Jan 23
Manchester United to top the table
With the rest of the Premier League in FA Cup action the pressure is on United to clamber above Chelsea and Arsenal with a win over Hull this weekend.
A victory would make the Reds the first top flight team to reach 50 points this season and take them two clear of those London rivals. Three points is imperative.
And if Betfair layers are to be believed it will be achieved with little fuss as United go in to the game as overwhelming 1.17 (1-6) favourites.
Those odds aren’t particularly surprising given the champions’ dominance over the Tigers in the Premier League (three wins from three) and Hull’s position in the relegation scrap, but there are better bets to be had. Let’s find them.
With such weak opposition in town, Sir Alex may have one eye more focused on Wednesday’s second leg Carling Cup semi-final and that should be factored into our betting.
It’s highly unusual to see over 3.5 goals trading so close to odds on at 2.22 (6-5) and it’s simply too low a price to ignore. Lay that. United are capable of running up big scores, but they do so less frequently than people suspect. Since the 5-0 win over Wigan on December 30, five goals have been scored in four games with three coming against Burnley last weekend.
The chance of a low score is increased by Hull’s defensive mindset. The Tigers are highly likely to approach the game with the same ‘backs-to-the-wall’ formation that worked so well at White Hart Lane. Nevertheless, a Reds win has to be the fancy so let’s take a gamble on the 2-0 and 3-0 wins at 7 (6-1) and 8 (7-1) respectively.
Those score predictions suggest we fancy a home clean sheet and at 1.8 (4-5) it’s short but tempting nevertheless.
Away from Old Trafford the FA Cup will bring its usual array of mismatches, upsets and close-run-things.
We will undoubtedly lose a few Premier League clubs this weekend but three look worth following – a multiple on Aston Villa (at home to Brighton), Tottenham (at home to Leeds) and Everton (at home to Birmingham) pays at odds of 2.9 (19-10). The Toffees have the toughest task but the tails are up at Goodison and Birmingham’s run must end soon. Spurs and Villa just have to play to their ability and they should progress.
You can also win two tickets in the North Stand for the second leg of the Carling Cup semifinal on Wednesday. Watch Manchester United beat Manchester City live at Old Trafford by placing a risk-free bet with Betfair.
Related items from Red Rants:
- The International Break Will Help United Significantly
- Race for the title – United’s chance to lead the table
- The Ultimate Manchester United Stats Page
- The Best Manchester United Blog Right Here, Right Now
- Manchester United’s tough, tough April fixtures list
Tags: Manchester United Fixtures
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@Scotjimland: Im not trying too be an asshole, but is English your first language? Some of your post are fine, but others are borderline incoherent. I was thinking you were either posting on your phones keypad or English isn’t your native language.
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@Scotjimland: What’s your issue and what are u on about?
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Well that was a fantasatic day, more to come in my opinion Our leader SAF, will get that once in a lifetime 4 Leagues in a row. And I really belive that.Know yer history, COME on you reds
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@Johnsom33: i am scottish, get over it! i can be great fun or if you take me on football or net, beware
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@Scotjimland: I aint no lady Gaga
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Ruud off to Hamburg.
One the one hand, I’m happy that he didn’t join the dippers on the other I wanted him to at least set foot in Old Trafford and the crowd give him a warm reception before his playing career ended…
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@Johnsom33:
of course it aint, you want me to type in Gaelic, that will fuck u up big x
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but i tell u this m8, am more devil than most
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKTFe1T0SYg
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Cmon lads lets get behind the club the team and shout like fuck, we are United on Wedensday. You know it makes sense, lets get this into perspective, its a blog. its Cool against Hull today. But put yer fire in Shittey, thats the big 1, and in my view break a leg? the Ginger Prince on Argie cunt. End off. my prediction Us 3 others nil
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niters lads enjoy yer blog! keep it Red
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@Cyclops-Red: They’d have had tho eject the entire crowd, the place was rocking. More of that please.
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@NicoQB: Fair point – though I think I would have gone for Rooney had the score been 1-0 as well… he was imperious today.
The thing with Nani is because he has been shit for us since the beginning of time, we are so impressed with his one good performance that we over-estimate it. Don’t get me wrong, after the match I call a friend to tell him how well Nani played, but Rooney, over the full 90 minutes, played like the white Pele.
I was starting to have doubts as to who is the best player in the Premier League – him or Essien. After that, there is no doubt.
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@Scotjimland: Scotty, tell me how you felt about the game today.
I thought we looked good moving the ball around, Nani made a big difference – whipping in early crosses, Rooney was clinical, Scholes was putting on a master class, and Rio seemed to add some aerial stability to the middle of the defense.
The team looked like they meant business for once and put the bottom dweller to the sword. NIce MF pairing, with Fletcher fighting and Scholes dealing the cards. Good movement by Park, cutting inside, gave Hull’s MF more than they could handle.
Up until the second goal I thought we were wasteful again, and although Owen looked comfortable on the ball, he really looked very slow when his chances presented themself.
What ya think, mate??
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@Cyclops-Red: It’s a corporate dictatorship – much worse than a police state!!
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JayWire I agree Nani has been hampered by lack of playing time this season, but the few games he has had, he wasn’t just unimpressive he was woeful. Breaking into the first team is not easy, especially when Ferguson does not have any faith in you, but until today Nani has done nothing this season to warrant first team appearances. He also did himself no favours by complaining to the press.
I think everyone on here, and especially Craig, recognises Nani’s potential. But whereas Valencia is Mr Consistency consistently around a 6 or a 7, Nani is Mr Inconsistency-he never has an average game, either he plays amazingly or he sucks!
Ferguson also is incredibly biased and Nani obviously rubs him up the wrong way. He also still tries to play Giggs on the left every chance he gets, and to be fair it is not totally undeserved as Giggs has been our leading assists provider. Similarly on the right wing Ferguson prefers Mr Consistency Valencia and to be fair Valencia has done pretty well scoring five goals and providing five assists.
So basically the odds are stacked against Nani and the only way he is going to break into the first team is to follow up this performance with another good showing, and then another, until Ferguson cannot afford to drop him.
I agree this is harsh on the lad but it is the reality. I really hope Nani continues to take his chances, because he could give us some of that X factor we’ve been missing since Ronaldo left.
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@NicoQB: Ah fair enough mate thanks for setting me straight. Quite a lot of Mickey’s shots have been getting blocked like that recently.
BTW How nice is it to have Rio back and fit? He’s a cool head in defence and I think we’ve really missed his quality on the ball & distribution (and Van Der Sar’s) in the last month or two.
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@Andrei: Bout time you resurfaced. You only pop on when the Roon has a blinder.
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@Scotjimland: Again I didn’t mean any disrespect, I was just wondering.
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@colver: Oh believe me, the Glazer’s are stupid enough for one important reason, they fear nobody. They live in Florida and they could care less what Mancunia thinks. It is clear that they want to rape and pillage this team before they are forced to sell and are trying to come up with ways to extract dividends and profits from the club while leaving the club with no working capital. Do you honestly think that if Real was willing to throw 70 million their way, they would turn their heads away? The only person who can prevent this from happening is Fergie if he was to threaten quitting if they went through with it. Rooney’s feelings would be irrelevant.
Just last week I too never believed this as possible but several things have changed since then. Rooney supposedly had his agent make demands for a better contract, Real hired a super agent to negotiate the purchase of Rooney from United and the 500 million bond was approved with contingencies in it that allow the Glazer’s to extract major dividends from the club, thus freeing them up to steal the money that would come in from such a sale. Anybody who thinks that they are not here to just rape pillage and then burn the club is an naive idiot and time will prove me right yet again. And expect Nemanja Vidic to also go in the fire sale.
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@Jay wire: The man scores four wonderful goal and you give him an 8? Honestly mate, what would he have to do to score a 10? Score ten or would he have to raise the Titanic?
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@Grognard: both.
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http://therepublikofmancunia.com/brilliant-stats-rooney-ronaldo-last-season-vs-rooney-this-season/?
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@EduardoDaVinci4: I sent this in
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@Redrich: Good Morning/Afternoon My post 70 conveys most of my quick feelings on the play yesterday m8.I was real pleased about the performance, taking in too account it was Hull.
makes sense!
As you I and all the lad’s know they are one of the leagues whipping boys,but you can only beat what is in front of you.
I was real pleased to See Wayne score 4 cracking goals, his highest ever tally in one game, although in the negative sense he could have had probably 7 or 8.For your sake being English I just hope he takes this form to South Africa, and pray for us that he doesnt get injured.
A poster on here the other day suggested he should be pulled back to Behind the front man,
Nani was excellent,I am pleased for the player, seemed to be happier, fabulous crossing with accuracy and good whip, maybe he will come good, for me I sincerely hope he gets to restore his confidence,I just dont think it should be against shitty on Wedensday.If we get beat on Wedensday(heavens forbid)and he plays, you well know all the normal abuse at him will be raised again.What I am trying to say is that would be one step forward and then 2 back.
Nice to see Rio back,Immediately causes confidence, I honestly think if we had not lost most of our defense for around 8 games, nobody would be having a pop at us.Anybody who says or thinks we dont have a title winning team there, is in cloud cuckoo land.(toot toot)
Over all I agree with your feelings regard midfield, calm and in control, but I dont want to be negative, it’s Hull m8.
J Sung, well on A happy day Can I just pass on my view,I am sure the Boss who knows more about football the players than any of us humble mortals, can see something there.
Micheal in fairness brings a new dimension to the attack, he gets in the right postion to score, sadly for Micheal he is blatantly ring rusty.
I seriously fear for Micheal,bye the way even though I am scottish,I shall be supporting England In South Africa, and I so would like to see Micheal there, but with out real game time it’s looking more and more unlikely.
Overall a good result in the context of opposition, but Hull are notorious away from home,i was just glad Myhill did not have a similar game to the one he had at the spuds the week before.
Another highlight of course is that fucking idiot Phil Brown, jaysus whenever he comes on the TV, i just dive for my Sunglasses, have you ever seen such a fake suntan,mair like a Satsuma,I wonder if he picked that colour based on Hulls kit colour.
Hope you are looking forward to the Shitty game, I am getting all worked up about it already,its gonna be a cracker,a real tense nervy affair.
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@Scotjimland: I like you, you’re cool.
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@EduardoDaVinci4:
Ditto to you Eddy,when you type about football, I always learn something,and that’s the reason I visit this blog.
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@Johnsom33: Points 101/119
As you have directed 2 post’s to me I shall show you courtesy and reply.M8 you are not being disrespectfull,I take an internet blog,just the way it should be,entertainment.English is my first language, yes.I am Scottish though and a very proud humble one,if my messages are incoherent I apoligise,I am probably texting or talking on the phone, or trying to communicate elsewhere.You know Multi tasking(fucking up several things at one time)
Hope you are looking forward to the match midweek and a BIG result for us!
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Grognard, I have to admit in my nightmares I do envisage Fergie selling Rooney for £80 million and spending £20 million of that on Benzema and giving the remainder to the Glazers.
But I think the Glazers’ evil as they are, aren’t stupid. Paying off the debt is going to take more than a year. They need a stream of revenue and the bulk of that is going to come from our success in competitions such as the Premier League and the Champions League.
If we sold Rooney we would drop out of the top four and the lost revenues couldn’t possibly be made up for in player sales, because once we sell Rooney and Vidic there isn’t a single player in our team worth more than £20 million.
So Im convinced the Glazer’s plan is to sell Vidic this summer as well as Gibson, Welbeck and other players who haven’t impressed.
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I have a serious question: Does David Beckham have enough money and/or rich friends to by United? It might make me consider buying his drugstore perfume. Seriously, if he is rumoured to be thinking of buying some crap MLS team, maybe he should shoot for the stars.
The Glazers are douches.
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NaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNaniNan…
NANI!!!
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@colver: I don’t think Rooney will be sold for the reasons you rightly point. I wouldn’t rule out a sale though in a couple of years. The Glazers’ business model seems fundamentally flawed so sale of the clubs’ assets may look likely in the near future. They need to pull a rabbit out of the hat to get themselves out of the mess they’ve created.
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@Grognard: I don’t just give 10. But I agree he played a great game. On second thought,I’d give him an 8.5 but nothing higher or equal to Nani whom I thought played a near flawless game. Rooney still struggles to pass a football and that’s all that prevented a 9.5 imo
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@EduardoDaVinci4: That’s an interesting perspective. There can be no doubt that Rooney is hot this season and we can all appreciate how harsh injuries have dealt badly with him and hindered his progress. There are some who still don’t believe he is a world class player,and I concur. For me world class doesn’t give the full picture. He is more than that because he brings much more than world class talent to the game and if he is dealt with well by the coaching staff to smoothen the very rough edges in his game like poor passing and poor shot to goal ratio,it would catapult him to the stratospheric levels of players like Messi,Xavi,Ronaldo. That’s all he needs,to be taught how to improve his pass completion rate and shot conversion.
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@colver: The Glazer’s have never been concerned with paying back the loan. They are only concerned with the part of the loan that they are on the line for (200 million). Therefore they are taking dividends out of the club at a record pace, stockpiling their personal wealth in Swiss banks where no creditor or the law can get to it and are prepared to ride the United money train for as long as it goes before derailing. Once it derails they will sell at a profit and fuck off out of town but what will be left of the club they raped and pillaged? There last concern and responsibility is that loan mate because if it was, they would have paid much more of it off, instead, it continues to grow in size. I could see them easily default on the loan simply because they have the majority of their wealth tied away in off shore banks where nobody can get a hold of it legally. The MOFO’S deserve to die for their treachery.
And Fergie is not stupid enough to think that Benzema is a quarter the player Rooney is.
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@Jay wire: Ah mate, he scored four great goals and was close on a few others as well as combining well with Owen throughout the whole game. Had he scored only two goals I thought he was a 9 yesterday. But hey, that’s your right to give him 8 (8.5). I disagree with it but I respect it.
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@Jay wire: I’m finding it funny that CraigMC hasn’t been around since his boy Nani lit the world on fire with his great game. Then I thought about it and figured out why. He doesn’t want to take all the abuse he’s going to get over his negative comments about Rooney all season having called him everything under the sun as well as a useless git. I think Rooney may have shut him up, but then again, he will say he only did this against Hull. Rooney is world class but he is also prone to working too hard at times and getting his head out of the game. I’m still a believer that his bad habits like smoking and fucking off to Malta every so often for a big party is going to slow him up before his time, but I am also willing to admit I could be wrong about that too. Rooney is a special player.
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@Grognard: I disagree i think he got a heart attack, good bye craig see you in the after life
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If i am not mistaken this could be the most important week in our season, vs city a shot for a final and our title hopes could get badly damaged vs arsenal.
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Arsenal lost 3-1 to stoke in FA Cup…
So Chelsea only top 4 team left in FA Cup…
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@Grognard: Benzema is technically as gifted as Rooney but lacks heart. I would not like to have Benzema at Utd because once Fergie gets him playing well he will leave for Madrid, Barca, or Milan if the opportunity arises.
He is a spoiled brat and deserves nothing from us!
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@Grognard:
I really see a gradual asset stripping of the club. Problem is we won’t see administration overnight, rather a long, slow, tortuous death.
Yep, they are covering their arses. The money, £270m they’ve put into the club(allegedly, not borrowed) plus their PiK loan liability will be covered. Their main priority is to save their own skin.
I think I would rather have Ronald McDonald as owner of this great club.
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@EduardoDaVinci4: Interesting, interesting, interesting. Scott always does a great job picking out stats.
Without any bias, I think it is fair to state that stats point out that it is our defense that is the difference between our title winning sides and this year’s side.
Scoring 53 vs. 34 goals shows that our offense is not the main problem this season.
Cheers
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Two more things bothering me in rumor-world
1. Why are we selling Vidic for a meager 25 million. If RM wants him, let them pay 35-40 million for the world’s best defender.
2. If we sell Vidic, is Chiellini really a suitable replacement. (a) He is italian (I can’t stand italian players, besides Maldini and Roberto Baggio) – they are cheating scum. (b) with aging Ferdinand and younger Evans still in our team, I would much rather have a youngster like Kjær or Cahill. Even Hangeland. They would have something to prove. Throwing Chiellini into the defense would almost force Fergie to pick Ferdinand and CHiellini making Evans’ opportunities limited at Utd and possibly making him leave the club.
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@Grognard: You may be surprised if I tell you this,but Rooney is my favourite player at United. In fact since I first saw him play for us he just took over from Ruud as my favourite player. Even jumping past Rio and Scholes at that time and he still remains my favourite player. That’s why I’m so harsh on him sometimes with the ratings. I find it frustrating for me to have to argue about him being world class or not. I know he is and I know he can play to the levels of players like Ronaldo under conducive conditions. He was streets ahead of Ronaldo in his first 2 years but he has been really unfortunate throughout his career.
Consistently injured at key moments in his progress. He has played with so many strike partners in his career so he seems to have to change his game all the time (Ruud,Saha,Smith,Ole,Tevez,Berbatov,Owen). He has been sacrificed so many times and played in unfamiliar positions and his enthusiasm for the game prevented him from sulking. But in all honesty I have studied something in his recent progress. The role of one Fabio Capello is often unappreciated and despised. Being a Juventus fan and follower of Serie A ,I know what Capello is all about. Ruthlessness. Efficiency.And efficiency is what he is after the most. Ever since Capello restored Rooney to the frontline proper,he has bagged them for England. He is technically astute and will require his forwards to be absolutely clinical having dealt with the likes of Trezeguet,Ruud,Inzaghi etc. Once Rooney began to shine with goals in almost every England game,Ferguson began to talk of “playing the boy in his preferred position.” So hats off to Capello for identifying Rooney’s strengths and for forcing some discipline in front of goal. I don’t like his football philosophy but I like his principles and demand for the best from his players.
Finally I would say the only piece missing in the Rooney puzzle is all round efficiency. We missed an opportunity of actually developing him in his weaker areas because we were too busy piling loads of pressure on his precocious shoulders. We thought he didn’t need any help but we could have ground him earlier and polished his all round game like they did with Messi or Fabregas. Or maybe we just don’t have good enough personnel at the club for player development. At some point Ole was working with the strikers and I feel it’s important to have such personnel at the club to fine tune our wayward and disjointed players.
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Check this out. Supposedly the first footage ever of United.
Burnley v Manchester United (1902).
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@Scotjimland: Can’t wait for the Citeh game, mate. Lots of edginess to it especially with Tevez spewing his words of wisdom over Gary the Red.
If we can find a way to score we’ll be in with a great chance, so I hope Rooney hasn’t emptied his tank for the next few games. Be great to see Diouf pair with him from the start.
Nani had a very good game yesterday, but his MO has been inconsistency. Hope he gets another start on Wednesday to prove all his detractors wrong and to finally give SAF reason to start including him in his starting 11, regularly.
Cheers, Scotty.
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@Redrich: yeah me 2 regards the Citeh game,I am genuinely getting you know heart thumping already , reading all the various stuff, getting worked up.There is only one other thing can do that,get my vim up,Purr Purr!
Tevez is a twat,he will get his come uppence,just hope it does not lead to a sending off, for one of the lads.I will be surprised in a way if some wayward supporter does not try to take him out, but that would be very stupid. lets hope there are know cigarette lighter throwing incidents either like on Patrice at Wastelands.
We will Score Red, well we gotta.I dont know if i would put Diouf on at the beginning, defenitely on the bench for Insurance,shitty wont know much about him or how to play him,so he could be a nice secret weapon.
Nah Wayne is fine m8, he looks full of confidence and as its a night game, he will no be shagging the wife till after the match,So plenty energy in the batteries.
I dont want Nani to start,I think this thing with this lad is confidence and playing him in the right place,He made a good start yesterday on building this back and looked classy and very dangerous, I think to bump him into this huge game may come back and bite him on the Arse, because he would likely take the crap if the unthinkable happens.Leave him till we go to the Emirates it’s more his type of game.
Another big thing I want too see is that smug Welsh bugger Bellamy,brought to book, and somebody really shut the fucker up,I dont really mean break his leg, but really hurt him and show him up for what he is a cheating coward.
They will have a big support there they have sold there nine thousand ticket allocation, I just hope all the anti Glazer stuff does not detract from supporting the lads, that’s just like a double whammy, shooting yourself in the foot.So not so much anti glazer chants,not during the match,more United chants.
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@Scotjimland: I would rather we beat Arsenal than City in the league cup, of course, I won’t say no to two wins. Having Nani and Valencia on either wing with Brown and Evra in defense could prove too much for City to handle.
I am afraid of having Rafael matched with Nani as Nani rarely tracks back and Rafael is incosistent at best in defense.
Park plays one role and one role only. To shore up defensively on the wings. Besides Kuyt, he is the best defensive winger in the world.
Let Wednesday come and I will be there watching it on Veetle or any other stream… I am hyped for this weeks footie!
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@Scotjimland: Rio owes us a big game against Bellamy, mate. Hope he and Rafael can cage him in and put the little primate, firmly in his place.
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