Dec 06
Irons Hammering and Chelsea Stuttering makes Jack a happy boy
Every once in a while you’ll get a match that lifts gloom and renews portents of doom for another day. The question of doom in essence is ridiculous, relatively speaking. After all we were, before yesterday, five points off the pace, having sold our best player and performing marginally better in comparison to last season. I mean, just talk to West Ham fans and they’ll bite anyone’s hands off to swap positions with us.
But standards at United are different — a couple of days ago many of us were miffed at the handling of Serbian prospect, Adem Ljajic, by the club. A lot of strange flip-flopping public statements made a lot of people wonder if it’s the Glazer debt that’s the reason behind all this. Paying supporters deserve to know if the club is in rude or poor health. But those days of accountability have disappeared in club football, as clubs have become private entities keeping their affairs to themselves.
But yesterday was a day to be happy about. We started with a central defence more patched up than a pair of jeans on a homeless vagrant. Evra Brown Neville and Fletcher started. Then Neville limped off so we had Carrick playing in central defence. And if that wasn’t enough, we had Brown getting injured to carry on with ten men. And the remarkable thing about all this was a clean sheet. And the small fact that we scored four goals.
Maybe West Ham are actually that poor. Or maybe we are that good. Or maybe I don’t care today.
How can you, on a day you root for Man City to beat Chelsea? And jump for joy when it happens — with a mild tinge of regret that you promptly suppress.
How can you afford to complain when Blackburn, following their giant killing exploits against Chelsea in the Carling Cup, hold Liverpool to their 845024th draw of this season?
Maybe yesterday never happened and I wake up tomorrow to an alternate reality. Maybe I didn’t care if that was the case, because even if yesterday was too good to be true, the operative phrase “too good” was enough for me.
Good thing this was all true, eh?
* * *
The match as such started on a rather turgid note. There was very little of the first half I can recollect. Same missed passes, build up that could have been and things like that. I think, for a good part of the match, our midfield never really stood out, yet somehow did its job.
Darron Gibson will be held out for special praise. And not for his performance as such. At the risk of repeating myself I will invoke my earlier analogy. Watching Gibson play is like an inexperienced male having sex for the first couple of times; less of finesse or ability to ‘hold’, but shoots at the first chance. The difference here is, he shoots well.
But, if you have the talent, with experience you’ll get better at it. Hopefully Gibson goes down that road. He has an attribute none of our midfielders have, and especially in a side where we desperately need to spread the goals around, he presents a valuable outlet. Speaking of goals from midfield, another encouraging indicator has been Antonio Valencia’s return. In his career for Wigan from 2006-2009, he’s scored 7 times. For us this season, 14 appearances in, he has 5 goals. For a winger, and someone supposedly not known for prolific scoring, that’s an impressive return. Still early days, but encouraging nonetheless.
Our past three matches have scores of 3-0, 4-1 and 4-0 in our favour giving this a goal difference of +10. We are moving into familiar Manchester United territory. This has typically been the time when we come into our own, and ramp up pressure on Chelsea. We also have a favourable fixture list right till the end of January. We’re two points off now. Let’s make this count!
Related items from Red Rants:
- Totti Mouths Off Prior to Hammering | Happy Tevez | Happy Ron | Happy Vidic
- Ferguson Trots the Same Tired Lines
- Mourinho’s Inter, Liga de Quito and proof that Berbatov can be happy
- Valencia’s flying April not enough for stuttering United – Player of the Month April 2012
- Chelsea vs Manchester United Match Report
Tags: Match Reports
Opti (541)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Stephen (454)
Craig Mc (344)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
@Darth Red Diablo: If you actually made any sense, I’d be concerned.
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@Red Ranter: Yes but those big sites lack that sense of community because they are so big and impersonal. I for one love this site because of it’s lack of size and because off the feeling of guys meeting at a pub for a few ale’s and some footy talk. Problem is I will only ever get any credit or appreciation when somebody gives my eulogy.
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Alan Hansen is talking absolute bullshit in his column this morning. Saying United are fucked when Giggs Scholes and Neville retire, and we’ll see how good United’s future depends on how well the kids play against Citeh in the Carling Cup. What a nonce.
Yeah, because the next 5 years doesn’t involve Rooney, Valencia, Vidic, Evra, Carrick, Fletcher or Evans… oh no.
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@Grognard: I agree Gourcuff is that man, I would also punt for Drenthe who Real would virtually give away these two would provide the balance out midfield desperatly needs in my eyes even though Gibbo does look promising.
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Does anyone know our Champions League travelling squad for Wolfsburg yet? Apparently Ollie Gill has been given a squad number. Annoyingly our two best young defenders are both on loan (Chester at Plymouth I believe and Cathcart at my hometown club of Watford), they’re both in our Champions League squad too.
If we really are screwed for defenders then we are able to add players to our UEFA B-List as long as they have been with us for two years uninterrupted and are under the age of 21 I believe. That said, both our reserves AND our Under-18′s are struggling with injuries at the moment. When it rains, it pours…
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@Stephen: Drenthe, really? I haven’t watched too many Madrid matches lately but I think this is his third season with the team and in his past two, minus his pace, he was just as bad as Marcelo. Did they convert him from LB to LM now as well?
@Nick: Vidic hasn’t traveled with the team so it’s looking like Fletch, Carrick, ?, Evra. I know Ando’s played in defense before so maybe he’ll take up that role.
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@Sam Davis: Also some of the youngsters: Eikrem, Gill, Matt James have checked in for the Wolfsburg trip.
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Matt James can play in the back and Eikrem is more than capable at playing at Right Back. hat could make a back four of Eikrem, Fletcher, Carrick, Evra. Not the worse in the world although I wouldn’t want to rate their chances against a player like Dzeko
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In addition, Cameron Stewart and Oliver Norwood have also checked in. That’s the latest update via Ben Hibbs.
Squad so far: Foster Kuszczak evra gill obertan eikrem scholes gibson Valencia carrick James owen fletch park Ando stewart nani norwood welbeck owen
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That’s A LOT of midfielders!
Gill, Obertan, Eikrem, Scholes, Gibson, Valencia, Carrick, James, Fletcher, Park, Anderson, Nani, Norwood. But only one true Defender…… *gulp*
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Ranter, you moving to connecticut or iowa with your pal wontbe a bad idea. just saying…
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Am I the only one who believes Berbatov does not slow down our play? I mean how exactly does he slow us down? This is a sincere question. And on a similar note, it has been reported that we may be in for Wolfsburg striker Dzeko. Now I have almost zero access to the Bundesliga (which is a shame), so I really don’t know him or his qualities. Those who can enlighten me please do. I’m not one of those people that believes too much in “fit into our system” theories. Football players can adapt to a team’s way of play as long as they’re not played out of position. So should Dzeko come I don’t believe we 1st have to make an assessment of whether he fits into our system. A lot of ppl here began to praise the Ruud sale after it was followed by a trophy winning period. “He slowed us down. He was one dimensional. Blah blah blah.” Saha, offered something different and apparently made our attack more fluid. I don’t disagree much but I do. But a couple of years down the line Ferguson was criticised by the majority esp on this forum for not acquiring the services of Dutch goal poacher Huntelaar. I’m saying all this to show that all this talk of “fit into our system” is irrelevant. I’m also saying this so that we will all recall when Dzeko is yet another anti-climatic transfer at this club after a season at United. Let’s not hear this “system-fitting” stuff when that almost inevitable event takes place. I’ve heard enough of that at excuse and it seems to be an excuse only used by United fans. I’ve hardly heard it anywhere else. Too many quality players have been branded square plugs in round holes. Veron, Forlan, Tevez in his 1st six months and now it’s Nani and Berbatov. Look at it closely and you’ll discover we’re the only fans who keep using that excuse
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@R..: Ok. Huh?
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@Jay wire: I agree with you about Berbatov’s play
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There’s one very simple formation that would allow us to accomodate a target man (read, Dzeko) and that involves putting Rooney back to where we really know he’s best, but don’t want him to play:
————-Edwin————
-Brown—Rio—-Vida—Evra—
——-Fletcher-Carrick——-
-Valencia–Berbatov—-Rooney-
————-Dzeko————
With Valencia and Rooney’s work ethics, and Berba’s magic, this could be really effective. Plus, both Berbatov and Dzeko can hold a long ball up, meaning that defenders would have to mark both of them (watch defenders laugh at Owen/Rooney when our keeper hoofs it).
I don’t think Dzeko would be a replacement for Berbatov, I think he’d be a replacement for Owen. Doesn’t bode well for Welbeck and Macheda, mind.
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@Beachryan: Replacement for Owen means Dzeko will decorate the bench???Fergie is so much Cautitous these days that he plays with only 1 striker and how can you imagine that he will accomodate 3???Never
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@Beachryan: Dzeko coming will definately be the endof Berba which will be a shame as i will take Berba anyday instead of him
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When Berba came on against West Ham he played as more of an AMF, wasn’t leading the line at all (not for a change!). I still think he’d be superb in the Zidane position. Looks like he’s even getting his hair ready…
Side note, no Rooney nor Berbatov in the travelling squad to Wolfsburg. Also no damn defenders. Oli Gill and Evra. That’s it.
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@Beachryan: I am there in the squad or not???
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@Beachryan: No he came as striker but played as ACM. Actually this is the trend ofour players this season..Strikers play as ACM (including Rooney and Berba ) ,ACM(like Andy) plays as CDM and DM plays as defenders..Everyone plays one position behind his original one
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@Beachryan: Sadly, he is no Zidane..
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Real Madrid First Team Members available in January:-
PLAYER ESTIMATED VALUE
Jerzy Dudek Free
Royston Drenthe 6 million
Fernando Gago 7 million
Ezequiel Garay 4 million
Guti 1.5 million
Rafael Van de Vart 5 million
Mahamadou Diarra 5 million
Ruud Van Nistelrooy 3 million
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Oliver Gill is in the squad! Oliver Gill is in the squad! Oliver Gill is in the squad! Oliver Gill is in the squad! Oliver Gill is in the squad! Oliver Gill is in the squad! Oliver Gill is in the squad! Oliver Gill is in the squad! Oliver Gill is in the squad! Oliver Gill is in the squad! Oliver Gill is in the squad! Oliver Gill is in the squad! Oliver Gill is in the squad! Oliver Gill is in the squad! Oliver Gill is in the squad! Oliver Gill is in the squad! Oliver Gill is in the squad! Oliver Gill is in the squad!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
In addition, Dzeko is a monster and we will struggle with a make-shift defence against them… all we can hope for is a master performance from Carrick.
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@owen: Haha… M Diarra for 5 mil… LOL. With his quality, anybody will be lucky to get him for less that 10/12 mil.
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@Andrei: M Diarra’s not really that good. Lassana on the other hand is quite handy.
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@Jay wire: Even i dont think he slows up our play. In fact i had started to like the modified berbatov just before he got injured. he played with more passion, aggression and at the same time still kept his touch. couple of his goals were sublime and he brings a much wanted dimension to the team. Would we sad if we bought Dzeko and had to watch berba leave or sulked on the bench…
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And on the Ljacic issue – what the fuck PR was that !!!! Even my chauffeur would have been smarter than the united blokes to handle the issue!!!! Hope the Glazers are not starting to fuck united!
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@godzilla: Reading too much into conspiracy theories, methinks… maybe both are true, maybe one of them is true and the other is meant to appease the fans, maybe neither are true and Ferguson thinks he should spend the 9 mil somewhere else (cough – Dzeko).
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@Andrei: It was a PR fuck up. There’s no conspiracy when you have conflicting quotes in the open. It was just abysmally handled by the United communications team.
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I’m not sorry to be sounding negative here but it is a waste of time to get Dzeko,David Villa or any other super striker. One thing that will happen is Sir Alex will need at least a full to figure out how to use him. Secondly,Berbatov is an Old Trafford record transfer,so it’s risky to offload him or to play him as a sub. Why? It will definitely hinder his already diminished chances of any other big money big name future transfer into the club. He has to make Berba work. So is the apparently highly sought after Dzeko willing to take a unique Owen squad player type of role. Rotation of strikers is not a simple matter. Wingers and fullbacks in my opinion are really the only positions you can afford to constantly rotate. Central positions should not be messed around with because they require such time acquired essentials like “chemistry” in order to work. But then again this is something Ferguson seems to be blissfully unaware of. Personally I don’t think there is any non-defensive acquisition that we can make that will prove a success under our current conditions
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@Red Ranter: All right then, but at least we’re not a messed up as Microsoft.
The world: ‘W7 copied the Mac OS’
A: ‘We copied the Mac OS’
B: ‘A does not work for us’
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@Andrei: This was about calling a spade a spade: ie, A PR disaster, that’s all. All corporations goof up, it’s upto us to point it out — in our case, United — which was the whole point of the exercise. Media outlets didn’t, but bloggers did. Nothing more.
Now bringing up analogies which are for most part irrelevant is missing the point.
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@Red Ranter: And it shows that none of the qoutes have anything to do with the truth
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As much as I like Dzeko I still feel the midfield is the area for concern, we have Rooney, Berba, Owen, Macheda and Welbeck but the midfield really lacks quality or is too old across the entire middle part of our side.
Derenthe for me is a premiership player aggressive, quick and can play play in more than one psition he also could well be chaep so the Glaziers might cough up, but unlikely.
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@Stephen: Rafael Van de Vart will be the ideal…He is available only for 5 million ,is very good and more over is what we require
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@owen: Would be a sensible option, but my feekings are nothing will happen in Jan as we have net spent something like £30m since the Glaziers have taken over in 2005.
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@Red Ranter: Like Malouda, M Diarra was world class at Lyon. As good as Essien was (at Lyon I mean).
And for a time he even performed at Madrid, but injuries hampered his integration in the side. Now, he may well be on the wrong side of his career..
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@NicoQB: He was excellent at Lyon. Tipped to be the next Essien. We were linked to him, balked at his transfer price, allowed him to move on to Real and went for Hargo instead. He had a steady start to his Real career, and I agree injuries and poor form, he’s fallen off completely.
But I don’t think he’s world class at all. He’s decent. And the rest was good sell from Lyon.
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@Andrei: Uhhhh…
Are you related to the Gills per chance?
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@Red Ranter: THat’s the point, he isn’t world class, he was.
But he could be worth a gamble for a cash-strapped team looking for a proven enforcer at minimum price, provided he’s over his injuries of course.
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@Jay wire: Why would any “big money big name future signing” think twice about joining United if Berbatov fails? We are a big club and many will jump at the chance of joining us, Berbatov failing or not. The only chance this might happen is if the player’s style is similar to Berbatov’s languid play I feel.
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It seems like 1st place is slightly better than 2nd place in Champions league.
The quality of opponents for 1st placed team:
Juve/Bayern
Fiorentina/Lyon
Inter/Rubin
AC Milan/RealMadrid
Stuttgart/Unirea
Porto
Olympiakos
For 2nd place in our group we get:
Bordeaux
Lyon/Fiorentina
Barcalona
Real Madrid/AC Milan
Sevilla
I hope fergie can pull this win/draw out of his sleeve!
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@NicoQB: One injury-prone defensive midfielder to reinforce another already injury-prone defensive midfielder in Hargreaves?
What gives?
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The full travelling squad is as follows which has travelled to germany:
Ben Foster, Gabriel Obertan, Magnus Eikrem, Paul Scholes, Darron Gibson, Antonio Valencia, Oliver Gill, Michael Carrick, Matty James, Michael Owen, Darren Fletcher, Danny Welbeck, Ji-sung Park, Anderson, Patrice Evra, Cameron Stewart, Tomasz Kuszczak, Nani, Oliver Norwood.
Will we be able to top our group taking into account our makeshift defence & young players remains to be seen. nani is travelling, I expect him to make a start or on the bench,sad for him, most probably sold in january.
What do u guys think our starting 11 will be?
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@Red Ranter: SAF said on MUTV yesterday that he was going to use Delaet, but you haven’t got him on your list of check ins RR?????????
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@CraigMc: Don’t shoot the messenger. I’ve pulled them off one of Manutd.com’s editors travelling with the squad.
Also I don’t think de Laet’s in our Champions League 2009/10 announced squad in the first place.
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@Grognard: sarcasm bro your always catching shit for hating on fergi so i figured i would give you shit for kissing his ass…slightly
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@Grognard: not yet mate not yet they could bring in aguerro in jan what then?
/wishfull
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@NicoQB: What on earth makes you say that?
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More bad news… Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov are both injured, not being rested. They’re doubts for Saturday against Aston Villa.
but wes and vidic are expected to be back on saturday
source: Ben Hibbs from manutd.com
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