Source: Daily_Mail
West Brom v Manchester United live
Follow live coverage of the Barclays Premier League as champions Manchester United start their title defence at The Hawthorns against West Brom. Sir Alex Ferguson's men are on a high after winning the Community Shield but the Baggies have improved greatly under Roy Hodgson's management. Send your thoughts on the action to me at dan.ripley@dailymail.co.uk or on twitter @Ripinho [LNB] West Brom 1-2 Manchester United (4pm)West Brom: Foster, Reid (Jara Reyes 85), Tamas, Olsson, Shorey, Brunt, Scharner, Mulumbu, Morrison, Tchoyi, Long (Cox 87).Subs: Fulop, Dorrans, Dawson, Thorne, Fortune. [LNB]Goals: Long 37.[LNB]Man Utd: De Gea, Smalling, Ferdinand (Jones 75),Vidic (Evans 52), Fabio Da Silva, Young, Cleverley, Anderson, Nani, Rooney, Welbeck (Berbatov 65).Subs: Lindegaard, Giggs, Park, Carrick.[LNB]Goals: Rooney 13, Reid (og) 81.[LNB]Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire)[LNB]18.00: Well that's it from me. On a weekend where no home team has won, Bolton top the pile, with Manchester United, Wolves and Liverpool following in a Champions League place.[LNB]I say that now because I will probably never get the chance to again.[LNB]Thank you for following and check back tomorrow for coverage of Manchester City v Swansea. Thanks for following.[LNB]17.58: United once again pass a testing match with flying colours and although West Brom proved fair game, United's superior skills shone through.[LNB]But at what price? No one knows how long Rio Ferdinand or Nemanja Vidic are going to be out for and that's before you include fellow defender Rafael's injury.[LNB]Full-time: West Brom 1-2 Manchester United[LNB]90+3min: Even Foster comes up for a free-kick but despite winning a header De Gea claims, he then uses common sense by just deciding to keep possession rather than go for a long punt for goal.[LNB]90+2min: Desperation from Cox, he goes over too easily on the edge of the box from an outstretched Jones leg and is booked for diving. Rightly so.[LNB]90min: Wow, every United player is back in their own half as we will have four added minutes. West Brom have not given up yet.[LNB]89min: Safe hands! Brunt shoots on the turn but it is straight at De Gea who manages to gather, albeit at the second attempt.[LNB]87min: But they soon stand to applaud Long as he goes off the pitch to be replaced by Simon Cox.[LNB]86min: The home crowd very quiet now as Scharner is booked for tripping Rooney.[LNB]85min: Off comes the very unfortunate Reid, with Gonzalo Jara Reyes coming on.[LNB] Pure delight: Ashley Young celebrates as United retake the lead[LNB]81min: GOAL! West Brom 1-2 MANCHESTER UNITED[LNB]Wouldn't you know it when the going gets tough United pull it out of the bag again.[LNB]Ashley Young races at the Baggies defence and at a slight angle attempts a cross. Fortune favours the champions as it cannons off Steven Reid before going into his own goal in the bottom corner.[LNB]78min: No doubt about it De Gea is being targeted. Twice in as many minutes the West Brom players just pile into him for a long ball into the box.[LNB]It's no use when you give away fouls though which is what Long does on the keeper.[LNB]Anderson is booked for dissent in the aftermath after protesting for De Gea.[LNB]75min: It's not a bad replacement though as Phil Jones comes on in his place. That's a ridiculously young defence now with Jonny Evans the 'oldest' at 24.[LNB]74min: More centre-back issues for United as Rio Ferdinand looks to have also pulled his hamstring. I can't see him lasting the 90 minutes.[LNB]71min: Word of warning for Long. Fair barges are not fair game in the Premier League.[LNB]The forward looks to have made Evans look a fool on the wing by giving him a fair nudge out the way and looks absolutely stunned when a free-kick is blown against him.[LNB]I don't blame him, Evans went down so easily.[LNB]68min: Good effort but signs of United running out of ideas as Ashley Young's optimistic dipping shot just clears the crossbar.[LNB]65min: It's not Giggs but Dimitar Berbatov coming on as he replaces Danny Welbeck.[LNB] Booked: Young is yellow carded for a foul on Long[LNB] [LNB]62min: It's meandering along with no real purpose. Big test for United's kids this and I just wonder if that wiley old fox Ryan Giggs is going to be needed here.[LNB]59min: United now on top, but they are not finding it half as easy to breakdown West Brom this period. Foster has had very little to do.[LNB]56min: Very harsh. Long and Young collide in a 50/50 challenge for the ball but referee Mike Jones bizarrely books the United winger. I'm scratching my head on that one.[LNB]54min: Good effort, Young delivers a pacey free-kick in the box but Rooney just can't glance it on target as it sails wide.[LNB]52min: On Evans comes for Vidic then, West Brom just edging the game.[LNB]51min: Every back pass to De Gea is greeted with cheers by the home fans. Amazing to think how words of a clanger get around so quick.[LNB]50min: It's been a slow burner but Vidic does indeed look like he is struggling to shake off that injury. Evans ready to come on.[LNB] Off balance: Shane Long (back) attempts to tackle Tom Cleverley[LNB]47min: Just goes to show how much the public eye is on De Gea when everyone ignores the fact his opposite number today, Ben Foster has been arguably even more clumsy.[LNB]The latest nervy moment sees him only just get away with some trickery in his own box with a United attacker approaching.[LNB]Second-half: No changes as West Brom restart proceedings.[LNB]16.55: So a delicately poised game as we approach the second-half. I expect United to at least regain control of the match but it's turned so much I'm not even going to try and predict what will happen next...especially with De Gea in goal.[LNB]16.50: Sportsmail's Matt Lawton on twitter:[LNB]What slightly worries me about De Gea is how upset he looks when he does make a mistake.[LNB]Half-time: West Brom 1-1 Manchester United[LNB]45+1min: Two minutes added on.[LNB]45min: And so nearly De Gea is caught out again! Tchoyi's cross turns into a shot and the Spaniard does well to get a strong hand to palm it out - even if it was straight back into the penalty area.[LNB]42min: How goals change games. The Baggies are looking the more likely to get a second goal just minutes after only seeing 10 per cent of the ball.[LNB]39min: The first booking of the game goes to Steven Reid who crashes into Young with a sliding tackle trying to prevent a corner.[LNB] Long shot: Shane Long's opportunistic strike earned West Brom an equaliser[LNB]37min: GOAL! WEST BROM 1-1 Manchester United[LNB]Dodgy keeping or signs of a top predatory striker? Probably both.[LNB]The angle on offer to Shane Long is against him but it doesn't stop him trying to place one in the bottom corner across goal and De Gea can only dive over the ball as it settles into the bottom corner.[LNB]An honest mistake but with the publicity surrounding the Spaniard, that is going to be magnified.[LNB]35min: What a fine stop! Scharner breaks through the defence and at a slight angle to goal fires in an effort that De Gea does well to tip behind.[LNB]33min: The pattern of this match is incredible. Once again West Brom can't get out of their own half as the visitors string together another passing move. So much so that the last five minutes has seen United take 90 per cent of possession.[LNB] Menace: Somen Tchoyi (right) caused United problems[LNB]30min: That's dodgy keeping...not from De Gea but from Foster as he flaps at a corner and is lucky to see Nani flash his volley over.[LNB]27min: Phil Neville is at the ground too, taking up a spot in the away end.[LNB]Meanwhile Shane Long, who we haven't seen too much of, flashes a shot wide 20-yards-out.[LNB]25min: Credit to West Brom here. They keep sending dangerous crosses into the box which United can only turn out for a corners. Still no worthwhile shot on target though.[LNB] Duel: Nani (right) challenges James Morrison[LNB]22min: That should be two. United's one-touch game has been spellbinding but Nani's finishing is not as he blasts over inside the box unmarked. Must do better.[LNB]19min: It's not all smiles for the champions though, Nemanja Vidic is struggling a bit with what looks like a hamstring problem. Jonny Evans is warming up.[LNB]18min: The Baggies haven't gone in to their shell and continue to probe at the Unite defence.[LNB]United though look as relaxed as you can get. This is a bad time to play Fergie's men - they look super confident.[LNB]15min: For me Young is just onside, but I would need to see it again.[LNB]Rooney goes close moments later, rifling a 25-yard-effort wide.[LNB] Roo beauty: Wayne Rooney opens the scoring for United [LNB]13min: GOAL! West Brom 0-1 MANCHESTER UNITED[LNB]Typical United. Out of no where they strike although it's slightly controversial.[LNB]Ashley Young looks slightly offside when he picks up the ball on the left but his ball to the centre finds Wayne Rooney. he takes a touch before firing low across goal past a stranded Foster. A top finish on his 'weaker' left foot.[LNB]12min: News on United's full-back Rafael is that the Brazilian could be out for up to 10 weeks with a dislocated shoulder, an injury he picked up in training on Friday.[LNB]11min: West Brom have woken up and are now the more dangerous side. Tchoyi has looked a pest down the left and De Gea has looked a little suspect from crosses.[LNB]8min: The message is clear. Shoot on sight. Much has been made of David De Gea's record from distance but Paul Scharner probably takes it too far when he hits a 40-yard-effort wide.[LNB]7min: Finally some attacking play from the home side. Somen Tchoyi escapes down the left and under pressure from Anderson wins a free-kick on the byline. United manage to clear the eventual cross however.[LNB]6min: I'm not kidding, the Baggies have not got out of their own half. United are dominating and have already gave Ben Foster a few problems.[LNB]3min: All United in the opening exchanges as Ashley Young wins a free-kick on the left side of the penalty area.[LNB]His cross is dangerous and cleared for a corner by the West Brom defence.[LNB]1min: From InfostradaLive:[LNB]'You'll never win anything with kids'. United's line-up today 1 year and 118 days per man younger than 1995/1996 opening day. [LNB]Kick-off: Manchester United get us going.[LNB]15.55: Out come the players to Faithless's 'Insomnia'. A cracking song, and I hope the game follows suit.[LNB]15.52: A lot has been said about this young United side and today is a massive test. West Brom is not an easy ground to go to and I think many people have overlooked the magnificent early work Hodgson has done at the club.[LNB]15.49: West Brom players warming up with 'Get Well Dave' shirts on. It's for kit man Dave Matthews who having spent 50 years in his role at the Hawthorns is sadly in ill health.[LNB]15.46: Speaking of Neville, it was this fixture last season which proved to be his last career game. He had a shocker and how United won the game still remains a mystery to me.[LNB]15.43: So a new look (younger) United side take to the field but it doesn't make them any less daunting.[LNB]For me I'm going to miss United without the likes of Neville and Scholes in it as I grasp at the last remains of my childhood. Now only Giggs remains from the famous 90s sides.[LNB] End of the road: Gary Neville lunges in on Graham Dorrans in the same fixture last season.[LNB]15.40: Tom Cleverley is handed his Manchester United Barclays Premier League debut by Sir Alex Ferguson at West Brom this afternoon.[LNB]The 22-year-old, who spent last term on loan at Wigan, is named in midfield alongside Anderson for the champions, whilst fellow youngster Danny Welbeck retains his place alongside Wayne Rooney in attack, with Dimitar Berbatov amongst the substitutes. David de Gea, as expected, is picked in goal.[LNB]Former United keeper Ben Foster made his debut in goal for the Baggies, who handed a first start to ?6.5million striker Shane Long.[LNB]15.37: From InfostradaLive:[LNB]The PL champions have never lost their opening match of the following season in all previous 19 PL seasons.[LNB]15.35: You have to feel sorry for the Baggies. This time last year they were getting hammered 6-0 at champions Chelsea on the opening day of the season.[LNB]Today they face champions Manchester United, and judging by their Wembley feats the Red Devils are on smoking hot form.[LNB]But with Hodgson's men at home they may just fancy themselves to cause a minor upset.[LNB]Team news:[LNB]West Brom: Foster, Reid, Tamas, Olsson, Shorey, Brunt, Scharner, Mulumbu, Morrison, Tchoyi, Long. Subs: Fulop, Dorrans, Jara Reyes, Dawson, Thorne, Cox, Fortune. [LNB]Man Utd: De Gea, Smalling, Ferdinand, Vidic, Fabio Da Silva, Young, Cleverley, Anderson, Nani, Rooney, Welbeck. Subs: Lindegaard, Jones, Evans, Berbatov, Giggs, Park, Carrick.[LNB]Referee: Mike Jones (Cheshire)[LNB] Pointing the way forward: Manchester United's Wayne Rooney will aim for a winning start at West Brom[LNB] Why Ferguson has bought ?18m Young, the League's most versatile playerIt's top secret: West Brom's new ?6.5m striker Shane Long reveals all to Sportsmail All the latest West Bromwich Albion news, features and opinionAll the latest Manchester United news, features and opinion[LNB]
