United On Fire

What a month December could have been. At half time on the 29th December in the sixth Premier League game, United were leading 1-0 against West Ham, had scored 14 goals and let in only 2, were back on top of the table and were on course for a 100% league record in December. Ronaldo had scored seven goals and in flying form. By the end of the day, we’d lost 2-1, Ronaldo had missed a penalty and Arsenal were back top of the league and we were 2nd. So close to being the perfect month.

On the 3rd in a Monday night game United beat Fulham 2-0 with both goals from Christiano Ronaldo. The main talking point from this game was referee Rob Stiles booking Ronaldo for an alleged dive when it was clear that had Ronaldo not tried to go over the keepers arms he would have collided with him. Rooney returned from injury in this game but was rather rusty.

Next up was the league whipping boys Derby County who, at a rain drenched Old Trafford, we dispatched 4-1. Ryan Giggs scored his 100th League goal for United to open the scoring, then Tevez stuck in 2 before being denied a first Red Devil hat trick by a little bit greedy Ronaldo. More on penalties later in the month.

We had a brief interlude in Premiership proceedings with a Champions League group match against Roma rendered meaningless as United had already won the group. A 1-1 draw with Pique scoring was the outcome, but there was more trouble off the pitch as fans clashed again in Italy.

Back to the Premiership and off to Anfield on the 16th. It was another game at Liver”This Season we really mean it”pool and the result was the same as last season, 1-0 to United. A well worked corner and Liverpool left Rooneyunmarked on the edge of the area. His shot went straight to Tevez, also unmarked in the 6-yard box, who clipped it home. Another season and another Anfield victory. We do have bogey grounds, but Anfield is not one of them.

23rd and home to the other half of Scouserland, Everton. An early Ronaldo goal was cancelled out by Cahill, and resolute defending from Everton meant the game was 1-1 until the 88th minute when Steve Pienaar undid all the good work by bringing down Giggs in the box. Ronaldo calmly dispatched the penalty and United won 2-1.

Boxing Day and United ran out easy winners against Sunderland, 4-0. There was another penalty but as Ronaldo had been substituted for the returning Park, Saha took it and scored. I think we’ve had more penalties this month than the whole of last season. Roy Keane’s men were really not at this game at all and look to have a relegation battle ahead of them.

Our final game of December and the whole of 2007 was the defeat at West Ham. Rooney was ill, Ronaldo scored in the first half, missed a penalty in the second, West Ham scored two headed goals, we lost 2-1 and Fergie got a new hairdryer for Christmas. We’re still very well placed in the league and losing at West Ham seems to be an annual occurrence that doesn’t really affect our general form or the outcome of the title race. We lost there last season and we won the league. We are now 2 points behind Arsenal whereas at the end of November we were 3 points behind and Arsenal had a game in hand. Very much United’s month despite the ending to it.

And that rounds up a very happy 2007. Roll on 2008. Happy New Year everyone.

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West Ham 2 (A Ferdinand 77, Upson 82) Manchester United 1 (Ronaldo 14)

A very below par performance, a missed penalty and a history of bad results at Upton Park combined together to make United’s third defeat of the season.

Mostly this game was all about how well West Ham played. I have a particular dislike for the Happy Hammers dating back to 1992 when a particularly poor West Ham side beat us to stop us winning the league that season. They raised their game (like many teams since) simply because we were Man United and that seems to be the case again today. They were the better team, but where was that team for the rest of this season. In their last home game, they could only draw against 10 men Reading (and it’s not like it’s hard to score against Reading).

Against the run of play, Manchester United took the lead. Giggs crossed, and Ronaldo proved he was a good header of the ball once again. Before this, United had had their post rattled but the goal didn’t seem to inspire United to finish the game off like they usually do.

However, in the second half they had that chance when Spector needlessly handled in the area. Ronaldo stepped up and, perhaps having lived in England for slightly too long, put the ball wide. This proved to be the spur for West Ham to push on and get the equalizer and the game saw three headed goals as both West Ham centre backs Anton Ferdinand and Matthew Upson scored from a corner and freekick respectively. It was no more than West Ham deserved. I bet they want to play us every week. On New Year’s Day they play Arsenal and will probably capitulate 5-0.

As Arsenal won, United won’t finish the year on top of the table, but as I said when we were top it doesn’t matter much in December, just that you are there in the race so you have a chance in May.

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Sunderland 0 Manchester Utd 4 (Rooney 20, Saha 30, 86p, Ronaldo 45)

Another cold, slap bang in the middle of the Christmas break. It meant I was off work ill, but it also meant I wasn’t able to comment on the Sunderland game in a timely manner.

This was another four goals and a suprisingly easy win over Roy Keane’s side who are now staring relegation in the face. I was pleased for a number of reasons. Saha played from the start and picked up two goals. Park came back from injury and did well when he came on. United were able to rest a number of key players and still won 4-0. Chelsea had a comedy game and drew 4-4 (would that ever have happened under Mourhino?; and what has happened to Cech?). Lastly, Arsenal drew at Portsmouth 0-0 making our draw there at the start of the season not so bad and more importantly taking us to the top of the league.

Next up, away at West Ham, never an easy game for United for some reason. At least they don’t have Tevez and we do. And their home form is very poor at the moment. Just two wins from nine. Lets hope it is two from ten after today.

Update:  looks like both Carrick and Rooney are out of the West Ham game with a virus.  So the super fit can get ill just like me.  cough cough sniff sniff

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If you celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas. If not, I’m sure you are still enjoying the English football festival of Winter, where we try to burn out as many players as possible by playing nearly everyday for two weeks.

One man who won’t be burned out is Edwin van der Sar who looks set to miss the entire Christmas period with a groin strain. Thomas Kuszczak didn’t really impress in the win over Everton, but is an able deputy normally.

Quick Sunderland preview for the Boxing Day game away against the Black Cats. Park Ji-sung may make a welcome return to the squad for this game, and it is good timing for the Korean as he will get games over this period when a large squad is vital. Roy Keane will be hoping it will be third time lucky as in the last two games Sunderland have dropped points due to disputed decisions. Against ? they scored what looked to be a perfectly good winner which was disallowed and then on Saturday against Reading, the conceded a last minute Stephen Hunt goal which I, even after viewing on TV replays, couldn’t work out if it was over the line. The linesman did and that was all that mattered. Against Reading, both Andrew Cole and Dwight Yorke played and both looked their age as for much of the game Reading dominated Yorke in midfield, and Cole had a wonderful chance after 3 minutes and couldn’t get the ball past the Reading goalkeeper. Despite it being away, I fully expect 3 points against the strugglers.

Ok, off to sort out christmas presents for the kids. Hope you get something United related in your stocking. I’ll probably not update again until the day after Boxing Day. Merry Christmas.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Manchester United 2 (Ronaldo 22, 88p) Everton 1 (Cahill 27)

United battered away against a resolute defensive display from Everton to what appeared to be no avail. But a last minute moment of madness from Pienaar, when be brought down Giggs in the box for no reason, meant that United took all the points as Ronaldo converted the penalty.

It had looked like United we going to drop 2 points in the race against Arsenal, but like their main rivals, they turned a home draw into a win. United started well, and converted early pressure into a goal from the boot of Christiano Ronaldo. A goal of the month contender as he cut inside from the right and powered a left foot strike into the top corner of the net. It had so much pace and swerve that Everton keeper didn’t try to dive for it.

However, a makeshift United side were unable to hold onto the lead for more than 5 minutes. United were without Van Der Sar, Ferdinand and Hargreaves which meant 3 changes in the back 5 (Brown moved to centreback and Simpson played at rightback) and Carrick played, a less defensive minded midfield.

Pienaar was given too much time on the left wing and was allowed to put in an good cross and remarkably Tim Cahill was able to outjump the Paul Parker sized fullback, Patrice Evra. 1-1 and United reacted as it the opponents shouldn’t be allowed to equalise at Old Trafford. United were unable to break Everton down for much of the rest of the game.

However, Pienaar undid all his good work in the the last minute. Giggs was running inside the box past Pienaar but going away from goal and would have had to put in a cross in with his weaker left foot. Pienaar with his back to Giggs stuck out a leg backwards and tripped Giggs down. Penalty, no question as the manager would say. David Moyes couldn’t believe it, not that the penalty had been given, but that his player had made such a howling mistake.

Ronaldo, not being English, put the penalty away with ease to score his 16th league goal of the season. I don’t think Ronaldo has played quite so well as last season, but he is banging the goals away and doing the job for us once again. Maybe it was because he wasn’t at a certain party midweek, but he stood out and stood up for us again.

There is a ciche that a true mark of Champions is to win when you haven’t played well. United have done that a lot this season.

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