Apr 12
PFA Players Shortlist: Where’s Anderson, Rooney and Rio
The PFA Awards Shortlist is out. Those who haven’t seen it yet here’s the list. Have a look at it first.
PFA player of the year:
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal)
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
David James (Portsmouth)
PFA young player of the year
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
Fernando Torres (Liverpool)
Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa)
Ashley Young (Aston Villa)
Micah Richards (Manchester City)
Now there will always be disagreements with the lists every year. But what makes things surprising is the absence of certain players on the list. Steven Gerrard inexplicably makes it into the list despite not doing much of note; Liverpool are fourth — and barely — in the table. So it’s not much to talk about this season. Torres, on the other hand, deserves his name on the shortlist. Ronaldo anyway looks like he’ll win the award. However it’s surprising that Rio Ferdinand or Wayne Rooney don’t make it to the list. It’s understood that Rooney had an underwhelming season by his high standards. But he’s had 11 league goals and 11 assists. Plus he clearly makes a hell lot of a difference to our side’s play when he on the pitch. He certainly has done a lot more than Steven Gerrard, despite his injury affected season.
And Rio Ferdinand? How the fuck isn’t he on the list?
In the young players’ list it’s surprising that some players, according to the PFA, are never too old. Fernando Torres is 24 years old. How in the world is he ‘young’. Or what is young anymore? Anderson has been the surprise package of the season, and considering his age and what he’s brought to the side in the absence of Scholes and Carrick at one point. He also had one of his better performances against the bigger teams, and that is a good metric to assess a players’ worth. Anderson did that especially against Liverpool and Arsenal.
So what do you think? Shouldn’t Anderson be on the PFA young players’ list? And how about Rio or Rooney?
Related items from Red Rants:
- So How Good Is Manchester United?
- Man Utd v Arsenal: United End Arsenal’s Season
- Ryan Giggs – It’s SIRtainly inevitable!
- Worry over Rooney and Vida | Evra’s Abuse | Curbs Plans Weak Squad
- Arsenal v Man Utd: Preview
Tags: Discussions
April 12th, 2008 at 10:57
Of course! Maybe not necessarily Rooney but Ferdinand and Anderson really should be there! I mean Gerrard? James???
April 12th, 2008 at 11:09
I know its just that gerard is the darling of English football and to not have him on the list would be blastphemy. Sure in a lot of the papers I looked in he got one of the highest rated players against us. God I hate that prick
April 12th, 2008 at 11:33
in my opinion, there is only 1 player on that shortlist worthy of player on the year, rio should of been on it, and why the hell is james on it?
as for pfa young player of the year, 24 is not young and should not be on the list, 24 is pre-prime, and anderson has had a much better season then some of them on that list, the only reason fabregas is on that list is because those bloody arse fans rate hi so highly but the fact is, for the second half of the season, he has been a shadow of his former self, where as anderson has been great through out the season, especially in the big games.
April 12th, 2008 at 11:37
I don’t think Rooney should be ther. Gertard shouln’t be there too. Rio and Aderson of course yes. GALLAS? He was great too. Essien ? Two good examples of consistency that are not in the list and should be. Vidic Evra should be there too.Obviously it’s not a five places contest in my mind
April 12th, 2008 at 11:42
These lists are rarely justified, so nothing has changed really.
The good thing about Gerrard being nomineed everytime is that the scousers think they have the best player in the world. Just let them, I say. As long as their entire club depend on him, they’ll win nothing.
How Rio isn’t on the list, I simply can’t comprehend. To me, he’s the second best player in the league. Rooney could be argued out of contention, because you already have Ronaldo and Adebayor as forwards on the list, and they have both been better. Rooney has been out for more than 2 months with injuries, which counts against him as well.
Fabregas… hmm I’m not quite sure about him. His start to the season was phenomenal, but he plays less of a role now than 4 months ago and back. But Fabregas has managed to establish himself as special, even though he’s been off lately.
And about the age of young players, I simply don’t get the system. To me, it should be 22 at the most, maybe only 21.
April 12th, 2008 at 11:45
Anderson should not only be on the list he should win it, Torres shouldnt be in it and so does Ronaldo 23 and 24 is not young anymore, and Rio is the best defender I have seen in all of europe this season how the hell is he not on that list, and having James on that list just makes the PFA awards a joke.
April 12th, 2008 at 12:17
If Ronaldo wasnt on the PFA list and Anderson was, Andy would win it for me! To fill the boots for Scholes in your debut season, only 19 years old and making Gerrard and Fabregas look like 5-year old children is not easy to do. I would say impossible if I hadnt seen Anderson do it! Torres is not a young player anymore. When you turn 24 you are not young anymore, football wise. It was a shock seeing James there, and Young on the PFA young player of the year… I mean, come on. He hasnt done that much. Anderson deserves that award. I say Rio in for James and Anderson in for Torres or Young.
Turning to other news, Arsenal really has lost it. Wenger has said that these weeks has been the most bad-feeling weeks in his career, Gallas cried, Flamini is injured, Adebayor and Fabregas out of form…I could continue to tomorrow! The last “wierd” news is that Almunia says Lehmanns hates him and that the blonde wierdo is a little afraid that the big German will kill him! Ouch…
April 12th, 2008 at 12:53
http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=87554 lol he’s b****, he needs to man up and smell the shit he’s in. of course lehman will be upset, he got dropped way, way early in the season, and hasnt really had a chance to prove him self again, and now, weeks away from the closing of this season, they went out the FA cup, they’ve gone out the champions league and tomorrow can be effectively ruled out the premier league race, bringing up a total of 0 trophies this season again. if i was lehmann i would be pretty damn pissed.
April 12th, 2008 at 12:53
I am guessing the problem with Anderson is that he has not played consistently due to Ferguson’s midfield rotation. It is hard to put a player on the list if he is not a first team regular, even if he is playing for the best team in the country.
Definitely there should be an age cap for young player of the year. I would say 21.
Ferdinand was a notable omission. There is no doubt in my mind that at this moment in time he is the best central defender in the world. But defenders rarely get noticed in the big award ceremonies.
Haha if I was Almunia I would be VERY scared of Lehmann. He is behaving like a psycho girl dumped by the love of her life for a younger girl.
April 12th, 2008 at 13:31
The main list is spot on IMO bar for one change, swap Gerrard for Ferdinand. As for asking why James is on there, he has been exceptional every time have seen him and a Pompey game rarely goes by without you hearing of him making another wonder save. He had been the best keeper in the country this year and fully merits a place on the list.
Rooney would probably have featured if injury hadn’t of broken up his run of excellent form twice in the first half of the season.
As for the young player list, I can understand the frustration with Anderson not being on there but Colver has hit the nail on the head. The award is voted for by the players and if you have not played against them you are unlikely to be selected. Given Anderson has been in and out it isn’t a surprise to see him omitted. Look at the players on both lists, they are nailed on regulars for their clubs. On a side note I believe Young has been excellent this season and has delivered the best set pieces in the league this year.
P.S. A couple of things to note about the awards. You are eligible for the young player’s award if you are 23 at the start of the season IIRC. Secondly these were voted for sometime ago so performances in the first two thirds of the season tend to carry more weight than they should.
April 12th, 2008 at 13:46
ronney – no chance. does not deserve to be on there at all.
rio – to some extent. vidic more so in my opinion.
torres – young player? thats weird.. he’s 24 already
April 12th, 2008 at 14:06
It always worry me when I hear somene say Vidic has been better than Ferdinand….
April 12th, 2008 at 14:21
i generally believe that they are both at the same high level, they are like yin-yang, different, but work perfectly together, and so i can understand why some may feel rio is better, and some who think vida.
April 12th, 2008 at 14:26
It could be weirder only if David James was on the Young Player shortlist!
April 12th, 2008 at 15:01
rio should be there, definitely.
April 12th, 2008 at 15:11
[Dan]
The yin and yang is all fine mate, but we tend to cope somewhat with Rio than we would with only Vida — at least this season. True Vidic has a commanding ability dealing with crosses and dominating in the air but Rio has been the better defender by far.
April 12th, 2008 at 15:41
Absolutely! ok lets forget Rooney but Ferdinand/vidic/essien and Anderson really should be there! Gerrard? James?? Fabregas??? making me laugh!!! who shortlisted them, i am sure its Sven Goran Erickson, because he select names not performance!!! what you think guys,,,by the way i’m not a manu fan, i am a sunderland fan,,, yes what about johny evans???
April 12th, 2008 at 15:57
i think that thats a bit unfair, because we have been playing pique lately in the place of vidic, where as if ferdinand was out, we would play brown and vidic in the centre and john at right-back, had it been pique in the centre i dont think we would be having this conversation.
April 12th, 2008 at 16:03
I’m sorry Red Ranter but Rooney like Gerard has no business being on that short list. Neither has been remotely consistent enough. Rio however should.
As for Anderson, I agree he should have been nominated for a young player of the year award
April 12th, 2008 at 16:04
Dan: I’m not really following what you are trying to say there. But bottom line, Vidic is a very, very good defender. Ferdinand is unquestionably world class, arguably the finest defender in Europe this season and IMO the best in the red shirt since Paul McGrath. Without Vidic we had bother with Boro, but to be fair they put out a pretty decent attack. Without Ferdinand we looked lost at times against utterly toothless attacks in Bolton and Derby.
April 12th, 2008 at 16:20
thats what im saying jb, that we need them both, its redranter who disagrees with me.
April 12th, 2008 at 16:33
Dan: I don’t think he is. He is saying that we cope better without Rio than we do without Vidic and I would agree with that. It is not doing a disservice to Vidic to say he is not as good a player as Rio. It just illustrates at how high a level Rio is currently playing.
April 12th, 2008 at 16:35
I tend to agree with Dan, Rio seems to be a better defender, more commanding and with more experience. In short he knows what to do better. But Vidic is his better half. The cover each other perfectly. Rio can be a bit unreliable at time, but it has been a long time since Vidic made any kind of mistake that turned into a goalscoring opportunity for the opposition. Also Vidic is an attacking threat. Rio, not so much.
April 12th, 2008 at 16:39
i wish we could play derby again
April 12th, 2008 at 16:41
What galls me, is that the scousers and gooners have two players on the list to our one – and WE ARE TOP OF THE LEAGUE. Anybody know which numptees are responsible for selecting the players on the list?.
Grog mate – what happened?. Hargo is not on the list lol, were you not able to offer enough money for the bribe???????.
April 12th, 2008 at 16:56
Andrei, Dan, JB and others…
This post should not end up being a discussion as to who is better between Vida and Rio.
But my opinion is that as Dan rightly points out that they are ying and yang.
But in any case while last season Vida was the better defender, there is no doubt that in this one Rio is the real McCoy.
And Andrei, Vidic has rarely been a goalscoring threat as he was last season and does concedes many more fouls than the impeccable Ferdinand.
April 12th, 2008 at 17:17
Boo Hoo Hoo to all you Anderson supporters but he does not deserve to be on that list. Yes he has had a decent season but there are defenders who have scored five times the number of goals as him. And that would mean they have…..what is it? O h yeah, 5 goals. God so many of you get so blinded by a strong work rate and desire. Look beyond blue collar sentiments when awarding players these type of awards. Players need so much more than that. Besides, who would you take of that list to include Anderson? I would rather throw Nani on even if he hasn’t played as much. For me he shows more skill, finesse and flair.
The big question is where the hell was Ferdinand or Vidic? Either one of them should have been a represenatative from this club instead of Calamity James (Good Grief! Give me a break). James has had a good year but to be in the final six is a joke.
April 12th, 2008 at 17:59
jeez grognard, you think a player is crap because he dosent score goals, you think those lists are for goalscorers, actually let me ask, how many young defenders have scored 5 goals this season, carrick, hargreaves and scholes, all cm, all played this season, all scored one goal, but i dont see you moaning about them, you really just dont like him at all, its a personal vendetta, just get of his case, evra has not scored 1 goal this season, you dont get upset about him, IN FACT, you bad mouthed scholes and carrick early in the season, but now you have stopped, yet you never bad mouthed hargreaves, you bad mouthed carrick for inconsistency and not scoring and scholes for loss of pace and passing and goals, but you never bad mouthed hargreaves. did brazil play germany in a match and made them look stupid or something because it seems anderson cant do anything right for you. rant over.
April 12th, 2008 at 18:44
Yeah Grog! A player should not be rated for as many goals he has scored. At least not a midfielder! He has dominated many games for us this season and I find it wierd that u are complaining about him. He has been our best midfielder this season, not because of scoring goals, but winning the ball, passing to a team mate 5 or 50 yards away and finding openings in opponents defense. Not many players that are 19 can do that in their PL debut season. Remember; he made Gerrard and Fabregas look like kindergarden kids this season! Go Andy! Happy birthday tomorrow
And it is now confirmed: Neiter Tevez or Hargreaves will be found in tomorrows starting eleven. Owen cant play twice a week and Tevez is burnt out.
April 12th, 2008 at 18:52
Dan; I admit that I am not an Anderson convert yet but it’s not just his lack of goal scoring that bothers me. Lack of goal scoring was just one problem of many I see. It’s his absolute uselessness at taking shots that aren’t even close as well, His head is quite often down and he lacks that finesse and imagination to make a lob or finesse pass when it’s needed. He’s good at long passes, running hard and causing midfielders fits with his determination, but the lad is lacking a lot in the attacking end of things. I am confident he will improve, but will he improve in areas that I feel are necessary? Perhaps. Bottom line is he doesn’t playthe way I was expecting him to play based on how he was unfairly billed to us all. That’s not his fault but he is supposed to succeed Scholes so finesse and goal scoring have to improve an awful lot to be thought of in the same category.
Dan; Get of your condescending high horse and please stop putting people down for their feelings and their views. I am asking you as kindly and as politely as I know to please refrain from these kinds of personal attacks. It’s one thing to challenge me on my beliefs but you go about it in a rather aggressive manner. Like you, I have a right to view my thoughts and if you don’t like them, just disagree with me or ignore my posts. You don’t have to challenge my integrity or my intelligence to get your point across. We have been through this before and I was thinking that things improved but you clearly don’t respect the differing views of others. Cataloging my dislikes over a season shows me that you carry grudges with those you don’t see eye to eye on as well, you are acting like a serial troublemaker.
I try not to bad mouth anyone for their views unless they challenge mine by challenging my integrity or intellect. When I criticize there is a difference. I respect the views of others but if something differs with what I believe I add my two cents and politely disagree….most of the time. Bad mouthing, not disagreeing is what you are doing to me. It’s unfair and I for one am getting a little sick of it. Assuming I have a personal vendetta against anyone is like the pot calling the kettle black. Who deemed you the king of knowledge and the all knowing anyway? Has it occurred to you that maybe, just maybe you might be wrong? You are certainly wrong about me. And unlike me, you are never willing to assume you were too harsh or unfair with a poster or any player you write about. I admitted to jumping the gun on Carrick and Scholes. I’ll be elated if Anderson improves his game to warrant my praise also. He’s a Man Utd player so I only hope the best for him. But I won’t blindly go around and jump on the Anderson bandwagon if I see flaws in his game. So kindly make your arguments in a better manner or get off my back.
And if what I have to say annoys you, do what RR has asked me to do with a number of people on this blog. Ignore them. I say this with respect for you Dan. I hope you can respect me and my views in the future. And if you do disagree with me, try not to make it feel like I am being put on trial or like I am the town idiot for having offered them.
April 12th, 2008 at 19:04
RedDevil; All you have done is confirm what I have been saying all along. That Anderson is nothing more than a holding midfielder. He is good at marking players out of games and making a good long pass. He was advertised as an attacking midfielder who was to replace Scholes. If you think he is that kind of player than I must politely disagree with you as well as your assessment. I like many had different and higher expectations for the lad. He was billed as another Ronaldinho. I chuckle at that billing now. Instead I expect DMF style of play and no goals like I expect from Hargo. Still, like I said to Dan, I will be overjoyed when he can improve on those weaknesses that I feel are clearly evident in his game. Until then, I will be happy to remain an outsider when it comes to the Anderson Bandwagon Club. I am most aware that the boy is only 19 and that he has a long way to go in his development. So I would like it if people would read my posts from the past with a little more care rather than just extract the negative. I have made these points about Anderson before as to not warrant this backlash. I’m just coming around to Anderson a little slower than most of you. That doesn’t make me slow, just perhaps a little more observant or strict when it comes to expectations.
April 12th, 2008 at 19:34
Grognard give Anderson time. He is still so you and will get stronger every season, your expectations
of him are too high. Like with Ronaldo he will become more intellegent in the way he plays under the
guidence of SAF. IMO he is just as good as Ronaldo was when he started off at United.
April 12th, 2008 at 19:37
gorgnard………..i think hargo also runs with the ball with his head down…….i find this thing similar in him and anderson…..
April 12th, 2008 at 19:57
lol, Grognard i share the same sentiments with you when it comes to the Anderson issue. Andy should blame the Scholes, and Pires of this EPL and the world at large. Mates ever since those lads started scoring between 14 and 18 goals a season, mid-fielders are now guaged by how many goals and assists one can have a season. I beg to disclude Lamps fron the duo not because he doesn’t score that loads of goals but because he’s just started that trade.
Look at the Fifa and ballon d’or awards, all the mid fielders shortlisted have one thing in common, loads of goals and assists but not work rate. if that was the case then Gattuso would have won like three awards so far.
If we are to be genuine, Andy plays well in many games but at the end of the day, would you name him in United’s two impact players after the match? i guess few of us would! if a list of 20 young players this season is to be made, am sure Nani’s name would come before Andy’s irrespective Andy having more appearances than Nani.
Grognard? on the Rio issue, i beg to differ! What best makes a defender? anyway what yard stick did they use to name the five players they’ve named. And how would James make it to the list when EVDS and Reina the guys that have kept the most clean sheets in the EPL and both of them have assists as well but dont appear on the list.
Lastly Rooney’s absence might be because he has set high standards for himself and perharps many see him as an under performer this season and not forgetting the injuries the lad has had to nurse this season. but to us who know what the lad has done this season we that as crap from whoever organises this bull shit. i mean 21 appearances with 11 goals and 11 assists before the season even ends aren’t bad stats for a striker played in Rooney’s role. though i think he should just have made the list but not made the top three.
April 12th, 2008 at 20:26
grognard mate, 5 times more goals than anderson has scored this season would be 0 goals…
And he’s definitely going to be an attacking central midfielder like a fabregas, gerrard, lampard or youthful scholes.
Possebon looks good too.
April 12th, 2008 at 20:27
Grognard- I respect your thoughts about Anderson. I just thought it was a surprise that you didnt think he deserved to be on the shortlist for PFA young player of the year list. He might not be a replacement to Scholes just yet, but if he improves on his attacking skills he might be that replacement. If Anderson becomes a holding midfielder like Keane or an offensive midfielder like Scholes, the most important thing is that he does the job he is told to do and is good at it. I think he has done pretty much everything that are asked of him right. Just hopes he gets that first goal soon! Would be great for his confidence and for the team. I think he will score buckets of goals for us after that first one flies in. And I dont look at him as a Ronaldinho type of player, more like Gerrard and Sneijder.
April 12th, 2008 at 20:44
oh come off it grognard all i did was show you my view and explained it. you tell me whats wrong with that.
April 12th, 2008 at 20:59
I wonder if Anderson would have been on that shortlist if he had scored some goals…
April 12th, 2008 at 21:13
Once again Dan, you just don’t get it. Why am I not surprised?
April 12th, 2008 at 21:22
RedDevil; It has nothing to do with goals however, if he had shown us like Nani that he is more than capable of scoring goals as well as improving on his goal scoring form, that might have helped. The reason I don’t think he deserves to be on the PFA young players list is that all the players on that list are more deserving as well as having played more than him. Like I said before, I would have voted Nani in before him. He would have made my top 10 which I’m sure isn’t impressing many but once again I am being as honest as I can based on how I see things. Gerrard and Sneijder have offensive skills that Anderson hasn’t even tapped in to. Where would you like me to start. Those comparisons are way out in left field to coin a baseball saying. You base these comparisons on what evidence?
Tevez; Wishful thinking is really nice but is it realistic or are you just fooling yourself? And comparing him to proven ATM’ers who have shown a wide variety of needed attacking skills is just pushing it a bit. What in Gods name makes you believe that he has the skills those players have when he has shown nothing more than pace and DMF abilities? Honestly, I just am at a loss to understand the mindset of some supporters on this site. Wishing or willing something to come true does not mean it will come true. Base your conclusions on hard evidence, not on wet dreams and fantasies.
April 12th, 2008 at 21:24
Dan(u-ol), there is nothing to badmouth Hargo about!. Seeing he is perfect LOL.
Grog – Red Devil, Olliey, Vikos, Tevez, all disagree with your feelings on Anderson, not just Dan(u-ol. You seem to have history with Dan(u-ol), but I think his main points were just the same as the others comments in support of Andi. Dan is a big Andi fan, and I think he just feels as many would, if they think their favourite player is being picked on. He just expresses his sentiments in a different way thats all. I don’t think he means to offend mate!. As he said at the end of the post, he was just having a RANT!. I do agree with you though on a good few of your thoughts on Andi!. I wonder Grog whether the sudden exaltation of him by the fans, the Song chants in matches now, have affected his form. It is hard for a 19 year old to satisfy the high expectations of fans who have suddenly exalted him to hero status. He was so good for much of the season, but has gone a little of the boil.
Dan(u-ol) – don’t worry mate, I know (from reading one of your previous posts), you fear RR will throw you off the blog for the slightest disagreement, but I think your fears might be unfounded. People are used to the way you share your rants now.
April 12th, 2008 at 21:40
Jay Jay; Strong points and you brought up some very good points regarding Anderson and the guage by which most attacking midfielders are measured today. Right now Anderson is definitely more like a Gattuso or a young Makalele as he has a tremendous work rate and sticks to players like glue. He does show some strong dribbling skill at high speed but when that moment comes where a touch of class or real genius is needed, he goes absent. It’s not just about goal scoring. It’s about passing and making plays to set up goals at short range and in the box. It’s about creating chances regularly and being there to pounce on an opportunity yourself. And when that opportunity comes, at least get the ball on target as opposed to the 40th row behind the goal.
As far as Rio is concerned I’d be interested to know what you problem is with his performance this season. He has been consistent and brilliant along with Vidic. And lets not forget his incredible leadership by example.
EVDS and Reina aren’t as worthy as James because he has had to make far more saves than they have had to. Goals against like in hockey is a team statistic. Saving percentage is a goalkeepers statistic and in that James has had an outstanding year. Still, I can think of players like Rio, Vidic, Rooney, Ballack and Lescott to name a few who are more worthy nominees.
April 12th, 2008 at 21:48
Craig; Stop stirring up trouble mate. I’ve got nothing against Dan personally regardless of our history. It’s just that when he disagrees with people,he occasionally does it in a manner that I personally have a hard time tolerating. Dan is more than welcome to think what he wants, he just needs to be a little less abrasive in getting his message across. He should follow your example. I occasionally disagree with you and vice versa, but I don’t feel your disagreements come across in the same manner as Dan. Still, leave this be. I let Dan know how I felt in a polite and cordial manner and I want the subject to rest between him and I. It’s nobody else’s concern and it really is no big deal. Everybody has to put their 2 shillings in whenever their is a minor dispute and this eventually starts a brush fire that gets RR bent out of shape and gets us all off topic. So please let it rest. I’m not a villain here, I just wan t us all to respect each others
views and feelings, even if we don’t agree with them.
April 12th, 2008 at 21:55
Anderson hasn’t shown defensive midfield abilities, he’s shown good attacking abilities. He’s clearly an attacking central midfielder. He has good vision, although he tends to try world-cup passes a bit too often. He has the ability to beat a man, with great acceleration. He’s also probably the fittest player in the squad, a great engine. He is more effective running from deep than when i’ve seen him play closer to the strikers, but he’s never played holding midfield. The fact that he can graft doesn’t make him a defensive midfielder. It’s an important attribute in his role at the club, as the attacking central midfield position in a midfield pair requires him to do a fair amount of defending, especially when we have ronaldo, who is allowed freedom.
April 12th, 2008 at 22:01
This is a United blog. People are supposed to say what they mean about a player. When two or more people disagree there is always going to be a discussion that may go too far. I, for myself, have expressed my meening about Anderson, Grog has and Dan has. I understand what Grog is trying to say, that Anderson is a defensive minded player and if he is to become more like we think, he has to work on his play in the oppositions box and oround the 18-yard box. Dan thinks he is a great player, and knows that Andy will be better for every day that goes. He doesnt like to hear what is wrong with Andy and what he needs to work on, because it makes him see faults at his favorite player. I just love seing Andy play and I think he is a marvellous player, and after what he has shown us this season I think he can become the worlds best player in 2-4 years. To end this discussion, let me ask Grog a question. Do you think Anderson is a great player?
April 12th, 2008 at 22:05
[Grognard]
True it’s not craig’s business to play mediator, but if you choose to settle it with him in public on the comments you would have to accept something told to you by someone else. And I think craig was being polite. That said, craig, you didn’t have to butt in. Again, Grognard, if you had a problem you know whom to get in touch with. Hint: It’s not Dan
April 12th, 2008 at 22:18
RedRanter – I agree!. I’m sorry Grog thought I was trying to stir up trouble, because I thought I was just talking for and to two friends, Grog and Dan(u-ol). All my mates call me Judge lol, and it does pain me to see misunderstandings between folk. Still point taken. But I can’t promise I won’t try to encourage people in the future RR, it’s just me. But I will try to reel it in, if it offends!.
April 12th, 2008 at 22:21
[craig]
And I can’t answer you when I delete your comments in the future for butting into people’s business. Just that you can’t guarantee me that, I can’t guarantee that your comment will stay if you try to mediate.
Hope you understand
April 12th, 2008 at 22:39
Craig mc: It’s probably a good thing you weren’t about during the Riquelme wars
April 12th, 2008 at 22:56
JB – Was it bad then?????. WARS doesn’t sound too good lol!. I probably won’t be around the blog much longer JB, I don’t like seeing things being posted on blogs, and not being able to comment where some people get picked on. It’s just who I am. But hey, the blog will go on, WARS and all. I think your a great bunch of lads on here, on the whole.
April 12th, 2008 at 23:02
you yourself grognard has said that sometimes you can misinterrupt what is said over the internet because you dont know the tone they are speaking/typing in. my psot was not that aggressive and all i did is challenge your opinion, which is something you have plenty of times be for. lately i feel that every-time i post about you, you have a problem with it.
craig, there really is no need to leave mate, you just need to develop a thick skin and not let to much through. i really dont feel picked on, im annoyed and frustrated but thats life.
April 12th, 2008 at 23:13
Craig: It was a ’slight’ disagreement between myself and Grognard over the value of Riquelme, wars maybe makes it sound worse than it was
And I agree with Dan, there is no need for you to leave. Everybody is big enough to look after themselves on here and if it’s anything serious Ahmed or RR are there to step in.
April 12th, 2008 at 23:15
[craig mc]
The reason I don’t want mediation here is the grief it has caused people in the past. I’ll try to mediate if things go wrong, but again there’s only so much you can do. It takes a lot of my time and effort too, and it’s not even my day job!
The other thing is I try to be as fair as possible, but being fair these days is a rather tough job. Especially of late we’ve seen too much bickering here from all parties, unfortunately. It is really tiresome for me to be moderating all this. But yet, I have to do this because we shouldn’t get our minds off what this site is really all about.
This is why I tell you guys to talk about United and leave the handling of fights etc to me. The problem comes when you guys take the law into your own hands. It wastes your time more than anything else.
April 12th, 2008 at 23:35
What’s all this about Craig wanting to leave? All I asked Craig to do is not to play mediator because that just stirs up a shit storm. And so what happens, 20 more posts regarding this stupid thing between me and Dan popped up and got everyone off topic. Thats why I tried to nip it in the bud. And I wasn’t stirring up a hornets nest because my original reply to Dan was firm but polite. So why does anyone else have to get involved in a slight disagreement between two posters? Anyway, nobody should get bent out of shape or get upset over this. It’s really no big deal and we are making a mountain out of a mole hill.
Craig; No offense was ever taken mate. I knew what you were doing but I just thought that it would fan the flames rather than help, which I’m sure was not what your intention was.
Dan; I too am annoyed and frustrated and that may give you a hint as to why I respond to you the way I do. Consider your words more carefully when you disagree with someone because although your intention is not malicious, you occasionally come across that way, not just to me by the way. Anyway I am offering a cyber shake of my hand and no hard feelings. Same goes to you Craig.
April 13th, 2008 at 0:12
JB, Dan(u-ol), Grog – thankyou!. Grog – I am not upset with anybody mate, so no need for anybody to feel bad. It’s just that I wouldn’t be true to myself, by not trying to speak up and encourage those who seem to be mis-understood. Your all probably right, and it would be better to say nothing. Thing is though, my Old Man drummed it into us when we were kids, that never stand by and do nothing, when people are mis-understood for being different, or for not expresseing themselves in the way that we think they should. So it is very much part of my nature now, and I know I would continue to speak up, to try and help people to understand each other idiosyncracies. It may get up peoples noses, but that’s who I am. So I would be always breaking RR’s rules, not just to be devilish, but to be who I am. I hope you understand. JB, you seem to have a very understanding heart mate!. Anyway – come on you Reds, and kick butt against the Gooners tomorrow. Why isn’t Hargo playing though. I will not be pleased if Fergie leaves him out of the team for the Barca game.
April 13th, 2008 at 0:48
Craig: There was an article in the Daily Mail today suggesting that niether Tevez (burnout) or Hargreaves (long standing knee complaint) would be involved today as SAF was trying to avoid them playing two games in 3/4 days.
April 13th, 2008 at 0:55
How would Tevez burn out? He barely starts..
April 13th, 2008 at 1:01
Grognard- time for me to add my two cents on this anderson debate, i’ve watched anderson since the 2005 u-17 world cup (im an avid brasil fan as united) from the first time i saw him dominate midfield with his speed vision and work ethic, i new the kid was destined to big things, even more so when the canarinha reached the final only for him to get injured 15 minutes in and miss him big time to lose the final 3-0, anderson in that competition alone showed he is a clutch performer (to coin another baseball phase) put him in dire position he will get out of it one way or the other (see the playoff game for promotion between gremio where anderon literally ran the entire pitch, out ran opponents like statues, to go on and score the winning goal to send gremio back to the top, even more impressed than i was porto who immediately snatched him up, the fans of porto after a short tenure they loved him , then he got injured breaking his leg, which i think led to massive decrease in the amount of skills he used in matches,he still used more tricks than he does now, which i believe is sir alex ferguson restricting/limiting him before he sets him loose fully in the upcoming seasons, where i know you will fall in love with him as others have so far, i’m probably andersons biggest fan and i can prove to you as i was the one who wanted him to be signed in the offseason under my old alias of adil alhinai, and everyone disagreed with me, i think dan alos, now look at them
and you will be next grognard (i hope)
also on the matter of how he was billed, the media have a habit of making making comparisons of players who have nothing in common rather than name, position played and or nationality, for example anderson was hailed the next ronaldinho, which is only similar since he is the next biggest export out of gremio, that’s it nothing more, similar to tevez, who was hailed the next maradonna, but they are only similar in nationality and position, not styles or what ever. even robinho hailed the next pele even though robinho is a bloody winger not 50 goal a season king of football, so i can understand where you come from being wronged about andersons billing but he is not the first to fall under this disillusion created by the hype machine known as the media
April 13th, 2008 at 1:32
fuckin handbags! again! yeah what about the arse tomorrow? Hargo must have been late again, apparently his time keeping doesn’t impress Fergie, and his possible no. of appearances have suffered because of it. I,m still a big fan though, and would have thought that his particular skill set would be usefull tomorrow. I dont think the arse are going to lie down and die for us,by the way is anyone around?
April 13th, 2008 at 2:54
re:phoenix red
r u still around mate???i think united will beat arse 2morrow…2-0,,,ronaldo and anderson (i mean it),,,,,,,i also fear that hergo might even start 2morrow instead of anderson,,,,,,,
April 13th, 2008 at 3:13
final thought,,,,,there is no point in arguing who should be there and who shoudnt be there on the shortlist, because we all know that who’s the eventual winner,,,there is no doubt that he is the same winner from last year, he is the one and only Cristiano Ronalso,,,nothing can stop him from getting the both gongs,,,any other winner apart from him will mean bias and fixed,,,so relux guys,,,take care everyone,,,yet again this is an another year of outstanding RONALDO,,,he is a player from another planet,,,he’ll destroy the GUNNERS 2morrow,,,
April 13th, 2008 at 3:44
amen to that, i always feel extra nervous when we play arse, probably cos i used to live in north london and there’s nothing worse than smug little boring gooners running around with smiles on their faces! dont understand why you’ld fear hargo playing! none of us has glimpsed his proper potential in a red shirt, except roma, as someone pointed out about Andi, really you can only do the job you’re asked to do, the same applies to hargo, dont you think?
April 13th, 2008 at 4:12
RR,
Torres was not nominated for the Young Player’s PFA. You must be under the age of 23 for that award.
Full list of nominees
PFA Player Of The Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Emmanuel Adebayor, Cesc Fabregas, Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and David James.
PFA Young Player Of The Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Adebayor, Gabby Agbonlahor, Ashley Young and Micah Richards.
April 13th, 2008 at 4:17
[Nukeleus]
Torres is nominated for the young player award. Source
And JB made the age thing clear
April 13th, 2008 at 4:47
Mr Muhozi; Thanks for that enlightening look into the history of Anderson through your experience watching him. It’s truly appreciated as it shone some light on this lads potential. It is important for you and others not to think that I hate or dislike anderson in any way. On the contrary, I like the boy and I hope and pray great things for him. I’m just much more of a severe critic of players when they are not living up to past form, or preconceived form. Ask others about how I laid into Carrick and Scholes as well as even Evra early in the year. But I challenge anyone to say that i am not fair and that I am not willing to admit being wrong. I have steadily become an Evra convert having always been a fan of the traitor Heinze. I have come around considerably on Carrick although he still disappears for long spells in games and I have gotten off of the back of the Ginger Ninja Scholsey who looked old and washed up just three months ago. None of these players have turned their games around enough to WOW me but they have all hown steady improvement in their game. So if I am guilty of something 100% it is impatience.
I realize Anderson is only 19 and too much is already expected of him, but there are some things on the field I expect of an offensive midfielder. Finesse, vision, change of tempo, passing skills in crowded areas and of course finishing skill. If Anderson has displayed these characteristics in the past, hopefully he will develop and launch those abilities again for all of us to admire. But right now he is limited on the offensive side of the pitch. I cannot knock the boy’s work rate, desire, pace and dribbling skill at full speed and his dogged marking abilities. I am harsh on him because I think Fergie has put too much responsibility on his young shoulders and it has begun to cause strain in the lads play over the past month or so. He protects Hargreaves tendinitis by not playing him two games in a row but he plays with the kids confidence at a time when his confidence has taken a hit and when he looks tired after a long season.
Nevertheless, I hope you, Dan and others read what I have had to say about Anderson. Just because I criticize a player does not mean I hate him. I like Anderson but yes, I love Hargreaves and I believe he should be starting instead of him.
Thanks again for that info on Anderson. It was enlightening. I look forward to nothing more than eating crow in the next couple of years. It’s up to Anderson to prove any doubts I may have as false. And you know something, I think he will. Just not yet though.
April 13th, 2008 at 6:38
Happpy birthday Andy! Hope you get the best ever.
April 13th, 2008 at 8:25
rio should be certainly on the list..and how steven “overrated “gerrard made the list is beyond me..rooney i have to admit doesnt deserve to be there,and the fact that anderson has not scored or created many goals went against him..
April 13th, 2008 at 8:46
Oh come on Gov, even if you hate him you can’t deny that Gerrard is a great player. He’s been the vital cog in Liverpool’s attack for years and he sets up a lot of goals not to mention scoring a ton of goals, most of them of the spectacular variety. This season he has linked very well with Torres and he has scored a ton of goals himself, so even if he is a lousy Scouser, he is a great player and deserves to be on that list. I hate myself for saying anything good about him by the way.
And you answered your own question as to why Anderson wasn’t on the list. No goals or assists equals no votes. It’s not rocket science. I think he will be strongly considered in the next couple of years as he is only 19. He just needs to sharpen up some other areas of his game. And yes, Rio definitely should be on the list as well as Vidic. But besides James, I don’t think removing other players on it would be fair. They are all deserving second place finishers behind the great Ronaldo.
April 13th, 2008 at 11:48
Funny the general consensus I’ve seen on the internet is that Gerrard shouldn’t be on the list (and you can included Liverpool fans in that). Not saying he is a bad player but he had a poor start to the season and only really got going when Liverpool settled on the 4-2-3-1 with Gerrard behind Torres.
I’m still not sure why James shouldn’t be on the list. He has been excellent every time I’ve seen him and I’ve heard nothing but glowing reports about him all year. Remember this is POTY 2007/08 not 1998, 2002 or anything like that. To hold the perception of Calamity James with him is a gross injustice to the man’s performance level this year.
April 13th, 2008 at 12:10
Hey RR, Where is the Arsenal preview?
April 13th, 2008 at 12:32
im guessing there are technical difficulties, if so, ahmed will probably do one quickly before the match.
April 13th, 2008 at 13:00
I have to agree with JB here on David James, he has been unbelievable this season and definitely deserves to be in that team, even ahead of Gerrard in my opinion. Gerrard has been more clinical this season for Liverpool with plenty of assists and goals, but he is less of a driving force for Liverpool this year than he used to be. Ronaldo should no doubt win the award as Torres only really started to hit form a few months into the season; Adebayor only really had two purple patches with tons of goals, the rest of the time he was average; and Fabregas had big dip in form from around January, whereas Ronnie has been consistent all season, a lot more so than last year when he won the double(awards wise)
One thing I am confused about is why Adebayor is not in the YPOTY nominees, yet he is in the overall POTY nominees list. Although I assume he was 24 before the season started?
April 13th, 2008 at 13:07
I just wonder…If Ronaldo bag both awards tonight, will he be the first one to do so two years in a row?
April 13th, 2008 at 13:32
im standing right now, bloody scouse, im doing it for the humans who lost their lives, not for them.
April 13th, 2008 at 13:48
it’s ok grognard, i prefer to inform people about things the same way i would like for them to inform me, rather than just insulting/harassing them for not agreeing with my views. i do agree that you can be a hard ass on players performances and do not buy into the things that other fans do buy into e.g blue collar work ethic, but look for the perfect player, unfortunately not everyone can have the gracefulness poise and skill of falcao(1982 not futsal one).
on todays game it;s anderson birthday, let pray that his birthday gift from above is the winning goal that legends are made out of.
i want a 4-3-3 (can’t believe i jus said that) consisting of
VDS
Brown
Pique
Ferdinand
Evra
Scholes
Carrick
Anderson
Tevez
Ronaldo
rooney,
i feel giggs may be to slow for this game, and if only nani was fit, as him vs eboue would be a joke matchup which would lead us to win
final score 2-1 to the red devils, pick you own scorers
April 13th, 2008 at 13:49
Arsenal come to Old Trafford without Flamini, Sagna, Rosicky, van Persie and Eduardo, and at the back of a 4-2 loss against Liverpool. I dont think they can win after something like that has happened! Fergie has confirmed that neither Tevez or Owen will start todays game and since Giggs was used against both Boro and Roma, I dont think he will play either. This game will be won in midfield, just like the 4-0 win back in February. If United win there, we might crush them like then. And with a Gilberto that has not played a good game since the birth of Christ and a Fabregas that cannot do anything right at the moment, it will be really hard for them. They played a thrilling and great game against Liverpool on tuesday and they gave everything, and that is a reason why I think this will not be that hard for us as people think. They are tired, have a small squad and are out of form. I know its Arsenal and I think they will give everything they have and might make it difficult for us at times, but with our strength and Rooney, Ronaldo, Scholes and Evra rested on wednesday and coming back today, United should be strong enough to play like they did in THAT FA cup game, if not better. Since Nani still isnt fit, Park should start. I just wonder wether Pique or Silvestre will start. Both are CB and are good to have in a corner situation. Neville may be on the bench, but I think it is too early for him to start. My team:
VDS
Brown Rio Pique Evra
Ronaldo Carrick Scholes Anderson Park
Rooney
When Ronaldo scores against top sides, it usually is against Arsenal. And with the form that he is in, and since he had a rest in midweek, I think he will score. A penalty and a header. Rooney ALWAYS plays well against Arsenal, and scores. He is in great form and I think he too will score! And since birthday boys usually score against Arsenal (Veron, Scholes, Rooney, Ronaldo…) I hope/think Anderson will score his first goal for us too. So, my prediction: 4-0 to United.
Happy birthday Anderson!
April 13th, 2008 at 14:23
well if you put it that way RedDevil, we have nothing to be afraid of,but the most dangerous opponent is a trapped opponent, lets just hope they aren’t fully trapped yet
also you made mistake veron has not played for us since 2002/3 so why did you put him down as a scorer, i mean i know arsenal are out of form, but not bad enough to have a player who does not play for us to score against them
April 13th, 2008 at 14:28
Mr. Muhozi- Those were the people that have scored against Arsenal on their birthday. And I know I might have made it look like there is nothing to be afraid of, and I dont think of it that way, I know they pose a threat. They have a quality team, but they have lost it these last couple of months. They are tired and they seem to have lost belief and confidence and that is why I am confident about this game. But still, football has surprises….
April 13th, 2008 at 14:55
RedDevil- ahh i see, well hopefully mr oliviera can make us proud by joining the list,
and on arsenal posing. not posing a threat, we should treat the game with caution, in my mind i know we can win with ease, but as usual my pre-game nerves are flaring up and im worried, but arsenal without flamini sounds a bit easy, who knows though, we need our back 4 and vds to do their job, and we should be top with 6 points whilst chelsea have a game inhand
April 13th, 2008 at 15:10
Team News:
GK: VDS
RB: Brown
CB: Ferdinand
CB: Pique
LB: Evra
RM: Ronaldo
CM: Carrick
CM: Scholes
CM: Hargreaves
LM: Park
CF: Rooney
Subs: PIG, O’Shea, Anderson, Giggs, Tevez
April 13th, 2008 at 15:12
Just as a matter of interest, did anyone happen to see the Barca match last night? I did, and I have to say I really can’t wait to play them. Obviously because right now there defence is a shambles, but more importantly Abidal, their left back, is woefully out of form and has been making mistake after mistake after mistake these last few months, so I can definitely see Ronaldo giving him a torrid time. Hopefully Ferdinand can cope with Eto’o and Vidic can cope with Bojan, or vice versa, as they provide nearly all of their goalscoring threat, along with maybe Iniesta and Xavi this season who I hope should be well marked by Hargreaves. Messi made his comeback yesterday but I can’t see him getting into his rhythm by the time we play them at the Nou Camp. It would defniitely be a surprise to me if we didn’t beat them, it may sound light overconfidence but I don’t really care to be honest
.
April 13th, 2008 at 15:13
Good side.I would have andy in there but im happy giggs isnt playing from the start.
April 13th, 2008 at 15:16
nah, thats a 4-3-3, not 4-5-1.
April 13th, 2008 at 15:18
I think it is more of a 4-2-3-1 than a 4-5-1 or 4-3-3. Good side, its got power and strength, and definately passing abilty. But I just wonder if it lacks the speed to break Arsenal down.
April 13th, 2008 at 15:19
Conor,Yea I saw the game and their defence did look shaky.Valdez isnt a good keeper at all especially with crosses.Though eto is world class.We must need to keep it tight.
April 13th, 2008 at 15:20
Don’t like Park playing, but I guess Tevez is a super-sub today.
April 13th, 2008 at 15:22
Conor- I too saw the game, and they didnt impress me. Good goal by Etoo though, he needs to be watched!
Man United—–Arsenal
VDS————Lehmann
Brown———-Song
Rio————Gallas
Pique———-Toure
Evra———–Clichy
Ronaldo——–Eboue
Owen———–Fabregas
Carrick——–Gilberto
Scholes——–Hleb
Park———–Van Persie
Rooney———Adebayor
April 13th, 2008 at 15:25
kurt i guess you haven’t heard about parks record, every time park starts, we win…
April 13th, 2008 at 15:27
Dan- And he scored against Arsenal in 2006 too!
April 13th, 2008 at 15:30
Arsenal team is interesting, lehmann plays after his massive cry/ whinge this week, and i’m very disappointed to see wenger has changed his tactics of late and put toure back in the centre. I was looking forward to playing senderos. But ronny should give song a torrid time. I would have liked Anderson instead of Scholes, as a) he is always quality against them b) birthday boys are lucky v. arsenal and c) Anderson-Carrick-Hargreaves is an even better version than the Anderson-Carrick-Fletcher that tore them apart in the FA cup. Still, once scholes was rested on wednesday it was always obvious he would play today, though a surprise hargo starts- I’m happy but I’d heard he wasn’t going to. Our bench is terrific, on the plus side, we can really inject excitement into the game from it. Triple substitution of giggs ando and tevez would strike fear into a tiring arsenal!
April 13th, 2008 at 15:47
Who from the midfield will attack??? Scholsey lately has been sitting deeper… I think its kinda defensive minded…
April 13th, 2008 at 16:02
Toure is still playing at right back Sam, Song is the other centre back, so hopefully Rooney can give him a hard time. I agree Utsav, the firt thing I thought about our Centre Midfield was defensive, but Hargreaves was great going forward on Tuesday and both Carrick and Scholes can spread passes to Ronaldo, Park and Rooney, so I’m still confident we’ll win this match. 2-1. Rooney and Ronaldo.
April 13th, 2008 at 16:22
anyone able to explain the whole park playing through the middle issue?? i cant understand it at all.
dont know why but evra looks sluggish to me. Hope Wazza gets back to his scoring ways quick too
April 13th, 2008 at 16:50
we need to add some pace and brown has been piss poor so i think hargo at right back with andy coming in the centre.
April 13th, 2008 at 16:53
Defensively we got better. Its attack where we have no edge. We will get a draw, but not a win if we continue attacking like this.
April 13th, 2008 at 16:54
Where’s the midfield?
Arsenal deserve to be in front, something needs to be changed and quick…
April 13th, 2008 at 16:56
Anderson would be useful today and Brown should start passing the ball to some red shirts for a change. Rooney was unlucky so far. A draw is not enough.
April 13th, 2008 at 16:57
Half time – Have to admit, Arsenal have indeed been the better side. We have to feel lucky not to be a goal down atleast. 2nd half – switch to 4-4-2, with Tevez and Anderson coming on for Wes and Scholes.
April 13th, 2008 at 16:58
whats happened to our passing, it’s terrible
April 13th, 2008 at 16:58
Anderson in for Brown, Owen right back. Great game, but United need to play better in attack and midfield! To many passes go to Arsenal players. Scholes and Brown have been shite. Think Anderson would make this game better for us. I think Arse have played their best this whole first half, while United havent. They may have a plan that Arse will get tired after a while and then United can give everything. Still, I believe United will win 2-0 thanks to Rooney and Ronaldo. COME ON YOU REDS!
April 13th, 2008 at 17:04
is scholes even on the field?! wtf is he doing.
April 13th, 2008 at 17:04
id like to see scholes and park coming off for anderson and tevez. Shit 1st half but sure it will pick up…….
April 13th, 2008 at 17:04
Man that was bad. What happened to our passing. Arse were better team by far, I just hope that SAF does something about this. I would love to balme Scholes but he is not the only poor player. Our midfield is unexistant. It like we are playing in Emirates. people were saying trashing and all that. WTF?…not with this kind of play. we need to take midfield back, so andy might help. I just hope SAF does smth.
April 13th, 2008 at 17:08
Shit is it me or are we getting raped? Bloody hell i have a really bad feeling that manutd will lose this and then to chelsea and eventually the title..COME ON YOU REDS!
April 13th, 2008 at 17:09
OH SHIT
April 13th, 2008 at 17:15
YES YES YES
April 13th, 2008 at 17:16
Ronaldo! There’s nothing there to say. Only that Lehmann is a clown.
April 13th, 2008 at 17:17
Tevez and Andy for the Championship.
April 13th, 2008 at 17:19
I mentioned earlier that Park MUST come on only as a sub..his running is probably more effective against tired legs and rather ineffective against fresh players..
April 13th, 2008 at 17:33
you fukin geius Owen. what a fuckin strike. beautiful. YAAAAAAAAASSSSSS!
gOTTA KEEP IT TIGHT NOW LADS.
UNBELEIVABLE
April 13th, 2008 at 17:34
YESYESYESYESYES!!!! Just keep the lead!!! YES
April 13th, 2008 at 17:35
my house has 4 arsenal fans, 2 man utd fans and a french man, and my god singing loud and proud, come on united, just as i predicted 2-1
,
grognard, i guess your boy has been a revelation since fulham, now just wait for anderson
April 13th, 2008 at 17:37
I hadn’t cried for a long time but this goal was worth it.
April 13th, 2008 at 17:57
THANK GOD!!! This was a BIG BIG BIG win!!!
April 13th, 2008 at 17:59
Well you saw it all. man that was crazy…well it was time to put them from their misery
April 13th, 2008 at 18:01
big win.park and scholes played crap.after tevez and anderson came on we passed and played better football.one great free kick.just need to win 3 more games.
April 13th, 2008 at 18:03
My God! What a game. I need to let it sink in for a while and digest the outcome before I give my game analysis and player ratings. Suffice it to say, I think most of you already know who my man of the match is. Owen Frakken Hargreaves. WOW!
April 13th, 2008 at 18:03
For the most part we were outplayed but still won it! That is the mark of champions!
April 13th, 2008 at 18:14
YEAH! great result!
anderson and tevez were brilliant! so was rio and rooney tho he could have scored twice in the first half.
April 13th, 2008 at 18:18
Owen Hargreaves can do no wrong! I was always a fan, but the last two games have shown that the guy is purely world-class. Very versatile and excellent commitment, something which I feel terrible saying, that Ronaldo can never match. Of course Ronaldo is definitely going to be World Player of The Year this time and I hero-worship him, but Hargo…is quite simply, Hargo!
April 13th, 2008 at 18:21
that is the mark of champions because the whole team was piss poor and we still went out with the win. my preferred line-up for the rest of the season would be hargreaves at right-back, andy and carrick in the centre, rooney tevez upfront and park over giggs until nani comes in. player ratings
vds-7.5 it would of been an 8 if it were not for the goal
brown-4, piss poor
rio-8, looked a bit lost at one point but managed to bring himself back in the game
pique-8, didnt do anything wrong in my eyes
evra-8.5, bursting runs that deserved goals
ronaldo-7, he would get a 6 but he scored so
scholes-N/A, i dont think he was on the field today…
carrick-, carrick, average game
hargreaves-9, highly influential throughout the game, and has now proved we have to skill full players with the accuracy of beckham
park-5.5, a bit below average really
rooney-8.5, excellent game, would of been a 9 if he scored
tevez6.5, kept getting on the ball and created a few chances
anderson-7.5, exactly what the team needed
giggs-1, not enough game time.
April 13th, 2008 at 18:26
right wigan, get us a draw will ya.
April 13th, 2008 at 18:34
yay yay yay yay yay!!! I couldn’t breathe for the last 10mins!! Felt like they would score in injury time again (just like at the Emirates)…esp with the way Brown kept doin them favours…anywayz, BIG WIN..HUGE WIN..one small step tdy..giant leap towards the title!!
April 13th, 2008 at 18:35
Very nervy performance, handed Arsenal so many chances…but…class shone through (for about 5 minutes)
April 13th, 2008 at 18:41
rio was given the man of the match award. IMMENSE PERFORMANCE !!
April 13th, 2008 at 18:48
Oi, Hargo definetely put in a great performance, but hail that of Ed Van der Sar!!
Was it not for him, the scoreline would have reflected Arsenal’s dominance.
One point of worry though. The players want to play offensive, counterattacking football when at times some possession could do no wrong.
My prime culprit (among others) would be Rooney who always looked to run the ball forward when he got possession, despite us being totally overwhelmed by Arse possession.
Rooney had a good match though, I’m only pointing out that someone – the manager? – should have put a lid on this excessive willingness to counterattact.
We have been overall lucky that Gallas screwed up to allow us a lifeline back into the game.
April 13th, 2008 at 18:51
Rio, MOTM? Now it seems they wanted to repair the injustivce of him not being nominated for PFA awards.
With him nearly scoring an owl goal that’s intriguing to say the least.
Hargo or VDS would be much more worthy winners of the MOTM.
April 13th, 2008 at 18:56
yes he was Nico, and hargreaves presented him with the MOTM champaigne at the interview. He held arsenals attack quite magnificently to say the least, and that also when hes not 100 percent fit.
April 13th, 2008 at 18:57
Sure we’ve won every game that Park’s started, but it’s not as though it’s because of him. He’s piss poor, sorry. Park is a sub, not a starter for a team like Manchester United. Hopefully Nani will return soon. We could have used him in the first half before the intro of Tevez.
April 13th, 2008 at 19:00
I stand corrected. Rio is by ten miles the world’s best defender at the moment. He played better than most of the other players today and helped United to a fantastic victory over the gunners, although I have to say that Arsenal deserved more. Still no complaints given that both teams played well and was very entertaining affair.
Rooney needs to contral his temper, but otherwise he was alright though his finishing incapabilities once again shone through. Anderson was the difference and my admiration for Hargo is starting to be justififed. Pity he was not MOTM and I think Hleb had a shot at it as well.
April 13th, 2008 at 19:10
Phew!! You know it was a good match you were shaking after it
We were atrocious in the first half but fought like men possessed in the second. Congratulations to the lads in the second half, not all of them had good games but you cannot question their commitment to the cause.
Ratings:
VDS – 8: a string of excellent saves. I’m reluctant to criticise him on the goal as we will probably never know what exactly happened.
Brown – 6: a poor first half, got booked and was careless in possession. Improved in the second half and was much sharper in the tackle. Still it is a shame that there isn’t more time to get Neville some match sharpness.
Ferdinand – 8.5: Once again I’m reluctant to criticise on the goal. Similarly the own goal attempt was an absolutely horrendous ball to try and deal with and Rio had no choice than to have a swipe at it. Other than that he was exceptional again. Commanded the backline, cut out attack after attack particular in the first half when we were been hit from all directions. MOM.
Pique – 7.5: Good performance but you can still see some inexperience with him. I’m content enough for him to be the third choice CB now but I will be delighted when Vidic returns (hopefully against Blackburn).
Evra – 8: Good in the attack and solid defence despite Arsenal having almost free reign down his flank in the first half. One world class through ball in the first half to set Ronnie free.
Ronaldo – 6.5: Fairly quiet for most of the game. Balls of steel for the penalty and acted as a useful pressure valve late in the game. Still needs to work on being more influential when facing quick and mobile full backs.
Scholes – 5: Very poor, completely off the pace and was probably the wrong man to select when you are trying to knock Arsenal out of their passing game.
Carrick – 7: The only midfielder to show up in the first half. Tried manfully to turn the tide but was being outmanoeuvred by superior numbers and lack of support from Hargreaves and Scholes. Solid distribution with the occasional dash of brilliance. Had a quieter role to play when Anderson came on to shore up the midfield.
Hargreaves – 7.5: Presume the MOM awards are due to the free kick. Quiet in the first half but grew into the game in the second. Exceptional free kick and set piece deliveries were good all afternoon.
Park – 5.5: Read Scholes. A slightly unusual choice as he looked dead on his feet on Wednesday night. Never got to grips with the game but he never got much support or a good supply of the ball.
Rooney – 8: Missed a couple of chances but they were very good saves by Lemon. Caused Arsenal bother all afternoon even when he was isolated. Tremendous movement all day and excellent work rate in the second half to help relieve pressure on a number of occasions.
Subs:
Anderson – 8: He may lack guile and finesse but his all action style was a huge factor in finally starting to break Arsenal’s stranglehold on possession. Provided much needed energy and helped break the constant stream of attacks directed through the middle on our defensive base of Carrick, Ferdinand and Pique.
Tevez – 7: Held the ball up well and helped make it stick with our forwards. One superb 20 yard blaster which I could have sworn was in. Still wouldn’t have started with him in a game of this type but he is an extremely useful sub to have. As SAF said in an interview yesterday he is a busy little bugger
Giggs – n/a: A couple of nice touches and held the ball up well. Too little time to rate him accurately.
SAF – 8: Got the initial team selection wrong IMO but made the right changes at the right time to turn the tide. I would assume the hairdryer got a blast at half time
April 13th, 2008 at 19:42
As i said before ” U don’t know what u miss , when Anderson does not play ” .. Grog mate u r wrong abt Anderson .
He may not have Assists or Goals to his name however his physical presence his immense.
I remember a Arsenal blogger who said immediately after the arse away match .. “Half Pirlo Half Gattuso ” , ‘Watch out’
Well his physical presence is More than Rooney or Tevez !
Did u see his body challenge on Adebayor and the way he brings the foul on him .
He may not have goals or assists because of his simple logic ‘ First to Fifth Gear ‘ ..
He is a Defensive Offensive QB !
He cannot be compared to any player as far as i know may be Gerrard .. He is a rare breed . He will be one of the biggest stars in the coming years !
Anderson reconquered the midfield for us .. That sums it up
April 13th, 2008 at 20:04
If sagna and Flamini played for arsenal today, it would make greater difference. May be they should have won the match.
Arsenal played well. They dominated manchester united in the first half. We got no momentum in midfield. We lost the ball too easily.
Wenger managed to lift the spirit of the squad. Arsenal put pressure and fight for each ball.
One of the reason for which Anderson played was that the Arsenal players were exausted. Imagine that Rooney and ronaldo we out of force at the end of the game although they were rested against Roma.
This Arsenal team is very dangerous. With a fit squad and some major re-enforcement next season, they will be a major threat for the title.
I think it will be difficult to keep their team together without being dismantled.
Hats off to arsenal and manchester united.
It was a great game with lot of pace and was played and a very high tempo until their batteries we exhausted.
The difference today was the bench. If anderson and tevez started the match, they would not have the same efficiency in the second half. Park played his part by exhausting arsenal.
Bring on blackburn.
April 13th, 2008 at 20:26
Ronaldo is ICE-MAN! He is “mr. reliable” and the worlds best player. Impressed by Owen today, Fergie said he wouldnt start! But thankfully he did. Amazing free-kick and his all around play was immense. Rio my MOM today. He totally dominated the game. He almost gave me a heart attack when he was close to scoring an own goal. Anderson was amazing after he came on! He is a special player, no-one is like him.
My ratings:
VDS- 8,5. Saved our skin many times. Mistake on the goal, but everything else he did showed why he is our number 1.
Brown- 6. Terrible in the first half, opened spaces for Arsenal all the time. His tackilng was awful too. But in the second half he played well, but he almost scored an own goal.
Pique- 7. Good game, but he is no Vidic.
Rio- 9. Amazing! Blocked on 3 yards, tackled everything and made Adebayor his bitch. His reaction to Owens goal showed how much he wants Manchester United to win this trophy and how a real leader acts.
Evra- 8,5. Another great performance by the frenchman. Good attacking, but he was a rock in defese. No one came past him. Showed Walcott who was the boss.
Ronaldo- 8. Thought he had a good game. Not a Villa or Newcastle kinda performance, but kept possesion when needed and almost set up three goals for Rooney. Had problems against Clischy, but when moved to left midfield he really turned up. His penalty was amazing, it impressed me. He never stops doing that. I was worried after he had to re-take it, but showed nerves of steel to score it. If he only had done so against West Ham…
Carrick- 7. Good first half, but dissapeared in the second.
Scholes- 5. One word: Terrible!
Owen- 9. He was all over the pitch and showed what lies in him. His free-kick would have made Ronaldo, Beckham, Juninho and Riquelme proud!
Park- 5,5. Good game in mid-week, but made many bad passes today and didnt look like he wanted to win.
Rooney- 8. Work rate: Amazing. Finishing: Not good. could have had a hat trick had it been on another day.
Tevez- 7. Good cameo. Fought as usual and gave much needed energy to our side.
Anderson- 8. What a game by the birthday boy. He ran all over the pitch and made a difference. What he did with Adebayor was great. He is unike! BTW, did u see what he did to Lehmann before Owens free kick? He waved his arms and distracted the german so he didnt get a clear view of the great shot.
April 13th, 2008 at 21:39
Incredible drama played out on a large theater. WOW! I was pissing razor blades for two hours. My heart sank a bit when Adebayor handled the ball into the net. And Wenger cries about not getting breaks. Why more of a big deal wasn’t made about that goal is beyond me. Still, United kept their composure and got a lucky break with the Gallas handball. Certainly a penalty so Wenger better not whine about that one. The last 30 minutes belonged to us although I felt Bendtner was very dangerous in the air. This kid has made enemies at the Emirates and I think he is going to be gone at season’s end. I think he has tremendous promise and I like his nose for goal. His finishing needs a little work but I think he would be a great and inexpensive buy. But Wenger would never sell him to us. Anyway, the rest of the game analysis can be better explained through my player ratings.
EVDS 8.5/10 – His best match of the year. He was terrific and saved our bacon many times from great anticipation and solid positioning. A little suspect on the goal but every other time he was dead on. Especially at saving the mistakes of Rio and Brown.
BROWN 6 – Was God awful again in the first half but rebounded with a much steadier performance in the second half. Hleb and at times Adebayor had their way with him. He is looking more and more out of place and tired as the season winds down. Perhaps Fergie should consider Neville for a start and 60 minutes against Blackburn.
RIO 7 – I’m not so enthused by his performance as some other like JB because his gaffs could have cost us two more goals. Football isn’t basketball. It only takes one mistake to kill you and his almost own goal would have destroyed us. He still was steady for the most part but he did have a few horror moments.
PIQUE 7.5 – Much more steady and comfortable back there but still needs to be more assertive and quicker when clearing the ball. He is clearly becoming my choice for 3rd CB over either Brown and O’Shea and Silvestre.
EVRA 8 – Came close to being my man of the match because I think he did an outstanding job of defending and countering on the left side. Looked totally in control out there. This lad has come a long way since the beginning of the season when i was missing Heinze.
RONALDO 7 – OK, so it was not vintage Ronny but nobody is going to be outstanding with two markers on him all day. He still ran hard and ran at players but mostly nothing was coming off for him. His penalties were taken with ice water running though his veins. He didn’t just score one great penalty, but the second was completely unstoppable. And believe me, when you can beat Jens Lehmann twice when he guessed right both times, you really have done a job because Lehmann is the best penalty stopper in the game.
CARRICK 7 – Worked very hard and had to cover the invisibility factor of Scholes. No he never offered much from an offensive point of view but his defense was strong and Fabregas wasn’t much of a factor thanks mostly to him. There were times though that his lack of pace hurt him on the offensive side of things.
SCHOLES 5 – Trust me this one hurts me to give it but Scholsey reverted to his earlier form this season where he just looked over matched and invisible out there. Lets face it, he does not have the wheels to run with Arsenal and neither does Giggs. Yes he can still play but he is only really successful against lower clubs and not teams that have pace and quality marking in midfield. Never really made any mistakes but he was the primary reason I felt that United looked like they were playing with ten men for 55 minuted of the game. The thought of him starting the Champions League final or any of the Barca games is now beginning to scare me. Then again, his lack of pace is more suited to continental style football anyway.
PARK 6 – As usual he really runs hard but he never really plays well when the opposition play a full court press style defense. He likes room to run and find spaces to exploit. When somebody is closely marking him, he becomes invisible even if his work rate is high. Should have been more of a factor considering Arsenal’s attention was focused more on Ronaldo.
HARGREAVES 8.5 – May have seemd quiet in the first half because he was working hard defending due to United’s poor defensive tactics and lack of off the ball movement. He got in a few good crosses from the left side and his corners all game were quality but well defended by the Arse. His running and adventurous nature returned more in the second half as well, he showed a lot of courage and passion in his tackles and confrontations. Tireless running and being a pest like not other. What can I say about his free kick. All year I was saying that his ability to hit quality free kicks was Beckham-like and possibly even better and more consistent than Ronaldo’s. I’ve been proven correct twice now. Especially when you consider the relatively few opportunities he has had to score two. His is a beautiful finesse approach and really he should be allowed a crack at every third kick to give teams more think about as well as worry about. Hargo’s Da Man! How many more are going to join the Hargo Appreciation Society this week?
ROONEY 8 – As usual worked very very hard and ran all over the place. However, not until Tevez showed up, did he ever get a lot of space to move in to or did any movement off the ball begin to create opportunities. Should have scored a couple but Lehmann once again showed why Wenger’s pride and arrogance has cost him the title. Honestly, Almunia over Lehmann? Give me a break.
TEVEZ 7.5 – Along with Anderson was the real energy and tactical change that was needed to take the game over and kill of the Arse. He ran like a rabid terrier after every 5-/50 ball and almost scored what would have been the goal of the year.
ANDERSON 8 – Perhaps this may be to high a mark for a player who played 25 minutes but his energy and pace really injected life in an otherwise lackadaisical and lethargic United attack. His running and marking completely destroyed Arsenal and that is why we saw nothing from them in the last 25 minuted other than a great Bendtner chance headed weakly. I t may have been Anderson’s birthday but I think we all feel that he rewarded us with a vital gift today. I also feel he rescued SAF from a lot of criticism in tactics and player selection today. Still has a lot to learn but you cannot knock the lads energy , engine and defensive prowess.
GIGGS ? – Not enough time to make a real judgment. Although I have to ask why you would bring in an offensive winger/mf for your best defensive midfielder when you are trying to protect a one goal lead with a few minutes left. Was Hargreaves struggling? A risky and confusing move with no disrespect to Giggsy.
FERGIE 6 – We were lucky to win this game. Fergie got the tactics all wrong for 60 minutes and he really blew it by selecting Park over Tevez and Scholes over Anderson. Why? Arsenal is a young team that uses pace and skill in their buildup. Right there it means that Anderson should have started as he did at the Emirates where he played Fabregas out of the game. Scholes just hasn’t got the pace and when you consider Carrick is a bit of a lead foot too, it was asking for problems. That is why Arsenal controlled the midfield and was winning every 50/50 ball. Anderson eliminated that threat.
Park is a good little player but like i said earlier, he plays poorly when defenses press. Tevez and Rooney running all over the place would have cause much more problems for the Arse as well, it would have freed up Ronaldo more.
Defensively we played right into Wenger’s hands. I hate it when we sag back into our third and play a lose zone against a face pacey team who plays a lot of give and go’s and who run well off the ball. They could easily have score more goals if it weren’t for their poor finishing and EVDS. Fergie finally got it right after the 60th minute and after he injected Anderson and Tevez in the game. Before that, I felt Arsenal had been giving us a good butt kicking despite the score. Why were we showing a team which is very down, demoralized, tired and full of internal turmoil so much respect. We played like it was a road game and we were down to ten men. Honestly a hand ball and a beautiful free kick rescued our butts tonight, no thanks to Fergie for this on. If we had lost I would have skewered him over the coals like a good souvlaki.
Anyway, it’s over with. Arsenal are dead and buried and we got a vital three points. Our depth and their lack of depth was the difference today. Now I need to sit back, pray and ask for thanks as I am a member of the Church of Owen Hargreaves. And happy birthday Anderson. More of the same will win me over even if you can’t hit the side of a barn from 3 yards.
April 13th, 2008 at 21:41
Oh Maybe Rio was MOTM then…
I don’t know I guess I was too busy despairing at our failure to keep ball more than 10 seconds to actually notice that Rio was having a great game!
If JB says it, then it must be true
April 13th, 2008 at 21:47
I’m reading where the Man City owner is threatening Sven with the sack if things don’t improve soon. First he gets humiliated and dressed down by the Mourinho puppet and now this? Poor poor pitiful Sven. What he needs is his old reliable Beckham and Rooooooneyyy, Wayne Roooooooooneyyyy. Just no respect for the Gimp Man (You need to have watched “I’m On Setanta Sports” to get that reference).
April 13th, 2008 at 21:49
Nico; With all due respect to JB, Rio could be comatose in the local bar during the game and JB would give him a 7.0. Clearly one of his faves, as Hargreaves is mine. I’ll forgive him his over inflation of grade if he forgives me mine. The truth is he almost cost us the match twice but in fairness, that almost own goal was a difficult situation and i really cannot see how else he could have played it seeing as the real culprit Wes Brown never tracked back.
April 13th, 2008 at 21:53
Great game today, credit to arsenal for coming to old trafford and having a go, not many teams would. The game was even. Arsenal’s passing was slicker in the first half and our midfield wasn’t competing – not really a game for scholes and carrick. Scholes done nothing, too old and slow, slack passing. I never noticed carrick was playing for the first 20 minutes, not involved. Hargreaves at least had a bit of energy about him. We had the best two chances of the half though – rooney should have done better when ronaldo cut the ball back, but lehmann got lucky with the second one. Park also got in the way of ronaldo having a good heading opportunity, while adebayor missed a good opportunity with a poor shot. So, arsenal slightly shading it at half time, but even enough. Second half we were the better team, although arsenal (or bendtner) had a few chances at the end. The subs made a difference, bringing youth and energy to the team. VDS was at fault for the goal, it should have been his ball a mile. Brown’s not the best, especially going forward. A good full back is a great outlet when we have the ball, brown just doesn’t offer that. Evra does though, he was good. Rio was excellent. MOTM. Pique doesn’t have a left foot…
It was class when anderson muscled adebayor off the ball. Bullied by a midget…
It was class seeing tevez running around diving into tackles. Funny…
Great free kick from hargreaves.
April 13th, 2008 at 22:00
To be fair to Rio he had two ‘gaffs’. On the goal he said he heard a shout from the keeper so I’ll give him that. Second one error was the near own goal. To be fair to him that was an absolutely wicked ball to try and deal with and as a CB all you can do is put your foot on and pray. Even if you blame him for both I would give him higher than a 7 because he was covering for Brown a lot and his defensive shielding in Carrick was getting absolutely overrun in the first half.
Nico: Thank you, now if we can get Grognard to believe everything I say is true we’ll be flying
April 13th, 2008 at 22:00
Also, bendtner is just crap. He should have scored, but he got both headers at the end wrong. No good in the air, no strikers insticts, for someone who’s ment to be a targetman type
April 13th, 2008 at 22:31
HAHA wasn’t i a bit of a psychic today, predicted 2-1 and we got 2-1 i just said pick your own scorers i won’t bother with a review, since others have beat me to it, though i will post something interesting
2003 Juventus eliminated Real Madrid, AC Milan eliminated Juventus, AC Milan Champion
2004 Monaco eliminated Real Madrid, Porto eliminated Monaco, Porto Champion
2005 Juventus eliminated Real Madrid, Liverpool eliminated Juventus, Liverpool Champion
2006 Arsenal eliminated Real Madrid, Barca eliminated Arsenal, Barca Champion
2007 Bayern eliminated Real Madrid, AC Milan eliminated Bayern, AC Milan Champion
2008 AS Roma eliminated Real Madrid, Manchester United eliminated AS Roma….
Man Utd to win champions league!!!?!?!?!?!
who knows, lets beat barca then maybe just maybe
p.s RICK, please may you improve your spelling, you can install a simple spell checker on your web browser to make peoples life easier, i find it hard to read your posts, i apologise in advanced if english is not your first language
April 13th, 2008 at 23:04
I think Parks getting alot of undeserved stick tbh. He wasn’t at his best in the first half but neither was Rooney or Ronaldo. The 3 central midfielders were all just too defensive minded in the first half and that led to the front 3 being isolated and too well covered. In the past it would have been less of an issue as even playing poorly as he did today Scholes would have been alot more adventurous and linked the Defence/Midfield with the Striker/Wingers alot better and given the Arse defence more to think about.
Ronaldo got alot more possession once Anderson and Tevez came on and I think Park would have been the same. Infact I suspect he would have been more effective than Hargreaves was as a winger (I was thinking that it would have been Scholes and Brown off, with Hargreaves going to RB)
April 13th, 2008 at 23:29
Tevez; Your view of Bendtner is not fair mate. “No striker’s instincts”????? Are you kidding. In order to get the cracks at goal that he gets he has to have a striker’s instinct. He’s just not a sharp finisher. He like Anderson and others is very young and that part of the game will improve. A lesser goalkeeper may not have been positioned as well as EVDS was so I think you are being woefully unfair to the boy. Adebayor was making more of a meal of great opportunities than Bendtner.
JB; Don’t count on it mate. Although you could say I have come around a lot regarding Carrick and Scholes. Although Scholesy had me nearly fall of his bandwagon today with a thud. Another performance like that and I will be all over him like black on night. By the way, when are you going to come around to my way of thinking? Or am I too Stephen Hawking for you?
Wakey. Sorry mate but Park was invisible and he always is against a press style defense. Ronaldo on the other hand had two men on him most of the time. Park should have done better but it is true that the central part of the midfield was either non existent or too defensive so support wasn’t great. This didn’t help the offensive scheme of things until Anderson and Tevez were inserted into the game.
April 14th, 2008 at 0:23
highlights can be seen here.
http://www.attube.net/view_video.php?viewkey=9a4022a2c4c5a5ca3ee1
April 14th, 2008 at 0:32
Good one, Mr. Muhozi, let’s just hope the trend continues for 2008 also
April 14th, 2008 at 1:56
Did anyone notice that the introduction of Giggs did two things. One, it showed up Clichy’s tired legs, which suited Giggs’ play very well. And two, the game opened up, even if just for a few minutes. Suddenly there was newfound composure on the flank and the best part- there were two changes of flank in under a minute.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not one to say Giggs should start. He’s too old to go up against pacy fullbacks who have the ability to quieten Ronnie, let alone him. But there are some things about United’s style of attack that only Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes can offer. Gary’o too, if he makes it back. These guys are super-subs when the game needs slowing down or opening up. They can cling to a ball (Scholes) and deliver long Rooney-seekers all over the pitch. It doesn’t matter how slow they’ve gotten or how quick the opposition is provided it isn’t quick enough to close them down before they can launch their passes.
There was nothing wrong with Hargo’s play except that he has limited range with his exquisite crosses and aerial balls. Not so Giggs. A 60 yard flank changer is quite something of a skill and not too many people can do it accurately.
I fancy these two (or three- oh cap’n, my cap’n) to come on as subs for younger, more agile starters when there is a need for the beautiful long-passing, width using style of attack that is so patently United’s.
April 14th, 2008 at 4:48
Howcome players don’t share MotM awards these days? In that case, Rio and VDS would surely take it..one bottle of champagne not enough for two eh?
April 14th, 2008 at 5:57
Rio did not deserve Man of the Match. Not by a long shot. Christ, he almost cost us dearly twice. EVDS was very good and saved our bacon on numerous occasions. Him sharing the MotM award with Hargreaves sounds like a better choice to me. But then again, that is why we debate. Differing opinions and perspectives. I think we are all in agreement thought that Scholes sucked today. I cannot recall the last time I saw him play where I never saw him play because he was invisible. It was shocking.
April 14th, 2008 at 6:47
When is the PFA awards?
April 14th, 2008 at 10:31
Park thrives on a 4-3-3 type formation.So i don’t blame him.
April 14th, 2008 at 11:06
Well sure Mr.Muhozi . Work + IE is a pain in the ass
April 14th, 2008 at 13:09
absolutely disgusted bout rio not being nominated, he must wonder what he has to do! bit like scholsey when he was on top of his game and henry kept winning it!
April 14th, 2008 at 13:11
Grognard, bendtner’s just no good. He’s the new aliadiere. He should have scored. The first header was all about fabregas’ pass, what a ball. He got the header all wrong. The second one was awful. A golden opportunity for any decent striker and he actually headed it down to the near post. Why! It actually annoyed me – hit it across the keeper you idiot. Easy. Look at torres’ goal for an example of what bendtner should have done. Bendtner didn’t misqueue the header, he chose the wrong option. He wasn’t unlucky, he was stupid.
Rio was the best player on the park. Lehmann was better than VDS, though both keepers were great. VDS was at fault for the goal, so in the end when a keeper makes a mistake and it leads to a goal that always takes something away from his performance. Same for a defender, but rio never made a mistake which led to a goal. He had one bad moment all game, where he took a swipe at a cross and almost scored an own goal. I don’t know where you’re getting ‘he almost cost us dearly twice’ from. He made vital blocks and tackles and was a class above pique. Pique was fairly awkward down the left side of the pitch, too one-footed. Hargreaves, i think, was the one who put in a great cross from the left for ronaldo in the first half, where park got in the way, and, ofcourse, he scored the free kick. He didn’t do enough to be MOTM, but i suppose he comes close only because he scored the winning goal.
April 14th, 2008 at 14:21
Did anyone see the HANDBALL from Adebayor for the 1st goal???
April 14th, 2008 at 16:34
You are certainly welcome to your opinions Tevez. I for one just don’t share them.
Madsman; I saw the handball and I am amazed nobody else did. It clearly went of his forearm. Let it not be said that Wenger doesn’t get a break to go his way.
April 14th, 2008 at 21:58
Chelsea 1 Wigan 1 Full Time
Heskey levels the score in injury time
Oh Yesssss! Credit to Bruce and Wigan who can expect a bottle or two of the finest in the post from Fergie.
April 15th, 2008 at 7:36
[Madsman]
I too saw the handball. I am amazed not to find a mention in any of the reports.
Brucey rocks!!! Bye bye Grant!
April 16th, 2008 at 13:21
I totally agree that Anderson and Ferdinand deserve to be on their respective lists….but wait doesn’t Vidic also deserves to be on the list…he’s been tremendous for us this season
May 30th, 2008 at 12:24
actually they deserve to be nominated