Aug 26
Portsmouth 0-1 Man Utd: Fletcher Seals First Win
Ah, the sweet smell of victory! It was by the slimmest of margins. It again showed what we lack as a side, while also clearly showing our strengths. But the win — despite what the scoreline suggested — was achieved while playing some good football.
Sir Alex, shorn of his star wingers decided to push Evra onto the wing with O’Shea providing protection at the back. Brown continued to be preferred over Neville, and Ferdinand got to skipper the side again, in the absence of Ryan Giggs. A patched up midfield that consisted of Evra, Scholes, Anderson and Fletcher was always going to spring some doubts. But once the game got underway, things changed.
The movement was good, the passing crisp, and the desire very much in evidence. Patrice Evra was a revelation on the wing, and played a blinder of a match. Thanks to his surges down the left, we never really missed a genuine left winger.
Anderson showed amazing powers of recovery as he played very well considering his late, late arrival from Beijing. He was off the pace for a while before sort of coming into his own. An excellent pass to Rooney in the last few minutes of the first half was a case in point.
Wayne Rooney looked like he was making a genuine effort to stay further up the pitch. He had two outstanding situations to get on the score sheet. One occasion was as mentioned above; receiving a pass from Anderson, he took a touch, turned and shot a belter that beat James and just wide off the post. The other occasion was when he was wrongly judged offside that could have put the game beyond any doubt.
In all the performance was encouraging. Scholes continued to pull strings as his wont. Fletcher made up for his limitations technically with his tireless running, and his forays into the box fetched him his second goal in as many games. The defence was as solid as you can get. Rodrigo Possebon, who came on later, betrayed his lack of experience while continuing to look promising. And Carlos Tevez, while showing us what we missed last week, continued to impress.
Our lack of a target man was again obvious, but hopefully Berbatov’s arrival (if it happens) will seek to solve it. Next up, the UEFA Super Cup on Friday. Nani would be back. Hargreaves could feature on the bench. Park could return. And Anderson should be able to get over his jet lag.
Come Anfield, we should have a full squad to choose from, barring Ronaldo. And, hopefully, a win against Zenit could help give us the boost that’s needed to kick our campaign into the next gear — ahead of testing trips at Anfield and Stamford Bridge.
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- Man Utd v Portsmouth: Preview
Tags: Site News
August 26th, 2008 at 10:35
Really enjoyed the game… Portsmouth weren’t bad, the athmosphere was great and at the start of the second half, United looked like Barcelona of three years ago. Loved it!.
August 26th, 2008 at 10:38
I really enjoed the game. And had it not been for a blind linesman, United would have scored more.
Zenit are out of form, so I think we can score 3-4 on them if we play Nani and Anderson
August 26th, 2008 at 10:46
Rooney played the same way he did when he played there last season. No difference.
August 26th, 2008 at 10:47
At the game last night though we were superb, good goal by Darren (Bryan Robson) Fletcher and a superb performance by Rooney, he ran his socks off and stated to looked fitter to me.
O’Shea was a liability by tried hard, and Tevez, Anderson and Scholes were excellent. We do lack a target but everyone knows that, and we lack a constant goal threat, but again everyone knows that too.
August 26th, 2008 at 10:54
Evra was left back, with O’Shea as a defensive midfielder and Anderson on the left wing.
He just bombed so far forward it looked like he was playing left wing, n Anderson/Fletcher/Tevez had license to roam about a bit.
August 26th, 2008 at 10:54
We played really well. I was thouroughly entertained, although I haven’t any nails left to nibble on
/I suppose there are a few areas I could be criticial about, but I am going to hold off on it. As far as rating players, a bunch of sixes and sevens for me. Still think Possebon should have started over O’Shea, but I can understand Sir Alex’s second thoughts on that one…not that he really, truly considered it. I am just excited we are finally off and running. Now on to Zenit and then another long and boring international break.
August 26th, 2008 at 10:55
Fergie,the tactical genius
August 26th, 2008 at 10:56
Not sure I agree that Evra played on the wing. He played at left back (note his tackle on Defoe towards the end of the first half), but with licence to bomb on as and when he chose. O’Shea was clearly instructed to play the screening role in the centre of midfield, with a secondary job to cover either fullback as they raided.
Penguin’s Player Ratings
EVDS - 5/10 - made a good save from Evra/Defoe, but looked less sure against one or two pot-shots, opting to punch rather than catch (one went back into the area, which is always a risk). Contrast to David James who caught a viciously swerving Scholes shot. Entertaining run as a sweeper!
Evra - 8/10 - given licence to go forward at will with O’Shea to cover, and did so very productively. Set up Fletcher’s goal and put in at least three other dangerous crosses. Able to take on and beat a decent fullback in Johnson.
Rio - 7/10 - dealt well with both the height of Crouch and the movement of Defoe. Good to see him with the armband on; it seems to improve his performance.
Vidic - 7/10 - dominant in the air but also made good ground to the right-back position on a couple of occasions to make challenges on the ground. Nearly scored from a set play.
Brown - 7.5/10 - tireless up and down the right flank, closing play down high up the pitch yet almost never being caught in possession. Interestingly, he seems to have added a few tricks on the ball to his game, particularly a Ronaldo-esque cut inside when under pressure - maybe just as Gary Neville picked up his crossing skills from Beckham in front of him, so Wes has picked up ball skills from Ronaldo…
Anderson - 8/10 - had a period where he absolutely ran the game. Took a while to get going and faded towards the end, but showed for about half an hour that he has got stronger over the summer and with the Brazil squad. Played mostly as an auxiliary striker with freedom to roam, and excelled in that role whilst contributing defensively.
Scholes - 8/10 - his ball retention skills (one aberration excepted) were absolutely sensational, and ensured that for all their energy Portsmouth were chasing shadows when pressing United in midfield. Couple of dangerous shots from distance.
O’Shea - 6/10 - did a job effectively, but was on the wrong end of a rocket from Fergie a couple of times for straying from his position. Gave away a couple of free-kicks in dangerous areas. Filled in the gaps effectively, however.
Fletcher - 7/10 - it was fascinating, and an indication of Fergie’s thinking for the season to come, that Fletcher was given the same roaming brief as Tevez and Anderson. Ran hard, looked to find space both on the outside and in the area, and scored the vital goal. Faded in the second half.
Tevez - 7/10 - full of energy as usual, and looked to influence the game from all over the pitch. His performance, though, reminded me so much of Rooney that my worries about them being too alike to play in the same team are resurfacing.
Rooney - 7.5/10 - an encouraging performance in his lesser favoured role. Showed good discipline by letting Tevez do the chasing around, and played on the shoulder a lot. Had too many high balls aimed at him when he can do most damage with the ball to his feet (witness the Anderson pass just before half time). Offside flag denied him a legitimate goal.
Possebon (sub) - 6/10 - looked composed on the ball and not afraid to put his foot in. However, his first instinct on receiving the ball is to take a touch and turn into space, meaning his pass often has to go sideways. Has potential, but needs to try to develop Carrick’s instinct to pass forward and quickly if at all possible.
One last tactical point - it was fascinating that United chose to counter Portsmouth’s strength at set-plays by leaving 3 men up the pitch to inhibit defenders from joining the fray. It kept Sol Campbell back for a couple of corners, and also set us up nicely to attack on the break. It is no coincidence that we were were even more willing than usual to pass the ball on the floor out of our own area, however crowded.
August 26th, 2008 at 10:58
I don’t know why, but I wasn’t very impressed with the game.
Call me success spoilt or whatever, but apart from 5-6 moves we put together, I didn’t see anything magical/creative. I know it’s only the second game of the new season, and we’re probably missing 3-4 first teamers so I won’t complain too much. After 65min, we were doing way too many side passes instead of trying to look for a forward ball (missing Carrick?) but again that may be down to fatigue creeping in or us just trying to keep the ball.
Rooney looked 30% better than the last game, but look frustrated like a dog on a leash. I guess it was probably down to him making a genuine effort to stay in the attacking half of the pitch and getting isolated many a time.
All in all, 1-0 was deserved but me looking forward to more exciting things starting from the Super Cup.
August 26th, 2008 at 11:26
i missed the game and all thanks to the time difference :sad:. But from what i have read im happy we are playing well and once that striker void is filled all hell will break loose
August 26th, 2008 at 11:28
i meant iron out our attacking problems
August 26th, 2008 at 11:28
Fair ratings, Penguin. Maybe Evra and Rooney deserve more, but overall fair.
August 26th, 2008 at 11:37
@Penguin: Bit harsh on Rooney mate, I thought he had a good game, he does seem to be overly critised sometimes due probably to his lack of goals (not saying you are), but I was there last night and he never stopped running.
August 26th, 2008 at 11:42
am i the only one who thinks this is fletchers year? (meaning he won’t be total shite)
not just because of the goals he’s scored. he consistently makes excellent runs near post, and excellent runs into the box in general. it doesn’t make up for his poor passing and weak technical abilities, but he is making the most out of his abilities.
August 26th, 2008 at 11:48
@jonny: poor passing!?!?!. Fletcher?. Maybe he is a wee bit out of practice with the first team at the moment, but when he was playing regularly (2004-05), he had a monster of a pass. I am not so sure his passing abilities are poor now either… he really knows how to pick his players, but the only problem with him sometimes is that he is too ambitious.
August 26th, 2008 at 11:51
@Stephen: Well, it wasn’t a mark for effort but for results, and he is handicapped by being asked to play up top against three big defenders. The handicap is exacerbated when 50-yard balls over the top are played to him, which he can have no chance of either (a) catching or (b) winning in the air.
I am a Rooney supporter, and I think he did everything asked of him to the best of his abilities. But put a Berbatov or a Drogba in the same position, and they’d have done more. That’s the reason for the score.
August 26th, 2008 at 11:53
@Penguin: Fair point mate, I am just standing up for the lad as I feel he is getting a bit of a hard time at the moment, his touch and movement looked top draw last night and people seem to forget is is still only 22.
August 26th, 2008 at 12:05
@Stephen: agree with you on rooney. he does get a hard time for his lack of goals, but touch and movement are great. the goals will come im sure.
and how about fletcher shutting me up!? im his biggest critic but 2 goals in 2 games…very good work! (still not convinced though)
August 26th, 2008 at 12:07
@Stephen: I agree - I am sold on Rooney, but I gave up him against cultured arguments like “he’s crap”, “he didn’t score as many as Ronaldo”, “he’s over-rated” and “he’s crap, I prefer Tevez”.
You can’t argue with people like that, you can only disagree with them.
August 26th, 2008 at 12:20
Rooney is our Talisman, not a out and out centre forward he is a classic number 10 in the Totti, Bagggio mould. We can’t simply judge a player like that on goals it is unfair to do so. Did we not severely criticize RVN for his lack of work rate? well their is also a flip side to that coin.
Ronaldo would not have scored the goals he did without Rooney, the lad is now United through and through, which means everything to us fans.
There is more to Rooney than goals and I love him for it!
August 26th, 2008 at 13:00
Tevez was a monster last night. He never looses the ball and always wins his fights for it. He’s an amazing player, and to have him as a go-to guy is fantastic. I’m sure, all the players love it, when he has the ball, because they know it’s like putting money in the bank - it’s safe.
He’s not that dangerous, but he does get involved up front. He’ll get his goal scoring going soon enough, and so will Rooney. And once it happens, we’ll be hard to stop. Just wait for Rooney to go nuts on the scousers at Anfield.
Portsmouth away is no walk in the park, and I’m pretty sure, we’ll see one or two of the other top teams losing points there. How can Chelsea break down the defense without pace, and how will Arsenal not get out-muscled by the power of the Portsmouth players?
We beat them without at least 4 starters and a bench of babies with only Neville to aid with pacifiers.
Now, let’s continue the form by getting the second trophy on friday and beating both Liverpool and Chelsea at their own grounds - I’m absolutely positive, we’ll nail those bastards.
August 26th, 2008 at 13:21
I personally don’t think Berbatov would have done any better than Rooney in the situation. Pompeys defence are rock solid when it comes to high balls and Rooney’s pestering got a bit of luck and I don’t think Berbatov would have been as willing to fight the lost cause.
I know everyone is saying Tevez had a good/ great game but I don’t agree. He barely linked up with Rooney and was playing further back than Ando.
I wish everyone would get off O’Shea’s back. When a DM isn’t noticed in a game that means they did their job and he made one or two decent runs forward.
Evra was our best player by a long way and a special mention goes to Brown who was so much improved in his attacking play he looked like a new player. We wouldn’t have won without these two.
August 26th, 2008 at 13:28
@Tomas: Tevez hardly played like a striker…maybe he was really bought as a defencive/holding midfielder
with SAF u nevr know….oh and by the way,how come roon is knifed(fat rooney n blag blah blah u know)for playing out of position for 90mins n then tevez gets a compliment for doing the same…funny,no? 
August 26th, 2008 at 13:35
@WR_10 and others: Oh god….
Does every United fan have to choose between Rooney and Tevez?
Rooney did the job he was asked to do, as did Tevez. End of.
August 26th, 2008 at 13:39
Latest on Berba
August 26th, 2008 at 13:43
@Penguin: someday,maybe someday…three carlitos will be just as good as a roon!End of part 2.hope this helps…..
August 26th, 2008 at 13:49
I reckon we’ll get Berbatov and Huntelaar as an extra addition being the shock that Alex was drawn to announcing recently… I dont know if it makes sense but I do have an incling that it might just be what happens… Berbatov will not be left on the reserves to rot because his attitude at Spurs will make there team rot with him…
lets hope its sorted by friday. and we’ll see him play 20 mins against Liverpool
August 26th, 2008 at 13:57
Fletcher’s goal looks to me like a portsmouth player’s own goal.
Oh what the heck, we won! haha! O’shit was a liability but did well, my oh my, Rodrigo is showing promise!
August 26th, 2008 at 13:59
@Penguin: Same ol’ diddle daddle by the media regarding Berba. No one really knows anything until one of the two clubs officially say anything about it. However, it looks inevitable that he will leave, just have to wait a bit more..
Btw, nice ratings.. we had a decent game and hopefully when our wingers return we will be able to present a better shape and allow a more creative/attack minded CMF play as opposed to O’shea, since Evra and Brown won’t be solely responsible for creating width.
Rooney did a splendid job and is getting back to full fitness (has lot a bit of mass though). Tevez did okay, but should try not to fall into the same trap that rooney fell into and start dropping too deep, roaming about the pitch.
Scholes, fletch and Ando had good games although Ando did tire after a while. Rodrigo had a brilliant cameo, and I agree with ur appraisal and want to add that he should liven up his game. He’s a bit pedestrian and while that is fine in Europe, in the premiership, he will get caught out far too often.
August 26th, 2008 at 14:01
@antsBoy: rooney 30% better than last game? how did ya figure that out? Essian’s calculator?
August 26th, 2008 at 14:08
@Penguin: rooney is good… tevez is good
but together… there unbeatable!
August 26th, 2008 at 14:36
Berbatov will give us a new new option, his height and play will give us a new dynamic and will get the best out of both Tevez and Rooney. They both then can drop off as they do naturally, and can break beyond the last defender.
Watching us last night and I think we played well, we do need Berbatov he really would complement our play, so FFS Fergie hurry up and do the deal!
August 26th, 2008 at 14:55
@Penguin: Rooney is faster than berbatov or drogba and is a better bet for running in behind a defense, although both are better with their back to goal i suppose. Then again, rooney puts himself about quite well and challenges effectively in the air, as well as being a willing runner so i’m not convinced berbatov or drogba would have been noticeably more effective.
A 50-yard punt’s not something i want to advocate anyway, and no striker can reasonably be expected to do anything with them. A boot up the park is just a lost cause for a striker. If the ball has to go long, then players should get their head up and give the striker something to work with. Rooney can feed off of a ‘measured long ball’ effectively, just like drogba or torres can. Drive the ball into feet or into space, drop it in behind a fullback. Whatever, just don’t lump it aimlessly or defenders have the advantage and good defenders will deal with it comfortably.
@Liam: ‘When a DM isn’t noticed in a game that means they did their job’ - so very untrue lol. It means they were ineffective and done nothing.
August 26th, 2008 at 15:23
@tevez: O’Shea was asked to play DM and cover RB and LB. I would say he did a good job and allowed Evra and Brown to get forward with the knowledge that someone was there to cover for them. If we didnt have O’Shea Evra wouldnt have made as many darting runs as he did and maybe wouldnt have been there to set up the goal
August 26th, 2008 at 15:27
@Liam: O’Shea wa our weakest link last night, he is a good lad, important squad player but not a holding midfield player at all.
August 26th, 2008 at 15:29
Oshea played the ball into rooney for the offside goal…still think he should never play there though
August 26th, 2008 at 15:34
Speaking of the long ball: I love the man but can anyone remember a single useful pass played upfield by Vidic? He has probably the worst pass percentage rate (up to the strikers) of anyone in a red shirt. He should know his limitations and leave it to Rio/Scholes/Anyone else rather than just thump it to the oppositions keeper. Rant over.
Rooney is starting to show his quality again. His touch turn adn shoot in the first half was magic, even if it missed. His disallowed finish wasn’t too shabby either. Give him time to get fit before judging him!
August 26th, 2008 at 15:52
@sig: There is no “shock”. It was just Fergie’s way of diverting attention.
I can’t believe how some people still go on about there being a surprise transfer. It was a flippant remark, nothing more. If anything the surprise was Silly’s move to Arsenal.
August 26th, 2008 at 15:54
We know it is either Berbatov or nothing, quite simple.
August 26th, 2008 at 15:56
@Stephen, Liam, tevez: I agree with Liam on this one. Defensive midfielders are not supposed to be noticed because it means that they closed out all the possible passages in their direction, which means that no sane winger will go his way. O’Shea had a good game. He closed the midfield down well and covered on both flanks, as Liam pointed out. He might have given the odd free kick away, but how many times does that happen to Scholes?.
August 26th, 2008 at 16:01
@Andrei: He is a good lad and does what Harry Rednapp would say ” a job for us” but we can’t say he is a good holding midfielder, it is just not his game. With regards to him and Fletch, they are so valuable to the team its untrue, but we need to get things into perspective, a holding midfielder JOS isn’t.
August 26th, 2008 at 16:13
@Andrei and co: Of course, you must be right. Nobody ever noticed Keane, or Vieira, or Makalele…they did their job so efficiently that they just glided along in the background. Or were inspirational captains, or defined the defensive midfielder role respectively. One of the two.
I’m not in any way saying that O’Shea should be compared to those greats. Just that I noticed what he did last night, and I only liked some of it. I noticed when he filled in at left back when Evra got caught upfield. I noticed him giving the ball away sloppily a few times when the rest of the team were playing a particularly accurate version of pinball. I noticed Fergie screaming at him with 15 mins to go to stop wandering around. I noticed him play in Rooney for his “offside” goal. I noticed him concede a free kick on the edge of the area with five mins to go.
The only person on the pitch who can be said to have had a good game because you didn’t notice him is the referee. Otherwise, you just weren’t watching closely enough.
August 26th, 2008 at 16:25
The game today reminded me of our start to last season in one important aspect: we dominated possession, controlled the game, were solid defensively but did not often look like scoring. It is also the reason why we were better in Europe last season.
Im hoping more chances will come once we have Nani and Giggs back on the wings. The only time we ever looked like doing damage was when our full backs overlapped. The long balls from midfield towards Rooney were pointless. If that is going to be part of our strategy we need Berbatov or Huntelaar in the team to win those headers and Rooney or Tevez feeding off them.
Really our entire team would be lifted another level if we had an orthodox number 9 for Rooney to play off. Tevez is a great player to have from a defensive standpoint because he will win the ball and keep possession. But when he plays we look like 4-5-1 and that is not the best formation to win games against teams who come at us looking to play for the draw.
Anderson impressed me a lot. I like the way he ran with the ball from midfield today and his pass for Rooney was delightful. But we need goals from him this season.
August 26th, 2008 at 16:37
@Penguin: I didnt really notice Rio and Vida yesterday and we still kept a clean sheet. All Vida did was hoof the ball upfield where O’Shea kept it simple and got it to the better passers. When he had the ball he never really looked like losing it. Sometimes its necessary to foul when the other team is on the break. People expect him to be a box to box midfielder when he was there as nothing more than a screen
August 26th, 2008 at 16:52
@Liam: I was really hoping someone would say that, as it basically makes my whole argument. You didn’t notice Rio and Vida? I can call to mind at least 10-15 examples of particularly good pieces of defending each.
I’m not trying to tell you how to watch a football match - if you want to switch off when we don’t have the ball, then go ahead - but I wish people wouldn’t make pronouncements on how well certain players have performed when they don’t watch half the game.
For the record, the foul he committed to give Pompey a free-kick just before time was on the edge of the area as he came out to contest a call. And I don’t expect him to be a box-to-box player, I expect him to be a screen.
Also, I didn’t think he played awfully, only averagely well. It’s the whole “if I don’t notice a player then he must have played well” bit which is getting up my nose.
That’s all I’m going to say on the subject, because I can sense myself deteriorating into the sort of mood where I’m just going to annoy myself and others.
August 26th, 2008 at 16:53
@WR_10: No, call it antsBoy’s calculator!
For example, in the last game I’d rated Rooney to be 6, so this game his rating is around 7.8 (which is almost equal to the PPR rating he got of 7.5)
*PPR = Penguin’s player ratings
August 26th, 2008 at 17:00
@antsBoy: Like the abbreviation!
August 26th, 2008 at 17:04
Liam take it by your name you are a little biased towards John O’Shea!!
August 26th, 2008 at 17:20
I am getting a little tired of people going overboard over berbertov and this is why. 1 where did people ever get this idea that berbertov is a target man and if people think he is the new cantona then Eric played in the roles rooney and tevez do in the hole. 2 he does what rooney and tevez do drop deep and he is no target man, he is slow lack lustre and is too old for this team and his attitude is a disgrace all these things have shown this year. man utd should be looking for the more powerful striker not a moody cry baby who’s character is so flawed it’s not even funny, I hope he goes to barcelona or madrid because he is not for united. I don’t want ronaldo rooney and tevez game restricted to accommodate this moody overhyped crybaby who thinks he is better then what he is.
on the game I thought this was a good performance and in my eyes should have been 2 0 if the linesman ever had glasses on, it seems to me if united are not winning 3 or 4 goals man utd must buy a striker or they are useless, with the likes of scholes anderson rooney tevez there is potential for goals in this team add nani is well united have the players.
August 26th, 2008 at 18:17
Penguin says, “Because I can sense myself deteriorating into the sort of mood where I am just going to annoy myself and others.” Tut Tut, that does’nt sound good Penguin, but go on mate, LET Y’SELF GO!.
August 26th, 2008 at 18:24
Liam - haha, you didn’t notice Vida, playing like he was on an assault course. Flying through the air with more perfection than a gymnast, as he somersaulted over an attackers head but still came out with the ball. Going off the pitch bleeding from a gashed head wound, after colliding fiercely to make sure he got the ball in that particular header. Making a right nuiscance of himself, lamping everybody in sight, to protect our goalmouth. You really didn’t notice?. Shame on you then.
August 26th, 2008 at 18:28
Michael, re Berbatov, I couldn’t agree with you less mate. I love him, I want him, he’s class with a Capital C.
August 26th, 2008 at 18:33
Penguin, I noticed Roy Keane when he was playing. He was all mouth and a dirty Bastard.
August 26th, 2008 at 18:40
Has anybody else seen this.
August 26th, 2008 at 18:43
@micheal:
Atlast somebody talking some sense!
1. He won’t fit in to the United system.
2. We have numerous players who drop deep. (Eg Rooney, Tevez, etc). We don’t need another link up man.
3. His attitude stinks. I wouldn’t want a player coming to OT after acting like a big cry baby.
4. He is too old at 28 years old to command a £30 million price tag.
5. His first touch maybe good but he is slow and lazy.
I’m gonna come under stick for saying that but any constructive comments are welcome.
We need a player like Karim Benzema. 5 years younger and may actually be worth £30 million alone for potential alone!
August 26th, 2008 at 18:46
@TinManUnited:
If Cloughy was so great why did he join Manchester United instead of staying at Nottingham Forest?
August 26th, 2008 at 18:54
@Penguin: Haha, I completely agree with your appreciation of the “didnt notice him that much so he must be good”
A club of United’s standing should not settle for an averagely good player, even as back-up. The backup I want should be in the mould of Wes Brown, so good that he can legitimately challenge for the first team place, which in the end he did quite successfully.
I sincerley think that O’Shea is a good player and important to have as back up but only in defence, never in midfield.
Oh, and I also completely agree with your appreciation of our centre backs performance..
However, I have to question your assesment of Possebon, quote: “his pass often has to go sideways” That’s very unfair, in the sense that Scholes himself often passes sideways to spread the game, as did Keane in his time. The concept of passing sideways is a very imortant one as it allows the spreading of the game, lulling the opponents into a slower pace of play so that one acceleration of our play (be it individual or through passes) overwhelms them. I’ve personally never liked us playing the early forward pass as there is the risk of losing the ball early and not building any kind of momentum and allowing the said momentum to the opposition.
While i’m also very confident in Possebon’s passing qualities, you must admit that very few players in the league, no make that in the world , have Carrick’s knack for precise through balls, whcih is let’s be fair, his main asset.
All in all I’d rather Rodrigo develop more into a Keane or Scholes anchor-like CM than the Carrick like creator, but that’s just me.
August 26th, 2008 at 18:58
@AlphaRS: i totally disagree with you mate. While i do have a few complaints with the way he’s conducted himself he was promised his desired by Daniel “the cunt” Levy himself if he played for an additional year with the team. Now he’s gone back on his word and that would piss the fuck out of anyone.
His style of play isn’t similar to tevez and rooney- the guy is tall,good in the air and can hold the ball up and bring others into play with his unbelievable vission. He’s also a damn good finisher he scored 46 goals in 2 seasons at spurs which says a lot mate. Add the fact he’s got one of the best first touches in the premier league and you have a heck of a player on yuor hand. I would have preferred huntelaar but berbatov would be a great signing none the less.
As for your rant regarding his price tag. He isnt commanding the fee and its not his valuation in any case.Its the fucking cunt Levy trying to hold us to ransom. So i don’t we should holding Berbatov’s 30 million price tag against him.
August 26th, 2008 at 19:00
@Sidharth:
he was promised his desired by Daniel “the cunt” Levy himself if he played for an additional year with the team.
When was he promised? Any quotes from either Berbatov or Levy to prove this? Or are you going by news paper speculation?
August 26th, 2008 at 19:01
@TinManUnited: i absolutely hate that guy now, absolutely hate him, and i wish he had never joined our club. He is one player i dont like, he’s a fucking twat he is.
August 26th, 2008 at 19:07
AlphaRS
The problem with benzema is the price Lyon have put on him, he does not want to come to united and he signed a new contact, and actually he is 7 years younger at the age of 20 there is bags of potential. I still think he needs to prove that he is worth all the money Lyon have put on him, I am still annoyed we did not sign torres in the first place then all this talk of buying benzama or berbertov would not have come up and ribery would have been nice is well instead of tevez and nani even though those two are cracking young players.
but what as annoyed me is the media and certain sections of united fans still obsessed with van nistlerooy we have not replaced him, then what as ronaldo being doing playing tiddlywinks for the past two seasons he is the replacement just because he is not a striker by trade does not mean he has not replaced him, it annoys me when people still say we need another van nistlerooy even though for the past two seasons we have won back to back titles and a European cup. in dec 2005 no one thought we would win the league let alone back to back titles and a European cup, say what you like ronaldo had a freak season he still done it and as not relied on his team mates to supplying him the ball unlike van nistlerooy, united have moved on from that type of striker and the way the media and certain fans moan about united it’s like if they still think united should play in straight lines. they play a fluid system where players change positions, until people realise united are less effective with a target man then they will never appreciate United’s football. Remember the media saying how good would arsenal be with owen even though they had bergkamp and henry they are just never keeping up with the times and rooney and tevez is the way forward, here is an example of the clown who wrote the worst article since smyth prediction of united finishing 5th who are both from guess who the guardian
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/08/26/united_need_forward_thinking_t.html
August 26th, 2008 at 19:12
@Red Ranter: Correct me if i’m wrong, but didn’t martin jol quote something along the same lines after he was sacked, cant remember the details.
August 26th, 2008 at 19:20
AlphaRS: I would love to see Benzema in the red shirt but players of his ilk are in short supply. Lyon don’t want to sell, Benzema doesn’t want to leave. That one is dead in the water.
I have reservations about Berbatov but, IMO, to take down Chelsea over the course of this season we will need the extra strength in depth up front and firepower he brings.
He may not be a target man in the traditional sense of the word but some of his hold up play over the last two years has been exceptional. One of the biggest reservations I have about the current team is its inability to make the ball stick up top when games aren’t going well. Berbatov is certainly vastly superior in terms of hold up play than anybody else in the squad (bar possibly an in-form Saha).
Second point, back to my favorite, stats
He is the second most productive player in the league over the last two years just behind Rooney and of course Ronaldo.
Third, when he turns it on he can be devastating even in big games. I have seen him turn games against the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea almost single handedly.
Temperament – yes a concern. His behavior over this transfer hardly suggests he is a man you would want to be in the trenches with. That said, if he gets his dream move I would expect a couple of trouble free years at least.
Finally the age issue, yes he is 28 (?) but given that he is a player who relies on touch and vision rather than pace I would expect him to go on well into his 30s.
August 26th, 2008 at 19:21
@Sidharth: He said something on the lines of “berba’s mind was set on joining United” or something like that. Not sure if he said there was a deal of some sort by which he could move on to United after a season.
August 26th, 2008 at 19:24
@JB: He’s 27. So it’s not too bad. Critics have started bumping up his age to 28 and a couple of days I saw some saying he’s 30! He turned 27 in January from what I read. So it really isn’t too bad.
If I get three good productive years from him, I wouldn’t worry. It’s the best you can expect from a modern day footballer anyway.
August 26th, 2008 at 19:33
Our reserves just came back from 0-2 down to draw 2-2 against Chelsea reserves. And it seems Fabio da Silva got us the first goal through a 25-yd thunderbolt! Yippee!! Can’t wait for the video link
August 26th, 2008 at 19:45
Red Ranter
berbertov comes with so much baggage and will be a bad signing he is a bad apple that needs to rot at spurs, and thats a myth we have got 5 years out of ronaldo this will be his sixth year with united 4 out of rooney his 5th year coming up and rooney and as another 12 more years to give or more, I always said this buy them younger and then you will not need to spend another load of money to replace that player in a phew years time. when united spend 30 million on a player I expect to get 7 to 8 or 10 years out of a player not 3 that is wasted money. look at ferdinand been here 6 years and is still in the prime of his career.
August 26th, 2008 at 19:54
RedRanter, Martin Jol did say Berba’s heart was with Mancherster United, but they had persuaded him to stay for another year, and if United came in again they would let him go. Jol said this only after he left Spurs though, from his German camp, when he was on a rant and being interviewed ? by German or English radio. I remember hearing Jol going on about things that had happened at spurs.
August 26th, 2008 at 19:56
Michael: I read that article this morning and I agree with you, it is lazy journalism. This notion that you need a traditional goal poaching centre forward to thrive at the highest level belongs in the past. There was one nugget of wisdom though amongst the comments regarding traditional strikers like RVN, Inzaghi, Shearer
“Nevertheless, they become a focal point and perhaps a bottleneck when a team is extremely creative and fluent.”
Nevertheless, I would not classify Berbatov amongst that style of player (yet more lazy journalism incidentally
).
August 26th, 2008 at 19:56
Anybody know what has happened at MUTV re the reserve games. We used to get to see all the reserve teams LIVE last season. I enjoyed that.
August 26th, 2008 at 19:58
Okay, here’s the video link
August 26th, 2008 at 20:12
@JB: That article is crap. One point was hilarious though, “The hosts dominated possession in the first half” , from what I saw it was 62-38 to United.
August 26th, 2008 at 20:46
Good news on Berba front!
August 26th, 2008 at 20:46
@antsBoy: HAHAHA, Thanks Antsboy, love the commentary from Chelsea TV where they have to concede that United just never give up!
And Fabio, my god!
Fergie just has to give him a few minutes in the league. My guess is we would have played better against Pompey with Fabio as LM and Evra as LB.
August 26th, 2008 at 20:48
apparently pavlyuchenko has signed for spurs! hopefully berba will be released soon.
August 26th, 2008 at 20:49
@RedDevil: ah you beat me to it
August 26th, 2008 at 20:56
I missed the game too, but I am happy to hear that everyone was playing good. For the time being we all should get used to wins like this. Hopefully by the next game we will have Hargo and Nani back, which should help us a lot, also we need to finish the deal for Berba, if we cab stay in touch with Cheskie until Ronaldo returns, then we can make it. Can’t believe that Fletcher is our only scorer
August 26th, 2008 at 21:23
JB
that is my point bebertov likes to play in the hole where rooney and tevez do so that won’t solve the problem only make it worse because all three all like to play narrow who is going to go wide we have seen the media have tantrums and fits seeing rooney play wide, and is it only the British media that are still obsessed with the out an out striker that united need a target man, in Portugal they don’t ever produce any out an out striker un the way the British media seem to be obsessed over with and when Portugal do produce them they are shockingly bad at it, but the closest thing to a central striker Portugal have is ronaldo and he is a winger.
Argentina don’t produce strikers in the way the media seem to think united need what do Argentina produce players like messi tevez and aguero not exactly strikers but are some of the very top talents in the world and the scary thing is they are all under 24 years old. what makes me laugh the media and pundits all think that Dafoe and crouch is a sensational partnership raving about the old fashioned little and large combination that was put in the dust bin years ago, yet they all thought and still think rooney and tevez cant play together strange isn’t it. Criticise a pairing that are some of the most exciting players in the world and hype two average players who can’t get into any of the top sides.
Let’s look at crouch and Dafoe they can’t hold the ball none of them drop deep which is the reason for pompeys lack of creativity and none of them can carry the ball and run at defenders in the way rooney and tevez do because they need service, they cannot create for them selves which is one of the reasons why van nistlerooy was sold. I have always said this rooney and tevez are more then goalscorers they make things happen they can run at defenders and they change positions which is something alot of the media cannot understand which is the reason why england fail because they play in straight lines, and in the big games they are massive players. look at ronaldo not a striker by trade but he has replaced van nistlerooy, you dont have to be a striker by trade to be the main goalscorer and I dont recall since the 05/06 season ronaldo as scored in total 78 goals.
August 26th, 2008 at 21:47
@RedDevil:
thank god if its true. bring on Berbatov!
August 26th, 2008 at 21:59
Ok I’ll give up on the O’Shea argument. It just annoys me people saying he shouldn’t play DM when we kept a clean sheet and he played pretty well IMO.
@micheal: I gave up trying to convince everyone that Berba would be a bad signing a few weeks ago because tbh people aren’t going to change their minds based on what me and you say although Grognard seemed to have turned anti-Berba before he left. When you look at some of the other players you could get for that price e.g. Villa and Eto’o who are out and out strikers and are goal first assist second type of players instead of the assist first goal second players like Berba then I think we’d be better off. Berbatov scored 15 league goals last season. That is what I’d expect from Rooney or Tevez not my main striker. And before anyone says its only Spurs, they had the second best attack in the league last season so to say that he didnt get service is wrong
August 26th, 2008 at 22:20
Liam
you are propably right but I cant help it, I get so cheesed off with people going on this berbertov bandwagon when they forget what we done the previous two season. why do people want to break this ferrari that is not broke. I agree eto’o villa are available and it shows we should have signed fernando torres it realy does eat at me on what we missed out on alng with franck ribery, imagine ronaldo ribery rooney torres mouth watering.
August 26th, 2008 at 22:48
Berbas gonna light up the Theatre, a class act, made for United, watch and see
August 26th, 2008 at 22:59
@TinManUnited: Whats his problem anyway? Is he sour that he got ousted by United or that we’re not selling him Evans? It seems like he’s always trying to top himself with the rubbish he sprouts.
@Liam: Well Fergie seems to think Berbatov is the right player for the team, so….. Anyway in your opinion, who would be better for United, Berbatov or Huntelaar?
August 26th, 2008 at 23:06
Villa: Too short to lead the line and possibly not a big enough physical build.
Eto’o: Suspect injury record with his knee and giant ego to boot.
Torres: Turned us down at the last minute the year before joining Liverpool after he was followed by United for about 3 years.
They all have their upsides and downsides and there is no point in crying over spilt milk. The manager has decided that the man he wants is Berbatov and given his almost flawless transfer record over the last three/four seasons I’m inclined to trust his judgment on this one.
Liam: Just because O’Shea played well and kept a clean sheet doesn’t mean he merits his place in there. He is there because of an injury crisis. He is too clumsy in possession to be a long term option there. He has fulfilled his role as a utility player and filled a gap but hopefully it is the last time we see him in midfield this season.
August 26th, 2008 at 23:17
@Rd: With regards to the Berba, Huntelaar debate, i’ll post a comment I read somewhere with my additions of course:
For Berbatov i’d say he is quite similar to Teddy Sheringham - great brain, great touch (Berbatov’s best attribute), good finish, good height, not the best pace.
For Huntelaar i’d say he is quite similar to Shearer, Fowler, Pippo Inzaghi (without the off-sides), RVN. Huntelaar is more or less the perfect “old fashioned” striker. They do what other players can’t - convert most of their chances - but they create almost nothing for themselves. It’s perhaps unfair to point out that they convert what others create because their talent for positioning and finishing means that they’re much less fussy about their creativity than most players. Nevertheless, they become a focal point and perhaps a bottleneck when a team is extremely creative and fluent. There is now little call for this style of player at the highest level and there are very few players of this kind who are so exceptional that they can play for the best teams (look, for example at Huntelaar’s extended stay in Holland).
When we sold RVN, we began to play a more fluid type of football - on the deck, shorter passes, more movement, quicker tempo. It won us some trophies.
We do need a striker but maybe not Berba or Huntelaar. Berbatov is an excellent player but he would add little to a team that contains Rooney and Tevez (and that would be height) - his conversion rate is a better than theirs but not much. To complete this side we need a striker with real pace: an Henry (a few years ago, when he was good) or a Torres.
I’m sure many will disagree but the player we should have signed is Anelka… maybe Fergie is waiting for a re-incarnation of the Henry/Anelka player in Benzema?
What I do know is Berba can hit the ground running, he wouldn’t take weeks to settle in, he is a proven goal scorer in the epl - 46 in two seasons - can definately create enough problems for opposing teams and more importantly create chances for our other players too. If only Saha wasn’t in love with our head nurse, then i reckon SAF would have held-off for a Benzema….
August 26th, 2008 at 23:28
Gabriel: That is the same comment I noticed when I was reading through the guardian blog
August 26th, 2008 at 23:31
@JB: yeah, and it echoed my thoughts exactly, if not more eloquently