Feb 04
Bebe in top form
Bebe produced an outstanding performance as Rio Ave stunned Sporting Lisbon 2-1 in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.
The on-loan winger received the Man of the Match award in some quarters as two own goals helped his side pull off a victory that keeps them in fifth spot and six points clear of the illustrious Lisbon club.
“I feel like I helped the team,” he told Record afterwards. “But everyone was important. I feel important here because I can play regularly. I hope to keep in shape, keep helping Rio Ave until the end of the season and return to Manchester United, which is my club.”
Can Bebe return to Old Trafford and make an impact?
Related items from Red Rants:
The_Philosopher (402)
Redrich (220)
Opti (207)
Moscow (147)
Stephen (146)
Only if he is a completely different player than that we saw the first time around.
He actually could be one that could benefit from the seasoning of an off-league loan, but he’ll have to come back in with a totally new attitude and skill set. I say no – he’s not United quality and the loan move is just a “shop-window” for desperate Euro wannabe’s. Ferguson needs to get his money back on him.
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@Redrich: I think you’re right when you say that Ferguson is probably trying to up the price for him so that we can get something out of a sale for him.
But Ferguson also probably just feels like the kid needs some playing time.
And feeling valued and being praise by your team mates can do wonders for your game and your self-esteem.
You never know. Maybe Bebe will become good enough to be a back up player for our first choice wings. He doesn’t srtike me as the kind of player who would demand massive wages. Why not just keep him around if he improves enough to be useful?
I’m still a little optimistic when it comes to Bebe. I’m not prepared to write him off just yet.
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Very interesting week or two for us. The Everton game will require a very strong lineup to manage a good result as will the Madrid game.
Do we have the depth or fitness to field a super strong side in each game or will this come down to a choice? Can Rooney and RVP play 2 games with only a 2 day rest and can Carrick run his arse off without a full weeks rest?
Hmmm… interesting, and then we have a FA cup tie that could put us in the quarter finals!
Will be a good measure of our squad depth and how Ferguson manages it.
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@Redrich: Yeah its crunch time for the Reds.
But Ferguson is always brilliant at planning for squeeky bum time.
He will probably play Vidic for both the Everton and Madrid games. Evans will most likely partner Vidic against Everton.
Ferdinand played against Fulham so he will miss the Everton game so that he can be prepared for the Real Madrid game on Wednesday.
Barring any injuries, we should have Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand and Rafael with De Gea in goal, at the back against Madrid.
I wonder if Ferguson might consider bringing Buttner in against Everton just to give Evra a breather before the Madrid clash.
Cleverley will probably play the Everton game. Ferguson might want to rest Carrick with the Madrid game in mind so Cleverly might be partnered up with Anderson in the middle against Everton. Its a risky partnership but can pay off in terms of attack. Jones might come in at this point.
Against Madrid I would like to see Carrick play with Anderson. Cleverley can disappear during games some times so I feel that Anderson should be more of an imposing figure.
Phil Jones will be involved in midfield for one of these two games as well I suspect. Just not sure where and when. Ferguson might play him at right back as well against Madrid if he feels we need a more solid defence. But if we’re attacking Madrid full tilt then Rafael will play.
I just worry about how we’re gonna shut Ronaldo down. Do you want Rafael on him? Or Jones? Jones has a lot of pace as well and is bigger and more physical than Rafael.
My biggest concern is the right wing position. Valencia is tanked! He is completely out of gas.
Nani should play against Everton and Madrid as he can recover in time for the Madrid encounter and he needs game time.
Rooney and van Persie will obviously start against Real Madrid with Chicharito on the bench as back up (assuming that everyone is fit and good to go). That will mean that Welbeck will probably be involved on Sunday against Everton.
I have no idea where Kagawa will be shoe-horned in.
There are a lot of permutations to consider but thats how I see it playing out. Don’t be surprised to see Giggs on the left wing against Everton.
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@The_Philosopher: I am not worried about Ronaldo as we know his too well and Rafael showed 2-3 years ago that he could handle then-top-of-world Ribery.
I am more worried about Madrid’s other players… this is their X-factor, I feel.
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@Opti:
Rafael coyld handle Ribery any time… Yeah… Sure.
He was shown a red card, because of a completely needless takcle, and the whole team got deeper…then Bayern scored and : bye bye to an easy CHL.
Yes, I blame Rafael for loosing!
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@Redrich: Then its the FA Cup and reading to follow.
Ferguson will also have the B-Team ready for that.
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The Everton game will be very significant in this year’s title race.
It will be a right of passage in a way.
In the corresponding fixture last season it was this game that triggered our finish line capitualtion, as we drew and dropped 2 points againts Everton and followed that up with a 6 point reverse as we lost at the Etihad thus dropping 3 more points while City gained 3.
Everton was a critical stumbling block in our title charge last season.
And to add insult to serious injury Everton decided to open their campaign by defeating us at home.
Its safe to say they now have our full attention.
We have to beat Everton to set the score straight and demonstrate that we truely have learnt our lessons. That we won’t let a lead over City slip as we begin the home stretch towards the league title finish line.
This time we cannot allow them to derail our title momentum. The most not be the thorn in our side again.
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@The_Philosopher: I agree, all though from now until the end of the season every game is the “biggest” game of the season.
Fergie and the lads really have to take a lot credit this season. The manager stuck his neck out and committed a lot of money of Van Persie, with the journalists sharpening their knives praying for him to get injured or to not produce. Sadly for them their hopes have been dashed and he has been the player of the season. Evra, Rafael, Evans, Carrick and Rio have had their critics, but all have been brilliant this season.
With plenty of talk about how we needed Mourinho at the start of the season and Fergie should go, yet again he has silenced the minority and proved who really is the special one. Their is always talk about we should sign so and so, but the team spirit at United is unprecedented and this is what wins titles.
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Ferguson will play against the two managers being considered as his potential replacements in his next two games.
David Moyes’ Everton come to Old Trafford on Sunday.
And we will travel to the Bernabeu on Wednesday to meet Jose Mourinho and the Los Blancos.
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David Moyes would be the Glazer choice, he runs a tight ship but for me he hasn’t won anything so cannot be seen as suitable successor.
I gone over my views about Mourinho about a million times, I will say if he were not the self proclaimed special one, he would have been sacked at Real by now, the irony will be, if he were to go out of the Champions League against us he will be.
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