollipops’, I suggest he’s one to watch for tomorrow’s match against Manchester United.

Cristiano Ronaldo, signed by Sir Alex Ferguson for a shade over £12m in the summer of 2003 has had an impressive opening 18 months in his time at Old Trafford. The guy is a walking showboat machine, not quite as impressive as Jay Jay Okocha, but he’s getting there. Needless to say, his supreme skill on the ball has made the prawn-thousand island dressing mix spill out of the brown malted bread many-a-time in the Stretford End in amazement at what they've just witnessed.

Ronaldo’s undoubted ability on the ball has won him many plaudits from sections of the media and from the Manchester United supporters. In fact, at the last Olympics in Athens last year, Ronny won gold for his magical performance on the 10 metre free platform diving board, just beating Robert Pires to the gold medal position.

His danger going forward is key to Manchester United’s magical form in the last couple of months. The drive that he possesses when on the ball is amongst the best in the Premiership and I don’t think that I’ve seen many other players as direct as this guy – he can beat you on the inside, outside, through the legs, round the corner, loop the loop before slicing his cross out for a goal kick. His shooting ain’t bad either.

Ronaldo is a rare breed of player who can play comfortably on either flank, getting crosses in from deep, from the by-line with either foot, or that stupid behind the other leg kick thing. The only way to combat this is to close him down and try and shut service from him off as early as possible. Good luck to whoever marks him tomorrow, they’re gonna need it!

Probable line-up

Johnson
Soares	Leigertwood	Riihilahti	Hughes	Routledge
Granville	Sorondo	Hall	Boyce
Kiraly

Last meeting

Premiership - 27/04/98 - 19:45

Crystal Palace 0-3 Man Utd Scholes 5 Butt 21 Cole 84

C Palace: Miller, Edworthy, Gordon, Curcic, Lombardo (Hreidarsson 87), Shipperley, Padovano (Dyer 75), Brolin (Fullarton 68), Bent, Smith, Ismael Subs not used: Warhurst, Nash

Man Utd: Schmeichel, Irwin (Clegg 76), May, Pallister, Beckham, Butt, Cole, Sheringham, Giggs, Phil Neville, Scholes Subs not used: Van Der Gouw, Solskjaer, Berg, Thornley,

Bookings: Ismael (C Palace)

Attendance: 26180

Referee: P Jones (Loughborough)

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