Stuttering United need to bridge early-season gap

NO, the Barclays Premier League table has not been printed upside down!

Yes, Manchester United, Newcastle and Tottenham are languishing in the bottom six.

And yes, tomorrow’s match between United and Bolton Wanderers at Old Trafford is a basement battle!

As Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool – the three other members of the ‘Big Four’ – have already established useful advantages over Sir Alex Ferguson’s side, the Reds can ill afford another slip-up, even though they have played one game less.

United have already lost at Liverpool and been held by Newcastle and Chelsea, against whom their performances were way below those which earned the double of Champions League and Premier League last season.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s early-season absence was a big blow, but the boy wonder is back in action after ankle surgery and marked his return with a goal in the midweek Carling Cup victory over Middlesbrough.

Bolton, who escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth last season, look set to be involved in another scrap for survival.

Despite manager Gary Megson’s near-£20million summer overhaul of his squad, Wanderers are languishing in the lower reaches of the table.

Wanderers have lost both away league games at Newcastle and Fulham and you cannot see them breaking their away duck at Old Trafford, especially as Swedish striker Johan Elmander, a £10m club-record capture, is out injured.

Megson also spent £5.5m on Birmingham midfield player Fabrice Muamba and £2m for Watford defender Danny Shittu.

Ghanaian striker Mustapha Riga arrived for an undisclosed sum, which Polish forward Ebi Smolarek joined Wanderers on a season-long loan.

There has also been an exodus of players, including El-Hadji Diouf, Ivan Campo, Stelios and Andranik.

The Reds will be mindful of last season’s shock 1-0 defeat at the Reebok Stadium, but should be able to gain revenge tomorrow.