Sep 22
Chelsea 1-1 Man Utd: One Point Won, But Two Points Lost
I had a draft of the game ready but somehow lost it. I will rewrite the match report during the day, hopefully. Till then feel free to continue your discussion.
In short, I’ll say this: it’s a point earned at the Bridge, but it’s also a case of what might have been had we held on for a win. Not quite vintage United yet — if you don’t count our fondness for slow starts — but certain players stood out for me, some of whom wouldn’t have figured had we made a list of our picks for top players of our season so far.
More on that, among other things, in a post as soon as I find that draft or find time to re-write one myself.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Chelsea v Man Utd: Preview
- Rooney Out For A Month
- Porto it is then…
- The need for a right-back and a forward | Title race blown open
- Man Utd Blog 2007/2008 Home Kit
Tags: Match Reports
Craig Mc (195)
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Opti (136)
Moscow is my heaven (96)
Ian (95)
@Grognard: Fergie and the players better put out a good game and quick, I’m beginning to worry for some of you
jk.
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@Grognard: Me and you have had our words about Rooney, so not only was I shocked to see you change your stance on Rooney but I was completely speechless when you said what I was scared to say.
Sell Rooney.
Sorry for all you loyal Rooney fans, but the grogs is not crazy for suggesting it.Rooney is easily the most overrated english player right now. Lamps is overrates and Gerrard is slightly overrated, but no one touches Rooney. It is like people took a snapshot years ago of rooneys debut for united and that is the only picture you see. Rooney has had every conceivable chance to become a world class striker and it just hasnt happened yet.
I predicted that this would be a make or break year for rooney, I have noticed that more and more people are starting to question his contributions where this time last year I was being strung up for questioning the white pele.
But Rooney is only 22! yeah and Ronaldo is the defending premier league player of the year and not to mentioon the likely Fifa world player of the year… how old is Ronaldo again? How old is Messi? I think you get my point here, his age isnt something to hide behind. he has been a starter for 5 years now, it is put up or shut up time.
@Sidharth: you want people who are better than rooney? How about Messi,Torres, Villa, Kun, Eto, Drogba, Ibrahimovic, Benzema.
DO you think liverpool would swap Torres for Rooney? If so I would be over the moon.
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@Grognard: As for the Red ring of death, I expeirenced that last month. I was very fortunate to have a first generation system last over 2 years but as they say all good things come to and end. Last month while playing Fifa Euro 2008(Ironically while I ws talking to the Xbox customer support) the Red Rings claimed yet another victim… Me.
No I cant speak for outside the US, But Microsoft fixed my system for free and even paid for the shipping, it was disturbingly simple. I kept thinking “this is to easy and good to be true”. Excluding the Pain of not having your system for 2 weeks, The red ring of death isnt that bad of a expeirence in the States.
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@johnsom33:
yeah because selling the second most productive player in the league is so smart. It would be comparable to selling Rio IMO. Torres has only scored 1 this season. How many Liverpool fans have you heard complaining about lack of goals? We are 4 games in and you’d swear we were in the relegation zone on the last day of the season
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@Liam: Explain to me how you figure selling Rooney is comparable to selling Rio, cause you lost me somewhere.
Reread my post, at what point am I judging rooney for the past 4 games? I never said he was rubbish, I just said he was over rated. At this point I think his monetary value is worth more than his actual worth to the team. United would get any where from 30-35 million for him at least, and for that kind of money we could actually get a top goal scorer. We wouldnt even need to replace him because we already have Tevez. I dont care what any one says either, Tevez can do everything Rooney does plus he has a knack of crucial late goals.
As for Liverpool fans complaining about Torres. I wouldnt know cause i dont talk to scousers. I have serious doubts about them complaining about a striker who just eclipsed RVN first year scoring record. Imagine how many more goals Torres would have scored if he played for us?
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@johnsom33: Here’s the thing about Rooney, I have always been a fan of the lad. But there comes a time where one has to put his personal feelings and bias aside and think about what is best for the team and for the player. Rooney is going backwards in his career with United. I blame that partly on his immaturity and stubbornness but mostly I blame Fergie for having messed with a super talent so much so, that he fucked up the boys inner programming. It’s time for a change. United need to learn to play in a manner that does not require Rooney’s chicken with his head cut off style and with forwards who understand the definition of the word attack.
Don’t get me wrong, if Rooney all of a sudden did a 180 and became the player he once was with all the potential, first touch and clinical finishing intact, then I’d say forget my comments. But I don’t see that happening. Certainly not under Ferguson’s reign. He’s a great manager who has made many players great. I doubt if Ronaldo would have attained the greatness he is experiencing right now if not for Fergie. But with Rooney he has abused and misused the lad so much so that it’s a crying shame seeing this player and comparing him with the boy who scored three goals on his United debut. I still think Wayne can regain the ability he was born with, but not with us. He now stands in the way of a player who does more positive and constructive things for us in Carlos Tevez. If we sell him now we will get a lot of money for him because he is still marketable. How much better would we be if we took that money and spent it on a world class attacking midfielder? It just makes more sense and after all, it’s really about making the team better. No player is immune to being sold. Ask Beckham, Keane, RVN etc. Perhaps it’s Wayne’s turn unless he has a massive turnaround in form and attitude very very soon.
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@Grognard: I agree with virtually everything you said. The only thing I have reservation about is blaming Fergie. I tend to think it is up to the player to improve his game if said player is given the chance be the manager. Sometimes players just arent giving a a fair chance to settle and are constantly rotated.
The question I ask myself is, how in 3-4 years has Ronaldo gone from being an equal if not inferior player to Rooney to leaving him in the dust? I will be the first to admit that I dont know the answer, but if I had to guess I would say Ronaldos drive to be the best is the reason.
Ronaldo has been blessed with both strength and absoluting electric pace. He has all the tools to be a good player, but he also has that inner drive to never rest on his laurals. He is always pushing and always looking for ways to improve his games.
Does Rooney share the same drive? I cant say for sure one way or the other cause I dont have the luxury of seeing him practice day in and day out. Is Fergie the blame for his development? again I have no way of knowing one way or the other.
Suprisingly enough I am a fan of Rooney, I just find him very very frustrating. I have seen this happen to other players in other sports. Lamar Odom who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers(NBA) is a prime example. Unquestioned talent and has a pretty good career, but for whatever reason he has never been able to bridge that gap from “Potential Great” talent to an All-time great player.
Sorry for the long rant(and for the non footie reference
).
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@johnsom33: Fergie has to take some of the blame for having consistently played him out of position and also for allowing him to continually get away with his temper tantrums and stupidly unnecessary expenditures of energy doing other player’s jobs. You used the word frustrating and it goes for both Rooney and Fergie. Both of them are stubborn and reluctant to change their ways. And I doubt seriously if Ronaldo has Rooney career shortening smoking habit as well.
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@Sidharth:
I sure as hell don’t agree with that load of trash you’ve just written….for all your words Grognard i seriously doubt your knowledge of the game when you say that Rooney should be sold. I mean except for you and a hand full of other morons, i think there would be a riot at Old Trafford if that were to happen.
You started it. You’ve got no case to defend yourself. What were you smoking? You lost it at that point.
Others,
There are two personalities on this thread (you know who you are) that are better served never confronting each other. There are plenty other people you can talk to. So my advice is to stay off each other, and if you don’t realise after your famous confrontations in the past that you are so not made for each other then it’s sad. You don’t have to bother offering olive branches to each other you are going to waste energy getting into another long winded argument.
I’ve made my point here. That is all.
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i have to agree with Emmakash. Tevez should be on the field instead of Oshea. The idea of defending is not good enuff. If we start thinking to defend, might as well we take out Berbatov. At least Tevez can run over the pitch to pressure chelsea.
I like Johnny Evans since his loan spell at Sunderland in Championship. But at this time, not having a good point and playing away from Old Trafford, IMO, it is wiser to use someone with experience. Gary Neville inclusion for me is OK, but not Johnny Evans.
To accommodate Tevez-Rooney-Berbatov at the same time, I personally think that we can opt to use Tevez as AML or FL. Just the same way Argentina is using Tevez. Or Liverpool use Kuyt, or Arsenal use Walcott or Chelsea sometimes use Kalou. We should try this!!!
And Berbatov should play behind Rooney. The idea of having Berbatov at front is not working. Berbatov passing is very very good. He should be playing behind the striker. 4411 can work.. when attacking, the two wingers (assuming Tevez and Ronaldo) run forward, and at this stage, Berbatov has 3 options to pass the ball.. just imagine and enjoyy
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@Grognard: Well grogs, if you cud go back in time and search older posts (from the summer) you’ll find I had identified AM as one concern area and how lack of goals from midfield is a huge problem for us! I wanted VDV (who went to Real for only 8m towards the end of the window!!!) and a good striker like Huntelaar (could have been with us for nearer to 20m+ type sum) and probably it could have been much better summer work than acquisition of Berbatov. I am not suggesting berba is bad but I think we have overlooked midfield seriously. Scholsey is past it and others are either too inexperienced (fletch,andy, fletch as he rarely gets time to play at the top) or not really top class (carrick is not a gerrard! and Hargo is always injured!!!) We seriously needed a creative midfielder and should have got either VDV or Diego.
I think at that time most people here totally disagreed with me!!!
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@jos: I wasn’t one of them mate. I was the loudest activist for Huntelaar and I also would have loved VDV as well. I like Berbatov but I still believe that Huntelaar would have been the better buy. My worst fears have been realized so far so it just makes me wonder two things. 1. I must be a true genius 2. Fergie has to be a complete pickle head not to realize that his central midfield was a joke. It certainly was clear to me and I am being proven right. Some may still feel I am wrong but they are more hard pressed to defend their position now. I on the other hand smell like a bouquet of roses. Priceless!
Excuse me as I get on my high horse now and ride into the sunset.
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