Morning people, so that’s 4 successive games that we have scored 4 goals, who said United were struggling to score? With our sluggish start now out of the way, we now boast the best form in the league, can we maintain it? Based on Saturday's performance the signs are looking good!
Middlesbrough for all their fight simply could not contain a rampant United who have set their sights on nothing other than domination in all competitions. Yes Middlesbrough could have taken the lead after their fight back but you really get the sense that United will always score more goals than the opposition. It's a very continental style of play, often demonstrated by none other than the Brazilian's. You started to see it towards the end of last season and now that the team has gelled, we seeing it again.
The link up play between Tevez and Rooney was one of the points worth highlighting. It's hard to believe that this pair has only started 5 games together. What is more astonishing is how their understanding of each others game and movement dramatically improves every minute they are on the pitch together. Rooney's back-heal for Tevez was simply sublime, Arsenal be afraid, be very afraid.
A great comment I heard on Sky Sports news this morning that I'll leave you with "Wayne Rooney loves playing for Manchester united." Isn't it just great having players that love the club?
p.s here's the goals
Showing posts with label Match-Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Match-Review. Show all posts
Monday, October 29, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
Manchester United V Reading highlights and review
Good morning fellow United fans. It seems a while since I had to post on a regular basis, but the new season is now upon us and let's be honest, it wasn't the greatest of starts. It seems that we will now be playing catchup with the other boys, but we seem to do that pretty well! The more concerning bit of news is that Rooney has fractured a bone in his foot and will be out for 2 months, possibly longer.
The Rooney injury is a great concern. It comes at the worst possible time. Just as he was getting his confidence back, our star striker gets an injury that will see him out until October at the latest! All is not lost however, Ferguson's strengthening over the summer periods has been done with exactly this kind of incident in mind. I think we can expect to see Tevez making the starting line-up quicker than we previously thought.
The game yesterday leaves us 2 points behind all of our rivals. It was a day of trying, but never really threatening. Of course it is always difficult to play against a team that puts 11 men behind the ball, but we are United and we can expect a lot more teams to do that to us throughout the remainder of this campaign.
The best chances fell to Giggs and Rooney. Giggs had a shot from a tight angle, but it was directed straight at the keeper. Minutes later Rooney made a break with some trademark movement only to see his shot drift agonisingly over the bar.
The game ended in a drab 1-1 draw, despite Reading going down to 10 men after a shocking tackle from Dave Kitson. It was a case of huffing and puffing, but Reading's house refused to come down.
Onto Fantasy Premier league… I promised I haven't rigged it, but yes I am top after a glorious week of points. Congratulations to Xth-United who is only 1 point behind. FC TKK started the defence of his title with a good week of points, scoring 54 along with Kaki Bola Kajang who is on the same score. Those of you further down the league, remember that it's only early and there is plenty of time to catch-up, well up to 2nd place that is lol!
Here's some quick highlights of the game, as always please let me know what your thoughts were on the result!
The Rooney injury is a great concern. It comes at the worst possible time. Just as he was getting his confidence back, our star striker gets an injury that will see him out until October at the latest! All is not lost however, Ferguson's strengthening over the summer periods has been done with exactly this kind of incident in mind. I think we can expect to see Tevez making the starting line-up quicker than we previously thought.
The game yesterday leaves us 2 points behind all of our rivals. It was a day of trying, but never really threatening. Of course it is always difficult to play against a team that puts 11 men behind the ball, but we are United and we can expect a lot more teams to do that to us throughout the remainder of this campaign.
The best chances fell to Giggs and Rooney. Giggs had a shot from a tight angle, but it was directed straight at the keeper. Minutes later Rooney made a break with some trademark movement only to see his shot drift agonisingly over the bar.
The game ended in a drab 1-1 draw, despite Reading going down to 10 men after a shocking tackle from Dave Kitson. It was a case of huffing and puffing, but Reading's house refused to come down.
Onto Fantasy Premier league… I promised I haven't rigged it, but yes I am top after a glorious week of points. Congratulations to Xth-United who is only 1 point behind. FC TKK started the defence of his title with a good week of points, scoring 54 along with Kaki Bola Kajang who is on the same score. Those of you further down the league, remember that it's only early and there is plenty of time to catch-up, well up to 2nd place that is lol!
Here's some quick highlights of the game, as always please let me know what your thoughts were on the result!
Manchester United V Reading highlights and review
Good morning fellow United fans. It seems a while since I had to post on a regular basis, but the new season is now upon us and let's be honest, it wasn't the greatest of starts. It seems that we will now be playing catchup with the other boys, but we seem to do that pretty well! The more concerning bit of news is that Rooney has fractured a bone in his foot and will be out for 2 months, possibly longer.
The Rooney injury is a great concern. It comes at the worst possible time. Just as he was getting his confidence back, our star striker gets an injury that will see him out until October at the latest! All is not lost however, Ferguson's strengthening over the summer periods has been done with exactly this kind of incident in mind. I think we can expect to see Tevez making the starting line-up quicker than we previously thought.
The game yesterday leaves us 2 points behind all of our rivals. It was a day of trying, but never really threatening. Of course it is always difficult to play against a team that puts 11 men behind the ball, but we are United and we can expect a lot more teams to do that to us throughout the remainder of this campaign.
The best chances fell to Giggs and Rooney. Giggs had a shot from a tight angle, but it was directed straight at the keeper. Minutes later Rooney made a break with some trademark movement only to see his shot drift agonisingly over the bar.
The game ended in a drab 1-1 draw, despite Reading going down to 10 men after a shocking tackle from Dave Kitson. It was a case of huffing and puffing, but Reading's house refused to come down.
Onto Fantasy Premier league… I promised I haven't rigged it, but yes I am top after a glorious week of points. Congratulations to Xth-United who is only 1 point behind. FC TKK started the defence of his title with a good week of points, scoring 54 along with Kaki Bola Kajang who is on the same score. Those of you further down the league, remember that it's only early and there is plenty of time to catch-up, well up to 2nd place that is lol!
Here's some quick highlights of the game, as always please let me know what your thoughts were on the result!
The Rooney injury is a great concern. It comes at the worst possible time. Just as he was getting his confidence back, our star striker gets an injury that will see him out until October at the latest! All is not lost however, Ferguson's strengthening over the summer periods has been done with exactly this kind of incident in mind. I think we can expect to see Tevez making the starting line-up quicker than we previously thought.
The game yesterday leaves us 2 points behind all of our rivals. It was a day of trying, but never really threatening. Of course it is always difficult to play against a team that puts 11 men behind the ball, but we are United and we can expect a lot more teams to do that to us throughout the remainder of this campaign.
The best chances fell to Giggs and Rooney. Giggs had a shot from a tight angle, but it was directed straight at the keeper. Minutes later Rooney made a break with some trademark movement only to see his shot drift agonisingly over the bar.
The game ended in a drab 1-1 draw, despite Reading going down to 10 men after a shocking tackle from Dave Kitson. It was a case of huffing and puffing, but Reading's house refused to come down.
Onto Fantasy Premier league… I promised I haven't rigged it, but yes I am top after a glorious week of points. Congratulations to Xth-United who is only 1 point behind. FC TKK started the defence of his title with a good week of points, scoring 54 along with Kaki Bola Kajang who is on the same score. Those of you further down the league, remember that it's only early and there is plenty of time to catch-up, well up to 2nd place that is lol!
Here's some quick highlights of the game, as always please let me know what your thoughts were on the result!
Monday, May 14, 2007
Manchester United lift the Premiership Trophy, again!
Good morning sports fans! I have a great statistic for you before we kick things off. John O’Shea had a shot to goals ratio of 80% this season. In other words his shots went in 80% of the time. To put that statistic into perspective Gilberto cam second, with 31%. Thanks Sky Sports News for that bit of useless yet interesting bit of information.
What a great weekend! We finally got to see our boys lift the most coveted trophy in England. Fergie we salute you for bringing it home. The Chelsea boys were good housekeepers for 2 seasons, but it’s now back with its friends, all nine of them!
It was a bit of a dampener that we didn’t beat West Ham, if I’m honest I think they deserved to have points docked for the irregularities of the Tevez and Mascherano affair. At the end of the day they cheated and cheated badly. Fining a club £5.5 million when they stand to make £50 million next season from staying in the premiership doesn’t seem like a punishment to me. I’m also gutted for Sheffield United, I think Neil Warnock is a great manager, he has integrity and honesty and works like a Trojan. I hope they come up next season.
The game itself was a bit of a non starter. You could see that our boys were playing with one eye on Saturday’s game. Players weren’t jumping into tackles, they weren’t challenging for the ball and many of our key men were rested. Having said that we were really unlucky, 25 shots in a game is more than enough to grab a goal. Perhaps that day at the races last week hadn’t been completely shaken off? We’ll forgive you boys.
Onto transfer news. According to the Mirror, Huntelaar is our top target for the summer. I know he has been setting the Dutch league on fire in recent years and that they often make the transition to the premiership quite well, but does he have the pace that Ferguson is looking for?
It seems that Berbatov is determined to stay at Spurs. It is another case where we should not pay way over the odds for someone just because Tottenham don’t need to sell. Having said that, he scored another great goal at the weekend, it seems that everything that he touches turns to gold.
What a great weekend! We finally got to see our boys lift the most coveted trophy in England. Fergie we salute you for bringing it home. The Chelsea boys were good housekeepers for 2 seasons, but it’s now back with its friends, all nine of them!
It was a bit of a dampener that we didn’t beat West Ham, if I’m honest I think they deserved to have points docked for the irregularities of the Tevez and Mascherano affair. At the end of the day they cheated and cheated badly. Fining a club £5.5 million when they stand to make £50 million next season from staying in the premiership doesn’t seem like a punishment to me. I’m also gutted for Sheffield United, I think Neil Warnock is a great manager, he has integrity and honesty and works like a Trojan. I hope they come up next season.
The game itself was a bit of a non starter. You could see that our boys were playing with one eye on Saturday’s game. Players weren’t jumping into tackles, they weren’t challenging for the ball and many of our key men were rested. Having said that we were really unlucky, 25 shots in a game is more than enough to grab a goal. Perhaps that day at the races last week hadn’t been completely shaken off? We’ll forgive you boys.
Onto transfer news. According to the Mirror, Huntelaar is our top target for the summer. I know he has been setting the Dutch league on fire in recent years and that they often make the transition to the premiership quite well, but does he have the pace that Ferguson is looking for?
It seems that Berbatov is determined to stay at Spurs. It is another case where we should not pay way over the odds for someone just because Tottenham don’t need to sell. Having said that, he scored another great goal at the weekend, it seems that everything that he touches turns to gold.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Manchester United Chaampions of 2007!
We are the champions, we are the champions, no time for losers coz we are the champions… of the world, well of the premiership anyway! What a weekend, yet again I was reminded how great it is to be a Man Utd fan. There was misery on Wednesday as we crashed out of the Champions league, deservedly I might add. Then at the weekend we pulled out a victory when it looked as though we might draw. Then on Sunday Chelsea drew when it looked like they might win!
But we premiership champions we are and there is no taking that away from us. The premiership is our championship and those Chelsea fans that think we have borrowed it from them are sorely mistaken, we have brought the trophy home.
Ferguson has also indicated that he is here for a number of years yet… great news. That will give Keane enough time to get Sunderland established in the Premiership, then he can move over and take control at the helm of the greatest club in the world. Fergie also stated that he has identified 3 players that he is looking at during the summer. Of course that started the press off with transfer rumours.
Apparently we are no longer in for Hargreaves. Munich are trying to hold us to ransom over the England man. Quite right too, we shouldn’t pay over the odds for any player, anyhow I’m sure Ferguson has his eye on a number of key players.
Elsewhere it seems that the rumours surrounding Berbatov to United are gathering pace. I don’t know why, but I just can’t see this one happening. I would love to be proved wrong because he really is a class player, we should have signed him last season!
Well Champions that’s it from me. Let me know the highlights of the season for you, as I am always keen to hear your thoughts. Keep the red flag flying high!
But we premiership champions we are and there is no taking that away from us. The premiership is our championship and those Chelsea fans that think we have borrowed it from them are sorely mistaken, we have brought the trophy home.
Ferguson has also indicated that he is here for a number of years yet… great news. That will give Keane enough time to get Sunderland established in the Premiership, then he can move over and take control at the helm of the greatest club in the world. Fergie also stated that he has identified 3 players that he is looking at during the summer. Of course that started the press off with transfer rumours.
Apparently we are no longer in for Hargreaves. Munich are trying to hold us to ransom over the England man. Quite right too, we shouldn’t pay over the odds for any player, anyhow I’m sure Ferguson has his eye on a number of key players.
Elsewhere it seems that the rumours surrounding Berbatov to United are gathering pace. I don’t know why, but I just can’t see this one happening. I would love to be proved wrong because he really is a class player, we should have signed him last season!
Well Champions that’s it from me. Let me know the highlights of the season for you, as I am always keen to hear your thoughts. Keep the red flag flying high!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Man Utd V Milan match highlights and review
It was one of those fairy tale games that only United can provide. We scored first and early, but somehow you just knew this wasn’t the end of it. 2 fabulous goals by Kaka made it 2-1, our patched up defence looked as though they had lost it for us. But then came the fightback!
United showed spirit and determination, the players seemed experienced beyond their years. 2-1 down against such a great team was not an issue, the goals would come and they just knew this fixture would go their way. They never stopped believing!
All the talk this week has surrounded Ronaldo, but for me this was Rooney’s night. He scored the second and then the third in jury time was a marvel. It could well be the goal that takes us through. Don’t get me wrong there is still much to do, but with the likes of Rooney and Ronaldo, why shouldn’t we be confident?
I’m sure that I have said this before, but something seems different this year. Whenever it looks like it is all over we are given a reprieve. Last night was one of those times as was the Chelsea result on Sunday. We are still alive and still fighting. Let’s see how tonights game goes between Chelsea and Liverpool, who would you want to see in the final, should we get there?
United showed spirit and determination, the players seemed experienced beyond their years. 2-1 down against such a great team was not an issue, the goals would come and they just knew this fixture would go their way. They never stopped believing!
All the talk this week has surrounded Ronaldo, but for me this was Rooney’s night. He scored the second and then the third in jury time was a marvel. It could well be the goal that takes us through. Don’t get me wrong there is still much to do, but with the likes of Rooney and Ronaldo, why shouldn’t we be confident?
I’m sure that I have said this before, but something seems different this year. Whenever it looks like it is all over we are given a reprieve. Last night was one of those times as was the Chelsea result on Sunday. We are still alive and still fighting. Let’s see how tonights game goes between Chelsea and Liverpool, who would you want to see in the final, should we get there?
Monday, April 16, 2007
Manchester United 4 Watford 1 review and highlights
11 goals in 2 games can’t be bad, can it? The weekend game against Watford yet again allowed Manchester United to show off their offensive prowess. The new look formation with Giggs, Rooney, Ronaldo and Smith all working in a rotating format seems to be working like a dream. The only worry is Ferdinand, who limped off with a worrying groin injury. We hope that he will be fit for the weekend trip to Middlesbrough.
Darren Fletcher deserves the praise he is getting at the moment. To fill in at right-back, a position I don’t think I have ever seen him play was brilliant. It seems at the moment, no matter how many injuries we have, there is always another player who can step up and do the job. Yes we will need our key men back for games against Chelsea, but I have faith that our fringe players can hold us together.
Did anybody watch match of the day 2 last night? They are so biased on that program. It’s always ex Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea players on the show, who always seem to think that a team other than United will win competitions. The best was last night when Peacock decided that Chelsea would win all three ties against United and take both cups. His reason? They have match winners all over the pitch. Erm Scholes, Rooney, Giggs Ronaldo and even Carrick and Smith anyone? I don’t think its gonna be that easy Gavin. Well to be fair to the old chap, he was only ever a runner up in the FA cup with Chelsea.
Smith, what a revelation he has been for us in his 2 starts. He adds something new to the team. A fight a vigour and a real cutting edge. He can play that killer through-ball, he can hold it up, allowing time for the likes of Ronaldo and Rooney to join the attack, he can roam like the 2 R’s and Giggs and he can shoot. For me, he has been the reason we have scored 11 in 2, he was involved in 3 of the 4 goals this weekend.
Ronaldo had a quiet day on Saturday…. Still scored a goal though! Rooney was scintillating which was refreshing. The new formation seems to allow him much more space and time for the little flicks and passes that he so loves. His first goal was class, it’s great to see him finding form again and at the right end of the season.
Well ladies and gentleman. That’s enough from me, Tuesday sees us face Sheffield United, we must keep the pressure on, we can’t let Chelsea get any closer.
Here are the highlights of the game against Watford. Enjoy!
Darren Fletcher deserves the praise he is getting at the moment. To fill in at right-back, a position I don’t think I have ever seen him play was brilliant. It seems at the moment, no matter how many injuries we have, there is always another player who can step up and do the job. Yes we will need our key men back for games against Chelsea, but I have faith that our fringe players can hold us together.
Did anybody watch match of the day 2 last night? They are so biased on that program. It’s always ex Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea players on the show, who always seem to think that a team other than United will win competitions. The best was last night when Peacock decided that Chelsea would win all three ties against United and take both cups. His reason? They have match winners all over the pitch. Erm Scholes, Rooney, Giggs Ronaldo and even Carrick and Smith anyone? I don’t think its gonna be that easy Gavin. Well to be fair to the old chap, he was only ever a runner up in the FA cup with Chelsea.
Smith, what a revelation he has been for us in his 2 starts. He adds something new to the team. A fight a vigour and a real cutting edge. He can play that killer through-ball, he can hold it up, allowing time for the likes of Ronaldo and Rooney to join the attack, he can roam like the 2 R’s and Giggs and he can shoot. For me, he has been the reason we have scored 11 in 2, he was involved in 3 of the 4 goals this weekend.
Ronaldo had a quiet day on Saturday…. Still scored a goal though! Rooney was scintillating which was refreshing. The new formation seems to allow him much more space and time for the little flicks and passes that he so loves. His first goal was class, it’s great to see him finding form again and at the right end of the season.
Well ladies and gentleman. That’s enough from me, Tuesday sees us face Sheffield United, we must keep the pressure on, we can’t let Chelsea get any closer.
Here are the highlights of the game against Watford. Enjoy!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Manchester United V Roma match review and highlights
Well boys and girls, could you ever have wished for a more scintillating performance? I have to be honest I was nervous before the game. I could see us grabbing an early goal and then sitting back, only for them to equalise in the last minute…. I couldn’t have been wrong. 7-1.. yes 7-1 the players couldn’t have rewarded those fans that were mixed up in the violence a week ago any better way. It will have been a long walk home back to Rome!
It was a night when United were truly back to their best. Carrick and Ronaldo both grabbed a brace and it was fantastic to see Smith get on the scoresheet. I truly feel that his enthusiasm and determination lifted the team to produce such a miraculous performance. Other goals from Rooney and Evra rounded of Champions league history. Roma looked like a 1st division side such was our pace and accuracy.
Marlowe… I’ve just read your comment on the forum about me not posting on the blog since our defeat to Pompey at the weekend… very amusing. I have to admit it had put a dampener on my usually overly optimistic outlook for the season, but last night reminded me as to why I am a United fan and why I love my team so much. I don’t think we have anything to worry about, we still have the advantage in the league and have our place booked in the semi finals of the champions league and FA cup. Dare we mutter the words treble at this point?
Let’s look forward to Watford and then to Sheffield United in the league. All games are must win from her on in. I think it’s all going to come right down to the wire.
It was a night when United were truly back to their best. Carrick and Ronaldo both grabbed a brace and it was fantastic to see Smith get on the scoresheet. I truly feel that his enthusiasm and determination lifted the team to produce such a miraculous performance. Other goals from Rooney and Evra rounded of Champions league history. Roma looked like a 1st division side such was our pace and accuracy.
Marlowe… I’ve just read your comment on the forum about me not posting on the blog since our defeat to Pompey at the weekend… very amusing. I have to admit it had put a dampener on my usually overly optimistic outlook for the season, but last night reminded me as to why I am a United fan and why I love my team so much. I don’t think we have anything to worry about, we still have the advantage in the league and have our place booked in the semi finals of the champions league and FA cup. Dare we mutter the words treble at this point?
Let’s look forward to Watford and then to Sheffield United in the league. All games are must win from her on in. I think it’s all going to come right down to the wire.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Roma V MAnchester United Match review.
Last night was a heated affair and this morning our thoughts should be with those innocent fans that were brutally attacked by Italian riot police. Yes there were some Manchester United fans who stupidly reacted to provocation from the Roma crowd, but repeatedly beating women, children and old men cannot be tolerated. There were images of broadcast across the world of police acting in a barbaric fashion, beating fans that were lying unconscious on the floor. At one point senior officer were holding back other officers to stop their thirst for Mancunian blood. The authorities in Europe could learn a lot from UK police on how to deal with the crowds. Every time I go to Old Trafford there is little police presence within the ground and very rarely any trouble. In my opinion riot police promote a hostile environment.
Ok rant over for now, so what about the game. First off, and I don’t often say this, Paul Scholes was stupid. He was flying in all over the shop with rash tackles and deserved to be sent off. It was his actions that landed us with a defeat in my opinion. The rest of the team were magnificent. Ronaldo was sublime, ran the show and provided us with an outlet to attack.
Rooney’s goal was superb. For a player struggling to find his best form, his composure and touch to give us real hope was incredible. I was saying last night, 2-1 is better than 1-0. I think we will be fine at Old Trafford. We always create and nearly always score.
We certainly missed Vidic last night. I am sure with him and Rio at the back we wouldn’t have conceded 2 goals, but that is the game of football. We take the highs with the lows. So there is no need to worry, the red army goes marching on, a little battered and a couple of soldier down, but I have no doubt we can march over the finishing line!
Ok rant over for now, so what about the game. First off, and I don’t often say this, Paul Scholes was stupid. He was flying in all over the shop with rash tackles and deserved to be sent off. It was his actions that landed us with a defeat in my opinion. The rest of the team were magnificent. Ronaldo was sublime, ran the show and provided us with an outlet to attack.
Rooney’s goal was superb. For a player struggling to find his best form, his composure and touch to give us real hope was incredible. I was saying last night, 2-1 is better than 1-0. I think we will be fine at Old Trafford. We always create and nearly always score.
We certainly missed Vidic last night. I am sure with him and Rio at the back we wouldn’t have conceded 2 goals, but that is the game of football. We take the highs with the lows. So there is no need to worry, the red army goes marching on, a little battered and a couple of soldier down, but I have no doubt we can march over the finishing line!
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Manchester United V Middlesbrough match review
Another victory and the treble is still on. We had to deal with a little bit of afters last night, with Ronaldo in the thick of it yet again. It was Ronaldo who provided us with the goal, that sent us through, to be honest I think the Middlesbrough players and coaching staff just couldn’t handle his exquisite skill.
The penalty was a stone cold penalty if ever I saw one. People have said that Ronaldo drew the foul, that he played for it and blah blah blah. I’m sorry but the only person to blame for that penalty was Jonathan Woodgate. You cannot tackle a player from behind, not get the ball and then claim that he played for it. As a defender you need to be aware that if you don’t get your man in the penalty box then you will concede a penalty, simple.
The antics that followed clearly showed Middlesbrough’s frustration with the Portuguese superstar as James Morrison was dismissed for a horrible challenge on Ronaldo close to the end of the game. Rooney then unnecessarily got involved as did a few other United players. I think this is more proof that this team is so together, that they will fight for each other whatever the cost. A rash challenge riled so many of the players that tempers flaired and many of our lads had to be held back.
Carlos Queiroz was involved in a scuffle on the touchline after a number of the Middlesbrough coaches branded Ronaldo a cheat. I think Ronaldo put it best when he said “Perhaps I am just too good for them”, I think he may just be right.
In transfer news, Hargreaves is reportedly being told that he should move to Liverpool instead of Man Utd. That sounds like a great plan… if you want to win no trophies and fight it out for 3rd in the premiership year in year out.
The penalty was a stone cold penalty if ever I saw one. People have said that Ronaldo drew the foul, that he played for it and blah blah blah. I’m sorry but the only person to blame for that penalty was Jonathan Woodgate. You cannot tackle a player from behind, not get the ball and then claim that he played for it. As a defender you need to be aware that if you don’t get your man in the penalty box then you will concede a penalty, simple.
The antics that followed clearly showed Middlesbrough’s frustration with the Portuguese superstar as James Morrison was dismissed for a horrible challenge on Ronaldo close to the end of the game. Rooney then unnecessarily got involved as did a few other United players. I think this is more proof that this team is so together, that they will fight for each other whatever the cost. A rash challenge riled so many of the players that tempers flaired and many of our lads had to be held back.
Carlos Queiroz was involved in a scuffle on the touchline after a number of the Middlesbrough coaches branded Ronaldo a cheat. I think Ronaldo put it best when he said “Perhaps I am just too good for them”, I think he may just be right.
In transfer news, Hargreaves is reportedly being told that he should move to Liverpool instead of Man Utd. That sounds like a great plan… if you want to win no trophies and fight it out for 3rd in the premiership year in year out.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Manchester United V Bolton highlights and review. Berbatov transfer to Man Utd?
Well guys, yet another cracking weekend of football as the red machine goes marching mercilessly on. It was a game that many predicted would be a stumbling block. Even I thought the fixture could have caused problems, but it was another performance that was vintage United at their very best.
People murmur that Ronaldo and Rooney are two of the best young players in world football right now, but how quickly that talk is quashed when one of them has a bad day. Saturday was a demonstration of how two of the best players can combine with lethal effect. It was their day; a day to really turn it on and turn what could have been a sticky tie, nothing more than a training session.
The game was all but over within 30 minutes. Ronaldo, showed his intention to bring the title back to Old Trafford, with some dazzling movement down both flanks, his reward was 3 assists as United put the fixture to bed. Park was on hand to put a brace away, whilst Rooney looked back to his best.
There had been criticism that Rooney had been off form recently. It is true that our star talisman has blown a little hot and cold this season, but how often we forget that he is only 21. Saturday was a Stirling performance, a demonstration of what he is capable of. If ever there was a time for him to blow hot, now would almost certainly be it.
So we are another game closer to the crown, with every three points we earn, that little bit closer we get. Chelsea still need to close the six point gap and it might as well be 7, such is our superior goal difference. That is no easy task considering they still need to face Tottenham and Arsenal during the run-in.
In transfer news it appears we are now keeping tabs on Berbatov of Tottenham. I have been paying close attention to him in recent weeks and I have to admit the player is out and out class. What is frustrating is that I remember that we were interested in him this summer and he elected to move to Tottenham instead of waiting for an offer to come through.
The price would probably be in the region of £25 million, is this too much to pay? More importantly to we want to continue lining the pockets of Spurs for the foreseeable future? For £25 million surely Eto could be tempted away from Barcelona, I think I know which most fans would prefer.
Hargreaves has declared that the only club he would want to move to is United…. I can see why…. they’re the best.
I realised yesterday that it will soon be that time for transfer speculation again. This summer is a baron one as far is football is concerned and we will need to ramp up the discussion on who is going where as we kick our heels waiting for the new season to start. Robinho, Ronaldinho, Kaka and Torres, well we can all dream can’t we?
People murmur that Ronaldo and Rooney are two of the best young players in world football right now, but how quickly that talk is quashed when one of them has a bad day. Saturday was a demonstration of how two of the best players can combine with lethal effect. It was their day; a day to really turn it on and turn what could have been a sticky tie, nothing more than a training session.
The game was all but over within 30 minutes. Ronaldo, showed his intention to bring the title back to Old Trafford, with some dazzling movement down both flanks, his reward was 3 assists as United put the fixture to bed. Park was on hand to put a brace away, whilst Rooney looked back to his best.
There had been criticism that Rooney had been off form recently. It is true that our star talisman has blown a little hot and cold this season, but how often we forget that he is only 21. Saturday was a Stirling performance, a demonstration of what he is capable of. If ever there was a time for him to blow hot, now would almost certainly be it.
So we are another game closer to the crown, with every three points we earn, that little bit closer we get. Chelsea still need to close the six point gap and it might as well be 7, such is our superior goal difference. That is no easy task considering they still need to face Tottenham and Arsenal during the run-in.
In transfer news it appears we are now keeping tabs on Berbatov of Tottenham. I have been paying close attention to him in recent weeks and I have to admit the player is out and out class. What is frustrating is that I remember that we were interested in him this summer and he elected to move to Tottenham instead of waiting for an offer to come through.
The price would probably be in the region of £25 million, is this too much to pay? More importantly to we want to continue lining the pockets of Spurs for the foreseeable future? For £25 million surely Eto could be tempted away from Barcelona, I think I know which most fans would prefer.
Hargreaves has declared that the only club he would want to move to is United…. I can see why…. they’re the best.
I realised yesterday that it will soon be that time for transfer speculation again. This summer is a baron one as far is football is concerned and we will need to ramp up the discussion on who is going where as we kick our heels waiting for the new season to start. Robinho, Ronaldinho, Kaka and Torres, well we can all dream can’t we?
Friday, March 16, 2007
Man Utd running on empty. Exclusive transcript between Ferguson and Ronaldo revealed
As we approach a week of hectic fixtures, Ferguson must be cursing his luck as the injury list continues to grow. Add to that the antics in Spain about Ronaldo’s apparent agreement to join Madrid at the end of the season, Ferguson must be scratching his head saying “why now”?
The next three games appear to be a defining moment of the season. I can see myself writing those words a number of times over the next few months, as every game should be treated as a cup final. Ferguson faces the next 3 games at least with little more than 14 1st team players available for selection.
First up are Bolton, a strong physical team who are by no means pushovers. We face them with Van Der Sar, Evra, Silvestre, Ferdinand, Scholes, Fletcher, Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all missing. Add to this the permanent absence of Larrson and the squad looks thin, worryingly thin.
We are lucky that we have an international break after playing Middlesbrough on Monday. This should give Ferguson enough time to nurse some of his stars back to fitness ready to push on for glory, particularly in the premiership. If ever we needed to dig in and get a result Saturday would be it.
More news has surfaced that Madrid are going to chase Ronaldo over the summer. Apparently they have a verbal agreement with the Portuguese superstar. The article in the Guardian points to instances where Real have poached their man before and even refer to Beckham. I think there is one important difference between the Beckham transfer and the potential Ronaldo sale and that is Ferguson’s desire to keep Ronaldo.
When Ferguson sold Beckham it was because he wanted him to go. Ronaldo on the other hand is a player Ferguson evidently wants to hang on to. The irony of this story is that the Madrid president reports that "All he needs to do is speak to Sir Alex Ferguson and publicly demand to leave.” Right then it must be a done deal then. Of all the managers I would want to go and see and express my desire to leave, Ferguson would be so far down the list the ink would have run out in my pen.
You could picture that conversation couldn’t you:
Ronaldo: Hi Mr Ferguson
Ferguson: Hi son
Ronaldo: You know Real Madrid are interested in me?
Ferguson: Yes, but you don’t want to move to them, you have everything you could possibly want here, isn’t that right?
Ronaldo: Yes but..
Ferguson: No buts son you love it here and are happy.
Ronaldo: But my agent said…
Ferguson: Agents smagents, don’t listen to them son, they’ll tell you anything. Now about that new contract we’ve been talking about..
Ronaldo: But Real Madrid…
Ferguson: I know, it’s heartbreaking to see what was such a great club going down the shitter, I have a lot of respect for them too son, but hey that’s football, theirs nothing you can do about it. Now that contract. Just pop your autograph down on here, there’s a good chap.
Ronaldo signs and leave the office.
Alex: Son… I’m glad we had this chat!
Ronaldo: Me too.
The next three games appear to be a defining moment of the season. I can see myself writing those words a number of times over the next few months, as every game should be treated as a cup final. Ferguson faces the next 3 games at least with little more than 14 1st team players available for selection.
First up are Bolton, a strong physical team who are by no means pushovers. We face them with Van Der Sar, Evra, Silvestre, Ferdinand, Scholes, Fletcher, Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all missing. Add to this the permanent absence of Larrson and the squad looks thin, worryingly thin.
We are lucky that we have an international break after playing Middlesbrough on Monday. This should give Ferguson enough time to nurse some of his stars back to fitness ready to push on for glory, particularly in the premiership. If ever we needed to dig in and get a result Saturday would be it.
More news has surfaced that Madrid are going to chase Ronaldo over the summer. Apparently they have a verbal agreement with the Portuguese superstar. The article in the Guardian points to instances where Real have poached their man before and even refer to Beckham. I think there is one important difference between the Beckham transfer and the potential Ronaldo sale and that is Ferguson’s desire to keep Ronaldo.
When Ferguson sold Beckham it was because he wanted him to go. Ronaldo on the other hand is a player Ferguson evidently wants to hang on to. The irony of this story is that the Madrid president reports that "All he needs to do is speak to Sir Alex Ferguson and publicly demand to leave.” Right then it must be a done deal then. Of all the managers I would want to go and see and express my desire to leave, Ferguson would be so far down the list the ink would have run out in my pen.
You could picture that conversation couldn’t you:
Ronaldo: Hi Mr Ferguson
Ferguson: Hi son
Ronaldo: You know Real Madrid are interested in me?
Ferguson: Yes, but you don’t want to move to them, you have everything you could possibly want here, isn’t that right?
Ronaldo: Yes but..
Ferguson: No buts son you love it here and are happy.
Ronaldo: But my agent said…
Ferguson: Agents smagents, don’t listen to them son, they’ll tell you anything. Now about that new contract we’ve been talking about..
Ronaldo: But Real Madrid…
Ferguson: I know, it’s heartbreaking to see what was such a great club going down the shitter, I have a lot of respect for them too son, but hey that’s football, theirs nothing you can do about it. Now that contract. Just pop your autograph down on here, there’s a good chap.
Ronaldo signs and leave the office.
Alex: Son… I’m glad we had this chat!
Ronaldo: Me too.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Manchester United V Lille Match Review
Good morning people, so we are through to the quarter finals after a 1-0 victory over Lille. It wasn’t vintage United, but we got the job done and now face the prospect of facing some of the European giants for a place in the semi finals.
Lille looked dangerous from set pieces and threatened us a few times on the break, whereas united lacked that final ball into either Larrson or Rooney. I thought Rooney’s touch let him down somewhat and Larrson seemed to struggle with the physical nature of the game. But let me complain no more, we did what we needed to do and that’s what counts!
The draw for the quarter finals is tomorrow and the big question is… who do and don’t you want to face? you can vote for your choice in our Man Utd forum. Personally I would like to avoid and English team, the excitement of the champion’s league revolves around playing the top clubs in Europe and not in playing domestic teams.
Therefore the 3 teams I would like to face in order of preference would be Bayern Munich, AC Milan and Valencia. I know this is tough opposition, but I don’t think we need to fear anyone in this competition, it’s almost as though the bigger the team, the better we play.
I know that I have said this many times this season, but the next few games really are crucial if we are to push on all fronts for silverware. Without Scholes in midfield and limited options up front, the team must pull together more than ever. We have 2 physical games against Bolton and Blackburn coming up, I see this as potential slip ups. Our saving grace without doubt is our defence. We look so solid at the back, that we rarely look like conceding. It is up front that we really need to work hard, wasn’t it great to see Smith have a run out last night?
Right that’s it from me this morning, I forgot to mention earlier, the atmosphere at Old Trafford was excellent last, it reminded me of previous seasons, let’s have more of it!
Lille looked dangerous from set pieces and threatened us a few times on the break, whereas united lacked that final ball into either Larrson or Rooney. I thought Rooney’s touch let him down somewhat and Larrson seemed to struggle with the physical nature of the game. But let me complain no more, we did what we needed to do and that’s what counts!
The draw for the quarter finals is tomorrow and the big question is… who do and don’t you want to face? you can vote for your choice in our Man Utd forum. Personally I would like to avoid and English team, the excitement of the champion’s league revolves around playing the top clubs in Europe and not in playing domestic teams.
Therefore the 3 teams I would like to face in order of preference would be Bayern Munich, AC Milan and Valencia. I know this is tough opposition, but I don’t think we need to fear anyone in this competition, it’s almost as though the bigger the team, the better we play.
I know that I have said this many times this season, but the next few games really are crucial if we are to push on all fronts for silverware. Without Scholes in midfield and limited options up front, the team must pull together more than ever. We have 2 physical games against Bolton and Blackburn coming up, I see this as potential slip ups. Our saving grace without doubt is our defence. We look so solid at the back, that we rarely look like conceding. It is up front that we really need to work hard, wasn’t it great to see Smith have a run out last night?
Right that’s it from me this morning, I forgot to mention earlier, the atmosphere at Old Trafford was excellent last, it reminded me of previous seasons, let’s have more of it!
Monday, March 05, 2007
Liverpool V Manchester United review and Highlights
Well people what a weekend. We have successfully done the double over our arch rivals. It was one of those games where you always thought there was no chance we would walk away with the points, then once they had thrown everything at us, you felt sure that we could nick it at the end. What a game!!
I thought that we were largely outplayed for a lot of the game, but that is to be expected when you go to Anfield, the crowd can act like a twelfth man at times and I think this was certainly the case on Saturday. But in the end it was superb defending by our boys and that was the difference between the sides.
Rio Ferdinand was excellent, as was Van Der Sar. His save from Crouch in the dying minutes was the difference between 3 points and 0 points. In the end we had one chance in the dying seconds and we grabbed it with both hands. It was a sterling performance that reminded me of a team we had 8 years ago.
Something feels different this year. No matter how up against it we are, we have the drive and determination to get results when it matters. Last season I am sure we would have crumbled under the pressure from Liverpool. Heads would have dropped and we simply wouldn’t believe that we could do it.
This season it is different. Against Fulham and Liverpool, we didn’t care whether there was 10 minutes or 30 seconds left to play. We would always go for it knowing that we could score that vital goal that would take us one step further to glory.
Mourinho said a while back that the season wasn’t over. We had to go to Anfield, Emirates and the Bridge, all difficult places. Mourinho fully expected these fixtures to be an opportunity for his team to close the gap on United and really make a title race. Well we have two of those results out of the way and are still 9 points clear. We are now fully in the driving seat and the title is ours to lose. Judging by the celebrations this weekend I think the players no this more than any of us.
We now have 3 fairly tough domestic games against Bolton, Blackburn and Middlesbrough and will have to face them without our midfield man Scholes. It’s not often you see him react like that and we will miss him badly for them. But I am confident the team can cope and bring the title closer to home.
I thought that we were largely outplayed for a lot of the game, but that is to be expected when you go to Anfield, the crowd can act like a twelfth man at times and I think this was certainly the case on Saturday. But in the end it was superb defending by our boys and that was the difference between the sides.
Rio Ferdinand was excellent, as was Van Der Sar. His save from Crouch in the dying minutes was the difference between 3 points and 0 points. In the end we had one chance in the dying seconds and we grabbed it with both hands. It was a sterling performance that reminded me of a team we had 8 years ago.
Something feels different this year. No matter how up against it we are, we have the drive and determination to get results when it matters. Last season I am sure we would have crumbled under the pressure from Liverpool. Heads would have dropped and we simply wouldn’t believe that we could do it.
This season it is different. Against Fulham and Liverpool, we didn’t care whether there was 10 minutes or 30 seconds left to play. We would always go for it knowing that we could score that vital goal that would take us one step further to glory.
Mourinho said a while back that the season wasn’t over. We had to go to Anfield, Emirates and the Bridge, all difficult places. Mourinho fully expected these fixtures to be an opportunity for his team to close the gap on United and really make a title race. Well we have two of those results out of the way and are still 9 points clear. We are now fully in the driving seat and the title is ours to lose. Judging by the celebrations this weekend I think the players no this more than any of us.
We now have 3 fairly tough domestic games against Bolton, Blackburn and Middlesbrough and will have to face them without our midfield man Scholes. It’s not often you see him react like that and we will miss him badly for them. But I am confident the team can cope and bring the title closer to home.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Fulham V Manchester United Review and highlights
What a weekend!!! Speaking to a fellow United fan he was saying to me that the result against Fulham was all about management. It would be fair to say that Fulham were the dominant team throughout the game and we really should have lost, but Ferguson’s man management paid off and we took the vital 3 points to go 9 clear!
It was a day of mixed fortunes. United went down to an early goal from Mcbride as Fulham never really looked like rolling over. United’s defence looked stretched and largely ineffective and it looked as though 9 points clear was not a possibility. Then came another moment of brilliance from Rooney and Giggs and it was 1-1 before the break.
The second half brought more of the same from Fulham, they relentlessly pressured United and it was looking as though we were heading for a loss let alone a draw. Then 0n 88 minutes that man Ronaldo, produced a moment of individual brilliance to grab us the vital points to keep the pressure on Chelsea.
It was plain to see how much it means to this team. When Ronaldo scored, the management, the subs and the team went crazy, it was like the champions league final all over again. If anyone questioned United’s hunger and desire before the game, they surely couldn’t say as much now.
The result made it quite clear to me how every game seems like a six pointe. If we won we would be 9 clear, but had we lost Chelsea could come within 3 points of us. The way it stands at the moment we can afford to lose against Chelsea and Liverpool and still win the title, the ball is very much in our court!
It was a day of mixed fortunes. United went down to an early goal from Mcbride as Fulham never really looked like rolling over. United’s defence looked stretched and largely ineffective and it looked as though 9 points clear was not a possibility. Then came another moment of brilliance from Rooney and Giggs and it was 1-1 before the break.
The second half brought more of the same from Fulham, they relentlessly pressured United and it was looking as though we were heading for a loss let alone a draw. Then 0n 88 minutes that man Ronaldo, produced a moment of individual brilliance to grab us the vital points to keep the pressure on Chelsea.
It was plain to see how much it means to this team. When Ronaldo scored, the management, the subs and the team went crazy, it was like the champions league final all over again. If anyone questioned United’s hunger and desire before the game, they surely couldn’t say as much now.
The result made it quite clear to me how every game seems like a six pointe. If we won we would be 9 clear, but had we lost Chelsea could come within 3 points of us. The way it stands at the moment we can afford to lose against Chelsea and Liverpool and still win the title, the ball is very much in our court!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
United victory overshadowed by Lille antics
It was a victory for Manchester United last night in a game that had it all. Crowd problems, missiles and even a potential walk off by the Lille players ensure that the return leg at Old Trafford will be a fiery encounter.
Both sides had chances in a game that really didn’t get going for the first 45 minutes. The only notable action appeared off the pitch when there appeared to be an altercation between the United fans and French riot police. It was suggested at the time that there were too many fans in the away end, and as a result some spectators were getting crushed!
Riot fans appeared to respond by using tear gas, with reports after the game suggesting Van Der Sar suffered double vision as a result.
Read the BBC article here
The second half brought yet more drama when Lille had a goal disallowed for an appeared push on Nemanja Vidic. Ronaldo was then substituted after an indifferent performance. He often tried one trick too many and ended up giving the ball away on too many occasions. Saha was his replacement, but he was not much better.
The game descended into chaos on 83 minutes. Giggs scored a quickly taken free kick and as a result the Lille coach ordered his players off the pitch in what appeared to be a walk off. The game eventually continued but it had done nothing to quell an already tense atmosphere. The crowd appeared restless and hostile and responded by launching missiles at the Man Utd players.
The game ended 1-0 but sadly the talking points were not the football. Ferguson clearly wasn’t happy as can be judged by his response in this interview
All in all it sets things up for a seriously exciting return leg! Welcome to Old Trafford Lille!!!
Both sides had chances in a game that really didn’t get going for the first 45 minutes. The only notable action appeared off the pitch when there appeared to be an altercation between the United fans and French riot police. It was suggested at the time that there were too many fans in the away end, and as a result some spectators were getting crushed!
Riot fans appeared to respond by using tear gas, with reports after the game suggesting Van Der Sar suffered double vision as a result.
Read the BBC article here
The second half brought yet more drama when Lille had a goal disallowed for an appeared push on Nemanja Vidic. Ronaldo was then substituted after an indifferent performance. He often tried one trick too many and ended up giving the ball away on too many occasions. Saha was his replacement, but he was not much better.
The game descended into chaos on 83 minutes. Giggs scored a quickly taken free kick and as a result the Lille coach ordered his players off the pitch in what appeared to be a walk off. The game eventually continued but it had done nothing to quell an already tense atmosphere. The crowd appeared restless and hostile and responded by launching missiles at the Man Utd players.
The game ended 1-0 but sadly the talking points were not the football. Ferguson clearly wasn’t happy as can be judged by his response in this interview
All in all it sets things up for a seriously exciting return leg! Welcome to Old Trafford Lille!!!
Monday, February 05, 2007
United maintain the gap and is Ronaldo on his way?
Good morning people, appologies for not posting in a while, I have been having some serious internet issues, I hope to be sorted by the end of this week. Well what a week we have had? After the disappointing result against Arsenal, we have shown what we are made of, with victories over Portsmouth, Watford and Tottenham.
They say the sign of true champions is how they handle themselves after a defeat. If that is the case then United are showing true championship qualities. Yesterday we looked like a team in complete control of our destiny. Tottenham didn’t play badly, just United were far too strong! We picked our moments and took our chances.
There was a comical moment at the end of the game when John O’shea had to replace the injured Van Der Sar in goal for the last 10 minutes. The Irishman did brilliantly to prevent Robbie Keane in a one on one, something that will no doubt be joked about on a number of occasions on the international scene. It seems that Van Der Sar has broken his nose, so who knows how long he will be out for!
Another casualty from yesterdays game was Rooney. It seems that he will be doubtful for Wednesdays friendly against Spain. To be honest I won’t be disappointed if he doesn’t feature in the game, let’s save him for club games and concentrate on winning the treble!
In transfer news it seems that we are getting a taste of our own medicine. Barcelona are sniffing around Ronaldo again with Gill stating that we are not a club that sells players…we are not a bank etc. Sounds very similar to the Hargreaves saga to me. Of course I think we all feel the same, we don’t want Ronaldo to leave, I just hope he signs an extension with us as we all know we can’t keep a player forever against his will. I think a lot will hinge on how this season goes. If we do well in the Chanpions league he will commit his future to us, if not, who knows!
P.S here are the highlights of the Watford game:
And the Tottenham game:
They say the sign of true champions is how they handle themselves after a defeat. If that is the case then United are showing true championship qualities. Yesterday we looked like a team in complete control of our destiny. Tottenham didn’t play badly, just United were far too strong! We picked our moments and took our chances.
There was a comical moment at the end of the game when John O’shea had to replace the injured Van Der Sar in goal for the last 10 minutes. The Irishman did brilliantly to prevent Robbie Keane in a one on one, something that will no doubt be joked about on a number of occasions on the international scene. It seems that Van Der Sar has broken his nose, so who knows how long he will be out for!
Another casualty from yesterdays game was Rooney. It seems that he will be doubtful for Wednesdays friendly against Spain. To be honest I won’t be disappointed if he doesn’t feature in the game, let’s save him for club games and concentrate on winning the treble!
In transfer news it seems that we are getting a taste of our own medicine. Barcelona are sniffing around Ronaldo again with Gill stating that we are not a club that sells players…we are not a bank etc. Sounds very similar to the Hargreaves saga to me. Of course I think we all feel the same, we don’t want Ronaldo to leave, I just hope he signs an extension with us as we all know we can’t keep a player forever against his will. I think a lot will hinge on how this season goes. If we do well in the Chanpions league he will commit his future to us, if not, who knows!
P.S here are the highlights of the Watford game:
And the Tottenham game:
Monday, January 22, 2007
Man Utd V Arsenal Review
Well what a disappointing weekend, Wenger got it right when he said we were 10 minutes from winning the title. To be honest I thought we looked off the pace throughout and never deserved to win. Anyhow we must press on and we must remember, we are still 6 points clear at the top of the table.
Yesterdays performance demonstrated to me how much we miss a real fighter in the midfield. Keane would have got amongst Arsenals midfield, preventing them from playing the football we all know they love to play. From the of we allowed them too much space on the ball meaning they could go forward in strength and numbers. The two goals was cruel on us, but perhaps it will galvanize the team back into winning ways next week.
It was the perfect opportunity to take the club 9 points clear at the top after Chelsea’s performance at Anfield. They looked disheartened, their body language was not that of champions but of a team in crisis, the constant bickering in the board room seems to be finally affecting how the teams play.
As for the underdogs Arsenal and Liverpool, they will be fired up after this weekends results and it is up to us to ensure we keep them at arms length by getting back on a winning run, we really don’t want it to go down to the wire, as exciting as that may be!
Yesterday shows we need Hargreaves and a lack of transfer activity in January could harm our prospects of winning the title comfortably!
Yesterdays performance demonstrated to me how much we miss a real fighter in the midfield. Keane would have got amongst Arsenals midfield, preventing them from playing the football we all know they love to play. From the of we allowed them too much space on the ball meaning they could go forward in strength and numbers. The two goals was cruel on us, but perhaps it will galvanize the team back into winning ways next week.
It was the perfect opportunity to take the club 9 points clear at the top after Chelsea’s performance at Anfield. They looked disheartened, their body language was not that of champions but of a team in crisis, the constant bickering in the board room seems to be finally affecting how the teams play.
As for the underdogs Arsenal and Liverpool, they will be fired up after this weekends results and it is up to us to ensure we keep them at arms length by getting back on a winning run, we really don’t want it to go down to the wire, as exciting as that may be!
Yesterday shows we need Hargreaves and a lack of transfer activity in January could harm our prospects of winning the title comfortably!
Monday, January 08, 2007
Manchester United dominate Villa, is this another team of greats?
Good morning, did we all enjoy the weekend? What a great day for Laarson on his debut, the guy just oozes class and I can see him being a great success for United during his brief stay with us. It’s a shame we didn’t capture him during his prime, I am in no doubt he would have been a United legend, great work ethic, naturally gifted and an all round driven individual! Yesterday was for you Henrik!
Yesterday saw us go thorough to the 4th round of the FA cup in a performance that was not blinding, but nonetheless entertaining to watch! This team really is coming into its own and most definitely has the potential to be up there with the team of 99. Perhaps a lot of you think I am premature in my statement, but let me try and justify my thoughts!
Yesterday typified my views entirely! We played okay, perhaps the final touch was a little sloppy and that is something we will need to work on. The problem was we never really got going, we never showed that killer instinct in front of goal and to be honest Villa could have been very satisfied to get a replay!
But in spite of us not playing in 5th gear we controlled the game from start to finish (bar a 15 minute spell) our passing from the back to the midfield was excellent and you always felt that we would score. Even when we were playing way below what we are capable of we had 70% of the possession and 24 shots on goal. It is the fact that we controlled the game without performing brilliantly that suggests to me that we are back and ready to challenge for all competitions.
I know Wenger bangs on about his team playing beautiful football, problem is he never wins anything!! With United I think we play even more beautiful football and we win games! Yesterday we were a joy to behold, Rooney, although his touch was sometimes a little heavy, countered with pace and vigour, his link up play with Laarson was nothing short of breath taking at times! Ronaldo was his usual self, I just love watching him on the ball! Evra and Neville were excellent whipping balls in all over the show! Wenger we play better football than you, so deal with it!
United fans have something special in store this season. Let’s get behind our lads for the run-in. We score more goals than any other team in the premiership and we let less in. We have got to be in for a good thing with that formula! Roll on Villa….Again!
Yesterday saw us go thorough to the 4th round of the FA cup in a performance that was not blinding, but nonetheless entertaining to watch! This team really is coming into its own and most definitely has the potential to be up there with the team of 99. Perhaps a lot of you think I am premature in my statement, but let me try and justify my thoughts!
Yesterday typified my views entirely! We played okay, perhaps the final touch was a little sloppy and that is something we will need to work on. The problem was we never really got going, we never showed that killer instinct in front of goal and to be honest Villa could have been very satisfied to get a replay!
But in spite of us not playing in 5th gear we controlled the game from start to finish (bar a 15 minute spell) our passing from the back to the midfield was excellent and you always felt that we would score. Even when we were playing way below what we are capable of we had 70% of the possession and 24 shots on goal. It is the fact that we controlled the game without performing brilliantly that suggests to me that we are back and ready to challenge for all competitions.
I know Wenger bangs on about his team playing beautiful football, problem is he never wins anything!! With United I think we play even more beautiful football and we win games! Yesterday we were a joy to behold, Rooney, although his touch was sometimes a little heavy, countered with pace and vigour, his link up play with Laarson was nothing short of breath taking at times! Ronaldo was his usual self, I just love watching him on the ball! Evra and Neville were excellent whipping balls in all over the show! Wenger we play better football than you, so deal with it!
United fans have something special in store this season. Let’s get behind our lads for the run-in. We score more goals than any other team in the premiership and we let less in. We have got to be in for a good thing with that formula! Roll on Villa….Again!
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Man Utd V Newcastle match review and trnasfer news
Well people, I’m sure a lot of you are back at work for the first time in over a week. I thought it was important to get back into the swing of writing on the blog again after a brief holiday break. Anyhow enough of the subtleties let’s get onto th3e important stuff…. United.
It was 2 points dropped yesterday as a dogged Newcastle scored 2 fantastic goals to ensure the score was 2-2. united were dominant as expected, with Scholes getting on the Score sheet twice to bring United from behind to lead 2-1. It was a wonder goal from debutant Edgar that soured our day and allows Mourinho to close the gap to 4 points, should they beat Aston Villa tonight.
United for all their domination couldn’t find that late winner. Solano was on hand to provide a last minute clearance off the line allowing his team to get a valuable point for the maggies. All credit should be given to Newcastle for their performance with no less than 16 first team players out with injury, they stood up well even if United did have 20 shots on goal.
Other results this Christmas have been favourable. Despite the loss at West Ham, performances have been of the highest standard. Fergie has rotated the team to full effect, meaning all players have remained fresh and raring to go at a congested time in the fixture list.
In transfer news, it has been surprisingly quiet, the tabloids are not reporting with the usual hype that we have come to expect over recent years. The only real development (as if we didn’t already know) is that Fergie will make another move for Hargreaves as his leg is recovering well. We know there is money to spend, but who should we spend it on?
Finally the arrival of Laarson and Rossi means we have great strength up front, defence is looking good as well, I guess our only real weakness is in midfield, but the picture there is all the more rosy than I first though at the start of the season. Park has provided welcome relief for the wingers and has been bright for the most part.
Well that’s it form me for today.. It’s great to be back writing on the blog again, hope you all had a fantastic new year!
P.S here is a brief insight into the United behind the scenes, it’s from the dressing room of united after they won the carling cup! Enjoy
It was 2 points dropped yesterday as a dogged Newcastle scored 2 fantastic goals to ensure the score was 2-2. united were dominant as expected, with Scholes getting on the Score sheet twice to bring United from behind to lead 2-1. It was a wonder goal from debutant Edgar that soured our day and allows Mourinho to close the gap to 4 points, should they beat Aston Villa tonight.
United for all their domination couldn’t find that late winner. Solano was on hand to provide a last minute clearance off the line allowing his team to get a valuable point for the maggies. All credit should be given to Newcastle for their performance with no less than 16 first team players out with injury, they stood up well even if United did have 20 shots on goal.
Other results this Christmas have been favourable. Despite the loss at West Ham, performances have been of the highest standard. Fergie has rotated the team to full effect, meaning all players have remained fresh and raring to go at a congested time in the fixture list.
In transfer news, it has been surprisingly quiet, the tabloids are not reporting with the usual hype that we have come to expect over recent years. The only real development (as if we didn’t already know) is that Fergie will make another move for Hargreaves as his leg is recovering well. We know there is money to spend, but who should we spend it on?
Finally the arrival of Laarson and Rossi means we have great strength up front, defence is looking good as well, I guess our only real weakness is in midfield, but the picture there is all the more rosy than I first though at the start of the season. Park has provided welcome relief for the wingers and has been bright for the most part.
Well that’s it form me for today.. It’s great to be back writing on the blog again, hope you all had a fantastic new year!
P.S here is a brief insight into the United behind the scenes, it’s from the dressing room of united after they won the carling cup! Enjoy
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