Archive for September, 2007

Fergie hoping for a Brucie Bonus

Published by
Paul
at September 28, 2007 in Previews. 0 Comments

Back to the league after a less than super game in the League Cup.  To be honest, I couldn’t care less.  I doubt any fan at the end of the season will be thinking about Wednesday nights game.  If we win the league or European Cup then who will care about the League Cup and if we don’t, we’ll be worrying more about not winning the league.   There may be long term issues involving the ability of the youth players we have, but in all honesty, the team that lost to Coventry will not represent the United 1st team of the future.  For a start, players like Ronaldo and Rooney are still very young; and no doubt there will be future signings.  Perhaps I’d be worried about the performance of Anderson and maybe Pique but if the whole team does not perform, you have to isolate individual performances and not draw too much conclusion from them.

Anyway, the forthcoming league match against Birmingham will be a hard game.  Ignore the fact that they’ve just come up and see how they got a draw against Liverpool.  We haven’t done so well in attacking and breaking down stubborn teams yet this season.  I hoped that the game against Chelsea would help kick start the season; but due to the early sending off and the off field actions it was far too easy.

Birmingham have kept a clean sheet in their last two games and United in their last 5.  This has got 0-0 written all over it,  so I’m hoping for a bit of magic from one of our stars this time.  Last week, it was Giggs with an excellent cross.   If we get an early goal, it may even open the floodgates.

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Carling Cup preview and other more interesting matters

Published by
Paul
at September 26, 2007 in Manchester United. 2 Comments

Carling Cup against Coventry City – youth players and fringe benefits only. I used to enjoy the Carling Cup or whatever it was called. Back in 1983 I’ll never forget the Liverpool United final where Whiteside scored and a Milk Cup game against Oxford where a certain Mark Hughes scored. Latter days it has been the testing ground for the youth team; where Beckham, Scholes and Neville tried out the first team. Now, it is a still a youth team event, but the likelihood of any of the team being promoted to the first team have diminished given the spending power United now have.

Instead of blooding Eagles more often, United signed Nani.  Instead of giving David Jones a chance in the team, United sign Carrick and Hargreaves and ship off the youngsters to teams like Derby. So forgive for not thinking much about tonights game. Apparently Rooney wants to play. When doesn’t he?

More interesting is the continuing implosion at Chelsea. There is an interesting article in the Telegraph comparing the Chelsea owner Abramovich with the Glazers

At Old Trafford, however, the balance of power really is something new. Here the owner’s priority is not football, it’s money. The Glazers know nothing about the game, have no interest in how it’s played, frankly wouldn’t be aware of 4-4-2 unless that was the percentage figure on their debt repayment. As long as success is putting bums on seats, they don’t care how it comes.

I never thought I’d say this, but the Glazers did get some things right. They knew enough (or knew they knew nothing) about football to leave everything as it was from Fergie upwards and left them to it, even keeping David Gill in charge despite him being a critic of the takeover. Their lack of interest carries on far enough to let Solskjaer become a coach despite him publically backing and supporting Shareholders United. Imagine that happening at Chelsea?

What happens at Chelsea are things like the old manager taking all the scouting reports with him when he leaves; which is pure spite on Mourhino’s part and unlikely to have been an act caused by “mutual consent”. Mind you, if John Terry and Avram Grant had stabbed me in the back, I’d not want to help them do anything.

What also happens at Chelsea is that they install unlicensed managers in charge which United have opposed. I find this a bit odd and did when the other clubs opposed Gareth Southgate becoming manager. If the opposition has a rubbish manager, wouldn’t you want to let them keep him? Of course, unlicensed != rubbish and we’ll have to wait and see on that count.

In other opposition news, Arsenal march on and Liverpool shoot themselves in the foot by “resting” Torrez for 2 league matches where they drop 4 points and playing him in last nights Carling Cup game against Reading. Presumably, he’ll have to have a rest again after than on Saturday and Liverpool will drop more points, but at least they are through to the 4th round of this important trophy, eh?

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Why Chelsea lost and Mikel got sent off

Published by
Paul
at September 24, 2007 in Reviews. 6 Comments

Review: Manchester United 2 (Tevez 45+2, Saha 90) Chelsea 0

If you watch Channel 4’s American import “My Name is Earl” you’ll know about Karma and the concept that if you do something wrong, life will treat you bad until you do something to make up for it. In the TV show, Earl has a list of things he’s done wrong. Well, Jon Obi Mikel needs to make his list now and top of it should be “1. Subbed Man United and used lawyers to get out of a signed contract”. Until he does, he will continue to be sent off. I have to say that I thought the sending off was harsh. It was a poor tackle, but only one footed and would normally been a yellow card, but for some reason (karma?) the ref saw two feet and sent him straight off.

However, the reference got a number of other decisions wrong. Worst of all was the disgusting, despicable tackle by Joe Cole which should have seen a straight red. That sort of thing disgusts me more than anything and Cole was subbed soon after as the manager probably felt the same. There was also the type of classlessness from Chelsea when they failed to give the ball back after it had been played out for an injury. Also, there was Ashley Cole being himself and being hated by everyone. I’m glad Rooney pushed him to the floor and made him eat some Old Trafford dirt.

Unfortunately, the reffing issues (timing of the first goal, missing a penalty, wrong man sent off, a penalty for a dive) overshadowed the footballing story. Chelsea were never in this game, United bossed it and had it easy. Even a 10 man Chelsea would have tried something, possibly three at the back or something. Mourhino would have attempted something and maybe would have got a draw. As it was, they played one man up front and offered nothing.

In my preview I thought Giggs and Tevez would be substitutes and I’m very glad that I am not manager of Manchester United because they combined to score United’s first goal. Giggs played in a fantastic cross with the outside of his boot and Tevez scored his first for United with a diving header from much the same place as his last goal in the Premiership.

Late on, Saha picked up the ball inside the area and turned the out of depth Ben Haim. The Chelsea defender stuck out his leg, kicking Saha who let’s say “made the most of it” and won a penalty. Ok, he dived. I don’t like it and it wasn’t needed, but it was sort of funny because it happened to Chelsea.

So, an easy 2-0 against a hapless Chelsea. Will they come back strong spending another £100 million in the transfer window on some more stars and get themselves a good manager? Or will they turn into the Hearts of the south and be laughed at a lot? I don’t know, but I think this season at least, winning the league has just become much easier simply because Chelsea are not as good as they were. Karma is kicking in.

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United ready to face Grant’s Chelsea

Published by
Paul
at September 21, 2007 in Previews. 0 Comments

Preview: Manchester United v Chelsea (Old Trafford, Sunday 23 September, 1600 BST)

Heaven knows what to expect to happen in this game as Mourhino has gone and Chelsea seem to have had a mini crisis; their first team in tears for their old manager, appointing a relative unknown in Avram Grant as manager and perhaps most insane getting Jamie Redknapp in to add glamour? Who knows how they will react? What I do know is that without the injured Drogba they are half the team they were, and perhaps without Mourhino they’ll lose the other half. I’d love an easy 3-0 win just to rub salt into the wounds.

Perhaps not. We are on the verge of quite a unique 5th 1-0 win in a row. This must have been how supporting Arsenal under George Graham felt. United have not scored more than 1 goal in the last 11 games, and have only conceded 3 goals in 9 games. Top defence as the American fans might say. Can someone bring the real United back please?

It would be nice to see Fergie going for the potential weakness in Chelsea and playing two up from the start, Rooney and Saha would be my pick with Nani and Ronaldo on the wings and Scholes and Carrick (or Hargreaves if fit). Sorry, Giggs and Tevez, it’s the bench, time for some impact substitute performances from you.  Isn’t it good how the defence, even in the absence of Neville picks itself now? Vidic was the key signing, bringing a rock to the more fluid Evra and Ferdinand.

Whatever happens Sunday, it will be interesting so make sure you find somewhere to watch it.

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Sporting Fans Give Ronaldo a Standing Ovation after goal

Published by
Paul
at September 20, 2007 in Reviews. 0 Comments

Review: Sporting Lisbon 0 Manchester United 1 (Ronaldo 61)

Christiano Ronaldo scored the winning goal against his former team as United started their Champions League campaign with an away win.

Four 1-0 wins in a row. Not exactly the breathtaking football of last season, is it? But there were signs last night that United were getting back on track. Both Rooney and Ronaldo were back, and the latter was the star performer. The defence was on good form and Edwin van der Sar produced two excellent saves to banish his indifferent form from the end of last season.

This was not a vintage performance, but United away in Europe never is these days. A cautious 4-5-1 approach is what Fergie has favoured for the last few seasons, and last night it was pretty effective, if not pretty.

Once Sporting were 1-0 down, they opened up and let United counter attack. Ronaldo was given lots of space on the left and United started to actually look good for the first time this season. It is not surprising this happened after Saha had replaced Rooney and we were able to stretch the Sporting defence even further.

It was mainly all about Ronaldo returning to his old club. When he scored; a diving header from an excellent cross from Brown, he barely celebrated and even apologised to the fans.  At one point he took on the entire Sporting defence as well as the many divots in the dreadful pitch.  He looked like a skier doing an Olympic slalom.

When he was substituted, the entire ground stood up to applaud him off the pitch.  It is so good to see that, when in England it seems it is the norm to vilify an ex-player.

So, not the best performance, but a lot of positives from the night.  An away win, Ronaldo on form, the return of Rooney, Vidic and Ferdinand again excellent and van der Sar on top form.  Roll on Sunday when we take on managerless Chelsea.

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