Red Rants

While it’s been a pleasure writing and conversing about United all this while, through ups and downs, (thankfully, so far, there have been more ups than downs) credit must be given to the readers and commenters in this site who have made Red Rants immensely readable for more than a few United fans. (I hope I can say that without getting abuse from my readers ) Also thanks to some of the contributors who have chipped in with their articles here at Rants.

Now in order to make things better and more interactive we are pleased to announce a few new additions to the site. They may range from the subtle to the more conspicuous. So read on to see if these changes really interest you.

Continue reading “Great Things Brewing In This Reds Site”

I suffered a severe writer’s block while starting to write this post. That probably explains why I started writing this post mentioning my writer’s block. For me it was bad enough when I couldn’t get any of the streams to work. Looking at, and furiously refreshing my browser, for the text commentary on Sky/Soccernet and some forums made me think up new insults to hurl at the darned pirates who couldn’t get a United stream working. I discovered TV Ants way too late to bother turning it up. Hopefully the weekend would be better, stream-wise at least.

Continue reading “Pompey 1-1 Reds: So, Is It Time to Panic?”

So after a disappointing draw against Reading we head south over to Fratton Park to play a team that in recent times have become our ‘bogey team’. But in a way it’s good we are playing away from home. At least there is this hope that teams wouldn’t park their bus in front of their goal. Harry Redknapp himself said he won’t be defensive. “One can’t just defend against teams like that”, he said - or something to that effect.

So we could hope for a much more open game today. SAF has confirmed that Tevez will start today. It would be a like for like replacement for Rooney, but that said, it shouldn’t open up the old, tiresome debate that Rooney and Tevez are too similar. As Carlitos would himself say, “I am only 50% similar to him” - or something to that effect. He would have said that in Spanish anyway, so there you go.

I would love for Hargreaves to start along side Carrick with Scholes in the hole, as I mentioned yesterday. But I doubt we are going to see that happening. Giggs might be persisted with in the hole with Carrick and the Ninja playing deeper. Fletcher would get to start on the wing with Ronny on the other. However we should see Evra in a more familiar role of left back - displacing Silvestre. So that should hopefully settle many nerves, or so we’d hope.

Nani would be on the bench and so would Anderson/Ole. I am sure Fergie would have realized his folly of not having any genuine strikers on the bench in the last game. Well, sure, he didn’t have any fit striker, but Anderson could play in that role too. Or even Frazier Campbell, no?

Oh well, let’s not talk about that game anymore. Here’s looking forward to a good game today and a result.

Prediction: 2-0 to United. The lads will be pumped up for the game. Tevez to score! I don’t expect our defence to be too troubled by Portsmouth’s attack although they are decent enough to cause us problems.

And before I end this preview, here is an inspirational fan chant created by none other than yours’ truly, (Who else!) which involves three of our summer signings. It could be horrible, or outright brilliant. But that’s your opinion. Anyway here it is:

Anderson, Nani, Charlie Tee,
In your pants, they’ll make you Pee!

Angry? You have the comment section for that!

Just to make it official, I am back from a rather extended holiday and had good times away. That said, the blog wasn’t really away, thanks to some lads who popped up with posts. I did manage to pop up while on vacation too, in the midst of my high spirits. However, the high spirits were slightly tempered by the Reading game, but I have the whole season to look forward to. After yesterday’s pessimistic post, that scared some readers, I would like to say I am still positive about the season ahead.

Anyhoo, I don’t have too much to talk about apart from pointing out to the already well known fact that Rooney is out for two months. What makes one feel really bad here is that he was really in full force right through pre-season. The hunger was there for all to see. I’d say two months to be rather optimistic and it will take him until November to recapture his form. Till then we hope Saha returns for real and forms a partnership with Tevez. If that works out then I wouldn’t worry too much about Wazza.

Continue reading “Rants Returns to Regular Service”

Morning lads. I know. Even I am reeling from yesterday’s defeat. This won’t be a match report per se. If it’s match reports you want, then you have the papers. I would post match reports as and when I feel like it, but at the moment I’d like to dwell a little more on the lessons we can take from the game.

Continue reading “United Would Do Well to Learn from Arsenal”

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Continue reading “United vs Reading: Preview”

I am not back as yet from my mini-vacation, but that hasn’t stopped me from sneaking in to make a post. (Label me jobless, useless, or with other juicier insults, but with the season closing in, this is out of an irresistible urge to post! So there.) Also much thanks to Ahmed and Brian who have stepped in and continued our conversations, in my absence. Hats off lads!

Getting back to the article, I realised that I hadn’t posted a preview to the season yet so I’ll do it now. Read on…

Continue reading “Manchester United 07/08 Season Preview”

Alright lads, I will be on a break over the next few days. I should be back in full force by Saturday. I know, it is a tough time to be away from the blog, what with Tevez’s debut and the start of the Premiership looming. But it is a necessary break, and hence bear with me.

In the meantime, hopefully, Ahmed (or our other contributors) should fill in with a few posts. I might make a surprise appearance or two, although there are no guarantees.

Till then, I’ll leave you with Sky’s report on the game, with highlights and post match quotes from both managers. Plus there is the other video containing the team lifting the cup. Videos after the jump

Continue reading “A Mini-Break”

EVDS saved 3 penalties as United beat Chelsea in the Community Shield game. The first half was fiesty with tackles flying all over. United had the better of the Blues, creating more chances. Giggs rounded off a good move from Evra’s cross. Malouda took advantage of one of Rio’s famous short-naps with a smart flick to make it 1-1 in the first half.

The second half brought about substitutions and drifted off into some sort of a snorefest, with nothing to separate either side. Although United would edge them out by virtue of chances created in the second half. Nani played in the second half too, and took some good corners.

So first blood to United. Not that there’s too much to read into it. But a Cup is a Cup, and we’ll feel pleased.

Comments welcome.

It’s been quiet today as well as yesterday. The lull was more surprising given United played a game yesterday. Since the match wasn’t televised we had to rely on footage shown by Sky Sports that has been doing the rounds (thanks, this time, to Dailymotion).

Anyway, comfortable win, apparently, for, what we could safely term, our third choice XI. Although, it looks increasingly likely that Dong Fangzhou is a regular visitor to this site. What else could explain his rather good performance yesterday. He had a hand in all three goals, and the third goal that he scored was probably the best I’ve seen him play. Anyway, let’s not get too carried away by that. Give him some time.

Continue reading “Community Shield Preview”