Sep 26
Man Utd vs Coventry City: Preview
Morning all. ‘Massive’ game against Coventry today. The sky blues fans are certainly excited about the game. Moreover it would be a big game for the young ‘uns who would be looking to make a mark. I wonder if any channel is willing to telecast this game. It looks highly unlikely, at the moment. So we would have to make do with some indifferent radio commentary and post match reports tomorrow.
Anyway, on to the teams.
The Reds will be looking to play their second string side as SAF confirmed it earlier in a radio chat. He also talked up the possibility of Rooney playing (likely to be named captain), after he pleaded like an infant asking to be taken out to Disney land. We know Rooney well to expect that. We saw the hunger in him during pre-season, and the injury against Reading must have come as a cruel shock to him, more than anyone else. He must have felt like a kid who just had a candy bar snatched from his mouth by the school bully. It’s good to see him wanting to play, and if Fergie agrees, he might get some more valuable minutes in his bid for full fitness.
That said, I would prefer if Saha started alongside Dong, with Anderson in Scholes’ role and Hargreaves, if fit, alongside him. I wonder if Hargreaves is, indeed, going to play as a lot of reports say he hasn’t reached full fitness levels yet. If so, it would be O’Shea who would take his place. I would have liked Darron Gibson to play in that position, but he’s out for 6 weeks at least.
Nani and Eagles would most likely start on the wings.
Our defence would comprise of Simpson, Evans, Pique and Bardsley, most probably. Tomasz Kuszczak would take over goal keeping duties from the excellent EVDS.
I don’t know too much about Coventry City, so Man Utd fans reading this from Coventry, fill us up on the details in the comment section.
The result shouldn’t matter too much as we have other priorities, but it is important we win this because it would give our young players more opportunities to do better in later rounds. So that should be the preview part for the day.
Meanwhile, in other news, Maradona, who is coming to Old Trafford for the Wigan game to watch Tevez play, has hailed Tevez as a great player. He thinks Tevez is more like a son to him, and reckons he would go on to be a Manchester United legend.
“Tevez is like a son to me - from the moment I met him I have felt like that. I met him six years ago when he was at Boca Juniors and instantly I could see he was going to be great. He reminded me of when I was his age - the hunger and the passion for the game. Every second he had a ball with him he was happy. We are still so close and my ex-wife and his wife are very good friends. I can’t wait to get over to England and see him and for him to come to watch me play. I will make sure he sees a good game when we play England. I still have the hunger to play well and score goals and that’s what I will do.”
Most Argentines come with the weight of being compared to Maradona and Carlitos was no different. Of course, that potential, at present, is surely being realized by Lionel Messi. So if Tevez turns out to be even half of Maradona, we would have a hell of a player in our hands. Anyway, his attitude on the pitch is terrific, and one hopes he doesn’t go the way of other Argentines who’ve played for us in the past.
Anyway, that’s it from me for the day. Hopefully we get to watch/listen to the game in some capacity.
Come on you REDS!
Related items from Red Rants:- Injury Update | ‘Lion’ Tevez Speaks | So Does Carrick
- Man Utd 1-2 Man City: City Do the Double
- Manchester United don’t need Barton, can’t have Richards
- Can the Guardian Please Find a Better Writer than Daniel Taylor?
- Derby Day. Raging Ferg. Welbeck.
Tags: Game Preview
September 26th, 2007 at 10:38
in the link u have provided it says,dany wellbeck mite get a debut in this game…
i remember SAF saying last season that thr is one player frm the academy who will make it big,but dint reveal the player’s name..
is it him?
i thot it was sam hewson…
September 26th, 2007 at 12:46
no one airing it india so will wait for ur match report
September 26th, 2007 at 13:52
Great news about Maradonna visiting Old Trafford.
I also read that SAF believes the ‘free-flowing’ football wil now come. He want to start scoring a bit more now. Seems like the confidence is now finally there. Now that Tevez is off the mark, I’m sure we’ll see much more of him and Rooney. I think the ‘competition’ between them will be good for the team.
September 26th, 2007 at 14:43
i love man u but more power needed still more power needed.may
September 26th, 2007 at 15:03
I just wanna see anderson.i am really hoping he will be a star.hargreaves needs to get on the dam pitch and play.
September 26th, 2007 at 16:41
http://livefooty.doctor-serv.com/
they show all types of football matches on there and its free and you just need to download 1 program called sopcast. the manu game is listed so there should be a link on that site near kick off.
September 26th, 2007 at 16:44
I am praying that Nani and Anderson play a full 90 together because they haven’t played together much at all this season. Also, at the start of the season, I thought that the 4-2-3-1 would be our best formation. But after seeing the way Carrick has been playing since the 2nd half of the Sporting game, Hargreaves’ quality when he’s healthy, and Tevez and Rooney this week, I think it would be best to go with the 4-1-3-2.
September 26th, 2007 at 18:19
I haven’t really been able to see any of our youngsters in action, so i was wondering if anyone knows who among pique, evans, bardsley and simpson is best suited to play left-back. with such sparse cover in that position, it would be nice if one of these players could prove themselves capable of stepping in for evra. from what i’ve seen of pique and evans, i’m under the impression that both they both can deputize anywhere accross the back-four. are either of them genuinely two-footed enough to play equally well on both sides of the pitch? would it be unrealistic to think that one of them could lay sole claim to the second choice left-back spot?
What about our two home-grown right-backs? could simpson or bardsley move to the opposite side of the park? how much do they favour their right? phil neville was naturally a right-sided player that was converted to play on the left, and that worked out well enough. i think simpson played on the left a couple times in pre-season and he said he’s been facing ronaldo a lot during training which might suggest that he’s been trying his luck on the sinister side of the field (although one never knows which part of the pitch ronnie’s going to pop up on). what of bardsley? i’ve never seen the lad play, but i remember two years ago people were very high on him and tipped him as a sure thing to succeed gaz. that exuberance has quieted down a lot now and i hardly even hear his name mentioned anymore. why? i’d love to hear everyone’s insights on these players.
i hope that one of our youngsters really seizes this opportunity to move further from the fringes of the first team. The more home-grown lads in the team the better. United have a great tradition of nurturing their own talent, so it would be a shame to think that we have to buy all of our players to be successful. it would also be nice on the pocketbooks to fill heinze’s shoes from within the club with the price of players rising at about the same rate as the cost of petrol. plus left sided players in particular seem to be commanding premium fees. what do you all reckon?
September 26th, 2007 at 18:42
[Millz]
I believe Pique can play at right back, while Evans plays at left back for Nor’n Ireland. Plus, while it’s too early to say, we have the Brazilian twins coming to OT in January - one is RB and the other LB.
Bardsley made a promising start, but of late, it seems that he’s stagnated from reports of fans who’ve seen him play more closely. Simpson, who is also a right back - like Bardsley, had a very promising season last year for Sunderland in the Championship. We must say that the defence from our youth team is coming good.
September 26th, 2007 at 19:30
isnt simpsons a lefty like me?
September 26th, 2007 at 19:31
playing left-back and your right footeed is not a good thing.
September 26th, 2007 at 19:45
Man Utd
29 Kuszczak
26 Bardsley
23 Evans
19 Pique
25 Simpson
17 Nani
30 Martin
22 O’Shea
33 Eagles
21 Dong
08 Anderson
September 26th, 2007 at 19:47
TBH,thats a team that can compete in the league, if they get a few matches under their belt, it can take on mid-table teams and below.
September 26th, 2007 at 19:48
Hargreaves?
September 26th, 2007 at 19:49
Give us some updates lads.tv showin chelseas game instead
September 26th, 2007 at 19:51
Go to the Manutd.com website, register for free audio+text commentary. Click here
September 26th, 2007 at 19:55
nah 5 live is more simple
September 26th, 2007 at 19:59
well 5live, is broadcastign the jewski match, so manutd.com is our next best thing dan
September 26th, 2007 at 20:04
5live xtra is broadcasting the united game right now folks. 3 mins in.
September 26th, 2007 at 20:09
nice one 20legend
September 26th, 2007 at 20:23
5live might be good. But I doubt it would suit outside UK listeners.
September 26th, 2007 at 20:28
thts true, souns like a good game
September 26th, 2007 at 20:29
fuck were one nil down damn
September 26th, 2007 at 20:58
by by carling cup
September 26th, 2007 at 21:01
there still 45 minutes dan, how old are you to be saying that 10?
September 26th, 2007 at 21:02
what i don’t get is campbell on the bench, its obvious he’s not gonna start many games in the league or get much action at that, so when we have the chance to start him why do we put him on the bench, i find it kinda pointless, what’s anyone else think?
September 26th, 2007 at 21:07
how old are you for not realising a joke? 9.
September 26th, 2007 at 21:17
well if that last post was a joke, then i cannot be faulted for not getting it because it was quite poor
September 26th, 2007 at 21:32
Doesn’t Saha need some match practice. Not prudent to field a TOTAL youth Side, Carling Cup can still give revenue if we play at home against a big team. Saha def. Should have been involved and someone else was need on the bench, to grab a late winner if necessary, Tevez perhaps. BROWN is our most qualified and fit RB he should have been rested like Evra. Fergie’s tactics of late have been a little irritating. The little details he’s been neglecting.
September 26th, 2007 at 21:33
fuck 2-0, im gonna have hell in college tomorrow
September 26th, 2007 at 21:33
Yep! Sad. I doubt if the kids would get chances again this season.
September 26th, 2007 at 21:33
2-0 gutted
September 26th, 2007 at 21:35
Lets hope John O shea can do his miracle work and snatch us a win lol
Jebus knows, but sounds like we been second best all night.
September 26th, 2007 at 21:38
yeah it does anyone seen any off the goals?
September 26th, 2007 at 21:40
now im not joking, by by carling vup.
September 26th, 2007 at 21:40
memories of SOUTHEND anyone? LOL.
September 26th, 2007 at 21:41
Right RR.they lose to coventry at home.they dont deserve a chance in the first team.sorry lads.but FUUUCKKK!!!
September 26th, 2007 at 21:42
worse than southend lol, this is at home, and in all honesty the team we have out should be more than capable in playing in the championship.
September 26th, 2007 at 21:44
With as much trouble as we’ve had striking, I’m surprised we didn’t at least put Saha on the bench. It would have been a great opportunity for Rooney to get fit, and given our relative impotence in front of goal, it might have been a good opportunity for Tevez or Rooney to build up some confidence and bag some goals. Sigh…. well, this is one less competition we’ll have to focus on this year. Maybe it will save us some fitness early on.
-Ian
September 26th, 2007 at 21:46
shitty start to the shitty cup campaign
September 26th, 2007 at 21:49
we need to look at the ups of us being knocked out, more players being rested, less injury scares ect ect
September 26th, 2007 at 21:50
people forget that other teams view the carling cup as there only chance to shine on a big stage and maybe get into a final. What bigger stage is there than Old Trafford. The team was far to weak. Reserve matches mean nothing im afraid.
September 26th, 2007 at 21:56
Im tired of this kind of careless crap.fergie needs to be a bit more mindful of what he does.he has messed this up.he needs to think harder bout games.this is gonna sound very dumb but i want a new coach at united.seriously someone who doesnt leave anything to chance.a perfectionist.like lippi.fergie is getting old now.
September 26th, 2007 at 21:56
i use to rate the majority of thes players highley now the majority off them have dropped. only 2 good performers tonight.
September 26th, 2007 at 21:57
there were 70,000 there at the start of the game, 11,000 Cov fans - gotta say theres gonna be a lot of disappointed United fans tonight - and for such a good turn out we should be putting better teams forward.
From a deflated Ole. Night lads, bring on the weekend.
September 26th, 2007 at 22:02
there goes our dream of quardruple
September 26th, 2007 at 22:06
Why would we want the quadruple?
September 26th, 2007 at 22:07
Who played well
September 26th, 2007 at 22:12
Fergie is careless. He has really messed this up.he aint preparing properly for there type of games at all.we need a perfectionist like lippi.as for the youngsters?poor.dong will never cut.plain simple.neither will cambell.buy new youth players please manutd.and not english or chinese.buy spanish or italien or portuguese.they are class.72000 to see rubbish!!pathetic
September 27th, 2007 at 0:56
Yeah the match revenue that this competition would have generated is important to the welfare of this Club I don’t like being out of a competition that can still generate 75000 home crowds. But oh well lets get on with it.
September 27th, 2007 at 4:44
If Fergie and the club took this game and cup competition seriously he wouldn’t have started a team of reserves. Lets face it folks, the Carling Cup has about as much value to big clubs as a copper beer stein filled with warm ale. It’s no big deal and in fact, it saves the club from playing an extra five or six matches which would add to the team’s fatigue in an already long campaign. Lets just forget about it and move on as it really is no major loss. On to Birmingham and three valuable road points instead.
September 27th, 2007 at 7:11
its only the league cup guys!!! oh well!
September 27th, 2007 at 8:32
Can any one tell howaaz our future CB’s?? Evans and Pique??
September 27th, 2007 at 10:28
interesting point u made ABU its still a lot of money lost i say but then yes i dont thinks we were any serious about it at all
And Just1n quadruple comment was in a sarcastic tone
(missing the big mouth jose )
the quotes of the week column in bbc is so gonna be empty without the sucker
September 27th, 2007 at 13:32
At least we lost in the third round… Oh waite
September 27th, 2007 at 15:18
we need lippi? so ferguson messes up in this game and we need lippi in??? its only the carling cup, as nice as it would have been too go far in it, its not the end off the world. but saying we need lippi in to play boring defensive football like in italy, common.
September 27th, 2007 at 16:54
Does no one understand that a cup is a cup and every effort should be made to stay in. Just because its not the biggest competition dosnt mean its less important! If we didnt win anything else fergie would regret taking risks like that! Does no one agree?
September 27th, 2007 at 17:12
This was th eteam everybdy was expecting!! i know ppl who were very intered to write posts(ONLY POSTS) abt giving chances to young lads…and once welost it …just bashing him back saying he has lost it!!!sersly i know everyone of us expected the back 4 to be played…(you can check the posts here up)…even the anderson-nani- oshea-eagles mid filed was also expected..but i thot rooney wud make bench atleast !!!y wasnt he included —fergie knows better !!!! so stop this utter noncsense and just think our position 20 yrs back!!! wats is it now !!!!!
September 27th, 2007 at 19:52
We got our ass kicked in this match by a Maltese. Anyway, we are out from the league cup but we still got a treble to catch! Glory Glory Man Utd!
September 27th, 2007 at 20:39
Every defeat is painful, but the experience gained by the youngsters is priceless. In fact, the loss can only serve them good as they will know what to expect in the future, and be better prepared physically and mentally next time they get a chance. If one never suffers defeat all their lives and they are suddenly hit with one, it will take some time to recover, so better it happens when you’re still young – it’ll make you a stronger person over time.
From a financial perspective, it really isn’t a big influence as TV revenues from a Carling Cup game are probably very low, especially in the early stages. If one looks at it in terms of money generated from stadium ticket sales, one would assume a Carling Cup game would not attract too much interest - the 70000+ fans on hand during the game completely exceeded expectations. If we advanced to the next round, there’s no guarantee that we will get a home fixture and even if we do, it will be very difficult to attract 70000+ fans again. Really, the only disappointing aspect about the Carling Cup exit, is that the young players will have less opportunities to impress, but hey anything can happen. Anyways, there are much brighter days ahead, both for Manchester United and the youngsters. One bad performance does not mean the players are incapable to make the grade, likewise a good performance does not mean they are the real deal. Some people may blame Fergie for the team selection on Wednesday, but he is doing the right thing by giving youth a chance – that’s what this club has always been about. If you don’t let them play, when will they ever realize their potential, adapt to big game occasions, make mistakes and learn from it? Now let’s move on to Saturday’s game!
September 27th, 2007 at 22:01
Yeh lets move on. Looking forward to seeing wayne rooney play on sat. He was desperate to play on wed. Although he is in the first team he is still after all a youngster who is still hungry to prove himself, especially after his injury. Bring on rooney!!
September 28th, 2007 at 0:08
all this bashing is pathetic….. u’ll never know how well the young players can play if they dont get first team opportunities…. and where would thos opportunities come….. go on, tell me…. u want them to make their debut fr the first team in the premier league and champions league, or in the carling cup?
September 28th, 2007 at 13:00
http://premierleagueclips.blogspot.com/2007/09/carling-cup-260907-all-goals-and.html
links to all the goal from carling cup