… which isn’t for ages yet.
Christmas gets earlier and earlier every year.
Don’t click this link if you hate anything Christmas related before December.
Can you really buy United membership in Sainsbury’s ?
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Archive for November, 2007 Page 2 of 3
Man United 2 (Ronaldo 34, 35) Blackburn Rovers 0
Christiano Ronaldo scored 2 goals in a minute to end Blackburn’s chances at Old Trafford. In a spirited display, Mark Hughes’ men had chances to score, but the game was effectively ended when David Dunn was sent off early in the 2nd half for a 2nd bookable offence.
In a week when Ronaldo has been criticised in some quarters for not playing as well this season as last and when United were expected to miss the talented Englishman Wayne Rooney, it was fitting that the Portuguese star should get two goals to both silence the critics and letting United fans think Wayne Who?
Ronaldo’s first was a header direct from a corner. He has always been good in the area and this time Ronaldo was allowed time and space and did not make a mistake, putting the ball firmly in the corner. The second was a typical United counter attack ending when Carlos Tevez played a superb ball across the face of the goal straight to the onrushing winger, who played it back past the Blackburn goalkeeper, Brad Freidal.
Dunn’s sending off was perhaps unfortunate. His 2nd booking was fair, a tackle from behind on Saha, but the first, for tusling with Tevez did not look like a booking. Queiroz seemed to think it may have been for persistent fouling, but the referee usually points around the ground to the various spots where the fouls occurred when doing this, and in this case that was not the case.
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It’s Friday night. Our neighbour’s chickens have been savagely murdered by a fox that got in their box (so not Franny Jeffers then) so we are toasting their memory with a beer or three (and a KFC takeway). Here is the news in brief :-
- Fergie is going to give Louis Saha a chance to form a relationship with Carlos Tevez following an training injury to Wayne Rooney’s ankle. As The Offside points out, the games he is likely to miss are not exactly the worst; only Blackburn this Sunday posing a major problem.
- Wayne Rooney and Reds Legend Mark Hughes win Player and Manager of the month awards respectively. Given that Wayne instantly knackered himself, can Mark Hughes become instantly rubbish for the next 1 game, please?
- Current central defender, Nemanja Vidic signs new contract keeping him at OT until 2012.
- By which time Gerard Pique will be his partner if Fergie has his way.
- Anderson claims he is no diver. Which is true, but can he comment on whether he is a roller or card waver?
- Fergie is Setenna’s Scrooge as he didn’t let the little TV station get a Christmas Eve present for its viewers.
United don’t play Blackburn until Sunday, be sure to check back tomorrow for my preview and see whether Saha has managed to go 7 whole days fit.
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Time for another FC United update as the last time was back in August.
With a 3-0 win over Bridlington, FC United recorded there sixth win in a row. Oddly matching Man United’s form, FC can go top of the table on goal difference if they win their next game (okay so Arsenal are top on goal difference). Top of the table are Curzon Ashton who are still in the FA Cup whereas FC United were dumped of the cup going down 2-1 to Fleetwood Town back in September.
In related news, Altrincham, my old local team are back in the FA Cup First Round with a home game against Millwall. Altrincham have a fine history in the FA Cup, once visiting Anfield in 1981, losing to Liverpool in the 3rd round, but doing even better by beating Birmingham City in 1986.
After a shaky start to the season, FC United have come to grips with the Unibond 1st division and are doing really well. You can watch FC United clips and listen to live commentary on the internet at fcum.tv
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Manchester United 4 (Pique 30, Tevez 36, Rooney 75, Ronaldo 87) Dynamo Kiev 0
Seems the Arsenal game was merely a blip in the 4 goal scoring spree as United strolled past a poor Kiev. United made a host of changes from the Arsenal game. Anderson, Ferdinand, Giggs, Brown and Hargreaves replaced by Carrick, Pique, Nani, Simpson and Fletcher respectively.
An initially ultra defensive Kiev proved hard to open up in the first half, but eventually the first game came from an unlikely source. It was a pinball moment as a Carrick header hit the back of Tevez’s head only to loop over the Gerard Pique who headed the ball back across the goal and into the net. Tevez was actually offside from the Carrick header but you can hardly blame the linesman for not following this.
Shortly later, a goal of a completely different nature settled the game. A Kiev player dwelt too long on the ball in the centre circle and was robbed by Carlos Tevez. Seconds later, Tevez had stormed forward, exchanged a 1-2 with Rooney on the edge of the area and fired the ball into the net. A perfect United style goal; fast, counter-attacking, skilful and breathtaking. It was Tevez’s first Champions League goal and hopefully the first of many for United.
At half time Kiev made two attacking substitution, whilst Var Der Saar was replaced by Thomas Kuszczak. Whilst this meant Kiev had some chances to score (when called upon Kuszezak did well) it also meant that Kiev’s defensive rubbishness from the first leg returned in all its glory. United players had more trouble arguing amongst themselves over who was going to score than from the Kiev defenders (specifically Ronaldo). Eventually United scored again and it was a simple goal. A great cross from Nani which Rooney side footed home.
But Ronaldo wasn’t going to be denied from getting on the goal scoring act. Of course, he had to do it with a special bit of skill. Back healing past the defender (or is it sidehealing?) into the area and then powerfully firing the ball into the top corner.
With about 3 seconds of injury time allowed, the referee called time and with Roma getting a late equaliser in Lisbon, United qualified for the next stage in style. We still need one point to finish top of the group which should be achievable in the next game at home to Sporting.
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