Sep 18
Rooney’s return, United aim to thrash Sporting, injury list, vote or face hellfire
I’m sure you’ve seen Patrice Evra caught out of position and Nemanja Vidic going across and covering for him, thus bailing Manchester United out of yet another sticky situation?
That’s what’s happening today – except that the Red Ranter is Evra, yours truly is Vida and RedRants.com is Manchester United.
At least the last one makes sense 
Anyway, on with today’s Manchester United news – we’re still winning (although the opposition this season has been nothing short of tremendous) but it’s Sporting Lisbon tomorrow and while RR will do the needful preview (or Vida will cover for him again) in the morning, here’s a snapshot of what happening in the Manchester United world.
Wayne Rooney: “I could have played weeks ago”
I suppose we’re lucky to have a pitbull playing for us (metaphorically speaking) – and better yet, Rooney has learned the lessons from last summer and is now more careful about easing back into match fitness (as opposed to diving into midsummer heat with a team whose self-doubt was only exceeded by their ambitions (paradoxical but that’s England for you)), and while he could play a bit-part role tomorrow night it’s also likely that he’ll just sit on the bench and do nothing.
We can’t rely on Rooney for the Chelsea game, so let’s hope Saha has his heart in this, because we’ll need that Old Trafford magic again.
Quieroz wants to show Sporting ‘respect’
Is it going to be the sort of respect we showed Roma, when we thumped them at a rate of a goal every 10 minutes but didn’t bed their wives afterwards? Or the sort of respect we showed Chelsea, when we sent out kids to play a man’s game and said it was to ‘rest’ key players?
Most likely it will be the sort of respect we showed Benfica – so expect a 4-5-1, but with no Rooney to play on the left flank maybe Tevez will get that role?
A scrappy 1-0 win, 1-1 draw or a frantic 2-1 win with Tevez and Rio using their rear-ends to ‘back’ the ball into the back of the net in the 6th minute of injury time – which one do you think is more likely?
Manchester United’s Injury List
Gary Neville, Owen Hargreaves, Mikael Silvestre, Darren Fletcher, John O’Shea, Ji-sung Park and Ben Foster are out. Michael Carrick has a severe confidence problem, while Ronaldo is rusty (but he’ll shine tomorrow night) and Giggsy and Scholes are getting old.
But nothing to worry about – I’m pretty sure we’ll get to see some of Anderson tonight as well, and a Nani corner might find it’s way to Rio’s head this time (I can almost see it).
Vote for the Best Sports Blogs
Anyway, that’s it for today – although, I wonder why people aren’t voting for Red Rants at the Bloggers Choice Awards? Are you guys not Manchester United fans or something? Do you not want your club’s best fan-blog to win bragging rights over all the other pretenders? Heathens!
Vote for RedRants here, and while you’re at it, throw Soccerlens a few crumbs as well 
Related items from Red Rants:
- Roundup: Saha’s Enlightenment, Nutty Takeover Bids, The Portugeezers’ Romp and More
- Quiet Monday Roundup
- New Links Feature
- Daily Roundup: Rooney-Tevez, Rossi-Pique and Eagles
- Giggs and Brown to Remain Reds | Ex-Reds Clash | Wenger Threat | Takeovers And Other Such Nonsense
Tags: Daily Roundup
September 18th, 2007 at 13:50
i expect a scrappy dull boring draw lets see if can snatch another 1-0
September 18th, 2007 at 14:10
I expect 4-5-1. Biggest loss is Hargo and especially now that Fletch an Oshea are out. The question remains…will SAF be attack minded and play Giggs,Ronnie,Tevez,Saha or will he sacrifice a forward for a holding player …Pique.
September 18th, 2007 at 14:13
Thanks mate! Service will resume!
September 18th, 2007 at 14:20
I know this has nothing to do with the subject topic, but i am absolutely DYING to know: WHEN WILL THE MAN UTD 3RD KIT BE RELEASED????? DOES ANYBODY KNOW??? WILL THERE EVEN BE A THIRD KIT AT ALL???
(United to win 1-0 tomorrow, courtesy of a goal from…..Nani!)
September 18th, 2007 at 14:21
ps. why does hargreaves keep getting injured???
September 18th, 2007 at 14:38
he doesn’t ‘keep’ getting injured, he’s just not fit…
niggling leg injuries can be quite ‘niggly’ when you’re playing at this level – this isn’t your 5v5 park kickabout
September 18th, 2007 at 14:39
my pleasure, RR – at least here I don’t get bashed for supporting United
September 18th, 2007 at 14:49
I predict a 3-1 win to united. You can be sure that Nani will of provided/scored one of them. I also reckon Tevez, will find his goal scoring feet tomorrow and knock one in too.
September 18th, 2007 at 15:14
actually – hargreaves a pretty crap injury record if you check it out
in each of his last 2 seasons he’s had a bunch of bad injuries – broken leg, torn muscle and then again broken leg last year and now the thigh strain
September 18th, 2007 at 16:45
How dare you talk about Man United on a United website-you are clearly biased, just kidding
. Anyway my problem is Ronaldo. He really shouldn’t be rusty. As far as I can remember he played 3 games for Portugal since the red card and he looked in good shape for all of them. So what was the real problem? hopefully that was a one-off performance that he’ll put right against Chelsea. As far as I can remember he’s suspended tomorrow.
September 18th, 2007 at 16:59
ronaldo may also be tired from the hectic schedule – he played both games and played to his max in both
look at torres and babel for instance
why is he suspended?
September 18th, 2007 at 17:05
What I’d like to know is where did United’s and especially Fergie’s Hubris go? The team now plays in order to not lose rather than to win. 4-5-1 is a chicken shit cowardly Italian formation. Although it has been successful for many Italian teams and weak sides all over Europe, it remains a black mark on the beautiful game. It certainly is not what a talented proud side like United should be incorporating. In fact, I’m bold enough to say that what they should be going to is a 4-3-3 and try to pound the enemy. They have 4 World class defenders and a good goalkeeper who shouldn’t need extra midfielders to defend one lone attacker on the counter. They should pressure defenses with at least two or three attackers constantly moving around in the 18 yard box. Occasionally teams may counterattack but we should be able to stop any team using only one forward with our back four.
Fergie has become far to cautious and he needs to loosen up a bit and let the talent he has show their metal. Pick up the pace for all the players but especially Ronaldo and Nani. How can we have so much flair, speed and attacking skill against a great side like Roma, and suck so badly against far inferior opponents? Injuries have played a part, I agree, but the real culprit for all United’s problems has been Fergie’s insistence on using 4-5-1.
Personally I’d rather watch them win or lose 3-2 or 4-3 than win or lose 1-0. United are not just famous around the world for winning. They are famous because they play attractive attacking football. Money and the pressure to just get points far outweighs entertaining fans and committing fully to attack. The most famous clubs in the world are United and Real Madrid. Two ultra attacking sides. It has never been the big Italian clubs for a reason. They bore people to death. I’m afraid we have definitely become an ugly clone of Chelski whose manager comes from the overly cautious school of chicken shit coaches who have ruined the sport in order to secure their selfish ambitions. In Mourinho’s world, 1-0 is a win and that’s all he wants. For many that is satisfactory but for people like myself, I’d rather watch talent and ambition merge into a powerful display of flair and imagination on the pitch. All culminating in plenty of goals. Football should be a sport for the brave and enterprising, not for the cowardly and timid.
September 18th, 2007 at 18:12
i love it how ahmed hates evra it seems
September 18th, 2007 at 18:18
I have to agree with you Grognard regarding Man Utds history of attacking play, BUT bearing in mind that we are playing in the Champions league, I feel that been cautious away from home is not all bad. It does not matter if we are playing 5 across the midfield as long as we get a win away from home. Lets save the attacking play for our home games. After all it will be up to Sporting to attack us and we can counter at speed and hopefully score. Its really pointless going all out attack and having no respect for our opponents. This is not the carling cup mate. All teams in this stage of the competition are capable of springing a surprise and I for one dont want Man Utd to be paying catch up after the first game.
September 18th, 2007 at 19:36
Grognard: the difference between 4-5-1 and 4-3-3 is often very little. The same formation will be called a 4-5-1 when you are playing crap and a 4-3-3 when you are playing well. The problem is none of the attacking/midfield players have pulled their weight so far this season (possibly bar Hargreaves). No formation works well when the players in it are not performing well. The 4-2-3-1, often the formation of our greatest performances in recent years, looks like a dire and turgid formation when the players are not at full tilt.
P.S. After a season of some of the best and most exciting football seen by us in recent years, you think SAF might have earned more than 6 games slack before been called a chicken shit.
September 18th, 2007 at 22:50
Shaheen Seedat – Hargreaves’ problem was last season after the World Cup when he got injured, he hasn’t recovered fully since then and we won’t see the best of him until next season, although if he goes to Euro 2008 with England you can forget that too.
And I don’t hate Evra
September 19th, 2007 at 2:42
To Just1n; I agree about having a different approach on the road but only against teams that are worthy of our respect like Milan, Barcelona, Chelski etc. I don’t think we should be playing cautious if we visit Reading or Derby and half of the Champions League teams are only a challenge if the better teams fall in to the trap of being cautious. They count on this. Let those minnows play up our level. We shouldn’t play down to theirs. If we do, we are being out managed.
JB; I suppose you do have a very good point but my definition of 4-3-3 is closer to the game that was played in the 70’s and early 80’s where teams usually had two central strikers live in the 18 yard box and a wide winger causing trouble with great runs crosses and occasional runs into the box. Todays 4-3-3 is one lone striker up front with two wingers. It still doesn’t accomplish the goal of placing more bodies in the box, thus causing multiple problems for defenders. At present United don’t have the type of players to play my 4-4-3 style anyway. They do have the wingers though and both Ronaldo and Nani or Giggs have to become more aggressive and run at defenders with pace. They have been walking far too much and not causing defenses to break their shape because of their over conservative approach. It’s like Fergie has put shackles on them. Point is, we have to attack teams wide if we plan on breaking their wall of defense. Evra has been the only player who has done this but either his shots or his crosses have been very poor.
September 19th, 2007 at 7:34
Ahmed why do you hate Evra?, you are so biased to the extent of iritating some of us, i think you always praying for his mistakes to bash him. Is it because he is of inferior skin to yours? I wonder! At the same time you were worshiping and glorifying Heinze all the time. The sellout was finished when he had that horrible injury.
September 19th, 2007 at 9:24
History shows that we have performed best when playing at 4-4-2. The idea of 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 just wont’work for us. I cannot understand why Tevez and Saha cannot be told to sitck to the box and wait for supplies from Nani and Ronaldo form the wings and through passes from Carrick and Scholes from the centre. Sometimes I wonder when I see Tevez running deep back even into our own half while he is the one we are expecting to score for us inside the final third. By going too deep backwards, doesn’t Tevez know he is duplicating the roles of Scholes / Carrick?
It is also a shame that we have scored only 4 goals in 6 matches. This is not United style of playing. We have to return back to the system we know best – attacking football where we fire from all the cylinders!!! We must start that tonight against Sporting Lisbon…..
September 19th, 2007 at 9:57
Stop bitchin you lot!! SAF would not go out and get 3 players who play in the attacking third in the summer if he was planning on being conservative. We just havent found our rhythm yet, there has been no change of ethos. Stop talking rubbish Grognard! If we were failing to win you would be complaining so much more, Rooney is yet to come back, when we have Rooney Saha Tevez and Ronaldo fit, lets see wot happends then. We’ll be pillaging defences with Scholes Carrick or Hargreaves supporting. Plus more attacking talent to come off the bench. Plus Evra is not a left back scared of going forward. Just be bloody patient will you?! Sheeeesh!
September 19th, 2007 at 13:50
“I suppose we’re lucky to have a pitbull playing for us (metaphorically speaking) ”
- What do you mean metaphorically?
- Whenever my wife watch us play on tv, she can’t help but laugh because of a comment she read on Soccerlens about “now we have Shrek and Shrek2 playing for us.”
My bet ” 1-1 draw…” “with Tevez ‘or’ Rio using their rear-ends to ‘back’ the ball into the back of the net in the 6th minute of injury time”
[Grognard]
“I’m bold enough to say that what they should be going to is a 4-3-3 and try to pound the enemy”
- That’s the actual problem nowadays. In Fergie’s mind we ARE playing 433.
- Our forward 3 are be Rooney/Saha/Ronaldo (3 forwards, not wingers), perhaps this is where Saha comes in tactically (to change from 433 to 451???
I’m sure tonight’s game will be a bit of a drag (hope though I’m wrong), as well as Sunday’s game. I think we’ll start firing next week. (I hope, because if it doesn’t happen, I’m going to give wrist-slitting some serious thought).
September 19th, 2007 at 14:45
Hey guys!!!
Whats that website where you can watch online?
Thanks
September 19th, 2007 at 17:55
Martin: Relax mate. I doubt anyone with a name like Ahmed would be putting down a player because of his skin color, so relax from pulling the race card out. I too am not a big fan of Evra and I mistakenly loved Heinze for a long time. I would have much preferred Gareth Bale or Leighton Baines at left back but we have Evra and although I am not a big fan, he is still a great player who just has to work on his crossing and finishing skills to win me and others over. I’m sure Ahmed wouldn’t be bad mouthing Michael Essien or Micah Richards if they were playing for United and performing well. Just because a fan doesn’t like the play from a certain player of color doesn’t mean he or she is racist. It’s all a bout the quality of football being played. Lets not get into that kind of crap on this site. If I needed that I would watch tapes of the OJ Simpson trial to get my fix on that kind of nonsense.
September 19th, 2007 at 21:36
Woot, 1-0 United. Final Score.
September 25th, 2007 at 23:44
Martin i agree with grognard about pulling out the race card. Theres just no need 2do it. We talk about players for how they play not their colour. Dont agree wit shrek comment tho! Waynes a good mate of mine and dosnt look like shrek!