May 03
Man Utd v West Ham: Preview
Two games left. Two wins, and the title will be ours.
But again, as they say, it’s one game at a time.
Bogey Team United visit Old Trafford today and the reds know there’s no more excuses for slip ups from this point. The gaffer will also know this fully well, and so would everyone in the footballing fraternity.
Which is why — considering it’s just the two games that needs to be played out — the boss will most likely go with his best possible XI for both these games. The Champions’ League final can wait, and it has a 10 day rest period anyway.
But even with that assumption I’d be hard pressed to name our exact starting XI. Let’s see… Rio and Brown will most certainly start at the back since Vidic is still not expected to make it. It would be tempting to rest Evra, considering he’s probably lost a lung running so much in midweek. But I think SAF might persist with him, although the temptation to play Silvestre might linger. I don’t know what shape Owen Hargreaves will be in considering he’s played a lot over the past week — keeping in mind his injury troubles. If he’s not deemed fit, O’Shea will get a game at right back. I doubt Fergie is as confident playing Neville in that position.
In central midfield, Carrick will play and, alongside him, there might be Anderson. (In my opinion that is a stronger midfield than with Scholes in it, considering he has played a lot of late.) Nani and Ronaldo will take the wings and Park will partner Tevez in attack. I know this is a rather strange suggestion, but I don’t see how else we can have a potent attacking 4-4-2 without Rooney. Oh, which reminds me, Rooney, it appears, might start on the bench; which is still good news. I don’t think starting Giggs would be a good idea, and I also don’t think 4-3-3 to be a bright one at home either.
But what I don’t want to see from Fergie is “resting players for the future”. This is the bloody future: it’s called the present. There are just two games left. So send the team out with specific instructions to take the game by the scruff of the neck and never, ever relent. West Ham are with, perhaps, the largest injury list in the league. So we must win the game today. No excuses, bogey team or not.
Enough of the stodgy displays of the past couple of weeks; at least some excuses could be dreamed up on those occasions. Today we are at home against a weakened opposition with not much to play for. Can we think up any more reasons for motivation?
Come on you reds!
Prediction: 2-0 to United — Manchester United, that is. (You know, that chant about there being only one United.)
Related items from Red Rants:
- West Ham v Man Utd: Live
- Tevez Update: Is a Solution Finally In Sight?
- Man Utd v West Ham: Preview
- West Ham v Man Utd: Preview
- Man Utd vs Birmingham: Preview
Tags: Game Preview
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:17
anderson should play today, he hasnt gotten much game time later.
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:23
cool………….go go goal!
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:24
andy to score!
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:27
THERE’S ONLY ONE UNITED
May 3rd, 2008 at 10:44
I am going to the game and I will scream like a mad monkey to support the team. Hopefully we will win, and if we do I cant see Chelsea catching us. They are playing Newcastle away, a really hard place to go now after KK went there, and Chelsea have not won over there since 2004(in the PL). Another crucial game that has to be won, and even if West Ham have been our bogey team under Alan Curbishley I think we will win with a great margin. Their defense is full of injuries and they will play a really young and untested defense and I know Ronaldo, Tevez and Nani will make them cry and torture them. They might be dangerous with Ashton, a player I admire, because of his aerialy presence and power. But we should be able to contain them.
On to the team! VDS will probably start. Owen has a problem playing many games in a week, and if he plays today he will have played 4 games in two weeks. I dont think he can handle that. So Oshea in right back, Wes and Rio in defense with Silvestre on the left. If Evra is fit he will take the left back position.
Carrick has played every single game since the win against Derby, so he deserves a rest. I hope he doesnt, but I think he will. Scholes will also get a rest with Anderson replacing him. And Fletcher will play instead of Carrick. Giggs didnt play in midweek and since Fergie lovs him so much, I think he will start. I dont think that is a good idea, but what can you do? Nani on the right wing. If Rooney cant start, then Ronaldo will play up front with Tevez. Ronaldo hasnt scored in some time considering his season and Tevez will love to get one against his old club. I think both of them will score today. Well, here is my prediction of the team:
VDS
Oshea Rio Wes Silvestre
Nani Fletcher Anderson Giggs
Tevez Ronaldo
Prediction: 4-0 to Manchester United(the only United!). Rio, Tevez and Ronaldo(2) to score.
I will do the best I can to help the team today, and hopefully a win will get us the title. COME ON YOU REDS!
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:06
Lets not get carried away,this game is going to be tricky, nervy and tough……. West Ham will make it hard with a blanket defense and wont attack.
I fear Fergie will use the squad again and send out the likes of Silvestre, Fletch & Giggs to start, which I think is wrong.
Send out our strongest best & fit players to get these three points as I think if we put the pressure on the rent boys for monday night they might just crack again!
My starting 11 would be VDS, Neville (I feel he will give us much more than O’Shea)from an experience, leadership and attacking point of view…. Brown & Rio & Evra as we need his attacking qualities. Midfield would be Nani, Carrick (Replaced after we are safe with Fletch), Anderson & Park. Ronnie & Tevez – go for it lads.
You can do it and whoever is going to the match today cheer them on like Tuesday night…. it was the best atmosphere in Old Trafford ever! 3 games, 3 wins and we will party like its 1999!!!!
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:32
Woooo I’m with you JohnT and RedDevil!. Old Trafford should, and I hope will be rocking again today!. Party, party, party on the terraces. I only hope that Green has a nightmare today, because like most Goalies, they always seem to play a blinder against Man United. I hope our luck changed with the Barca game, because let’s face it, for the last several games the luck and the decisions have really gone against us. But like ‘pitbull spirit’ Fergie says, forget about all that, it’s these next three games that matter. I want to be going to Moscow as PL Champions. We need that confidence, and I think we have earned it over this season to date. Come On You Mighty Reds!.
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:56
GK: VDS
RB: Hargreaves
CB: Ferdinand
CB: Brown
LB: Evra
RM: Nani
CM: Carrick
CM: Scholes
LM: Park
CF: Tevez
CF: Ronaldo
Subs: PIG, O’Shea, Fletcher, Anderson, Giggs
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:00
im surprised that anderson isnt starting, and pleasantly surprised that hargo is. i think he has really showed in the last few weeks, why we paid so much for him, obviously anderson hasnt in the eyes of fergie.
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:17
is fergie trying to save anderson for the final??? that just cant be, considering anderson hasnt played regularly lately…but I feel he definitely should have started today..push his case for a CL final berth
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:32
Mihir, I just can;t see Anderson starting in the final. Unfortunately.
I am just wondering why some of you are questioning Hargo’s ability to play 4 in two weeks? He is a professional footballer who always seems to have an extra pair of legs.
I think that playing Ronaldo in attack is a big mistake since he is most lethal on the wings, but then again, he is our top scorer by about 20 goals, so no complaints there. Comon UNITED!
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:38
Andrei: It’s because Hargreaves has a long standing knee problem. As for Ronaldo, who else do you play in attack? Welbeck is not the right answer
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:41
Anderson’s continued absence from the team is a bit of a mystery to me. Carrick, Scholes, and Fletcher are all ahead of him in the pecking order. I think the reason is that while Anderson is individually excellent he does not play as well with Scholes as Carrick and Fletcher. But I hope he gets subbed on for Scholes at some stage in the match.
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:51
links guys?
May 3rd, 2008 at 13:12
Anderson should come on for Scholesy at halftime…we already got one goal! Amateurish defending from West Ham let Ronnie finish off easy and he doesn miss those now does he???
Oh man, as i type this, Ronnie scores another! Its uhmmmmm…off his crotch! Jeeeez! That guy CAN score from anywhere! Bring on Anderson now!!!
May 3rd, 2008 at 13:13
TEVEZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 3rd, 2008 at 13:15
The look on west ham fans faces…some are smiling for their saviour from last season but most look down and out…What I wouldnt give for that look on em Chelshit faces!
May 3rd, 2008 at 13:26
uh oh…Nani redcarded for headbutting Neill who dint leave anything to chance by clutching his head and going to the ground…And after that, Nani himself went to the ground! Now that is disgraceful come on nani…
May 3rd, 2008 at 13:29
Great…Nani may now miss out on the CL final…though maybe he deserves it for acting like such an ass…
May 3rd, 2008 at 13:31
PL redcard doesnt rule him out of CL does it?
May 3rd, 2008 at 13:37
Nani is a f*cking idiot. Key match, up 3-1, cruising and you pull that sh*t?! He should pack his bags and go back to Portugal right now, because he doesn’t deserve a run out in the CL final. (local suspension wouldn’t rule him out). Complete and utter idiot. And then diving! Disgraceful.
Other than sour note, great half of football.
May 3rd, 2008 at 13:38
no it doesn’t. wow, you act as if he’s the first player to do that, all players have done that, dont get your knickers in a twist. ronaldo did the exact same thing this season, so by your logic, shouldn’t he pack his bags and go to Portugal?
May 3rd, 2008 at 13:39
I thought it wouldn’t, but the commentators seem to say otherwise..not very sure now..anywayz he’s sure to get the hairdryer full blown in his face from Fergie…
May 3rd, 2008 at 13:40
Nani. What a wanker. Don’t see how his recent displays even earned him a spot in todays game. Doesn’t deserve to play in the Champions League final. In fact after that idiocy doesn’t deserve to wear a united shirt at all. Prick. Cock.
to Dan: Noone has done this sort of thing at such a crucial point. Not since Beckham v Argentina have i been so dissappointed by a player’s lack of maturity.
May 3rd, 2008 at 13:41
Nani is an idiot, for no reason to screw up like that. I hope guys will regain their composure our deffending is not the best, may be they are tired or smth. Hopefully SAF fires them up.
May 3rd, 2008 at 13:41
Ronaldo barely touched whoever it was at Portsmouth, he just squared up, stupid, but I thought it was a bit over the top (the red). And it was a tense match. Nani has no reason whatsoever to do that, nothing in it. Just stupidity.
May 3rd, 2008 at 13:43
wow, fans amaze me, yea he made a mistake, loads of players have done that, ronaldo did the same thing but you people didnt call him in idiot.
beachryan, ronaldo headbutted him right in the face, no argument. look at replays if you want.
TJ:
to be honest, all games are important, just that by the end of the season your misfortunes gang up on you and put on pressure.
like for instance, we wouldn’t be in this position if the lines man made a wrong call like they normally do and rule out gallass goal at thew arse, or if ronny scored the pen at west ham.
May 3rd, 2008 at 13:46
[Dan]
I’m not angry about the headbutting…it can happen to anyone when you just lose it, ..but the acting and falling to ground after the headbutt? Disgusting..Fergie should headbutt him in the dressing room!
May 3rd, 2008 at 13:50
Yeh but he didn’t do it in a game where we are 3:1 up. If he can’t control his nerves in that situation, where in the hell can he do that. I will accept geting angry and all in a crazy match, but not this one, also consider this match a freacking final…and then diving himself, disgracefull.He should be disciplened by SAF
May 3rd, 2008 at 13:52
Yeah other players have done that…Dammit Scholes took a swing at Alonso(hit the air ofcourse) last season at a crucial crucial point. Now that was a bit harsh, but Scholesy knows the rules. He too was an idiot to do that. Players need to maintain an intelligent head on their shoulders inspite of being in the heat of the moment. And what Nani did, doesnt qualify as in the heat of the moment by a MILE. Thank God this wasnt the Champions League and thank God we are leading by 2 goals still
May 3rd, 2008 at 14:11
3
May 3rd, 2008 at 14:15
Red Devill was kindy close to predict it.
May 3rd, 2008 at 14:19
Bring on Anderson!!! Why is O’Shea on for Scholes?? All rationale says bring on Anderson, why get defensive…Andy can play with full freedom without worry of us losing now…
May 3rd, 2008 at 14:26
taron, dan has a point Nani got sent off when we were sailing but ronaldo got sent off when we really needed him and had no lead.
May 3rd, 2008 at 14:41
hehehe….go to hell Green!!
May 3rd, 2008 at 14:46
Water under the bridge-we won fairly convincingly and could have easily scored a couple more. A week’s rest and we will crush Wigan I am positive.
What impressed me most was we had most of the possession and played attacking flowing football even with 10 men and were still creating chances later in the game. Of course West Ham were pretty poor.
Special mention for Ronaldo. 30 goals is just incredible and his first today was just classic: wrong foots the full back, cuts inside, three defenders backing off, strides into the penalty area, bam!
May 3rd, 2008 at 14:46
olliey you are correct, but it’s all about nerves and presure. We all are humans. On crazy games were nothing is certain the preusre is up the roof, so if someone goes crazy, of course I will be mad and call them idiots too, but in my heart I will somewhat understand their feelings, but not in this case. I mean we are on the roll, he just need to scroll and it not like the deffender did anything disgracefull (at least I couldn’t see it) and then he headbuts him twice and falls over. I can’t understand how you can still protect him.
May 3rd, 2008 at 14:48
i dont think we will see andy again this season…
May 3rd, 2008 at 14:50
Colver the number is 40 I believe
May 3rd, 2008 at 14:51
I am having a bad feeling that Dan is correct, but don’t understand the reason
May 3rd, 2008 at 14:56
the only reason i can think of, is that he is letting his personal life get in the way of his playing career. remember, he was an avid clubber when he moved, and the senior players gave him a word of warning.
May 3rd, 2008 at 15:03
Ashton coming?? “childhood utd fan, a trier, scored awsome goal” someone saying in postmatch interview, that too without being asked. Guess who….
May 3rd, 2008 at 15:05
Could it not actually be that he hasn’t played all that well consistently since the turn of the year? Or that Scholes and Carrick are playing better? Or that because of the injuries earlier in the seaon he played far more than was intented?
May 3rd, 2008 at 15:09
There was no need for andy to come at that time.
May 3rd, 2008 at 15:14
yeah it does seem like Fergie is pissed with Andy for some reason. I just cant see any other reason why Anderson wasnt played today, not even as Scholesy’s sub. No explanations there. Didnt know he was that avid a clubber Dan…Thats not the kind SAF appreciates hehe..But what a great player Andy can be…
May 3rd, 2008 at 15:21
I haven’t heard of any problems with Andy, so let’s hope that’s not the case but rather SAF doesn’t want to tinker to much anymore. Great game and Ronaldo did it againg. The Golden boot is his for sure, the closest one outside of EPL is Fabiano with 23 goals. What an amazing season for him, but it’s not over yet and we need him to do that in another 2 games.
May 3rd, 2008 at 15:21
Well Scholes will probably need to be preserved as he if anyone is a certainty on the teamsheet for Moscow. Lets see if Andy plays against Wigan. Thats the reason why in the first place i thought Anderson would start, coz Scholes has bee playing a lot lately
May 3rd, 2008 at 15:22
Is ronaldo suspended for last game?
May 3rd, 2008 at 15:25
i dont think ronaldo is suspended
May 3rd, 2008 at 15:26
scholes himself hasnt played that well consistently. its funny, i use to slate carrick for his consistency, and now, he is probably one of the most consistent players we have.
May 3rd, 2008 at 15:28
same i was thinking, 5 yellows are meant to be a suspension?
May 3rd, 2008 at 15:35
can anyone explain to me why chalton record of 759 game was reduced by one game?
May 3rd, 2008 at 15:36
The cut off point for a suspension with 5 yellow cards was end of February/start of March as far as I know, you now need 10 yellow cards for a suspension.
Dan; Anderson has as much of a party attitude as Ronaldo and Nani, this has nothing to do with why he hasn’t been chosen to play in the last few matches. It is because out of our 5 centre mid’s he is the most out of form, and Scholes and Carrick are the most in-form. Saying Scholes hasn’t been consistent recently is senseless and just gives me the impression you are trying to defend Anderson because you like him so much, forgetting that Carrick and Scholes are actually better players.
Pratyush; That is because Charlton was named in the team sheet for an FA Cup game back in the 60’s only to have to pull at at the last minute because of an illness.
May 3rd, 2008 at 15:44
thanks conor
May 3rd, 2008 at 15:45
http://www.redcafe.net/f6/ronaldo-pissed-200440/ this one is funny
May 3rd, 2008 at 16:01
Man, my prediction was close. I was right that Ronaldo would score a brace, United would score four, Tevez and another former West Ham player would score against them. The onlt thing I missed in my prediction was Carrick scored, not Rio, and United conceded.
And what do you guys think about Ashton? Amazing goal, I think he would be a good signing.
May 3rd, 2008 at 16:02
Its kinda justifiable to be pissed at Nani.. Not for losing his head but to go down and pretend to be hurt.. That was ridiculous and not befitting a Unitedplayer… But he is still young… Will improve…
May 3rd, 2008 at 16:07
so how many games giggs still has to play/appear in to beat Bobby Charlton’s record? I read he needed to appear in each United game including the final of CL to equal the record…is that correct?
May 3rd, 2008 at 16:17
conor, before the barca match, scholes was of form. And i doubt nani and ronaldo AS MUCH as anderson or else they to would have got a talking to as well.
May 3rd, 2008 at 16:19
So…. Who do we think will get relegated to the Championship? Except for Derby that is, they already are. Who do you think the other two teams will be? I think Reading and Brum.
May 3rd, 2008 at 16:21
Fulham and hopefully Bolton though I think Birmingham will go.
May 3rd, 2008 at 16:24
By the way, I’m pretty sure Ronaldo scored with his crotch. He’s just that good.
May 3rd, 2008 at 16:24
Whoever it is, hopefully Wigan is safe by the time they play us. That way they’ll have nothing to play for when they play us.
May 3rd, 2008 at 16:27
I know Nani shouldn’t have reacted that way, but did any of you notice the fact that Neill actually slapped Nani when he was getting up. You can see it in the replay.
May 3rd, 2008 at 16:27
Nani was stupid and knew he was in trouble due to Neils OTT reaction. Neil was trying to get him sent off, he nipped him then slapped him and Nani shouldn’t have reacted to it but when he did he knew he was off and I would assume he went down to try and ensure that Neil was deservedly sent off for his provocation and slap.
Hope Fergie has read him the riot act and if the FA stick more games on it it will be deserved but if Neil wasnt booked like Sky later suggested I hope Neil finds a ban heading his way too considering the bans handed out for simerlar things by others
May 3rd, 2008 at 16:31
It also looked like Neill had a little nip at Nani when he was on the ground before he stood up, very Dennis Wise esque. Still, Nani has to rise above it. Think Rooney early in his career…
May 3rd, 2008 at 16:34
Either he’s been partying too hard or Fergies just sittin the boy down for a while. Its v. easy to forget he is only jst 19. Wasnt meant to be playin too much this season. Guess he doesnt want him geting ahead of himself or anything…?
As big of a Nani fan i am- i hate seeing that kinda wanky diving usually attributed to the likes of Drogba.
Again though hes young aint he? cant expect too much from these lads just yet.
Great performance though, so happy.
Surely itd sone now……?!!???
May 3rd, 2008 at 16:38
Looks good for the Wigan game. They are up 2-0, so it won’t be do or die for them next week.
May 3rd, 2008 at 16:41
Wakey: Him going down to ensure Neill got a deserved red card? For a start Neill did nothing to warrant a straight red and secondly you are giving Nani too much credit. He took the cowardly option to attempt to cover his own error in judgement. It is annoying for players to lose their cool but the least they can do is have the balls to stand up and take their punishment like a man (see Silvestre when he took a dislike to Ljungberg back in 2004/05).
Dan: Bottom line is that SAF sees the players on the training pitch every day. Much of his decision making process will be influenced by what he sees on a normal day to day basis. And as the season comes to a boil cool, experienced heads are the order of the day. For example Pique not been put in while Vidic has been out.
May 3rd, 2008 at 16:46
JB, I’ll reiterate. Neill slapped Nani. That warrants a Red card.
May 3rd, 2008 at 16:46
yea he put brown in the centre, the brown fucked up and ashton made our defence look like shite.Even though it happens rarely, saf does fuck up on team selections/tactics, he is after all, just human. for instance it took him near half a season to see that giggs needed to be benched…
May 3rd, 2008 at 16:57
Dan: What I was saying is that he is valuing experience at this critical point of the season. As for Giggs, you can still see why he was persisting with him. None of our wingers have an eye for a defence splitting pass like Giggs.
TinManUnited: He touched the back of his head with his two hands. What he did was no more than a yellow card at absolute worst.
http://www.d1g.com/video/show/?id=1971034
May 3rd, 2008 at 17:07
Wether it was soft or not it was still a swing at him. The headbutt wasn’t exactly hard either. I’m not condoning what Nani did, I’m just looking ofr consistency. Anyways it doesn’t matter. 2 games to go. WOOHOO
May 3rd, 2008 at 17:07
It wasnt a hard slap but it was a slap with both hands, not to mention seconds earlier he nipped him in a very Dennis Wise way which is what annoyed Nani in the first place.
No matter how weak the slap was other players have been sent off for such petty slaps this season yet Neil got away with a nip, and then a slap on Nani’s face with both hands
May 3rd, 2008 at 17:12
I’ma fraid if you look at that video he does not slap Nani’s face. The key point for a red card in a scenario like that is striking an opponents face not the sides of his head. If we had a player sent off for the same offence the place would be in meltdown.
May 3rd, 2008 at 17:21
What about Scholes redcard against Alonso. He didn’t even get close, but the intent was there. You’ve got that one wrong.
May 3rd, 2008 at 17:23
Wigan is safe and Bolton needs to bit Sunderland to be safe
May 3rd, 2008 at 17:28
i dont know what u guys saw, but if someone did to me what they did to nani, i woulda lashed out too…. but i wouldnt fall on my back and pretend….
shows a lack of cajones and i was disappointed with nani then… scholes lashed out at alonso and saf backed him up because scholes didnt disgrace himself later by pretending to be injured…
being honest, nani was not stupid for lashing out, anyone would have… but he was a prick for following neil in acting like he was injured… and neil was acting for sure… disgraceful from neil and nani
May 3rd, 2008 at 17:35
Nani is a professional footballer, discipline is part an parcel of his trade. If every player reacted like he did then there would ever have been a game in which Savage or Wise played in that ended up 11 men a side. Scholes was an idiot for both his sendings off last season and the extra effort expended against Roma away may have proved critical in the run in. But anyone can loose their head, it was the reaction afterwards that leaves a bad taste.
TinManUnited: Scholes took a swing at Alonso, violent conduct and a red card no argument. Go and find me red cards for tapping people on the side of the head and then we can call the ref inconsistent and wrong. That type of offensive does not draw red cards, headbutts do.
May 3rd, 2008 at 17:51
Nuff Said, Here’s to the Geordie’s doin one on the BooBoys.
May 3rd, 2008 at 18:14
no jb, nani had just lost the ball so he would be upset, then neil(knowing this) pinches him just to add to his anger, but then when to get up and be greeted by a slap in the face? its a red, dont go into technicalities like it was the side of his head not his face because its the same thing, if you get a punch or slap on your head, its a card, a red card.
a solid example of this would be aliadeares(is that how you spell it) sending of, he gently slapped macherano on the cheek as a reaction and got a three match ban.
May 3rd, 2008 at 18:29
Video Highlights: Man Utd v West Ham
(including Nani Red card incident)
May 3rd, 2008 at 18:30
Dan: It is a technicality, most of football’s rules are. You are tripped inside the box you get a penalty, you get tripped elsewhere and you get a free kick. A ball hits someone on the hand or arm and a free kick is given, if it hits them on the shoulder or side then it’s not. The rule that has been applied for some time is that if you raise your hands to your opponents FACE it is a red card. That is the way it is consistently applied by refs. You see a fair few ‘clips behind the ear’ in football matches which go both unmentioned and unpunished as they are not deemed serious enough for red cards. But because it was provocation of one of our players and we have a red tinted specs on, some people are making a meal out of nothing (including Nani).
May 3rd, 2008 at 18:52
jb, i think your using football rules over common sense, if you try and hit someone its a card no doubt.
May 3rd, 2008 at 18:55
Nani should get the book thrown at him. I’m just disgusted by the cowardice and lack of manliness shown by the little faggot. If there is one thing I absolutely detest in the beautiful game it’s this drama queen cowardice and theatrics shown by European and Latino players after an incident. What a total diva. Gutless and totally pathetic and all of you would agree with me if he was playing for any other team. It’s one thing to dive to get a foul called against your opponent, but it is something entirely different to head butt an opponent and then fall to the ground and act like you were shot. Honestly, I don’t tolerate little fucking bastards like that playing for United. What a little piece of shit. He could have cost us the title with that act of selfishness and stupidity. He may cost us the champions League final because Fergie will now be forced to start Giggs, who we all know is in terrible form of late. And some of you had the nerve to demand that Neill get the red card too. No, Neill should have been allowed to kick the crap out of the little bitch cunt. Christ am I pissed. Where is Roy Keane now when we need him? He’d take him in to the dressing room and give him a right good bollocking.
Many of you may say that I am overreacting but in fact it was Nani who was overreacting. His upcoming punishment is going to hurt the club short term and referees will be even more on their guard against our players than before. Are English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh lads the only players that can play the game like men and not like girls wearing skirts ready for a cat fight? Remember, I am from Canada and although I have watched and loved the game for 35 years, I must say that this is the part of the game I and others from my continent cannot handle about the sport. Sports are primarily watched by alpha male men who expect their heroes to act like men and show courage, dignity and a form of machismo on the pitch, court ice etc. Footy is the only sport that has players who are far removed from this alpha male persona. Many of them I believe slide in to the realm of feminine characteristics. It’s just disgusting to watch. In fact womens football shows less feminine characteristics than the so called mens game. This shit has to be stopped for the good of the game. Today I am ashamed to be a United supporter with a player like that on our side. I’ll get over it but it may be a long time before I warm up to that little shit Nani. I say ship him off for a player with some gut and a pair of bollocks.
Nobody should forgive him for that kind of crap. It could have cost us big time, and it certainly hurts our chances next week and for the CL final as well. And everybody wanted to crucify the player who hurt Eduardo for a one time bad tackle in his entire career. Nani has been pulling this kind of crap all season. ENOUGH ALREADY!
May 3rd, 2008 at 18:59
Grog, I read the first sentence of your post and didnt bother anymore. What a stupid generalization you just made about Europeans and Latinos. And some of your other comments are just absurd. I know we’re not supposed to jump on other people’s comment’s RR, but you need to drop this post for sure!!
May 3rd, 2008 at 19:05
Grognard: He is still eligible for the UCL Final
May 3rd, 2008 at 19:10
Grognard, honestly you need to take a good look at yourself and then read over your posts this season praising Ronaldo. Ronaldo has done the exact same thing Nani has done today in the past; he has dived, he has play-acted, he has had some stupid red cards (against Man City a few seasons back, especially). For you to crucify Nani like this is not only completely wrong, but remarkably stupid, especially from someone of your intelligence. Yes, what Nani is wrong, and yes, it is embarassing. But he is young, and he comes from a country where this sort of thing is normal. Indeed, it seems to be trained in Portuguese players. You need to realise that United fans do support their players, even if they can admit their antics are embarassing. We disparaged Ronaldo when he dived, but we still supported him and we still sang for him.
Fergie will sort him out, and he will grow as a player and as a person. I just wish I could say the same for you.
Also: Nani can play in the CL final as domestic and European bodies do not carry each other’s cards over.
May 3rd, 2008 at 19:18
Does anyone know what Rooney was trying to cover up on his head today?
May 3rd, 2008 at 19:25
yep that post was pointless and not thought out. i like the way you said we have to start giggs, even though nani isnt suspended in europe, and even though we have 2 other wingers who can play…
May 3rd, 2008 at 19:34
Anonyman; I’m far from stupid mate.
TinMan, I never insulted anyone on this blog. What I have to say about any player should be considered fair game. It’s my opinion and I am welcome to it. If you don’t agree with it, fine. It’s no skin off my ass. Move on. Not you nor anyone else will tell Red Ranter whose rants will be deleted. Believe me I already know this from past experience. The site is called RED RANTS. And I am guilty of nothing but ranting albeit negatively about one of our players. Who are you to tell me that I am out of line? I’ll say what I damned well feel like saying as long as I don’t say nasty things to any of the members on this blog. Have a nice day.
Anonyman; You seem to condone the actions of Portuguese players because you claim that it is something that is “normal” in their country. So, my question to you is that because of that, we should tolerate that garbage in the English game? I say Hell No! It’s complete bullshit and you confirm what I said about players from Europe or Latin America having this childish and almost androgynous element in their personalities. Also, Ronaldo has never head butted anyone ever. Yes he dives and believe me, I don’t like it but he has never head butted an opponent. At least not yet. On that alone I give him the benefit of the doubt.
Perhaps my temper has gotten to me a bit today but I am embarrassed for the club. We all constantly berate Arsenal players for these kind of antics yet some us want to turn the cheek when one of ours is guilty. For this I’ll use my favorite new word. Some of you are hypocritisizers. Unitel he proves to me that he can act like a mature footballer with no selfish tendencies and stupid behavioral lapses in judgment, I consider Nani dead to me. Perhaps a titanic 30 meter bullet into the old onion bag may change my mind. Until then, enough said on that topic.
And some of you out there learn to respect other people’s opinions if they don’t agree with you. Disagreeing is fine, but name calling and shouting abuse back at somebody for their views is not.
May 3rd, 2008 at 19:39
Dan; I don’t know what feed you got today on your tv but the commentator on mine said that if he gets a three game ban, he would miss the CL Final too. Immediately I questioned that comment myself but then I thought to myself, this guy is a pro. Maybe he is right. Am I missing something. So, the fact that he doesn’t miss the game is is fine. It still doesn’t take away from the fact that he could end up costing us big for his brain drain. And I have to laugh at you first statement. Pot, kettle, black comes to mind. Coming from you Dan I just have to laugh hard and long about that one.
May 3rd, 2008 at 19:45
Well, you did insult people on here, anyone who is European or Latino. And geuss what dumbass. England is part of Europe aswell. So that makes all of them Europeans. That’s what i was telling you to stuff it for. And geuss what, i just added you to my fantasy team, so that gives me the right to say you are a worthless individual, and you need to be shipped off.
May 3rd, 2008 at 20:00
Not just Grognard, I think all of us thought what Nani did was pathetic. But the usage of words by Grognard, well I agree mate ranting is what is done on this blog and you have all the rights in the world to call Nani a little faggot, but when anyone reads something like this about a team member of a team we love, it just gives a sharp jab. I frowned when I read that.
Let me make it clear though, that I read all your comments and everyone’s for that matter, diligently and everybody has a right to say whatever they want. It might hurt someone, but then what the hell, some agree and some who don’t NEEDN’T do anything about it.
May 3rd, 2008 at 20:06
Now about the game. Good performance by the lads today if not spectacular. The score tells us they gave West Ham a right kick in the family jewels but lets face it, the Hammers never got a break all afternoon. Two goals deflected in was really the difference in the match. Yes we outplayed them and deserved the outcome but I don’t think we were three goals better than them. Still, after Wednesday, the lads managed to make the most of the day despite their fatigue. They put the pressure squarely on Chelsea and it will be interesting to see if Newcastle can do us a favor tomorrow. Probably not. Wigan will be tough. Very surprised to see them thump Villa today by 2-0. Perhaps the fact that they are safe will help us out next week.
Player Ratings;
EVDS 7/10 – Not much to do and certainly was helpless against Ashton’s wonder strike. Was well positioned all day and seem comfortable.
HARGREAVES 8/10 – Once again is making a real claim for permanent status as our RB of the future. Wonderful cross for Ronaldo’s groin job. Also delivered some nice runs up the field and never got a thing wrong defensively. Bosingwa who?
RIO 8/10 – I’m really getting tired of rating Rio. Lets just say for the rest of the year he is an 8 or better. He’s just that damned good.
BROWN 8/10 – Vidic who? Seriously though, he is showing us where his comfort zone really is. He’s been great at CB for the last couple of games. Nobody could have defended Ashton better on the goal either.
EVRA 8/10 – More energy and great runs and dribbles from the fabulous Frenchman. If he isn’t the best LWB in the World right now, please tell me who is? I still have a problem understanding why Abidal gets the nod over him for France.
PARK 7/10 – Always works hard and causes havoc to opponents but he never really made any plays today to warrant his strong effort.
CARRICK 8/10 – Very composed and very strong down the middle of the park. Was in total command of the United engine room. Was lucky on his goal but hey, lets give him credit for taking a crack at goal. Hope he keeps it up.
SCHOLES 7/10 – Composed but solid performance basically backing up Carrick and dictating the tempo of the game. Looked a little tired but his smarts saw him through the game without any problems.
NANI 1/10 – Did shit before the 37th minute and then made an ass of himself after that. A total disgrace and a humiliation for Manchester United. Lately he has been selfish, stupid on the ball, indecisive and wasteful. That continued today. I’ll get over his red card but how well will he get over that embarrassment. I’m thinking we have seen the last of him for this season. He doesn’t deserve to start in the CL Final despite the fact we could use his talent. He let his team, his manager and the fans down today with his childish act.
RONALDO 8/10 – Sort of ran out of gas in the second half but his first half was a 10/10. Caused all sorts of trouble and as usual, his instinct and nose for the ball in a goal scoring situation, was second to none.
TEVEZ 9/10 – Was a royal pain in the ass for his former club today. Was really working hard and then comes a 30 yard masterpiece of goal that was as good as Scholesy’s effort on Tuesday. A great goal and a shot he has been trying more of lately. He just barely missed an effort like that a couple of games ago. Good to see him take chances since he doesn’t hang around enough in the box for my liking.
GIGGS 7/10 – Looked pretty good today in a short audition. Should have taken the shot rather than pass off to Fletcher when Daren hit the post. Looked a little faster and more in the game than he has in many a moon. Encouraging.
FLETCHER 7/10 – Unlucky to not have a goal but he played well when he was on. His passing and pace has improved since his return from injury.
O’SHEA 6/10 – Never really had much to do and never got into the game long enough to make an impression.
Now lets go kill off Wigan and have one Hell of a big party. Well done lads!
May 3rd, 2008 at 20:12
Grognard, Nani is not suspended for the CL final, and Dan was probably watching on Sky Sports, where they made that quite clear. Your commentator must have been smoking dope, since when has a domestic ban impacted on Europe?
May 3rd, 2008 at 20:14
See, something new happens every week, this place has turned into a soap opera.
May 3rd, 2008 at 20:16
TinMan; You know damned well what I meant when I said Europe. I meant the continent and how dare you call me dumbass. You have made this personal. My wrath was not directed at you or anyone on this blog. I have a right to say what I feel. Yes perhaps I was a little harsh an overly critical of the boy today, but that was within my rights as a ranter. Having you call me “pathetic” and a “worthless individual” was was way out of line and my complaint to Red Ranter has been sent. Maybe it’s you who needs to be shipped off Notice, I’m refraining from calling you names. It’s called having some class. Buy some if you haven’t got any.
May 3rd, 2008 at 20:29
grognard what rating did SAF get???
May 3rd, 2008 at 20:31
Red Ranter: I think you should write a special article on Giggs some time in the next couple of weeks, seeing as he’s only two cameos away from breaking the all-time appearances landmark for United. How fitting it would be if the club’s most decorated player and such a loyal servant went out in a blaze of glory in Moscow i.e. retire on the spot after lifting the CL trophy. I reckon that would bring tears of joy/sadness/both to every United fan’s eyes.
May 3rd, 2008 at 20:37
Olliey; Fergie gets a 9/10. He got the squad selection right and I think the tactics were proper for a team needing to win but also suffering from fatigue. Besides, after Wednesday, I MAY NEVER criticize the Gaffer again. He knows what he’s doing.
One more note. It might have been the Setanta feed I got today but the crowd seemed quiet considering the situation. Perhaps they were still hung over from Wednesday.
Conor; It’s a soap opera because others don’t know how to leave ranters alone and to let them have their say whether they agree with it or not. All I am guilty of is posting a not to complimentary critique on what Nani did today. After that, what happened is not my fault. People need to respect others views regardless of content. It is not for them to pass judgment on my personality and intelligence. Don’t you think?
May 3rd, 2008 at 20:38
Nino; I second the motion. Giggs deserves a lot more respect than he has received on this blog from many of the supporters.
Mihir; Well said, from a man with common sense, class and respect for his fellow blog members. And I was out of line with the “faggot” remark. Sorry to everyone for that comment, although it was not directed to any of you.
Sam; That is why I immediately questioned it. Still, I let the bastard convince me that the ban crossed over to the CL. I should never have bought in to his stupid claim. Still, I doubt we will see him in the game unless he is absolutely needed late on.
May 3rd, 2008 at 20:42
Conor: touche… can’t read it anymore…
May 3rd, 2008 at 20:47
yep i third the giggs motion
May 3rd, 2008 at 21:10
its fine respecting poeples views, but it is also fine to challenge peoples views, and there is nothing wrong to have a view on a view. Atleast grognard, i can admit my faults, but with you it seems as if that there right there, every one can see them apart from you. with all due respect you seem like a bit of a snake, i dont care if nani acted today, you dont call him a faggot, you seem to forget he’s human, and a boy with a lot to learn, i thought you where intelligent but after a post like that…
May 3rd, 2008 at 21:10
Oh yes, one more game to tie up the league trophy. I’m still celebrating. I still love little manNani, WARTS and all lol. Like Fergie said after the game – its immaturity, and he will learn. Not good what he did I know, but he’s not the first, and won’t be the last I suspect. I enjoyed the game today, not as atmospheric as tuesday, but still lots of singing and chants. Wigan should be a stormer, and United away fans are lunatic in their support. Going to be the delirium all the way. Little man Nani didn’t do the lap of honour at the end with the other lads did he??? I didn’t see him anyway, but he should have come out, he has played his part this season. His temperament is a bit like the Roon’s, gets a bit over zealous when he makes a mistake or loses the ball. I think he will turn out goodout good, and may grow from this big mistake. I’m for giving him another chance. Man United players are not short of their street fighters are they?. Head butting is a no-no though, so think Fergie will discipline him big time behind locked doors.
May 3rd, 2008 at 21:10
Conor…seconded.
Getting boring.
May 3rd, 2008 at 21:22
Yeah I like how SAF reacted to Nani’s antics. Perfectly worded..ofcourse behind the locker room door it will be a totally different scene I tell you that!
Against Wigan, I am fairly certain we will win. But we need to put out a pacey, strong and fired up side against Chelsea now! All their 1st 11 seem to be around 6 feet and very physical. We can’t let them hustle us… Fight fire with fire and intelligence!
May 3rd, 2008 at 21:27
Grognard: Two quick points, Ronaldo got sent off against Pompey at the start of the season for an attempted head butt. Secondly domestic suspensions do not carry over to Uefa competitions unless they’re something like a drugs ban etc.
On a more general note I think the point about Portugal is a good one. That type of stuff (diving, play acting) is pretty ingrained into Portuguese football and is fairly openly accepted. We may not like it but it does take time to coach things like that out of players since they have been brought up with it and this is only Nani’s first year. If he was doing tings like this year or two I would be more worried.
May 3rd, 2008 at 21:31
Nani did something stupid, humiliating for him. He made a mistake, but he will learn. Like they say; What doesnt kill you, makes you stronger! But now Nani will lose the game against Wigan and the first two games of next season. Not the CL final as some of you think! If we win the Premier League he will miss the Charity Shield and the first PL game of the 2008/2009 season. Still think he is class though! My ratings(1-10):
VDS- 7. Didnt have much to do. Made a mistake from a corner when Evra cleared off the line, but he was helpless on the goal. Decent game.
Owen- 8. I have to agree with Groggy, he is an exellent RB. Had it not been for Wes, he would have been my first choice for right back, even when Gaz is fit. Great crosses and good tackling. 1 assist.
Rio- 8. Calm as you like! The greatest CB in the world right now, no doubts. I cant remember the last time he had a bad game…
Wes- 7. Shaky start, but played better as the game went on. Good cover for Vidic.
Evra- 8. Went forward, good tackilng and cleared off the line. A usual game from the frenchman
Ronaldo- 9. The best game hes had since Aston Villa. Full of tricks, goals and the joke he made on the bench was funny. Showed how happy he was. I cant believe how he can get better! If he does, we will have a player that will make people say “Pele/Maradona who?”. 2 goals, 1 assist.
Carrick- 8. Didnt have much to do. Good game and scored against his old club. Looked confident and calm next to Scholes. 1 goal.
Scholes- 7. Just like Carrick he had a decent game. Usual self!
Nani- 5. I know many people will blame him for what he did. I do too! But I think he had a great game until the red card. Sent off. 1 assist.
Park- 7. Worked hard. Thats all.
Tevez- 9. He scored a belter! Didnt show any mercy to his former team mates and played a really good game. He tried a similar shot against Arsenal in the last home game, but that one went outside the post. This one definately didnt… 1 goal.
Fergie- 10/10. He is the gaffer and the man that knows best. I never question his ablity and decisions because I have grown up to know that he knows what he is doing!
Lets win the Premier League at Wigan! Hopefully Newcastle will do us a favor on Monday.
May 3rd, 2008 at 21:39
yea Portugal are known for diving, england is known for its aggressive no nonsense style, which is also bad and can be unacceptable.
May 3rd, 2008 at 21:50
[TinManUtd]
Stop judging people here. What Nani did was detestable today. What Grognard did was direct his ire against him and Latino players. He hasn’t attacked fellow commenters here and doesn’t deserve to do so either. His argument may be flawed or perfect depending on how you see it. But that doesn’t mean that you have to call him names. If at all I have to kick people out it would have to be you, according to how things work here. He called Nani a faggot so what? Yes it may be homophobic to the sensitive ones. But as long as he doesn’t call fellow commenters here it’s all fair game. The point is Grognard has been commenting for a while here and most of us do know that he has United at heart at the foremost. So stop being self-righteous, and leave the comment moderation to me.
I know what’s right for the comments section and clearly he didn’t attack a fellow commenter here.
And in future, to anyone, you don’t get to tell people what comment I must delete and what I must not. If you do have a problem you can send me an email to get your grievances through. Public attack is off limits here.
Jesus! I just stay off the laptop for half a day and I see this thing degenerate to a circus.
Final Note: You can call a player a cunt or anything — depending on your level of vocabulary — as long as it’s backed by some argument. In this case Grognard had a fair bit to say about Nani, right or wrong. Either tell him why you disagree or stay out of it. End of.
May 3rd, 2008 at 21:59
Grognard: Having read your post/personal attack about Nani, I must agree with the others that it was pretty extreme and unnecessary. I can only imagine what your rants on this blog were like when the likes of Cantona, Keane and Rooney (earlier in his career) were assaulting spectators and opposition players galore.
I definitely see where you are coming from, though. People, lets stop with this nonsense about Nani being a kid. He is actually a 21 year old man, and therefore he should act like one. What he did today was extremely foolish to say the least, but I’m pretty sure SAF will deal with the matter appropriately and he will be a much, much better player for it next season
May 3rd, 2008 at 22:06
[Dan]
When you dive, you try to con the referee. How the hell can that be acceptable? An aggressive style of football, however, doesn’t always work because in the Champions’ League they end up conceding fouls.
The fact is Nani acted like a school boy, and it was disgusting to see. And even Fergie did concede what he did. Now it’s the gaffer’s chance to beat some sense into him.
May 3rd, 2008 at 22:24
Nino; Although I felt justified and free in saying what I did about Nani, I do agree that the words I used were unsatisfactory and inappropriate. It was beneath me to use that kind of language with that much venom behind it, but I must admit, the little bastard did get me very hot under the collar with his antics on the pitch today. He is 21 and he should know better. He also should know by now that this kind of nonsense is not tolerated by the league nor by his own club. The fact that he did it in in a situation that was not even justified was inexcusable and could have caused tremendous harm to the team’s season. Even Zidane had no excuse. With ten men we could have squandered a 2 goal lead and that may have cost us the title. With him out of the lineup next week, we lose his energy, flair and contribution in a game where he could have been very useful. Actually, to be honest, I’m surprised more of you who are known four using f-bombs more than me, didn’t go crazy over this stupid and selfish act.
Nevertheless, lets forget about it and move forward. Sorry for the language used but not the sentiment in which it was delivered. It will take a lot for me to forgive Nani for what he did today. In my country we drop the gloves and challenge someone to a fight like a man if we have a disagreement with him. We don’t head butt him like a sniveling coward and then fall on the grass acting like we just got shot. If that happened in Canada’s national pastime hockey, the guy would get banned for life. Not buy the league, but by the fans of his own team. Different cultures have different ways of acting. Football needs to address this kind of behavior and dish out very stiff penalties to the abusers. And I couldn’t care less if one of those abusers was Ronaldo either. It must be stopped. FIFA is a useless entity. I’ll let you all guess what the initials FIFA mean to me.
Finally; Three cheers for Fergie and Queiroz for coming out and openly condemning Nani’s actions. God knows Wenger would have backed him 100% and cried bloody murder on Neill, don’t you all think? I think by now Fergie has flayed and quartered the poor bugger. Like I said before, I doubt we will see him play another minute again this season. I’m sure Fergie will send a message to him in the CL Final when he doesn’t eve n dress for the game.
May 3rd, 2008 at 23:11
[Grognard]
“Also, Ronaldo has never head butted anyone ever. Yes he dives and believe me, I don’t like it but he has never head butted an opponent. At least not yet. On that alone I give him the benefit of the doubt.”
Ronaldo in the second game of the season was quilty of the very same thing and got himself a 3 game ban at the very time when we had Rooney Injuried, Saha injured, Ole retired and Tevez unfit due to not having a pre season and as such we could have done with his contribution
Actions like this are petulant and stupid, and theres not a person posting here who thinks otherwise. He should have been sent off and he should be punished further (I would be tempted if I was Fergie to leave him out of the CL final squad) especially due to his reaction afterwards (If it had been an actual headbut then I could maybe understand it as a full force headbut might potential hurt the person doing it also, but that wasnt even enough to have justified Neill going down hurt let alone nani). He realised immediately he had lost his head and dived to play up the slap he received and that was disgraceful.
As for why people (myself included) wanted Neill sent off its simply for consistency.If I was running football then the nip, slaps and headbut we saw wouldn’t be sendings off, im not sure I would even have them as bookings alone as they arent full blown attempts at making contact (unlike Scholes last season with Alonso or Rooney a few seasons back with ben haim) and a talking to would do. However putting your head in someones face and raising your hands and striking a player no matter how petty has been deemed by football authorities to be worth a red and if thats the case there shouldnt be any decision to be made when it happens. Neills Pinch, double handed slap and dive should have been a red under the rules, just as Nani’s ‘headbut’ and dive was or as the hundreds of other players sent off for mild contact have been sent off this season
[craig mc]
I think Nani may have been told he wasnt getting to do the lap of honour. Players who get sent off are usually not allowed to take part celebrations when they win cups as punishment and I think Fergie may have told him he wasnt getting to do the lap of honour as part of his punishment.
May 3rd, 2008 at 23:16
What joke did Ronaldo make on the bench that some have mentioned?
May 3rd, 2008 at 23:37
Wakey, thanks for the info mate. Is it an honour thing then, not being able to celebrate if sent off, or is it like a world wide football law?. I bet the lad’s gutted!. He wouldn’t be normal if he wasn’t, would he?. I don’t think Fergie should keep him out of the CL final, because it might be like cutting our nose off to spite our face LOL!. But I know there are so people who will want the lad to be punished to the umpteenth. I’m not one of them – sorry!. I think Nani’s crosses into the box and his corner taking are better than Giggsy at the moment, so I would like to see him start in Moscow. I think he will learn big time through this nasty experience. I still love his skills, and will never forget them during his so called showboating against the arsenal. His temperament is very suspect, but so was Cantona’s, and is what made him a great player. I know Nani is not a Cantona yet, but I swear he will be a very good player for us in the future. I am sticking with that prediction too.
May 3rd, 2008 at 23:44
Download the MotD in case anyone’s interested.
May 3rd, 2008 at 23:54
Ok point taken RR, no hard feelings Grog, I apologize for callings names. I too was caught up in the moment. Wouldn’t think by reading on this forum that we were two games away from completing something historic for this club.
May 4th, 2008 at 0:25
Wakey; Perhaps you are mistaking me for one who has double standards. I don’t condone head butting by anyone but the thing that got me even more angry was Nani writhing in agony on the ground. It was disgusting and embarrassing to all of us who love and follow the team. Ronaldo deserved his ban and he would also be in my bad books if he acted like a clown after the incident took place.
Craig mc; With all due respect, you are missing the point mate. We all want Nani’s positive contribution in the final but at what price. Sending a message that what he did gets you nothing more than slap on the wrist and shows that the team is to insecure and lacking in confidence to suspend or bench one of their finest. Not the message you want to send to the young players on this team or any other team for that matter. You wanting him to play because you are a fan and because you want victory is totally understandable. But you are not in the dressing room nor the manager and Fergie will do what he sees as best for the team regardless of the final. Nobody wants the European Cup more than Fergie. I’ll be very interested to see how he deals with Nani.
TinMan; Apology accepted mate. No hard feelings. Like I said earlier, I too was a bit harsh with my words about Nani. I can see how hot under the collar it made others. I guess some of us are all a bit tense and reactive right now because so much is at stake and because success for United means so much to all of us. One thing we can all agree on, we want United to win the Double.
May 4th, 2008 at 0:45
Grognard
This is completely off topic, but i read in many of your posts that you are a hockey fan as well… Just dont tell me u are a leafs fan… That would make me lose respect for you not the language u used to insult nani..
lol
May 4th, 2008 at 3:41
B says; I hate the Leafs and all things Toronto. Truthfully, I am not the hockey fan I used to be. Since 1995 the game and the way it’s played has rapidly deteriorated to such a point, one can see more goals in a footy match. The neutral zone trap and player equipment has ruined the game I love. My favorite team as a young boy was the Boston Bruins as my hero growing up was the great Bobby Orr (the Franz Beckenbauer of hockey). I’m still a fan of the Bruins but over the years I gained a lot of love and respect for the Edmonton Oilers as that’s where I’m originally from. I had the pleasure of having season tickets throughout the 80’s and their 5 Stanley Cup championships. The highest scoring team in history with the Great Gretzky. For footy fans who can’t relate, the Oilers of the 80’s were to hockey what the early 70’s Ajax teams were to football. Ground breaking, innovative and high scoring with the five best players in the world playing for them at the same time. I was spoilt on the winning and all the goals. And people wonder why I can’t stand to watch the garbage product called the NHL anymore. So there you have it B. Curiosity satisfied I hope?
May 4th, 2008 at 4:05
[Grognard]
From what I heard, the Americans pretty much poached hockey from Canada and reduced it to a pile of garbage. I may be wrong, but that’s what a disgruntled Canadian friend told me.
That said I’ve heard great stories about Wayne Gretzky — who’s supposedly the Maradona/Pele of hockey — and the Oilers.
May 4th, 2008 at 5:39
Hey guys can you give me another MOD link. The one that was given is from bad website. Takes forever to download. Thanks.
May 4th, 2008 at 7:33
[Taron]
You sure? It took me 5 minutes to download. You must be on a really slow connection then.
May 4th, 2008 at 7:58
No RR my connection is really good it just that the website is not able to load it.
May 4th, 2008 at 8:33
Red Ranter; Yes the American’s did basically destroy the game that Canadians still love despite themselves. They never really poached it as there have been American teams in America for over 100 years. It’s just that they over did it with expansion in to non hockey markets like Florida and Arizona where snow is a four letter word and where ice is something that’s put in a drink to cool it down.
Gretzky is a hockey God comparable with Maradona and Pele. There is the on going debate that Bobby Orr was a the greatest but either way, the two did wonders for the game. And Gretzky was a much more noticeable and vocal ambassador as he traveled the world selling the game to the masses. In Edmonton the owner of the Oilers was almost killed for selling Gretzky to LA and he literally was forced to sell the team and flee the city. His name is never uttered in the town out of fear much like theater people who never say the name of the “Scottish Play”. To us that play is known as Macbeth. Gretzky’s wedding in Edmonton was Canada’s version of Charles and Diana. It was large, extravagant and very posh. It was televised nationally. There is a twenty foot statue of the player in front of the arena where the Oilers play. And he received standing ovations every time he came to play as a member of the LA Kings. A couple of years ago they had a poll and survey done to pick the country’s greatest Canadian ever. He finished third I believe. United have icons like Best , Charlton, Law, Cantona but nothing compares to the love Edmontonians and even all Canadians have for Wayne Gretzky. It really is something very special. Only Argentina’s love for Maradona and Eva Peron can even compare to it. Gretzky put Edmonton and in fact put Canada on the world map.
May 4th, 2008 at 9:05
you know, people like to mention all the other acts of violence commited by united players over the years. but today was different…. not only did nani commit an act of violence towards another player, he further damned himself by PRETENDING it was done to him! everyone else MANNED-UP to it… cantona, scholes, so on so forth… forget neils redcard, he was a shithole to begin with, i agree he sould get a card but he isnt on my team… i would like the team i support to win, and to win as fair as possible (counting out a few lucky penaltys given to us and decisions made in our favour because every team gets them… some time or another)
PLAY ACTING IS A PART OF FOOTBALL no matter what self-righteous people think. ronaldo does it, rooney did it, and sorry to say this but even school boys do it… EVEN VIDIC the iron man did it. and i have video proof… http://www.metacafe.com/watch/868378/video/R/CFD_1002/
and think about it… grognards comments about the type of people who GENERALLY dive and play act…. can u disagree?
getting back to nani, an act of violence, i would still stnad by him… and act of violence and that later masterpeice of play acting…. i just shook my head that the team i support had a man of such poor character play for it.
May 4th, 2008 at 10:13
Wink says – “And think about it, Grognard’s comments about the type of people who generally dive and playact, can you disagree?.
(1) With Grognard’s comments and the way he sees things, YES I can and do disagree. But as RR says, we can differ in the way we see things, and we do!.
(2) With regards to diving and play acting, No I don’t like it, and it needs to be driven out of the game!. But I’m not going to vilify a person’s character, because they had a moment of madness and gross stupidity reacting to provocation. Perhaps if it was, or becomes a continual part of Little man Nani’s future conduct, then it will become an issue for me.
May 4th, 2008 at 10:29
Hehe. Grog on form. I just love the bash-ups. Oi Ranty, don’t be such a spoilsport, let the fun carry on no?
Oh by the way, I think Nani will face a tough time getting over the incident. But it will shape him for the better. Wait and watch.
May 4th, 2008 at 11:24
craig, hope you are right about nani…. i really was disappointed because when he started flying, i got my hopes up. then this happened and my heart sank… i hope he will make it up to us…. like having a sensational season next time around…
May 4th, 2008 at 12:00
RR; my connection is also very good but the download just isn;t happening
It said I needed to downloaded the component ‘xvid’ for quicktime for it to work but then it still didn’t work once I did this.
May 4th, 2008 at 12:14
Wink I understand where you are coming from mate, and I understand your disappointment with Nani’s conduct yesterday. I don’t know about how you are though Wink, I mean how do you respond to the way people respond to you when you have messed up big time. Some people respond to a good ‘bollocking’, but most people respond to pardon and encouragement. Not excusing their behaviour like it didn’t matter, it has to be dealt with of course. But I am one of the people who sees my mess ups, and responds better to a telling off but also with encouragement too. I think you see where I am coming from Wink, and we all tend to deal with others the way we like to be dealt with.
I think Fergie is very Fatherly, and even though RR and others have said that Nani is 21 and therefore not a young person, I don’t really see it that way. To me 21 is still young, and there is still a lot of growing up to do. I think Fergie’s Fatherly approach, with his discipline also will really help sort Nani out, as it has others. I think he won’t let you down next season Wink, like you I like the lad too. I think as JB and K9 said, that he will learn and grow from this. Only time will tell Wink, but unless Fergie does the unusual and pushes him out the door, then we won’t know until we see what happens next year.
May 4th, 2008 at 15:55
Nani is not the finished article. His temperament is a bit suspect as he is cocky and selfish. That carries over into his football and explains why he can be frustrating and wasteful.
I do not know whether I want him to play in the Champions League final. There is no doubt his running and crossing will cause Chelsea problems and he is decent defensively. My only worry is his tendency to give the ball away and make the wrong decisions. I’d start him ahead of Giggs but it is difficult to drop Park
May 4th, 2008 at 16:10
Craig; Valid points but I am not sure Nani has the capacity to learn from this. All season long I have watched a player who is so stubborn and demands to do his thing regardless of the team. He has come across to myself and others I know as a very talented player who is very selfish, not overly bright and who is seeking glory by taking impossible chances or by taking a wild shot over the more prudent pass. How many shots has he ballooned this year on fast break counters where he could have passed to a Rooney or Tevez who were running in to space? This happened early in the year and it has not changed all season long. If he does have the capacity to learn, he seems to be learning slowly.
I don’t deny his talent. There is a lot there but he limits himself by putting his head down far to often and not looking around for every option. Many times his selfishness has upset his teammates in a very visible manner. Sure he is young at 21 but he is acting worse than Ronaldo did when he was 17. Ronaldo with all his early poor habits was always willing to listen to his coaches and work on his weaknesses.
I’m hoping Nani will do this too but over the period of a long season, I have not seen the selfishness and poor decision making go away. And yet the lad has tremendous skill and at times can turn a game on it’s axis despite himself. Add to all this his very questionable temperament and poor judgment and you have a player with many question marks beside his name. Is he the heir to Giggs. I now have my doubts. Right now I prefer Park playing every game over him and to be honest, although Park is very good at what he does, I prefer a more skillful player on the ball than the big hearted South Korean. Simply put, Nani needs to grow up and stop thinking of himself over the team. He’s 21 but he acts like a 15 year old. Until then, I think he will be in Fergie’s doghouse. Right now he certainly is in mine for all that’s worth.
May 4th, 2008 at 18:27
Ok Colver, Grog, I accept you have a different opinion to me, but I will be one of the ones who continues to champion Nani!. I love the lad, and he does get carried away with excitement whenever he gets a scent of the goal lol, but I truly believe he has a lot of talent in him, which is very raw admittedly, and needs to be harnessed. I believe Fergie is the Bee’s Knees at doing this harnessing of talent though, and I love seeing what he can do with raw material. Nani is a rough diamond to me, and I enjoy watching him.
Bye the way, it is worth a mention that this is his first season in the premiership, and not every body is a quick developer. Some players get a storming 1st season in the prem, others don’t though. He will not be used to what Neill did, even though he will be used to the diving and playacting back in Portugal. Neill pinched Nani’s leg muscle while he was on the ground, slapped him on the way up, and then clipped him on each side of the head when he was stood up. So 3 provocations there, and then Neill goes down like bet Davies, what a big girls blouse. Nani shouldn’t have responded, but if Neill had done that to me, I cannot swear hand on heart I wouldn’t have lost it a bit too. Still, I hold my hands up that Nani overdid the response and embarrasing play acting. Yet I want him to come good, and to fulfil the potential that Fergie and Carlos obviously saw in him. As long as he wears a red shirt, and is on the pitch, I’ll will be routing and roaring him on.
May 4th, 2008 at 23:28
Craig; I agree with you in part on Nani. The lad has loads of talent but a five cent brain. If he was 17 or 18 we would not be having this disagreement but he is 21 now. That may not be old but consider this, He is only one year younger than Ronaldo, and look how far Cris has come in 5 years. Also, Cris was never this bad when we first got him. He was always willing to learn and work on his weaknesses. He perfected his shooting and decision making and even his diving has curtailed greatly. But one thing he never was arrogantly moody and selfish to the point of taking long shots when he has open options on the break. Nani plays with his head down a lot like Anderson. This is not good. But his hunger for personal glory is destroying his potential. I think he idolizes Ronaldo and is jealous of him at the same time. He wants to be like him but he is going about it all wrong. We must come to the realization that not all players with talent are coachable. This I’m afraid may be the case with Nani. Honestly, I hope I’m wrong. He may be in mine and more importantly, Fergie’s doghouse, but he also could grow up from this debacle and learn to control his temper and emotions. Channel that energy better and he could become special. But that should have started when he was 17 or 18. Right now he is a little behind schedule age wise. Hopefully his arrogance and stubbornness doesn’t derail a bright future.