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!
May 22nd, 2008 at 14:47
thuggish chelshit fans…pathetic
May 22nd, 2008 at 15:07
UN-cool NO-party SO-SOBER
http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid=%7BB4CEE8FA%2D9A47%2D47BC%2DB069%2D3F7A2F35DB70%7D&newsid=6096501
May 22nd, 2008 at 15:29
Ane links to celebrations? Thanks
May 22nd, 2008 at 15:44
CELEBRATIONS AND ANYTHING ELSE IS OVER HERE
http://uclclips.blogspot.com/
May 22nd, 2008 at 15:47
dream land boys! we always gotta do it the hard way!
…..Roll on transfer market!
May 22nd, 2008 at 15:52
Poor John Terry… couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy… Except maybe Ashley Cole HAH. cough.
Justice was served and the best team won.
Glory Glory Man United.
May 22nd, 2008 at 16:04
you know, i know what u mean about boxing the other team in, but as far as i saw, he just nonchalantly kicked it outta play again… it didnt seem like he was trying anything. BUT! i dont know, it was such a blur
and i did say that chelsea did do the same thing, haha so okay i at least got someone elses opinion about the igniting factor…
what about JT and his noserubbing at tevez? haha cold moscow air or something more
May 22nd, 2008 at 16:05
the stuff of dreams.
from munich 58 to moscow 08.
man united will never die.
x
May 22nd, 2008 at 16:09
Yep as Champions of Europe we have great leverage and we should use that to secure some amazing players to make us even stronger! This should be a platform to dominate Europe for years to come. Our squad is so strong that really we will have to spend good to buy players better than we already have.
On my shopping list would be:
A 15-20 million striker with height and pace. Against Chelsea we were crying out for someone tall enough to get on the end of those crosses and someone with a yard more pace to get onto the chances Tevez missed.
A 5-10 million defender as there will be gaps when Silvestre, Pique and possible Neville leave/retire.
A 10 million winger ideally someone who can play on both flanks as Giggs will have even less involvement next year and Park and Nani prefer the left which leaves the right wing understaffed..unless of course we continue playing Hargreaves there.
Total outlay around 30 million. Add that to the 20 million securing Tevez on a permanent and that seems a realistic transfer budget.
May 22nd, 2008 at 16:16
If anyone has any smidgen of sympathy for Terry’s penalty miss, take a look at him spitting at Tevez.
http://i30.tinypic.com/aylrn6.gif
The guy is nothing but scum. I’m so happy he fucked it up for Chelsea. Couldn’t have happened to a nicer person.
Did you hear about Terry releasing a new range of vodka? Made in England, bottled in Russia.
May 22nd, 2008 at 16:21
The season ended as it started. We won against Chelsea on penalties after playing 1-1 at full time, and half time, and VDS is the hero. What a game, what a final, what joy and what a team. Best Ive ever seen! This truly is Fergies best team. I celebrated until late night and I woke up early, so I should be sleepy. But Ive not been this awake this whole year. CHAMPIONS!!
I am impressed by Anderson and Nani, both players coming on to take penalties and both scored, in a nerve wrecking game and what pressure they must have felt! Both taking first class penalties, and I am especially happy that Andy scored. He is my favorite player and I have been praying for him to score some day, and he did it with a pen in the CL final. I know it was in a penaly shootout, ut anyway, he scored.
Vidic, Brown, VDS, Evra, Carrick and Owen were great yesterday. But my MOTM was Ronaldo. His first half was amazing, Ive never seen him better. Who says he cant perform against big team. Against Chelsea, in a Champions League final, he made Essien look like a 2 year old that had never seen a footballer or the game itself and he made the whole Chelski team look shite! He missed his pen, but we won and there is always going to be a player that misses his penalty, so I wont blame him. 8.5/10 cause he dissapeard a little in the second half. And I can promise you: HE WILL STAY!!
CHAMPIOONE, CHAMPIOONE, OLE OLE OLEEE! CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE!
May 22nd, 2008 at 16:21
Ronaldo will stay: http://www.manchesterunited.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=110467
May 22nd, 2008 at 16:32
Just have to say: WHY, OH WHY GOD? Do you have to make us this nervous and anxious. It is dangerous, you know that. Read that you can die because of heart attack or problems breathing. This is the third Champions League final that United win late, very late.
1968: Extra time. 4-1
1999: Stappage time. 2-1
2008: Penalty shootout. 1-1(7-6)
May 22nd, 2008 at 16:47
Well I have had a good sleep and I woke up this morning and pinched myself first to see if it was all a dream. Truthfully people, I couldn’t have dreamed a final as thrilling and as dramatic as the one we all witnessed yesterday. How do you come down from such a high and actually recover from the damage done to your nervous system after such a grueling ordeal? And I never went out and got pissed out of my mind either. I seem to be a lone wolf here in Vancouver Canada when it comes to loving the beautiful game. I just have no friends that give a damn about the sport and so unlike hockey or North American football, I have to do my celebrating alone. BUMMER! I really could have gone for a few pints at the nearest pub but then again the few footy pubs available to me are filled with fucking useless Arsenal, Chelsea and mostly Liverpool fans. Don’t ask me why. What I would have given to have been transported to good old Manchester for one night of partying and drinking? Anyway, it’s the morning after and it’s time to reflect.
United did the business yesterday JUST. We really deserved to win the game despite what the ass clown AV Grant, The Emperor of Personality himself thought his bunch of cheaters, crybabies and poor sportsmen deserved to win the game. Sure they hit the post twice but lets face it, they deserved to be down 3-0 or 4-0 by the time they even scored their first gift goal. And what a beauty it was too. Can Francine Lampard score a goal that doesn’t have some kind of deflection or ricochet involved in it? Had we lost the game we would be mulling over the missed opportunities and the fact that all the hard work and beautiful football we showed in that first half would have gone down the drain.
Yesterday I got very spiritual but it is hard for me to analyze a game as gut wrenching as this one without wondering if there was a little devine intervention or spiritual scriptwriting involved. The best screenwriters in Hollywood couldn’t have done a better job scripting the events of this game. The game had everything and then some. For all the people who hate the penalty shootout for determining winners I say BOLLOCKS! Why? Because it simply is the most dramatic and emotionally gut wrenching experience in all sports. So please tell me why that is a bad thing for the game. If two teams can’t settle it after extra time, then it needs to end in some spectacular fashion before all the players drop from physical exhaustion. And yes, I would be saying this if we had lost. You still have to have talent, guts and mental strength to participate in it and a whole lot of luck too. Sorry but it works for me.
A few observations on the game;
1. To all the haters on this site that loved watching John Terry miss the penalty. He didn’t out and out miss it due to his inability. Lets face it he did a Beckham (remember vs France in EURO 04) and slipped as he planted his left foot just prior to kicking the ball. Three cheers for the pitch giving way. Bad luck! Perhaps but nobody else seemed to slip and his was the one to win it all for Chelshit. Like I said before, devine intervention. Somebody in heaven sits on his throne and wears the new Manchester United CL 08 Final jersey with pride.
2. We need a striker and true goal scorer. We need a target man who can leap tall buildings in a single bound and get to crosses that our two Hobbits Mr Rooney and Mr Tevez could not get to. There were several instances of crosses or passes that went in to the box yesterday that Tevez could not reach because of his lack of height. He’s good at heading a ball if it’s low but he just does not have the super human Ronaldo like vertical that is needed to over compensate for his lack of height. Huntelaar or Gomez would have scored at least two goals yesterday on some really missed opportunities. Even Rooney suffers mightily in the air. Add to that the inability to find this pair consistently in the box on crosses and it is clear to me we need a striker more than ever. We need a Drogba like target man but preferably one that isn’t an asshole like the Drogba.
3. Three boos to UEFA for choosing Moscow for a final and notmaking sure that the pitch situation was not taken care of way before it was. Yes winter ends late in Russia as it does here in Canada but what they do here is put hot lamps all over the field to make sure new grass grows and stays fresh. I’ve said for years that groundskeepers around the planet have nothing on American groundskeepers in regards to the science of pitch management. I have seen fields in America after major snowfalls or storms look brilliant due to very high tech drainage systems built in to the pitch. It’s not just about laying down sod. There’s an entire team of botonists who manage the care of these surfaces. The surface in Moscow was a disgrace and could have cost a player a career should he have planted wrong or caught his spike in a seam between two cubes of sod. Lets face it, it cost Chelsea a victory in PK’s. Unbeleivable
4. How many of you were cursing the name Louis Saha last night when we were going into extra time and Rooney had been subbed off? Would it not have been ideal to be able to replace one striker for another? Louis let us all down again. From the celebrations of the League to yesterday I’d really like to know what he did to injure himself again? Honestly. Just stick the guy in a hyperbolic chamber and don’t let him do anything until the final. Protect him like rare flower. This guy can hurt himself by going to the toilet to take a dump. By walking his dog, by bending to tie his shoe laces. He is an accident waiting to happen and it absolutely amazes me that idiots like Curbishly, Keegan and even Wenger are interested in him. Wait a second, Wenger is interested in any colored Frenchman that’s available.
5. I don’t know about all of you but I found it highly entertaining when the camera would quite often show the reactions of Roman Abramovich after specific moment. mostly negative ones for Chelsea. The classic moment was when Drogba got the red card. He just looked totally disgusted and you could make him say to his girlfriend the word DROGBA in a manner that looked like Drogba was going to experience his last words while a member of Chelski. The Terry penalty was classic too and the moment we won it was classic as he looked totally resigned and defeated. Moments like that are to be cherished. I for one LOVED IT.
6. Our lads put it all out on display yesterday but I want to single out a few for moments of true heroism. Paul Scholes for showing us what a warrior and what a big heart he had. He had his nose broken (a compound fracture) but he still lasted 80 minutes and he played well although he did tire in the second half. Nemanja Vidic for backing up his talk during the week with a blanket performance against the Drogba. Other than a long range shot that hit the post, Drogba for me was pretty invisible. And Vidic got into his head big time. Owen Hargreaves once again was asked to something he hadn’t done more than once all season and he played his heart out despite also being given a bloody nose. When Giggs came in for Scholes he was asked to move in to cover and cause havoc and from that point on the Chelsea threat in the second half and extra time ended. Like the Energizer bunny, you just wind him up and he goes on and on. Rio Ferdinand who may not have had one of his best games but who fought leg injuries and cramps for the entire game and showed the guts, determination and willpower a true captain and leader shows. Ryan Giggs for coming in and calming down the troops. Unlucky not to get the winner in extra time and a true champion in the way he put the penalty away that won it for us. And special praise to unexpected warriors. Anderson and Nani. Both didn’t contribute much on the field but they showed maturity, courage and willingness beyond their years to step up and score two pressure filled penalties. Many greats have failed where they succeeded.
7. The referee had a hard job to do and although he let too much physical banging go, he did dish out punishment evenly and fairly in my opinion. Above all, he never made any mistakes in the box which could have cost us. He should have yellow carded more Chelsea players for constantly bitching and ganging up on him.
8. And finally, I applaud the class shown by United to give the losers a guard of honor, as if they deserved it with their childish antics. Chelski are a disgrace the way they gang up on referees and the way they conduct themselves on the pitch. Extremely poor sportsmanship is the earmark of Chelsea FC. No class at all. And Joe Cole is a bloody embarrassment for English footballers. I question his birthplace and true heritage. It can’t be English.
May 22nd, 2008 at 16:48
Terry spat on tevez thats payback time..Screw chelski i hate them anyways Glory glory Man utd…
May 22nd, 2008 at 17:32
My other video link of the disgraceful Terry Tevez incident got deleted on youtube due to copyright by UEFA. There is another link below, watch it while it is stil available.
Around the 10 second mark
Still looks as though none of the press or news are saying anything about this. I wouldn’t be suprised if Sky and ITV are burning the evidence as we speak to save there pathetic, piece of shit of an England captain. I can guarantee there would have been more attention if it had been Rio involved in the incident rather than Terry. How quick were the press to jump on stories of the Evra’s fight with Chelsea groundstaff and Rio accidently hitting that woman in the Chelsea tunnel. After a 2nd look it looks like he might have snotted Tevez instead of spiiting, what a dirty little cunt.
May 22nd, 2008 at 17:34
For all of you out there waking up (presumably very very drunk)to the news that Ronaldo MAY leave; let me put your mind at ease.
Now credit here must go to the editor over at http://www.redcafe.net; who has published the full post-match interviews Ronaldo gave in which he repeatedly said he wanted to stay next season, something most media sources have inexplicably left out.
TV interview with BBC after the match and celebrations on the pitch
BBC TV presenter : Are you going to stay at Man United or are the rumours about you going to Real Madrid, are they true?
CR : I stay.
Radio interview with BBC after the match and celebrations on the pitch but before the TV interview
BBC Radio interviewer: Winning the Champions league..(muttering…).
CR : Of course, you know, this club has the opportunity to win everything. We show this season we are a great team, we are the best team in Europe, in the Premier league and next season we try to do the same again
Interviewer: Can you assure Manchester United supporters that you will be here next season?
CR : Say again?
Interviewer: Can you assure…you know, can you promise Manchester United supporters that you will be with them next season?
CR (laughing): I never promise nothing. I dont promise nothing to my mum…I dont promise nothing to the supporters
Interviewer: But, but, when you say I want…
CR (cutting off the interviewer): I want to stay, i want to stay, really…Its OK, i want to stay. But the future no one knows, but I want to stay.
Interviewer : But does there have to be a new contract or something like that?
CR : I dont know nothing..Nobody speak with me…eh…We are going to see next two weeks, OK?
Interviewer: But when you say, ‘I will make a decision’….i mean…that means that?
CR (cutting off the interviewer): I dont say ‘ I will make a decision..I dont say…I dont say that…Its the the club take the decision… I dont know…I think…I dont know..’
It must also be noted that in a television interview with ITV after the game Ronaldo was asked the same question; to which he answered ‘No, no, no. I`m going to stay’, before going to join the celebrations with his colleges.
So all in all, its very very positve. I have always said he will stay, and this has mearly cemented that theory for me; regardless of the media’s agenda to drive the brightest talents out of our league. But this shouldnt be a day of worrying, Ronaldo’s staying, we’ve just won the Double, HAPPY DAYS!!!
May 22nd, 2008 at 17:45
Munkey Feet - post 79. Very gutsy of you mate to come visit this site and leave your well wishes - thanks for your comments. I agree both teams were dominant at different parts of the game.
I feel for your guttedness, because I know United fans would be gutted if we had lost the match. Look forward with you to all the spicy encounters between our teams next year, and a repeat CL match would be interesting to say the least. I think L’Pool and Arsenal might be doing everything they can to prevent that prospect though. United are going for a repeat double, so let the contests begin!.
May 22nd, 2008 at 17:58
Dan Hertree - post 71. Thanks for visiting red rants to congratulate our lads on winning the CL trophy. Being a Liverpool fan, it couldn’t have been easy for you visiting a United blog.
With regards to John Terry being in tears again, I think he got just what he deserved in the end, due to his unsavoury behaviour, and that of some of his team mates during the game!.
Looking forward to our games against L’pool next year Dan.
May 22nd, 2008 at 18:44
we should bring up the spitting thing… a world wide web motion to bring the incident (JT spitting) to fore… its fairness… justice had already been served tho… haha
i really hate em
May 22nd, 2008 at 19:42
on the itv coverage after the match the interviewer asked ronaldo if he was going to stay after this and ronaldo said yes
May 22nd, 2008 at 19:47
John Terry is a great player but he is miserable disgusting piece of human waste. The man has no class and he is terrible sportsman. The way the whole team carries themselves on the field is indicative of their captain, classless and childish. He and his mates are nothing more than babies and dirty tricksters. For me they didn’t just lose. They lost in a way that served up justice personified. Dramatic and heartbreaking and John Terry wearing the goat horns. QUALITY!
May 22nd, 2008 at 19:47
I am really starting to believe that the Terry incident is being buried. Not only has it received no coverage to my knowledge but the only place actually reporting it, The Mail have mysteriously taken the story off their website. You can see it is the 3rd most read article on the right hand side of the page if you click the Most Read tab.
Then when selecting the article it has been mysteriously deleted.
May 22nd, 2008 at 19:52
yea, thanks to the CL win next season we will be competing in 7 competitions next season, wouldnt it be great if we won all of them
PL
CL
FA CUP
LEAGUE CUP
CS
WORLD CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
EUROPEAN SUPER CUP, not that any of these add-ons mean anything..
May 22nd, 2008 at 19:54
On the comments made by Ronaldo, people we need to have some perspective. The kid’s agent is trying to negotiate a bigger deal for him, one worthy of the undisputed best player in the world. So, when he says he wants to stay, but “it’s up to the club to decide,” what he’s really saying is “my agent told me not to commit unequivocally, because it will make negotiations with the club a little more difficult if they know that it is my desire to stay.” It’s basic negotiation.
With regard to anyone who would say, “but he just signed a contract and should honor it,” please keep in mind that a footballer’s career has a limited life span and as Eduardo’s horrific injury shows, it can end at any moment. That tackle by Carvalho could easily have resulted in the same injury, had Ronny’s kleats been planted. I don’t begrudge the boy his right to make his money entering the prime of his career and have every confidence he will stay as long as SAF and Queiroz stay.
May 22nd, 2008 at 20:21
George Best was born on May 22 1946
MANY COINCIDENCES
SEEMS LIKE THE UNIVERSE HAS BEEN WORKING FOR US SINCE MUNICH DISASTER
George Best was born on May 22 1946
The tropphy was lifted on May 22 2008 (Moscow hour)
May 22nd, 2008 at 20:40
[rsg]
I don’t think it was buried. It’s on the Telegraph for one. The Mail doesn’t represent the media, as a whole, by any stretch.
May 22nd, 2008 at 20:58
John Terry was lucky…UEFA just issued him a yellow card for his 2-footed challenge on the ball! That was a red card offense!
May 22nd, 2008 at 21:02
Grognard : “John Terry is a great player but he is miserable disgusting piece of human waste”
Well said couldn’t have said it better ..THANX MATE U AMAZE US WITH UR WORDS>>
May 22nd, 2008 at 21:56
WOW, just WOW, what a game, i’ve lost all my nails, have broken a few things around the house, hurt my mates who were round with my violent reactions to bad refereeing, but all i can say, in 10 years, no one will remember the details, the just scoreline, and as it stands and if my bad short term memory serves me right manchester united are champions of europe, hold on, that did feel right, MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB ARE CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE, and what a team to beat rather than chelsea
Grognard- its a shame you have no one to share the experience with,my friends are mainly chelsea fans, and one of them is also a new york giants fan, so seeing his face and the tears after we won last night was just the sweet revenge i could have wanted after the giants fluked it against my beloved patriots last February, and you know, im never taking this united jersey off, i think its a good luck charm,i met my long term girlfriend wearing it
on to the game, in terms of drama it’s a definite 15/10, i’ve never watched anything like it, no other game in a long time will make me go through such a mixture of emotions in just over 2 hours, the tears, anger laughter relief all marked with a perfect ending of joy, i will never forget this experience and just to make the night even sweeter, alex rodriguez finally woke up a dormante yankees, for those who do not know a-rod is our CR, and he was injured and boy we missed him , now for baseball season to carry me until august
May 22nd, 2008 at 22:05
RedRanter it has been reported in some places but I reckon it is largely being ignored so we will just have to wait and see if this changes. The only other similar incident that comes to mind is in the 1990 World Cup when Rijkaard repeatedly spat on Rudi Voller. I am not sure how Rijkaard was punished if at all although he did get a red card in the match.
May 22nd, 2008 at 22:22
been a united fan for some years and obviously elated for the win.
one question
is there anyone here just going to enjoy the fact that WE’VE WON THE CL and leave all the dross aside?
Do you people live for taunting other people?
I’m amazed. we were once able to win gracefully. is it that wins are now taken for granted? are you genuine supporters?
we are Manchester United. Not Liverpool. Not Leeds. We’re supposed to have style, for goodness sake.
I even see Chelsea supporters here acknowledging our win, and all we can come up to is spraying shit on their captain. YOu’re letting them outclass us off the pitch: it is too obvious to state that they know the value of a win becaause they’ve tasted defeat so many times. acknowledge that they gave us some torrid times and were denied by the post and some dubious decisions (watch again ferdinand on malouda). And please PLEASE no Ronaldo/Best comparison, there’s a gulf in class between the two. great player yes but i’m not sure i want him to represent our team in the world. no good.
all right rant over (it’s red RANT isn’t it). let the party begin. savour the moment and leave Chelsea alone
May 22nd, 2008 at 22:29
What goes around, Comes around - Terry spat on Tevez so God spat on Terry. Enjoy the Links 1 and 2
And a few JOKES because I have had a couple of negative posts today and feel the need to balance out the negativity. They are not mine so the credit is deserved by other individuals.
Why can’t you get a cup of tea at the Stamford Bridge? All the mugs are on the field and all the cups are at Old Trafford
Frank Lampard and Joe Cole were allegedly spotted out in Red Square last night, having clearly had one or two drinks. They were reportedly singing: “We’re forever blowing Doubles.”
John Terry is going to start making his own brand of vodka - and like him it’s bottled in Russia.
When asked about what it feels like to win the Champions League again and Chelseas comments that they deserved to win, Ryan Giggs answered “Its just like a chocolate orange, its not Terry’s, its mine!”
Samaritans are offering counselling to all Chelsea fans. Call 0800 101010 – that’s 08000 won nothing won nothing won nothing.
And If that line gets too busy there is another number to call: 0800 6-5 6-5 6-5.
May 22nd, 2008 at 23:47
rsg; You stole my thunder mate. I was going to suggest that Chlesea hire Frank Rijkaard to be their next manager as he will obviously condone and encourage players like Terry to spit, snot and slap players when things don’t work out well for them. Yes Rijkaard did receive red for that disgrace against Voller. What really bothered me is that Voller did nothing and received red also. Anyway, they should throw the book at Terry for what he did to Tevez. That is below poor sportsmanship. That is disgraceful and highly insulting. Nobody but nobody should ever spit or sneeze on someone else no matter what the situation is. That’s human degradation of the worst kind. Only a total PIG or animal does that.
Mr Muhozi; Yes sweet revenge can be sweet.
I have plenty of NFL friends to share that game with but footy is a vast wasteland for me here. I suppose that is why I write so much on this blog and that I am so passionate and opinionated. I have nobody locally to let off some steam regarding the great game.
Mas_ter; Trust me I am holding back on the language I’d love to use in reference to Terry and Joe Cole too. Classless morons who deserve nothing good in their careers.
May 22nd, 2008 at 23:51
I don’t think we need another winger as in my eyes Hargreaves had a great game on the right wing yesterday. He may have seemed metiocre compared to the usual Ronaldo on the wing, but please do remember he was going against Ashley Cole who even Ronaldo has extreme trouble against. I’m definitely in favor of keeping him on the right wing next season, and having him play in the middle when needed. But of course a lot of his defensive ability is then wasted. Obviously if I want Hargo to be a winger, I’m in favor of getting Veloso. He can play defense and can play as a holding midfielder. This will help if we lose both Pique and Silvestre.
As for other buys, I don’t think we should invest in a new right back. Wes Brown has done a great job and we saw yesterday that he can cross better than before. I would spend 15-20 million on a striker though. For me it has to be Huntelaar. Aerial presence, and a fox-in-the-box. If we buy him he could be our one missing piece and we would be totally unstoppable. So, for me, I want Veloso and Huntelaar to United in the summer. How can they resist playing for the European champions?
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:40
I know this is a little bit off-topic, but has anyone noticed how awful a pundit Tony Cascarino is? He’s just shit, to put it rather bluntly. Complete shit.
May 23rd, 2008 at 3:29
Ralphie; I concur about Huntelaar 100%. Veloso would be a nice addition too as somebody will have to take the spot from Scholes. Give Anderson some competition and also give us a backup at CB or LB. Veloso can play all those positions. I still would like to see Arshavin come to United. He would really press Nani now that Giggs will be phased out.
May 23rd, 2008 at 6:31
Hey any of you watched the match on ITV? What did Clive Tyldesley say after we won? As legendary as “Manchester United have reached the promise land”?
May 23rd, 2008 at 7:48
Hey is it official that Grant and Drogba will be kicked out? If thats the case, then that will be two major clubs whose foundations we have shaken this season! Momentous to say the least! United leads, and the world follows!
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:16
Yes Ashravin instead of Veloso as OH is best at Libero role only. He is not as effective a winger really.
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:55
Read and learn to be a proper supporter
What a viewing spectacular it was, for fans of either side, neutrals and even the non football supporting public alike. This was entertainment at its finest, showcasing what we already know to be the beautiful game to an otherwise oblivious audience. Mums who usually take time to iron whilst husband and son watch ‘the match’ were seen teetering on sofa arms as Drogba hit the post from 25 yards. Girlfriends who spent evenings on social networking websites in the past left the laptop to the side and joined the boyfriend who grimaced as Ronaldo saw his penalty saved. All around the country people were joined together. Not in support of either Manchester United or Chelsea necessarily, but as fans taken on the glorious proverbial roller coaster that only live sport, and dare I say football specifically, can provide.
Forget the quality of the technical side of the game that was on offer – I’ll come to that in a moment – last night was all about entertainment. Chelsea fans may scarcely agree with me, but I will go on record as saying that football reached out to the masses, grabbed them by the collar and gave them a white knuckle ride that many will never forget. I know I won’t. Football is the beautiful game. I know that and you do too. But waking up this morning, perhaps…just perhaps, there will be more converts all around the globe. And if so, then surely, the real winner was football on a night that could forever define a legacy.
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:01
i concur with what you say about the white-knuckle ride. it was tense, and exciting. a mini riot broke out in the place i was viewing the match from actually, no one hurt, just alot of broken furniture. but you also cannot ignore the fact that chelsea were crass in a match where the champions of champions were to be decided.
i cant agree with you that our comments arent vindicated. JT needs to be punished. the beautiful game, which you said grabbed the masses was marred by his thuggery. spitting on tevez, who later got a yellow card, for what? he didnt raise his arms at anyone, and was actually being pushed around more than anything. now, i cant fault chelsea fans, people are entitled to their bad taste
but i am entitled to expect more from paid professionals who know they are character models for people who idolise them. hence previous outrage at the stupidity nani showed. terry was a tit-head and should be branded as such till he gets what he deserves…. but that is in the end, my opinion…
one gutted chelsea supporter showing respect here doesnt clear JT of his crime…
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:05
….the desired effect was not that of silencing everyone out….
i’m simply stating that grace and respect are as much part of winning as they are of losing.
is it too hard?
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:05
I have been a Chelsea fan for years, but for the best part of last night I was embarrassed by the way my team reacted to decisions made by the Ref and linesman. No change there then as they have been behaving like that since Roman Abramovich bought the club, but last night showed John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Makelele and Didier Drogba for what they are in addition to this. Arrogant, disrespectful and at times during the game utter thuggish. Shame then that all the very good things that they did in the game shadow the bad.
The funny thing is that the man with all the dignity, respect of others and etiquette, Avram Grant might lose his job. Why… ? Because he does not have the right charisma…! Oh so we are not saying he’s a bad manager then…?
You could say we were very unlucky to lose by the way we played, but we certainly lost it in the behaviour stakes
Posted by SteveB on May 22, 2008 10:05 PM
lol… see what i mean about not blaming people for their bad tastes? even fans who can be the least rational people see shit for shit
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:12
well i see it slightly differently… it was 9 years since the last time we were able to gloat like this…and i havent seen anything out of hand… out of hand is when we invade chelsea sites to gloat… i think it is okay for us to do it here… a man utd centred site…. i think its okay to indulge abit… and do not get me wrong, my ire is not directed at you or any person commenting anywhere in the world… its solely on terry… just disgusting… spitting like that.
it comes as a sharp contrast to his interview claiming his right as england captain…
oh on another note, ronaldo’s speculate transfer… its not anything more then media’s play on words to stir up the media pot… everytime i see his quotes, he says he is staying over and over, yet people claim he isnt commited. i dont understand how ‘i am staying’ translate to ‘i want to leave’
he says he doesnt know…. because he really doesnt know, in the future can be anytime from his 24th birthday till his 35th… who knows where he will be, he just doesnt want to be stupid and commit to something he obviously cannot commit to. but he is staying so i dont think we should be too worried eh?
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:22
last night showed John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Makelele and Didier Drogba for what they are in addition to this. Arrogant, disrespectful and at times during the game utter thuggish.
that may be right
but i’m removing my red tinted spectacles for a while to reel back to Ron’s shocking attempt at baiting Cech…disrespectful to say the least, and nearly cost us the game; otherwise immaculate scholesy trying to dispossess makalele from behind resulting in two (why two?) yellows; rio’s kung fu impression on cole, in any other occasion a bookable offence.
episodes tend to even out in the end so theres no point in chewing on them no end, especially when a trophy of that magnitude is at stake and we’ve just won it.
winning does not entitle anyone to trample over the defeated. this is what i call grace. a bit of taunting’s all right, but here seems to be the only point.
must be my age…..
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:26
that must be some hangover red ranter
two days and you’re still not sober
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:37
“and do not get me wrong, my ire is not directed at you or “any person commenting anywhere in the world… its solely on terry… just disgusting… spitting like that”
and please get me right: stop stirring the shit about the spitting incident: no complaint was filed for that. no point in continuously bringing it up, since it doesn’t add to the monumental value of our achievement. if something happened UEFA will take action. end of.
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:51
Devil 61 - appreciate you comments mate, but do you really think that Terry, Drogba, Makelele, Ashley and especially SCREECHING Joe Cole every time a decision went against him, WERE the epitome of the RESPECT AND GRACE YOU ARE CALLING FOR?. Because I think - they were not even remotely so Devil61 - sorry!.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:01
RR - you’ve become legendary mate, your yellow pic and caption have hit all the tabloids this morning - and football fans all over the world are having a laugh. Well done!.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:09
Please tell me if it’s my imagination or not, but I am not sure that JT’s slip was the reason he missed his penalty kick!. I think he took his shot and it had left his boot BEFORE the famous slip. What do you all think?. If that is the case, then Chelski cannot keep making the fact he slipped the excuse for giving United a LUCKY break. I don’t think Terry was unlucky, I think he missed and the slip was not the factor for that!.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:16
Ok not only we’ve won the cup but we’ve also gained the right of wiping a smaller club, whose importance in Europe is that of Barnsley compared to us, away from the face of earth. Great job.
thought i was supporting a great club, not a congregation of hate.
this has been an eye-opener. long way yet….
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:31
Devil61 - like I tried to say mate, you are entitled to your thoughts. I think even taking off red tinted specs as you call them, if you are honest as you declare you are, then you must know that United were trying to get on with the football. United players weren’t harrasing and mouthing off at the officials over every decision, in the way Chelsea players were. When things were’nt going Chelseas way, they resorted to gamesmanship, rolling all over the floor feigning real damge, then getting up and running like f***. Some injury eh mate?. United didn;t start the embarassing player altercation either, that was Drogba, Carvalho, Makelele and led by JT. They were trying to provoke and get United players sent off, every time anybody went near them. How come you can’t see that Devil61????. Just one last thing mate, you are focusing on our response to one match, but we have formulated our opinions on several seasons of the same behaviour from Chelsea players as we saw in the CL match.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:37
Craig you are spot on mate.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:55
I wouldn’t focus too much on that stuff. Manchester United and Chelsea are bitter rivals, maybe even more so than Manchester United and Arsenal back in the day.
Players from both sides made faces and screamed and swore when decisions went against them.
The only thing I am against, and I think Chelsea are much guiltier of this than Manchester United, is when a throng of players descend on the refereee when a decision goes against them. It is intimidation and referees deserve better. Individual players should be allowed to ask for clarification on dubious decisions but not a group of players.
May 23rd, 2008 at 13:04
@Craig
I thought that too but the follow through often determines the placement/quality of the kick. it may seem like it’s left his boot once he slips but where his body goes afterwards could make or break it. fortunately for us, it broke it
May 23rd, 2008 at 13:08
i struggle to see your point. once you’ve demonstrated that Chelsea are evil, what next? does the Cup become bigger? do we revoke the titles and cups they’ve won? do we ask for all of their players never to be called up to play for England again?
harassing the ref has always been part of the game, no one’s innocent and it doesn’t become any worse because the team you hate does it. trying to trick the referee into making the wrong decision is also part of the game. It hurts me to do so, but you should remember what Ronaldo did against Rooney at the world cup. snidey to say the least.
diminishing the merit of your opponent MAKES YOUR WIN SMALLER NOT BIGGER.
but that is a known side-effect of bandwagoning: you see the wins, and not the defeats, and winning becomes a divine right, hence the use of “justice” and the general inability to accept defeat as a normal part of the game. You should have been there to see when we were crap, would have made a world of good
May 23rd, 2008 at 13:15
# colver says: May 23rd, 2008 at 12:55
I wouldn’t focus too much on that stuff. Manchester United and Chelsea are bitter rivals, maybe even more so than Manchester United and Arsenal back in the day.
Players from both sides made faces and screamed and swore when decisions went against them.
spot on, colver. it’s called passion, nothing evil
The only thing I am against, and I think Chelsea are much guiltier of this than Manchester United, is when a throng of players descend on the refereee when a decision goes against them. It is intimidation and referees deserve better.
seen arsenal do that, seen united do that, seen Leeds do that, seen Juventus, Inter, Milan Real Madrid do that.
very much, if despicable, part of the game. Something to be stamped out on, like the imaginary card-waving, but nothing to fiddle on about for ages once the game is over. and has been won
May 23rd, 2008 at 13:18
oh and forgot to mention Liverpool. the great 1970’s liverpool. an endless torrent of moaning and referee harassing
May 23rd, 2008 at 13:29
right i’ve been studying the terry miss for about 10 hours now and i think i know what was in his head at the time of the penalty.
As the Penalty takers are being chosen, two demons (God & Devil) inside the simple mind of Mr Chelsea start to take over resulting in the following:
God: Dont put your hand up John, you are a centre half and have club feet and it’s bound to end in tears…..
Devil: Dont listen to him John, You are Mr Chelsea and once you score the Headlines will be “Mr Chelsea win’s the European Cup” or “Now for the Captaincy” ” A True Hero”…………
JT: I’m taking the Last Penalty and thats that Grant, ok!
As John walks up to take the desciding penalty.
Devil: Look hard JT, the world is watching……
God: Pick a spot John, kick it low and hard, but concentrate…
Devil: No John, You see that Top right hand corner? Blast it like you are sending a message to the Whole World, I’m John Terry and i deserve the glory, I’m Mr Chelsea look at me…………
Then John Misses……..
God: You should have listened, i warned you didnt i?
Devil: Pretend you slipped, blame the surface and cry John, Cry cos if it can work for Gazza it will work for you………
alright i saw this on 606 but hell is it funny.
May 23rd, 2008 at 15:24
my poor united of old…..”bandwagon” written all over….
May 23rd, 2008 at 15:30
Well I was watchin the match on television and MArtin tyler was just praising Terry before the
penalty..Mr.Chelsea,the man who can play thru the pain barrier blah blah blah etc….In the end he was Mr.Chelshit
and Mr.Crybaby, frickin pussy of a player who only can spit like a frickin coward and then deny it like a wimp.
May 23rd, 2008 at 15:30
who are you?
in other news we have been linked with Spartak Moscow keeper Stipe Pletikosa, a 29 year old Croat. is this the end of pig?
and of course schuster is at it again saying “Sooner or later Cristiano Ronaldo will wear the merengue shirt” dip shit.
May 23rd, 2008 at 15:34
devil61; Manchester United have never ever resorted to the gang rape tactics of intimidating referees that both Chelsea and Arsenal have used many times in the past. Yes they are guilty of diving offenses and other minor dirty tricks to turn referees decisions their way, like all teams but I for one cannot recall in recent memory a time when they forcibly surrounded a referee, shouted in his face and even poked and prodded him to change his decision or to see things their way. Chelsea and Arsenal are coached to do this. Wenger has always been a bully towards refs and he teaches that kind of mentality to his players. Chelsea learned this bad habit from Mourinho because lets face it, having class and respect for the game is not one of the “Special One’s” strongest character traits. As for Grant, he isn’t even a manager. He’s a caretaker. The man just sits and does nothing for entire games. He has allowed the players (inmates) to run the asylum and he just sits back and hopes for the best. He’ll say and do anything to avoid a mass exodus from the club because lets face it, nobody on the club respects him for his football mind.
United are not perfect and there are players like Ronaldo, Nani and even Rooney that need to stop screaming and begging to refs to stop the injustice. It’s childish and frustrating to watch but the team does not have a collective gang mentality when it comes to intimidating refs. They leave that up to Fergie to take care of that. And it shows because no manager gets fined as much as he does for his outbursts during and after games. He has coached his team to honor the jersey and the team they represent and to never do anything as despicable as what the two big London clubs do at least 6 times a year. Ironically I can understand a little of Joe Cole’s frustration with the ref. Quite often the ref got the call wrong on balls that were given as goal kicks or throw ins for United when in fact the ball went out off of a United player and not Cole. This can be nerve racking and frustrating in such a big game and it caused Cole to snap on numerous occasions. But the rest of the BS was completely schoolyard and unprofessional. Drogba is a big piece of turd and a selfish idiot who cost his team the title. And John Terry defies a term to best describe what a horrible human being he is and a what despicable leader he has been for Chelsea and England. Countless examples of “PASSION” gone wrong. This guy should be leading one of those hooligan firms because he has the look for it and the IQ as well. He is a thug and a punk and he deserves the book thrown at him. He should share a jail cell with Joey Barton for all I care. It appears that God hates John Terry too as he saw fit to deny him his moment of undeserved glory by making the earth move. Now if he could only do the same for George Bush the world would be a better place.
Sorry devil61 but you do agree with many of my points already. It’s just up to me to clarify a little more precisely the massive gap in class between United and Chelsea. Your team is a quality team with great talent, and poor leadership. But they are also a band of misfits, and spoilt millionaires who feel they are owed something simply because they are Chelsea FC. What they are deemed is the their collective sofa’s back home where they can sit and cry while they watch over and over the replay of the game that broke their collective black hearts. They are a classless disruptive element on the beautiful game and a total disgrace. I honestly cannot understand how anybody outside of Chelsea can be a fan of this team? Just how bad are they? My favorite player in football is Michael Ballack and he makes me sick presently because of his decision to play for Chelsea and to participate in all their classless antics. It’s not befitting the captain of a proud and dignified German National Team. As for people who live in Chelsea, my sympathies. That’s quite the cross to bare for your loyal, devoted and blind support of sports classic version of organized crime.
May 23rd, 2008 at 15:52
Lets not get on our high horse and feel sorry for Chelsea for God sake. We beat a horible nasty bunch of thugs, we should bring up the spitting because it was a disgrace. If Ronaldo had spat at Terry and we had lost there would be a media frenzy.
And I am a genuine supporter
May 23rd, 2008 at 15:53
“Manchester United have never ever resorted to the gang rape tactics of intimidating referees that both Chelsea and Arsenal have used many times in the past. “
it’s not you and me alone who have to judge that. i can go on for ages parping about how handsome and righteous i am but ultimately it’s only my opinion. Fandom is good. blind fandom not as much
“Yes they are guilty of diving offenses and other minor dirty tricks “
ask other supporters and you’ll find they’re not deemed “minor”. are they right? i dont know
here ends the sense and you descend into the pure offensive. there are bad losers. and there are bad winners.
It didnt use to be like that
May 23rd, 2008 at 15:58
“Lets not get on our high horse”
not as long as you give us a bad name
“feel sorry for chelsea”
in fact i feel sorry for you.
chelsea scum
that’s what you’re gonna be in two years time, or what you used to be two years ago.
i’ve alway been that, and i’ve always respected rivals
May 23rd, 2008 at 16:11
i cant believe a so called fan of ours is condoning a team filled with thugs and scum. john terry is scum, micheal ballack is scum dont get me started on dider drogba, the only decent player they have their is frank lampard, chelsea are scum. you are not a fan, just a jealous chelsea fan trying to convince us of your crap, get over it, you loss, stop this pettiness and go support your slipper, i mean skipper sorry.
May 23rd, 2008 at 16:12
I think you a living in a duluded world my friend. Firstly I do not give our great club a bad name. And I am certainly not scum. I respect plenty of our rivals, but not a manufactured club built on money not history.
May 23rd, 2008 at 17:00
[dan]
I think you are missing his point. devil61’s point is about us fans showing class in defeat as well as victory irrespective of opposition.
[devli61]
The intent behind your point was right, but the moment you resort to personal attacks and taunts at fellow commenters, most of what you say loses credibility. A case of the pot and kettle. It’s alright to have an opinion, but being judgemental and taunting others here — save that for moments of introspection in your own living room. Not on this site.
And if the target of your ire is on the treatment meted out to Terry, I’ll speak for myself because I put up the pic on top — if you have read my articles in the past you will understand I tend to call the gaffer, (or the players) on it if I think something is amiss. The euphoria of winning the Champions’ League was a feeling I experienced after 9 long years which partly was responsible for the taunt. But I would have had sympathy had the game been played out in good spirit. It wasn’t, and especially Chelsea didn’t. So no, I don’t have the least sympathy for their predicament. And I don’t think we lose class by occasionally rubbing it in to John Terry — who tried to create a “tough as nails, I want my England captaincy back” attitude that had a good part of the England public fawn over him. I don’t like his fake sense of self-worth. Rio has matured by far and has shown more class than he’s been given credit for.
But that’s for a later date. I don’t have to really explain why I chose to rub it in, nor do I have to listen to statements that choose to judge me rather than contribute opinions on the game.
Your point was well taken, despite the taunts, but that is all. Move on.
May 23rd, 2008 at 17:04
devil61; Really mate, what do you hope to prove coming on to a Manchester United blog and trying to convince us of the virtues of Chelsea? I respect your right to cheer for whomever you like and with total passion and commitment, but don’t come on to our site and start accusing us of favoritism, being offensive and poor winners. I would feel bad for any team on the planet for losing a game like that except for three, them being Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid. These teams and the majority of their supporters represent everything that is wrong with the game today. I do not include you as one of those type of supporters as you are clearly dedicated and logical in your arguments. But to come on to Red Rants and expect sympathy from a group of Man Utd supporters who have had to endure shite from the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, and especially Chelsea is just not cricket.
You don’t have to condone our comments and you don’t have to participate in our blog if what we say offends you. I for one am not trying too ffend you. I am clearly stating fact and I took the time and effort to put forward an argument that I feel you have no way of arguing against. I agreed that our players can singularly make asses of themselves on occasion. But they never have displayed a gangland mentality and a total disregard for the rules of conduct in the game and towards other players and referees in the way that Chelsea and Arsenal do. Whether the referee is wrong or not is a mute point. It’s plain and simple, they have no tact, no respect for the official, the game or themselves when they act like that. So forgive us if we get on “our high horses” and demonstrate a loyalty and a defense of Manchester United. A team that plays the game with skill, class and dignity. And I suggest that you go find a Blues blog out there that will give you warmer shoulder to cry on. You are barking down the wrong street over here I’m afraid. I seriously doubt if Chelsea would have shown the class after victory that we showed them. But then again, we would never have expected them to elevate themselves to a level they are incapable of getting to. Supporting Chelsea in this argument is nothing more than sour grapes I’m afraid. And I for one do not welcome it on this blog.
May 23rd, 2008 at 17:38
“Read and learn to be a proper supporter…..”
“and please get me right: stop stirring the shit about the spitting incident: no complaint was filed for that. no point in continuously bringing it up, since it doesn’t add to the monumental value of our achievement. if something happened UEFA will take action. end of.”
thats the point isnt it? being a proper supporter, i am entitled to rage about someone who has shit on the good name of a sport loved by millions with his thuggery…
i can understand if u were to say we shouldnt trample on the losers of a cup final if it was PLAYED IN GOOD SPIRIT. but all that went out the window when chelsea put on their uniforms and steped out onto the pitch…
isnt it funny how as many proven red supporters here think you are a blue fan? and it isnt because of lack of reading, but you seem so weirdly biased in their favour… did you not see the same things we did? did you not boil at their acts of poor sportsmanship? because i did…no, all i read was about how you thought our players were being crass as well….. and according to you, you are the lesson in being a proper supporter…
oh please…… i tried to show respect to your opinion as a ranter, but u asking me to stop stirring up shit for JT to be punished is as plain disrespectful and a juxtapose against your calls to respect the blues… because respect is key isnt it?
am i not entitled to my views? am i not entitled to be a supporter in my own right? was there a manual on how to be a red devil supporter? because if there is… send me a copy… and ill laugh happily at it while reading it…
so in short, it is a tad hard to get you right… respect opponents but not your fellow supporter’s view and opinions… focus on our team’s unsporting behaviour as an excuse for the other team to behave badly… ala chicken and egg arguement…. be right and proper supporters by doing that and not being stirred up by the passionate game…
mighty hard to be a proper supporter isnt it?
May 23rd, 2008 at 18:31
btw…. devil61 is a man utd supporter…. so he says…
May 23rd, 2008 at 21:55
If devil61 is Man Utd supporter then I am married to super model.
May 23rd, 2008 at 22:03
[Grognard]
I think he mentions it. Plus, if he calls himself devil61 it would be a reference to red devils, don’t you think?
May 24th, 2008 at 4:13
Red Ranter; I’m being sarcastic. For all I know the devil could be signifying his allegiance to Roman Abramovich.