United On Fire

I was listening to the Guardian’s football weekly podcast and was bewildered by Barry Glendenning’s remarks about the reception Christiano Ronaldo got the other night at Old Trafford.  Glendenning called the generous and appriciative reception Ronaldo got the equivilent of making your wife a cup of tea after finding her in bed with another woman.

Ronaldo was roundly cheered and applauded on his return, rather than the media’s hoped for boos and jeers.  For that would have made a good story for the press to get their teeth into.

In fact, rather than believing most of the media storm about Ronaldo’s transfer to Real Madrid over the summer, the Old Trafford crowd decided to thank Ronaldo for an excellent season and hope that he could help United get the goal that would win the game for United.

The other implication was that United fan’s only cheered and sang for him because United had struggled so far this season.  And that, had United won every game so far this season 5-0, Ronaldo would have been booed when he finally arrived on the pitch.

What do you think of the crowd reaction to Ronaldo’s return ?

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Well, Wigan, Steve Bruce and Emile Heskey did United a great favour last night, getting a last minute equaliser against Chelsea. The gap at the top is now 5 points not 3. The away draw at Middlesbrough is wiped out. The result means that the title is two games away. Two away wins and we win back to back titles for the first time since we completed three in a row in 2001.

If we win at Blackburn, assuming Chelsea beat Everton which is by no means certain, it means we go to Stanford Bridge with a chance to win the league by ending their unbeaten home record. Some motivation for that game.

Assuming Chelsea win all their other games apart from the United match, here is what we need to do :-

• If we beat Chelsea, we need one further win either at Blackburn or Wigan, or at home to West Hame.
• If we draw with Chelsea, we need one win and a draw against those teams. In this case, we’d win the league on goal difference.
• Even if we lose to Chelsea, we would still win the league with two wins and a draw against the opposition. Again, we’d win on goal difference.

It is not at all certain Chelsea will win all their other fixtures considering their draw last night. They play Everton (a), Newcastle (a) and Bolton (h). Everton still have a chance at 4th spot and need to points to make sure they don’t lose their UEFA cup spot to Portsmouth. Newcastle are on something of a run finally under Kevin Keegan, and Bolton are fighting for their lives down at the bottom, only two points from safety.

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Scott the Red points out that Fergie is a bit sentimental after all

Sir Alex Ferguson has today said that despite not naturally being a sentimental man, he will certainly be starting Paul Scholes if United make it to the Champions League final again this season.

It’s interesting to note that United’s midfield in 99 picked itself. Scholes, Keane, Giggs and Beckham and there was very little in reserve. Now, you can’t name United’s best midfield with the exception of Ronaldo. One week Anderson is being brilliant, the next Scholes is back and is just as good. Should you pick the experience of Giggs or the youth of Nani?

Perhaps Fergie is right and this squad is better than the 99 team and will prove it in the Champions League this season. Both Scholes and Keane picked up bookings in the 2nd leg of the Semi Final against Juventus and whilst there is no one player in the side as important as Roy Keane was, you can imagine that a key midfielder in danger of missing the final would be rested in the 2nd leg.

If Scholes was a booking away from suspension, he wouldn’t start that second leg game and you’d know that Anderson would do a good job in his place. The exception to this, in midfield at least is Ronaldo who can usually be relied on not to pick up a stupid booking.

The midfield in the exception. Everyone knows the first choice keeper and defence. With Neville still injured Brown, Vidic, Ferdinand and Evra pick themselves for all but the easiest of games. Up front Rooney’s name would always be on the team sheet and when United play 4-4-2, Tevez will be alongside him.

The midfield is where you need to be fittest and it is going to be a key department in the league run in this season. Whilst Fabregas and Flamini will have played virtually every game for Arsenal; Scholes, Hargreaves, Anderson, Carrick and even Fletcher will have played a rotating role and be fit and fresh til the end of the season.

Last season United limped over the line in first place in the title run in and ran out of steam in the Champions League semi and FA Cup final. This season, I’m sure it won’t be a problem

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Quote of the season comes from the mouth of Sunderland manager, Roy Keane :-

‘The Irish job?’ He gives me a look. And says nothing. Which is a shame, because when Eamon Dunphy asked him if he might one day be player-manager of Ireland he replied magnificently: ‘Yeah! Nobody would play for me but we’d have great facilities.’

This is at serious odds with Dunphy’s latest comments that Keane is a “rent-a-quote” manager :-

“But now he holds these lengthy press conferences every week in which he anoints David O’Leary to be the next Ireland manager, anoints Terry Venables to be the next Ireland manager.

“He talks about how wonderful it is for the Premier League to play games abroad and he’s just become rent-a-quote. It’s quite extraordinary,” Dunphy told the Pat Kenny show on Ireland’s RTE channel.

The thing is that a Premiership manager’s job is one long press conference (unless you are Alex Ferguson who can just do what the hell he likes because he is Sir Alex and doesn’t give a damn) where you are asked the same questions over and over and over again.

You can either waste you life taking each journalist seriously or just deal with it with platitudes and simple ciche “we are facing a struggle, but we’re up to it and taking each game one day at a time”. I know what I’d rather have my manager concentrating on and it isn’t some crappy hack. Dunphy should know better.

Also, people complain that Michael Carrick is a rent-a-quote, always in the press. They should realise that he is probably the designated commentator this season and he was probably chosen because he can speak fairly articulately (for a footballer) and has had some training. Don’t blame him for being the one coming out with the obvious comments, just blame the press for asking the same questions over and over again.

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The story goes that Sir Alex Ferguson will retire as Manchester United manager just as soon as United win the Champions League.  The other story goes that Fergie is so convinced that his current crop of youngster will be the best ever that he’ll not retire for many years yet whether or not the Champions League Cup comes back to Old Trafford.

Yes - Fergie will retire

His one major regret as Manchester United manager is that United never followed up their 1999 Champions League win with another win.  He is only carrying on as manager so he can prove to all doubters that he is the best manager ever by winning the trophy twice and bettering Sir Matt Busby and proving that 99 wasn’t just a one season fluke.

No - Fergie won’t retire

Winning the Champions League isn’t the only motivation for Fergie.  He has proved that he has the ability to build and rebuild great teams - 93-94, 99 and 07-?  He is so excited by the current side he has gone on record saying that this team has the ability to be his best ever.  He wouldn’t abandon the likes of Ronaldo and Rooney at the end of this season when they have many years ahead at the top of their game.

Vote over on the left and tell me what you think in the comments.

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