Aug 09
Man Utd v Chelsea: Community Shield Preview
The summer has whizzed past us, like it always does. Today we have the glorified friendly, the Community Shield. In my mind I haven’t looked at it beyond what it is; a friendly and perhaps an opportunity for fans to grasp at the slim straw of bragging rights going into the season.
Most of you, I’m sure, would recall the shit-hurling contest last year; a nil-nil draw leading to a penalty-shootout and everyone, save for Tevez, were sauntering along trying to feign excitement at the winning goal. Those images are still firmly etched in my mind — don’t ask me why, even I don’t know the answer to that. But it says a lot about how this friendly is viewed by the players. I think.
Ferguson will look to test waters with possibly our first XI — at least for the first half — before he pulls out a couple in view of the most ridiculously timed international friendly in the whole wide universe and of all time. Maybe even before time.
With Brown still recovering from a knock, and Vidic out for a while, it’s possible that Richie de Laet will make another appearance at right back. Rio and Evans will continue in the middle and Evra should take up his customary left back slot. In midfield, I believe Fletcher and Carrick will start, with Valencia on the right and Nani (hopefully) on the left. Up front, we’ll have Rooney and Owen. Thankfully Owen isn’t in Fabio Capello’s England squad for this Holland friendly which is — did I mention? — the most ridiculously timed international friendly in the whole wide universe and of all time.
Chelsea under Ancelotti would be interesting. I was impressed by their performances in pre-season on their US tour. But beyond that, I can’t really say much.
Predictions: I don’t care. I expect a good fluid performance from the side. That is all.
Related items from Red Rants:
- A Mini-Break
- Some NOTW Nonsense + Community Shield Preview
- Porto it is then…
- Man Utd v Stoke: Preview
- United* 1-1 Chelsea: First Blood to the Reds
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (541)
Stephen (479)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Craig Mc (345)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
That’s the third controversial decision in a row given against us at Wembley;
1) League Cup Final vs Spurs -Ronaldo fouled in the box but is booked.
2) FA Cup Semi inal vs Everton -Jagielka trips and then scythes Welbeck down -stonewall penalty not given
3) Today, Ballack poleaxes Evra with a forearm smash -stonewall red card, Chelsea score.
It seems David Gill and Fergie don’t have as much influence with the FA as our detractors like to imagine.
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@Footy4Eddy: haha thats funny
…Just be a decent keeper lad. Thats all
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@Taehr: http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11661_5482297,00.html
As for Foster, the goal Lampard scored is not easy to save at all. We are tlaking about the deadliest midfielder here, one-on-one with a goalkeeper on 18 yards! His shot was hard, but because of Fosters great reflexes he got his hand on it. If not for that, it would have been a piledriver into the bottom corner…
Cech didnt have to kick the ball once, and the time he did he fucked up too! Cech didnt have as much to do as Foster, which puts him in the better light. Carrick became Scholesy 2k with his backpasses today, same with Sheasy and Rio. Everytime Cech was called into action it was in the air…
PIG is not, and will never be a better goalkeeper than Foster!
Foster is better than him in reflexes, work in the area, coming out, catching crosses and kicking the ball(which we would all be shouting PIGs head off if he had started 
). He was unlucky with a fucked up turf, nothing more. The day Tom is a better goalie than Ben hell will freeze on earth… 
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@Cyclops-Red: You got a point there… So much for the refs “supporting” United!
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@Taehr:
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@Footy4Eddy: What the fuck are you babbling about? How is football more physical and more demanding on your body than basketball? and how are you even going to try and say that your arms are more importnant to a footballer than a basketball player?
Fact of the matter, athletes today are turning into pussy’s. If i were nani, and I had to basically watch from the stand all last year I would be dying to play. Especially now that I have been giving a golden opportunity from fergie to make the left wing my own. I would do everything in my power to get back on the field asap.
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@Footy4Eddy: I think what we have to ask ourselves about Foster is, can we better than him??, will he ever become a first rate goalie, would we be better off with PIG.
I think it’s fair to give him his opportunity, but at the end of the day, if he continues in this edgy and tentative mode, we need to act fast and bring in a fresh pair of hands!
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@Grognard: Why do you alsways get so sensitive on this blog? Its a rant site, where people can just spout off whatever they want. I suggest to you if you dont like people critiquing your rants then stop putting them out there.
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@johnsom33: Ive played basket, and Ive played football. Football defo takes more out of your body, because now the game is much more physical and pacey. I may not know much about Basketball, but I do know lots about football. So I may not be the right person to judge that, but Im talking from my own short experience.
As for Nani, latest reports suggest he may be back for the game against Birmingham!
He was seen leaving Wemlbey carrying shopping bags, so that is god news. 
Would be a fast recovery that one… But we will find out tomorrow, thats when the scan is planned.
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I seriously feel bad for nani right now, the guy really looks like hes come on so much in this pre season i really did predict him to have a really excellent season this year, but now i feel his chance may have gone. Not really through any fault of his own but mainly because of this fergie love in going on with park.
The general opinion is nani is to be out for 2 months, this is a real shame, i can see the fergie excuse now come the end of the season when nani finally has enough of not playing and goes elsewhere;
Fergie “Its a real shame nani decided to leave, after his injury he just did not get any game time because of the sensational form of park who was just doing so well i couldnt drop him to give nani game time”
Reporter “Erm this sensational form by park, would this be the same sensational form that saw him score 1 goal and get less than 2 assists and generally doing f**k all except being on his ass, that resulted in nani getting no game time?”
Seriously i can see it nani, park gets in the team every week now, doing nothing except being on his ass, we have to put up with a guy who has the attacking talent of a league 1 player, and all the while fergie will be praising him and then come november time when nanis back, sorry park is just playing too well to drop him. Absolute bollocks.
Im sorry but i just cannot stand another season seeing park on his ass all the time contributing nothing again when we have atleast 5 players who would do a better job than him. We overlooked park last season because of ronaldo and park apparently offered balance to the team, well not any more. This season we need goals and goals from the wing will be crucial. Honestly nani was on course for about 10 and maybe the same number of assists, park will come up with about 3 goals and that many assists, im sorry but for a club like us we need winger who can score themselves or set others up.
Such a shame it had to be nani, i dont like wishing injury upon our player but i just wished it had been park over nani, i just dont see fergie showing faith in nani when he recovers from his injury because of his little park love in.
I would start fabio, welbeck, ando, giggs maybe tosic over park anyday, but we know old predictable fergie will go with park, and im sorry 2 months with this guy in the team and the title will be over, we will simply struggle to score goals full stop cos he offers absolutely zilch from an attacking sense. I am feeling so concerned about this nani injury i think we need to enter the transfer market and buy some1, silva or just about anyone, i just cannot stand the thought of seeing park running around being on his ass all the time contributing nothing when we need goals.
Im sorry if any park fans on here think im being harsh on him but all i can say is wait and see, 2 months in the team with him and no ronaldo like last year and we will be in the shits when nanis back, and i would bet on nani being given his place back because fergie will still persist with park, what he sees in this guy only he knows.
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@Redrich: Foster definately has the talent, its there for all to see. Against Derby on his debut, many times last season and for Watford he produced the goods. I guess today was just nerves getting the better of him, he seemed to lack the confidence a goalkeeper at the top level needs. If Foster gets some games, some clean sheets, it will add to his confidence and it will bring experience. Thats all he needs right now, plus the support of United fans.
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@Grognard: Mocking you? Of course we are mocking you. Just like everybody mocked Craig when Valencia was man of the match against Valencia and he could not see it.
After a bit of a misunderstanding he took it well and in the end we’re happy to have him back.
It just the oft mentioned concept of Banter.
Now some of us were really miffed with Ballack’s antics and knowing your fondness for him it could be expected that you were going to be on the end of some piques.
Now if you think that all this amount to personal attacks…
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@Matt: First part:
Resuming part, all I have to say is that the latest reports suggest he may be back for Bimingham/Burnley…
I dont have anythign against Park, but if he gets chosen over Nani for the majority of our games I will be deeply saddened, because he is an incredible talent and it seems like he wants to do it well here. If Fergies fetish for Asians is going to continues we are fucked this season… 
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@Grognard: Aww, come on mate. Let yourself calm down and think about all of this again!!
You stated your views, as always, in a very deliberate and forceful way and haven’t moderated your stance at all, even in the face of an avalanche of disapproval.
What can you, honestly expect?? Folks with views opposite of yours will fight as hard as you over any contentious issue, and have the right to do so, in a manner similar to your own.
Chill, my friend and don’t take it so personally. After all, we are just talking Football here mate, not ideology!!
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@Redrich: Aaah Redrich – the voice of reason as always
.
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Grog i never did anything wrong to you plz your comments bring this blog to reality and under no illusions
PLz stay no one is going to give you shit 4 ure views. I do admitt ballack is a quality player and what he did was a dirty move but obviously lets not dwell on his actions and move on to more important stuff like the team and who we are going to put in for nani ect
Re-think you’re choice
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@NicoQB: You mocked me and I took it well, well fuck me mate, I must have missed that
. Then I was lager brain dead wasn’t I, so you could have done anything, and I wouldn’t have noticed 
.
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@Matt: Matt mi man, BARCA asked to buy Nani not Park, so I think SAF has got the message LOUD AND CLEAR!. wHY SHOULD nANI WORRY, when the European champions think he is good enough to play for them. Barca and I think alike
.
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@Footy4Eddy: Eddie, if that is true, you are responsible for making me run around my house naked and elated
. Lets hope your right – come on Lil man, come on!
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@Craig Mc: That makes Barca, you and me thinking the same.
Nani is quality!!!
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@Footy4Eddy: Well i truly hope those reports are true mate, i really do. I am a massive fan of nani, not as big as craig but he really is one of my favourite players and i think it is fair to say he was cheated like garbage by fergie last season but fair play to him he said he wanted to stay, do well here even though it would have been easy for him to say thanks but bye and go with ronaldo or wherever and leave, i really was impressed by that.
Your right though about park, if he plays as much as he did last season we are well and truly fu**ed. Im wouldnt say i have a vendetta against him or anything but i dont like how a guy who contributes so little to our attack seems imune from criticism because he works hard, its just crazy and honestly i dont see why fergie has this little love in with the guy. Like i say i hope nani will be back and fit within a week or so but i dont see it myself, he did hit the ground pretty hard and if as i think fergie said they couldnt pop his shoulder back into place, it sounds kinda serious and suggests at least a few weeks out.
If that is the case though i would definitely start welbeck, fabio, giggs, even tosic over park because they all have a better attacking input than park, seriously his running around and defensive work is all nice is the big games but why on earth will we need this against park the bus birmingham, i just really dont understand some of fergies decisons at times but i would bet any money park starts on sunday.
Also just interested to know ur opinions on what phelan said after the game when asked about new signings, basically said its near the end of august now but if anything develops the reporter would be the first to know. I dont usually read into these things too much, but if they were definitely not going to sign any1 else wouldnt they have just said so right there, not holding my breath but who knows, especially if nani is out for a few months, maybe a bid for silva could be a possibilty then?
Anyway heres the link if you want to hear phelans speech at the end of the game where at the end he mentions this, the phelan recording is just above fletcher/nani pic about 10 seconds from the end of the recording, again probably bollocks but you never know.
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@Craig Mc: Nani is not a man- He is Nani, he can do everything. He will heal himself faster than Jesus!
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Heres the link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8190061.stm
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@Craig Mc: Well i truly hope fergie does get the message but it was clear last season nani was the better option out of the two and yet park played 3 times the games nani did, i just think fergie will prefer park for his work man like attributes even though he offers very little and any1 can see especially now when we need goals nani is the better choice.
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@jamie lee: Mate we have Park because SAF and UNited like the revunue from Asia in the sale of Park merchandise. What he doesn’t realise is that there are far better Asian players. Park has cost us in 3 finals now!
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@Matt: Nobody, and I mean NOBODY is a bigger Nani fan than Craig!
He is the Nani esque Dave, just as I am the Anderson Dave. 
As for Park, I will make it short. Without the ball, he may be in the top ten best players in the world. But when on the ball, he is as useful as a drunk homeless with one leg and an infected toe on the other.
If I remember correctly, didnt Fergie bid for Silva exactly 12 months ago? It was August, and after the Community Shield. But before the Newcastle game. Maybe Fergie is planning to make a bid for Silva, but I wouldnt hold my breath… If United actually managed to get Silva, our team may look like this:
VDS
Brown Rio Vidic Evra
Valencia Fletcher/Carrick Silva Nani
Rooney Berbatov/Owen
Silva is an exellent player, and can be used on the wing. When Nani is injured or suspended, he can play on the wing. When everyone is fit, he should be used as an AM(he would guarantee at least 15 goals himself!) next to a Carrick in the “normal” games, and next to Fletcher in the big games. Its a much stronger team than the one we have right now…
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@Matt: I agree mate, but SAF didn’t know UNTIL after the Rome final, just how much Barca valued Nani. That they deemed him good enough to play for them. SAF probably shit himself, after the way he leper-ised Nani last season, and so came out with the corker – Nani will play a big part for us next season. Why did it take a Barca bid though to make SAF see the great potential of Nani – the mind boggles mate!
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@Craig Mc: It was quite clear from your comments that you were, mate!
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@Footy4Eddy: If SAF actually admits he needs a couple of star buys, I will eat my hat = balaclava that is
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Nani is going to be better than ronaldo
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Fuck me, I spent the last hour and half watching Miss Kimberley (LUSH PUPPY) Walsh in concert with Girlsaloud. I tell you guys, she is pure woman, and no man will need viagra to keep up with this lady. She is out of this world pure gorgeousness – I would love her as my second wife, but alas we are only aloud one love, and the GF wouldn’t share me. I would however share her with the lush puppy, but please don’t tell her I said that. Oh the dreams we have eh lads!
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@Anthony Los: Anthony mi man, you are too, too wise. Lil man Nani – I hope he recovers soon!
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@NicoQB: Hahahahahahaha – Nico, like I said, comments that night coming out of Lager loutism
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@Craig Mc: And you tell me I have become a slave of my hormones?!
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@Footy4Eddy: Eddi mi man – nobody is bigger than LIL MAN NANI – Lil man – you do get that concept mate
.
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@Anthony Los: Nani is going to be better than Maradona and Pele in one body, because guess what! Nani is not man- His healing will be faster than Jesus`, and that will prove that he truly is the son of God!
When you can shoot like that, beat a man like that and cross like that, you gotta wonder what wonders he will create.
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@Footy4Eddy: Mmmmmm but my feelings for Lush Puppy Miss Kimmie Walsh are very pure mate. More than just horny lust
. I’m dead if my missus sees this thread 
.
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Latest news:Nani may not have a dislocated shoulder. Scan tomorrow will reveal damage.
Buy Silva now, stop fucking about.
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@Craig Mc:
Kimmie Walsh may be hot, but somehow I feel my Nani video gives you even more pleasure…
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@Craig Mc: @Footy4Eddy:
Haha
I think he will get better it might be paper talk that nani is out for ages cause it looked bad when it happened but some1 just said that he might return for the next game
I feel this season he scores 18 goals or more
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@Cyclops-Red: Latest news: Nani had a dislocated shoulder, but thanks to his power he has healed himself faster than Jesus Christ and will be ready to take on every opposition defender who stands in his way to greatness!
VIVA LA NANI!
VIVA LA NANI!
HE SHOOTS LIKE A HORSE
HE IS OUR PORTUGEEZ FORCE
VIVA LA NANI!
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@Grognard: You call it professional foul, we call it BEING a cheating bastard, whether it is Keano or Twat Ballack. The difference is to Keano it would have recd a RED CARD, to Ballack it was no recompense. We will fucking get him next time round, and kick him off the fucking pitch if necessary. See most United fans are not supportive of players from other clubs, we only support and back OUR OWN. So Ballck the fucking professional cheat can fuck off as far as most United fans are concerned, and you should understand that Grog!
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@Anthony Los: Nani will score 25 goals, get 25 assists and give opposition defenders headaches for years to come!
Seriously, if Nani gets up to 40 games this season he can easily get 20 goals. I read he is our first choice free-kick taker, and his corners are defo gonna turn into goals a few times. He has a deadly shot on him, and he can strike a penalty. He already has 1 goal, and it will be many more to come this season.
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Just went through my latest FIFA 09 video. Im working on it right now, and I gotta admit I was hugely surprised to see how many times Nani was involved in the goals I score!
He has become an awesome player for me on FIFA 09, now he just needs to do it on the real stage. We are rooting for you Nani!!! 
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@Grognard: I fail to see where anybody has attacked you, but we will attack your views where Ballack is concerned Grog, because we hate the cheating bastard and all he stands for. Hating Ballack – how is that attacking you! Man y hate Nani, but that is their opinion, and I have stopped fighting it, and learnt to accept that not everybody is going to love Lil Man Nani! BARCA do though, they are so fucking intelligent –
.
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@Craig Mc: Ballack is a cheap cunt. He doesnt deserve a woman, he doesnt deserve to be a footballplayer and he doesnt deserve to be respected by a man of Grognards statue. Thats all I have to say about him…
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@Footy4Eddy:
Eddy you’re not cheating on Ando are you?
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@Craig Mc: If I was acting like I had gotten a period everytime somebody bashed Anderson, I would be long gone…
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@Cyclops-Red: I would never do that, but lately I have been listening far too much to Michael Jackson and forgotten all about T-Pain.
Andy is still my favorite, but I admire the talent of Nani and when he produces the magic he did today it gives me great pleasure to talk about it. I want Nani to do well, just as I want Andy to do well. 
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@johnsom33: They aren’t critiquing my rants. They are critiquing me. That’s the difference. Personal jibes and insults or condemnations is not critiquing my views, it’s telling me not to view them. If you can’t get that, I have nothing more to say. You’d be sensitive to if every time you made a comment you were told you were pathetic or too negative etc. Please tell me how that is critiquing my comments and why I should put up with it without being sensitive. I’ve got fucking feelings and i don’t need them constantly kicked for others amusement. And telling me to just stop putting them out there is real class mate.
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