Nov 22
Aston Villa v Man Utd: Preview
It’s nice to be back. Being able to blog again — hopefully, regularly — gives you a feeling that’s difficult to describe; one of blogginess. Or perhaps, should I not be too happy to be blogging when I really ought to be having a life? Who knows!
On to the preview…
We visit Villa Park today, with an excellent record against Aston Villa. Despite all their excellent form under Martin O’Neill last season, they were at the hands of 4-0 drubbings. Last year at Villa Park was witness to some excellent one-two between Rooney and Tevez for a goal. And with the forced exit of Berbatov due to injury, we might see last season’s first choice duo reunite.
Meanwhile — taking a brief detour from the preview to catch up on some of the United news of the past few days — the Daily Mail reports that we’ve signed Zoran Tosic pending work permit. But it’s the Daily Mail, which is why we’re better served waiting for official confirmation. He’s a Serbian winger, who’s a left footer and a free kick specialist apparently. EDIT: The Mirror reckons we’ve signed Tosic as well as Adam Ljajic for £9m subject to work permit. Hmm…
Cristiano Ronaldo continues to befuddle with his media comments. Sometimes, saying funny things to the media can be fun. But there comes a time when it ceases to be so. Take this case where Ronaldo claimed himself to be the first, second and third greatest player in the world, only for those words to come back to bite his shapely arse 24 hours later as Brazil nullified his influence in the game with a drubbing.
True, Portugal have been lacklustre lately, but that doesn’t excuse the complete lack of influence he had in the game. Well, even that is not a problem, as long as he doesn’t shoot his mouth trying to big himself up. Yes Cristiano, we can see that you are an excellent player. But you don’t have to tell that to us — even if you think you are trying to be funny. It’s not, and all it does is makes you look like a fool when things don’t go your way. Scott’s given a fair assessment of his quotes.
Getting back to today’s game, Villa beat Arsenal at the Emirates. And with the Gunners stuttering, they look like worthy candidates for the fourth place spot. We are missing important players — Rio Ferdinand, Berbatov, Brown — to injury. Ronaldo, Anderson and Nani return jet lagged from Brazil. Heading to away games immediately after an international is always going to be a challenge, and it has been so several times this season for us.
Villa continue to improve and impress, and the pace of Agbonlahor and Young will be a challenge to the likes of Vidic and Evans. I think Evans will have to put his ability to read the game to better use to tackle the pace of said Villa forwards.
Ferguson had some kind words for Martin O’Neill.
“Martin has done a fantastic job. He is one of the best managers in the game, no question about that. The only way you can judge managers is how they have proved themselves over a long period and when you look at the job Martin did at Leicester, at Celtic and now at Villa, he is obviously a top manager.”
In team lineups, I hope Fergie goes for Rafael at right back if not O’Shea. I really don’t feel comfortable having Neville at right back anymore. Oh, how I miss Brown, now! EVDS should be between the sticks with Evans partnering Vidic in the centre — Evra at left back. Michael Carrick is a sure starter following his stellar showing for England in midweek and, depending on Anderson’s physical state, he might play in midfield. (If Fletcher is fit, he’ll surely partner Carrick). On the wings, Ronaldo will somehow talk his way into the side, and he’ll choose to bench Nani — because he may not want three members of the people that visited Brazil to start at once — over Park or Giggs. (And I hope he doesn’t start Giggs on the wing.)
Up front we’ll get to see Rooney partner Tevez, but if Rooney is actually down with chest infection, then we might get to see Manucho/Welbeck.
Prediction: If we are on a roll I think we should be able to beat them 2-0. Of course, with us this season, it’s always a case of which United shows up.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Man Utd v Stoke: Preview
- Man Utd v Everton: Preview
- Manchester United v Aston Villa Preview – Tougher than it looks
- Man Utd v Spurs match thread
- Rooney Out For A Month
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (541)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Stephen (454)
Craig Mc (344)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
@Shyam: exacly what ive been saying for the last hour now, you dont get it do you?
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dan…no serious buddy…just kidding..
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or leave on park and put on raphael
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nevermind
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guys…no subs now…it would be worse than for better….game is at a good pace right now..if i was manager i would wait for 5 more mts..
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no seriously…this aint funny anymore…if we guys can see that for 66 mins, our players havent got anything out of this, why cant SAF see it and make a positive fucking change…i mean, how long
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there you go…as u wish…but i still think its not the right time…pray i will be proved wrong
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about fucking time SAF. shoulda made that move 10 or 15 ago.
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Nani coming on.. for Tevez? what the fuck?! That must mean ronaldo upfront with roo
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oh god why is park still on the pitch, tevez off, i know hes been poor, but what formation we playing now?
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It’s Nani’s fault we’re not winning. (just kidding Craig
)
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this is pathetic.
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Come On Anderson!!! Show those Villa Dicks how its done!
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Fergie have this game tactfully wrong!!!…i’ll be happy if we win this playing like shit today..
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stupid substitutions! Why bring on Anderson? And why the fuck doesn’t Nani pass to Rooney?!
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the only explanation to this display is that ‘the team never met after last week’s game’.. they were thrown straight on the pitch after that…no chemistry what so ever
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Anderson should have been brought in earlier and welbeck should have been in for Ronaldo…
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We look like Liverpool out there! Why are we afraid to attack!?
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sell them all , change the whole team
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No comments about the game….Plain toothless…and wrong subs and tactics…me heading for my game!!hope i put in some goals in today..
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I realy dont understand fergie. We play Arsenal, and he decides to go for the jugular. We get cut open fair enough. but against Villa, a game that we must win, and he puts on a defensive looking squad. Any time Park plays you nkow its gonna be a tight game.
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fuck the linesman he is a bitch ass hater.
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we lacked an x-factor today…
i hope this ends the bera-tev debate for you non-believers.
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@johnsom33: When he gets some composure Johnsom, and with Rooney that is feckin NEVER.
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@rooneeyy : I wont say that…Players dint do anything wrong!!…Tactics for the game was wrong or should i say was outdone by Villa tactics…Tevez was poor and i should admit it, but i have to say his subsitution came at the wrong time..we were starting to exert any pressure and lost the momentum for some time after that substitution..
Tevez was poor but he was helping others find space…as i said then, that sub came at the wrong time…
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That match illustrated why United will not win the title this year. Not the players, not the fact that Chelsea are stronger, but the total tactical ineptitude of Fergie. How Giggs and Park finished that match and how Rafael and Welbeck did not come on will remain a mystery to me. Starting O’Shea and Park instead of Nani and Rafael sent out a message – that he was being cautious. I have no idea what formation we ended the match in – something like 4-6-0. It was sad to see Tevez march off-it is probably certain he’s off in Jan.
This was a great chance for us to close the gap and send out a strong message – and Fergie bottled it. Fot MOTM, I would pick Vidic, who atleast got us a point, ’cause I thought Villa deserved to win today, purely for the fact that they shoed more intent and wanted it more in the second half
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Wow, how much did the Sentanta crew want United to lose? That was some seriously crap commentry on there, plus they brought up the ‘penalty incident’ 23 times since it happened. It’s all they talked about. Respect my ass.
We were sh*t, but Villa were worse. Home team with big 4 aspirations my ass, they looked scared to move past the half way line. I’ve alwaysl ike the Martin O’Neil plays pretty decent football, but today it was appalling. Absolutely gorgeous pass from Carrick, all Rooney had to do was put it on target and we’d of won, IMO. To be fair he wasn’t far off, but still.
Btw, for all those moaning, Tevez was crap. I want him to start doing well and hope we keep him, but he was accompilshing nothing at all. Though, I would have taken Park, Tevez and Giggs off to replace with Ando, Wellbeck and Nani much much earlier.
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@ dan : I dont think berbatov would have helped with that kind of midfield..!!!
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We were playing for the draw. You could see it from the substitutions…Tevez off, Ronaldo off….. Thank god we were solid defensively but Villa looked comfortable for all our posssession.
There is no way I want us paying 20 million for Tevez in January. He can go to Real and we can use the saved money to buy a winger and use Ronaldo as our third striker when Berba or Rooney is out similar to last season.
There is talk of bringing Campbell back on loan but I reckon he needs a full season at Tottenham because he needs games and with Berba and Rooney here he won’t get them.
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Don’t blame anybody on the pitch today but out feckin so called strikers. As I have said all along, when Ronnie is kicked to feckin death, and clobbered by brutal opposing defenders, we have nobody else who can open the scoring. I don’t know what Tev was complaining about shaking his head coming off, because he has been shite all season, and he was shite with a capital S today. Rooney should have gone off with him, because he was Tev partner in doing feck all. Rooney doesn’t look FIT, he was miles off the pace. Thank God for our defnders, they alone are world class.
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@Shyam:
Is it technically a midfield when u have one footballer, a 90 year old arthritic and a Labrador?
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@ colver : i think he is already on his way to madrid..
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I just can’t wait until I hear the reviews from the positive cream and sugar clan on this blog because today’s performance was just total rubbish. If anybody thinks this team has got the means to win the Prem after today please please please explain yourselves or forever shut the fuck up.. Aston Villa played a crappy unimaginative and uninspiring game. They were playing not to lose. Hell after 11 straight losses a draw at home against us is like winning the FA Cup for them. And we let them off the hook and were lucky not to lose due to what I feel was a penalty that should have been awarded to Aston Villa due to Vidic bring down Agbonalhour. How in Gods name did Rooney miss even getting that ball on net? I said it after he scored number 99 that 100 would cause him a lot of grief. I’ve seen that kind of thing so many times before.
Bottom line is the lineup was all wrong once again. No positive and intimidating menace to cause Villa any worries. Playing Park and Giggs was a mistake although Park to his credit worked his ass off and if he had some luck and even more so, skill, he could have scored a couple. United’s biggest reason for losing was the uninspired play by our boys up front and the constant nagging need for both Tevez and Rooney to play so far apart from each other and so far away from the middle of the pitch. We created a circle out there where all the balls and players were wide and nobody was playing or trying to funnel the ball into the middle. Anderson comes in and that changed a bit but by then Ronaldo is gone and Tevez is gone and at no time did Fergie have the common sense to throw in Welbeck in there. As if he would have been the reason for us losing the game. You don’t take Tevez off for Nani. You take Giggs or Park off for Nani and leave Ronaldo where he is. You bring in Anderson for Giggs and Welbeck in for the limping Ronaldo and give him 10 to 15 minutes to find a ball in the box to play with.
Fergie has proven to me tonight that I can tactically out manage him. Sure he may be a great man manager but even that is suspect right now because he didn’t seem to get the ear of lads tonight after the other big three blew their games tonight. Where was the hunger, the killer instinct, the class, the finesse and the composure in the box to make something happen? This team is just not good enough. And yet, Chelsea and Liverpool continue to tickle and tease us with their own ineptness at times to make us all believe that we have a chance. Today we looked static, slow, lacked the craft and finesse to make the difference.
Tevez was an absolute joke and both he and Rooney wanted nothing to do with each other as they played so far apart. How on Earth to you expect to break down a team when your forwards are too far apart and not willing to work quick 1,2 passes with each other and overlaps that can break the opponent down. We are terrified to let loose and attack. What are we afraid of and have we forgotten who we are? We are Manchester United and we are the defending Double champions. We are supposedly the best team in the world and yet, we fear our opponents and show them far too much respect. Last season they even scored first but we came back with hunger and vengence and put a thumping on them. At not time in this game did I really feel we were going to break through and score. When we did have chances they came from moments of surprise and not expectation. We were total shite and Fergie has yet again failed to put out a squad that could take the game by the collar and make up valuable ground on the top two. We lost a major opportunity today to take this league by the scruff. And I blame a manager who plays not to lose rather than plays to win. My God what kind of patience this man must have.
The season is a marathon and it’s far from over but you need to make up points when the front runners offer you an opportunity to do so. This game was tailor made for us after we knew the earlier results. I am extremely disappointed not by the lack of effort as we played well defensively, but by the lack of ambition, imagination and hunger to go for the jugular. We have no killer instinct this season. TOTAL RUBBISH!
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@Shyam: Tht sounds like grabbing at straws to me.
Fact is that Tevez was just as poor today as he has been most of the time from the start of the season. The only reason some of you couldn’t see it was because of the Berba factor. Berba is the exact opposite of Tevez – subtance instead of wasteful energy.
About your argument of Tevez creating space for others, well it does not hold water as 1) the Villa defence was very tight today – it was the midfielders job to spread the game; 2) Tevez’s passing has always been poor so if he drifts away from the 18 yard box (as he’s been doing recently) and receives the ball, the chances are that the possession will end in a dead end.
30 million anybody???
Cambell, Welbeck, or even Manucho I’m sure would have brought something to the game.
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Thats the title over from my point of view, we havent looked up 4 it since the season started. Now i know im not an expert but from my point of view its clear to see the problems and what needs to be sorted.
1. The following players need to be released or sold.
O’Shea- how he gets in the squad i will never know
Giggs- sorry but he is now past it
Nev- Again past it
VDS- Needs to be fazed out this year
Park- I used to defend him when people said we shud sell him but he really is at best average, i mean cud u ever see him playing for chelsea?
These players need to be replaced and for me not by new signings but by players already at the club. Oshea needs to be replaced by fabio, giggs by any number of the centre mids we have, nev by rafael and brown, foster in for 1st choice gk, and a new left mid probably being the only player that needs to be brought in. For me aswell i love tevez but i just feel for his own sake he shud move on. Hes too good for the subs bench and shud go where he is played every week. Wellbeck and especially frazier campbell shud be his replacements.
2. Get rid of that stupid idiot phelan. Man he has to be the crappest assistant there is in the league. The first 3 letters of his title sum him up. He is an absolute ass.
3. Our tactics- they r imbarrassing. Why take off tevez for nani. I dont care if wellbeck is young and inexperienced, dont u take off a striker for a striker if u actually want to win the game. I put this all down to phelan not being up to the task, its well known that the tactics in years gone by were all down to carlos q and its obvious phelan is crap compared to carlos.
The way i see us now is like barca last year we need a small overhaul. As said above those 5 players need to leave and the youngsters need promoting as well as a new assistant who is actually up to the job. The only players i wud like bringing in are a second choice left and right winger to compete for places and they cud be these serbian pair we r linked with today. Out with the old and in with the new. But for me season over this year so lets start for next year with easing them oldies out.
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I cannot see Real Madrid wanting Tev on his performances this season. I know they want Ronnie and Nani though. My biggest feckin fear is the roasting the Shitty bedouins will want to inflict upon us next week. They will be playing like gladiators wanting to spear the feck out of us. And it looks like Ronnie may not be fit for that one perhaps
. Fergie makes me laugh telling Wenger that they will lose their plaice in the top four. Better look at your own team Fergie, people in glass houses etc.
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Couldn’t agree more Craig. Ferguson should give up on this idea of turning Rooney into a 30 goal a season striker.
Personally I think we should go with 4-3-3 letting Ronaldo play as a forward and buying an attacking midfielder/winger. Yeah you have to play Rooney slightly out of position but 4-4-2 with two forwards who cannot score to save their life isn’t my idea of a winning team.
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@Matthew: the title over? we are in exactly the same position as we were before the weekend the only difference is that we have played a tough team away from home
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Well, that was poor. Thanks Fergie, for bottling a perfect opportunity to close the gap on our rivals.
Seriously, what I witnessed today was atrocious and I blame Fergie and his band of dimwits he calls the coaching staff. Right form the starting formation to the subs and to the players, everything was shite and I’m not gonna blame the int break because we should have been preparing for this match despite that. We are chasing the leading pack and can’t afford to be letting glorious opportunities pass us by.
GRRR!!!
What a horrible performance by the whole team. Fergie is naive if he thinks that our grip on any of our titles isn’t slipping with every poor performance we put out. Even if we were gonna draw, play well and create chances or hit the target. This might sound over-the-top, but I think we have actually regressed this year as a team and I don’t think it’s solely on the players’ shoulders. Never did we see such a string of poor performances from United during the last two years, esp at this stage of the season. *Sigh* 
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@Craig Mc: Too true mate, too true. Without Ronaldo we are truly screwed. We have no midfielder in the middle that can bring the players more into the middle of the park. We play too much on the outskirts and too far from each other to make a mark offensively. So you bring Nani in, so what? What’s he supposed to do when nobody is in the box for him to deliver a cross? Just a joke. I’m seriously questioning if we are even top 4 material right now. Fortunately Arsenal who beat us, are total shit this season. But trust me, that won’t remain.
I know hat I would do but I’m not in charge. Rooooney’s idea of selling the whole team may have merit.
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@Vivek: Would have been funnier if we had won…
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OllieY, yes i know that but if u look at our performances this whole season they have been crap. The only game i can remember this year where we have dominated the game and fully deserved it apart from last week was against blackburn at their place. Mate, lets face it were not up 2 it this year and if not now then definitely next week it will be over.
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Grognard : You summed up my review very well…
..I will see a lot of bashing comments today about Tevez and Park and Rooney…but for me from picking that starting eleven Fergie never sent the message that he was trying to win…
His subs made that message little more clear…in the end players tried for the win but never had the right men
@Nico QB: I still dont think Tevez is good for nothing player…He was not sharp today and he tried to do what he always does…make space for everyone and try to get into the game everytime…I still wont cry that he is in our squad…i will cry that our attacking tactics is mere ordinary now a days.!!
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Oh and what about Ronnie’s bitching as he left for the changing room?
“No.1! You hear!? No.1!!!”
Pathetic.
We all know he’s a cnut, and yet he seems to do everything to show it to the whole world. Wouldn’t srprise me if some journos voted for Messi just to shut his big mouth off…
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Oh come on, it wasn’t that bad. I’m not sugaring it up, but Aston Villa away is a tougher proposition than it has been in the past, with some of our players not even in the country til about 24 hours before the match.
And mroe importantly, Villa didn’t want to win. They were playing like a terrified away team. I would be embarassed if I were them, unless they do want to just settle for outside the top 4. I’ve said a million times on here, it’s not not easy for any team, no matter how good, to break down a team with 10 defending. It’s just not. Simple as. Last season when we palyed them they left us loads of space and didn’t close us down, so we were able to cut them apart. They learned and we didn’t manage it.
As for the substitutions, awful, but that’s what I’m coming to expect from Fergie. I have no idea what the hell is going through his head.
Oh and Ronaldo, f*ck off. If you don’t want to pay, sacrifice your £120k to charity and take the night off. Premadonna. Had no desire whatsoever. Dove, feigned injury – useless. Fergie doesn’t have balls anymore. He would never of let him carry on like that 10 years ago. Our team lacks drive.
Fair play to the defense and Carrick, who I thought was excellent. And no one should have reason to knock VDS on tonight’s performance, he was top class.
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@Beachryan: I think you are being a little hard on Ronaldo mate. I think he worked hard to night but he was always being laid on his ass. It’s frustrating because he was getting zero support from Rooney or Tevez. What was even more frustrating is referee Foy’s continuously poor setup of the wall on free kicks. I swear every one of them the wall was only 7 yards away. Completely unfair. And as for his gestures to Villa fans, whose side are you on anyway? He’s our boy and he is #1, so what’s your beef with him?
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@Shyam: Tevez will rarely play well if the opposition put eleven players behind the ball and defend with their guts.
By the way, our tactics have indeed been very often suspect, but we can barely accomodate Tevez against such oppositon.
I agree with most of the comments about the wrong substitutions exxcept that Welbeck should have been brought on. Heck, in 20 min he came on as a substitute, he created a penalty and scored on. Which is more than the apache did all season.
Its sad, but I would be willing to forgive him if at least he could create for others or get into dangerous positions (Rooney does both btw). But he does neither.
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I have said for time now that i feel messi is 10 times the player ronaldo is. Ronaldo is great against the stokes and west hams and the average teams of this world but how come he cant score when the going gets tough and against the truly great team. Now yes i know hes a great player and yes last year he bailed us out many times but messi wud have absolutely killed villa today. I mean he overshadowed ronaldo in both games last year and was only half fit. Sometimes i look at him and just wish he wud piss off, he doesnt wanna play for us so he can just piss off.
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we lacked a killer instinct and it showed. What the fuck was Rooney doing! Place it! Every goal isnt blasted in like a rocket from a Javelin!
Again, tactically poor. Somethings going on, and it doesnt bode well, especially with the champs league and Shitty next week. I can only try to keep my head up.
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a lot of Ronaldo hate here…he was getting a lot of boos and he replied in fashion…call it arrogance but he played ok but he had no help from midfield aka Giggs and none from Tevez and Rooney as well…i think our tactical culpability have been showcased in the last few games…CQ please come back
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