Sep 23
The Belated Match Report + Boro Preview
Ok, so here’s the report that I got down to pen. Let me cut to it right away without much fuss.
Read on after the jump.
Manchester United went to Stamford Bridge with far greater desire than they could muster at Anfield the week before. All the pre-match prattle, Fergie’s mood etc, pointed towards a desire to get something from the game. One could say that, despite all the media hoo-haa about a defeat destroying our chances at the title, we would have taken a draw before the game started considering the way we have been playing, as well as the way Chelsea have been so far. I would have taken a draw if it was offered to me before the game.
But after having seen the game I wouldn’t say the same. While it was a fair result, (and we could have lost it had it not been for the profligacy of Anelka and Joe Cole) I had the feeling that, like against Liverpool, we somehow switched off our urge to attack and asked the opposition to score a goal.
First things first though. Eyebrows were raised at the team selection, but the only selection I disagreed with was the choice of Neville over Brown. I thought for a game like this, Brown, having sat out the Villarreal game, would have more energy than Neville. I still stand by that belief: Brown deserved to start on Sunday.
Fergie got the midfield spot on though. Everyone in midfield (bar Scholes — but Scholes would find time on the ball anyway) was tailor made for the high work rate of Chelsea’s midfield. It was the substitutions subsequently that I thought the boss got wrong. That was where Chelsea went on the offensive and managed to bypass our midfield.
The first part of the game was breathtaking stuff, and made me very happy. We zipped the ball around, and in a move that involved Berbatov, Evra and Rooney we scored our first goal to go 1-0 up.
The midfield was up for whatever challenge Chelsea had to throw at us until Fergie decided to bring on O’Shea — that move never made sense to me.
Regarding Tevez’s exclusion it was terribly unfair on the lad, but then again, I’m sure Fergie would have brought him on if EVDS hadn’t gone off injured.
I mentioned yesterday about some players standing out for me and I will talk a little more about them.
Park Ji-Sung: I love the Korean and I felt bad for him when a lot of the United support seemed to care less for him in his debut season. He brings a lot more into the team and can run for you all day. And night. He wasn’t even fully fit on Sunday, but he ran himself to the ground. Full marks, or whatever, to him. He was what we missed at Anfield.
Darren Fletcher: I’ll say it and say it out loud. This man is a revelation this season. He has always been good in the big games, but boy can he run. He makes more forward runs into the box than any midfielder has done for us so far. He could have become an instant star had he moved to Everton. But thank God he’s here. We need more Fletchers in our side.
Owen Hargreaves: Again, another semi-fit midfielder entrusted with the unenviable task of keeping a rampaging Chelsea full back in check. The moment Park and he were moved away from the wings, we got to see their full backs make runs in more advanced positions. Shielded Neville at times. Great job Owen. We need you at the peak of your powers. The question is, can you stay 100% fit for long?
And I will make a special mention to an assured Jonny Evans who looked unperturbed by the magnitude of the occasion. Drogba has a history of giving nightmares to young defenders. Perhaps the Ivorian wasn’t fully fit, or perhaps Anelka was pretty crap. But I wouldn’t take credit away from the Norn. Irishman.
Of course, I have to say, for the millionth time, that we would have been battered had it not been for Rio Ferdinand. He’s a giant in the dressing room by now, I’m sure. He hates losing, and he was right angry with our conceding of a goal. No one, and I repeat, no one at the moment is as peerless in defending than him in England at the moment. I just love the lad.
Regarding the substitutions, EVDS’s was unfortunate but bringing on O’Shea was something I couldn’t fathom. We had two outfield substitutions, and bringing Scholes off for Ronaldo and Park off for Tevez ought to have done it. If not, then Neville off for Brown would have been the right way to have gone about it.
And word on the refereeing: if I was the most conservative I would say three to four cards at the most. Ronaldo should have got a card for the theatrical dive and not for pointing a finger at the ref. I just couldn’t understand some of the stuff the referee was doing. I wouldn’t cry conspiracy or call him a prat, but I would call his officiating curious.
And finally, that boy Rooney. He started well but if the midfield, in the form of Scholes, fades then he was forced to forage for the ball in midfield and drop back. We saw him lose his head and saw the resulting free kick, but it would be unfair to pin the blame on him because we were asking for a goal with the countless set piece opportunities we already presented Chelsea with. But, barring the first half, he was decidedly off colour. I fear for him, but I want to really pass my judgement on him when I see him functioning with a midfield that can orchestrate play beyond twenty minutes. Or when he’s running at full pelt with a 100% Ronaldo in tow.
So what did we learn from the last 7-8 days? That the Anfield defeat was the more disappointing result. That the fitness levels are not yet up to the mark because of a spate of injuries that had afflicted the club already. And that we need someone who can play in midfield and not give the ball away cheaply, while also dictating play. And the sad thing is, Scholes can’t seem to be able to do it for the 90 minutes while Carrick is out injured.
However, I think I am confident with the boss’s claim that we’ll be “fine” by October. But a part of me asks the question “how?”.
Today we play Middlesbrough in a Carling Cup game. I can’t be too bothered to preview it, but I’d like to see the likes of Possebon getting a look in. My predictions for that: 2-0 to the Reds. Feel free to discuss about my late late match report — if there is anything left to discuss about it. But otherwise you could continue talking about Boro.
Come on you reds!!!
Related items from Red Rants:
- Man Utd 2-0 Chelsea (FT) : Tevez, Saha Score
- United 4-0 Wigan: The Goals Are Coming!
- Update on Red Rants
- Moscow, we’re going to Moscow!
- Reds vs Spurs: 26 Aug, 2007 4pm BST
Tags: Match Reports
Opti (541)
Stephen (485)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Craig Mc (345)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
Possebon is fine!
Then yesterday was all good. 
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What I dispise is dirty cunts like Pogatetz is when he recieves his well earned red card he puts his hands on his head in total disbelief, it completely amazes me.
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@Nelson Otieno: Possibly just a week or two. Not more. It happened to Totti once, he got back and played the next game.
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Great news about Possebon. A deep cut should keep him out a few weeks but thank God, it could have been a lot worse.
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@Stephen: the same with me mate, i hate it when guys act all innocent when they have actually done something offensive/serious. cunts. @RedDevilEddy: i thought there were only minor ligament damages.. goodthing it was only a cut..
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@Drew Vader: I can’t believe that I am that far from planet Earth that this would be the first time you are in agreement with me mate? Seriously, am I that out of the norm?
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fuck pogatetz, that guy should have a taste of his own medicine.
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@Grognard: My only concern with Rooney playing there is his temperment, Scholes picks up far to many cards because his tackling, er well is shit and he has a calm manner, but Rooney!!
I can see him booked every week! and even worse.
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where’s the player ratings?
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Really our midfielders (with the exception of Scholes) are all all rounders with a mix of offensive and defensive qualities but not really excelling in either area. I mean none of them looks anything like a Makelele/Gattuso/Keane or a Deco/Scholes/Kaka.
Hargreaves just doesn’t stay fit long enough and I like a central midfield partnership. Hargreaves can slot in where needed and cover other positions, whenever he is fit that is.
Carrick even if he isn’t world class is an important part of our team so is hard to drop.
Anderson for me does not fit in yet. Looks out of depth in Europe and for every game he imposes himself there is another game when he is anonymous.
He will be one for the future and it will be interesting to see how he develops.
I do not think we need an attacking midfielder. The main job our central midfield should have is to win the ball and pass to our forwards. Carrick can do the passing and is good at screening. Alongside him I’d like a tough tackling midfield general.
Any ideas who?
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@colver: That is what Hargreaves does, he is a superb player in my view a real win it and give type, he just needs to stay fit and get a run in midfield with someone he can get used to playing with.
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YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Possebon DID NOT break his leg! He may be out for less time than PairOtits now…
Let’s revenge possebon’s health vs Bolton!
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Hello everybody!
My internet connection went bonkers for the past week and made me realise that I developed RWS (redrants withdrawal syndrome!)
Not that I usually comment much, but more in the sense that after any United match, I need to digest the performance with the pertinent comments some of you guys make!
Anyhow, yesterday I only managed to catch the second half. So, while I thought we were pretty underwhelming until the Giggs goal, I was concerned with the fact that, other than the obvious injury to Rodrigo, the defense were reluctant to pass the ball to the CMs…
So, anyone, enlighten me please, how was the CMs (Roddy and Ando) performance in the 1st half? I thought they were pretty anonymous in the 2nd… And god knows I want Rodrigo to do well… (Andy too, but I just know Rodrigo has more in him than what first hits the eye)
Oh, and how was Welbeck? From my limited 2nd half appraisal, I thought Manucho was more of a danger, if not for his imprecision…
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@RedDevilEddy: I agree entirely with your analysis and that team, except Brown for Rafael for now.
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@Nico QB: Welcome back to Cyber world Bro
. I was at the game, and I thought Anderson and Possebon did really well in both half of the game. The midfielders were more in the game in the first half though. Rafael DS is a magic little player, and for his size he doesn’t half get stuck in to opposition players 
. He nearly always comes out with the ball as well, and is a terrier just like Tevez, but quicker than Tevez around the pitch. Manucho seems like he is going to be a character, and I do like football characters. He was getting more into the box than our strikers normally do. It is hard to judge how good or bad he is though, from just a 12 minute cameo. We will see how it all pans out for him. Little man Nani had more shots at goal than anybody else, even if a few went astray. He seems faster to me, and he can shoot on a sixpence, he just seems to be able to take potshots from almost standind still positions. Like Paddy Crerand said on MUTV, that lad has got all the skills 
.
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@Madschester United: So what was Possebon’s damage then?. Was it just soft tissue injury and deep bruising, or were ligaments involved?.
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@Craig Mc: He justs needs a bit of composure which will come with maturity mate
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@RedDevilEddy: Eddy you said do we agree with your team of youth – answer NO. You cannot leave a fit Hargo out of the United team. He is our best defensive midfielder when fully fit. Also NO WAY should we EVER play Berba, Tevez, Rooney and Ronnie at the same time. Apart from Ronnie, none of them can play effectively as wide men. Berba we know is not meant to be wide, but playing Rooney and Tev on the wings is feckin farcical, as we saw against L’fool and Chelski, and most other games. We need at least one wide man, proper wingers Nani or Park.
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The presence of Possebon and Raphael seemed to create a really great vibe, I got the feeling that Nani and Anderson upped their games as a direct influence, sort of a “We better be good too” type of thing…They have a hell of a lot more to offer it seems.
Raphael passed out of defense, Brown lobbed the ball out of defense, which is a problem at the moment, too many long balls
Brown and O’shea are definitely not samba though
I’m certain Ronaldo loves playing with these kids too…and to think, Raphael has a twin
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ok enough with the reviews could someone post the ratings pls groggy;penguin?????I thought rodrigo and ando were good formost of the match…
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That tackle was atrocious… Rafael is one hell of player… Nani sometimes irritates me… He needs to be more selfless… I somehow don’t like the way Ronaldo celebrates his goal… No-big-deal-attitude eh? Anyway goals are more important… Ronaldo to score against bolton…
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Nani is a good player and will get better, but he is 21 and only a year younger than Rooney, who does take a lot of stick.
Rooney is still young we need to realise that and be more patient with out players, I like Nani and think he will be a real asset to us, I wish we would get behind Rooney and stop the flack he has got, personally I would drop him for a couple of weeks, but people say sell him, jeez! who do we buy of that age and experience and love of the club, er know one?!
Lets get behind him as he really is a top boy, and player.
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@AndyCR7: man u got to understand without attitude there is no ronaldo!!! he is the best player in the world coz he has mentally programmed his mind that he is the best!!! Its his vanity that makes him what he is!
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@jos: I will take more than one goal in the league cup before I will forgive his actions this summer
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@Stephen: And I mentioned that concern myself. He needs to grow up and the only way to do that is for the Boss to get strict with him. Fergie needs to bench him whenever he loses it and he needs to stick to it and make the point that he cannot get away with the immature behavior and expect to play. The only way I see that will work and send the proper message to a scouser brain.
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@colver: They are hard to find. Diaara, Paulsen, van Bommel, are amongst the best who aren’t well over 30 or tied to a team that is not willing to sell. van Bommel for me is just what we need. He has great offensive ability with a cannon shot but he loves to enforce and control the midfield and is a fierce tackler. He’s probably the most hated player in all Germany but is greatly respected and has tremendous leadership skills as he shouts and hollers and directs traffic better than most traffic cops. There is a reason he has been named Bayern captain and has also been recalled up by the Dutch national team now that van Basten isn’t around. I doubt we could get him but he is ideal. Christian Paulsen of Juventus is also a hard tackler who does much of the same. He can be had. David De Rossi of Roma is also a very strong pick. Tremendous shot, offensive skill but very physical and gritty defensively.
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@Nico QB: They all played very well. Nice passing and movement on and off the ball. The only problem was a breakdown in the opposition box where the shot was either saved or the fianl pass was not good enough. Still, there was a lot of Latin flair on display yesterday and I for one loved seeing it. One thing we weren’t was boring and static.
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From the Independent:
Possebon was later given the all-clear after spending the night in hospital.
“We can confirm that Rodrigo did not suffer a break to his right leg,” a club spokesperson told manutd.com.
“He was kept in hospital overnight for observation and to assess whether there was any ligament damage to his knee
So it seems like it was NOT ligament … otherwise they would have operated and kept him in hospital… maybe 2-4 weeks?
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@Craig Mc: No breaks is the key. They said they would give him an MRI and other tests today to see if there was any ligament damage but right now it sounds very promising indeed. I am greatly relieved for the lad and the club. As for Pogatetz, they should throw the book at the fuck. 3 games is not enough for that kind of intent. He has always been a dirty little Austrian corporal. From now on he will be known by me as Football’s Hitler. Talentless little dictator who thrives on destroying careers in worthless matches.
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@Craig Mc: Craig, what do you think of my idea to prep Rooney to become Scholes heir at attacking midfielder? I think he has all the skill set and passion and he loves to direct the play and shout his socks off. He just needs to have his temper and his mouth controlled by a few well placed benchings by Fergie I think. I would rather see the hard work, ethic, and passing skill on display in an area of the park where I no longer have to criticize him for being out of position and not getting into scoring positions. This way he plays ans so does Berbatov, Tevez and Ronaldo. I honestly feel he has all the physical tools for this job and I think he has many of the mental and verbal tools as well. We just need to work on his temper because at AMF, he will be in the center of things. Move him there and I’d shut up about us needing to move him to another team. I’d be very happy with him dictating our midfield tactics. What do you think mate?
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I definitely agree with the idea of Rooney playing attacking midfield. He seems to love running up and down the pitch so why not?!
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RR: you live in the us right? well, can i ask something, i’m going to sacramento and if i may ask, what channel could i watch the bolton-united game?
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@maroon 14: Sorry mate but I refuse to do to ratings for a frakken Carling Cup match. I will say though that the players who stood out for me the most in the game were Rafael, Possebon, Anderson, Nani and a welcome return for Ronaldo who was getting more into shape. That was a true Samba fest at times and I for one loved it. They just all lack sharpness and finish at the end of all the nice buildup. Either a poor shot or that last pass being poor. That will come over the next few weeks. Now if we could get the “A” Team to start playing more like that.
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@jos: I agree mate. Squash his vanity and most of all, his ego and you lose the player he is. Let him think and believe he is God’s gift to football and he will continue to perform like he is God’s gift to us and to Man Utd. Let him be. Jeez! At least he isn’t with Real Madrid, Man City or Chelsea. Lets be thankful and more appreciative over the lad.
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@Madschester United: If it’s ligament damage they would not necessarily keep him in the hospital nor would they operate right away. The swelling would have to go down before they did that. And sometimes it takes the swelling to go down before they can properly evaluate the ligament damage. I speak from experience on this. Still, it appears that he dodged a bullet. My fingers remain crossed.
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@Grognard: Grog Bro, a lot of the very good passes/chances you talked about, DID get to Wellbeck, but like our other strikers, he does not seem to be an out and out striker does he?. His control is poor, but then I have never really liked him in the reserves. He needs ample chances to score 1. I know he’s young and all that, but you can usually get an idea of a player, and I’m not convinced about him at all. Sorry Dan(u)ol mate, I know you like the Wellbeck
. Still, I will wait to see how he develops before making final decision on the lad.
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@Grognard: Grog, I said the very same thing some weeks ago about Rooney in Scholes place, and got savaged by some Rooney lovers on this board
.
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@jos: I had to smile recently mate, re Ronnie’s attitude. He was asked by a newspaper who was the best player in the world of all time. The reporter suggested Bobby Charlton (he must have been a United fan
) but Ronnie unhesitatingly said that HE himself was. Now that is why he is so effective, he truly believes he is the best player the world has ever seen. That would be strongly debated by some, but because he truly believes he is, then it helps him to play above himself most of the time. Can’t fault his mindset, though most people scream Egotistical, conceited prick 
. If only the rest of our strikers believed they were the best in England, let alone the world. Maybe we would get best striker performances from them. There is a lot to be said for believing as fervently as Ronnie does. Wonder if he has been HYPNOTISED 
.
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@magno: Brown and O’Shea are definately not Samba though
, this comment of yours cracked me up Magno. So funny 
.
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@Craig Mc: @Grognard: Thanks for the info guys, its appreciated.
Grog mate, about your idea of turning Rooney into a CM/AM I think it would work beautifully if, and only if, we can settle on a DM midfield partner for him. However I’m not sure if the midfield four should be flat or diamond shaped. Diamond, I guess…
Also, one cause for worry perhaps with your idea of midfield Rooney is that the boy tends to release the ball/ push forward way too quickly. He doesn’t know the meaning of temperance when it comes to getting the ball. However he’s a great passer, much better than many of our midfields and if he could develop his footballing brain -a challenging task to say the least with the boy’s frequent disregard of tactics “Upfront! Stay upfront!”; cue F.Cappello, A.Ferguson…
Other than that some CM offloading must also be considered for Rooney to play there. And I simply cannot picture anyone leaving, not anyone of my personal choice – I think that Fergie’s successor will find that the CM situation might be one of his first task at hand – most managers settle for a pair of starters, and we cannot say this is the case nowadays at United, not with the injury situation and the aging Scholes…
One last thing – After seeing Giggs run a few times recently I tend to think his horrendous performances might be more a case of mental block. He can still run at decent speed, and his talent, as seen by a few dribbles (usually followed by a stray pass), and the chipped goal is still there. No I’m not going to ask for him to be a stater, everybody knows he’s way past it, but don’t you just think he might benefit from a trip to a shrink, or from some crash course refreshment course in passing the ball – clearly his major flaw nowadays…
One last thing – Petrucci – wasn’t he supposed to be the next coming of Totti, throwing a tantrum because he was not being considered for A team selection? What of him? Right now it seems Macheda is ahead of him on the way to making the grade to the Reserves. And James too.
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Ow! I wrote some dodgy bits of English up there!
Sorry for that. I’m often a bit lazy to do a re-reading.. 
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@Grognard: My master! I am sorry that you have lost your gift of the Roon!
I urge you to give the Roon atleast 2 weeks before saying anything critical! Hell he should get a month to atleast work with Berba! Then we shall see! I mean he hasnt been playing with an out and out striker since 1 YEAR! It will take some time for his scouse brain of his to REMEMBER! Give him one more week! The potential of the force of the second striker is STRONG with this one!
P.S: I urge you not to disagree with me! Cause Its my way! …..Or the Highway!
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@Craig Mc: At least he is our conceited and egotistical prick. He’s have to do quite a bit more before a put him up there with Maradona, Pele, Beckenbauer, Cruyff and Peter Crouch. OK, the Crouch bit was obviously a joke.
One should have a big ego but one should also maintain humility in public. Pele and Beckenbauer new they were fantastic, but they never went on about it. They just showed it on the pitch. Different strokes for different folks again. What ever stirs the juices for Ronny I guess. Personally I was never a Maradona fan but I think he is the best of all time but Pele had the greatest longevity at top performance. I think the greatest innovators in the game however were Beckenbauer and Cruyff. Heck, Beckenbauer was an artist and a defender to boot. I’d take that skill over a forward any day.
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@Nico QB: Actually I think Wayne has an outstanding football brain. His temper however negates all his positives. He is ideal as an attacking midfielder because this would allow him to track back and play all the defense he wants while not hurting the offense by doing so and by not totally gassing himself. Hargreaves or Carrick next to him is all we need. Hargo is a perfect partner for him in the middle. He is defensively conscious and responsible and yet he is able to link well with him. He is also a good communicator out there. He just needs to stay healthy. If not, then getting a player like Paulsen or van Bommel is needed. Stay at home defensive midfielders who know their roll and who have some skill to help in attack. We need graft, grit and leadership in this area of the pitch. Hargo offers it all but he needs to stay healthy. A big if. I really wonder if Fergie has considered Rooney in a Scholes-like change of position? I hope he has because I see Rooney losing his forward job to Berba and Tevez.
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@Red Diablo: Its the highway Bro, and you’ll be the one walking it
.
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@Red Diablo: Young apprentice. The Roon runs deep in your veins I see. I see that your loyalty may be misguided. Do not forget who your master is. As for the Roon, I will give him time, but his time is limited. Merchants of darkness are not known for their leniency nor their patience. It is not our way……remember that if you want to still be my apprentice and if you want to survive. The gloom and doom is strong with you. Do not cloud your dark soul with thoughts of fairies and Rooney’s dancing in your head. Perhaps you ask too much of yourself and even far more of the Roon? I am watching you. Pray you do not betray me or your order. The consequences could be grim. On the other hand, continue to follow and be loyal, and you will be an heir to all this darkness. For now I find your optimism towards the Roon……disturbing. Do not make me alter our arrangement. Strength and Darkness!
I have paved many highways with the likes of young apprentices that turned on the darkness.
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@Grognard: My Master! If and When the Roon fails(Probably NOT
) then I shall be even more angry! And thus this rage and hatred will transform me even further in the ways of the dark side! 
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Not to be rude guys, but does anyone have the link for rent boyz’s game. I would like to watch it. Thanks
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@Orez: myp2p forums say there are no links for that match
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