Jan 26
It’s only half-time and we’re one down – will you back United to win?
It’s never a good game when United lose but, amid disappointment and controversy, punters’ should remember that the first leg of this Carling Cup semi-final was a cracker. Manchester derbies are fast becoming the most hottest clashes in England and that can only be a good thing.
As for this Wednesday: it’s only half-time, we’re one down with 90 minutes to play in front of 75,000 screaming Reds and we’re famous for being the comeback kings of European football. Back United at 1.75 (8/11) to win the match and 1.98 (evens) to reach the final. The Carling Cup, like the Premier League, is our trophy.
Saturday’s 4-0 win over Hull got the defeat out of the players’ systems. Wayne’s four and Rio’s return are the feel good stories which set the Reds up nicely for Wednesday.
They’re calling the last 10 minutes of the first leg the Alamo across town. No wonder; under sustained late bombardment, City looked flimsy, United’s wide men had the beating of their full backs and Vincent Kompany and Micah Richards were lost when Owen and Rooney worked the ball between them. If it wasn’t for Shay Given, United would have won.
If United pick up where they left off, they will get an early break-through. Nobody would bet against Wayne scoring the first goal so have a punt on him but put a small stakes wager on Darren Fletcher too. This is what you might call a “hunch bet” but, although the Scottish dynamo has been quiet of late, he’s a big game player and will drive the Reds on Wednesday.
The Reds will go in ahead at the break before adding more in the second half. It might not be a deluge though as, with one eye on next Sunday’s crucial trip to Arsenal, the manager might withdraw players and get men behind the ball. Back 2-0 at 9.4 (17/2) in the Correct Score market and ManUtd/ManUtd at 2.84 (15/8) for a Half-time/Full-time bet.
Rio was commanding against Hull. He has a score to settle after Craig Bellamy beat him to score for in the league match back in September so you can expect Rio to be up for this one. Gary Neville would relish the chance to put Carlos Tevez in his place and the manager may opt for his experience to nullify Bellamy out wide. It goes against the form, which means you might get a decent price, so back the United clean sheet and Under 2.5 goals at 2.06 (21/20).
We should be going to Wembley with money in our pockets so, with the final against Aston Villa – a team United always beat in Cup competitions – in mind, back the Reds to win the Carling Cup at 3.0 (2/1). That price should be snapped up now as it will narrow after we win on Wednesday.
Related items from Red Rants:
- United* 1-1 Chelsea: First Blood to the Reds
- United have unwanted Kompany at the top of the table.
- United Let Everton off the Hook
- The Power Remains With United
- Manner of United’s Win More Important than three points
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Fergi says wayne was never going to leave
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Lots of chat that Anderson is in Brazil signing for a Brazilian club. He’s not in training photos. Ulp.
Leaves us 5 days to find cover. Pretty scary stuff.
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@Grognard: We also can’t afford to take a massive loss on him, or bring anyoen in who’s better for what we’d get for him, so I’d imagine he’s staying.
Is anyone going to swap us Gourcuff for him? No.
The problem is, when he was at Porto he was an attacking left winger. A really attacking left winger. Fergie has tried to turn him into a defensive midfielder. People in Brazil were saying he’s fucking mental for doing so, and they’ve been proven largely right. He has a lot of hustle, but has sacrificed his attacking game to the point where he barely has one anymore.
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owen, i agree the real test for Rooney is making his presence felt in a really big game. Unfortunately in the past, tactics meant he was played on the wing in a team role, and this season he has been played on his own upfront. So he never really gets the chance to shine. I maintain Rooney does best in a 4-4-2. And we never play that formation in big games.
Smalling sounds like a good signing. He’s good enough to break into Fulham’s first team at a relatively tender age for a central defender, and Fulham are a pretty good defensive team. He has also held his own against good opposition, such as Chelsea. With his height and pace, he will also make up for some of the things we miss when Rio is out, and Rio seems to be getting injured more and more often as he ages. And £7 million is pretty good value.
My only hope is that if Fergie sells Vidic we buy someone a bit more experienced as well. With only Rio, Evans and Brown left and each of them extremely injury prone Smalling would end up getting thrown into the fray a lot sooner than he is ready for. And really Id prefer we give him a season or two of Carling Cup and FA Cup games as well as strategic apperances in the Premier League.
Anderson has been in and out of the team. Nothing has reallly changed. So I am sure he’ll be back with us
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@colver: at U if you cant see his importance to the team yer brain dead, or as we Scots a dumpling. cya @ the match, pmsl
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Soz RR, Saving agression. We must do this right! just getting so excited, smack some bitters puss
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nite lads enjoy the match, thats the point, u know we will win right!
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@colver: Chiellini, 25, from Juventus is being talked about as the Vidic replacement for £12million.
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@Traverse: He is clearly another case of someone that cannot make the necessary consistent performances to cement his place in the team.
To talk about him being in an attacking role is kind of moot, considering he couldn’t strike the side of a barn from 2 feet out, and his distribution from more than 10 feet away is likely to end up as an errant pass.
Brazilian in England syndrome. Usually not a good outcome!
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Personally I’d be gutted to lose Ando. He may not have progressed much in his time here, but he’s certainly become more rounded, and he’s still 21! Other than Fabregas, name me another CMF under 24 you’d rather have?
He also offers something we don’t have, in his ability to bring the ball forward himself, rather than needing the forwards to come and show, something that Ronaldo used to do exclusively for us.
I had viewed his time as a DMF as rounding out his training, and that he’d eventually be given more responsiblities as a box to box midfielder. Guess we’ll never know.
Could all be BS mind…
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@EduardoDaVinci4: Eddy, you’re a hard core gamer like myself so I am letting you know that Mass Effect 2 is a frakken awesome game experience. Most amazing game I have ever played. WOW! :
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@Traverse: Rafa might end in Juventus and he probably wouldn’t sell us the time of day. Hope it gets done now!
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@Beachryan:
another CMF under 24??? aaron ramsey, toni kroos, joao moutinho, johan gourcuff, luka modric, diego (granted the last 2 will be 25 this year)……. take ur pick, i’d take any of these players over anderson in a heartbeat!
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33 years and counting!!! lets make sure the Bitters have to wait another year at least!!!
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If you believe the Times, we will spend 12 million on Smalling. Quite how we can justify spending that much on a player, who although promising, is completely unproven, I will never understand. I doubt Chiellini will be available for much less than 20 million.
Scotjimland, i was not undermining Rooney’s importance to the team. I was just agreeing with owen, that Rooney still has to step it up a bit in the really big games when we need him to perform most. Once he manages that he will be regarded amongst the top five players in the world.
But I have confidence. After all Ronaldo a few years ago was criticised for bottling big games. But the last two seasons he stepped it up a notch and dominated huge European games. I have confidence that played in his proper position Rooney will learn to do the same thing.
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@samg: I can bet it just because they play for another team and you have not had a chance to seem them play regularly.
I would be gutted if we lose Anderson, but I feel for his own development, he should leave. A team like Arsenal will be perfect for him.
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