May 02
Boro v Man Utd: Preview
Boro are a mad team. They are capable of the atrocious, like their current league position demonstrates. Yet, they have had their fair share of big team scalps.
And that’s all I can say about them, really. An away game at the Riverside can always be tricky, would be the other cliche I could trot out.
Or I could talk about our side. Yeah, I’ll do that.
Ferguson talks about ringing in the changes and finding the ‘right balance’. He mentioned Giggs played for 20 minutes against Arsenal and Scholesy being fresh. There are rumours that Macheda may make his first full start for United in the league.
All this seems all and well to say. But we are a side gunning for the Champions’ League and the Premiership. It could be argued that we are reasonably placed to advance in Europe, but too much mix and match at this time of the season sits uneasily on my head. We have about 5 games to go in the league including today. And we have to get our best possible sides out from now on, with minor changes. Because, to me, it makes little sense to ‘save’ our best players for the ‘future games’. We have five games left in the season in the league and, if we beat Arsenal in midweek, seven games overall. So what the heck are we going to keep players fresh for, if we don’t do the job today?
I hope Fergie realises that and makes one change at most in attack with an enforced change to come in defence, in the form of Jonny Evans. I suppose we could have Wes Brown making an appearance in right back — which really isn’t bad considering he’s had some reserve outings under his belt. If Macheda plays, then we could have Tevez upfront with him. We could also have Nani, possibly, in the wings, going by Fergie’s plans to freshen up the squad.
In an ideal world we should be able to beat Boro however we mix things up. But the world is far from ideal and we know all too well the perils of tinkering with a side that just seems to be getting into gear and re-learning its fluent attacking side.
I think Giggs will make the starting XI. Fergie hardly likes to drop Carrick. And I suspect Rooney will be on the bench. SAF’s press conference didn’t give too much away either, because he did mention that players were quite buoyant in training following the mid week performance against the Arse. That is nice to hear and one hopes not much is lost in attacking verve today.
In passing, there is something amusingly wrong about this article and headline — in another edition of Daniel Taylor does it again shocker. It states that Ferguson risks the wrath of Premier League football managers of clubs that are in relegation scraps because Middlesbrough will face a weakened United side. Weakened, perhaps. But a team that will nonetheless try their best to win — rather a team that’d better win. The article compares this with United fielding a weakened side against West Ham in 2006. Well, there are two minor details the author apparently forgot to consider: 1. United are currently not beyond reach of Liverpool and, 2. The West Ham game happened after we’d already won the title. So, in short, another shockingly pointless article.
Right, onto our predictions: United 2-1 Boro.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Man Utd 4-1 Middlesbrough
- Man Utd v Stoke: Preview
- Man Utd v Everton: Preview
- 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)
I have to say it is starting to piss me off how often Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea murder teams 3-0.
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@Liam: it was like a week and a half ago
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@Dan: Just like Madrid have ‘agreed’ to sign Ronaldo every 5 minutes for the last 4 years…..
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@colver: Where abouts are they in the league again?
I’d rather we win 2 – 0 away to Middlesborough, not loose 2 – 0. Like Liverpool did 3 months ago.
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@Traverse: Completely different actually, two very different scenarios.
Madrid are always linked with ronaldo, ribery isnt linked with anyone, united wont sell ronaldo at all, bayern are prepared to let him go.
The quality of papers is different to marca, ribery hasnt come out and said his dream is real. Theres a couple more but im to tired.
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@Matthew: Not totally unwarranted, but harsh.
@Matt: Deja Vu?
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@Dan: Fookin’ hell that’s Ronaldo written all over..
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@Matthew: I hope your wearing a crash helmet fellow, because you are about to get some
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@Dan: Just watched another youtube.. Whats impressive is that he can dribble, pass (!!!) and shoot.
By pass, I mean those trademark united through balls and short 1-2s that giggs does so well.
I hope he turns out good.
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Rafa is just out of his mind desperate for United to lose points – sad sap. Gerrard and Carragher – and their “We believe” constant talk claims. Rafa = “Man City will want to destroy United, Arsenal will take points off them, Hull City will not give them an easy game” – oh dear, looks like he is backing all our opponents to help L’fool win the PL.
Also, can anybody tell me in the 11 times the Fool have managed to get opposing players RED CARDED this season, how many were from Alonso cheating, rolling about, waving imaginary cards in the air, and conning the ref???????
. Alonso and the fool have a masters degree in cheating!
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@NicoQB: I rate this lad highly, he is everything i want in a CAM, he really is little kaka.
I could see us using him on the left wing, but i think hes a much better CAM, possible SS.
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@Dan: Funny as in the youtubes, he plays mostly RM doesn’t he?
Also – Ra’vel Morrisson. Wonder what happened to him. He was banging goals regularly a few months ago…
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@RedDevilEddy: What did he say? I’m curious.
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@Dan: OK so I’m sorry Dan but now you have me really pissed off…..in a friendly kind of way.
You think Llajic is just what we need because he scored a goal in some lightweight Serbian league but Huntelaar was shite because he scored over a 100 goals in about the same number of games in the Dutch League? Now from where I come from, that smells of hypocrisy mate. 
And further more, I am not going to get all wet and and excited over one frakken goal scored an shown on YouTube. Come on mate, I expect more from you than that. That’s not building a case for the player. It’s building a case that you are a band wagon jumper when it comes to really young players. Sorry Dan my boy, but I call it as I see it. 
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@Matt: He’s also a baby who needs to learn a Hell of a lot more before he is even considered. Midfield is much more demanding position than striker where you can get away with mistakes because you play both ways and your quality of play determines success or failure much more so than Macheda scoring or not scoring.
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@Liam: FAor those who say we don’t need Ribery I have three words for them, “GRAB A BRAIN”. Ribery is just what the doctor ordered but Fergie is going to let him get away because of his fetish for that overrated piece of crap called Benzema. And trust me, he will rue the day he was seduced by that nothing like Zidane wannabe. Actually he idolized fat Ronaldo and has about the same personality and work ethic. He’s a slug who makes Berbatov look like a Grand National champion.
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@Traverse: Correct me if I’m wrong but Liverpool has beaten us twice this year by a collective score of 6-2. They also have two fewer losses than us. Their only fault is tying games rather than doing like us and winning them 1-0. We are barely ahead of them and we have won nothing to be barking like that about. If they can stay within 3 point s of us with two games to play, they still have a shot. I think we will beat Arsenal in the Champions League but will lose the EPL game to them on the 14th because Arshavin will murder us and because we will be tired. Just a feeling I have. If we lose that game, the final game of the season is at Wigan and that i wouldn’t wish upon myself. If we lose that, Liverpool could steal this on plus-minus and equal points. So don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched. Also, even if we win the League, the thought of being humiliated not once but twice this season by Liverpool will linger in my heart and will be a beacon of pride for the Scousers.
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@Dan: Ribery has been strongly linked with Barcelona even before this season started and even Inter Milan and Juventus have expressed interest in him. I know this because I am a strong Bundesliga supporter and read the German and especially Bayern news all the time. Man City and United are also linked with him but Man City has absolutely know hope in Hell of getting him because all he cares about is trophies and the Champions League.
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@Craig Mc: His comment has been deleted. Who was it addressed to and what did he say?
Call me curious and a little paranoid, since I get a lot of the abuse on this site.
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@Grognard: He was calling people whining bitches, but he got a lot of abuse back from a good few of us whining bitches
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@NicoQB: LW actually
@Grognard: its not hypocrisy mate
its dan logic 
i like afellay, i liked van der vaart and sniedjer, i just dont like huntelaar 
@Grognard: you dont want to know, seriously.
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@NicoQB: Please don’t be one of those muppets who rates a player because of a highlight reel on Youtube. It is not an accurate representation of a player’s true ability or especially, his consistency or lack of. For example, if we see a Youtube highlight of Ronaldo free kicks, we would get the idea that he is magical and cannot miss. Well you and I kn ow that for every one he scores with, he misses 25 of them and pretty badly too. If you saw Anderson score a goal on Youtube (indulge me with that bit of fantasy fiction), would you automatically assume that he is a prolific goal scoring midfielder? Do you see what I am getting at mate?
Youtube is the worst tool for judging players abilities and should never be used.
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@Craig Mc: We have our own group of cheaters too mate but we never make that argument for them I hate Liverpool but I have seen a lot of those red cards handed out for fouls on Alonso this season and most of them were deserved. It’s the penalty decisions that really bug me. Liverpool always seem to have a 12th man at Anfield and that’s the referee. On the other hand, how many goals have we had taken away this year because of wrong called offsides? Christ the EPL sucks and it’s the refs who make it worse than it really should be.
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@Grognard: Our final game is at Hull Grog, NOT WIGAN mate. We play Man Shitty, Wigan (our game in hand), Le Arse, and Hull in that order. I do not believe that Le Arse will beat us at OT mate, Arshaving or no Arshavin. If we beat Man Shitty and Wigan our next two games, we only need 1 point from our last 2 games to win the league.
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@Grognard: i agree, but i have seen 2 partzien matches(when im bored and there is a stream for them) and he does look a real talent.
The guy hasnt even signed a pro-contract yet, and he is breaking into the national squad, with europes top clubs all wanting him! not only that, but to know fergie spent £9mil on a player that was on TRIAL is some feat also!
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@Dan: And you base this on the hours and hours and dozens of games you have watched him play, correct? Honestly Dan, I cannot find the words mate.
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@Craig Mc: Fucking trolls.
If only they existed in fantasy novels.
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@Grognard: Most of the Red Cards at L’fool were deserved, NO FUCKING WAY BRO – NEVER! Also we may have cheats, but not in pushing to get Opposition players red carded waving imaginary cards at the ref. Grog are you sure you have been watching our games this season, if so I think you have been seeing things mate
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@Dan: Not liking Huntelaar is one thing, being unfair and hypocritical towards him is another.
And as for that troll’s comments, I take it then he was calling me a whining bitch? If so I’ll get out my mini violins and play a concerto of Wagner for him.
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@Grognard: A beacon of pride for the scousers – yeah right, but the trophy will still be in our cupboard at OT halls of fame
. Man you have really got a dose of Scouse elevation in your belly it seems Grog. Won’t wash with the faithful on here I’m afraid.
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@Craig Mc: Fair enough, I forgot. But the Wigan game concerns me because I think they are a good side at home. If we lose two games in our last 4, we could lose the title on goals for and against. Doubtful, but possible. Lets not forget that it has been a long season and we are tired. Hopefully haviong played so many reserves and bench players of late and having come out of it well will benefit us around that time. On the other hand, if by some some curse or calamity we are eliminated from the CL on Tuesday, then I will feel more confident about winning the League because we can then let it all hang out like Liverpool. As long as we have that CL final to think about, it puts a lot of pressure and taxes us a lot more physically. A tough balancing act for Fergie.
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@Dan: Still Dan, two matches compared to the well over 50 matches of Ajax and Heerenveen I have seen not to mention his 12 starting matches with Real should also then count for something. Llajic is probably the real deal but two games, especially in the useless Serbian league, do not compare to over 60 matches of Huntelaar in the Dutch League and LaLiga. I want respect for the Hunter, not love, R.E.S.P.E.C.T. that’s what he means to me.
And I forgot the dozen games I have seen him with the Dutch National side. A side where he has scored at least 7 or 8 times that I can think of.
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@Craig Mc: I have Bro and Alonso has at time been mercilessly hacked down. I don’t like him and I hate the Scouse but I am being honest. But the penalty calls are another thing. Liverpool players are trained cheats inside the box.
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@Craig Mc: Oh comeon mate. I hate them with a passion and that is why their two wins against us and especially that 4-1 home humiliation just rubs me the wrong way. Even if we win the double again, those two losses will have tainted the season for me. Because they will always say you beat everybody else to win your trophies but you were our bitches the two times you played us. That is hard to live with and then go out and brag because we beat a lot of worthless opponents 1-0 while they were unlucky to tie some of them which probably has cost them the title. It just rubs me wrong mate. There is never an excuse to lose to Liverpool. I can tolerate a loss to Chelsea and Arsenal more than a loss to that fat waiter.
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@Grognard: Grog we MUST play our next 3 games like our very lives depended on winning them. So that will take care of the CL semi and leave us needing one point to take PL again. We must beat City, and Wigan have been out of form lately, so I think we will win there. If we beat Shitty and Wigan, I think the scousers will be very deflated. But we have these three games Tuesday, Saturday, Wednesday – so very close together. It all depends if Rio and Vida are FIT then I believe we can do it.
The scousers won’t find it easy at West Ham AWAY, because their home form has been very good, and also Spurs at Anfield. So we will see. But I’m backing our lads ALL THE WAY TO THAT FINISH LINE.
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@Grognard: I couldn’t give a monkey’s too be honest, if we get the silverware THEY will be feeling sicker and more hurt than we will. A LOT of the games they won, they were playing against 10 men for a good amount of the game. Alonso and Mascherano are experts at getting people red carded, and I find Alonso in particular despicable. He got Lampard sent off for nothing, because he played seriously wounded, then when Lamps was off, he got up and ran like fuck all the rest of the game. Alonso is FILTH mate. Lamps had his red card rescinded almost immediately after the game, but Chelsea lost that game they should have never lost. Even today L’fools opening goal was OFFSIDE, and how many times has that happened. No mate, the team that wins the PL DESERVES to win it over a season, so no sympathy from me mate!
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@Grognard: And for the 19th consecutive year, they have failed to win the Premiership. Big whoop. I don’t care if they beat us home and away every year for the next 20 years if we win the league each of those times.
We can’t beat everyone all of the time, Liverpool were going to beat us eventually. What we can do is end the season with more points than them.
Would I like us to be more attacking? Yeah of course. Would I like us to batter everyone 5-0 ? Yeah. But Arsenal can play all the wank worthy passing football they like, and claim the next season will be the one the finally finish higher than 4th, and Liverpool can score 15 goals a game, and it doesn’t matter for jot on the last day of the season when we’re the ones lifting the trophies.
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Any team that looses away to Middlesborough, and couldn’t score at home against Stoke (and away), Fulham and West Ham does not deserve to win the league, and thats a facht.
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@Dan: I scored one like that in a friendly last season.
Am I now the man who is perfect for United? No, there are better players out there. Sorry about it, but I dont have much faith In Ljajic. I thought Tosic was gonna become huge here, but he is now having problems starting for our reserves. Talk about a waste of money! 
I hope Ljajic does well for us, I really do. But I dont have faith in him, because for all we know he might be shite in the Serbian League but scored one blinder. Youtube doesnt do it for me, neither does a clip. Hell, I could make myself look better than Ronaldinho in his prime with Youtube if I wanted to! 
Want him to do well, but dont expect it…
Maybe this is just because he plays in Andys position, and I want Andy to rule this team.
(JOKE!!!)
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@Grognard: We lost 2-1 at home to Shitty last season in our most emotional game of the season. The one Premier League game we had to make a stand for respect to the dead, we made a fool of ourselves and could have lost by more goals.
In 2007 we lost the double against Arsenal. In 1999 we lost 3-0 to Arsenal, 3-2 at home to Boro and 3-1 to Sheffield Wednesday. In 1997 we lost 6-1 to Southampton. Did those result fuck up our season? No! Is it those results we are gonna remember the season for? No! Did we feel like it was the end of the world then? Yes. But after a year, after the season and, mainly, after the trophies, we give a fuck about those fucked up result. I felt just like the others of you after that game agaisnt Liverpool, I felt like shooting myself or being isolated on an island because I was so embarrased. But I know that if we win the trophies at the end of the season, those two losses wont matter. They wont fucking matter!!! Because: WE ARE CHAMPIONS!!!
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Been thinking. Newcastle are as shite as its possible to become. The only thing that kept the from relegation these last years was named Shay Given, and now he has left. I have never seen a defense have so little to do as Liverpool had today. Sunderland came to park the bus in December, but Newcastle were actually trying to attack. Of cource to no avail, and I must wonder how shite its possible for a side to become. I used to hate Newcastle. When I grew up, the first seasons I remember watching United play Newcastle were our strongest rivals. I discusted them, and the fact that Shearer was there, and the way their fans behaved. Saying they were the best fans in the world, just because they were wanking loudly when their players actually managed to score a goal. They were good, and I really didnt like them. And now, they are facing relegation. It feels so sweet, because the only time they show up during a season is against us. They play with heart and determination only 180 minutes of teh season, and those minutes are always against us. Its horrible to watch, they are fucking shite!
But the thing that makes me wonder is how a team with so many good players can play so horrible. Owen, Martins, Collochini, Duff and Gutierrezz(who has impressed me this season). Some brilliant players, and watching them in the Championsship would be really embarrasing for them. So many of them would want to get out. I can imagine Owen and Martins demanding to move because of their high profiles, Owen wanting to get into the England side and Martins being good enough to play for a top 6 team. I think we should go for one of them. I want Fergie to buy Benzema, because I feel he is the most complete striker you can find except for Torres. But if his personality is as bad as imagined by many of us, I dont want him here. So that is why I think Owen might be a good alternative. He will be cheap, I will be really surprised if he costs mroe than £6 million. He will be injured for a big part of the season, but i feel he still has something to give. His positioning is great, and he would work well as a super sub. Berbatov and Rooney is the natural first-choice partnership, and Macheda and Welbeck can play if they get injured. But having a Michael Owen coming of the bench for approximately 15-20 games a season means you will get some goals. He is inteligent, good finisher and great on the head despite his height. I dont see any reason why we shouldnt at least consider buying him, because while his injuries might be a problem he wont be too expensive. Plus, if he scores against Liverpool at Anfield in a crucial game, it would be sweeeeeeet!
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@Dan: @Grognard: Ok I was taken by that goal by Ljajic, I’ll admit it, but what impressed me especially was his passing ability in restricted areas.
Now even Carlton Palmer with some luck can score a cracker of a goal, but repeatedly making runs, showing good technique on the ball, good passing, added to a fair amount of strikes on goal is a sign to me that he might just be up to his reputation.
Here you go, that was the vid that impressed me more:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAq3BzV9u6s
Dan look carefully, on most plays he’s playing on the right. The one scorcher shot he was on the left, but no doubt from this vid that he’s RM or RW.
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The only way I can see us conceding this title is on goal difference. If Liverpool win their remaining games they achieve 86 points. We have four games left and are on 80.
I have a sneaking suspicion that while we will knock Arsenal out of the Champions League they will get their revenge in the Premier League. Which means we cannot afford to lose another game, with City and Wigan potential banana skins.
Then I think we will really regret not winning by larger margins against teams we dominated.
But I think we will scrape 1st place. I predict we will lose to Arsenal, draw with either City or Wigan, and win the other games.
In any case I think Liverpool will drop a point or two.
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God i dunno if its just me but do we always get the hardest end run of games every season. This year we have a very hard couple of games, boro yesterday is a tricky game, city and wigan, arsenal and hull is what i call a pretty tough end run in.
Last year we had boro away, arsenal, blackburn, chelsea, and the tough final game away to wigan on the final day of the season.
Even the season before i remember we had everton and city away as well as chelsea at stamford bridge even though this game didnt end up being important as the league was already won.
My point is, season after season we seem to have the toughest end run of fixtures. Are they fixed, or am i just being paraniod. I would go with the paranoid theory usually but with the FA anything is possible and i just feel our games always seem to be hard at the end every bloody year, coincidence maybe or fixture meddling i dont know.
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@colver: I think we will beat Shitty, Wigan and Hull, and draw with Arsenal. That will win us the title agaisnt Arsene and his kids.
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@Craig Mc: It’s going to be tough because fatigue and injuries could play a big role as well as Fergie’s rotation of players because if there is one thing he wants more than anything it’s a chance at that European Final again. Liverpool have an easy road because all they have to do is worry about the league but that of course doesn’t guarantee them anything. Hopefully they will do us a favor and drop some points like the good bitches that they are.
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@Traverse: You don’t get it mate, their small minded supporters will hang that over our heads and completely ignore our 20 years of total dominance as they hide behind those two wins and conveniently forget they have zero silverware yet again. And that just bugs me because I want all the silverware and to beat their asses like last year.
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@Traverse: I also care more about the game and how it is played despite all the titles. Titles are great but if the game goes into the sewer and our style of play is total shite, then all we have done is won the Sewer League title and are Champions of Shite. I want to see the League adopt policies that will open up the game and make it more entertaining and I want United to go back to the football they used to play which was entertaining and won us many many titles. Not too much to ask for really.
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@Traverse: Any team that loses at home and away to Liverpool doesn’t either mate. It’s how you look at it. When the difference at the end of it all is a a matter of a point or two, then I chalk luck up to the difference and then look at the two teams and what they did head to head. We may have the championship but Liverpool and many others may see them as more worthy champions. At the end of a long 38 game season, does one point or so really define one team as better than the other? I suppose but I have always felt that in a race that close, the head to head match ups really speak to me. Those two losses really stick in my craw. As a hardcore supporter I feel humiliation and embarrassment having dropped 6 points to those pricks
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@RedDevilEddy: I think Owens is on his way down as a player. He has struggled all season with his form and his fitness, and buying him would just fill another bed in our training room.
His size is a problem because he cannot now compete with the big center backs that dominate the PL, and he would be about as effective as Tevez has been this year, minus the energy and running.
Maybe a stint in the lower divisions will help him regain his form and passion, but I would give him a big pass as far as United is concerned.
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