Dec 12
Manchester United vs Aston Villa: Preview
Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at Red Rants have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register. Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted). So, give this a run if you’re up for it.
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It’s that time again, when the Premier League comes to the forefront of our minds and fresh from a thumping victory in Germany confidence will surely be high as Aston Villa visit Old Trafford on Saturday evening.
Remember August 1995 when one Alan Hansen famously said ‘you win nothing with kids’? Well… the opponents of Manchester United that day were Aston Villa, they won that tie 3-1 prompting the aforementioned comments, but since then, United they have gone 27 league games unbeaten in this fixture, and won 12 of the last 13 against Villa. Villa’s record is worse when you consider in all 34 Premier League clashes they have amassed just two wins and their last victory at Old Trafford was back in November 1983.
However, as many of you are aware this United squad is currently undergoing a major injury crisis.
In goal will be Tomasz Kuszczak, Edwin van der Sar is still recovering from a knee injury and Ben Foster’s confidence issues mean he will be the P.I.G’s back up.
The defence, the biggest problem for Sir Alex Ferguson, out are Jonny Evans, Rio Ferdinand, Fabio, Gary Neville, John O’Shea, Wes Brown and Rafael. Expect Darren Fletcher to retain his right-back berth, Patrice Evra will also continue on the left side. Some good news in the form of the big Serbian, Nemanja Vidic who has recovered from flu, should return to the heart of the back four, partnered by midfield maestro, Michael Carrick who seems to be making the centre back position his own. Confirmed by Sir Alex in his press conference,
“Michael will continue in the centre alongside Vida and Darren will play at right-back. We’re certainly encouraged by the fact that players like Michael and Darren can adapt to playing in different positions and help us cope with the current situation.”
Considering the midfield moves to the backline, a fairly settled midfield should continue, thought Paul Scholes is serving a one-match ban. Welsh Sports Personality of the Year, Ryan Giggs was rested for the trip to Wolfsburg so he should return to the line up, alongside him will be on-form Darron Gibson, Anderson and Antonio Valencia. Nani, given a rare first-team outing on Wednesday will more than likely drop to the bench, along with Ji-Sung Park who is not yet match fit.
Some cause for optimism in the final third however, Wayne Rooney has recovered from a Hamstring strain and Dimitar Berbatov from a knee problem, add this to Michael Owen’s hat-trick on Wednesday and Sir Alex Ferguson has a welcome selection headache. Owen should have done enough to earn a start, probably alongside Rooney.
Aston Villa manager, Martin O’Neill will be looking to end the barren run Villa have had at Old Trafford and to do so he has a full squad to choose from. So expect an unchanged side from the one that trounced Hull 3-0 last weekend.
Going forward Villa are a potent threat especially on the counter attack, they possess great pace in Ashley Young, James Milner and Gabriel Agbonlahor. Stewart Downing has added himself to the array of attacking talents and shifting Milner to a centre midfield spot in the process.
O’Neill is also in a positive frame of mind,
“We are buoyant. We are in fine form and we are well aware of what we are up against, in terms of the difficulty of the task and our recent history. The club doesn’t have a great record against United but we are unbeaten against sides in the top four and those hoping to get into the Champions League this season. I’m not getting overly excited by the talk of a defensive crisis,” he said. “To my mind, Nemanja Vidic will play and so will Patrice Evra. Michael Carrick may have played at the back in midweek, but they still went to Wolfsburg and won.”
Losing only once in the last thirty-one home matches, a victory seems certain, but beware Aston Villa have the highest goals from corners record in the League with eight and have scored in each of their last 14 Premier League matches.
Prediction: 3-1 United
Probable Line Up: Kuszczak; Fletcher, Carrick, Vidic, Evra; Giggs, Gibson, Anderson, Valencia; Owen, Rooney
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Betfair is the official Manchester United betting partner and we here at RR have partnered with them to offer a free £25 bet when you register. Unlike other betting sites, Betfair allows you to place bets when the game is running and choose the odds at which you want to play. What allows you to do these things is you’re betting against other fans, not the bookie, so if you want better odds than are currently available, for example, you can place an order for a better price (but bear in mind that if your price is unrealistic your bet is unlikely to be accepted). So, give this a run if you’re up for it.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Manchester United v Aston Villa Preview – Tougher than it looks
- Aston Villa vs Manchester United: Match Preview
- Aston Villa v Manchester United: Preview/Match thread
- Aston Villa 0-2 Manchester United: Ronaldo and Rooney complete a late win
- Aston Villa v Man Utd: Preview
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (541)
Stephen (479)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Craig Mc (345)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
We have equalled last seasons amount of losses for United already…
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@Redrich: I agree but his movement and speed was back today with a vengeance, so not all was lost.
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@CraigMc: I don’t like it mate but I’m not going to slash my wrists over a performance like this. We outplayed Villa and deserved something for the effort but it was just a day where the ball did not bounce our way. Sure I was very upset with the negative tactics and our lineup but Hell, we will never agree with Fergie on this so why fight it. More often than not he gets things right, but today was not one of those times.
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@Grognard: Maybe there’s not enough movement, but the basic requirement for a direct corner is for it to at least go past the near post (and ideally in a danger zone where our players can cut across it, dink it in the onion bag by whichever way) but too often it just doesn’t (when Rooney takes them for e.g.) and the opposition defence just have an easy job of clearing it.
Right now I’m not sure who can deliver those corners.
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@Redrich: Strange, I did not.
Anyway in the first half we had good penetration but the final ball – pass or shot was uniformly poor from all.
In the second half, we lacked the penetration as obviously Owen will bring less of it and our lighter midfield possibly created less. Berbatov for once decided to stay up front. He had two good chances for it – one saved by Friedel, the other he tried a tricky volley albeit at point blank range.
WE can say that somehow each of the halves lacked some of the others’ strength. But anyway we were also a bit unlucky I thought, so there.
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@Will: i think we will finally be rid of him if fergi brings in morimoto to sell shirts in asia.
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@NicoQB: I’m not disagreeing with you but all I know is that even when the crosses are decent, our movement in the box is useless and we never seem to get on a ball and put any solid force behind it. It’s the same for crosses too. It’s a case of not having players with great aerial ability but also wingers and fullbacks who are incapable of crossing well consistently and with accuracy and diversification.
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@Grognard: Be as negative as you like after a loss, but doing it after a 4 – 0 win makes you look stupid.
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@Redrich: I actually thought he had a very good first half (apart from the pathetic dive), but in the 2nd he was back to his worst, poor crosses, misplaced passes, shots way over the bar, horrible set-pieces and what not.
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@Anders: It just doesn’t help things at all when after making some fairly decent approach plays, Rooney tries an impossible lttle dink pass or very tight 1-2 and gives the ball back to the other team.
If he was more measured in his pass selection and not try to do the “Roy of the Rovers” thing every time, we would be a lot more successful in the final third!!
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@NicoQB: You create your own luck!!
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The Chippas wanna buy us!!!
link
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you guys are overreacting and are being impulsive… a loss is a loss nothing more.
just because we lost (to a good Villa side) does not mean Fergie “lost his balls”, we need “gourcuff” or other super stars, nor that we need to sell anyone immediately.
Our defense was a patchwork and we missed a lot of good chances. We controlled most of the game (59% possession) , had the most corners (which we did waste) and most shots on goal. With our players coming back from injures we will be fine.
Be glad chelsea drew with everton (whom we beat).
Our schedule is the toughest of the top 4 (again) and just as last year, we will come back and win the title.
We are running a marathon, not a 60 meter dash!
Be OPTImistic!
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I’m not too pissed about the loss. We are only three points behind at the end of the day. What is annoying me is those Rooney attempts to curl the ball in rom outside the box, maybe its me, but has it EVER gone in?
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@Traverse: Perhaps you should get the fuck off my back because whether I’m positive or negative you find a problem with me. Perhaps you should read more carefully and more thoroughly and not just the opening paragraph of my posts. Was I negative about the Wolfsburg result? Answer, NO. Do you bring that up? Answer, NO. All you are concerned with and almost obsessed with is trying to stifle my contributions on this blog. I have news mate, IT AINT GONNA HAPPEN. So give it up and a suggestion to you. If you don’t like my contributions and you think they are stupid, then just how fucking stupid are you to continually read them? Ignore them and i’ll ignore you and all will be well with the world. Your personal attacks and crusade is tiresome and boring. At least I stick to football rather than try to attack or initiate an attack on another member for his beliefs. The 4-0 win was nice but there were still many faults with the club and we were just lucky enough to get off scott free. Anybody with an IQ higher than a pear would know that. So kindly get the fuck off my back OK
If you think I’m stupid after what I have contributed to this blog, then what exactly does that say about your intelligence? Not a Hell of a lot from where I’m sitting. 
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: However we have now lost to Chelsea, Liverpool and now Villa, and was not the best team on the park against Arsenal.
My bum is a little squeaky right now!!
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@Footy4Eddy: If there’s anything to that, it is a huge story.
Will change the complexion of everything!!
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@Grognard: blah blah blah, as usual. you are completely right, you won the internet. you can go outside and take the tinfoil hat off now.
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: Listen mate we are not judging on this one game, we are DODGY in a good few games at OT, and that in itself should RING YOUR ALARM BELLS
. We were very lucky to beat City, although Owens goal was spectacular – we got a lot of extra minutes. Lucky against Arsenal, lost to Besiktas, and almost to CSKA. We have become so laid back that we aint got any FIGHT, and our play is so languid and lacks any kind of oooph – I for one am so feckin tired of this dozy shit – sorry mate!
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Oh and by the way – Rooney walks into the team most games regardless of how others are playing, and on a good few of his performances this season he shouldn’t DO!
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@Redrich: If Rooney was measured on his pass selection as you say Bro – he wouldn’t make the TEAM. He cost us today and many other days this season with the play breaking down because Rooney can’t make a decent pass to save his life!
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@CraigMc: He wasn’t the only one today that had a shocker. Giggs was shit and so was Park. I think Giggsy must be sick or injured, he looked awful.
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The game was just dismal and pathetic.
It was horribly apparent that Man Utd lack the cutting edge from its mid-field which made me ponder Ferguson post match conference that its just one of those days when its horribly clear what is lacking. Once Giggs left most of the moves broke down partly due to Rooney coupled with Valencia having a mediocre game . Once again as from the start of this campaign i state mine case that this is a Championship winning team and only World Class signings are befitting of it, we can’t rely on 36 yrs old players week in and week out.
Bring in the David Silva and Villa. Face it, Park, Nani and Valencia just ain’t good enough.
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@Rosicky:
Say Rosicky aren’t you still injured for Arsenal?
Anyway Park isn’t good enough, Nani is good enough, Valencia has enough potential to be good and Obertan will be top class once he settles in fully. We don’t need Villa, maybe Silva.
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@CraigMc: But seriously, you’ll drop Rooney? He is inconsistent yes but he is world-class and he is inspiring to the rest the team. He has the ability to rile up the crowd to get behind the team and IMO he’s the only person worthy to build the team around currently.
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@Traverse:
Whilst that wasn’t a personal attack or some such, I think you should know enough by now to expect that to be provocative to him especially. Considering the spats you’ve had with him in the past. And that it’s not worth anyone’s time or interest to get involved in another pointless brawl that will obviously ruin my weekend resolving.
@Grognard: I think you completely missed the point of his comment. He was making a general observation of people’s reaction to you when they see a negative comment posted after a 4-0 win — just answering your question when you mused why people think you are negative. I think he was referring to the Portsmouth game when there was a lot of negativity despite the win. To me and others it’s obvious what you offer here, but for 90% of other observers it would give a very different impression, like it or not.
Let’s be honest, most of us have to have known you in the first place to really understand where your comments come from. If you weren’t Grognard and some other XYZ character who’s new and posted something in your tone, I think people might have given that person a lot more stick because they don’t know where he’s coming from. To a casual observer it’s quite possible you don’t come across the same as you do with us.
I think Traverse was making that observation. He believes that’s the reason you are being perceived as negative, and say, for instance, Redrich or someone else is not.
You wonder why you don’t get your due credit for being positive most of the time, and that concern is justified to a degree. But then I think 90% of the time a perception is built upon the cumulative effects of comments offered by someone on the site. True or not, that’s how it runs.
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@Red Ranter: Ah wake up RR. Missed his point, my ass. THat was a genuine dig directed at me and with a lot of past animosity behind it. Remember he’s the one that piggybacked that ass clown who came on here two weeks ago to try to make my life Hell on here. He has a problem with me and I know it. YOu are an intelligent bloke mate so stop acting so dense and look at things as they are, not as you would like to make them. What bugs me about Traverse is that he is a regular on here who has been around for a long time. He’s not a troll and he should know better than to call me stupid or to antagonize me in any way. If has an issue with me being negative after a 4-0 win then he should just say and make his case. But instead he has to say what he wants in a rude and offending manner. Sure I have read worse but the point here is that this guy is harboring major animosity towards me and yet he won’t take the fucking hint to just ignore my posts and move on. I write what I want to write and what I feel. Nobody has to agree with what I write but they should respect it. That’s all I ask. I am tired of all the crap I get served and all you do is tell me that it’s occasionally justified due to my style and my personality. Bullshit. I am talking about football here, not racism, politics, social conditions or border disputes. At the end of the day what we discuss on here is worth shit in the overall scheme of things. So why is everybody taking me so seriously and forming such a negative and hateful opinion of a person who is just talking about football and Manchester United? It’s childish and it’s mean spirited and you condone by criticizing my style and personality by hinting that I am just asking for it. Whatever I write on here, I am not asking for hatred and abuse in return. Disagreeing is fine and debate is encouraged. I am more than respectful to those who challenge in the proper manner.
I am growing tired of having to apologize for being insulted. Anytime somebody calls somebody else stupid, it’s an insult. Especially if this individual has a track record of insults and animosity directed at me. I have no idea what his major fucking malfunction is, but I don’t need it and I don’t need your lectures on my character. My character is exemplary I’ll have you know. I am fair, I am kind and I am sincere. Yes I am opinionated and yes maybe I do look at a glass half empty, but then again that is my right. It’s not a crime and it’s not for the like of one Mr. Traverse to tell me how to think and what to think. You know what he can do with his opinion of me. If they can’t handle the truth, perhaps it’s he and those like him who have the problem, not somebody who freely offers his opinions on the team. Amazing how he never commented on my positive remarks from the Wolfsburg game and even the West Ham game. And even today I was a Hell of a lot calmer and more positive about things than some of our regulars who were absolutely livid. Do I get credit for that or get defended for those positive moments? NO. It’s so unfair. I don’t think Traverse has ever read more than a paragraph of mine.
A while back I wrote satirical piece where a few jumped on me because the first paragraph was misleading and sounded negative. Had they continued they would have realized that the whole thing was satire. But ADD is rampant on the Internet and nobody takes the time and effort it seems to fully read something before jumping to conclusions. It’s incredibly unfair and crap like this unfairly paints a picture of me as being something I am not. I am fed up with it. You talk about me ruining your weekend. Well this shite ruins mine more than you can imagine. Man how I relate to Rodney Dangerfield.
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@Traverse: What a cerebral response. And I’m stupid? Do you take pride in being an antagonizing prick? Stop being such an asshole and try being a more accepting and decent individual who one can debate about football. I don’t mind if you don’t agree with my views but attacking my right to express those views and challenging my mental competence is crossing the line. I just don’t get your hatred.
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@CraigMc: He also created most of our chances and saved our bacon at least three times due to his tracking back. I see your point because overall he was poor, but mate, I think the problem here is that Fergie is just demanding too much from one man. He is world class but perhaps another term should be introduced to describe players like Ronaldo and Messi. How about Universal Class? That would make Rooney’s status a little more palatable. Rooney needs help up front and he needs to have less pressure and expectations placed on him because I think that affects his game.
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Having an argument over the Internet is like running a race in the Special Olympics, even if you win, you’re still retarded.
Absolutely no offence to the less priviledged intended of course.
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@Grognard: I know about the animosity which is why I told him that (did you read that part?) I’m wide awake and I don’t need your patronizing about me being intelligent.
Nowhere did I say occasional attacks on you are justified because of your negativity.
Also no one asked you to apologize here. You are completely entitled to express your opinions here – I’ve said that a million times over.
We’ve had this conversation a million times over and I don’t want to have a repeat of this – we both know where we stand on this issue. So I’m not going to respond to this thing again.
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Anyway moving on, in other news, it seems, if NotW are to be believed, some Chinese billionaires have offered £1b to the Glazers to buy out United.
Whether this is true or not, I tend to view any shady consortium of billionaires with scepticism considering how a lot of recent takeover bids have gone tits up.
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Another interesting but brief piece on a Corporal praising Ferguson for his treatment to a lot of wounded soldiers who served in Afghanistan.
Apparently Ferguson wanted to keep his charity, support activity private but the soldier was keen on praising him in public.
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@Grognard: Bro you and I are not looking at the same things when assessing Rooney’s performance. Yes he chased back, but often because he had given possession up CHEAPLY in the first place. As for making most of our chances – which chances were they then Grog???? He MISSED at least 3 chances others made for him, when he should have scored, but his option of strike delivery was poor, as is often the case with him. Grog I am never going to agree with Rooney fans about Rooney. To me he is OVERATED, and if we have to rely on him this season, up front leading the line, then we are going to lose a good few more points. Anybody who can be bothered to suffer watching the game through again, will see that the play nearly always broke down with Rooney. I am so glad that I am not travelling as much to OT this season, whereas I never missed hardly a game other seasons, but I can’t STOMACH the type of football we play anymore Grog. 40-52 quid for tickets to watch languished no fight effort in games like yesterdays – I am not wasting money on that until SAF does something about it. When you pay top whack for admission to games, you should expect a great product, which we always had at OT, but NOT ANYMORE- it’s all gone so Italiano – sickening!
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@Rand: Like I said to Grog – to me Rand, Rooney’s performances are just too mediocre on many an occasion. I don’t know if you have seen him in the really big games, and I AM SURE YOU HAVE, when it really matters, Rooney does not PROVE himself to be world class as you say he is. In CL finals for United he has not proved so, and in England internationals against the top teams – he does not put in world class – match CHANGING performances. If he did mate, I would be the 1st to acclaim him. Also, yes I do think he needs to play for his place in the team just like any other player – he is far from being Ronaldo you know!
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@Rosicky: So glad mate that you could see, and also have the boldness to say that MOST of the times the play broke down was when the ball got to Rooney!
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@Redrich: I know he wasn’t the only one Rich, and I said in earlier posts about Park, Valencia and our MF too. Valencia can’t play against teams that park the bus, or the top teams where defenders/fullbacks are very good. Also WTF is he playing every game with very little respite? He is not that bloody good, and neither is Rooney proving to be in such games this season and other seasons.
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@Red Ranter:
I’m all for it if they have the money to back their claims. Glazers are ruining United and any way we get out of their stranglehold is welcome
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@Red Ranter: Yes but you mention those things in a manner that speaks to me as if I bring it on myself. I do not ask for people to jump down my throat. I would love it for them to debate me without getting rude or personal. To me you sound like you are saying that I am free to say what I want but that I should be prepared for abuse because what I say gets on people’s nerves. That’s the way it comes across to me. Perhaps I’m just too good at reading between the lines but I just don’t see the support for my position that I would like. I do nothing wrong by offering my point of view on here yet I continually get pissed on and then told that I should expect it due to my personality and the content of my posts. After a while you get a complex over this thing and a hair trigger tolerance. In 99% of all the arguments I have had on this blog, I have not started it. And I honestly cannot remember the last time somebody who abused me and said something rude and nasty to me ever apologized or was made to. I’m just to suck it up and take meanwhile others come on here from out of the blue and refer to me as a retard if I argue and defend myself. Why that comment was not deleted is beyond me because it was yet another insult directed to me.
I’m sorry RR but I’m tired of getting pissed on.
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@CraigMc: I hear you mate. I wouldn’t call Rooney overrated but I would agree with you 100% that he is not playing well. My point was that he still makes things happen on the field though , but I agree that it’s not enough right now. If I was a season ticket holder, I might be tempted to sell my seat because I do not think I could stomach going to OT to see the kind of football and effort the club has been offering. I will say this though, as much as we are on Fergie of late, I honestly believe everything can cure itself if the Glazer’s would do us all a big favor and sell the team to a rich conglomerate. I think this would improve our overall product by giving Fergie the kind of money to make the changes needed to make this club play United style football. Right now he is playing a cowardly brand of football because of the lack of quality in the team. We have great depth but very little world class talent.
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@Grognard: I never thought I would see the day Grog when I would go through a spell of LOSING my love for football or of wanting to take a time out raincheck on My beloved Manchester United. Anybody else on this blog ever experienced anything like this before – I’d like to know if others have ever hit the same brick wall. I just fing United’s football and player performances depressing this season, and last in all the important games, where SAF’s tactics, formations with square pegs/round holes syndrome putting the manacles on our notoriety for the best football entertainment product around – its all a more than a bit sad. SAF’s post game excuse – ‘it is just one of those days’ I will reply too with, yes but the ‘just one of those days’ have become all too bloody frequent Fergie, and hard to stomach!
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A good few of my mates – DIEHARD Salford reds hate the bland brand of football dished up at OT too. But they LOVE the away games, where the atmosphere generated by the United faithful on opposition terraces is something to bloody experience and behold. So different to the DEAD MAUSOLEUM called Old Trafford. BRING BACK THE FUCKING STRETFORD END PROPER you tight fisted bastards responsible for letting it go into extinction in the first place!
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@CraigMc: Mate Rooney is a top draw player, why oh why did Fergie not start Owen a he is the only manager on Gods earth that would not start a player after a Champions league hat trick, STOP FUCKING ROTATING THE SIDE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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New here, Jaysus a new day ! does not make that result feel any better, and having reviewed the match, Just totally gobsmacked. In my humble opinion everyone that posted has a valid point, although posts during point 208~239 just make me feel, Christ we are Manchester United, and we are fighting each other,Yes we are all hurt after that performance, and again in my humble opinion both you lads are such fabulous reads when you are talking football, but a online handbag fight.Get Park out of OT and fast. If you aint United , yer lost
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On a more positive angle and Grognard quite rightly pointed it out, lets hope that the puddle and the arse come up with a boring draw today
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In one of the paper’s Fergie came out and said he has all the Ronaldo money to spend but just cannot find value in the current transfer market.
It is evident to me that if Hargreaves is not coming back we need another defensive midfielder because when we play a good side and Fletcher is not playing in the middle we often come unstuck.
It is evident to me that we are reliant on Giggs and Scholes to roll back the years everytime they play to give us that bit of class we lack in the midfield. Unfortunately with their advancing age they have lost consistency and when they play badly or do not play at all we often suffer. Certainly I think we could use a creative midfielder in the mould of Gourcuff.
It is evident to me that our forwards are still wasteful in front of goal and that is the thing we miss most about Ronaldo. Even when his performances were average you could always rely on him to take his chances. Rooney for all his all-round game is very inconsistent when it comes to finishing. Some days he looks like RVN other days he looks like Forlan in his Old Trafford days.
I do not know about Owen’s fitness. But in my view we should fast track him into the first team because he is the best finisher we have and Id take that over all of Berbatov’s silky skill in the current team. If there are questions about his fitness which are preventing him from playing every week, then we need a new striker.
Macheda and Welbeck are not what we need right now. With the problems we have scoring, and our slightly leaky defence, we need strikers who can make an impact TODAY, not strikers with POTENTIAL. Farm them out on loan, and bring in a striker who can make up the goal deficit. Then leave Rooney and Berbatov to create chances, because neither of them is going to be prolific in this team.
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@colver: Wow Bro with ALL THAT EVIDENCE – I vote you in as United Manager
. You said it good mate!
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@Stephen: He may be as you say Bro a top rate player, he just doesn’t play like one often enough for my liking – sorry!
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@CraigMc: I know how you feel mate. I would be as sick as Hell if I lived in Manchester and was a frequent member of the Salford Reds or sitting anywhere in OT for that matter. Yesterday I got into it with Traverse over my negativity, yet again. It amazes me how many do not get or understand my position. You at least have come around to seeing things like I have been pointing them out for over a year. Remember, this style of football did not start this season. It’s been building up since our we played Barca in the semi’s two seasons ago. The difference is we always had Ronaldo to lift our spirits and bring some life to games that Fergie had tactically thrown in the gutter.
We all can waste time coming up for reasons why we are failing in certain areas but regardless of the results, the fact is that watching United play these days isn’t the positive and pleasing experience it used to be. I feel sorry for the fans who go to OT to watch the club play. The corporate mentality has robbed them of so much and as for the Salford End, well, that is just a symptom of the bully’s of political correctness denouncing specific rights by hard core fans to celebrate in their traditional manner because it either offended the rich ticket holders or because they felt intimidated by them. In the process they have killed the spirit and the atmosphere that used to be a 12th man for United on game day.
So what is to be done about all this blandness and incredibly ordinary agricultural football? I’m just watching Arsenal beating Liverpool and I am thankful we are not in the sorry state of affairs that the Scousers are in, but then are we headed in that direction but only at a slower pace due to the experience and brilliance of our manager to get the very most out of a rag tag bunch of players who collectively are pretty good but who are rather ordinary as singular entities. I watch a player like Arshavin and notice his cracker of a goal today and come to the realization that we don’t have that kind of player. A match winner and a world class midfielder who can take the game by the scruff of the neck and make it his. I see the ordinary elements we offer at GK, RB, AMF, LW and RW and I say, that simply we are just not good enough to cal ourselves elite anymore. Yet, we are three points behind the leaders and in the second round of the CL as a top seed. What are we to make of it?
The bottom line is that despite our negative style of play, our tactics, and Fergie’s rotation system and square peg in a round hole philosophy, we seem to get way more out of team than Rafa gets out of Liverpool or that Wenger is presently getting out of Arsenal. Again I think this speaks well of our overall depth and not the quality of our starting eleven. When we ask something out of our starting eleven in a big match, they have been found wanting. When the club quietly fights it’s way into a position to regain top spot what do we do? We blow that opportunity by losing to an inferior Villa side at home. Is it lack of quality or lack of killer instinct? I think it is a bit of both.
Fergie says he has 60 million to spend but cannot find value? Utter bollocks! More like we cannot find value in what he is doing and what he is professing. He hasn’t got 60 million to spend, not even close. What he has is a work ethic and a pride in supporting his employer no matter what by lying to our faces. Ask yourself this one question mate. If you were 69 years of age and on the last turn of an epic race that is your career, would you not spend 60 million of somebody else’s money to secure your team’s chances of winning major hardware before you retire? I know I would and I seriously doubt there is an individual out there that wouldn’t. So why say you have the money and not spend it? To further lie to us and take us for fools who will buy into anything the Boss says out of faith and trust. Well I love Fergie but I do not trust him and my faith in him is receding by the day. It’s time he woke up to the reality that exists. That he is presently managing a good side of lunch bucket 9 to 5′ers who work their ass off and have their moments but who are lacking that touch of class and individual brilliance than separates them from the Barcelona’s, Real Madrid’s, and even Chelsea’s. This club needs an injection of world class talent and they need it now. Fergie can lie all he wants and be forever in denial but he is flat WRONG, and deep down he knows it. What this club needs is a touch of class, like when Cantona showed up. Until then, consider ourselves mired in the mud.
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@CraigMc: Just the twelve goals then this season mate, what and Nani has played like a top rate player then bro?
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