May 21
CHAMPIONEEEESSSSSS! YESSSSS!
UPDATE: I want to write a report, but don’t know where to start. Give me some more time to collect my thoughts (because yesterday was a blur), and I promise I’ll make it up to you.
Article when I get sober.
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Tags: UEFA Champions' League
May 21st, 2008 at 22:37
DOUBLE!!!
May 21st, 2008 at 22:38
WE ARE THE BEST, ANDYS FIRST GOAL, YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 21st, 2008 at 22:39
YEHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 21st, 2008 at 22:41
THE BATTLE FOR MOSCOW 2008:
I am in such a state of euphoria I am crying like a baby. My God what an epic war. This has to be the greatest and most titanic battle I have seen since West Germany beat France in the 82 semi final. We have just been put through the ringer emotionally and I for one don’t know how I will recover from this. My hands are still shaking from the trauma this game has put my body and emotions through. I know now more than ever that my blood runs Red Devil red as I feel like I am one of the boys out on the pitch. I will comment on the game later as I need time to recover from this emotional experience. GOD LOVES MANCHESTER UNITED. UNITED FOREVER! UNITED TO THE DEATH!
I love you Edwin Van Der Sar.
May 21st, 2008 at 22:42
terry HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
hopefully. . hopefully this near loss spurs ronaldo on to even greater heights
May 21st, 2008 at 22:45
OMG I am so proud of Man U. Nani and Anderson were incredible stepping up at such a young age when they could not afford to miss. Such heart, such courage. Giggs too…smooth as can be! Hahaha terry missed a penalty, couldn’t handle the pressure. Rio for England captain! Poor Ronaldo missing that penalty…but he said publicly to the interviewer he will stay. And not surpising any other club would be a step down! Because we are the champions of europe and by the smallest margin the best team in england and europe! Ferguson is vilified…..two Champions Leagues in less than ten years! Tears are streaming down my face and my nerves are so shot I threw up a few times during the match. Time to get royally pissed and skip work!
May 21st, 2008 at 22:46
no way ronaldo leaves this summer after his miss. He was I so close to proving the haters wrong.
May 21st, 2008 at 22:55
First fucking POST!!! WOOOOOHOOOO NEW YORK DON’T KNOW…. One drunk night!!!
May 21st, 2008 at 22:58
This is way better then 99 I am soo going to drink this out!! Last time i had school in the morning now I have a hangover to look forward toooooooooooooo!
May 21st, 2008 at 23:02
Un-fucking-believable! The relief when Terry missed, unreal! And I just knew Anelka would miss, because it just had to be Giggs who won it for us again.
May 21st, 2008 at 23:06
im so happy im in tears.
how important was tevez going nutso at the end eh? got drogba sent off lol
wow. just wow. what an epic. im exhausted
May 21st, 2008 at 23:11
God I forgot it was Giggs who scored the last penalty that won it for us! That is poetic…Scholes with the winner at Barca, Giggs with the winner in the final!
Anyone know who man of the match was? Im guessing Ronaldo
What is the betting that Roman gets fed up of his football adventure and his girlfriend persuades him to put his money in her art gallery and doesn’t give Chelsea any more cash?
May 21st, 2008 at 23:12
wooooooooooooooooooooohoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
May 21st, 2008 at 23:18
Like Fergie said, I think FATE played a major factor in this match. How else can you explain Terry slipping up when VDS had already gone the wrong way? I couldn’t watch the penalties straight - I watched all of them through a tiny slit I made using my fingers. This is so fuckin unreal….
May 21st, 2008 at 23:20
Championees! A sore disappointment that it went to penalties though. We should have sealed it in the first half. Oh well, I’ll take it. Thankfully it was Terry and not Ronaldo in tears at the end…
They couldn’t get lucky forever you know…
May 21st, 2008 at 23:24
Thanks God
We r
Champ
May 21st, 2008 at 23:25
double champions.my voice is horce.
May 21st, 2008 at 23:27
What a crazy game…so many ups and downs. I guess in the end all that matters is that we are CHAMPIONES!! CHAMPIONES!!! OLE OLE OLE !!!
May 21st, 2008 at 23:30
nice…
May 21st, 2008 at 23:35
The oldest players in the club sealed it with the coolest of penalties and a lovely save. Take that for making history. Something about this club…it’s just momentous. Red letter day and all that lads. Drink-up and make merry, for now it’s going to be an open season on bore. Oh well, there’s always the Euro…
May 21st, 2008 at 23:36
Im happy.
And im proud that im Slovakian
Pitch was from Slovakia and Terry miss the penalty because of grass.
Michel was from Slovakia a he sent off Drogba.
But the best thing is that we are champions.
May 21st, 2008 at 23:39
Have a look at the image just uploaded.
May 21st, 2008 at 23:45
Vidic and Hargo are my men of the match.
May 21st, 2008 at 23:47
RR;
Brilliant picture, cruel but brilliant. Alcohol makes these moments even better, it’s excellent! 
I pick Wes Brown for my MOTM, because when we were on top of the game, he was truly brilliant. Especially after people calling him our weak link, I wouldn’t want new right back after the consistency he has shown this year.
May 21st, 2008 at 23:48
LOL at the picture!
I can’t put into words what I’m feeling at the moment.
Mainly because I’ve cracked open the whiskey!!!
Oh, how fantastic …. not as good as 99, but better. In the morning, I’ll have a hell of a hangover …. karma for Terry, Cole etc
Proper fate, Giggs record breaker, Scholes winning his medal finally, Ronaldo having the season of all season and then missing the penalty, Munich, emotion
to quote someone “Football. Bloody hell!”
May 21st, 2008 at 23:48
we are the champions my friends !!!!!!!
so happy, so so happy !!
May 21st, 2008 at 23:49
What a game! united all the way! i suspect us getting the players we want pretty soon now!
May 21st, 2008 at 23:52
This makes the world of difference to me. I’m still in tears boys. Congratulations to us all.
He saves on the left…
He saves on the riggghhhhttt….
That boy Edwin….
Makes Chelsea look shite…..
May 21st, 2008 at 23:54
I was starting to think that the pitch was on Chelskis side as it was seemed to be moving every time one of our players planted their feet and was one of the main factors in their goal (edwin nearly had it saved after slipping so a better pitch you have to feel he would have cut the danger out) but it certainly evened itself up with Terry.
May 21st, 2008 at 23:55
This game had it all. Two incredible teams fighting it out like warriors on the plains of Waterloo. I just can’t emphasize enough how epic this clash was and how emotionally draining it was. After we won I felt and looked the way AV Grant did after he beat Liverpool I went down on my knees and thanked God. I am a spiritual person I suppose but I am also a very superstitious one as well. I refused to pray to God to see our boys through. I refuse to believe that God wastes his time on those who pray for the outcome of a sporting event. But I came close. Still I didn’t and it worked. I didn’t jinx my beloved United.
First off I’d like to thank John Terry from the bottom of my heart for missing that penalty. It made up for his lucky clearance of a sure Giggsy goal late in regulation time. I have to be honest, I still felt that we were going to win even after Ronaldo missed. Cech guessed right or should I say Ronaldo was to fucking predictable. Either way, Cech has a history of being totally useless against penalties. In fact, his save against Ronaldo was the first I have ever seen him make. On the other hand, we all know EVDS is great at stopping them although you would not have known that from the first four cracks Chelsea had. I love the symmetry. We beat them thanks to EVDS in the Community Shield to begin the season, and we closed them out at the end of the season thanks largely to EVDS.
I am so happy for all the players but I was in tears watching Sir Bobby Charlton walk those stairs to receive his medal as well as for Fergie. And I don’t think I howled louder in my life when Rio showed the class and allowed the skipper Giggs to lift the cup up to the crowd at the same time time. A deserving and fantastic gesture. I thought United showed Chelsea more respect and class than they deserved by forming a row of honor for those poor sports. They were a disgrace. A bunch of whiners and babies who cried and complained all night. They were physical and dirty and then they had the nerve to accuse us of dirty play. I don’t recall their players having bloody noses due to elbows. They fought like warriors and they must be commended for their heart especially in the second half but I really feel that United deserved to win the game. Even though, they almost let it get away in the second half. Credit goes to Chelsea for an inspired second half that brought a couple of strong attempts, numerous corners and a hit post by Drogba that almost made me piss my pants. Later in the extra time Lampard hit the post again and I started to feel that we were letting things slip away. We only really had two great chances after the half. Evra missed Rooney and decided to go far post on a chip cross that eluded everyone and Giggs shot that was cleared by Dunce Boy Terry. We looked a little flat footed in the the second frame and I really was beginning to lose faith and confidence. We blew too many chances in the first half to kill the game off.
In the end The good lord decided to put on his Manchester United kit and invoked a little devine intervention when it all seemed to be lost.
I knew God loved United and he hated the evil Abramovich and the evil Terry. Sorry for all the God speak but this game was a religious experience and a test of everyone’s faith to believe. The boys could have quit after Ronaldo’s miss, but they never. The dug down deep and found the courage to fight on. Thanks again to EVDS for the big save. Also, kudos to all the penalty takers. Had we lost I would not have been down on Ronny at all. He was tremendous through the whole game and everybody should know just how much pressure was on his shoulders at that moment. History is littered with great players who are not German that have missed big penalties at the worst time. Just ask Baggio in 1994. INCREDIBLE PRESSURE!
I love you Fergie and I ma so happy for you. The Gaffer really deserved this one although, he needs to stop putting his supporters through the ringer every time we reach a CL final. How many more emotional roller coasters can we take. Just once I’d like to see 2-0 or 3-0 instead of this high drama. My ticker can’t take anymore. CONGRATULATIONS TO UNITED and to all the fans and loyal supporters and to everyone on Red Rants that have shared a bond of love and collective loyalty for our beloved Manchester United. DRINK UP BOYS!
May 21st, 2008 at 23:56
The Terry sign is too sweet RR. That’s the exclamation point on a perfect evening.
May 21st, 2008 at 23:56
dont know what to say. cheers! my hands are trembling
May 21st, 2008 at 23:57
Beer made me piss all over the place…don’t know was it the game or the beer? Oh yes the beer relaxed me but the game was grrrr I can’t take any more!
WE ALWAYS DO IT THE HARD WAY!
My head is boiling , my girlfriend pushed me away cause of the sweating effect these games have , but I ‘m happy. I feel like I do have 50kg of blood all of them running into my huge head.
Glory, glory, Man United,
Glory, glory, Man United,
Glory, glory, Man United,
As the reds go marching on, on, on.
Just like the Busby Babes in Days gone by
We’ll keep the Red Flags flying high
You’ve got to see yourself from far and wide
You’ve got to hear the masses sing with pride
United! Man United!
We’re the boys in Red and we’re on our way to Wem-be-ly
Wem-be-ly! Wem-be-ly!
We’re the famous Man United and we’re going to Wem-ber-ly
Wem-be-ly! Wem-ber-ly!
We’re the famous Man United and we’re going to Wem-ber-ly
In Seventy-Seven it was Docherty
Atkinson will make it Eighty-Three
And everyone will know just who we are
They’ll be singing ‘Que Sera Sera’
United! Man United!
We’re the boys in Red and we’re on our way to Wem-ber-ly
Wem-be-ly! Wem-ber-ly!
We’re the famous Man United and we’re going to Wem-ber-ly
Wem-be-ly! Wem-ber-ly!
We’re the famous Man United and we’re going to Wem-ber-ly
Glory Glory Man United
Glory Glory Man United
Glory Glory Man United
As the Reds Go Marching On! On! On!
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:01
Has Sir Alex’s memory failed him? First penalty shoot out he’s ever won?! What about the COMMUNITY SHIELD!!!
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:01
even great news. ronaldo say he is staying.
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:03
SAF really pulled one out with the 4-4-2… we killed em in the first half…
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:03
[kurt]
Community Shield doesn’t count. It’s a charity game with the trophy basically an excuse. Otherwise we’ll be calling this season a Treble, not a Double.
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:04
We always make it difficult for ourselves! It’s something of a United tradition, we should have finished the game off in the first half, didn’t truly capitalize on our dominance. 2nd half Chelsea fought back admirably, played with more tempo and guile, defence held firm though as its done all season Rio & Vidic were both immense. Extra time was a bit of a non event both teams just seemed resigned to penalties. In the end a very even game, Penalties was the only way to split it! After enduring so many Heartbreaks watching England over the years, i wasn’t looking forward to it but what a heart stopping shoot out! Champions of England! Champions of Europe!
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:06
RR; but he actually did mention the Community Shield while he was looking back. VDS 2 Cech 0, brilliant.
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:08
The image is too class Ranty. Too fecking funny.
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:09
just back from the pub…thoroughly drunk..dont mind the spellnig….aaah fuck t foootball bloody hell..ronaldo we all love you…those c*nts who say you cant perform in big games have been once and for all silenced…VDS ur the man…rio vida class…tevez the bulldog great as always…rooney and scholes…class servants, played their heart out…evra the most underappreciated player ever…give him a little love people…more evra jerseys…WES is starting at rightback next season stuff a new RB…even carrick was half decent..!!!! and Juan Terrie is the new david beckham (the engulund version obviously, not the one we loved)…..THE REFEREEE MADE UP FOR ALL HIS BLUNDERS(and there were many) by sending off that mother of all cheating b*stards dogbera…poetic justice…if there were any such thing…me loved it…perfect day perfect…AND WHO else shuld score the winning penalty in the UCL final and the winning goal in the EPL? old is indeed gold people ( v v sentimental crap, he was sh*te in the game but who cares) 17 years of service we will always love you giggsy…
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:09
/drunk dizzy and breathless
cheeky lil bastard red ranter where did u get that pic from amazing stuff bro
Anyways what a nite on the edge and i sweared more than the words i spoke tonight
Highlights for me
Ronaldo goal he stood up against the doubters the penalty miss can go to hell
drogba sent off
terry misses
chealski scum goes down crying
and a scouse free zone board by the idiots of chealski fans hahaha
i was almost gonna faint when scholes ferdinand were having treatment
second half was’nt that good and we should have killed it in the first carrick why why why did’nt u kill it my dream of demolishing them whould have be over tonight
anyways what a shitty pitch was that slipping all over the place and in the end i cant seem to be able to sit in one place as i’m all jumping and grooving and yeah bloody hell we are the champions
and can some1 tell me how many yellows and fouls were there anyways all the matters is glory glory gloryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy we are the champions
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:11
I thought ronaldo was magnificent today. Barring the miss, he was superb. So many times when we were in trouble and chelsea dominating possession, he took the ball deep in our half and beat numerous defenders and even made the right pass at the end of it. Just what we needed from our superstar at the time. And his goal was perfect. It would’ve been so cruel if after what hes done this season, it was his miss that cost us.
Instead…LOL at terry, drogba and avram grant
And thats a hilarious picture lol
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:14
RR…we need to get shirts printed with the pic in it….brilliant.
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:17
ryusho, i suddenly love slovakiaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:37
we Believed.
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:40
PLAYER RATINGS! PLAYER RATINGS! PARTY TIME! EXCELLENT! Welllll.
EVDS 7/10 - The hero of the hour but really did not do much before the big save. A nice reflex save on a own goal attempt by Rio (helped on by an over the top foul by Ballack) and other than that, not much else. Was found wanting on the two shots that hit the post. I’m not sure if he was poorly positioned or helpless or both on those. His save was fantastic but lets face it, we must thank JT for giving him one more chance after he narrowly missed saving PK#4.
BROWN 8/10 - I thought Wes was once again very solid. Other than one giveaway he never made a wrong move all night and his left foot cross for Ronaldo goals was sublime. Message to Fergie. Stop trying to waste money on a RB. We have the best one in England already. He never let Malouda get anything going and really defended well.
RIO 6/10 - Heroic if sloppy performance. Obviously to blame for the goal but he looked a little out of whack during the game. The cramps only made things worse but he is a warrior and he fought it off and played well in the extra frame. A lot of guts, courage and tremendous leadership hide a very ordinary effort.
VIDIC 9/10 - Had a great game and was in Drogba’s grill all game. Lets never question his pre game mind games directed at the Drogba again. It worked like a charm because Drogba was invisible all game except for his long shot that hit the post. Vidic intimidated and harassed Drogba so much that he forced the Ivorian into a stupid red card. A classic game of baiting and then marking a player out of the game. He also saved Rio’s bacon a few times and was always reliable in a sweeper like role. Masterful.
EVRA 8/10 - I have grown to love the little guy despite being French. His pace, improving defensive game and speed is oally awesome. Tonight he made overlapping runs that were magical in cooperation with great Ronaldo passes and vision. His only black mark is that when in a great spot, his crosses are still woefully poor. Made a great pass to Giggs that should have been the game winning goal. Electrivc performance.
HARGREAVES 7/10 - Not a vintage performance but a great job of constant running and harassing the ball carrier. He was a pit bull out there tonight and really ran his heart out. Between him and Brown nothing really came off for Chelsea from their left side of the pitch.
His crosses were good but not finding their mark tonight. Still, a solid performance that showed a lot of experience for the moment. The lad can play anywhere you put him. And what a penalty take. Massive!
SCHOLES 7/10 - Never did anything really spectacular but he played his role well and controlled the tempo and the ball well. I’m pretty sure his nose was a compound fracture so he was gutsy to tough it out and play the 80+ minutes he did. Another warrior.
CARRICK 7/10 - Did the job defensively. One thing that will be missed by many tonight is how many times Carrick blocked long shots from players like Ballack and Essien. Chelsea have players who can hit the long shot so his defensive game was just to clog things up and not give them any shooting lanes. Offensively he was pretty invisible. Not too many passes worth mentioning and he missed an absolute sitter on the Tevez rebound when he shot it straight at Cech when both sides of the goal were beckoning. Decent penalty take too.
RONALDO 8/10 - Ronny was 10/10 in the first half but he dropped out of the game in the second half a bit. His first 45 minutes was magical as he could have had a few goals and set up a few. His running and dribbling were effective and controlled and I have never seen Essien skinned so many times in his entire career. The goal was vintage Ronny. As for the penalty, it knocked a point of his grade because lets face it, it was an epic miss. He hit hard but he telegraphed it. His problem is that far too often he likes to shoot low and left. He usually hits it well but eventually you have to believe a keeper will get to one. I just can’t believe it was Cech who couldn’t stop a pk if his life depended on it. Until tonight of course. Still, Ronny owes United for that miss. Stick around Ronny. WE ALL LOVE YOU!
ROONEY 6/10 - He worked hard but nothing really worked for him. Was it me or did he look a little slow off the mark. His regular quickness was not there and defenders had no problem marking him or taking the ball off him. Not one shot on goal tonight. SHOCKING! He did make that one great cross field cross to Ronaldo that set up Tevez for what should have been goal #2. I was not surprised he was subbed off because he looked gassed.
TEVEZ 6/10 - As usual you can never fault the Apache for lack of effort. He was a constant thorn in Chelsea’s side all match. But lets face it he missed to absolute sitters and a thirs from a bit of distance that could have been the one. Worked hard but was never really rewarded. On a few occasions I feel his lack of height cost us a goal. At that moment I was crying the name LOUIS SAHA with rage and and frustration.
GIGGS 7/10 - Congrats to Giggsy for setting the new record. He played a more central role replacing Scholes and he did have a great chance. I thought he should have tried to shoot to a corner and keep the ball low but he aimed high and Terry deflected it wide. Worked hard and he also hit a clinical penalty when it really counted. Just clutch.
ANDERSON NO RATING - But thanks for taking the penalty and making it in a very pressure cooker situation. A lot of pressure for a lad so young to go in and cooly take care of business.
NANI 6/10 - Didn’t really play that long to make a big statement but he still worked hard and gave us a few moments where he looked dangerous. Still, he really never injected himself into the game totally. But he did come aces in the penalty shootout although Cech was unlucky having guessed correctly. Nani still hit hard enough to make it impossible to save.
FERGIE 8/10 - Fergie put out the perfect lineup and the team played exactly how I wanted them to in the first half. In the second half the team went in to a shell and almost lost the game. In extra time we never really asserted ourselves outside of a few minute span where we were all over them. I think he looked to settle for free kicks half way through the extra period. I also think he got his penalty kickers down perfect. Even placing Ronaldo in the 3rd spot was great. But lets face it, with all his tactical genius, he does have problems beating Chelsea. Still B+ for the effort. I’m just so happy for him.
PLAYER OF THE GAME; NEMANJA VIDIC. He played well but he also got into Drogba’s head and turned him in to a spectator for most of the match up until his frustration brought out the red card. A master ful performance on the field and a master at head games too.
Well that’s it. Now I plan to rest, reflect and let the victory really soak in. I’m going to cherish this one for a long time.
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:41
Ronaldo confirms to Stay
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:46
We started the season with a win over chelsea and end the season with a win over chelsea.
Full circles…thats what this season has been about…50 yrs since Munich…Giggsy and Scholsy and Sir Alex…a second time around
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:47
An absolutely fitting tribute to the Busby Babes. As SAFsaid after the game, it was destiny.
Well played United!! Absolutely amazinng. I don’t think it will sink in for the next few days!
Chelsea showed tremendous fight. Lads, lets not mock JT or the Chelsea players. It was an incredible turn around from them in that 2nd half. The game could and should have been over by HT.
A match that will live long in the memory of United fans!!
There was one word that summed it all up tonite…BELIEVE
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:50
DOUBLE!!!!!! MAN UTD ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF ENGLAND AND EUROPE!!!!!
I can’t believe how we came back from Ron’s miss! And Ron is staying because of it… 42 goals hopefully next season too.
A great night for all of us Reds. Can’t wait to see how Ronaldo does against Turkey in June…
May 22nd, 2008 at 0:58
BTW does anyone else find it wierd that when we win something lately it has been raining like crazy? The Gods must be Chelsea fans….or just really overjoyed and tearful United fans.
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:04
HARGO was absolutely feckin outstanding!. He ran his arse off the whole 2 hours. The defence were majestic too as usual. When Rio went down clutching his leg in the 2nd half, I thought Oh No, just our luck. But he was captain warrior tonight.
Nani - he was feckin manic at the end of the game. He was so high on winning, and that mental dancing he was doing while waiting to go up for the trophy - talk about rabid haha!. It took something to take the penalty following Ronnie’s miss, because it must have been in our lads minds that they had lost the trophy at that point. Kudos to Nani and Anderson, so young and lacking that kind of championship experience, yet they took their penalties like seasoned pros, whilst Anelka didn’t manage the same. Serves Drogba right, he deserved the sending off. He was argueing with the officials all the match, and the gamesmanship of the Chelsea players, falling all over the place anytime a United player went near them. Thank God the ref was having none of it!. The provocation Vidic was getting from riled up, out of control Drogba was immense.
Well we won, nothing can change that!. And it made my day when Nani and Andi got onto the pitch, and especially when they fired in their penalties. What a feckin fairytale of a season for those young lads, Premiership and Champions league trophy in their first season at Old Trafford. So feckin made up for them. You go lads!.
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:07
we are the best team in the fucking world!!!
YEAHHHHHH!!!!
May 22nd, 2008 at 1:18
I am to drunk to make a post. Enjoy lads!!!…you deserved this night… what a season…. glory, glory man utd…
May 22nd, 2008 at 2:35
It was destiny!!!!!!! we all just knew it didnt we!!!!!!!
We Love u Ronaldo i know u know that. And SAF the greatest manager in the history of the game, I salute you.
GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED!!!!!!!!!!
GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED!!!!!!!!!!!!
One more EPL title ( next year) and 2 more CL (in the next 5 years) and scousers cant say shit anymore
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:00
On one end of the spectrum, we have an incredibly stubborn defensive-minded team in Chelsea and on the opposite end, an ultra attack-minded team in Arsenal. Who has the last laugh? The team with the greatest balance, the legendary Red Devils of Manchester United. What does this show? That perfection is not perfect; imperfections are just as important so long as you get the right balance of both. Take our defence for example: Wes Brown, who’s not particularly efficient going forward, but is solid in the tackle and great in the air; Look at Vidic, who’s not the fastest or silkiest defender, but has unparalleled bravery and will; Evra, who is physically weaker than his defensive colleagues, but has the enthusiasm and attacking instincts that they lack. Then you have Ferdinand, who has no physical weaknesses, but is prone to lapses of concentration because of an inability to fully self-motivate and utilize potential, thus making him imperfect. However, when all their weaknesses combine with their strengths, the result is “perfection”.
This is what makes SAF teams so unique - they have just the right combination of ability, heart, personality, experience and youtful enthusiasm, and yes, weaknesses that complement each other to achieve ultimate success. Sometimes having too many “perfect” players hinders the ability to fulfill their potential. When Real Madrid won the CL, even with a few galacticos, they still had a number of solid role players (think Makalele/Hierro). Ironic thing is that the closer they went to perfection, in terms of personnel, the less they won. Anyways, this final was simply majestic…a truly heart-pounding, emotional experience that resulted in glory. What a night, one to always remember and savor. Every player contributed to this ultimate success and they sure deserved what their hard work and sacrifices ought to have produced. This victory will only solidify Alex Ferguson’s legacy, the architect of decades of beautiful, efficient football. 20+ winning years as manager of the same club, an impossible feat in modern era and the future, I will cherish these last few moments of magic that you have left to offer. Thank You Sir Alex Ferguson, you are the legend of all legends. This has been a magnificent year for Manchester United. Here’s to many more for years to come! United we live, united we die, united we triumph!
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:01
I just read that Terry was a stand in for Drogba on that penalty kick. I think it’s fair that the Drogba let his team down big time today. And based on the expression of Abramovich when he got the red card, I can guarantee you that we have seen the last of the Ivorian menace wearing Chelski blue. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Also, I’m reading Chelski fans whining about the referee. I think the ref was total shit tonight but he was screwing over both teams evenly. Considering how much Man Utd blood the Blues drew I think they have no right to bitch. Especially with their childish and deplorable antics after fouls. UEFA and FIFA should come down on them for their abuse of the ref.
I also should clear something up. In my ratings post I graded both Tevez and Rooney as 6/10. Let me say that a major factor for their unspectacular performance tonight was the awful pitch that they played on. Players like Tevez and Rooney use speed, feints, quick dekes and turns and shifts in the way they run and dribble. They were both having a tough time keeping their feet (especially Tevez) due to the ground constantly giving way every time they tried to cut or feint. Chelsea on the other hand had no problem with that because of the players they have who are bigger, slower and less apt to make those types of cuts. Drogba, Ballack and Lampard had very little problem with the pitch, especially late in the game when it started to really break down and get wet. I wonder how much more effective our boys would have been had they played on a pitch that wasn’t moving around as quickly as they were?
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:40
Wat a game, wat an ending! I was on my knees crying when VDS saved that penalty. Vidic has to be my man of the match. He has to be one of the best defenders in the world!!! Well done to the lads. I think im finaly gona go to bed now but i will wake in the morning with a very big fukin smile on my face knowing that we are the champions of europe.
May 22nd, 2008 at 3:52
Best day of my life and also most agonizing 3+ hours too. I thought i’d drop dead when Ronaldo missed the penalty(even thought my confidence in him waned a little after he missed at Camp Nou), but when Terry missed and Van Der Sar saved, it was a flurry of emotions and i had to scream and jump on the next person besides me. Wonderful night.
But where was Park? I feel a little sorry for him, that after he’s run his socks off for us this season that he didn’t get a place on the bench, but oh well he has a premiership medal
May 22nd, 2008 at 4:11
yes, yes, yes absolute fuckin magic! Champions of Europe, its got a lovely ring to it. I wore my replica 99 final shirt to bring us luck and boy did it deliver!
We’re gonna savour this for awhile lads. I kept telling my mate SA Mick “Believe, believe” when our hearts were in our mouths. The United Way, the heart attack way! Fair play to the lads and Fergie, they stood up like men. Hargo, Scholes, Vidic, Rio, Ronaldo, Evra, VDS, Brown, Teves,Carrick, Rooney, Giggsy, Nani, Anderson, What a team, look at the years we have ahead, Renaissance time again. What a buzz, oh YES.
May 22nd, 2008 at 4:30
does anyone have a link to the trophy presentation?
May 22nd, 2008 at 6:36
Yeah. The feeling of winning the double is GREAT!
but i still cant get over the fact that Park wasnt
even in the bench… He deserves at least a medal
for his efforts and displays in recent matches.
Amidst all these talks about Fergie giving Park
the nod… A little saddening for him.. Even Easter
Island Head who only played a few games this season
was in the bench.
It is much too cruel for Park.
May 22nd, 2008 at 6:41
doesnt the whole squad get a medal?
May 22nd, 2008 at 6:45
presentation link
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:40
that was so nervous, i was shaking throughout the match, and then when terry missed, football is not good for your body lol.
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:25
Kings of Europe 1968 - 1999 - 2008
None of the sports channels or news picked up on it to my knowledge but John Terry SPAT on Teves during the Drogba red card incident.
It might not be so clear on the poor quality vid but you can see that he walks over to Tevez covers his mouth with his sleeve then spits on him. Tevez wipes his neck but thinks nothing of it, proably thinks it is just the rain. What a filthy and disgusting act by the piece of shit John Terry. No sympathy for the penalty miss at all. Call it fate or Karma but the dickhead Terry deseved to slip on his ass and miss.
Look at the vid around the 1.00 min mark
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:28
that pic was really cool….but the match i still have not overcome..dabncing all around the place..shouting and going freakingly mad…dunno wats wrong but this is the best nite for me..THE FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN UNITED WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE..GO UNITED GO..AND THE ICING ON THE CAKE..RONNY STAYS..COME ON RONNY 50 GOALS NEXT SEASON..WE ALL LOVE YOU..GO UNITED GO…TREBLE NEXT TIME…
May 22nd, 2008 at 8:42
Finally we are the CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE, I had to keep drinking to keep my body calm cause I was shaking throughout the game. When I saw Ronaldo step up to take his shot kick I didn’t watch it cause I knew he was gonna miss it. Terry missing his spot kick was a total miracle as I thought it was over but after that I knew we were gonna win. Come to think of it, the city of Moscow, the cup rebonds and even the balloons before kickoff has red all over it. I give it to all of the players and coaching crew that as contributed to this successful season and to all UNITED FANS all over the world may this success continues………. ONE UNITED from Nigeria
May 22nd, 2008 at 9:01
WWWWWWAAAHHHEEEYYYYY - on my knees for VDS’s save, just too much. Wow.
Congrats and here’s to being United fans. A great, great season with more drama than I thought I could take! Credit to Chelsea, that was a great game of football, almost wish Drogba hadn’t been sent off as it soured an otherwise quite sporting match. I always knew if you gave VDS enough chances he’d save one, and I love it how he was smiling before he actually got to Anelka’s. And the interview! ‘Was it luck you guessed the right side Edwin?’ ‘No, I knew’. Awesome.
Jubilant this morning, even with the beer headache. Bring on next season!!!!
May 22nd, 2008 at 9:10
As a Liverpool fan posting in peace, i want to say congratulations to Man Utd for winning the European Cup..I know theres no love lost between our clubs, but anything that prevents Chelsea from winning anything is ok in my book! So congratulations and wasnt it great to see John Terry in tears again!!
May 22nd, 2008 at 9:32
Yahooooooooooo……… never tensed like this in almost 9 years..and that too was a United Final.. wow ….we wer almost drunk and exploded at our home kicking all the Chelski supporters at sight. only to find that our neighbours had called the police to control us. luckily he too was a UTD fan…
Glory Glory Man UTd…………..
May 22nd, 2008 at 9:49
[rsg]
Good find mate! I agree - Tevez was spat on by Terry! Watching it LIVE yesterday, even I’d found it odd that he approached Tevez and lifted his sleeve up but didn’t realise what had happened at that moment in time. Hah, serves him right for his slip!
Football can be very cruel at times, but if any team deserved it, it was them!
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:11
Man Utd Champions League Final 2008 Funny Penalty Reactions!
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:11
Gotta hand it to Moscow, they put on a fantastic show, Great host City. They did the competition proud!.
Salford is still rocking, and has been all night!. I am totally sickened that we won’t get our PARADE in Manchester as we normally would. Why should Manchester folk have to suffer for Unruly, mental Rangers idiotic behaviour. Can you imagine L’Pool not getting their jubilant homecoming parade. SHAME ON YOU TRAFFORD COUNCIL, and MANCHESTER OFFICIALDOM.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:11
Finally this burger has woken up…..Men it was just gruesome.Let me tell you my story I have just arrived at work now I actually drunk six hours after the match.
Tevez was my man of the match that guy is just too hardworking to believe.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:15
EPIC
Showed them how to play the right way…showed them how to be faithful to ageing legends and still win…this was Ronaldo’s coming of age as a man, I think he just fell in love with United.
This is the beginning…keep buying British, but above all, bring through players who love United and want to be part of something beautiful
Loved reading all your comments, especially Grognard’s quasi-religious experience
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:21
Oh and poor Ji Sung too!. Why was Silvestre on the bench before Park?. We had O’Shea as defensive cover?. Park contributed so much, running his bollocks off in the Barca game at home. What did Silvestre contribute to be included in final 18?. SO NOT FAIR TO PARK, OT TO ASIAN FANS!.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:31
Chelsea fan here. Well done guys. I have to say both teams really deserved
to be lifting the trophy such was the dominance each team had at differing spells.
I genuinely look forward to the battle next year when we actually have a manager of quality and from the start.
I hope to be in your shoes next year!
From a very very gutted chels fan.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:31
Wow what a game, what a win, im still speechless to describe what happened last night! I think everyone on here has said exactly what im feeling so wont start repeating but that was epic!
I have to give special praise to the way Nani and Anderson took their penalties, they turned in to men in a time when men can turn into boys(John Terry).
Brilliant season and I can only see us getting better next year!
U N I…….
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:36
Craig. As an asian, o would’ve loved to see park, especially towards the end. But SAF did what he had to. And i bet every fans, asian or not, would know the Park played his part fantastic. The UCL wasn’t only bout the final. And Park was a superstar in the preceeding rounds.Our subs are never talked about. But Fletch, OShea, Park have done exellent for us this season whenever called on.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:48
downloaded the match , and i heard that there are 30 medals to distribute for each club and just 20 presented live.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:23
Apparently later on Ronaldo said he wants to stay, but wouldn’t commit until the next few weeks. Sigh. That’s a worry for another day!
Park not getting a medal was very harsh, I wonder, did Silly get one in 1999? If not it could have been a just reward, he has been around forever. O’Shea and Fletcher deserve them too, they’re United through and through, have a loyalty yo ujust don’t get anywhere else in England.
Whew, still getting over it
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:33
I said the other day but I think the rumours a few weeks back about ronnie getting a new contract may be true. He has twice put a time frame on it which to me suggests theres negotaitions scedualed before he goes to play in the euros.
Either that or his agent has been holding discussion with Real and they know that the offer will come before the Euros and Ronnie knows this and knows that United responce to the offer will decide where he will be
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:33
about the incident which saw drogba sent off, i wonder if u guys have a take on what happened?
someone was injured, so cech put the ball out, it was a man utd throw in, and tevez who got the ball just kicked it out again for a chelsea throw in.
then chelshe players suddenly started to attack him and all, why??
isnt it enough of a sporting gesture to return the ball back to them in a form of a throw in? when chelsea themselves did it to us in the earlier part of the game? then not only that, man utd kicked the ball out on 4 or 5 different occasions that they were planning to make a break on just because some idiot chelsea player was pretending he was shot in the chest. (not to forget joe coles diving.)
then scuffle began and drogba slapped vidic, got sent off and john terry took the sleeve of his shirt and rubbed his nose with it as a gesture to carlos tevez….(dirty sanchez sign?) which then came back to him as karma when he slipped on the penalty…. haha and all his crap talk about wanting to win to get back the england captaincy… what a thug/child
haha so for curiosity sake, and because it may be fun, any ideas on why chelsea got angry, and what that JT sign meant?
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:44
“An absolutely fitting tribute to the Busby Babes. As SAFsaid after the game, it was destiny.
Well played United!! Absolutely amazinng. I don’t think it will sink in for the next few days!
Chelsea showed tremendous fight. Lads, lets not mock JT or the Chelsea players. It was an incredible turn around from them in that 2nd half. The game could and should have been over by HT.
A match that will live long in the memory of United fans!!
There was one word that summed it all up tonite…BELIEVE”
If only all comments were like this. Respect to you because winning as reigning champions (unlike Milan or L’pool) is the mark of a great team. And respect to Paul Scholes who for a while quit the justified celebration madness for a heartwarming tribute to our lads. Teach Ronaldo that, quick, before he leaves to Real Madrid
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:57
SAF is the MAN
He has dragged the team back up onto its feet…inspired by Chelsea!
The annoying yet talented Mourinho and his 33 robot super players, set new standards of athleticism and power…week in week out
This forced Fergie to step up his game (aided by quite a bit of cash)
United wouldn’t have been able to get past Lyon, Roma, Barca, and Chelsea all in the same campaign before.
Yesterday’s game shows how far they have come
I would have loved United to have won it 3-0 (it could of been, if Tevez hadn’t have fluffed a 9 times out of 10 chance), we would have all been going on about the greatness of the team .
In a way the second half was good as a warning, showing what the team still lacks, no matter how great they already are…
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:03
drunk man utd fan from macedonia (=FYROM=skopia) …
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonia_%28Greece%29
Sorry for this one but I couldn’t stand it
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:07
One writer has called it “shades of Zidane” but if you look at it closely Drogba’s act was really “shades of Materazzi”. You will see very clearly that not only did Drogba hit Vidic in the face but he was trying to provoke him - just as Materazzi tried - successfully - to provoke Zidane during the entire 2006 World Cup final. And so on this basis and on the general basis that Chelsea has over time become a fouling, referee-harassing, player-baiting, cheating team and that United atleast tried to play good football within the rules and spirit of the game, I am today very happy that Terry missed that penalty. You can never count on justice in football or in life but in the case of that missed penalty and Van der Sar’s Champions League winning save - justice was served and the beautiful game won.
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:38
My heart can’t stop pumping when i was watching the match. Best final in awhile! End to end stuff, and give credit where it’s due, chelsea give man u hell of a game. But i still think at the end the result was well deserved to man u. In summary, first half to man u 2nd half to chelsea. Now we can look to a summer of spendings, any1 knows how much money man u generated from winning the doubles?
May 22nd, 2008 at 13:02
Glory, Glory Man United,
Don’t worry about Ronaldo leaving our club guys, he’s doing what he’s doing (not wanting to commit to club) in an attempt to get a better contract, and rightfully so, he is the best footballer in the world. He knows that a move away from Old Trafford would be career suicide… So don’t worry he’ll definately be back next season, scoring more goals
May 22nd, 2008 at 13:02
Poetic justice. But that image is just too funny. Poor Terry…
May 22nd, 2008 at 13:08
“I think there was a sense of fate about it. It was also my first penalty shoot out win in a big game. I’ve won Charity Shields, European Cups, Scottish Cups, but this is the first one in a big game.â€
WHAT SAF SAID WAS THAT ONE…
http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid=%7BB4CEE8FA%2D9A47%2D47BC%2DB069%2D3F7A2F35DB70%7D&newsid=5989455
May 22nd, 2008 at 13:11
Wink; Personally I hate when people kick the ball out for a throw in and then try and box them in, rather than giving the ball back. But since Chelsea had already done it twice, Tevez’s decision was vindicated, and Chelsea overreacted. So in this case Tevez done exactly what he should have done.
May 22nd, 2008 at 13:46
Beachryan , i think park will be getting a medal there is 10 more to give , of course the club has to choose and i am sure park will be one of them.
May 22nd, 2008 at 14:15
This is the stuff dreams are made of! Couldnt believe our beautiful lady luck when Terry slipped up!
One thing i wanted to point out..maybe its no big deal, but I just wanted to share it with you guys anyway. Tevez and Nani put on their shirts back-to-front during the celebrations. Isn’t that sort of disrespectful to the United badge? I know those two would never do that intentionally, but we always say the name on the front is more important than the name on the back…and for them, the name on the front was their names.
Well wtf…I will just let it pass as a naive mistake or something. Who cares, we won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And if some chelshit piece of ass comes to me and whines that United were lucky, they are seriously going to get the bejesus kicked out of them!