Dec 13
Tottenham v Manchester United – Match Thread
According to my watch, Manchester United take on Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane in about 4.5 hours. I imagine there’s plenty of people here looking to sound off pre and post match, so I’ll stay out of the way after a few links to keep you good company:
- If you can’t watch the game (stream or on tv), you can follow the live blog with Victor here.
- Brian Kingston has written an obituary on Gary Neville’s career (I repeat, his career, not the man himself) – it’s a good read but I wonder if Nev will know when to call it quits considering that the time came and went at the end of last season…
- Looking beyond Tottenham, Al Ahly lost to Pachuca 2-4, so there’s one potential Club World Cup opponent out of the picture.
- No news yet on whether Carrick, Ferdinand or Berbatov will play, although Ronnie is supposed to make an appearance and our troublesome twosome Rooney and Evra will be sitting out due to suspensions. It’s why we have these ‘squad players’, you know…
Alright then, my prediction for the game: Tottenham 1-1 United. Over to you.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Man Utd v Spurs match thread
- Aston Villa v Manchester United: Preview/Match thread
- United on Top of the league, for now
- Man Utd v QPR: Preview
- Man Utd v Stoke: Preview
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (541)
Stephen (485)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Craig Mc (348)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
@Grognard: I think you are greatly underestimating the power of Ronaldo’s hand. He is a king maker. He single-handedly carried the side last season. I can’t think of many players capable of that. He had as many goals as our strike duo combined. Adding that to any side immediately elevates any club to elite status. Being able to 40 goals from a “winger” is insane. It adds the extra dimension to an attack that separates exceptional clubs from good ones. Considering his recent track record–United won the double and he won the Ballon D’or–he is beyond being managed in a typical style. If Ferguson was to sit Ronaldo and the side dropped points there would be a mutiny amongst supporters and ownership alike. With today’s modern athlete, some of them, sadly, are simply above the law. Their status and skill level outweigh whatever ills their personalities bring. This can be seen in all modern sports. The only time in which players are truly subordinate to their coach/manager is in a situation in which the manager has the full-throated, unyielding support of ownership. But since Ferguson seems to be nearing an exit from managing, I believe his hand is a bit more tenuous than it would have been a few years ago.
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@Patrick: No disagreement about Ronaldo’s ability and credentials. But a king maker? Perhaps on other teams but not on this one. Fergie was already a King before Ronny showed up. Ronny’s numbers have been remarkable and insane and I agree that we are crap without him. But I am not advocating that we get rid of him and move on without getting something back in return. Ronaldo will go for a minimum of 50 million and as much as 70 mil. With that kind of money United could buy two or three world class players and strengthen the overall depth and dimension of the team. Rather than always running the offense through Ronaldo, adding a replacement and possibly a defensive midfield enforcer and an attacking midfielder would make this team much more dynamic. Now having said that, I am well known on here for being the first to forgive Ronaldo and to back him ever since his apology. I love the player and i want him to stay. I want him to regain his mojo and play better than before, but I also want United to play with less emphasis on just him. We need to bring in the others on this team and demand more from them. And we need to stop playing with so much caution and trepidation. Once we regain our confidence and everyone is healthy, this team is better than anyone else. The question is when is this going to happen? I hope sooner than later. I also think that Fergie needs to calm both Ronaldo and Rooney down and get them focused on football and not opponents attempts to get them off their game.
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@Grognard: O dear Grog Bro, I hope they don’t do well
. To me this competition is and always will be meaningless 
.
Why is everybody having a go at Martin?. He doesn’t know the public relations on this blog, but he is new, and to threaten him with the conform or get out clause – mmmmmmmm – not good form m’thinks. I know Grog is more than capable of dealing with things, and I think he can more than fight his corner. He doesn’t need all us all fighting his corner. Give Martin a chance to feel his way around here
.
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What’s all this “your comment is awaiting moderation” crap on this blog lately, whoever is moderating while RR is away, is not doing too magnificent a job I would say!!!. Still whatever turns you on eh???.
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Nani, Nani, Nani, Nani, Nani, Nani, NANI.
. Come on Little man Nani, kick some arse, especially Fergie’s, or tell himj to take a hike, and get you off to Spain with Ronnie yo mate 
. Even as planned 
.
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@Stephen: Amen Bro – why indeed?. Awaiting moderation, is becoming the main topic of conversation of this blog lately – CRAP. WHEN did it become not ok to give ones honest opinion?. Who the heck is running the show now – it has become BORING.
RR, please come back mate, we miss you.
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I’ve always said that if we got rid of Ronaldo and bought Maxi Rodriguez and Sergio Aguero we wouldn’t skip a beat and may even be better but the chances of something like that happening are slim to none unfortunately
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also I see we aren’t going to appeal Evra’s ban. I think it could be the smartest move because if we appealed I think he would’ve missed the Chelsea game
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Damn, its quiet here….
Anybody gonna watch the game tomorrow? What channel is it on?
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@RedDevilEddy: God knows when they’ll show it and on which channel… don’t think many channels are bothered with the club world cup.
I hope someone does.
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Is this still a United blog or has it turned to an anti United blog???
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@Craig Mc: Jee mate, it doesn’t bother you when a troll shows up who has nothing to offer except put me down and call me names? I may be able to defend myself but as we know, RR frowns on that kind of stuff. Having my buddies on this site put this bloke in his place is appreciated so that he realizes that he should stick to talking football here and not sniping at people. I know you hate it when RR moderates and stops a good feud but I for one don’t need to be called names and have my character and intelligence assassinated by a newbie who knows nothing about me.
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@Rahul: The games are being shown on MUTV LIVE at 12.30am so I understand.
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Hi guys, long time. I am just wondering if RR is dead or terribly ill. The blog has stagnated and there isnt much to talk about. Anyone with an idea of what might have happened to him. Dont tell me he has given up blogging
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@Grognard: I didn’t say your mates shouldn’t support you Grog, I just said I don’t think the answer is to kick someone of the blog, when they have only just arrived, and not had time to know the internal politics. I do agree that nobody should be hurling personal insults at anybody else, but should be DIRECTING conversation towards discussing Manchester United.
.
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Yea Craig, bad news bro, just read quotes fromthe old man saying giggs is starting tomo. along with scholes and G.nev.
Ronaldo is also meant to be starting which suggests to me Nani is gonna be benched again??!!!!!!
CAN YOU IMAGINE!???????
I HOPE TO FUCK IM WRONG COZ IM GETING SERIOUSLY DISTRESSED BOUT THIS SHIT
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Does anyone actually care about this tournament?
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@Patrick: Ha Ha Robbie Earle goes to my gym, he is still in better shape than me and is over ten years older!!
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Games are being shown on Five in the UK, tomororw is on at 10:30. I’m going to have to avoid the internet all day and Sky+ it when I get home
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@Stephen: Well I care jack s*** about the tournament, but I wanna watch the games. Out of sheer curiosity at least.
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@Rahul: I can’t due to work, we should just put out a reserve team with fringe players and kids.
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@Stephen: Well I hope Possebon plays, and Nani as well.. but I’m afraid.. It may not go down that way…
Fergie will start some big guns..
I pray to God no one gets injured or anything out there.
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@Stephen: I do. Every game can help our team. Confidence is equally important as skills, and we lack confidence in the last third. I feel the team are afraid of taking risks and losing the ball, and therefor only go for the easy and simple solution. Which is very predictable. I think if we go to Japan and there we will be given room to try out more thigns that are usual for Manchester United. Shooting from 20 yards, haeding the ball otwards goal, trying out a very unpredictable pass, even dribble past more players(Ronaldo). This tournament doesnt bother me too much, but its a chance for our team to try out a better style of play without any risks. We wont drop points in the title race if we dont win, and its really not such a bog tournament. BUt I like the sound of:
Good, eh?
Champions of Manchester!
Champions of England!
Champions of Europe!
Champions of the world!
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@Rahul: Rodrigo is not in the squad. Gibson is…
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never mind…
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Berbatov is sick(got a virus in Japan) and Rooney is injured.
That means our two first choice strikers are injured. Wazza is only out for a short time, while Berba is unknown. Hopefully no-one else gets injured or gets an illness. Maybe its the sushi?
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I don’t get why everyone is so excited about Possebon. I’ve seen him everytime he’s played for the first team and he’s solid, decent and promising. No more than that. He’s not like Rossi – lighting up the reserves and creating goals left right and centre. Hell he’s not even like big Dave Jones, who did do that a few years ago. I mean I dig that he’s young and Brazilian, and one day might be rather good, but I’ve not seen compelling evidence that he’s anywhere near ready to slot in.
Gibson is clealy being put in the ole shop window, and hopefully we’ll make some money off him. He’s at the right age to start his proper first team career, and I wouldn’t rate him above Fletch, so not sure what place he has with us. So give him some games, a chance to show he’s good enough and if not show the world how much he’s worth. Happy days.
Is Wellbeck still injured? And Manucho isn’t out there right? I’d imagine team will be:
————VDS————-
–Gary–Evans–Vida–Evra—
——-Carrick-Scholes——
———-Giggsy————
—-Tevez——–Ronaldo—-
———-Rooney————
Just going on what Fergie has said so far. With Fletch/Ando/Nani all coming on as subs when the old men get tired.
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not posted in a while, been a bit held up by work but i have been reading all posts in here. Really got nasty btw grog and martin. @martin,if you got nothing to do, dont do it here.
I think the team will regret not taking full advantage and winning games against villa and spurs,if we would have won these 2 matches,then that would have been our turning point.all i see nowadays is complacency and luck of real desire. we getting comfortable with draws. sorry to say these but we dont have crativity no more. its a shame to see with all that talent on the pitch.
no one really cares bout the world club cup i know i dont. it will slow us down and before we get rolling again we’ll have already waved the season bye bye to chelsea(hope i really live to eat my words) let fergy play the young turks giving the 1st teamers tym to rest and re think about what they want.
peas out.
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@RedDevilEddy: Very good mate
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Andrew Arshavi…. Sorry, I mean Andrei Arshavin wants to come to United!
Hopefully Fergie opens his checkbook, because this lad is what we need. And we dont need to change our formation. He could play on the left wing, and Ronny on the right, and we wouldnt have to change our formation because our wingers usually cut inside anyway. We dont play with two wingers, rather one RAM and one LAM, with two DMs and two strikers. I would love Andrei at our club, he would make the difference in games against the likes of Chelski, Arsenal, Liverpool, Shitty and Aston Villa. To have Arshavin, Ronaldo, Rooney and Berba as out top 4 players… Need to clean my keyboard 
Sounds better than Park, Ronaldo, Rooney and Berba. Fergie ahs lost faith in Nani, so Park is the obvious first choice. Tosics deal might fall through as he doesnt agree on the salary we want to give him. Who else here would take Arshavin over Park? I would, Grog would, Fergie(hopefully) would, all supporters exept the Koreans would! Sign him Fergie!!! Please!!! If Sheva and Diarra are worth £30 million, Arshavin at £21 million would be a steal! I dunno the exapt price tag on him, but their boss said £20 million was the least they would accept. So I think £21 mill is good, for a player that has the vision of no-others. The perfect playmaker in my eyes…
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Why is every fucking comment I make awaiting moderation?!
There is nothing innapropriate in what I say! 
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Andrew Arshavi…. Sorry, I mean Andrei Arshavin wants to come to United! Hopefully Fergie opens his checkbook, because this lad is what we need. And we dont need to change our formation. He could play on the left wing, and Ronny on the right, and we wouldnt have to change our formation because our wingers usually cut inside anyway. We dont play with two wingers, rather one RAM and one LAM, with two DMs and two strikers. I would love Andrei at our club, he would make the difference in games against the likes of Chelski, Arsenal, Liverpool, Shitty and Aston Villa. To have Arshavin, Ronaldo, Rooney and Berba as out top 4 players… Need to clean my keyboard.
Sounds better than Park, Ronaldo, Rooney and Berba. Fergie ahs lost faith in Nani, so Park is the obvious first choice. Tosics deal might fall through as he doesnt agree on the salary we want to give him. Who else here would take Arshavin over Park? I would, Grog would, Fergie(hopefully) would, all supporters exept the Koreans would! Sign him Fergie!!! Please!!! If Sheva and Diarra are worth £30 million, Arshavin at £21 million would be a steal! I dunno the exapt price tag on him, but their boss said £20 million was the least they would accept. So I think £21 mill is good, for a player that has the vision of no-others. The perfect playmaker in my eyes…
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@RedDevilEddy: I didnt know he was not included in the squad! Thnks for the update.
I would also love to take Arshavin over Park. But I don’t trust Fergie with this one. Plus it seems we’ve already spent most of our available transfer kitty on a certain Bulgarian recluse.
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@Grognard: I totally agree with your points about the midfield and we certainly missed a trick when we decided not to sign Senna, he would have been a really sensible signing for us.
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@Stephen: Senna, Gattuso, Essien… We had the chance to sign them all, but didnt. Can anybody please tell me why?
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@RedDevilEddy: Not sure about Guttuso mate there were only rumours, but Chelsea out bid us for Essien and would have paid more than whatever we would have offered at that time, and Senna we made an offer for both Hargo and him, and with the long protracted talks with Bayern Fergie felt he was messing Senna about and decided to wait for Hargo.
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………….. We need a new article….
Where is RedRanter. Im beggining to think he has died or sumthing! I hope not, but its not only that we havent seen any articles from him in 2 weeks, but he hasnt commented or said anything either. I understand it if he has a busy life, but it would cost him anything to just come here and write: “I am fine, but I am not able to do anythign for the moment bacause Ive got lot of work”. Only takes 23 seconds! Hopefully he will be back soon, or this blog will be dead…. 
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Berbatov is out of the semi’s of the WCC with a nasty Japanese virus, Rooney picked up a knock in training but may be fit, Scholes and Giggs to start. If we win, we play a team from Equador..
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Our hard man is Nemanja – I wouldn’t argue with him. A defender doesn’t have the same effect as a midfielder however. I think Andy has a certain hardness, takes a lot of shaking off the ball (combination of strength and skill) and has some good attitude. To me, he should be playing whenever fitness allows, alongside Carrick. He can beat players with speed and with skill and will get into the box. I am certain a goal is near. After improving, I think Fletcher has hit his plateau and has stopped making the runs into the box that invite passes and produce goals. He gets in the way more than wins tackles. Park occasionally goes on the outside when right wing but always cuts inside when on the left. As a full back you just show him the outside and he’s stuffed. Nani can go outside on either flank but needs to do it more regularly so that coming inside has a surprise element to it. Sadly, very sadly in my opinion, he is not getting any game time and so has floundered. The departure of CQ has removed the lines of CLEAR communication with certain players. Ronnie needs a father figure – I suspect his own dad would have had input over recent times. A good dad does not always say yes and appreciates the need for tough love on occasions. He needs help through this period – he is clearly struggling. Fergie seems to be giving him too much rope and it can only cause jealousy and resentment if favouritism is practised. Grog, like you, I’m the wrong side of 50 and appreciate the need for the Boss to be just that, even though like you I am an ardent socialist. Firm discipline is not bullying and perceived weakness will always be walked over. We need Ronnie and more than ever I feel he needs us – but it is doing him a great injustice to allow him to dictate at Old Trafford. Rooney of course also needs managing but that’s for another time. Happy Christmas to all you United nuts. Guess there must be a few more Brazil nuts around these days. Sorry!
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If you hate Real Madrid, clap your hands!If you think theyre a bunch of shit, clap you hands!
Oh, Caldron, the old man who is stupid like a cockroach, if you hate him like I do, then clap your hands!
Cunts…. The whole club, country and the people involved! Seriously, how come the press aint getting tired of this? Its annoying, and frankly, its never anything new!
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If you hate Real Madrid, clap your hands!
If you think theyre a bunch of shit, clap you hands!
Oh, Caldron, the old man who is stupid like a cockroach, if you hate him like I do, then clap your hands!
Cunts…. The whole club, country and the people involved! Seriously, how come the press aint getting tired of this? Its annoying, and frankly, its never anything new!
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@RedDevilEddy: ashravin sounds like the real deal to, 2 come and inspire passion and grit in the team. I think addition of berbetov has played a big part in the way our team is playing of late. so relaxed,no urgency..rem attitude is infectous.
RR had not said something in quiet a long while and its worrying.
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@man utd jaluo: “ashravin sounds like the real deal to, 2 come and inspire passion and grit in the team.” Er he is a skillful player class no doubt, not a player I would associate with grit.
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@RedDevilEddy: am sure clapping my hands,thats loads of crap.though i think selling of ronaldo would be for the good of the team.
@Stephen: i meant in the sense that he’ll bring in new passion and desire. what berba was supposed to ignite but failed.
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If Man United is looking for a creative attacking midfielder, i think this is the right time to do it..Arshavin is available, news are out that Van der vaart is unsettled in Madrid and if the news about Ronaldo is true i hope we get Sneijder in exchange..three quality players who can give that creative edge which is missing in the centre of the park..Carrick or Anderson can complete the central midfield pair..I do not want any more strikers or wingers (coz Van der vaart,Arshavin and to some extent Sneijder can play on the wing)..The main point is we should not wait till that point (Scholes retire) to get our man coz at that time United will be held out on a ransom (Bayern with Hargo,Tottenham with Carrick & Berbatov)..
Fergie please…act now or atleast this summer!!!
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@Shyam: Couldnt agree more. But I still doubt that Ronaldo will move to Real next summer. He wont leave until Fergie retiers. Its just some shit made up from the Daily Mail
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@realred: Nothing about Fergie’s SHITE team picking amazes me any more mate. He could ballz up the whole season for us, but we’ll have to wait and see Bro
.
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@Stephen: Stephen mi man, how come your not out in JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA – PAN?. Surely your air hostess GF could have wnagled you a ticket Bro
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Stephen – your not out in Jaaaaaaaaaaaaa – Pan, why mate?.
, the GF could have wangled you a ticket, being Air Hostess and all.
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If you are looking for some things to talk about in absence of a blog post, here goes:
Fergie has suggested that Brown and Neville are out of a job at United. It finally seems as though he recognizes that a new era is upon us–well, at least at right back. Here it is.
The Premiership is considering “Premier League TV.” It seems to be a fall back plan if the recession drives down the price of bids for broadcasting rights. Here it is.
No disrespect to the authors of this blog, but Scott and Republik of Mancunia won best British football blog of the year over at soccer lens. If you’ve never been, you should certainly go. Scott puts in a tremendous amount of work. The Republik of Mancunia. One of the nominees that came in second is EPL Talk, which I strongly endorse as well.
The BBC has a nice story documenting Manchester United’s bizarre experience in Japan thus far.
Yet another publication is forecasting that Ronaldo will leave for Madrid in the summer. This one seems to be circulating like wildfire.
Sam Allardyce is in at Blackburn the day after he said he would much prefer the Sunderland job.
For the Berbatov bashers among you, the Guardian’s Rob Smyth compares him to Veron.
In a story that any football fan can feel good about, Arsenal’s Eduardo returned from his absolutely horrific injury last year. Good to see the lad healthy.
United will not appeal Evra’s ban despite Fergie calling it “the worst decision he has ever known” and other United higher-ups stating that they believe Evra when he says he never touched anyone. Strange not to appeal, then. Must have to do with upcoming fixtures.
I’m done.
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