Manchester United vs. Swansea City: 5 Key Battles to Watch

In the wake of the news that Sir Alex Ferguson will be retiring at the end of the 2012-13 campaign, there would appear to be a lot going on around Old Trafford this week.

However, there’s still a job to be done against Swansea City this weekend, and the Red Devils will need to take their mind away from all off-the-field matters for 90 minutes, while the visitors look to take advantage of that distraction.

With the Premier League title already won and last week’s lineup versus Chelsea a signifier as to just how United might treat the remainder of the campaign, Ferguson is likely to continue ringing the changes for the visit of Michael Laudrup’s men.

That being said, those coming into the fray will be just as likely to prove themselves as those they’re replacing, making their individual battles against the Swans no less important.

All statistics provided courtesy of WhoScored.com.

Phil Jones vs. Pablo Hernandez

After seeing red for a challenge on David Luiz last week, Rafael is set to miss the remainder of Manchester United’s season, leaving Phil Jones to fill in at right-back in his absence.

Far more defensively inclined than his Brazilian teammate, Jones could actually go a long way in dealing with the threat of Pablo Hernandez, who was unavailable for the reverse fixture at the Liberty Stadium.

While the Englishman may not provide the same impetus in attack, Jones’ natural allegiances as a centre-back make him a suitable candidate for marking Swansea’s Spaniard, and a deceptive turn of pace will help Jones in assuring Hernandez doesn’t get the best of him too easily.

Not exactly known for his abilities in tracking back, Hernandez may be exposed at the back on occasionand will undoubtedly be urged by boss Laudrup to help young Ben Davies in defence, lest Jones combine with his winger on the day to deadly effect. 

Anderson vs. Jonathan de Guzman

After making his first Premier League start for four games against Chelsea last week, Anderson is likely to be given another crack of the whip at proving he’s the right fit for Manchester United.

One of the more defensive midfielders in Manchester United’s ranks, Anderson’s first priority will be in limiting the impact of Swansea City’s attacking ranks, arguably the strongest aspect of their side.

Jonathan de Guzman, currently on loan from Villarreal, has proved to be one of several surprise packages at the Welsh outfit this season and with seven Premier League assists to his name, can easily be looked upon as the side’s main playmaker.

Both featuring in the central channels for their respective sides, it will be Anderson’s job to ensure De Guzman sees as little of the ball as possible, and though Michu looks likely to be unavailable for the clash, the Dutchman can still pose a scoring threat of his own.

Antonio Valencia vs. Ben Davies

Having started the last five consecutive matches for Manchester United, Antonio Valencia is currently experiencing an involvement not seen since the success of last season. The Ecuadorian will likely call a starting spot his own against Swansea, like Anderson, trying to prove why he should remain at Old Trafford past this summer.

Although not his most impressive campaign in United colours, Valencia can only hope that the inexperience of Swansea City left-back Ben Davies will provide little resistance this weekend.

However, despite his age, Davies has been underestimated by other Premier League wingers this season, not only in just how defensively capable the youngster is but also in the threat he poses going forward.

The last time these two met, Davies was vital in clearing a United chance off Michel Vorm’s line and will once again look to save his side’s chances, this time at the Theatre of Dreams.

Javier Hernandez vs. Ashley Williams

Coming on with but a few minutes left to play against Chelsea, Javier Hernandez wasn’t given a real opportunity to assert his influence against the Blues last weekend.

However, the Mexican international can hope to replace Robin van Persie in United’s lineup this time around, much to the relief of Ashley Williams, who’s likely to shoulder a majority of the Swans’ defensive brunt, as he has done all season.

In truth, the 4-2-3-1 formation that Sir Alex Ferguson has chosen to adopt more often this season is one that works in the favour of RVP, but doesn’t necessarily fit Hernandez, a player who works much better alongside an attacking partner.

As such, Williams can hope to not only dominate the Red Devils’ attacker in the air, but that his strength and positioning will also enable him to deal with any moves the poacher might look to construct on the floor.

Although Shinji Kagawa or Wayne Rooney are likely to be feeding off of Hernandez, Chico Flores will then be able to come into the fray as cover, while Williams can concentrate on the hosts’ main striker.

Jonny Evans vs. Luke Moore

In the absence of an injured Michu, it’s probable that Luke Moore will be given his fifth start of the Premier League season at Old Trafford in favour of Itay Shechter.

After going through a decent scoring patch in March/early April, Moore has gone off the boil somewhat and has now led the line in Swansea’s last two matches, both of which ended 0-0.

Therefore, it’s unfortunate that the former Aston Villa man will go up against a Jonny Evans, who is enjoying possibly the best season of his career to date.

Against Chelsea last week, Evans finished the fixture with all of his aerial duels won and a pass completion rate of 93 percent.

While gone off the boil somewhat since his move to Chelsea, it’s pretty safe to say Demba Ba is still a brighter talent than Luke Moore these days, and Evans’ strength could quite possibly be too much for the Swans’ frontman to overcome.

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