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Manchester United 4 Aston Villa 0

Published by
Paul
at March 30, 2008 in Reviews. 4 Comments

Manchester United 4 (Ronaldo 17, Tevez 33, Rooney 53, 70) Aston Villa 0

Manchester United put on a commanding display to destroy Aston Villa. It was capped by a number of great goals and one astonishingly impudent goal from Christiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo scored one and helped make the other three in an display that will have Chelsea and Arsenal seriously worried about their title prospects despite weekend wins for both teams.

Manchester United’s Ronaldo scores with a back heel Ronaldo’s goal, on 17 minutes, will live long in the memory of those at Old Trafford to see. A back flick from around the penalty spot that went through a crowd of players and into the net. Not just a back heel into the net from a yard out (Scholes scored one of those a while ago) but from so far out, I doubt any other player could pull it off.

If the first was individual brilliance, the second was a team goal of the highest order. Tevez started the move in the middle of the park, and the ball was played intelligently out to Rooney on the left. With Villa played out of position, Rooney gave the ball to Scholes whose pass out to Ronaldo on the right was so good that Ronaldo didn’t have to break step before playing a perfect first time cross. At the end of the cross was the man who started it all, Carlos Tevez with a simple header to make it 2-0.

The game effectively over, it was a question of how many of the chances United were going to put away. Rooney put the ball just past the post, then Ronaldo’s shot was deflected onto the bar. Eventually United got their third and Rooney scored at Old Trafford twice, both from great passed from Ronaldo.

If United, and Ronaldo and Rooney in particular, can keep up this form, the title will be in the bag.

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Manchester United 3 Liverpool 0

Published by
Paul
at March 25, 2008 in Reviews. 2 Comments

Ah, it was very nice writing the title of this post.  I’ve been away for the long Easter weekend, checking out the excellent Eden Project.   I was actually driving during the first half of this game and it was very funny listening to Liverpool fans Alan Green and Mark Lawrenson on Five Live “enjoying” the first half.  We stopped off to see my aunt and therefore missed the second half and the subsequent Arsenal Chelsea match up.  Observing radio silence on the way home, I watched the second half “as live” via Sky + and then watched Match of the Day 2 to watch the highlights and see Chelsea winning.  Chelsea fans didn’t deserve to win that game with their “You don’t know what your doing” chant.

Key points from the game.

  • An early booking for Mascherano for a poor tackle on Scholes.  Mascherano then proceeds to spend the rest of the half moaning at the ref.
  • United carve up the Liverpool defence on a number of occasions but Rooney is no Van Nistelrooy and doesn’t take his chances.
  • Wes Brown gets a  rush of blood to the head, stays up field after a pass, then heads into the penalty area after our lone striker is sent wide.  Rooney plays a great ball in and Brown heads the ball goalward.  Reina manages to punch Brown in the back and miss the ball. 1-0!
  • Torres picks up a booking for complaining too much about Ferdinand not getting a booking for fouling him.  Mascherano marches 30 yards, shrugs of Alonso and “asks” the ref what the booking was for.  Referee Bennett, clearly of the show not tell school, shows Mascherano exactly why the Spaniard was booked and gives the Argentine a second yellow.
  • Mascherano completely loses it and has to be “assisted” off the field.  Liverpool end the half in complete disarray and give United fans a special Easter comedy to watch.
  • Liverpool actually have a spell in the second half of some good play, but Ferdinand and Vidic completely contain the Liverpool attack.
  • Anderson blasts one wild shot over the bar too many, and Giggs runs into a Liverpool defender once too often and are replaced by Tevez and Nani (a bold substition; but Fergie “knows what he is doing”)
  • Ronaldo, clearly thinking his is offside, tamely shoots when 1-1 on Reina.  From the resulting corner, Ronaldo beats his marker and heads home for his 34th of the season.  Once again Reina comes for the ball and misses.
  • Rooney and Nani combine well and the young Portuguese star shows Anderson just how to lash home a ball.  The shot was so quick that Reina didn’t bother to move for it.

In the end, a very comfortable win and the main talking point is the sending off, which was just very silly and childish from Mascherano.  United would have won anyway.  Chelsea beat Arsenal so United are 5 points clear at the top.  Arsenal’s title hopes appear to be over after no wins in five games.  United still have to go to Stamford Bridge where a draw will probably be enough to bring United the title.

It was announced today that Rio Ferdinand has been named England captain for the upcoming France friendly.   Good news for the man.  Whether Fernando Torres will have been let out of the England captain’s pocket before the game kicks off is not certain.

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Manchester United 1 Lyon 0

Published by
Paul
at March 5, 2008 in Manchester United. 2 Comments

Manchester United 1 (Ronaldo 41) Lyon 0

That boy Ronaldo, he scored again. For the 30th time this season, to be precise.  It was enough to make the last 10 minutes a little tense instead of unbearably unwatchable.

Shortly before half time, Wes Brown put in an excellent cross, from which Anderson’s cross was blocked but Ronaldo pounced on the loose ball, make space and finished far too hard for Coupet to get to.

This wasn’t the best game there ever was, but this was as much Lyon’s fault as much as United’s.  For all the hype of Benzema, Lyon didn’t threaten enough.  This was despite Alex Ferguson’s very odd midfield selection of Anderson, Carrick and Fletcher.  With Ronaldo and Nani on the wings; this just didn’t work.  Anderson, despite not having his best game was the most effective, inventive of the three.  Fletcher and Carrick was anonymous for most parts of the game.  Ronaldo and Nani, whilst providing pace were too wasteful when in possession.  Rooney did sterling work up front but was isolated until Tevez came on.  The saving grace was the defence, solid and dependable, all of them.

Lyon ended the game with four strikers but it was telling that United had far more chances to score once Tevez came on.  Both Rooney and Ronaldo missed good chances to finish the game, whilst at the other end Leita hit the post with a shot that beat Van Der Sar.

United move onto the quarter finals and a possible meeting with Arsenal who knocked out AC Milan, beating the holders 2-0 in the San Siro.

Image Ronaldo, originally uploaded by chuffy

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United’s midfield is stronger than the 99 team

Published by
Paul
at March 2, 2008 in Articles. 2 Comments

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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Poor old Kevin Keegan; Eduardo

Published by
Paul
at February 24, 2008 in Manchester United. 1 Comment

Newcastle fans must be very glad they wont be facing again Manchester United this season.  Aggregate score in the league is 11-1 and Newcastle still havn’t won under Kevin Keegan.  Even the most ardent Keegan fans must surely be wondering if they havn’t made a mistake in getting rid of Sam Allerdice.   Comfortably midtable to relegation candidates in two short months.   I almost hope they don’t go down so we can have another two easy wins next season.

United were a little bit indifferent but Ronaldo and Rooney were clinical and Newcastle’s defending were woeful.  Fletcher was given a deserved start in the midfield with Carrick and perhaps our weakest midfield combination was more than enough for Newcastle.   Ronaldo and Rooney got two apiece and Saha popped up from the injury list to get his first goal for quite a while.

Speaking of injuries, my thoughts go to Eduardo and his horrific injury against Birminham City.  Having seen the replays on Match of the Day, you just hope that he’ll play again.  Arsene Wenger said the Birmingham player, Martin Taylor “should never play again” but later retracted that statement just as I was wondering if there was something seriously wrong with him.  Good of him to change his mind as the challenge was bad and poor, but didn’t look malicious, just badly timed.  Arsenal dropped two points after a late penalty decision that had Arsenal captain William Gallas react most oddly.   Sitting down on the pitch long after the final whilst is no way for a captain to behave.  Wenger had to come back out onto the pitch as if to treat Gallas as a toddler “get inside now, you’re an embarrassment”.

The result was that the lead is back down to three points and Arsenal are clearly wobbling whilst United are back to full force.

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