Dec 31
United End 2009 With a Flourish
I was contacted by ESPN (Asia) to do a small interview with them, taking stock of the season so far. I believe it will be up on their site in a day or two. But one of the questions that had me stumped was when I was asked to name an unsung hero for us this season. I think Fletcher had been unsung in past seasons, but there have been enough noise made about his importance this season. And Park Ji Sung has been too mediocre to qualify (Maybe his cause may have been helped if his name was Park Ji-Unsung.). Anyway the main impression I got was we have blown hot and cold far too often to have any heroes, sung or unsung.
There have been times this season when our passing has been kindergarten level. We’ve lacked the verve to put teams to the sword. Even in matches we’ve won by handsome margins, there has been a lurking feeling of disjointedness. And in some matches we’ve lost, like against Fulham, we’ve been alarmingly outplayed — or at least had little to complain about.
Which is why a Wigan 5-0 thrashing leaves you confused. On one end you want to desperately savour the moment; the thrill seeing a flowing move reach its intended conclusion as Carrick places a shot into the bottom corner. On the other hand, the ease at which we picked apart Wigan makes one wonder if this is truly the worst Wigan side we’ve faced.
It is a funny thing though. When we huff and puff against a side packed with ten men behind the ball we complain about the negativity. When a side tries to open up we say they folded too easily. But, at the risk of taking credit away from the lads, this was a ridiculously poor Wigan side. So a word of caution: let’s keep the champagne in the fridge for now, eh?
Positives to take from the match are plenty though. Rooney, following his impressive display against Hull, was all over it today. Hopefully this is a return to form and not another failed promise.
I’ve belaboured this point several times, but I’ve never been a fan of the Antonio Valencia signing. I’ve said in the past that there are better wingers available in the market. But I have been accepting of how soon he has adapted to life at OT and have been impressed with his goal return so far. He’s not Cristiano Ronaldo. He’ll never be one. Anyone who thinks so is out of his mind. And Ferguson said something to that effect recently, but that’s just spin for he’s not going to buy players in the market (in other words: maybe — just maybe — we’re skint).
And Rafael had a stormer. He didn’t put a foot wrong, and topped it off with a goal. Berbatov wasn’t too bad either — his influence was very visible, and puts paid to all that guff a few days ago about a possible surgery.
This ends 2009 on a high note. But there’s not much you can read into yesterday’s performance. It’s good to see the players were up for this, and hopefully this is a sign we’ve turned a corner, and not just Wigan’s utter crapness on the night.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Let’s all laugh at Liverpool
- Wednesday Portrait: On Girly Men
- Barclona v Man Utd: Preview
- Manchester United start title defence with Birmingham, Burnley, Arsenal and Tottenham
- Roy Keane sings a song for Ronaldo
Tags: Match Reports
Opti (541)
Stephen (485)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Craig Mc (348)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
@donibrasco: you are boring us to death with you constant anti-Rooney rants, try to be more perspective, give the guy some of the credit he deserve. Rooney is our best player by miles, sometimes his playing is frustrating but he always works hard for the team and try to contribute to our whole game when the rest of our players are sleeping throughout the game.
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@donibrasco: Sorry Donni will NEVER agree with you on Owen. Michael is brilliant playing always off the shoulder of the last man. He will get goals for us, as Grog says – IF he gets the right ball to him, as he proved against Man City with the winning goal. Give Owen the right service and he will do the business 9 times out of ten. As for being disrespected – Fergie has very much disrespected him, and it makes me disrespect that about Fergie. Like I said though Donni, it is just my opinion!
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@jeet: For me mate Rafael was our best player against Wigan. He made the 1st important opening goal for Rooney, and scored the third with an excellent piece of artistry football. He commanded the right side of the field every bit as much, and to me with more aplomb than Valencia. Rafael is my type of player – he brings that spark of excitement. He is still raw in some parts of his game, but hopefully he will become a very good player for us for years to come – as he develops. He entertains when he plays like that!
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@CraigMc: Owen should have started more games, but if he wsn’t playing for us he would be at Stoke or Hull and I can tell you where he would prefer to be.
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@colver: Fast tempo, direct football ????? what’s that mate – an art that has died at OT? I mean there are those United fans who have accepted snooze football in it’s place, as long as we win a trophy! We used to do both – fast flowing, direct, and win silverware!
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@Grognard: No Harry would rather have a ‘my feet are always in the bloody way’ Peter Crouch. I would rather have Pavyluchenko anyday than Crouch Groggy, but then that’s just me
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@Niall Harbison: Mmmmmmm we were playing WIGAN mate – WIGAN! So I am not rah rah-ing just now, but will wait to see if we do manage any decent kind of form against the upcoming Man City, Spurs, Chelshi and L’Pool and Arsenal games etc. Those games will reveal what this team of ours has really got!
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@CraigMc: I think Fergie is correct in using Owen sparingly. He has got a lot out of him already, and I think that was what he intended all along. Owen was never bought to be a regular starter. To me he is no longer as quick and sharp a finisher as he was at the scum. We mostly play slow possession football against deep-lying defences these days, where Owen’s usefulness dissipates. We have seen this a few times already.
If he played regularly I believe his goal to games ratio would be average at best. And score 9 out of 10? He has been a bit wasteful if you ask me, missing some easy chances along the way.
Anyway he won’t be complaining about missing out on this summer tournament, as he is a model professional. It says so in his brochure after all
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@Stephen: He might as well be playing for Stoke or Hull, although I do believe he was in negotiations with Everton before he got the call from Fergie. He would be better playing regular football for Everton than Carling cup, non important games for us mate. I truly believe that, and SAF knows the lad wanted to go to the world cup, and he would have scored goals for England, as he has done many times before – some excellent goals at that. I can’t forget his goals against Brazil – bloody brilliant! That is why I can’t stand Fergie’s treatment of some players mate! You can bet your mortgage Stephen that SAF didn’t say to Michael when he wanted him to sign, will you come and play Carling cup games for us, and in all the non important games????? I despise that about SAF Stephen. Owen has scored as much as Berba, and Berba has been always in the first team playing!
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@CraigMc: I like you mate want to see the lad play more, like you I am fan but Fergie did say to him that he would not be playing week in week out.
I was miffed that after the Wolfsburg game he dropped Owen, strikers thrive of confidence and after a Champ League hat trick his would have been sky high. Fergie really wants Berba to succeed, he spend big money on him and will play him until he feels he has shown that he was right to sign him. As much as I like Berba I feel he simpy now will not make it at United and Owen given games could be the signing of the season.
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@Anders: No longer as quick and sharp a finisher – that is his whole game mate – he showed that against City winning us the game. With tightly packed defences – you have to have somebody who can see the pass and give Owen the right ball, as Giggsy saw and did against City. I listened to Fergie media comments for yonks when he signed Owen and he obviously spoke with forked tongue, because he said Owen would get games, and would get a lot of goals for us. If what you are saying was Fergie’s intention from the beginning, I don’t believe Owen would have signed for us, because he made it clear he had his heart set on going to the world cup. Also Capello has lambasted SAF for not giving Owen playing time, especially after he scored 3 goals away in CL game. No need for you to be SARCASTIC either Anders, because Owen is a TRUE professional, and a lot more of a true pro than some of our players who drink, smoke, let themselves go with extra weight – fat arses etc etc etc. I won’t name them for you mate, because you should already know who they are. I will say this though, I am beginning to think what Tevez said about Fergie promising to play him, and then leaving him stewing on the bench, and calling Fergie a bare faced liar who says one thing and does another – is perhaps not just trouble causing as we thought, but actually telling the truth!
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@Stephen: Yes Stephen, but Fergie’s feckin stubborness to be proved right with Berba – could cost us dearly in the end. It is not against the Wigan’s or Hulls of the PL mate where a strikers prowess is proved, but against the big teams – and Berba does not do well against them, where I think Mickey might do with the right service, just like he has done in the past against the big teams. He is not going to get that chance though is he. You cannot play him in games like Fulham, where our whole team were poor beyond measure – and couldn’t string passes together, let alone make a telling pass to service the likes of Owen
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@CraigMc: Also when we were stuggling against Hull and needed a goal there were no signs of Owen coming on??!! Which for me is one of the reasons he was signed, he finishing in games like that can turn draws into wins and defeats into draws.
I still feel though against Fulham if we had a decent back four we would have got something out of that game, but Owen’s movement in that game was great but Anderson and Scholes were poor and I still think the midfield is an area that needs stengthening, but Fergie doesn’t but really is an ageing Scholes and a waste of space like Anderson good enough for United????? I don’t think so.
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@CraigMc: Like Stephen already mentioned, Ferguson did not promise Owen he would start every game, rather the contrary. Out of our 30 games this season, Owen has played in 23 so far, starting 9, scoring 7 goals. A decent return if you ask me, as playing-time goes.
Capello lambasting Fergue for not giving him playing time is laughable, as he is guilty of the same crime. If he feels Owen can somehow contribute he should pick him, otherwise he should shut up.
Tevez…truth… nah
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@Anders: Also how many games has Heskey started for Villa? and he is a show in for England, Fabo simply doesn’t fancy Owen and that is the reason he is not in the England squad not game time.
If Owen is fit he should be in the England squad, the issue I had was if you score a Champions League hat trick you should start the next game, that is only fair.
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@Stephen: I think Owen’s playing time is fair in total. Fergusom hasn’t got it right every time as far as when and where to use him though. After the Wolfsburg game he played the 2nd half vs Villa, but the timing was wrong. He was no use againt a 9-man defence.
I have nothing against Owen. I think he was a good signing. But I’m not convinced we can get more out of him. Not with the limited array of creative players in our arsenal. Well array is the wrong word as we really only have Giggs from midfield, and he is anything but consistent.
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@Anders: Most of those he started in were carling cup games etc – right? 7 goals, and imagine how many that tally would have increased IF given proper game time? Maybe he would have had as many as Rooney by now – (leaving out penalties), or maybe more. P’haps that is what SAF is afraid of eh? Incidentally I do believe Tevez was telling the truth about SAF promising and doing the opposite, because that is SAF mate, love him or hate him!
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@Stephen: Tell me about it Stephen, I can’t wait to get back on the terraces next week, and give some CONSTANT bloody aggro chants at some of our lot, and get the BANTER back from the rest of the United faithful.
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@Anders: Totally agree with you there mate, our midfield isn’t world class, Carrick is a decent player but not rubbing shoulders with the best in the world, Fletch does a great job in there but he is not creative, Anderson well I simply don’t know what he adds, Scholes is getting too old but a United great, Giggs is 36 year old winger playing in midfield and Hargreaves well will he ever play again?
I think Owen has done well and is being used as an Ole type throw him on if and when needed and filling his starts with dead rubbers or Carling Cup and probably FA Cup games but if he had a run personally he in my view would score more than Berba and that is what we need, more goals.
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What what what?
If RVN does move to pool, this will be utter heartbreak for me.
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@NicoQB: He is 33 mate and in his last season for us he had the movement of Stephen Hawking, for me this shows how desperate the Dippers really are.
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@Stephen: Nothing to do with what the dippers want or not.
Its RVN himself, he should know what this would mean, and all his talk about how he’s missed the united fans and the manchester gratitude would be blown to bits.
And lest we forget, the last in the last european cup, Holland’s best player was for me, RVN, and this was when he was not even the no.1 striker at Madrid I think, so…
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@Stephen: Desperate? like when we signed Michael Owen? I aggree it is a desperate move, but we should sympathize should we not? Van Der Vaart on the other hand would not be desperation but brilliant and frightening for us considering that is precisely the type of player WE need! Why are we not in for him?
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@NicoQB: I agree with you mate. RVN going to Liverpool would rip my heart out and stamp on it. I would then know what the scousers felt when Michael Owen joined us!
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@NicoQB: I agree Ruud was superb, best finisher I have ever seen, I still remember him coming off the bench at Villa Park in the cup, brilliant display of ruthless finishing.
@RichmondRed: In fairness Owen was 29 when we signed him on a fee and I think so far we could say he was worth the punt.
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@RichmondRed: In fairness we have 5 strikers already and forwards are not what we need for we in the centre of the park is where we are lacking.
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@Stephen: Ruud at his worst is still a very good player and an upgrade over what pool currently have. He still has the strength and back to goal hold up play if anything, despite his supposedly reduced mobility. I thought his link up play improved when he left united, so that would make him a much, much better version of Heskey!
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@Reddy: CraigMC Is going to kiss you and luv you long time after that remark.
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@Stephen: I disagree mate. I for one would never want to be on a championship side and be a bench warmer. I would want to play and if playing means I go to Bolton or Stoke, then so be it. Every players enters this career to play first, win second. One is not less of a competitor if he believes he is good enough to start and not sit on the bench of a winning team. Trust me, there are very few Solksjaer’s out there in the world.
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@CraigMc: So would I but like I said, part of the problem was Pav himself. He refused to learn English, hated English life and culture and just never integrated himself with his teammates or the culture. Then he wonders why he is benched. Harry is an old school Brit. He wants a player to show enthusiasm and commitment to the cause. Pav showed nothing. On paper Pav is ten times the player Crouch is and five times the striker Defoe is, but that means nothing if he doesn’t work hard, apply himself or attempt to culturally adapt to his surroundings.
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@Anders: Good points. Owen does not play well against packed defences and when we are up by two or more goals. Where he plays well for us is when we are in a scenario where we are forced to defend ourselves and where we counter a lot. On the road against a good team or late in games where we are tied or up by only a goal and the opponent is pressing. Place him in those scenarios and his ability to find space and get behind the last defender is a strength.
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@CraigMc: I think there is a good chance we will see Owen start tomorrow and Wednesday. He was bought as a super sub and as a player who could lead out the kids in FA Cup early draws and all Carling Cup matches. As for EPL and CL matches, he is strictly a sub with the odd start given to him in the right situation.
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@CraigMc: Considering that most teams play the park the bus defense against us mate, then playing Berba with Rooney is the right thing to do. Besides, the more Berba plays in a row, the better he gets. He has had two pretty decent games and has scored in two in a row. Besides, I love Berba and I badly want to see him do well for us. Such a classy player failing with United would be a black mark on the team the way Veron failing for us was.
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@Anders: If Capello thinks Owen needs games to prove he is far more worthy than Peter fucking Crouch, then the Cabbage Man needs to get his head examined. I fail to see how Crouch is seeing that more action than Owen as he is a bench player most of the time too. Besides, unless Cabbage plans on starting Beckham and resorting to old school tactics where he crosses ball after ball into the box and wants height and presence in the box, then I fail to see how Crouch is better than Owen. I the World Cup it’s so valuable to have a forward who can play off the last defender and bite you on the counters or who just has a poachers mentality for being in the right place at the right time. Heskey, Defoe, Rooney or Crouch have a poacher’s mentality and Owen does. So Cabbage needs to look no farther than himself when it comes to criticizing someone who doesn’t play or select Owen.
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@RichmondRed: We are not in for him because according to Fergie, our midfield is world class and as good as Barcelona’s.
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@RichmondRed: What goes around comes around is the old saying I believe. I honestly think if Liverpool could get those two dutchmen on loan, it could turn their whole season around. Then again, Rafa will probably waste them on the bench or play them out of position.
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@Stephen: I don’t care if Michael Owen touches the ball ever again and we pay him for 5 years. That goal against City was worth every fucking penny.
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@Grognard: Errrrr the 2 goals he got were against Hull and Wigan – not too bloody hard to do is it, my grandad could have scored against those two teams with the defences they have.
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@Grognard: That’s why I have to say WE struggled in the CL games, esp at home
. Berba is too often ineffective in CL mate – sorry, but we will never agree on that. Although I don’t agree with hardly any of you on this blog over most players at the moment, and vice versa. Only one perhaps is RedRich, because he sees a good few things how I see them, even though he does like Valenci-dire 
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Watching Fernando Torres play for the dippers in todays cup game against reading – well he had a face like a bag of tripe! His heart is not in it any more, and he is a typical SOFT git foreigner, who can’t hack it when things are not going well. He didn’t appear to me like he wanted to be there playing, his body language was PETHUKE! Go home Torres you big soft jelly baby!
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@CraigMc: The fact is that he scored nevertheless and that is still much better if he hadn’t scored against Hull and Wigan. Damned if you don’t and damned if you do I guess. There is no pleasing some. I’m one to talk eh?
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@CraigMc: Berba goes as goes our midfield and Rooney. If they are in form, then he is too. If they are sloppy and sucking shite, then he tends to follow them because his style of play is very much determined by the quality of service and movement of his teammates around him.
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Craig, I also believe we are making a mistake not playing Owen. His true value will be displayed in the big games, where his finishing ability and movement will cause teams problems. But how can he make an impact in those games if he is not matchfit through lack of games?
Berbatov on the other hand is terrible against big teams. If you look at most of the goals he has scored for us (and there really aren’t that many!) most of them came against teams in the bottom half of the table. Against big teams that tend to press he is so static that he is easily marked out of the game and without space and time to operate he becomes anonymous.
There is a reason that Berbatov has spent most of his career at average teams.
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@Grognard: As goes the parasitic nature of Mr. Dimitar (The Leach) Berbatov.
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@CraigMc: You agree with me on Nani then!!
Good to see you’ve seen the light Craigster.
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@colver: Owen will get his start tomorrow, I don’t think we have a choice if we are to rest players for rhe Citeh game.
Key is to score early and have Leeds chase the game, otherwise this will be the perfect example of the parked bus philosophy – and if so, Owen will be subbed out at halftime.
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@colver: This argument is so unfair and skewed that I don;t know where to start.
For a few years now, Fergie has been adopting negative tactics when it came to big games and that usually meant starting Scholes and PArk, who for the most part have been crap these past two years. And following Grognard’s correct analysis that Berbatov truly shows his worth if the midfield are doing their job creatively.
And no. against those teams that tend to press, he is NOT static,. What he does is that he compensates for the failures of the midfield and drags back to try to help in.
And finally, last season, for the “big games” Tevez was preferred instead of Berbatov, so its not like he had that much chance of performing for those games anyway.
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Here’s what Fergie has to say about the Owen situation.
Some sense!
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@NicoQB: And there#s a link from that with quotes from Porto saying we are buying Hulk for £20mil.
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vote for giggs
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1240176/The-Morgan-Sport-Award-Football-Personality-2009-Ryan-Giggs-needs-Manchester-United-votes-pip-Burnleys-Graham-Alexander.html
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