May 22
O’Shea deserves his place in the spotlight
Before Sir Alex hands over his team-sheet to UEFA officials on Wednesday evening, you can’t be quite sure on the exact eleven that will take to the field in Rome. Will Carlos Tevez be afforded his United swansong? Will Rio win his fitness battle? Will Giggs or Scholes be given the nod? These are all realistic questions that will remain unanswered for a few a days at least.
Although one man that already knows he’s definitely going to be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Messi, Eto’o and Xavi is John O’Shea and boy does he deserve it.
Prior to this season (and on rarities during the current campaign too) I had always struggled to understand just how the Irishman warranted so much playing time in a Manchester United shirt. Defensively I would habitually worry whenever O’Shea faced up to anyone who could dribble even slightly better than the big man himself. Going forward he would frequently be caught in possession, misplace passes left, right and centre and at times he would be guilty of outright rupturing our attacking flow. How my opinion has categorically changed over the past eight months.
If there’s a player deserving of a starting berth on Wednesday night then O’Shea is a nailed on certainty. In a season where we’ve had so many problems at right-back, he has more than capably filled in and excelled in a position that, to be fair, probably isn’t even his strongest.
While Ronaldo makes a career of chucking his toys out of the pram, O’Shea is the perfect example of a player that simply gets his head down and concentrates solely on giving his all for the club. No he won’t offer spectacular 40-yard blockbusters or raking cross-field passes but what John O’Shea will guarantee you is 100% effort in every game, whoever the opposition, whatever the circumstance. You may be surprised to hear this stat but in 2009 I’ll have you know that the Irish international appeared in more matches than any other player at the club, missing just two games. So is he here just for the medals? You bet your life he’s not.
I may have given the impression that I don’t see the Waterford-born star of versatility as a goal scoring threat. Yet who needs to be deadly in front of goal as when you’ve hit the winner against Liverpool, you’ve pretty much earned cult status at the club. Fast forward a couple of years and O’Shea is at it again as he’s in the right place at the right time to hammer home another crucial winning goal against Arsenal. Did I really say he wasn’t a goal scoring threat?
Whilst the 28-year-old may not be the most technically gifted player of his generation, O’Shea is a valuable member of this magnificent United squad – and who would have predicted that a few years back!? I wouldn’t be surprised if he smashed home the winner in the Champions League final. It would certainly be a fitting way to mark a really impressive season for the lad.
Related items from Red Rants:
- John O’Shea – Why He Should Stay. 09/06/11
- Roundup: Saha’s Enlightenment, Nutty Takeover Bids, The Portugeezers’ Romp and More
- United Host Spurs In Premier League Home Opener
- Update on Red Rants
- As the dust settles…
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (541)
Stephen (479)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Craig Mc (345)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
@Grognard: hey, i wouldnt even classify my self as british(though i technically am).
I am a proud englishman, but the day britannia takeover is the day i lose my virginity, which we all know will never happen!
Like?
0 
0
@Dan: Unpopular country on Earth? Get off your soapbox. George Bush took what was the most respected and most popular country on Earth and destroyed that reputation over eight years. Watch Obama do the opposite in the next eight years. Enough of the American bashing. I find it insulting and offensive because unlike you, I consider the country to the south as my ally and my friend. A country like mine that bailed you silly asses out of two world wars and without a thanks.
I also consider Britain my friend and perhaps their greatest fault is that they think and act like the island they are, isolated and unwilling to conform or adapt. Perhaps you should wake the fuck up and start using the Euro for money like the rest of Europe and hey how about this for a suggestion, start driving on the right side of the road like 98% of the rest of the planet. Talk to me about regressive pig headed tradition and stupidity that is over a hundred years old, and England is the poster child for it.
Like?
0 
0
@Dan: I just had a picture in my head of you doing it and I for one want to see the proof of it. Even if you cover your package up with a sock.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: im not a closed minded person, but in this particular subject, i, and a lot other people, will not budge on this, you are literally burning away years and years of tradition for something american, yep i said, i want nothing american lol.
To be honest, it doesnt matter what country it is, i will always reject this proposal.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: Yeah I’ve heard that almost a third of a football game on average is lost to stoppages. Madness.
Rugby has stop-start time though and no ad breaks. Although I guess cricket is littered with them, If it suits the sport, I guess. I just don;t like the way the sports feel tailored around the ads, ads endorsed by players in that game.
To be honest I’m pretty sure every single way to run a sports club is against the principles of whatever sport you;re trying to play. There’s just something about money and sport that mixes poorly, too much devotion and emotion. Late 18th century sportsmen had it right: “a gentlemen oughtn’t make money from playing sports”.
Like?
0 
0
@Stephen: Why do six guys sit down to play poker? Why do ten horses enter a race? Why do 150 golfers compete in the British Open? TO WIN. That’s all there is. That’s all leagues are there to do is support all their members and make things as fair as possible to give each team a chance to lift the trophy. Some do it more often than others, and some never seem to do it. That is life. The pursuit and the dream is what keeps everyone coming back. It never hurt the Chicago Cubs or the Boston Red Sox attendance or number all those years they never won anything. In fact they got reputations for lovable losers or romantic losers who came close but not quite champs. But the key point is every year they were allowed to return and fight for that cup. They never had to worry about being banished from a league. When we start treating sports like higher education where poor marks gets you kicked out, then we really have to ask ourselves if our motivations are right and proper?
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: Think South Korea have a shout there
We were not that unwilling to conform when The Americans needed backing for the invasion of Iraq matey.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: unfortunately grognard, i will not be making your fantasy a dream cum true(HAHAHAHAHAHA), because everyone knows andy couldnt score with a prostitute let alone against barca.
Like?
0 
0
@Dan: It might happen if you follow through on your promise.
Somebody is bound to notice and take interest in the Dan Man.
Like?
0 
0
@Dan: Spoken like a totally open minded person who never lives in a secluded closet and is always open to new and better things. You betya!
Give my best to your friends in the Conservative wing. And tell them I just love their wigs. 
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: The time has come Groggy!!!!
Buahahahaha….
Your time is UP!!
Like?
0 
0
@michael: On that we definitely agree 100%. Money is the scourge of sports. It used to be so great watching your pro teams and favorite players play and then run into them as they tried to sell you a car during their day jobs. I Remember a day when they made just a little bit more than us.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: I am not saying that I do not see your point, but you can’t blanket sport Baseball has its format and football has its own. Neither is right or wrong just different, the Burnley fans are delighted to go up, it will bring revenue into the club and the fans will be able to watch their players compete up against the big boys, that to me is football, it is romantic.
Like?
0 
0
@Dan: Er he has many times! ” He is class with the brass and he shits on Fabregas!!!!!!”
Like?
0 
0
@Stephen: Correct me if I am wrong mate but the one lone voice in the world that backed the evil Bush administration in all their deeds of evil and destruction was Mr. Tony Blair. Never ever dismiss the fact that England was as culpable and as guilty for Iraq as America. You went to bed with the Devil and you got it in the backside without the courtesy of a reach around. So don’t make yourselves to be innocents when it comes to Iraq.
Like?
0 
0
@Dan: That’s why I am not counting on it. And I doubt you would make that kind of claim if Anderson was able to hit the side of a barn from two feet.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: I didn’t that quite the oppersite we were America’s biggest allies, you misread my post.
Like?
0 
0
@Darth Red Diablo: Your master has to scrape Darth Red Diablo crap off his boots every day before he comes into the house. Your darkness is positively light in comparison to your master’s which is as dark as a black hole. Dream on apprentice, but remember, I can make you……or I can break you. buhahahahahah!
Like?
0 
0
@Stephen: Who cares about Burnley but Burnley? Soon to become a very small minnow in a shark infested pool. Please, even you have to see how ridiculous and futile their fight will be. What exactly is the point. I love the fact they are celebrating the fact that next season they will be Christians fed to the lions. Even you have to see how incredibly ridiculous and absurd this is. Come on mate. They just won a free ticket for a cruise on the voyage of the damned.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: We all said the same about Stoke and Hull
Being realistic they posibley will go down, but they will make money get the parachute payments and be in a stronger position if they go up again, they will have a bit of fun to boot.
Like?
0 
0
@Dan: I’m pretty certain Ronaldo made sure he did
Like?
0 
0
http://vimeo.com/4826516 what a great video to kick things off for tomorrow inspiring and i can finally read/post
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: Where do you stand on Chelsea then? They would get in your super no relegation league yeah?
Burnley had much more success than Chelsea, until someone with lots of money came in. By your reckoning, if someone has alot of money, that makes it ok for them to join the party. Thank god nobody was trying to do this in 1974, cause we wouldn’t be in it.
Like?
0 
0
I think whether or not Grognards idea is a good one, it is too late it just wont happen.
You can debate this all you want but Im sure I wont join in on it because they way football is run these day will not change not anytime soon and not this drasticly.
I wonder how are you all feeling about tommorrow! Im not too bothered really Im not nervous Im ok with everything I find it kind of wierd.
Well, anyway I hope we win, it would be a nice cherry on top of the cake.
Like?
0 
0
Just saw a video on SkySports of Ronaldo interviewing Ronaldo where he asks himself the Madrid question! Footballer Ronnie called Journo Ronnie a fool ‘always with this question’, ‘I’m happy here, this is the best club for me, why would I leave?’.
Well that’s blown a summers worth of headlines for Marca…
@Hannoodi: Cherry on the cake?! It is the ONLY thing. History. Beating the best. This team could become as legendary as any in football history! BELIEVE!
Like?
0 
0
@Traverse: I do BELIEVE, I just think the Premier league was our main objective this season, of course I would love our team to go down in history, I actually see us winning in Rome then in Madrid next year which would be amazing and finally at Wembley.
Like?
0 
0
@Hannoodi: that would be actually insane. wouldn’t complain tho….
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: Im okey with people talking about American sports or whatever. But not these days, not before the biggest game since the game agaisnt Bayern in 99. Sorry, I just dont care about Newcastle, America or anything else for that matter right now. Its final time, its the big day, its time to rule Europe!!!
Like?
0 
0
@Dan: If you do that if Andy scores tomorrow, you should just imagina what I will do!!!
Running naked would be a small step, I would get fucking fake hair and get dreads, paint my skin black, get a Neon-sign which says “Andy=GOD!!!”, fucking kiss every, absolutely every person I have ever met in my life and then take off all my clothes, run around in the whole city and yell “Shits on Fabregas!” until I was sentanced to death because prison couldnt shut me up. Oh dear… 
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: Indeed I did!
Like?
0 
0
@Stephen: And what beacons of wonderful football they are. And the parachute payment is what it’s all about then, is that what you are saying to me? All the more reason why my closed door policy makes more senses. Keep the riff raff from entering the premises only to steal from it and then go back and live in their hovels. The Premier League should close the door on teams and rename itself the English Elite League because that is what I am looking for. Hell I would be for a 18 team 34 game season Elite League with no relegation and promotion and financially tenable and successful teams that have a large drawing base and a large park to sit asses in. I have had a lifetime full of Stokes, West Broms, Hull’s, Burnley’s Reading’s and Derby’s. I spit and crap all over them because they play shite football and have a negative peasant like mentality and existence in what is supposed to be the best league in the world get rid of them and place teams who are able to handle the the financial, tactical and competitive pressure that these minnows are not able to.
Like?
0 
0
@Traverse: First of all, Chelsea is a major sector of one of the biggest cities on the planet. They have a massive drawing base and yes a billionaire did come and help them out because they were poorly managed like Newcastle before that. And I am all for that and because of Roman, they automatically get a place in the League. They are arguably now among the top five teams in the world financially. Enough said. Too compare them ever to Burnley is laughable mate.
Like?
0 
0
@Hannoodi: I beg to differ. UEFA and FIFA are constantly discussing restructuring many things due to the worldwide economic downturn. Economics alone will force the FA and the Premier League to basically cut the fat within the next 5 to 7 years. It cannot continue like this and be viable. I mean nobody shows up for Blackburn or Middlesbrough games. Why would they pay to go see shit stink up a pitch? Those places don’t have a large enough population to draw from in order to sail through hard times. The fact that Manchester and Burnley are not that far away makes you wonder how Blackburn have survived as long as they have.
Like?
0 
0
@RedDevilEddy: Well good for you. So stop speaking for everybody else mate because I get pretty bored hearing about a game that’s company after it’s been analyzed and dissected to death and discussed to nausea. If you don’t want to open your mind to other things mate, please respect those who do.
Occasionally I want to discuss and have a conversation on this blog that doesn’t require the intelligence and attention span of a six year old. Go United, yes United! Kill Barca We will will destroy them Fucking EH! 6-0 and Anderson scores his first goal blah! blah blah! Do you get my drift mate. I’m not in the mood for air headed rah rah United crap. I am nervous about tomorrow’s game and I have talked about it until I have turned blue. So forgive me if I want to divert my attention to some other football related topic, which my American connection was intended for by the way. I respect what you have to say even if it at times it sounds like a teenage cheerleader. Please respect the fact that I want to occasionally participate in more challenging discussions. I know the game is tomorrow. Prepare for me to rant or rave about it after the game. As for before the game, there is nothing more to be said, don’t you think?
Like?
0 
0
@RedDevilEddy: Like I said to Dan, I want pictures and proof because I don’t believe you.
Like?
0 
0
A great article on how Fergie gradually changed the style of play that we now have and the kind of play that makes Craig so happy indeed. And a lot of the credit has to go to experience and also the failed experiment with Veron. Good read.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2009/may/26/manchester-united-juan-sebastian-veron-kevin-mccarra
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: Well that’s plainly not true. Chelsea don’t have a massive base, and that’s why it took a man with a lot of money to fill up their coughers. They can’t even fill 42,000 every week! Hell, nearly as many Milwall fans went to the 3rd tier play off final than that!
West Ham, Spurs and Arsenal all have more fans. Before moneybags took over more people watched QPR and Charlton.
As to Burnley, why not? They beat Chelsea, Arsneal and Spurs this season. That’s more than Newcastle did!
Somebody could come in with £500billion tomorrow, buy Burnely and then you would have to let them into your system. Because there is no relegation, that means the league gets bigger. How big will the league get? 50 teams owned by billionaires?
American sport is 100% money and 0% history. Rounders players signing $275million contracts. It’s a bit pointless arguing this out, because luckily there is zero chance of your ideas ever coming to fruition. Don’t get me wrong, UEFA is frustrating on things like video technology (even Circket use it, and I’m pretty certain most cricket clubs still don’t allow ‘blacks, gays or women’
) but at least they don’t favour a communist system over a democratic one 
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: I think adaptability is the key tomorrow, and I do think SAF will start us up in a 4-5-1 formation. Ronaldo playing deep, Rooney starting on the left flank, and a versatile MF playing a holding role to stymie the Catalan’s thrust down the middle. O’Shea is the key to this, and could handle that assignment strongly.
If we can frustrate their front line, I can see a breaking of their defensive discipline and and opportunity for Ronaldo and Rooney to run riot behind their midfield. If we get a goal then the options for us are immense – like pushing back to more conventional 4-4-2 that would confuse and occupy their approach to the game.
I do think that stopping Barca is job one, then making use of a flooded midfield to break out with Ronaldo running hard down the middle. It will scare the life out of a depleted back line and give us many ops to finish them off!!
Result, 3-1 United, with it 1-1 at HT.
Like?
0 
0
@Traverse:
You are wrong on this account. Baseball, in particular is steeped in history that goes back to early 1900′s. Babe Ruth stole the scene with his outrageous displays of dominance and then followed by any number of great players who have bettered his achievements to set themselves as legends of the game.
If you go to a game, you will always hear people talking about the players that their fathers saw, and the Home Run that won them the pennant back in 1947, and the time that Willie Mays caught that amazing over the shoulder catch. It’s history personified, and if you count the number of people who witness it first hand over the course of a season, it would impress even those who would stoop so low as to call it “rounders”.
When I first came to the US, I was incredible bored and annoyed that people would mock the sports that I grew up with and loved. They didn’t understand it, and so they berated it. You would do well to open your mind and accept that, just because things are different, they are not necessarily of a lesser value.
Like?
0 
0
Why don’t we have a new thread for the Final?? Jeez it’s the most important game of the season (most would agree) and we need some leadershio here!!
Like?
0 
0
@Traverse: “American sport is 100% money and 0% history”?
In my two years of participating on this board I have read many ignorant and just bloody ridiculous statements about this and that. But mate, congratulations, you win the award for totally moronic statement of the century. Please do me a favor when you debate me about history, especially sports history, READ A BOOK!
I cannot believe you wrote that. You obviously cannot be serious. Babe Ruth, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and the Curse of the Bambino, the Montreal Canadiens, the 1972 Canada Russia Series, The 1980 Miracle on Ice, the 1918 World Series and Black Sox scandal, the Monsters of the midway the Chicago Bears, the Dallas Cowboys, Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers, the 1972 undefeated Miami Dolphins, Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, the Boston Celtics and their 16 world championships, Jack Nicklaus, Bobby Jones and I won’t even go on because I could write a book of incredible sports moments, players, teams and events both pro and amateur that would turn you beat red. Oh and lets not forget America’s 1-0 defeat of England in the 1950 World Cup. A time when America was complete and total shite but they beat and overly arrogant and conceited English team that went into that game ignorant as a hillbilly in heat.
Think before you speak mate. Honestly, you are making my argument for me with logic and ignorance like that. Sorry if I’m coming across as rude but I cannot in all honestly let this go because my jaw dropped when I read that statement. Christ, baseball in America has as long a history as football in England. Hell basketball, hockey, football and golf have been played as early as the 19th century. What you said was just total rubbish mate.
Like?
0 
0
@Redrich: Red Ranter said late last week that he was going to take a short vacation and would be back for game day. So that hopefully answers your question mate.
Like?
0 
0
Look, all of you, it will NEVER happen, american sports are a business, they have no passion, but the fact of the matter is that even if they did, we will NEVER change this system that is over a century old.
We hours away from the biggest game of the season, and sorry grognard, but you’re ruining the experience for the rest of u s with your america this and american that opinions. Your to us, it sounds like you’re saying, england is wrong, the system is stupid and wrong, america is right, its system is better and more complete then englands. It isnt, and never will be.
Now back to todays game, heres the interview traverse was talking about http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2HxbX4RkfY funny!
Like?
0 
0
@Dan: I watched that last night fucking funny, I enjoyed both Sky and ITV’s build up to the game tonight it is so tight and a tough one to call, all you can pray for is that the team performs. We can accept loosing the game if we play well, but if we don’t turn up in a sense and lose that will be hard to take.
I think everyone seems to talk about Messi V Ronnie, but I think the bench will be important, we will probably have Carlos and Berba waiting to come on and they could be very important tonight.
Come on boys don’t let us down!!
Like?
0 
0
Anyone else get the feeling Fergie is gonna throw a curve ball? I know Cruyff has come out and said the same, but I feel it is in the works too. All this chat of Park this and Park that, first Asian. Having him train crossing from Messi’s side of the pitch…the easily predictable line up is:
———–VDS——–
-O’Shea-Rio–Vida-Evra-
—-Carrick-Anderson—
———Giggs———
-Rooney——–Park—-
——–Ronaldo——–
But I’m beginning to think its all a ploy to get Barcelona thinking it’ll be attack against defense, and we might actualyl do what we did last year with this kind of thing:
———–VDS——–
-O’Shea-Rio–Vida-Evra-
—-Carrick-Anderson—
-Rooney——–Giggsy–
——-Berbatov——–
——–Ronaldo——–
With a view to get an early lead, then shift Giggs back into the middle and maybe bring Park on. Dunno. Just seems a very strange situation to me that we ‘know’ our team before kick off – hasn’t happened like that much at all this season!
Still predicting a 3-1 to Barca, with a late, late 3rd, after several wrong offside decisions against Ronnie. Just don’t feel it this year guys, wish I knew why.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: I’ll come back to this in a few days. Onto the final!
Like?
0 
0
Also set pieces could be a decider for us tonight, not only with Ronaldo’s freekicks but from corners, I fancy Vida and Ronnie against Toure, Puyol and Pique any day of the week.
Like?
0 
0
@Beachryan: Rooney is rubbish on the right. He’ll be on the left, Park on the Right.
Already a United fan has been stabbed by scumbag Roma/Lazio thugs. When will UEFA ban these chumps from Europe, like England were in the 80′s?
Like?
0 
0
@Beachryan: GO AWAY! we dont need your negativity!
Like?
0 
0
Rooney’s boots have been stolen! Nike are frantically getting him a new pair of some special boot he was wearing for the final tonight.
Like?
0 
0