Mar 11
Man Utd v Inter: Preview
Lot of trash talk has happened over the past few days. Mourinho, as always, deflects attention from his players to himself. Despite his side’s patched up injury situation, nothing can be ruled out of today’s fixture. But on this one occasion, I am convinced I have cause to feel optimistic.
Before we move on, some reading material to while away your time, if you can’t wait for the game to start.
1. Paolo Bandini does his part in warning of Inter’s threat away from home. I’d disagree, but only because of our defensive form.
2. Both managers have put on their optimism hats, and why shouldn’t they. Fergie talked about Inter playing for penalties. Jose played up his ’specialness’.
3. John Collins and James Richardson kick off the is Jose suitable for the United job debate — not too dissimilar from the one we had on our comment threads.
4. And Kevin McCarra thinks patience will be key against Inter.
5. One other interesting nugget is, the players will be wearing a kit bearing a Club World Cup winners badge. So if we do win tonight, I can think of a chant to rub it into Mourinho.
Right, on to the game. My expected back four will have Evra, Rio, Vidic and O’Shea. Of course, EVDS would be donning the gloves. In midfield, Michael Carrick will surely start alongside A. N. Other. I suspect it would be either one of Anderson or Giggs. On the right we’ll have Ronaldo, but on the left, it will be interesting because Park has been spitting his lungs out for the last couple of games. But knowing Sir Alex’s preference for these European games, he will most likely play the Korean. Berbatov and Rooney would start, but I wonder if he may consider playing Tevez instead of the Bulgarian to just run at Inter’s patched up defence and just terrorize them. We shall see soon.
I’ve got to get back to work, and I’ve remembered to watch this on repeat – although it won’t come close to the live one. So let me sign off with my prediction: 2-0 to United.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Man Utd v Stoke: Preview
- Man Utd v Everton: Preview
- Man Utd v Spurs match thread
- Porto it is then…
- Rooney Out For A Month
Tags: Game Preview
March 11th, 2009 at 19:01
What I am most interested in seeing is who is going to start between Scholes and Park? I’m pretty sure Carrick will be there and it seems like Giggs was rested just for this game so it really makes me wonder if it will be Scholes or Park who sit the bench. Personally I think it would be a big mistake to sit Park down as he can single handedly neutralize Maicon on the left. Giggs will play in the middle and this will allow Evra a little more freedom knowing that Park has the Maicon threat on the left side covered.
For me Park will be the unsung hero but I am expecting another massive game from Ronaldo. I think he is bent on making a point to Mourinho and would like nothing more than scoring a couple to silence JM.
So lets see what happens. There will be no sitting down Rooney for this one and Berbatov has to have more impact. 3-1 United. Ronaldo scores 2 and Berbatov gets a late one to put it away. GO UNITED! Kick some Inter Ass and make Mourinho cry afterwards.
March 11th, 2009 at 19:06
Where you can hurt Inter is their defense. They have six centre backs injured, Cordoba and Rivas being the only one with real experience at CB. And if you guys dont remember Rivas, he was the defender that got burned by Giggs and Ronaldo when we met at San Siro. Vidic and Rio should be able to cope with Adriano and Zlatan, and I am very confident about this game. Lets crush them!!!
Team prediction:
VDS
Oshea Rio Vidic Evra
Ronaldo Scholes Giggs Park
Rooney Berbatov
Score prediction: 3-0 to Manchester United, the kings of Europe, the Champions of England, the INNERS in winners. Ronaldo, Rooney and Vidic to score.
COME ON YOU REDS!!!
March 11th, 2009 at 19:07
Do you guys realise how many goals we have lost this season because of stupid refs?! Just saw through some of our games today, and check out our wongly disallowed goals/penalties not given.
1. Pompey away: Oshea puts Rooney clean through, he finishes between James legs. Two yards onside.
2. Villareal home: Park gets hacked from a Villareal defender just inside the box. Ref gives a goal kick.
3. Aalborg, away: Ronaldo free-kick gets handled inside Aalbrg area. Nothing given.
4. West Brom, home: Rooney is one-on-one with Carson and finishes over him and into the net. But ref says Rooney pulled down Zuhverloon. Disallowed goal.
5. Celtic, home: Rooney finishes underneath Boruc after a perfectly timed run, but is given offside. Three yards onside.
6. Celtic, away: Berbatov finishes on volley from corner, and it gets cleared off the line. Goal not given, actually over the line.
7. Villareal, away: A great bulid up finishes with Anderson playing Rooney in. He scores on his first touch, but is called offside. Actually on line with last defender.
8. Tottenham, away: Ronaldo vollies the ball into the net, but is given a hand ball. Even though the ball hit his hand, it was a normal place to have the hand. Is he supposed to have his hand on his dick, or WTF?!
9. Boro, home: Ronaldo gets strangled by Piggytits in the area. Ref gives Ronaldo yellow card for being “angry”.
10. Chelski, home: Corner, Rooney plays it to Giggs. Ronaldo scores from his cross, but ref gives a corner kick for some reason.
11. Chelski, home: Ronaldo is put through by Berbatov, and finishes behind Cech. Given offside, actually 4 yards onside.
12. Bolton, away: Fletcher crosses the ball, but it hits a defender in the arm over his head. Nothing given in the area.
13. Everton, home: Carrick is through on goal, and is felled by Lescott. Ref doesnt do anything…
14. West Ham, away: Ronaldo tries to run down the clock, and is felled in the area. Ref doesnt do anything.
15. Derby, away: Ronaldo is through on goal after Foster goalkick, and scores against Carroll. Linesman disallows the goal 5 minutes later.
16. Blackburn, home: Evans scores from Nani corner. But ref says he jumped on teh Rovers defender, which he actually didnt.
17. Spurs, CC final: King fells Ronaldo in the area, but instead of a penalty Ronaldo is given a yellow card for diving.
18. Fulham, away: Anderson plays Rooney through and he rounds Schweinster and scores. Actually onside, ref disallows it.
Horrendeus when you think of it! How on earth can we get so many wrongly disallowed goals?! This may be the reason we have been so “shy” in front of goal this season. We could have had 18 more goals!!! Believe my word, these are true FACTS! Rafa better take notes…
March 11th, 2009 at 19:08
Champions of England Champions of Europe
Champions of England Champions of Europe
Champions of England Champions of Europe
Champions of England Champions of Europe
Excited and nervous in equal measure
I think it will go one of two ways – we either rout them or it is a close as anything and we lose on penalties
March 11th, 2009 at 19:15
KING WAZZ WILL SHOW HIS TRUE COLOURS TONIGHT ON THE BIG STAGE. i dreampt it last night, b4 the dream i was nervous, now i am calm.
…..Still praying for anderson btw
mon lads!!
March 11th, 2009 at 19:26
How do we beat Inter? Its an italian team. A defensive italian team. A defensive italian team that is managed by Jose Mourinho! How the fuck are you supposed to score on that?! Speed, agression and, most important of all, running them ragged. Play one touch football. We are talking about a team with the average age of 29. Santon is the only one younger than 26. Zanetti, Cambiasso, Cordoba, Materazzi, Chiuvo or Rivas. Italian football is known for being the most defensive in the world. But the main reason for that is the lack of desire to win the ball back. That is why Inter are doing so well there, because they are the only team showing any wish to win the ball back quickly. So do like Alan Smith did against Roma in 2007. Chase them until you faint or throw up!!! This is fucking life or death! And lastly, expose their weakness. Vidic, Rio, Oshea, Ronaldo, Berbatov… Im looking at you guys. And of cource the corner taker. Whenever we get a corner, I will feel like we get a penalty. They are fucking shite in the air, and every corner we get will be a chance. If Vidic doesnt attack the ball with more force than Rooneys shot against Newcastle in 2005, I will be dissapointed. This is his game. This will be his challange. Beat Adriano in the air and score from a set piece. You do that and you are the complete football player! Respect.
I would have liked Anderson or Fletcher to start in midfield. Anderson, although not so good at positioning, can be a pain in the ass for opponents. He will chase the ball, and he has the ability to thread a perfect through ball for Ronaldo or Rooney to chase. Inter arent very fast so he could be vital. And Fletcher does well in big games. His playing style would fit well tonight. Tevez I think has too much of it… He will be needed in the second half, when their oldies are tired. But I expect Rooney, Park and Giggs to do all the chasing. Rooney is fired up and I feel that he will play his best game ever in the red United shirt tonight! This will be a win not only for the present United squad, but also the future. Fuck up Jose, and I will be overjoyed. COME ON YOU REDS!!!
March 11th, 2009 at 19:28
@realred: I’d love it if Anderson starts.. ‘just love it’!!!
March 11th, 2009 at 19:33
can someone post a link for the game – dont want to be stuck with Alan Green
March 11th, 2009 at 19:47
Team News:
GK: VDS
EB: O’Shea
CB: Ferdinand
CB: Vidic
LB: Evra
RM: Ronaldo
CM: Scholes
CM: Carrock
LM: Giggs
CF: Rooney
CF: Berbatov
Subs: Foster, Park, Gibson, Evans, Anderson, Tevez, Fletcher
March 11th, 2009 at 19:51
Inter Team News:
GK: Julio Cesar
RB: Maicon
CB: Cordoba
CB: Samuel
LB: Santon
DM: Cambiasso
RM: Zanetti
LM: Viera
AM: Stankovic
CF: Balotelli
CF: Ibrahimovic
Subs: Toldo, Maxwell, Figo, Cruz, Adriano, Muntari, Rivas
March 11th, 2009 at 19:52
@JB: Good team! I feel more confident now. Are you sure it aint a 4-3-3 with Ronny in the attack with Berbie and Wazza, and Carrick, Scholes and Giggs containing the midfield 3?
Oh, and Ronaldo will be wearing a new type of boots today. Lets hope they get the kind of debut the last mercurial type got(*cough* hat-trick against Newcastle *cough)
March 11th, 2009 at 19:54
RedRichard try justintv theres normally 4 or 5 streams on there in english then a few in other languages aswell.
March 11th, 2009 at 19:54
@RedDevilEddy: Could be, but Uefa have it down as a 4-4-2. You’ll have to wait till the game starts to find out.
March 11th, 2009 at 20:01
Oh god, the nerves are kicking in bad. Logic is telling me there is nothing to worry about. But, but, oh fuuuck!!!!
March 11th, 2009 at 20:14
I’m so nervous, it feels like the Barca match last season. This is our biggest single game of the season so far and I just feel that one goal for Inter and we are screwed
March 11th, 2009 at 20:16
thanks kez – justin Tv just seems to go down all the time
March 11th, 2009 at 20:18
Btw…. I think it will be Barca vs. Bayern in the next round… and one will go out!
March 11th, 2009 at 20:23
Berbatov has picked up a knock in the warm up, Tevez training with the starting players.
March 11th, 2009 at 20:23
THHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEE CHAAAAAAMPIIOOOOOOONES ” OPERA VOICE “!
March 11th, 2009 at 20:24
berbas out
March 11th, 2009 at 20:27
now i am scared
March 11th, 2009 at 20:28
@Dan: are you sure?
evidence? 
March 11th, 2009 at 20:29
@JB: could be a blessing in disguise, but I’d still prefer Berba starting and Tevez as an impact sub
March 11th, 2009 at 20:30
On RTE they still have Berba starting
March 11th, 2009 at 20:32
looking at their lineup, they could overrun us in MF easily. We have to play wide and I’m almost sure Rooney/Tevez(?) will be on the wing
March 11th, 2009 at 20:33
@Darth Red Diablo: sky sports
March 11th, 2009 at 20:39
Berbatov starts. Jose tapping up Tevez
March 11th, 2009 at 20:40
Berba still starting
March 11th, 2009 at 20:42
Good berba has shaken it off!
March 11th, 2009 at 20:44
I’m scared shitless, I can barely look at the tv
March 11th, 2009 at 20:44
Not starting Park to neutralize Maicon could be a big mistake. Then again, Giggsy is very good at tracking back and being a pest. Remember the Chelsea game?
Now lets go kick some Italian ass.
March 11th, 2009 at 20:50
NEMANJA!!!
March 11th, 2009 at 20:50
veeeeeeeeddddddddddaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
March 11th, 2009 at 20:50
he has fuckkkkkkkkkkkkking done it……
long live VIDA
March 11th, 2009 at 20:50
@Grognard: Also good at taking corners
March 11th, 2009 at 20:51
Let the ass kicking begin. V.I.D.I.C.
March 11th, 2009 at 20:53
We’re getting raped by Maicon!
March 11th, 2009 at 20:55
i guess mourinho can’t park the bus, and dream of penalties now!
March 11th, 2009 at 20:59
Okay things have kept me away……. Whats happened?
COME ON UNITED!
March 11th, 2009 at 21:02
Giggs shoulda taken the shot!!
March 11th, 2009 at 21:06
so you’re allowed to use your hand now
March 11th, 2009 at 21:21
We are in desperate need of a second goal
March 11th, 2009 at 21:24
Wonder save from VDS.
Complacency needlessly setlling in!!
March 11th, 2009 at 21:25
fuck u john o shea!!!
March 11th, 2009 at 21:25
OSHEA YOU WANKER!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
March 11th, 2009 at 21:25
they are beginning to get a grip of the game…Count not doing enough for me…
March 11th, 2009 at 21:26
yeh, our complaceny has given inter confidence
March 11th, 2009 at 21:29
@jos: Fuck the right back who got a better scoring chance than anyone on our team since the goal? What about Berba/Rooney who have both been shocking? The midfield battle is being lost and I think Tevez should replace Berba. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE!
Giggs has done everything right except for the final ball, he is also coming inside way too often
March 11th, 2009 at 21:29
lots of stray passes
March 11th, 2009 at 21:29
What the fuck is going on? To be fair,Inter deserve to be ahead by now.I dont know why Scholes is playing?to pump the ball up to Ronaldo and frustrate him maybe? is this our tactic?Fergie has done a big mistake i guess,we dont have a ball winnig player and Maicon is getting miles of space
March 11th, 2009 at 21:30
how the hell aree we not 2-0 up
March 11th, 2009 at 21:33
Though United got the goal… They look very uncomfortable… Inter had the better chances… Hope Park comes on…
March 11th, 2009 at 21:34
need some hairdryers
March 11th, 2009 at 21:34
@Liam: the hell. he cud have just passed to berba who was completely unmarked and in better position with the GK already commited! That was a goal and it cud cost us badly!!! the idiot just went for glory!
And its not like he has been marvellous so far as a RB as well.
March 11th, 2009 at 21:34
what is wrong with ronaldo he doesnt seem to be taking defenders on just passing we need him to get selfish and take a couple shots.
March 11th, 2009 at 21:36
@Liam: Berba and Rooney have still been much better than Carrick and Scholes who are playing nowhere near their usual standards. We are basically gifting Inter possession in midfield and Berba and Rooney and even Ronaldo are suffering as a result.
Started well and should have gone two up if any attacking player was in place of John O’shea.
Its strange how we often do not play well after scoring the early goal.
March 11th, 2009 at 21:37
Its not berba or ronney or ronaldos fault.Fergie has choosen a fucking leaden footed midfield.Our attacking play is nothing when our midfield gets runovered.i am so angry right now.Attacking players not getting any service
March 11th, 2009 at 21:37
We are getting TOTALLY outplayed in midfield, and outnumbered by the looks of it. Our attack is a feckin damp squid, and there is TOO much pressure and swarming on our defense. Scholesy wants too much time on the ball, and he is losing out on it – SLOW! Giggsy sure knows how to keep giving the ball away to Inter. Fergie needs to put someone who can help out in midfield and defense, and QUICK. Inter look more like scoring every second.
March 11th, 2009 at 21:38
Despite the early goal this is looking like a bit of an off night for us so far. O’shea is having a ‘mare. Scholes, Carrick and Berba are definetely under par and what gappened to the idea of getting the ball to Ronaldo as soon as?!
It is a bit ominous as Inter had the best of the 2nd half in the 1st leg so we need a vast improvement in 2nd half. Fergie hair-dryer much needed now. We CANNOT let that bastard Mourhino get the better of us AGAIN!!!
COME ON REDS!!!!!
March 11th, 2009 at 21:38
If we try to do a Barca, we will lose this game.
March 11th, 2009 at 21:38
Have you seen the cheeky smile when Oshea was going for the goal himself?
March 11th, 2009 at 21:39
Well this has been a real nail biter. United came out like a house on fire but then they started getting sloppy with their passes in the attacking third and I think they have been sagging back on defense far too much. They are reminding me of the way Fulham sagged back last weekend and gave United so much room to charge at them.. Ibrahimovich has been given too much room and both Rio and Vidic have given him far too much room and two great scoring chances. Stankovic has been prowling on the back post and Evra has let him get behind him a few times.
O’Shea should have put that chance away and we should have had a penalty after two back to back hand balls that weren’t called. United should have killed the game off but they are playing the direct game at times and too wide. Ronaldo is not involved, Giggs has had some nice runs but his passing has been off the mark. Carrick has been poor and Scholes has not gotten into the match. Berbatov is a non factor and it’s time to put Tevez in to go after long passes if they want to play this direct style. Berbatov is of no use to us unless we can get him to play in the box. Rooney has also been largely ineffective although he has worked hard.
I would take off either Scholes or Giggs and bring on Park because Maicon has been allowed too much room on the right. They need to get tighter on Ibrahimovich and they need to start working a short passing ball control style of play because we just aren’t retaining the ball long enough.
So far I am very worried and I just have a bad feeling about this all of a sudden unless we make some key adjustments. 1-1 an Inter go through. We need to get tougher and more tidy.
March 11th, 2009 at 21:40
@sunny: lol… Just saw it now!!!
WHY DIDN’T HE FREAKING PASS IT TO BERBA!!!
March 11th, 2009 at 21:41
And hats off to Ibrahimopvic who is really the one player causing most of our problems.
On those kind of matches only one player is needed – Super Darren Fletcher. From his past history of coming up for big matches I guess I can safely say his passes would have been assured – though it is easy to criticise afterwards -
Let’s hope for a more conmfident second half. Right noew it looks like its a repeat of Barcelona last year, where in the end we were quite lucky to go through…
March 11th, 2009 at 21:41
@jos: This game could easily be 2-2 right now. You forget that Inter has missed three great chances themselves.
March 11th, 2009 at 21:43
It’s up to Scholes and Carrick to raise their game… if they don’t we’re in so much trouble… Why can’t anyone hit Ronnie with a decent pass?
March 11th, 2009 at 21:43
I’ve never liked the combination of Scholes and Carrick and I think this is hurting us. Move Giggs inside, take out Scholes and bring in Park because Maicon is killing us. Ronaldo needs to wake up and get going. I love Berba but he is doing nothing. Send in the Apache.
March 11th, 2009 at 21:45
i dont understand what Fergie was thinking.Whats out tactics?Lets take off Scholes and place the Park
March 11th, 2009 at 21:50
O’shea is in Balotelli’s pocket. Could get sent off the number of times he’s fouled him. One to watch for.
March 11th, 2009 at 21:50
RONALDO!
March 11th, 2009 at 21:50
Ronaldo…………………I will forgive u for everything
March 11th, 2009 at 21:51
FUCK YEH RONALDO!
March 11th, 2009 at 21:51
Fuck me!! How easy was that?!!!!!!!!!
March 11th, 2009 at 21:51
Ronny says FUCK YOU Jose. GOOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLL!.
March 11th, 2009 at 21:52
Has there ever been anyone with that skill on the ground who gets so many headers? HAVE THAT!!!
March 11th, 2009 at 21:52
YYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!
March 11th, 2009 at 21:52
OK we’re 2-0 up. Now we should be able to kick their asses but good because they need to move forward. We can catch them now on the counter. Bring in Tevez.
March 11th, 2009 at 21:54
That was an amazing cross by Rooney
March 11th, 2009 at 22:02
Get Scholes the fuck out of there.
March 11th, 2009 at 22:03
game’s starting to open up a bit more now,
bring on some more goals, rooney deserves one definately
March 11th, 2009 at 22:03
And get anderson and tevez on. Let’s do some hustling!
March 11th, 2009 at 22:04
wtf rooney playing RB or what
March 11th, 2009 at 22:04
Oh berba!
March 11th, 2009 at 22:05
Score one more and get Rooney & Ronaldo off. Big game on Saturday
March 11th, 2009 at 22:12
Come on Ando!
March 11th, 2009 at 22:15
Great, now because of that bullshit yellow card in the first leg, Rooney is walking the tightrope in every game we play in the CL. I said that it could be costly and now it is
March 11th, 2009 at 22:26
Should have been tevez for rooney, but well played Roon!
Come on Park!
March 11th, 2009 at 22:28
What a freekick! unlucky Ronaldo!
March 11th, 2009 at 22:37
Well the Special One gets to go back to Milan with his tail between his legs. This game certainly takes the shine of his mystique doesn’t it?
March 11th, 2009 at 22:38
Bye Bye Moufuckinrinho! Bring on the Scouse! Evening all!
March 11th, 2009 at 22:40
Now let’s hammer the pub side we’ve got at the weekend.
March 11th, 2009 at 22:42
Inter played a pretty decent game, but it’s the mark of champions that Man U kept them at bay.. scoring twice at the same time!!
March 11th, 2009 at 22:43
Glory Glory Man UNITED…. AS the reds go marching ON ON ON !!!
Fuckin loved it….
Lets give it to those scouse bastards on saturday!!!!
March 11th, 2009 at 22:44
Great result, not the strongest performance though. I’ll take it
ratings to follow, but did rooney hurt his (cursed) foot? He was limping right before he came off 
March 11th, 2009 at 22:45
Well played lads!
March 11th, 2009 at 22:50
… All I have to say!
March 11th, 2009 at 22:52
I gotta be honest! Inter could have had two or three goals in the 20/25 minute spell in the 1st half, Ibrahimovitch was really unlucky, as was Stankovitch. We seem to have these switch off periods in games, and although I am glad we won, YES, I do not think it was a particularly good performance. Still, when you consider we played Inter off the park for most of the game on their turf and didn’t win, so I am not sorry we didn’t play as well tonight, BUT WON. What’s the betting if Arsenal get through against Roma, the draw will be fixed, and somehow the English teams fins themselves playing each other. Nothing would surprise me, the way FIFA have it in for PL football.
March 11th, 2009 at 22:52
Ibra disappeared a bit in the second half…. Well that was good for us anyways.
Perhaps Rooney deserved his card tonight, but how did that idiot Ballotelli manage to come out of this game with no card on his name is beyond me.@Liam: Yeah, there should really be some panel at Uefa level to rescind those blatantly unjust cards.
As for Berba, while I have been a supporter of his, for once I agree that Tevez would have deserved some 20 minutes tonight. But meanwhile I have to question the fact that many of our players don’t seem interested in passing him the ball…
Oh well good match, but the score tonight shouild really have been 0-0, while the 1st leg should have been 2-0.
March 11th, 2009 at 22:55
Rooney gets yellow cards because he goes into tackles like a LOON.
March 11th, 2009 at 22:55
Holy Lord, was that sweet or what?!! Told you Vidic would score, didnt I? DIDNT I FUCKING TELL YOU HE WOULD SCORE!!!!
He fucking murdered Vieira there, made him look as confused as Rafa Benitez` “FACT” speech. Brilliant game by the lads. Ibrahimobitch seemed good in the latter of the first half, but fuck him! We rule the earth and that is why we won! 
Rooney was my man of the match. I dont fucking care about his yellow card, even though it may put us into some trouble later. But boy, he really is a team player! Wazza over El Nìno every day of every week of every month of every year!!! His cross for Ronaldo made it for him. I really should calm down when Ronnie scores, because I go absolutely mental. Singing Viva Ronaldo aint good for my voice. At least as much as I do it. They were all terrific today, and I am proud to be a Manchester United supporter tonight! Now lets set full speed ahead towards Rome! 
My Inter mates are gonna feel this tomorrow, I promise you!
March 11th, 2009 at 22:59
@Craig Mc: Inter could have had 2 or 3 goals tonight, but so could we. Oshea was through on goal, Rooney had two really good shots, Berba should have scored on the Rooney rebound, we could have had a penalty in the first half, and of cource Ronaldos free-kick that is gonna leave a bruise on Cæsars fist tomorrow.
They could have scored some goals tonight, but we had the most chances, most possesion, most shots, least fouls, most corners, and most importantly most goals. United 2-0 Inter. FACT!
March 11th, 2009 at 23:00
@Craig Mc: He made a really good tackle on Maicon in the first half, you should give him that… I thought he was brilliant tonight.
March 11th, 2009 at 23:03
@RedDevilEddy: I have to say, Ibrahimovic looks like a better Berbatov!!!
March 11th, 2009 at 23:06
@RedDevilEddy: Have to agree about Rooney being man of the match though Giggs was not bad too.
Also, about our own opportunities, there was clear shirt tugging on Vidic on some corner set piece in the second half as shown by replays, but true to his Chuck Norris personality Vidic didn’t even feel the tug!
March 11th, 2009 at 23:07
@NicoQB: He is only a little faster, taller and better instinct for goal. BUt he doesnt have the vision, tecnique or positioning of Berbatov. They are quite similar, but also quite different. Id take Berba over Zlatan though
March 11th, 2009 at 23:09
@NicoQB: He is the fucking Terminator!!!
March 11th, 2009 at 23:10
I wonder what TNSSO has to say about this loss…
March 11th, 2009 at 23:14
This game is a difficult one to judge. In many way we played quite well and in other ways, we were poor but we had luck on our side. Inter were useless yet they still had three or four great chances to score and hit the post and the crossbar. So we had luck on our side but you know something, good teams have luck, bad ones don’t.
For me the the game was won once Ronaldo got that second goal. There was no way in Hell Inter were going to put two past the best defensive team in the World. Once that header went in, it was game over. And credit to Rooney for a great cross. Could Torres have made a cross like that? Another reason why Rooney is as good if not better than the Spaniard. He has so much more in his arsenal than just scoring goals.
We played a much better more disciplined and calmer game in the second half. Gone were the wild long range balls to nobody and the carelessness. It was about ball retention and the last 20 minutes were a master class at killing a game and an opponent off. Inter not only looked a beaten side, they bloody well quit. That team has no passion or courage as far as I’m concerned. Shocking for a Mourinho coached team and now I am sure Mourinho will get the sack or quit after the season.
OK, Ratings time.
EVDS – 8/10 Had a good game and his luck was great too with two goal posts saving him. His positioning was good all game and he really did a good job cutting off angles and dealing with high balls.
O’SHEA – 7/10 Many will be on him for missing that sitter but give him credit for being in that position. Defensively he was decent although he was a bit to blame on IbrahimoBitch’s early crossbar miss. Calm and did a decent job.
RIO – 7/10 I thought Rio let a few guys have too much space tonight and got burned a couple times on long balls into the box but thankfully nothing came of those plays. Not his best but certainly wasn’t terrible either. Had a much better second half.
VIDIC – 7.5/10 Scored a great goal but I found he was getting beaten on a few plays tonight by IbrahimoBitch and that disturbed me a bit. Didn’t close things up well in combination with Evra. His goal was great though and his effort was stellar.
EVRA – 6/10 A quiet game from Patrice and I found Maicon was having him for breakfast in the first half. Let guys like Stankovic get behind him on a few free kicks and was not his best at defending nor attacking. Was not in sync with Giggs in attack.
RONALDO – 7.5 /10 Scored a great header goal and had a great free kick that was well saved . He worked hard and was actually really good in the defensive end of the park. Was a little out of it in the first half but picked it up in the second half.
CARRICK – 6.5/10 A poor game by his standards. Gave up too much room and sagged back far too much defensively and his passes were off the marke all evening. I just hate it when he plays with Scholes. It always brings out the worst in him.
SCHOLES – Slow and indecisive all night. Just never got it going and at times was slow and clumsy and gave up the ball. One of those times led to Adriano hit the post which could have turned the game completely around. I wanted him subbed off and finally Fergie heard me. Park should have started over Scholes in this match. He doesn’t have the legs for these kinds of matches. This isn’t Blackburn or Stoke we were playing.
GIGGS 7/10 Some nice runs and really hard work and commitment all game. The thing that betrayed him all game though was his passing was off and in some key situations his first touch escaped him. But still a steady hard working performance and a great assist on the first goal.
BERBATOV 6/10 Worked hard and actually tracked back a lot but he was invisible offensively. Had one great chance and blew it and other than that seemed to always be playing on heels. He really is not aggressive enough and it does frustrate because he is a great player. But that lack of extra effort and ambition in the attacking end has really begun to frustrate me. He often makes me feel that we are playing a 4-5-1 and Rooney is the lone forward. That’s just not right.
ROONEY – 7.5/10 Quiet at times tonight but again his work ethic and timeliness made the difference. Had a few long cracks at goal but his cross to Ronaldo was sublime and finished off the game. Fergie made the right move taking him out because he was looking at a second yellow with his tackling.
ANDERSON – 7/10 Did ok but his long passes were a little off. He did offer us a different look when he came in but he was more conservative than usual but then again, that was probably what he was ordered to do.
PARK – Did not play long enough but also should have come in for Scholes and been placed to take Maicon out of game sooner.
FERGIE – 7/10 Did not care for some of his picks and deletions and he needs to understand how important a player like Tevez is in a game when you are 2-0 up. His hustle and terrier style in counter attack could have made this 3-0 or 4-0. Instead he stuck with Berbatov who was anon factor. He also needs to realize that Carrick and Scholes does not work. Together they are too slow and too conservative.
So it’s off to the quarters. I just hope we don’t face Barca or Bayern.
March 11th, 2009 at 23:18
@RedDevilEddy: Yeah, I would love to see him show off now…
March 11th, 2009 at 23:23
Giggs is my man of the match, though Rooney and Ronaldo played well too for me. Scholes was bizarre…I thought he would be taken off sooner for Park. In the end, job well done even on a slightly-off day.
March 11th, 2009 at 23:24
@Grognard: Spot on player ratings, but according to them VDS would have been MOTM, which I don’t think would have sounded right to me.
In any case no player was truly “class apart” today, so that may be that…
March 11th, 2009 at 23:33
By the way, what a poor penalty shootout between Ars and Roma…almost laughable..
March 11th, 2009 at 23:37
@NicoQB: I know what you mean but for me he was the man of the match because no other player really elevated themselves to that level all game. Ronaldo and Vidic were close but really, we might have lost this had it not been for his controlled stellar play in the back. This was a true team victory where nobody was outstanding. The player of the match for me was the Inter keeper Cesar again. The guy is one hell of a shot stopper.
March 11th, 2009 at 23:39
@antsBoy: Have you seen worse goalkeeping in a penalty shootout. Almunia was lucky with his one save as he looked like a muppett through the whole thing and Doni was cheating on every take and still couldn’t stop them. Only Cech could have done worse.
March 11th, 2009 at 23:40
@Craig Mc: You mean a Looney.
March 11th, 2009 at 23:42
@antsBoy: Exactly…well this was a great day for us specifically and EPL generally. Pundits are gonna be raving about this for some time. Seria A has been demolished. The next draw doesn’t seem to bad. EPL team, I believe can’t play against each other, which mean Barca, Bayern, Vilareal and Porto. I would like to avoid Barca, but the other 3 should be fine.
March 11th, 2009 at 23:45
@RedDevilEddy: I didn’t mention how he played Eddy mi man. I was talking about why he picks up yellow cards, not about his performance tonight, which as you say was very good
. I know we had opportunities to score, equally as Inter did, but Inter were dangerously close with theirs that’s all I am saying.
March 11th, 2009 at 23:45
I might have been wrong and EPL teams can face each other, so which one is it?
March 11th, 2009 at 23:46
@Grognard:
, that’s what I mean 
.
March 11th, 2009 at 23:47
Player ratings:
VDS – never really had much to do but made a bit of a drama out of one long range shot. Controlled the area at set pieces however his kicking was poor tonight, frequently going directly to Inter players or into touch. 6.5
O’Shea – was given some bother in the first half by Balotelli and was very lucky not to get himself in the book. Better in the second half but should have put the game to bed with his chance in the first half. 6
Ferdiand – started the game well by making several excellent interceptions to break up Inter attacks. Got tougher as the first half went on when Ibrahimovic got his touch and movement into gear. Contained Ibra reasonably well bar the incident when he was pushed prior to the header against the bar. Little to do in the second half as Inter’s attack petered out. 7
Vidic – solid defensively and made his aerial presence count for the goal. A couple of slightly shaky moments particularly in terms of his distribution. 7
Evra – had trouble with some larger/stronger opponents but just about held his flank together. Not a huge amount in terms of attacking clout bar one excellent ball to set Giggs free in the box. 6
Ronaldo – admittedly was in and out of the game but when he was given service he made his presence felt. He did the best he could with the amount of ball he was given. Bright and direct, he caused the Santon problems all night. Easily the most incisive attacking player on the pitch with good running and passing on display. Work-rate was also of a good standard. Should good desire and drive to get in for the second goal. 8 and MOM
Carrick – not his best display but he was left trying to hold the fort in midfield virtually on his own for chunks of the first half. Solid enough defensively and improved in the second half. Was less guilty of lax play than most of his colleagues. 6.5
Scholes – way off the pace in the first half after a bright 10 minutes or so. Probably had a decent passing completion rate but many of them were slightly mishit leaving our players scurrying to retain possession. Cross field passes went straight to Ronaldo’s feet at the start of the game but were soon giving him plenty of opportunity for jumping practice. Could have easily cost us a couple of goals with loose play. I would have never have thought a few years back that I would ever have felt more comfortable with Fletcher in the team rather than the Ginger Prince in a game like this. 5
Giggs – like the first leg Inter never really got to grips with him. His movement often left him in small gaps across the pitch. Showed some excellent skill when running with the ball and work rate was good but his passing rader was slightly off today. Should have taken a shot on when put clear in the box by Evra. 7
Rooney – not as lively as he has been in recent games. Sacrificed himself for the team again and shut Maicon down when moved out to the left flank. Superb cross for the second goal however blotted his copybook after making an unnecessary tackle. 7.5
Berbatov – may have been effected by the knock he picked up in the warm-up. If he wasn’t then his performance was shocking. Anonymous for the vast majority of the match and failed to convert a good chance to make it 3-0. Still has some way to go before he can say he has justified the faith and money put in him. 5
Subs:
Anderson – his strength and hustling were an asset when he came on for Scholes. Still couldn’t hit a decent shot to save his life. 7
Park – barely anytime to make an impact, but his workrate did get him clear on the left flank once, just a shame no one showed for him. Should have been on earlier. 7
SAF – Team selection seemed to suggest that he was looking to pass Inter to death. It would probably have worked better if the majority of the players hadn’t conspired to give the ball away so cheaply on an alarming number of occasions. Made the necessary change with Rooney promptly enough. Overall he got the better of Mourinho over the two legs and knocked that particular jinx on the head. 7
March 11th, 2009 at 23:48
@Orez: Last eight draw is a free for all, you can get any team.
March 11th, 2009 at 23:49
@Orez: They can face each other Orez, and I am expecting FIFA to somehow make sure all the PL teams do face each other. They would be furious if it was 4 PL teams thru to the semi finals. That’s why I think they will try and sabotage the draw
.
March 11th, 2009 at 23:53
@JB: @Craig Mc: Thanks guys I remember that last year scousers and arse met each other at this stage. Matters not I say. Us and Barca are the teams that everyone needs to avoid. I hope we will not get each other at this stage, but the rest are doable.
March 12th, 2009 at 0:08
@Orez: Listen Mate, I would NEVER and I mean NEVER write of Bayern Munich. They are very experienced in getting thru the later stages of the CL, and their strikers are very high scoring right now. I do NOT fancy meeting them in the next round.
March 12th, 2009 at 0:16
Rooney was my Man of the Match for his sheer workrate. The kid was brilliant in attack and a rock in defence making wonder tackles here there and everywhere as well as working as a sweeper at times when Evra was caught out of position. He ran a full 2Km further than the team average. No wonder he got taken off, he must have been knackered!
March 12th, 2009 at 0:17
This football is a funny old game. The first leg performance was hugely impressive in terms of its maturity, composure and confidence, securing a 0-0 which was viewed as a poor result due to the failure to get an away goal. The second leg performance was the opposite of the first, it was slack, careless, nervy and tentative yet it yielded a 2-0 win.
Anyway over the course of the two games the result was well deserved, we are a better team than Inter and we proved it. We may have been fortunate on few occasions tonight however we missed our fair share of opportunities in the first leg.
Our tentativeness got me thinking about the away goal rule. It seems to me that there is something wrong with a system that would have allowed us to dominate the first leg, take the lead early in the second and hold it for most of the game yet we would go out if the opposition scored an equaliser in the dying moments. While I’m all for anything that reduces the need for penalty shoot outs I feel this is a rule that needs reviewed. There is far too much focus placed on the away goal in the CL.
March 12th, 2009 at 0:44
@JB: I agree in entirety with your post Bro. I think the away goals rule was founded though, with the intention of stopping away teams parking the bus.
March 12th, 2009 at 0:44
@Craig Mc: I am not writing of anyone, but I don’t mind facing Bayern. Of course I would rather get Villareal or Porto…man all of this really doesn’t matter. If we want to win we should just get through all of them. I would like to see scousers battling Barca. Having opposite tactics, would be fine to watch. Anyone knows when the draw is?
@JB: You have a point there, but the away rule does accomplish it’s mission, which is to encourage away teams to attack. It wasn’t always like this and the away teams in the 1 leg were playing for a draw. The balance that this rule brings is not perfect, but it’s better then before IMO.
March 12th, 2009 at 0:51
Very shaky performance. Hard to tell whether it was nerves or just sheer exhaustion (especially amongst our defence). Scholes was absolutely shocking! On the other hand Giggs was sublime and really ran rings around Inter’s defence.
I have to say Berbatov hasn’t convinced me in Europe. OK he doesn’t really play well at the lone striker role. But he was anonymous in both legs.
In future if we are going for the lone striker Id rather play Rooney there. Or go for the classic trio of Tevez Rooney and Ronaldo.
Rooney’s cross was just sublime and he got some pretty good cracks on goal which their keeper could only parry.
EVDS really kept us in the game. When he goes we will really suffer because he just inspires confidence.
Thank god we have gone some way to levelling the score with Mourinho
I have to say though. To get that bunch of misfits to top of Serie A just highlights how good a manager Mourinho is.
March 12th, 2009 at 0:58
@Orez: I hear you mate, but I would still rather avoid Bayern Munich at this stage, because they have a good record against us. Wouldn’t mind meeting them in the final though, and a repeat of the last thriller, when we won OF COURSE
.
March 12th, 2009 at 1:02
@Craig Mc: @Orez: I agree that was the intent of the away goal rule and it has worked in that respect to a point. But it has also had the counter intuitive effect of putting the frighteners on the home teams and hindering their attacking efforts.
March 12th, 2009 at 1:04
@colver: Colver, Berba wouldn’t have been so ineffective tonight, IF John O’Shea hadn’t tried to be a feckin striker, and had slipped the ball to Berba who was on his own a short space away, and WOULD have scored. What the feck Sheasy thought he was doing, I don’t know. But Berba was ABSOLUTELY furious with him, and rightly so. As somebody already said, the amount of times Berba does get into the box, and our players don’t give the ball to him – WHY??? I wouldn’t bother my arse if I was Berba, when defenders would rather try and make a name for themselves, than pass the ball to a recognised striker. He must be SO frustrated at United at the minute.
March 12th, 2009 at 1:47
@Craig Mc: Bayern are not the force of old and I reckon we’ll deal with them easily if we get them. I’d rather face Barca in the semi or the final.
March 12th, 2009 at 1:48
@Orez: Draw is next Friday (20th March)
March 12th, 2009 at 1:50
@colver: I agree to some extent about Berba, that he has been ineffective in the knockouts, but I also think that it is due to how we utilise him (usually as a lone forward), because he has scored goals aplenty in the CL before with Leverkusen. I really, really would love to see a return to the famed axis of Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez which served us so well last year too.
March 12th, 2009 at 1:52
Ok we won, but some of our players were not focused for large parts of the game, not happy with that. It was all too casual, early season rumblings reared their ugly head, early goal then take our foot off the pedal. Not good enough for the Euro Champs, against a better/luckier team we’d be out now! We know we can be the best but we’ve got to work at it, this wasn’t a walk in the park against lowly premiership opposition, but at times our players seemed to think it was. We’re fucking lucky,thank fuck
Our midfield was pedestrian at best, we gifted Inter space in the middle of the park, our fuckin park! Scholes and Carrick had total nightmares, i nearly would have taken off both at halftime!I was screaming for Ando at halftime.VDS did well, though as Grog said, his distribution was astray tonight. For once Rio and Vidic looked shaky. we’ll allow them an off day! I’m a big Berba fan but tonight he was anomymous, he reminded me of Ronny on an off day, gesturing towards the referee when he was tackled, moody head down instead of trying to grab the game by the scruff of the neck, disappointed with his lack of urgency in or around the box. Why wasn’t the Apache subbed on in the second half? Evra didn’t have a good day either, was beaten cleanly a no. of times, didn’t offer much going forward( but Fergie probably told him to cover Giggs) O Shea had a mixed game(suprise, suprise!) linked well with Ronaldo at times, and should have put his chance away.I think John has come on in leaps and bounds this season but he suffers from these concentration lapses that permeated our whole team. But i wont castigate him for missing a chance when some of our attackers didn’t offer much more.
I thought that Giggs, Rooney and Ronaldo were our best players, by a country mile or three in Rooneys case! Giggs’ mazy runs worried the Inter defence and Ronaldo even though he had a relatively quiet game always looked threatening. Wayne Rooney was my MOTM, never stopped, what a powerhouse!? Direct and commited, alot of our players could have done with some of his undying commitment.
Need to pull our socks up against a bouyant Scouse, come on lads we know you can do alot better
March 12th, 2009 at 1:58
@Liam: are you not getting used to this by now?
March 12th, 2009 at 2:07
one of my best mates is an Inter fan, i had a laugh (nervously) taking the piss out of him during the game, but interestingly he reckoned Adriano (the Emperor!)should have been on earlier, and his last text “without miracles, Subbing Balotelli with Figo!!! GAME OVER” said it all. He was at San Siro last week and admired our free flowing attack style, pity he didn’t exactly see that tonight!!
March 12th, 2009 at 2:10
@Craig Mc: Berbas problems cannot be laid at the feet of O Shea, he just didn’t get going tonight at all Bro!
March 12th, 2009 at 2:34
Btw extra thanks to Vidic and Ronaldo, 2 great goals
March 12th, 2009 at 3:47
@Craig Mc: I have to agree with this one. Berba would have scored if O’Shea wouldn’t have gone for an impossible shot. The guy opened up, so what else you expect him to do. He also had another great moment which was saved. I am not saying he had a great game but he wasn’t that bad either considering the opposition. I think the problem was with midfield. The were overwhelming us in midfield. Both Carrick and Scholes had bad games. Inter was playing 5 in midfield, but even so our passing was bad. Scholes almost cost us on couple of occasions. I am sure SAF will fix them for our next game. It’s about time for us to end the scouser’s misery.
March 12th, 2009 at 4:36
So what are the positives that we can take out of today’s poor performance? Obviously we won and are through to the quarters but the real obvious one for me is that we will get better because we will learn from what we did wrong tonight. Inter was not a very good team but they are a well coached team. Still over two legs we owned them and were unlucky to not have scored at least three at the San Siro. Tonight we passed the ball poorly and forgot how to play in Europe. That won’t happen again. Shorter, tighter passing and and better command of the ball.
I just hope we don’t face Bayern. I love Bayern too and if we are to face them, I want it either in the final or the semi final where I am assured that at least one of my teams will be in the final. A United vs Bayern final would be surreal again and although I love both, I hope it doesn’t happen. My heart won’t take it. Would it be too much to hope for either Porto or Villarreal. I could stand for an easy opponent. None of them are easy bu those two are the easiest of the teams remaining. If we must face another team, let it be Liverpool. I’d like to be responsible for wiping them off the face of the Earth once and for all. And this weekend will be a starting point for some early practice.
March 12th, 2009 at 7:55
Wrote this a little early in this article, but since it was so early in the match preview Im not sure everyone read it. So…
Do you guys realise how many goals we have lost this season because of stupid refs?! Just saw through some of our games today, and check out our wongly disallowed goals/penalties not given.
1. Pompey away: Oshea puts Rooney clean through, he finishes between James legs. Two yards onside.
2. Villareal home: Park gets hacked from a Villareal defender just inside the box. Ref gives a goal kick.
3. Aalborg, away: Ronaldo free-kick gets handled inside Aalbrg area. Nothing given.
4. West Brom, home: Rooney is one-on-one with Carson and finishes over him and into the net. But ref says Rooney pulled down Zuhverloon. Disallowed goal.
5. Celtic, home: Rooney finishes underneath Boruc after a perfectly timed run, but is given offside. Three yards onside.
6. Celtic, away: Berbatov finishes on volley from corner, and it gets cleared off the line. Goal not given, actually over the line.
7. Villareal, away: A great bulid up finishes with Anderson playing Rooney in. He scores on his first touch, but is called offside. Actually on line with last defender.
8. Tottenham, away: Ronaldo vollies the ball into the net, but is given a hand ball. Even though the ball hit his hand, it was a normal place to have the hand. Is he supposed to have his hand on his dick, or WTF?!
9. Boro, home: Ronaldo gets strangled by Piggytits in the area. Ref gives Ronaldo yellow card for being “angry”.
10. Chelski, home: Corner, Rooney plays it to Giggs. Ronaldo scores from his cross, but ref gives a corner kick for some reason.
11. Chelski, home: Ronaldo is put through by Berbatov, and finishes behind Cech. Given offside, actually 4 yards onside.
12. Bolton, away: Fletcher crosses the ball, but it hits a defender in the arm over his head. Nothing given in the area.
13. Everton, home: Carrick is through on goal, and is felled by Lescott. Ref doesnt do anything…
14. West Ham, away: Ronaldo tries to run down the clock, and is felled in the area. Ref doesnt do anything.
15. Derby, away: Ronaldo is through on goal after Foster goalkick, and scores against Carroll. Linesman disallows the goal 5 minutes later.
16. Blackburn, home: Evans scores from Nani corner. But ref says he jumped on teh Rovers defender, which he actually didnt.
17. Spurs, CC final: King fells Ronaldo in the area, but instead of a penalty Ronaldo is given a yellow card for diving.
18. Fulham, away: Anderson plays Rooney through and he rounds Schweinster and scores. Actually onside, ref disallows it.
Horrendeus when you think of it! How on earth can we get so many wrongly disallowed goals?! This may be the reason we have been so “shy” in front of goal this season. We could have had 18 more goals!!! Believe my word, these are true FACTS! Rafa better take notes…
March 12th, 2009 at 9:31
We just forgot how to play in Europe. Too many long balls and loose passes when we should be keeping possesion and controlling the game.
March 12th, 2009 at 10:09
Its just the norm that the home team has the advantage but last night,we were awfully bad.The midfield was bare and Cambisao had a field day.Carrick’s concetration deserted him,and as for Scholes, say what you like but he is gone.
The strikers looked inferior to Ibrahimovich and Bolitelli.Only Ronaldo seemed to want to go foward no wonder he scored.
I hope we get one of the English sides however strong as we seem inntimidated by European sides.
March 12th, 2009 at 10:29
@donibrasco: Rooney was better Ibrahimovic and Bolitelli together, we are certainly not afriad of European sides we did our job last night and I would be more afraid of Liverpool and Chelsea than Villareal and Porto.
The sweeping statement of Scholes had “gone” what on last nights performance you could say the same about Carrick, who was also poor, its only a couple of weeks ago people were raving about Scholes, jeez.
March 12th, 2009 at 11:23
@Grognard: got to agree with you Grog, for me Bayern are the dark horse of this tournament, i would go as far as saying aside from the english teams, they’re our biggest threat. Although Barca are pretty good, did anyone see Messi’s goal lastnight, pure class!
March 12th, 2009 at 11:26
I want us to face Liverpool or Porto in the next round. Liverpool because they are shite on home soil(it would be like a Premiership game) and Porto becaus I want revenge over them after 2004. Pure heartbreak! Fuck all, I want Porto!
March 12th, 2009 at 11:27
@phoenix red: Messi control is pure perfection. He scores those types of goals a lot! That is what is frightening about him…
March 12th, 2009 at 11:40
Grognard…positives:
1) For all the sloppy play we scored two goals, and had another couple clear-cut chances on top of that. All too often we play great and don’t score.
2) Even if we lost the ball with alarming frequency, we still had the bulk of possession and won the ball back effectively.
3) Giggs has morphed into the attacking midfielder we’ve been missing all season.
4) Rooney and Ronaldo are showing how much they’ve grown up with a lot more maturity in their performance and it was great to see them combine for the second goal!
5) EVDS has lost the jitters he had last year and is looking more solid than ever.
March 12th, 2009 at 11:51
Negatives:
1) We looked nervy. We are the Champions we shouldn’t let the pressure get to us. A better team would have capitalised on those stray balls and finished us off.
2) We looked tired especially in defence. When the hell is Brown getting fit? Because we could really use him to give O’Shea or Vidic a rest.
3) I do see Craig’s point about Berbatov. He was more effective for us this season when he was playing behind Rooney as a link man. As a lone striker we just don’t give him the service, and he isn’t aggressive enough in the box to make things happen. Part of the lack of service IM sure is because he makes himself invisible. That is great because it means he can ghost through defences, but not great if he is so invisible that our team as well as the opposition don’t notice him.
4) We let them back in the game. We should have blitzed them before they got comfortable. The game was in the balance until we got the second goal. On another night they could have scored one of their chances and parked the bus and gone through on a 1-1. This happens so often with us: we get an early goal and fail to score again in that half and then second half the opposition comes out all guns blazing!
5) Fergie’s tactics were a bit off. Park should have started to neutralise Maicon. Scholes should have been dragged off at half time. I’d have preferred Fletcher to Anderson….as Anderson although he was an improvement on Scholes made some over-ambitious passes when we really needed to keep possession.
March 12th, 2009 at 12:40
@RedDevilEddy: I want us to face liverpool, cause when we take out the CL, we go through them and put them in their place, behind us, in the prem and europe!
March 12th, 2009 at 12:44
I felt really proud to see Rooney play like that,thats what it means to play for United,i really loved his attitude.Park should have started instead of scholes,there wasnt enough balance in the lineup
March 12th, 2009 at 12:51
Why are people on about O’Shea not passing to Berba?
Even if I was a goalkeeper, and I found myself in that situation he found himself in, I would have taken the shot. You can’t blame O’Shea for taking a shot.
March 12th, 2009 at 12:53
interesting though, a lot of goals being scored in this knock out round, good to see.
March 12th, 2009 at 13:53
I think we are looking at this with a nagative view, the performance last night wasn’t great, but the result was and at the end of the day that is surely all that matters at this stage.
Inter a no mugs, and two nil at home is a really good result regardless of the way we played. Rooney, Giggs and Ronnie were pretty decent last night, and after an FA Cup quarter final last weekend and the Dippers this, any positive result last night should be taken with glee. To say that Fergie got his side wrong and tactics wrong is an interesting point and not playing Park, but people criticise him for playing Park?!
Personally I agreed with the starting eleven, go with experience but he should have made changes earlier, and it really does look bleak now for Nani, that is two games in a row that he has failed to make the squad.
I also agree with Karl, you cannot have a go at O’Shea for shooting for christ sake he was one on one with the keeper anyone would have shot.
We have a big game on Saturday and if we win, dare I say we are Champions, again!
March 12th, 2009 at 13:57
And to top of the night, Mourinho claims he got punched in the face on the way out of Old Trafford.
March 12th, 2009 at 14:16
@Traverse: I think mate is was the other way round.
March 12th, 2009 at 14:23
@Stephen: Madness! They just said it the other way around on the radio, but checking up the internet you are correct! My mistake!
Along with the stabbing of an Arsenal fan, and the repeated attacking of everyone by Italian football thugs, can we be expecting a 5 year European football ban for Italian teams, as with England in the 80’s?
CAN WE FUCK.
Platini loves Juventus and so would never do it. This is surely a conflict of interest.
March 12th, 2009 at 14:28
Pool aren’t a threat in the league. Chelsea are, but they are too far behind to have a realistic hope of catching us.
Pool can beat any non-British team in Europe especially the Latin teams as Benitez knows their game inside out. However I think Bayern, Chelsea and us can give them a run for their money in Europe.
But it is ESSENTIAL we beat Liverpool this weekend. If they did a double over us in the league, theyd take that confidence onto the European stage.
I have a feeling we’ll get Villareal or Porto in the quarters.
March 12th, 2009 at 14:51
@Traverse: Great point about Platini, the entire UEFA body stinks of anti English propaganda, calling us and Chelsea “cheats” because of the debts of both clubs, simply because we got to the final is a joke saying it is bad for football that two English sides got there but failing to note that in 2003 AC Milan, Juventus and Inter Milan all reaching the semi-finals, UEFA took no issue with it. Likewise in 2000, when Barcelona, Valencia and Real Madrid took up the semi-final places.
Also it was never mentioned that a few years back Madrid were in financial trouble. They tried to sell their training ground with little success. At the 11th hour the Spanish government stepped in and bought it for many times its worth. They then handed it straight back to Madrid
Platani non action against Real’s obvious tapping up of Ronaldo which is the most blatant I have ever seen in football what happened, nothing, bar Platini saying that every club would like him!!! and finally the the Roma Ultras attacking an Arsenal coach is a disgrace, what will happen will Roma? will they get banned from Europe, mmmm what do you think.
March 12th, 2009 at 15:10
i’m off the moon after seeing how we took our chances, but on a hindsight i was slightly disappointed on the way we keep giving away possession. hahaha i’m fuckin laughing at inter right now, they got rid of mancini to win the CL, and kaboom! with TNSSO they still cant win it. face it Serie A is on a downward spiral since the calciopoli scandal, EPL teams are powerhouses right now, though i must admit, barca is still our main threat, liverpool will lose at the semis chelsea will put up a fight, and this is as far arsenal goes at the CL.
cheers for united! cheers redrants posters!
March 12th, 2009 at 15:12
@Stephen: hell no they wont get stick for that, Platini is an utter wank and a disgrace to UEFA, he is too biased to know what is right from wrong, if there is a man to replace that ugly french bastard, i think it should be MALDINI!
(just a dream, i love the guy in a non-gay way)
March 12th, 2009 at 15:15
another platini note is he is milking money out of the UEFA cup and the CL, why do i think of that is this: “CHAMPIONS” league, right there it says champions, not the 2nd-4th teams. 2nd-4th teams or even up to 7th should be in the uefa cup. he’s trying to accommodate more teams as possible to have better revenues. if that is the case, dont call it champions league then.
March 12th, 2009 at 15:49
@john freakin’ o’shea: Fergie agrees with your comment here mate. He says that he lambasted his players, because they started playing training ground football after they got the early goal from Vidic. He didn’t appreciate the flicks, the constant giving away the ball to Inter, or the long balls into space with no United player in sight of that space. Good on Fergie, that was the arguement of my post last night about keep giving possession away, and lapse ideology, some players were more guilty than others. I also agree with Fergie though, that over the two legs we WON it, and were better than them. Even Mourinho agreed with this, suprise, suprise.
.
March 12th, 2009 at 15:59
@Karl: Of course you can blame O’Shea for taking that shot. He is a defender, and had a striker alongside him with nobody marking him, and who is PAID to score goals. I don’t care if it was Sheasy or YOU in that position mate, the ball should have gone to Berba. We needed that 2nd goal, because Inter were all over us at the time. Sheasy cost us with his dumb arsed attempt.
March 12th, 2009 at 16:02
@Craig Mc: It all happened so fast that he could not gather his thoughts quickly enough simply because he is a defender and not a striker and is not used to being in such a position, he was one on one with keeper mate and probably believed he would score, he should have.
March 12th, 2009 at 16:06
@Stephen: I just cannot understand their mentality. Since when is carrying a debt considered cheating. If so, 80% of the population should be in jail due to loans they are paying off or mortgages. Debt is part of life in the 21st century. As long as the debts are being taken care of every month with timely payments, there is nothing wrong with it. Don’t punish or discriminate against a team because it has figured out another way of doing business that gives it more flexibility to purchase players. FIFA and UEFA are just crying sour grapes because their beloved Italian League has been exposed for the pieces of total mediocre shite they have always been. British teams may be in debt, but unlike Italian teams, they aren’t embroiled in scandals and match fixing nor do they have executives skimming from the top.
March 12th, 2009 at 16:26
@Craig Mc: Dont agree with you at all there Bro, O Shea’s had a good attempt because he got himself into a good position, which is more than Berba did all night! And there’s no guarantee that Berba would have scored. He was blatently offside when Ronny scored but was deemed? not to be interfering with play( we got off there!) I dont hear anybody saying anything about that??
Having said all that, does it really matter? We’re through, justice has been done
March 12th, 2009 at 16:31
@Craig Mc:And i got to admire someone who steps up and shoulders responsibility and O Shea has one of the best shots/scoring stats in the league! So why shouldn’t he?
March 12th, 2009 at 16:46
@phoenix red: I know Berba had an average game Phoenix, BUT he would have scored the goal that Sheasy didn’t score, if Sheasy had passed to him, like he should have done. He would score more if United players open their eyes and find him in the box. He is in the box more than we think Bro.
March 12th, 2009 at 16:57
Craig Mc I think one possible reason O’Shea preferred to shoot in that situation might have been that he was not sure Berbatov was onside.
March 12th, 2009 at 17:00
@Nino: Nino mate, if you think Bayern are a spent force, watch out for them, they have an habit, just like the German team of raising themselves from the dead
. I don’t want Bayern mate – sorry 
.
March 12th, 2009 at 17:01
@zhoro: Mate he was bearing down on goal with just the keeper to beat, he wanted to score simple.
March 12th, 2009 at 17:16
Stephen Perhaps you’re right. Watching the replay, I can’t say for sure if Berba was offside or not. That made me think that maybe O’Shea made the right decision by shooting.
March 12th, 2009 at 17:46
@Craig Mc: In fairness Bro, Berba was handed a gift chance in the second half after a Rooney rebound and never scored. You cannot get down on a defender for not scoring a goal just like you cannot get down on an attacker for not tracking back to the goal. O’Shea did well to get into a scoring position and there have been times in the past where he has buried them. His finishing rate as far as defenders goes is pretty solid. Nobody ever comment over the chances Evra balloons over the net due to his inability to be accurate. O’Shea didn’t balloon the ball over or shoot wide. The keeper has to take some of the credit here. Lets be fair to the lad.
March 12th, 2009 at 17:47
@zhoro: He had so little time to decide I seriously doubt he even saw Berbatov. It’s not like he is a striker with a little more finesse, vision and composure in that situation. He did the right thing.
March 12th, 2009 at 18:00
@Craig Mc: Bayern are an awesome force. They have struggled in the Bundesliga this season for two reasons. First, they have had injuries to key players like Toni, Ribery and others that have plagued them all season. Secondly, the new attack minded system that Klinsmann has brought to the club has taken time to gel with the players much like it took time when he was running Germany. I’d add a third factor. Simple focus. They are determined to do well in Europe and the Bundesliga is second banana to them.
Make no mistake, any team that can score at that prolific a rate throughout the CL but especially against Sporting is team to take serious. Sporting qualified for the second stage and thus they are no minnow or pushover. If one remembers well, United never exactly scored at will against them over the past few seasons when they met them. Bayern is getting no respect because European hierarchy does not want to respect the German giants because of the position of the Bundesliga in comparison to Italy, England and Spain. But Bayern are a class above all else in Germany and have always been that. Lahm, Klose, Ribery, Toni, Podolski, Lucio, Demichelis, Oddo, Schweinsteiger, van Bommel and Ze Roberto doesn’t sound like a pushover to me. If they were in the EPL, that team would be in the top 3 no doubt about it. As an attacking force, they may be the best in Europe. Their Achilles heel is simply average goalkeeping and their habit of attacking in numbers and occasionally getting caught on the counter. Something they are working on to rectify.
Next season they are looking to possibly adding young and exciting Michel Bastos from Lille, possibly bringing back Michael Ballack and a few other changes that will make them even stronger. Don’t be surprises if they don’t sign either Rene Adler or Sebastien Frey in goal. Bayern are a juggernaut and I would rather face any of the British sides, Villarreal and Porto over them. The only side other than United of course that I rate as greater than them is Barcelona.
March 12th, 2009 at 18:11
@Grognard: I have to agree to me Bayern are the real dark horses of this years Champions League, all the talk is of the Premiership sides, minus Arsenal and Barca that no one is taking any notice of the Germans.
They seem to be scoring goals for fun at the moment and any side with Toni, Klose, Schweinsteiger and obviously Ribery in you have to take seriously, also they have a great tradition and history in this competion.
March 12th, 2009 at 18:14
Grognard I agree O’Shea probably did the right thing all things considered. I was also quite disappointed with Berbatov’s miss, the kind of which is not that rare for him (e.g. see WC2010 qualifier vs. Montenegro), though he is generally considered composed in one-on-one situations like that. Of course, in hindsight it is easy to say he should have tried to chip the keeper instead of trying to beat him from below, but in reality once the body has commited to one course of action, it is almost impossible to switch to another at such a rate. Cesar did well to guess where Berbatov was going with that shot and that was it. His offside positioning on Ronaldo’s goal was also disappointing and that has happened a few times recently.
March 12th, 2009 at 18:40
I see both sides of O’Shea argument. Considering that he clearly saw the goalkeeper barring on him he should have tried something else, but then again Berba did the same in second half. In the end it’s all good when it ends good, not to Saturday and let’s finish the scousers once and for all.
March 12th, 2009 at 19:02
@Grognard: werent you the one panicking over the summer about Uniteds debt and that we didnt have any money to buy players?
March 12th, 2009 at 19:18
I need your help lads, name me some cheap wingers please. Cheap wingers that dont play in the PL and have some sort of quality about them.
Im doing some online football manager thing and need some wingers.
Also, can you name me some decent goalkeepers good enough to be wigans NO1, im afraid i might be priced out an adler move so i need some cheaper alternatives.
March 12th, 2009 at 19:58
@zhoro: Both O’Shea and Berbatov had very little time to think and react thus, they just shot and all the credit has to go to Cesar. That keeper is a very good shot stopper. He’s not so great on crosses and high balls which means he would be a flop in the EPL, but he is great at shot stopping. Although both headed goals really are not his fault either but I have seen him have problems with high balls into the box when I do catch some of the Inter games. Just goes to show you how hard it is today to find the complete keeper.
March 12th, 2009 at 19:59
@johnsom33: Yes, so what’s your point?
March 12th, 2009 at 20:02
How good is akineev?
March 12th, 2009 at 20:04
@Dan: As far as cheap wingers, what is cheap in your mind? As for goalkeepers. If you were grand enough to consider Adler, I would go after Akinfeev, Malafeev, Frey, Enke, Wiese, Steklenberg, Neuer, Kameni. Cesar, Boruc and Adler would be too overpriced and of course Casillas and Buffon are out of the question.
March 12th, 2009 at 20:05
@Dan: He’s excellent.
March 12th, 2009 at 20:09
@Grognard: thanks mate. The guy handling transfers says sanchez is out of my league, so i really dont tbh.
March 12th, 2009 at 20:26
Well i managed to get weise for £4mil, yippe.
March 12th, 2009 at 22:05
@Grognard: “As long as the debts are being taken care of every month with timely payments, there is nothing wrong with it. Don’t punish or discriminate against a team because it has figured out another way of doing business that gives it more flexibility to purchase players.”
March 12th, 2009 at 22:05
@Dan: I can think of a few players, even though some of them are more of the “attacking midfielder” instead of a winger. Simao, Ballotelli, Marcelo, Marin, Tosic(dunno if he is in the Prem in your game…), Carlos Alberto, Alanzinho, Skjelbred and Kerlon are the ones on the top of my head.
March 12th, 2009 at 22:32
Hey guys is Rooney suspended because of the yellow cards for the next CL games. He got one in each game against Inter, but ESPN didn’t say missing next game. Any ideas?
March 12th, 2009 at 23:45
@Dan: If you are looking for guys who are solid wingers and affordable I would suggest Marko Marin, Toni Kroos, Alexis Sanchez, Ptre Trochowski, Yuri Zhirkov, Michel Bastos, Aiden McGeady.
March 12th, 2009 at 23:48
@johnsom33: What worries me and that has always worried me is that the Glazer’s are tied into the US banking system and many investments in that arena. As you know, that whole thing has collapsed and I worry how much of a hit they are taking and how much worse the interest is hitting them. Lets face it, our transfer kitty isn’t as free and open as it used to be. It looked like quite the scramble to afford Berbatov. I still worry but the key thing is they at least let Gill and Ferguson run the show and they do not meddle. That above all else, is the key.
March 13th, 2009 at 0:07
Anyone who was at the stadium, how was the atmosphere. I couldn’t really hear it from the T.V, but how would it be rated in comparison with the electric atmosphere against barca last year?
March 13th, 2009 at 1:26
@Grognard: He’d have to be feckin blind not to see Berbatov Grog
.
March 13th, 2009 at 1:32
@Grognard: It might surprise you Grog, but I don’t really rate Evra as a DEFENDER as most of you seem to do on here. He gets skinned quite often against very good wingers. He definately isn’t best in the world, in my opinion. I think Lahm is actually better. I hope our defence isn’t as shakey at times in the game against the scousers, as they have been in parts of the last 2 to 3 matches
. A lot has to do with the MF we play though, and you know what I feel about our MF, so I won’t comment any further 
.
March 13th, 2009 at 1:50
@Craig Mc: I think Evra has played poorly, defensively, since his return from injury. I just can’t remember him getting burned so much, so often, before that.
He looked very poor against Inter yesterday, and I think part of that was because he was held back from his usual adventures up the left wing. As a left back, based solely on defensive qualities, there are better players than him. But it is his attacking prowess that sets him apart from most!!
March 13th, 2009 at 1:59
@Craig Mc: Having Scholes playing in a defensive midfield position always puts us in a shaky position.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the guy, but his hesitation on the ball, maybe looking for a better outlet, has hurt us time and time again defensively. I do think that Ando would have been a more solid choice yesterday, to button things up when we transitioned up the field.
March 13th, 2009 at 2:21
UEFA are making us wait way too long for the quarterfinal draw. Anybody know why??
At any rate, my order of preference would go like this:-
1/. Porto
2/. Villareal
3/. Arsenal
4/. Bayern Munich
5/. Chelsea
6/. Liverpool
7/. Barcelona
Barca being the real rough ride for us.
March 13th, 2009 at 3:58
@Craig Mc: Jeez mate sometimes you can be such a hard ass. Look at the replay. He looks down at the ball and then straight at Cesar. The guy is only a frakken defender mate, he’s not Franz Beckenbauer. To ask him to have the composure and vision of a striker in that situation is being a little harsh. Lets face it, you don’t like the guy so you are looking for reasons to go after him. Shame shame Bro.
March 13th, 2009 at 4:03
@Craig Mc: I rate him higher than you do but I generally agree. Lahm is far superior in my opinion. Lahm scores goals, crosses the ball very well and dribbles into the middle and cuts in for shots. Evra is primarily a sidelines guy with no shot, finishing or crossing skills. His low crosses are good but his high ones are only average. As for his marking, he is quite good but he has been getting skinned a lot since returning from his suspension. He’s also shitty in the air. But still, he is pretty damned good all things considered however, I do feel that United fans do overrate him by quite a bit.
March 13th, 2009 at 4:05
@Redrich: It’s not a defensive position he’s playing. He ’s just not capable of moving forward anymore and so it looks like he is sitting back and defending. This is why I do not like him playing with Carrick. They both end up doing the same and it really kills us in the middle of the park.
March 13th, 2009 at 4:07
@Redrich: I say bring on Liverpool right frakken now. I want to teach those ass wipes a great lesson. We will eat them for lunch on Saturday and then clean their clocks in the CL. Bring em on. It will be a sad day in Hell when I fear a Rafa Benitez coached team.
March 13th, 2009 at 4:35
@Grognard: I do think he’s played in a holding role a couple or three times season. It’s almost as if SAF wants him to play, but can’t find the right slot for him. He’s dreadful at the saving tackle and has always looked around for the pass, so when he picks up the ball deep in his own half, he becomes a liability!!
March 13th, 2009 at 4:41
@Grognard: Absolutely!! The more ops we get at the Mersey Slime the better. I want to hear the FSW’s press conference when he has to concede the PL and the CL. The squeeling would make you turn down the TV!!!
March 13th, 2009 at 5:04
My last post has made me think that a definitive term/name for the “filth” may be appropriate right now.
They seem to roll off my tongue with ease and I ask if anyone else could possible think of an appropriate dubbing that could express our severe disdain for this hoard of curs that call themselves LFC .
Maybe RR could throw in an away shirt or something for the most accepted term of endearment??
March 13th, 2009 at 6:31
@Grognard: i’d rather see them in the final, best way to win it,
but at least go through them on the way, it’d be a shame if another team got the chance to knock em out
March 13th, 2009 at 6:44
@Redrich: good idea,
here’s my effort to kick off: Livertool
March 13th, 2009 at 7:37
Sorry to sidetrack you guys, but these comments on an article in the Guardian gave me something to think about…
“Why didn’t United do to Barca last season what AC Milan did to them the season before? I ask as this is the hallmark of memorable great sides, they impose their style of play on the opposition and seek to beat them. In this sense United have not played like they did in ‘99 for nearly 10 years. They play an old style double pivot midfield relying on the individual performances of their front players. Xavi is infinitely a better player than Carrick will ever be, Iniesta is infinitely more skilled than Fletcher etc. This United team needs to put together a period of sustained play that would warrant them entering into European folklore. Otherwise all of what they do will wither away with time and that would be a great shame.
This game is a forgone conclusion. But what I would have liked to see is something like what Barca did to AC Milan in the San Siro when they won the title. They [Man Utd] need to exert the effort needed on the pitch to be considered a great team rather than a title winning team. There is a massive difference.”
On a related note:
“United have an unbeaten record by completely altering their style and playing negative tactics, ie 5 in midfield, Park on the left vs Maicon against inter, 5 in midfield, Rooney playing defensive Ronaldo upfront vs Barca last year. They bored their way to the final last year.
United have failed to impose any of the style with which we EPL fans associate them, against any of the big teams.
SAF spent a fortune on players post 99, and recruited foreign assistant managers, in an attempt to dominate Europe, and failed completely.
Only after Rafa turned up did Fergie finally grasp how to play in Europe, and whilst destroying teams in the EPL last year, with stunning football, United failed to once impose their style on any team in the CL.”
I don’t know about SAF learning how to play in Europe from Rafa, and I’m pretty sure the demolition of Roma was vintage, typical United. However, United’s uncharacteristic defensive approach in Europe is definitely disappointing. Last year against Barca was downright embarrassing. Yes, SAF must have been so tired of losing in Europe that he went for the only option that he had left, but surely United have the attacking talent to consistently attack a team for 90 min? Why should my heart rate increase when I even contemplate meeting Barca, despite the obvious fact that their defense is one of the worst among the 8 teams left in the competition?
One more:
“Sometimes I have watched Barca this season and thought ‘they play a completely different game to most teams’. Three strikers? Two/three playmakers? Marquez at center back who started his career as a midfielder??
When you see Marquez playing the kind of passes to the wings that he does, when you see Xavi run a midfield or see Messi score/provide a through ball for Eto’o or Henry to score you realize no one in Europe is doing what they are doing in football. No one. This is the hall mark of a team, they have a unique distinct style of play that is marked from all others. They play to win and open up people’s minds to the possibilities of the three man attack.” What would you define as Man Utd’s “definitive” style of play? Rapid counter-attacks via the wings?
Thoughts?
March 13th, 2009 at 8:06
@Redrich: He’s fine when he’s not hurried. Against poor teams he is great and starts distributing the ball great but he struggles against quality sides that hurry and harass him. Trials and tribulations of age.
March 13th, 2009 at 8:08
@Natzca: How about subhuman excrement or toxic filth.
March 13th, 2009 at 8:49
No game passes without fans questioning Berbatov’s contribution.On the contraly all Rooney has to do is ts step on the pitch and gets complemented on his tracking back,kicking people,and unproductive runs,with an occasional assist.
Now,if we really needed that kind of player,why did we sell Alan Smith?
Compare the stats of our players before we start jumping on people.Berba has scored and assisted.strikers role if you ask me.Rooney too.Why should we blame our dysfunctional midfield on Berba alone?coz bar the assist,Rooney stunk giving the ball away cheaply,causing a dangerous free kick,etc.
March 13th, 2009 at 8:55
OK lads rate my w igan squad:
23GK Chris Kirkland
25DF Paul Scharner
7MF Antonio Valencia
15MF Olivier Kapo
2DF Mario Melchiot (captain)
3DF Maynor Figueroa
20MF Won-Hee Cho
4MF Deco
6DF Beye
14MF Gibbson
18MF Possebon
19FW Welbeck
29FW Miller
9FW Jones
11MF Aiden Mcgeady
8MF Yoaan Gourcuff
1GK Tim Weise
16MF Marko Marin
12MF Joao Moutinho
10FW henrik larrson
15DF Craig cathcart
5DF Castro
Also, what do you think my strongest line up is? ive got 3 that i want use, but not sure which is the best.
March 13th, 2009 at 8:56
@Donibrasco: shhhh, you are not suppose to tell the berba haters about that
March 13th, 2009 at 9:06
About cheap wingers,i believe Marko Marin is a rich man’s Lee Martin.A talented young player with pace but too light in build.He is too small in the German league it scares imagining him in the premiership.
Aiden McGeady is another one not even fit to wash Nani’s boots.He is championship level.period.
March 13th, 2009 at 10:36
@ Hmmmm – Written by people that don’t get how competitive football is these days. Teams are not so superior that they can just demolish everyone consistently. I’d put Liverpool’s performance over the two legs against Madrid as one of hte most impressive English feats in Europe, but I don’t consider them a great team.
Just anti-united drivel. Same people who had the argument that Ronaldo was a one trick pony. Then a two trick pony. Then didn’t show up in big games. Then didn’t score enough. And are now left saying he’s not very nice. People will always find reason to hate us, I just let em. It’s jealousy, plain and green.
March 13th, 2009 at 11:21
@Dan: Assenjo for goal keeper. Andrew Driver from Hearts for the left wing.
March 13th, 2009 at 11:43
@Grognard: fair enough.
March 13th, 2009 at 12:47
Lads,I gotta ask you to dome a huge favour! CAn anybody tell me what you know about Al Gore, politics and childhood and everything? It would really help. Thanks on forehand.Please mates, I really need your help.
March 13th, 2009 at 13:18
An interesting article for Berba lovers
Berbatov’s season thus far: some facts
We have signed Berbatov in order to help us retaining the titles in the Prem and in the CL. We haven’t paid some 30m pounds in order to win the CC or the FA cup. Therefore, I think it’s good to see how he performs in the league and in Europe.
He’s had 27 starts in those competitions thus far (23 Prem., 4 CL), scored 12 goals and assisted for 8 goals (according to Actim stats he has 9 assist in the league). This makes 20 (or 21) contributed goals in 27 starts.
Those stats aren’t particularly impressive but are they worse than those of the other forwards in the same compets?
Ronaldo: 29 starts (23 Prem, 6 CL), 13 goals (2 from pen.) and 6 (or 7 accord. to Actim st.) assists: 19 (20) contributed goals in 29 starts.
Rooney: 24 starts (18 Prem, 6 CL), 12 goals and 5 assists, i.e. 17 contributed goals in 24 starts.
Tevez: 16 starts (13 Prem, 3 CL), 4 golas, 3 assists, i.e. 7 contributed goals in 16 starts.
To put it otherwise,
Berbatov has contributed to 0,74 (or 0,77 according to Actim stats) goals per started game
Ronaldo: 0,65 goals per game (or respectively 0,69)
Rooney: 0,70 goals per game
Tevez: 0,43 goals per game
If you calculate the ratio between contributed goals and played minutes, then Berbatov’s would be even better as he had only 3 subst. appearances whereas for instance Tevez had 8-10 appear. as subst.
Hence, in terms of goals plus assists Berbatov has been our most productive forward in the most important competitions thus far even though he plays deeper than the other forwards. Surprise?
There is a myth that Berbatov does not contribute enough defensively wise, that he is carried by his team-mates, i.e. that he is lazy. This myth rests only on a misinterpretation of his languid style, it isn’t based on any relevant data.
Yesterday Pogue posted the stats about the defensive work of most of our midfielders and forwards. Here are some interesting facts:
Tackles Attempted
Success %
Interceptions
Darren Fletcher
28
75,0%
25
Dimitar Berbatov
22
86,4%
28
Wayne Rooney
10
80,0%
21
Carlos Tevez
8
75,0%
5
Berbatov played more games than Rooney and Tevez but you can establish the following:
won tackles and intercepted attacks per start:
Berbatov 0,82 won tackles, 1,21 intercepted attacks
Rooney 0,44 won tackles, 1,16 intercepted attacks
Tevez 0,46 won tackles, 0,38 intercepted attacks
Berbatov attempts more tackles than Rooney and Tevez and wins more tackles, he intercepts more attacks as well, at intercepting attacks he has been three times better than Tevez. Shocking?
But those defensive stats are only about the Prem, what about the CL when Berbatov is a “passanger”? Well, we haven’t conceded a goal in the CL with Berbatov on the pitch, not bad…
In sum: stats show that in terms of goals and assists Berbatov has been our most productive forward in the most important competitions thus far and in terms of tackles and intercepted attacks he has been our best forward defensively wise. Notice that his defensive stats are in some respects better than Fletcher’s: this says everything how accurate the theory about his defensive work is.
Fergie said after the Boro game at home that Berbatov ran further than Rooney and his stats were exceptional. Most fans didn’t believe he was serious. But he was serious, Berbatov’s stats are pretty good. This is why he is the third best player in the league according to Actim stats. Well, this may be dabatable or wrong but one thing should be perfectly clear. Most United fans do not give him enough credit for our successful season thus far and SAF has been right to start him in the most important competitions.
A popular objection is that Berbatov’s individual stats might be good but the team hasn’t improved and play worse than last season because he slows us down etc…Well, the truth is that with Berbatov in the team we won 8-10 points more from the corresponding fixtures than last season. The team has won 6 points more than last season but Berbatov didn’t play vs Villa away and Newcastle home when 4 points were dropped. Hence, we won with him 10 points more from the corresponding fixtures…
March 13th, 2009 at 14:33
@ RDE – Al Gore’s Assault on Reason is one of the best books I’ve read in the past few years. He basically traces the deterioation of US political scrutiny over time. So from the days when the average voter really cared about how well politicians dealt with issues to today, when it all comes down to TV spots. In fact I’m pretty sure he says that no US senate or congressional election since 1976 (check this) has been won by the person not spending the most money on TV.
He then moves onto generally saying how apathetic the TV generation in the states, and how reading by its nature forces more thought than consuming media on TV.
It doesn’t end negatively though, as he believes the internet will buck this trend, as it is a much more active medium. And as it grows, people will begin to care about politics and the country again.
Sorry, that’s all the Gore-y details I’ve got.
March 13th, 2009 at 17:07
@jos: Thank god someone sees it
March 13th, 2009 at 17:08
@Donibrasco: Lol, i bought both of those players aswell.
March 13th, 2009 at 17:54
DONIBRASCO…WEELL SAID
All this talk of wingers to replace nani is laughable to me…just watch the boy shine in comin yrs. patience is virtue
thers nobody out there of a high enough quality to replace nani. he has so much potential.
The thought of that wee prick Mcgeady comin to a club of our stature just makes me feel sick!!haha aiden over nani, what a joke.
by the way, though berbatov was abysmal th other night. Think Tevez is seriously being misused.
March 13th, 2009 at 17:59
Statistics are all well and good. Berbatov is a very productive player for us, but before we assume from these statistics that Berbatov is our best forward a few points are worth making.
1) Many of Berbatov’s goals were against bottom table teams and inferior teams in the champions league group stages like Aalborg and Celtic at home.
2) Players like Rooney and Ronaldo do a lot more for our ability to control a game and pull the strings. These stats just focus on end product.
3) It is perhaps unfair to judge Tevez given how few games he’s played, many of which were substitute performances. Similarly Rooney had a lot of substitute performances.
March 13th, 2009 at 18:04
@Dan: Some nice midfielders there mate. I would have spent a little on a quality central defender though. Your midfield with Moutinho, Marin and Valencia is nice and you certainly have some nice backups there, but you are lacking a take charge defensive midfielder. Up front Welbeck, McGeady and Larrson should be fine for you.
My advice would be to sell and extra midfielder and striker and get a versatile and quality CB. The ones you have don’t light my fire. Other than, your team is good and Wiese in goal should do well for you. Good luck.
March 13th, 2009 at 18:06
@colver:
1) after tevez scored against fulham, he became better then berbatov and deserved to start against inter, explain that.
2) End product is what matters, without end product you dont win anything, you are just left with a team similar to park…
3)it seems to me, that when people talk about stats and fackts, when its in favour of tevez its fine, but when its not its always “He hasnt played a lot, most of his games are off the bench” or something similar to those lines…
March 13th, 2009 at 18:07
@Donibrasco: Marin is a world class player who is small but he is also incredibly agile and able to avoid a lot of hard contact. Maradona and Hassler were just as small and were able to go down as world class players so I disagree with you, although I do see where you are coming from because Modric at Spurs has really struggled with the physicality of the British game. Then again, Spurs play him more central than they should. If one plays Marin on the LMF or LW side, he can be lethal.
March 13th, 2009 at 18:09
@Grognard: I know, i have £11mil left and have been looking at my options for CB.
I signed castro last night, when i got up this morning, i realise that the dude that runs the league though i mean gonzalo castro, instead of ze castro, the one i wanted
March 13th, 2009 at 18:14
@Beachryan: All one has to do is look at the two squads. United vs Liverpool. If one looks at those two squads, can they honestly give Liverpool a chance at OT, or even in a two leg Champions League test? Liverpool have three or four players of extreme quality. Gerrard, Torres, Reina and Mascherno. The rest are Wigan class players. Now look at us. In that same category of Liverpool players, one can add EVDS, Vidic, Rio, Carrick, Ronaldo, Rooney, Berbatov, Tevez, Evra, and I’d even consider Scholes and Giggs even at their ages. Then look at the two teams respective benches. As I see it, Liverpool are in for a major hurt. All United have to do is stay focused and play their game and up to their capabilities and it’s not even close. So take care of the EPL this week and then lets hope we meet the Scouser bastards in the CL and give them another hammering.
March 13th, 2009 at 18:17
@RedDevilEddy: Mate there is nothing I could add about Al Gore that you can’t find at his biography page at Wikipedia. Trust me, it’s very well researched and accurate. I know because I am a big Al Gore supporter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Gore
March 13th, 2009 at 18:25
@RedDevilEddy: I would also agree with you that Al Gore’s book “Assault on Reason” is tremendous but it really isn’t a biography of him. But if you are ever interested on understanding more about the criminal policies and moves of America’s past administration, then that book will really open your eyes. There are many books written by him but surprisingly very few books about him. “The World According to Gore” is a good one but I forget the name of the author. Hope that is of any help to you mate. Stick with Wiki.
March 13th, 2009 at 18:27
By the way article in the Telegraph again recommending Giggs as a leading contender for player of the year. It is an interesting question and I think we should debate it!
On the one hand some of his performances have been of a quality that very few players have come close to, and more importantly they were in very big games. He has also got a huge number of assists considering how few games he’s played.
But then again he has played far fewer games than other contenders for the award and was anonymous in 2008.
There aren’t really any other standout contenders with the exception of a certain Serbian defender (and they don’t tend to give awards to defenders)!
Of course I’m an old sentimental fool and Giggs has always been one of my favourite players. So Im a bit biased. Id love to hear everyone elses views
March 13th, 2009 at 18:33
@Dan: Try getting Jonny Evans or may I suggest cheap alternatives like Skrtl, Rio’s little brother or go to Germany and get Heiko Westermann. I’m wondering how affordable Metzelder is now. He is still decent as is Joris Mathijson. My favorite would be Daniel Van Buyten at Bayern or even see how much his teammate Demichelis is? Van Buyten is tall rangy and great in the air as well as he scores goals like Vidic.
March 13th, 2009 at 18:44
@colver: Giggs has been good this year but he still has times where his play breaks down in the attacking zone. He still can dribble and trick people but his passing as good as it is, isn’t what it used to be and his consistency depends on resting him accordingly. I love him and he’s one of my all time favorites but giving him the awrd would be totally and completely sentimental. Nemanja Vidic has been the best performer in the league this season by a country mile.
March 13th, 2009 at 18:46
@colver: In a season where goals have been way down and a keeper has set an English record for shutout minutes, I see no problem rewarding a defender the award. It would be justice and may actually wake the FA up and make them realize that our league has serious problems despite the big four ruling in Europe.
March 13th, 2009 at 19:02
ive just signed pannuci and bore, and i will most likely sign herridison and lauren aswell.
l
Not bad!
I might sell moutinho to raise funds for sahin aswel
March 13th, 2009 at 19:44
ive decided to sell moutinho and buy sahin.
March 13th, 2009 at 19:56
It’d be ridiculous to give Giggs POTY, especially when Vidic has been so awe-inspiring and VDS has set records. Giggs has been good, but only since Christmas, and he’s still not our best player. I’d like to see Carrick given the award but that won’t happen unless he starts dominating big games.
It’s a nice sentiment to reward a legend who ha been unfairly overlooked for accolades since his first few seasons, but it isn’t merited just because he rolled back the years against a poor Chelsea side. It would be robbery for Giggs to win it.
March 13th, 2009 at 20:07
@Dan: Olivier Kapo = Louis Saha.
Very very gifted, but always injured. Also his game seems to have gone a notch down since is numerous injuries.
Have you tried Hatem Ben Arfa? (winger or offensive mid)
Mamadou Nyang is an effective striker, while Hoarau is scoring for fun at PSG.
I don’t know if he still plays but Olivier Monterrubio was one of the most talented striker in France never to have experienced footy out of gaul’s shores.
Your pro united youth bias shows in your team, so I think it would be important to balance it with experience. Well, that’s in real life, I don;t know about an online manger game!
March 13th, 2009 at 20:15
I would love it if Giggs won individual honours, but I just know that only Vida truly deserves it.
Maybe its time to create some sort of Honorary Award for players, each year during the player of the year awards ceremony,just like they do at the academy awards. Giggs, Scholes, Le Tissier, and a few others would really deserve it – even though we’ll probably have to suffer some pro-dipper and london bias too…
March 13th, 2009 at 20:33
@NicoQB: thanks mate, i havent sold kapo, i still think he has something to offer.
23GK Chris Kirkland
25DF Paul Scharner
7MF Antonio Valencia
15MF Olivier Kapo
2DF Mario Melchiot (captain)
3DF Maynor Figueroa
20MF Won-Hee Cho
4MF Deco
6DF Beye
14MF Gibbson
18MF Possebon
19FW Welbeck
29FW Miller
9FW Jones
11MF Aiden Mcgeady
8MF Yoaan Gourcuff
1GK Tim Weise
16MF Marko Marin
12MF Joao Moutinho
10FW henrik larrson
15DF Craig cathcart
5DF Castro
Belhadj
sahin
Heridison
lauren
Borre
Pannuci
What do you think my best team is? i think
Weise
castro/borre/melchiot
beye
borre/cathcart/pannuci scarner
Belhadj/figuroa
Heridison
Deco/sahin
Gourcuff/sahin
Valencia
Jones
McGeady/Marin
Ive got so much qulity CM i cant put them all in lol.
March 13th, 2009 at 20:34
Aah good, Rooney’s rubbish again
Berbatov was absolute tosh the other night and even worse in the first leg. He has had 1 good patch all season and just hasn’t done it outside of that period. Most of those goals he scored were in the group stage of the CL against some pretty weak teams or when we were 2 or 3 goals up against the likes of Stoke and West Brom. I’m giving him a chance but right now he’s failing and anyone who thinks we are better than at this point last season is just kidding themselves
March 13th, 2009 at 20:35
@NicoQB: Vidic deserves it but giving it to Giggs would be justice after twenty year of incredible play where he always got screwed over for the award. He deserves it just for all the years he didn’t win it when he probably deserved to win it.
March 13th, 2009 at 20:40
@Liam: You say most of his goals are from the group stages of the CL, well no shit! that was round 16 last match, the first round after the group stages, that is a pathetic excuse to be totally honest.
So im guessing he didnt win the middles borough match for us either did he
, Tevez scores against a shitty fulham side, he deserves to start against fulham, berbatov has something like 5 goals i his last 6 games, but hes still shit.
You just cant except the fact that there are players who can be just as and more influential, without running around like an idiot. your blue collar style of play is utter tosh tbh, blue collar style of play gets you a world cup in 66 and nothing, absolutely nothing else.
March 13th, 2009 at 21:13
@Liam: I think we’re better right now than last year, since at the same period last year everybody was calling us a one man team, to which I half agreed with.
We’re much more balanced right now, and have one Jonny Evans to relieve Rio and Vida, though I would welcome Wes at RB.
As for your Berba, argument, I do agree that his football has not been vintage stuff recently, but it seems to me that while he was distilling brilliant passes when he first came, right now he’s scoring more regularly. I just wish he could do both for a prolonged period of time.
As for Tevez, he remains an enigma. If he manages to get his scoring boots on, will it be worth to play him? Especially ahead of Berbatov? I’m very skeptical about his decision making, and he rarely had a good passing game this season – the one pass that I can recall is the one to Berba to which Dimi scored with a header, and even that one he had no other option but to pass!
So, I’m still pro Berba, but if he continues with his recent “only scoring, noy much else” games, I would start to question him a bit more. But I did raise the issue of players not passing him enough the ball. At Spurs he was the “go-to guy” whereas now he’s just one v.good player among others. also when he just came, our midfileders were always giving him the ball, wanting him to do well – and he delivered with assists. Right now he receives less service, but scores more, so for me if he finally manages to hit the right balance between playmaking and scoring, he will defintely be the missing jigsaw in our attack.
March 13th, 2009 at 22:28
VDS
RIO
VIDIC
OSHEA
EVRA
FLETCHER
CARRICK
ANDERSON
RONALDO
TEVEZ
ROONEY
March 13th, 2009 at 22:33
@realred: That was a bit random…
March 13th, 2009 at 23:12
Just thought id spice things up a bit Dan…!
Was deep in thought when suddenly this team popped in my head, what u think!?
March 13th, 2009 at 23:14
If you get a chance watch again the second goal against inter.Before Rooney made the cross to Ronaldo,Berbatov was offsides and instead of pulling back,he stayed there.The defenders saw that and stopped backtracking,waitng for the cross and the referee to blow the whistle.Rooney’s cross was perfect and Ronaldo had nobody to chalange him, while he headed the ball in the net,because the defenders were facing the goal.If done right,our forwards can realy take advantage of the offsides rule and use it on set playes and when crossing the ball.
606.
March 13th, 2009 at 23:32
Funny how criticism of Berbatov seems to end up with a failure to recognise his true ability or an obsession with blue collar style of play (a turn of phrase I don’t have much time for). How has he done so far? He has done ok in my opinion. He has a reasonable tally of goals, has been a major creative influence and been an ever present in the big games. But I can’t help shake the feeling that he hasn’t delivered as he should. We have spent a fortune on him and changed the team set-up to accommodate him (including restricting Ronaldo to a more static wing position), so he has a big billing to live up to.
In terms of the league at least, we are winning more points per game and conceding less. Yet our goal per game ratio has fallen, which would seem a more relevant measure of a striker. Our game is undeniably played at a slower pace and with less flexibility than last year. But is this a movement to a more possession based game by SAF or a side effect of integrating Berbatov into the team? By the same token we have tended to play more defensively minded players in the first 11 this season.
Last year we would frequently play with the ‘holy trinity’ plus Giggs/Nani and Carrick/Anderson/Scholes in CM. This year the more defensively minded Park and Fletcher have been more prevalent. Again is this a deliberate ploy by Ferguson or is it to provide extra cover since we no longer play two terriers up front? If these are intentional changes to the team by SAF then fair enough. If they have been forced upon us to integrate Berbatov then I think he needs to offer more on an individual level.
The statistical argument put forward by jos at 222 is an interesting one. Yet I find it is based on a premise that I have trouble with, Berbatov’s performance have been excellent because his stats compare favourably with our other forwards. This season at least I don’t feel that is a particularly great accolade. Tevez has been poor for most of the season, Ronaldo has not hit the heights of his last two campaigns whilst Rooney has had an injury disrupted time as usual. My gut feeling is that if Wayne had not had his last hamstring injury then his stats would be significantly better than his rivals (based on his excellent form both pre and post injury).
Still it would be pedantic to quibble too much about his input given the season we are having so far. But you just get the feeling that there is more in his locker than we have seen to date.
Stat for the day, Berbatov manages less than one shot on target for every full 90 minutes of league football.
@Dan: That is a load of rubbish, any benefit derived from his position is negated by the increased risk of the goal being called offside if the assistant referee deems him to be active.
March 14th, 2009 at 1:09
here’s an interesting article to note:
Keano was rejected by Sydney FC to manage them
March 14th, 2009 at 1:40
@Dan: Ok clearly you didn’t read my post or your comprehension skills are a bit off. Where did I say most of his goals in the CL were in the group stages? I said most of his goals were against some pretty weak teams in the group stages of the CL. These are goals that you are using to vindicate your point about him scoring more than Rooney and you were counting both CL and PL. As JB said, he takes less than one shot a game. How many other 30m strikers have such a bad stat as that? Instead of Berbatov for that money we could’ve got Eto’o and change or push for David Villa. They are both FAR superior players to Berba and for that reason he just wasn’t the right signing. Also in case you haven’t noticed, Rooney has scored in every one of his last 5 or 6 league games.
@NicoQB: I respect your point but you can’t teach old dogs new tricks. He has played in the same system for the majority of his career and he was central to that system. He can’t adapt to our high octane style of play and is often many seconds late on balls into the box. Still, if he plays well tomorrow and scores a goal that beats Liverpool I will be forever grateful
March 14th, 2009 at 4:23
@JB: Well yes, Berbatov hasn’t delivered all the way! The whole idea of every player on the pitch running and fighting for every ball works great for our overall work ethic, but what message does it send when a standout player, for reasons that I could only speculate about, will saunter around at a pace that would irritate a hungry snail!
I’m getting the feeling, just by watching his frustrations, that he expects everything to be served up on a platter to him. The goals that he has scored were opportunist takes, fair enough, and the opportunities and half chances that fall his way usually go wanting!! I’d really like to see him create a couple of his own ops, run at the defence, side step a player or two a whack the fucking ball goalwards!!
I have to admit that his flicks and touches can be absolutely sublime, showing that he has a deep rooted creativity bottled up inside. He must be a very frustrated man and creatively constipated!
If I was SAF I’d stick my magical hairdryer right where he doesn’t expect it, flushing out all that potential and possibly taking a load off those tired looking legs!!
March 14th, 2009 at 11:16
I had a horrible dream that we lost 2-1. We scored first, and they scored, and then they won it with a header from the edge of the box in the last min. I smashed my laptop in anger proclaiming ‘I don’t care if we’re still going to walk the league, they’ll start saying they’re the best team in the world, and they fucking aren’t’.
Even my subconscious hates scousers.
March 14th, 2009 at 12:10
@Traverse: Now im scared, i had a dream that we lost too
March 14th, 2009 at 12:13
United better get some feckin METAL in midfield today, or we will get our arses kicked! Inter should would have done us if they hadn’t been so feckin unlucky. Our midfield was SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW. You can bet L’fool will flood midfield today, and we need at least 3 fierce combatants in there to fight fire with fire. I don’t believe Fergie got his midfield call right against Inter, sorry if this disagrees with all your thoughts. He better get it right today though, and if he does, and we can keep so much overiding pressure of our defense, I think we can control and walk this game. But control it we MUST. If not, the scousers will be giving us some ALL season remaining. We will never hear the last of it, and will have given them a way back in. Get in there UNited, and play HARD.
March 14th, 2009 at 12:17
@Liam: But the problem isnt rooney though, hes playing just fine, as is berbatov, people just cant stomach the fact that berbatov is the better then tevez. And hello, saying he scored against weaker sides in the group stage, or saying he scored in the group stage is exacly the same thing. We werent 2 or 3 up against celtic when berba scored 2 against them. the only match you could argue that point for is the aalborog match, thats it.
@JB: But he wasnt active, which was the whole point, so that point is invalid…
March 14th, 2009 at 12:18
@Craig Mc: Anderson and giggs in our midfield today i hope. Carrick has been off form, as has scholes. Giggs is looking like a world beater in Midfield, and we need andersons energy.
March 14th, 2009 at 13:01
@Dan: Well, while you guys had a dream we lost, I dreamt we beat them 7-1, Roma style!
It all started off with a Ronaldo free-kick, then Rooney scored a thunderbolt of a volley, before Vidic and Rio scored two goals from two corners. Then Tevez scored a goal from a hard Ronaldo cross with an overhead kick, kissing the United badge before running around the stadium showing off his new tattoo saying “I will always be a red!”. Then Anderson scored a goal from 5 yards out after a chaos in the box, before Steven Gerrard scored an own goal because he needed anger management. But in th last minute Rafa Benitez took of his XXXL clothes and ran out on the pitch. He took the ball in his hands and ran into the United net with it. Because Liverpool paid the refs to give them a goal, it counted. 
Serisously, I expect us to really put out our guns today. I dont want a fucking 1-0 or 2-1 win. Lets hammer them like a fucked up bug!!!
What are LFC anyway?! Sounds like a fucking female hormon! Beat those fucking cunts, or I will fucking beat you! COME ON UNITED!!! 
March 14th, 2009 at 13:06
Any team news yet?! Its less than a fucking hour to kick off!
I want us to play this team:
VDS
Oshea Rio Vidic Evra
Ronaldo Fletcher Anderson Park
Rooney Tevez
Park against Kuyt would be a real terrier battle. Two fucking ugly heads shmash together to see who has the most work rate. The Ronaldo vs Arbeloa or Aurelio, must be comedy club on those sides! Anderson and Fletcher are big game players, and Andy plays out of his skin when we face Liverpool. Man of the match in both clashes last season, and we wouldnt have scored in September not for his brilliant chipped through ball to Berba. Rooney hates(really hates them, fuck “dislike”!) Liverpool, and Tevez always seem to score when he plays against them. I dont expect Giggs or Scholes to play today, because they both played on Wednesday. United to win 2-0, Rooney and Ronaldo to score.
March 14th, 2009 at 13:09
team news
Man Utd: Van der Sar, O’Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Anderson, Park, Rooney, Tevez.
Subs: Foster, Berbatov, Giggs, Nani, Scholes, Evans, Fletcher.
Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio, Mascherano, Lucas, Kuyt, Gerrard, Riera, Torres.
Subs: Cavalieri, Dossena, Hyypia, Babel, Insua, Ngog, El Zhar.
March 14th, 2009 at 13:09
United line up:
GK: Edwin Van der Sar
RB: John Oshea
CB: Rio Ferdinand
CB: Nemanja Vidic
LB: Patrice Evra
RM: Ji-Sung Park
CM: Michael Carrick
CM: Anderson Abreu de Luis Oliveira
LW: Cristiano Ronaldo
ST: Wayne Rooney
ST: Carlos Tevez
subs: 12. Ben Foster (GK)
9. Dimitar Berbatov
11. Ryan Giggs
17. Luis Nani
18. Paul Scholes
23. Jonathan Evans
24. Darren Fletcher
March 14th, 2009 at 13:09
According to the BBC:
MANCHESTER UNITED v LIVERPOOL LINE-UPS
Man Utd: Van der Sar, O’Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Anderson, Park, Rooney, Tevez.
Subs: Foster, Berbatov, Giggs, Nani, Scholes, Evans, Fletcher.
Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio, Mascherano, Lucas, Kuyt, Gerrard, Riera, Torres.
Subs: Cavalieri, Dossena, Hyypia, Babel, Insua, Ngog, El Zhar.
Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)
March 14th, 2009 at 13:11
AANDERSOOOOOON STARTS!!!
March 14th, 2009 at 13:12
@RedDevilEddy: You almost got the team you wanted! Only Carrick instead of Fletcher.
Van der Sar, O’Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Anderson, Park, Rooney, Tevez.
March 14th, 2009 at 13:15
@Aymen: Hopefully my dream comes true too!
March 14th, 2009 at 13:28
This is it, time to give some pain back to the scouse. Good to see the Anderson and the Apache playing, big games needed from Rooney, Carrick and Ronaldo,
2-0 to United 
March 14th, 2009 at 13:28
great team.
stuck in lads
surely today is the day, were a far superior side
March 14th, 2009 at 13:29
@RedDevilEddy: If that happens then I think Fergie will have to hire you to provide him with some prophecies!
March 14th, 2009 at 13:30
i predict anderson’s first goal
March 14th, 2009 at 13:30
i like the line up!! looks great. i guess we will have to take o’shea aat back since everyone is injured.
Come On You Reds!
March 14th, 2009 at 13:36
Come On United!
March 14th, 2009 at 13:37
United vs. Liverpool live streams
March 14th, 2009 at 13:53
Things are sounding promising so far…
March 14th, 2009 at 13:56
Get up Torres you woman.
March 14th, 2009 at 13:58
@radzio: Cannot click your link
Any streams? Thanks
March 14th, 2009 at 14:10
Stop giving it away boys!
March 14th, 2009 at 14:12
PENALTY! COM ON RONALDO!
March 14th, 2009 at 14:13
Ronaldo! Woo.
March 14th, 2009 at 14:14
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
FUCKING HAVE THAT YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
March 14th, 2009 at 14:18
OH FUCKING SHIT!
FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK
COME ON VIDA!
March 14th, 2009 at 14:23
What the fuck is going on. Get yourself together Vidic!
COME ON UNITED!
March 14th, 2009 at 14:25
I feel kind of let down by Vida. But he has been brilliant all year so come on, lets destroy them! Park’s playing a blinder
March 14th, 2009 at 14:29
our passing is leaving a lot to be desired
March 14th, 2009 at 14:33
Oh lord almighty.
March 14th, 2009 at 14:35
For fuck sake Evra!
March 14th, 2009 at 14:35
O.o
March 14th, 2009 at 14:37
FUCK! i hate liverpool and their fans! i hope to god we dont lose!
March 14th, 2009 at 14:38
This would be twice in a season that we lose to this shower after going a goal up. Why can’t we hang on to leads against them? We do against everyone else
March 14th, 2009 at 14:38
Ok Fergie. Hairdryer. On its highest setting.
March 14th, 2009 at 14:38
Yippe!!! we starte tevez and we’re now 2-1 down
!! woooooo 
March 14th, 2009 at 14:40
@Dan: yeah because it’s not like when we started Berba against them anything different happened. It’s the defense’s fault we’re losing not the attack’s
March 14th, 2009 at 14:44
United players have been very complacent.Or it could be tiredness,who knows.But there is lot to complain about our performance.i dont remember any shot on target or any clear chances for that matter.What happened to us?We wont get away like we did against Inter everytime
March 14th, 2009 at 14:45
This game is turning out to be exactly the reverse of what we’ve done all season. Rio apart, the defense has been poor, Carrick has done his best impression of the invisible man (except for his shot) and surprises odf all surprises, Tevez has been good!
I would have settled for the draw at the stat of the match, and right now its even more so the case.
March 14th, 2009 at 14:45
@edwin: He’ll need about 10 hairdryers to sort out the defense and central midfield
March 14th, 2009 at 14:48
I havent clue what carrick was doing, he was poor against inter and even poorer today. Our latino players have not been great this season, and now it seems our british players aren’t either, phelan out!
March 14th, 2009 at 14:49
we were good for the first 4 minutes.
March 14th, 2009 at 14:49
Fucking shit! We´re playing with nine players… Anderson is playing like shit, as usual, which allows Liverpool to smoothly control the midfield, especially the space between the midfield and United defenders. What about Rooney?? Evertyime i look to him, he´s just screaming with someone… Bla bla bla… What about start playing some football? To make things worse our defence had two more “Titus Bramble” moments. We got away with that on Wednesday but not today!
March 14th, 2009 at 15:02
Up the tempo boys!
COME ON UNITED!
March 14th, 2009 at 15:05
Tevez and Park are the only players performing to any type of acceptable standard
March 14th, 2009 at 15:12
shit shit shit shit shit shit shit.
COME ON UNITED!
March 14th, 2009 at 15:13
we need to score. our ball control and distribution in the final third needs to improve.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:15
Get Giggs on, get Ando off
March 14th, 2009 at 15:16
NOW PLEASE
March 14th, 2009 at 15:16
vidic is having problems dealing with high balls. and he’s not even wearing long sleeves.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:17
Oh look. Liverpool are parking the bus.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:20
Anderson sucks!!!! He keeps giving away the ball!! Everytime!!!
March 14th, 2009 at 15:21
GIGGSY, SCHOLES, BERBA, COME ON! MAKE A FUCKING DIFFERENCE!
WE CAN DO THIS!
March 14th, 2009 at 15:25
Oh lord. Weve lost.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:25
FUCK SAKE VIDIC, hero to zero
March 14th, 2009 at 15:26
Does anyone have Andy Gray’s address????
March 14th, 2009 at 15:26
Oh god.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:26
Soooo, who changed the channel?i did
March 14th, 2009 at 15:27
March 14th, 2009 at 15:29
God please wake me up from this nightmare.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:31
story of today:
I feel sick
March 14th, 2009 at 15:34
I shall never feel this depressed in my life. Monday and beyond shall be pure torture.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:39
This match will be shown to all United fans in Hell for all eternity…….
March 14th, 2009 at 15:40
I think I’m severely depressed now.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:41
Cant take this anymore. Afternoon all.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:42
midfield crap defence crap attack reasonably crap
pool double over us.
disaster.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:43
Ive got to put up with my scouse uni mate all week and beyond if he starts chelping im probably gonna have to twat him just on principle
March 14th, 2009 at 15:43
Fergie is going to murder someone
March 14th, 2009 at 15:45
i fear Grognard’s wrath
March 14th, 2009 at 15:47
We got a fucking thrashing, and from now on WE will feel so fucking mauled, that we will MAUL everyone coming up we have to play. A lot of people will take heart from United showing today, but to be honest, L’fool were not doing fuck all after Gerrard scored, UNTIL Nemanjah got sent off. I am not worried about Nemanjah being out, because Johnny Evans will do a good job for us. Evra though is very feckin shakey and loose since he came back. And our midfield, I’ve been saying all fucking season lacks METAL. We have just made L’fool feel like feckin world beaters, and this will give Chelski real hope now.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:48
it’s same as city doing double over us last season….this was the kick we needed up our arse……..
we will bounce back and win remaining three trophies, i am sure about that!!!!!!!!!!
March 14th, 2009 at 15:49
@Liam: Fergie should Feckin murder himself, if he is going to murder anyone. Players should have been on far earlier then he brought them on.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:50
You know, inside im pissed, but im calm. We’re 4 points ahead with a game in hand, we are in a healthy postion to be honest.
Our pride should be hurt, but we should not panic, i think this loss is better for us, then a win, its the kick up the arse we needed. Lets bounce back like we did when we last lost, in November. Im a little disappointed that we lost at home though, i thought we were gonna be unbeaten for another 4 years at home.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:50
@vikas: i agree.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:50
@ROOOOONEY: Lol. Thats the least of my worries.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:52
That will make L’fool feel they are every bit our equal, but if we end up with all the trophies, I couldn’t give a fuck what L’fool feel. The lads will be really down after that though.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:52
well well well, im back and this is what united give me after a month away.
This is a lesson to all united stakeholders and football fans alike on how NOT to chase a game
loosing 1-2 at home, what do you bring on your 3 slowest players, and remove the only players who we’re giving you venom and tenacity and opening the defence at will, i had a feeling, as soon as we bring on those 3 players we would lose the game, and a triple substitution, i said to my friend a red card will kill us, and it happened our best player this season makes his second blunder of the season
All in all this was a joke, a MAJOR joke, i have a disturbing feeling Vida was injured, because a playerof that quality does not play that badly.
so many thoughts rushing to my head, this is all i have got to say
March 14th, 2009 at 15:53
By the way, I want those fuckers L’fool in the next round of the CL. We need to get back at them QUICKLY.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:53
yes, we might have needed the kick up the ass after our shakey preformances ths season, but for fucks sake did it have to come against the scouse scum?
March 14th, 2009 at 15:53
Well out of words to be honest. Couldn’t take it anymore. We are very lucky that we have that lead in the top of the table, otherwise it could have been troublesome. I am not gonna analyze it or anything like that, just gonna try to forget it…
March 14th, 2009 at 15:55
so emberrassing.but champions lose the odd game here and there and get right back in.dont have anything to say other than that
March 14th, 2009 at 15:56
Remember how people used to post links to shit scouse blogs for us to get a laugh after their usual comical footballing fiasco? Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a few visits from dipper scum today.
I especially feel for Scott of ROM, who’s used to a barrage of scousers talking shit on his site.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:56
And vidic really let me down today, and to be honest all of his latest mathes have not been up to his usual standard. evra too since he returned. my emotions are just all over the place now.
March 14th, 2009 at 15:57
Can someone please wake me up from this nightmare
March 14th, 2009 at 15:58
giggs should have started instead of anderson..
Anderson’s passing has been abysmal..
Far from being the magician that was expected of him.
Vidic and O’Shea committed school boy errors.
You cant allow the ball to bounce into dangerous positions.
Just head them out!
Kinda disappointing to lose by 4-1.
but we still have a 4point lead with a game in hand.
I should be able to sleep with that in mind though.
Lets just hope the season of 97/98 does not return to haunt us.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:00
Anyone else notice how we just about never play well after scoring first early in the game? MAybe my memory fails me, but I struggle to remember vintage performances after early scoring…
Oh, and by the way just to show how Mauritius is footy mad, for a few minutes our cellular network was down with all the scouse supporters taking the mickey out of us! Oh well its good natured banter really.!
March 14th, 2009 at 16:02
We hurt L’fool last season with GUESS WHO? Nani, Nani, Nani, who made a goal for Ronaldo and SCORED a fuckin cracker himself. He would have played better than some of those on show today. But hey, Fergie knows best doesn’t he? Course he fuckin does – NOT.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:03
Agree with Dan here,we needed a kick.i was worried sick watching the game vs Inter.Now the circle is complete,i hope.There was nothing Fergie could do,when your players play so poorly,your manager cant do anything from the stands.i thought our team selection was good.It was just a bad day at the office.Too bad its 4-1,it hurts
March 14th, 2009 at 16:06
Well that was a shocker, but there are always positives to be drawn. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of bouncing back after a bad defeat, and that is what we should be loking forward to now. Some passion and drive, rather than just snoozing through the games. A championship we have to fight all the way for will live longer in memory than one we parade in to.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:06
park actually played rather well.
but everyone’s finishing is not to be desired
March 14th, 2009 at 16:10
I have not felt so weak and humiliated since we lost to Shitty last February. I feel like killing someone!
I dont care about the fucking Prem right now, we had already won it before the game. Its the pride and the rivalery that hurts. I want… No, fuck that, I NEED United face Liverpool in the Champions League. REVENGE! We are talking about losing fucking 4-1 at home to Liverpool!!! This will be hard to recover from. What the fuck went wrong today?! Its not Liverpools tactics, they were no different from last year. Its something with the squad… Vidic was playing like he had never played football in his life! I just cant stand this feeling I have right now… Its a combination of humiliation, hurt pride, fucking anger and worst of all: That knowing what the Liverpool fans are gonna feel about this!!! You think they are gonna let us forget this?! No fucking way! We better recover drasticly from this, or else we will suffer big time! 
March 14th, 2009 at 16:11
@ahbaj:
anderson>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>carrcik today, other then the turn and attemtp he made in the second half, he has been even worst then when he first came to us!
I miss hargreaves
I wonder if we can recall ljajic?
March 14th, 2009 at 16:12
I think fergie should sign appiah on a play as you play deal, we need a midfield enforcer, hargreaves did it for us last season, we need one even more this season.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:13
@RedDevilEddy: I feel it too. I swear if I get more texts form mates i will break my phone. Ive gotta go face the cunts on monday too.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:14
The tevez – berba debate was also laid bare for all to see in the game. Despite Tevez playing well and actually having good touches for most part of the game, he was not finding himself in good positions to put the ball in the back of the net, and even when he did he screwed it. Berba, on the other hand did not much and still managed to hit the post after he came on.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:14
@Dan: Dan you have to ask yourself mate why Anderson, Nani, Evra and others of our players are going backwards this season. Better still ask Fergie.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:19
take a look at the stats, if you didnt know the any better you would say united were the winning team. to bad thats far from the truth
Manchester United Team Statistics Liverpool
1 Goals 4
1 1st Half Goals 2
3 Shots on Target 5
7 Shots off Target 3
7 Blocked Shots 1
10 Corners 3
3 Offsides 2
2 Yellow Cards 3
1 Red Cards 0
80.3 Passing Success 74.2
18 Tackles 32
83.3 Tackles Success 71.9
55 Possession 45
55.6 Territorial Advantage 44.4
March 14th, 2009 at 16:20
@Craig Mc: Yeah I’m sure you know better, you NEVER miss any opportunity to peddle your Nani love- in. Like he’d have added anything today
March 14th, 2009 at 16:21
@RedDevilEddy: Dont rise to the bait with the opposing fans of whichever club Eddie mi man. Just remind them, hey lets wait and see who picks up the trophies at the end of the season. One swallow doesn’t make a summer. And I still say we would have got a DRAW if Nemanjah hand’t got sent off. It was all United after Gerrards goal.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:21
@Vivek: Yeah, I too was pissed off, with how that scouse loving cunt Andy Gray was going on and on about the bin dippers. Fuck, he was even calling kuyt a world beater.
I fuckin wanted to murder the bastard.
I am amazed at how such biased pool loving cunts always end up commentating united matches. We never have a united loving commentator, or probably I guess even if there are any, they have the sense not seem so overtly biased.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:23
@Rd: I believe he would have added something, and I am as entitled to believe that, as you are to believe IN YOUR SHIT. What’s up Rd – you rattled because I made a true statement?
March 14th, 2009 at 16:23
I bet a tenner with my Scum-supporting uni housemate that United would win today, but the team’s performance was so abysmal I think I might pay him £15.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:24
@Craig Mc: Oh i dont mate, i mentioned this before you came back mate, the one and only reason they have declined is because of phelan muppet! People argued that, yes, that may well be the cause of our latino players decline, but he is getting the best out of the england players. Well i think today proved that theory wrong, PHELAN MUPPET OUT!
Also, rooney showed today why he is a second striker and not an out and out, he was making liverpool players look like QPR! berbatov, should stay up top where his strength, touch and accuracy will be utilized to his best abilities, and rooney should play just behind him where his ability to run pass players like they’re not there and shoot from range can be used to utilize his abilities. I think fergie saw drogba, and it reminded him off rooney, because of their height and structure, but they are completely different players, fergie, sort it out!
March 14th, 2009 at 16:24
Now I want Liverpool in the CL quarters. We will pay them back in kind immediately.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:26
@edwin: Same here mate! Like I said earlier one of my friends is a die hard Liverpool supporter. Just when I was about to hit my TV with a chair he called. How embarrasing is that. The lesson I learned from this? Never say “you are a fucking schoolgirl team, you only beat teams with cockroaches as players” before a big game.
Came back to haunt me…
March 14th, 2009 at 16:26
We’ve been having things a little too easy in the league, we’ve not had a proper scare since Arsenal, we needed a game like this to really tell the players that the league isn’t gonna fall at their feet, they’ll have to work for it, sadly it came in form of Liverpool. But oh well, glad we built the points cushion.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:27
@Nino: Hahahahaha – good for you Nino, and your right mate, not to mention generous.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:29
@Rd: We haven’t built the points cushion, we haven’t WON the game in hand yet
.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:30
@Craig Mc: Not at all, its just soo predictable and common of you to always look for someway to big up Nani as usual.
@Dan: One of the many joys of redrants, now its Phelan
. Can’t wait for Grog, its probably gonna be sack Fergie, Phelan and sell Anderson.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:31
Boys, I am just to low for words, but I’ll try anyway. I feel like a tuna that’s just been gutted. I am shocked, simply shocked.
I am in total disbelief but above all, I am feeling like a Liverpool fan trying to come up with excuses and reasons to defend my lads and explain that we are better than that.
How could such a calamity happen to such an inferior foe in our own home at Old Trafford. I feel like a Liverpool player who while on the road has had his house broken into and all his valuables stolen by Scouser bastards who are nothing more than subhuman parasites.
What I witnessed was not just shocking and disgusting, it was surreal. It seemed like it was a bad dream and I had just woken up in a cold sweat. Hell, I woke up at 5:30am to watch this garbage? It’s bad enough we lose, but to lose to Liverpool is awful, to lose twice in a season is criminal, to lose to them at OT is unfathomable and to get destroyed by them 4-1 is inconceivable and completely unacceptable.
For weeks now I have been waiting for their bubble to burst. A game where none of the breaks went their way and where all the breaks went to the other team. I thought that would happen on the road to some team who just hit hot form on the day. I even thought the wily Mourinho might come up with some magic and ruin our European run with a win but not in all my dreams did I expect the useless and ridiculous, the comical and incompetent from Liverpool to come into our back yard and humiliate my team and in the process, it’s millions of supporters. This was a victory for bad taste and rubbish. The problem is that today it was Manchester United that showed bad taste and was total and utter rubbish.
Something had to give I suppose. Could we go the rest of the season without another blemish or two? Probably not, bu this was far more than a blemish. This was fucking unacceptable. This was a worse case scenario. I do not want to hear from the common sense pundits who are going to say that this isn’t the end of the world and we are still in the drivers seat. I want none of that bullshit. This game was an unmitigated disaster. This may not have been Fergie’s Waterloo but it will be a loss and an embarrassment that we will have to carry for years and answer for. Scouser cunts will never let us live this down. The only thing that could exorcise this demon would be to go to Anfield and beat them by 3 goals and that’s not going to happen the way we play on the road and the way we finish. We can go on and win the quintuple and yet this loss and in fact Liverpool doing the double on us will always be a major blemish on the team’s accomplishments. I wouldn’t care if this had happened at Anfield. United historically have been thumped on the road before. Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle, Blackburn have all thumped us pretty good on the road in past years. Sometimes you just don’t have it on the road. But you never lose like this at home. Not when you are as good as this team is, and not when the team has had such an incredible defensive record. 4 points this season out of a possible 13 against the big four and we’re still in first. Unbelievable. How do we live with the shame. And no I am not overreacting. This wasn’t just a loss, it was a shameful and totally humiliating destruction and humiliation to our most bitter and despised rival.
I am shocked and concerned over the incredibly poor play of our back four and our keeper today. I mean Van der Sar, why the Hell don’t you dive for that free kick rather than watch it go in the net without giving the maximum in effort to stop it. It was struck with great accuracy but was slow. To not even try for it is so lazy. From where he was positioned, I honestly feel in my heart that had he tried for it, he might have gotten to it. The final goal was totally humiliating. Incomprehensible marking of such poor quality that I was rubbing my eyes in total shock. And why again did EVDS decide to position himself in such a bad way was bewildering. As for Evra giving that penalty, well, I have been saying for a month now that he has been getting skinned and physically beaten at an alarming rate but nobody wanted to hear me. Are you all listening now?
As for Vidic, I am a t a loss for words. A month ago I was letting somebody have it for comparing Skrtl to Vidic. Based on todays game I’m not sure Vidic is as good. Sure that’s an overreaction but I am very concerned that both Rio and Vidic could lay such an egg in this game. Hell, Liverpool should have had a few more in the end, had they not made a meal of the opportunities. As for Vidic’s red card. Completely deserved I’m afraid. For those of you who think it was only a yellow, fucking wake up and stick your bias up your asses. Had he not grabbed him and pulled him down the player was in alone with a great goal scoring chance. SHOCKING SHOCKING SHOCKING!!!
And finally, what to say about our anemic attack and team selection. If anybody has any questions about Rooney’s value after today, then they are truly fucked in the head. Rooney was great but he could have sued today for lack of support. Tevez, Ronaldo and Berbatov in a short stint were totally useless. Anderson was a disgrace and I am still wondering why he started in such a big game???? Sorry Eddy but he is not up for this level of play. He just isn’t. Carrick was good at times if not for the way Tevez would continually take a good situation and kill it off with a terrible finish or God awful first touch. And to think I have been sticking up for him all season. This is how he rewards me for my faith in him. He was crap and as far as I’m concerned, let him go at season’s end. I can think of a dozen strikers who are far better than him and who will be available.
Fergie, so help me if you come out of this game with a laze fair it’s only one fucking game attitude, I will frakken go balisitc. This is hair dryer time and at full setting. This is boot kicking time, better yet, this is ass kicking time. No excuses about the team being tired after a tough European match and because Liverpool had one extra day of rest. I am sick and tired of this kind of shit and these crappy performance immediately after a European tie. You never had to travel and the motivation itself should have guaranteed a result like last year or worse case, a 1-0 win. Instead we have to stomach what will go down as the most humiliating loss this club has suffered at home since I can bloody remember. Thanks a million for kicking the stuffing out of me and destroying my mojo and the season. Go on and win the quintuple, you still have poisoned the season with two losses and 6 goals against a far inferior team run by a fucking cunt. And this could be the start of a slump for the team where they question themselves. Even Barca went through one but their lead was bigger. If we blink twice, we could be in second. So how do I get through the next couple of weeks?
March 14th, 2009 at 16:31
@Craig Mc: “…we would have got a DRAW if Nemanjah hand’t got sent off. It was all United after Gerrards goal…”
yeah, agree.
To all: I guess we’re pretty much all depressed, so we’ll have to eat some chocolate and do some chores – the latter actually a proven morale booster…
Or better… go out on the piss.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:32
@Craig Mc: I dont care about the fucking Prem mi man!
Well, of cource I do, but today was more than that. I will recover from this, as will United. I just hope Unitedlearn something from this. Truth be told, I have been wating for a kick in the teeth for a long time now. We havent lost a game since November, winning many games 1-0 after taking an early lead a defending. Maybe deep within I am actually happy about this loss? 
I miss watching United fire on all sylinders, scoring goal after goal after goal. Its come rare and in periods this season, and I knew this would come back to haunt us one day. And it did. Today, against Liverpool, at Old Trafford, on the last game they play when Im 15 years old, and we get Vidic sent off. Hopefully something wonderful can come from this…
March 14th, 2009 at 16:34
@Dan: With Ronnie not as prolific this season mate, I still dont think we have anybody PROLIFIC enough to get 25 goals a season.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:36
I was shocked by the way United capitulated after the sending off. To be honest I did not see why Vidic felt the need to haul down the Liverpool player as I felt there was no way back into the game even at 2-1, as the Dippers were totally in control by that stage. It should also have been 5-1 if Gerrard hadn’t blasted it over with the goal at his mercy.
As soon as I saw Anderson and Carrick starting in this match, alarm bells did ring in my head. I was thinking to myself: ‘when has Ando EVER played well with Carrick?’ Usually Carrick dovetails so well with Scholes, and Ando with Hargreaves. Speaking of Hargo, we really, really missed a player with his bite and tenacity in midfield today. We would NEVER have lost 4-1 with someone like him or Fletcher shielding the defence. Vidic was brutally exposed in my opinion today. Where was Rio in this match??? He normally deals so well with Torres and keeps him in his back pocket, instead he left Vidic exposed.
SAF made a huge mistake by bringing on three subs simultaneously; he should have brought on two at the 70minute mark as he did, then saved a third for the 80th minute, so he could have dealt with the sending off.
Anyway, I am not too hurt by the loss itself, as we had to lose a game sooner or later, its just the manner of defeat that is so hard to take. It’s the trophies at the end of the season that count, and its a good thing this wasn’t a Champions League knockout tie: could you honestly deal with the dippers getting FOUR away goals???!
March 14th, 2009 at 16:38
@RedDevilEddy: Eddy of course you are right mi man. We have relied a lot on our defence keeping prowess this season, and have somehow managed to score the odd goal to win. Now with our defenders having a bad patch, and our forwards apart from the odd game finding it impossible to get the ball in the feckin net, well there’s the tale isn’t it mate?
March 14th, 2009 at 16:39
@Craig Mc: It’s not just the trophies Bro, it’s about bragging rights over our most hated foes. The only thing that can erase this will take a year for us to wait for and to be honest, I don’t see it happening. We just don’t score 4 goals or win by 3 when we go to Anfield. And as far as playing them in the Champions League, do I even want to contemplate that now. Hell, I’ve picked myself off the turf, tucked my tail between my legs and cried all the way home. The last thing I want is knowing I have to play those cunts again this season. No fucking way. This season they have our number. What’s even worse, Benitez just guaranteed himself a large contract to stay at Liverpool because of the team’s exploits this week. NUTS!
March 14th, 2009 at 16:40
PS: Even though Tevez scored our only goal, anyone who still doubts Berbatov and Rooney as the ideal first choice partnership now, should be smacked really hard.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:42
@NicoQB: Going out on the piss is often a good remedy mate – depending on your age though
. The Salford reds have a great song:-
Win or lose, Win or lose, we will still be on the booze,
Pissed out of our heads, chanting for the reds.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:42
@Grognard: Err… Sorry to disagree but I thought that if not for the horror show by Vida, Carrick would have been our worst player.
And you know how I’m harsh on Tevez, but I thought he wasn’t that bad, he actually played well except for absence of finishing of course. I take special care in analysing Tevez’s game since I am aware that I may be prone to a negative bias, and thought he was passing well today, which truthfully hadn’t happened for a long time.
I’m also questioning VDS’s tenure as no.1. Most of us would agree that it was the back 4 that made our defence impregnable and considering Foster’s potential, maybe its time to give the lad a sustained run in the side at starting keeper. Or maybe come next season.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:43
Am I the only one who thinks the defence is a bit slightly over-hyped? I mean, we hardly played any decent teams during that 14-game shutout run did we? We have conceded goals everytime we have played a ‘big’ team this season, bar Chelsea at home and Inter Milan with the ineffective Zlatan and past-it Adriano. As soon we face a proven world class attacker i.e. Torres, the defensive myth has been lifted and exposed. Make of that what you will.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:45
@RedDevilEddy:”…I miss watching United fire on all sylinders, scoring goal after goal after goal…”
Never has a 15 year old Manchester United supporting right back from Norway spoken truer words.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:47
@Grognard: Grog, we were BATTERING them until Vidic got a red. We would have got a draw, I am confident of that. Gerrard the best player in the world, and Torres, why, what else did they do today?. It is a one off, and it will NEVER be repeated again mate, because United L’fool games have always been CLOSELY matched and fought. I do want to get them in the CL, and with 11 players and the right Midfield, I think we will win out. UNited to me in the last few games have gone off the boil.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:48
@Grognard: That’s surely good stuff if that FSW is staying for a few more years yet!
March 14th, 2009 at 16:49
@Rd: I may be mad as Hell but to insinuate that I would demand they sack Fergie is just so ridiculous mate. Really!
March 14th, 2009 at 16:50
@Craig Mc:
Oh, I’m definitely of legal age, its just that my circle of friends don’t just watch footy or go on the piss…
Well those who do just live far from my place really and I don’t want to start drinking alone!
March 14th, 2009 at 16:51
@NicoQB: Vidic’s red card was the killer blow because it actually was as bad as giving up a penalty because we loss our player for three games and they score on the free kick. If that isn’t a right uppercut to the jaw, i don’t know what is.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:51
@Grognard: Grog if Rafa gets his contract, that will do for me, because I still don’t think L’fool will win a trophy this season
.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:53
@Craig Mc: Craig I wouldn’t really say ‘battering’. We were knocking on their door at 2-1 down but we never really created any proper clear cut chances IMO. We weren;t serious enough and I don’t think the players really wanted to get back into the game badly enough either, as they knew they could afford to lose this game and still be in pole position for the title.
But you’re right, it is a one-off and will surely NOT ever happen again in the forseeable future. What goes around, comes around, and whilst we have been handing out 7-1 spankings to the likes of Roma in the recent past, it was only a matter of time before we were subject to such a result ourselves.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:54
@Grognard: I agree with absoltely everything you said there! I dont ccare how many trophies we win, this will stick forever. Im not gonna go into details, but I will say three things.
1. Agree with every fucking word there!
2. This is the worst feeling Ive had since I heard I wouldnt be able to trial football for the international team because of my injury.
3. About Anderson.
He was absolutely utter shit today!!! 
Yeah, this is Eddy speaking! I couldnt care if he is my favorite player, or my idol. Today was an embrassasing performance. But it wasnt only him,it was everyone. To be honest, we saw today what we are really lacking in our team. A real striker(Torres) and a everyman midfielder(Gerrard). Although I dont like Gerrard, I would have killed to have him in our team today. He deserves to be crowned PFA POTY. He was absolutely immense, and having him and Torres in our team(at least players like them) would make us absolutely complete. Gerrard > Anderson today, this year, sorry lads. And when I say that, you really know how strongly I feel about it. 
March 14th, 2009 at 16:56
@Nino: Where the fuck was Fletcher today mate – any idea?. He would have been better than Andy m’thinks.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:58
@Craig Mc: Danny Drinkwater would have been better than Andy today.
March 14th, 2009 at 16:59
@RedDevilEddy: Worls class players can TURN it on for their country, and Gerrard NEVER has. To be World class, you have to be able to play in world football – Gerrard can’t. Sorry but get somebody close marking Gerrard, and he is shitter than shit.
March 14th, 2009 at 17:00
@Rd: Ronaldo scored our goal mate…
March 14th, 2009 at 17:00
@RedDevilEddy: Where was Fletch, he usually at least turns up for the big games?
March 14th, 2009 at 17:03
@Nino: I don’t believe this would have happened though, if Fergie had not subbed 3 at once. We could have brought on a defender. That was BAD move by Fergie. But genious as Fergie is, he is a stubborn ole git, and makes elementary mistakes in BIG games sometimes.
March 14th, 2009 at 17:04
@Dan: What a ridiculous comment lol. As if it was Mikey Phelan’s fault that we conceded four cheap and silly goals out on the pitch today. Anybody will do to blame as a scapegoat eh?
March 14th, 2009 at 17:05
@RedDevilEddy: Puh-lease, this is fucking Stevie Me youre talking about!
It would be even better if Stevie ME was denied a POTY by the sympathy voting towards one Ryan Giggs!
March 14th, 2009 at 17:07
@Rd: Totally agree with the second point. People will always try to find scapegoats.
I know this was very bad for all of us and I know that today many of our consistent players had blunders, but I don’t think we should panic. I believe in our squads capabilities and our manager’s motivational skills. 4:1 score really hearts and it’s even more depressing after last year performance, in the end I am sure the squad will return even stronger.
March 14th, 2009 at 17:09
@NicoQB: I think POTY will actually be decided by who actually finishes up with his hands on the PL trophy. Vidic should still very much be in there though. Yet with his red cards, I don’t think so
. Hard luck VIda.
March 14th, 2009 at 17:10
@Craig Mc: What a good question..shame I can’t answer that one mate as I don’t know what goes on inside Fergie’s head. Like I said earlier, I’m not sure why Anderson started when he could have had Fletcher aka The Greatest Big-Game Player We Have and Carrick in central midfield. Fletch would not have let us down as badly as Ando did today.
I was also perplexed by the introduction of Berbatov as I was sceptical of what kind of impact a languid player like him could make, and I was right. I would have preffered a pacy proper impact player like Nani come off the bench, run Liverpool ragged and put in a few crosses on the head of Ronaldo.
March 14th, 2009 at 17:19
@Grognard: Oh, definitely. I agree there, I’ll go as far as saying this is maybe the worst individual performance by any United player this season.
The point where I agree with Craig is that we were looking the better side before that sending off.
What infuriates me is that the media will probably be lauding this performance as a liverpoof landmark when they basically scored on two defensive mistakles in the first half and we dominated the second in possession and they had only a few incursions on the counter in the second half.
March 14th, 2009 at 17:20
@Rd: As Rafa would say Rd – I just stated A FACT. Nani did play well against L’fool last season, making one, and scoring one. For Nani baiters like you, that must really hurt. It is a truth nevertheless, and why shouldn’t I big him up for it. I loved it as did the full capacity United crowd.
March 14th, 2009 at 17:23
@RedDevilEddy: People have been bigging us up recently, saying that we have the most complete squad in footballing history and the like, and you’re saying that we’re still lacking????!!!!
Seriously though, I only half-agree with your point about the striker, as I probably would rather have Torres over Berbatov. This is in no way a slight against Berba, but I think Berba wasn’t really the type of striker we needed, he was always a luxury player. Torres on the other hand, is the ultimate modern striker in my opinion, along with his Spain colleague David Villa. Pace, power, skill, finishing and can play as a spearhead/focal point/lone striker; everything in one package essentially.
We don’t need any more midfielders as we have plenty of good ones already, with HARGO still to come back (better than e