Source: Telegraph
Manchester United's Michael Owen set to start Carling Cup clash against Wolves
Owen, 29, settled the 152nd Manchester derby by scoring a goal six minutes into stoppage time to secure a 4-3 victory at Old Trafford.
Sir Alex Ferguson has used Owen sparingly since his free-transfer arrival from Newcastle United in July, with the former Liverpool striker starting just one game for the club so far this season.
But Ferguson is expected to make changes to his starting line-up as United begin their defence of the Carling Cup against Mick McCarthy's Wolves and Owen has been pencilled in to start alongside either Danny Welbeck or Federico Macheda.
Having spent much of his career as a first-choice starter, however, Owen admits he is adjusting to watching games from the bench.
He said: "When I start a game I never get nervous, I always feel in control, but when you are sat on the bench, the game rubs off on you. So when you do go onto the pitch, you are a little bit nervous because you have felt all the emotions of everyone sat around you. You kick every ball with the team.
"The first couple of minutes are quite hard. It is not like just going down to the park for a kick-around.
"At this level you have to be right into the game, at the right speed, despite sitting on your backside for the previous hour or however long it is. But you get sent on to get a goal and, against City, thankfully that is what I did.
"Some games you get four chances and don't score, then you get criticised. Other times you get one chance and score. That is the hard bit as a striker – you have to ride all the emotions and waves."
United midfielder Darren Fletcher, whose two headed goals contributed to the 4-3 victory, believes that City's emergence highlights the task facing Ferguson's team as they aim to win an unprecedented fourth successive title.
Fletcher said: "The game against City shows it's going to be a difficult season. The teams in the Premier League get better and better every season.
"It gets harder to win the title every year and we just have to concentrate on ourselves and keep winning matches because if we do that, we'll be there come the end of the season.
"The victory was really special because it's the Manchester derby and because of the way City have started the season.
"It was a top-of-the-table clash of sorts, and it was important that we got three points, especially after the way the game went."
