Europa League Roundup/ Next Round Predictions.

Shockingly, I went 11 for 16 on my Europa League Round of 32 predictions. See the post from 17 December 2011 for said predictions. Go go dumb luck. Teams advancing that I didn't pick were Manchester City, Valencia CF, Olympiacos, Sporting Lisbon, and Athltic Bilbao. That said, Round of 16 predictions coming up...now!

Metalist v Olympiacos
Gotta stick with Metalist on this one. Love the name.

Sporting Lisbon v Man City
Hate to say it, but after their wholesale destruction of Porto, City look to take this tie.

Twente v Schalke 04
Backing Schalke on this one. Their the better team on paper, and look the better one on the pitch.

Standard Liege v Hannover 96
Still going with ze Germans.

Valencia v PSV Eindhoven
This could be the best matchup of the round. My fondness for the dutch cause me to back PSV.

AZ Alkmaar v Udinese
My disdain for Italian football is well documented. AZ all the way.

Athletico Madrid v Besiktas
As much as I love those crazy Turks, Athletico is the likely victor here.

Manchester United v Athletic Bilbao
Do you really need to ask at this point?

See you after this round so we can see what a genius (or idiot) I am. Cheers!

Amsterdamage Control

Apologies for the late post. I'd say I've been busy, but in fact it was my Skyrim addiction. But I digress.
Ajax 0-2 United, United 1-2 Ajax, United 3-2 Ajax on aggregate. Despite advancing to the next stage of the Europa League, United proved that they have a lot of work to do. Over the course of roughly 190 minutes of play, the boys turned in less than 60 of quality football. I'll give a pass for the first half of the away leg. Both teams were trying to figure each other out, and United found their stride in the second half, banging in two and taking a comfortable lead in the tie.
Surely with a 2 away-goal lead and the return leg at Old Trafford looming, this shoud've been well in the bag. And that idea seemed to be well on its way when Javier Hernandez opened the home leg scoring in the 6th minute. but it all went tits up from there. Our passing fell apart and our attacking creativity was conspicuous by its absence. Had it not been for some really outstanding play from our back four and David De Gea, the night may well have ended in disaster.
Ajax brought their a-game to us in the second leg. Their passing was crisp, and they used availael space well. It also helped their cause that our marking was deplorable, resulting in us giving up 2 goals and letting Ajax back into the tie. When the second went in, shades of the Champions League exit against Bayern 3 years ago came flooding back. The closing minutes were nervy and tentative, but in the end we ground out an ugly aggregate victory.
The Round of 16 pits us against Athletic Bilbao, who play a far different style than Ajax. This is perhaps fortunate, given that the Dutch side nearly put us to the sword. regardless of style, United need to turn it up. Focus turns back to the league this week as we travel to Norwich City, but all eyes really look to next Sunday when we venture to White Hart Lane to take on a dangerous Tottenham side. We need full points boys, get your shit together.

A Day Without Mersey

United 2-1 Liverpool. As if this fixture needed to carry any more weight, United really needed this win to maintain pressure on City. This would also mark the first time Patrice Evra and Luis Suarezwould be on the same pitch since Suarez' racial abuse of Evra earlier in the season that saw him handed an 8-match ban. All eyes were on the two players during the pre-match handshake. Evra reached out and was shunned by Suarez, thusly showing exactly what a classless scumbag he really is. Right, onto the match.
The first half was a bit nervy and tentative. Glen Johnson and Paul Scholes had the best chances for their respective sides, but the opening 45 minutes held little else of interest. The teams went in level at halftime, and deservedly so. Neither side looked hungry enough to have taken the lead, but all that was soon to change.
United came into the second half like a house on fire. Mere minutes after the restart, Wayne Rooney volleyed a Ryan Giggs corner past Pepe Reina to put United a goal to the good. Not 5 minutes later, Jay Spearing was dispossessed by the continually resplendent Antonio Valencia. The big Ecuadoran passed a tidy ball to Rooney, who fired between Reina's legs to double the lead. Rooney nearly found his hattrick not long after, thanks to a lovely pass from Paul Scholes. His first touch was a bit clumsy, however, and it shanked wide. Valencia nearly converted the mis-hit shot, but it was not to be.
Liverpool's attack was by and large non-existent in the second half, save for one bright spot in the 80th minute. A Michael Carrick foul led to a Charlie Adam free-kick that found Luis Suarez wide open in front of goal. It was a nice set-piece, but the goal was completely against the run of play, and allowed Liverpool a way back into the game when they had no business doing so. The final minutes were a nervy affair, but United held strong and the final whistle blew with the score 2-1.
This result puts us top of the league, pending the end of Villa v City, which is transpiring as I type this. Obviously I'm hoping the Villans can get a result. We've got a week's rest during FA Cup play next weekend, but on 4 March it's a trip to White Hart Lane and a very dangerous Tottenham Hotspur side who were devastating against Newcastle this week. After that fixture, the opposition becomes a bit less daunting. That said, there are no easy games, and each one is important. Full points are always the goal, and maintaining focus is paramount. The foot's on the gas, lads. Don't let up now.

Battle At The Bridge

Chelsea 3-3 United. We haven't had the greatest record at Stamford Bridge, so at face value, a draw is a decent result here. Upon looking at how the match played out, a point becomes an excellent result. This game went from a complete cock-up to a salvageable outing in the span of a half. Now on to how we got there.

Both teams came out strong in the first half. I'd give United the edge slightly, because they had better movement and looked better suited to open the scoring. It probably should have been opened around the ten minute mark, when what looked like a clear penalty on Danny Welbeck was waved off by Howard Webb. The deadlock continued until the half hour mark, when Daniel Sturridge made a good run into the box, and deflected a tight-angle shot off Johnny Evans and into the net to make it 1-nil Chelsea. Evans was given the own-goal, but there was nothing he really could've done. Shame, that.

Halftime came and went, and hopes were high for United to pull an equalizer. However, everything went tits up early on in the half. Fernando Torress hit a perfectly weighted cross to Juan Mata, who one-touched the volley and fired into the roof of the net. It was one of those goals that left the keeper no hope, and you just chalk it up to fantastic play. At this point, I was starting to get nervous. 2-nil away is tough to come back from, but hopes remained high. Several minutes later, nervousness gave way to desperation when David Luiz' header deflected off Rio Ferdinand, leaving David De Gea wrong-footed as the ball once again found the net. Down 3-nil, shades of the City defeat came flooding back. There were about 35 minutes left, but do you  chase the game and risk an embarrassing loss, or accept defeat and go for damage limitation?

Soon after, Howard Webb seemed to make the decision for us. Patrice Evra was fouled in the box, and a penalty was awarded. As Wayne Rooney stepped up to take the pk, I couldn't help but be a little worried. Wazza's been dodgy from the spot this year, and the stakes couldn't be higher here. My concerns were all for naught though, and the boys in red pulled one back. A few minutes passed, and Webb once again gestured to the spot, this time for a foul on Welbeck. Now I'll admit, this was the softest of penalties, but it made up for the one not given early on. Also, Chelsea have had their fair share of poor decisions given against us, so I don't feel too badly about it. (A few clearly offside Didier Drogba goals come to mind)

Now down 3-2, and with all the momentum, United poured on the pressure. It all paid off in the 84th minuted when Rooney's pass found Ryan Giggs, who put it on Javier Hernandez' head and into the net. The little Mexican hasn't been in the greatest form as of late, but he picked a hell of a time to get back into the swing of things. The seemingly impossible comeback had happened, and United fans the world over wondered if an unthinkable win could be pulled out. Chelsea had other ideas, though. The Blues buckled down and sent wave after wave of attack at De Gea's goal. A Juan Mata free kick nearly found the top corner very late on. But the Spanish keeper's outstretched fingers turned it away to deny Chelsea a match winner. The final whistle blew soon after, and United collected a very hard fought point.

In a perfect world, this match would've gone very differently. The 10' penalty should have been given, and United should have opened the scoring early. The Evans own-goal and the Ferdinand deflection were gifts, leaving Mata's volley as Chelsea's only truly earned scoring efforts. The Evra penalty was rightly given, but not the second for Welbeck, so we'll call that a wash for the early pk that wasn't given. Hernandez' goal was well earned, so the final probably should have been 3-1 to United. Alas, football is not played in a perfect world, and I'll be happy to take a point away from Stamford Bridge.

It was a little sad to see the gap once again restored at the top of the table, thanks to City handily dispatching Fulham 3-nil. The deficit now stands at two points, something that is definitely surmountable. We've got a tricky home game against Liverpool on Saturday, and a win could prove vital in the title race. Keep it up lads, it's time to put City to the sword. GGMU.

A Good Result As The Gap Closes

United 2-0 Stoke City. I had some reservations going into this match. Tony Pulis' Potters have been playing well and enjoying a decent run of form. But Old Trafford is no easy place for road teams, and the lads were looking for some redemption after Sunday's FA Cup exit at the hands of Liverpool. United were also without key players such as Wayne Rooney, Nani, and Phil Jones. The injury list gave way to the rare team sheet featuring Hernandez and Berbatov up top.
The game was all United from the start. The ball movement was fantastic, chance after chance was created, and we kept over two-thirds of the possession throughout. Stoke were unable to get anything really resembling an attack going in the first half, and had it not been for the stellar defense of their big back four, the scoreline may well have been out of hand before the interval.
As wave after wave of United attack broke against the Potter defense, I couldn't help but think that this may turn into a goalless event. Not long after, however, Ji-Sung Park was fouled in the box and a penalty was awarded. Hernandez converted the PK, and the boys went into half time with a one-nil lead.
The second half saw a better attacking effort from Stoke, but it wasn't enough to break through. United kept the pressure high, and were awarded for their efforts a second time when Antonio Valencia was brought down in the box to draw a second penalty. This time Berba converted, and the victory was all but sealed.
United turned in a great overall team performance. Scholes and Carrick were solid in central midfield, and Valencia continued his brilliant form for another week. Paul Pogba came on as a sub in the 70th minute, and looked impressive in his short stint on the pitch. We're going into our toughest run of fixtures for the rest of the year in the next few weeks, and we need to maintain focus. We were good today, and if we continue to play like this, the title will be ours.
The results yesterday definitely went our way. Taking full points fromm Stoke, paired with Agent Gibson and the Everton taking 3 points off City put us level on points at the top of the table. The blue half of Manchester still lead on goal differential, but I don't think that will matter come the end of the season. If United can get through the next 4-5 weeks with a good run of results, the home stretch looks to be considerably less daunting. It seems the machine is starting to hum, and we need to continue to build the momentum. We've been in this position before, and know what it takes to win. I have faith that Sir Alex will lead us to penultimate victory and bring title #20 home. The time is now lads, keep it up. Glory, glory Man United.

Deadline Day Cometh

The January transfer window has now come and gone. In addition to Macheda being loaned to QPR and Gibson being sold to Everton, this winter has seen the sale of youth players Danny Drinkwater to Leicester, Mame Biram Diouf to Hannover 96, and Ravel Morrison ton West Ham United. We've also loaned youngsters Josh King to Hull City, Oliver Norwood to Coventry City, and Scott Wootton to Nottingham Forest.
As for players coming in, there were 2 this year. Obviously we've seen Paul Scholes come out of retirement. (And much to my surprise, he's been incredibly solid in midfield. Much moreso at least than I had expected.) We also bought 20-year old Swiss defender Frederic Veseli from the noisy neighbors. I know nothing about this kid, but I trust the Gaffer, and we need defenders.

Another Cup Exit

Liverpool 2-1 United. This result was frustrating for a few reasons, foremost of which was that United were clearly the better side over the course of the 90 minutes. I can't help but feel that we could've won this game handily if we'd fielded a stronger side. I balked at the team sheet when it was released, and couldn't understand why Berbatov and Hernadez were left out of the starting XI, but I digress.
Things started off at a good pace, with both sided hungry to gain an advantage. Valencia created the best early chance, but clanged it off the post. Not long after, a Daniel Agger header put the Merseysiders up one. United bore down and came back strong, equalizing shortly before halftime through Ji-Sung Park.
United more or less bossed play for most of the second half, but were unable to find the back of the net. Things looked resolved to go into extra time, but a Pepe Reina clearance was passed on by Andy Carroll (if I remember correctly) to find Dirk Kuyt in space, who fired in past David De Gea. This all transpired in the 88th minute, giving United virtually no time to respond, and proved to seal the victory for Liverpool.
It was a shitty way to lose, quite frankly. It was a freak goal against the run of play, and we didn't deserve to lose that game, but alas, that's football. Given United's heavy fixture schedule, I'd much rather see them lose a cup tie than a league game. We're down to 2 competitions at this point, so the focus must remain strong. Our next three outings are home to  Stoke, away to Chelsea, and home to Liverpool, all in the league. Full points are all but required, enough said. Keep that red flag flying, I'll see you lot sometime after the Stoke match.

Arsenal Out-Gunned in London

Apologies for the late post. I'd say I've been busy, but really I haven't. Regardless, here it is.

Arsenal 1-2 United. After starting as a match that didn't look too promising, United pulled a quality win on the road to keep the gap close at the top. Seeing as I watched this match in the pub and took no notes, coupled with posting almost a week late, the details may be a little hazy.

Play was pretty open and back-and-forth throughout the first half. Both teams created some good chances, but no one was able to find the back of the net until just before the interval. Ryan Giggs fired a great cross to pick out Antonio Valencia, who headed across goal to put the Reds in front before heading into the lockerroom. Obviously, conceding a goal at that point is a huge blow to any team, and today would prove no different, as we would later see.

The second half started, and both teams seemed to raise their level of play. Arsenal orchestrated several good runs, including one by Alexander Oxlade-Chamberlain, who found Robin Van Persie with a wonderful sliderule pass. RvP then slid a low shot past an outstretched Anders Lindegaard, banking it off the far post and into the net to draw the Gunners level.

With 20 minutes let to play, there was plenty of time for United to pull a winner. They did just that a few minutes from the final whistle. Valencia stormed into the box from the right wing, juked past several defenders, and calmly found a waiting Danny Welbeck. The young striker fired home to make it 2-1 and seal the eventual victory.

The win sealed the season double over Arsenal, and was a great confidence boost after dropping 2 league games not long ago. Beating elite league competition, as well as the cup win over City, have served well to give us some momentum going into a tough run of games. In the next two weeks we see away and home games against Liverpool (FA Cup and league, respectively) with a trip to Stamford Bridge and Chelsea sandwiched in between. Not to write off the home game against Stoke either, as there are no easy matches in this league. All this comes before United start their quest for some European glory against Ajax Amsterdam in the Europa League. 

This is a critical period for us, and the league could well be one or lost in the next few weeks. City remain 3 points adrift at the top. The gap was nearly closed to one as Spurs looked to pull a draw last week, but a stoppage time penalty handed City a 3-2 victory. I'm not sure what City's fixture list looks like, but obviously I'm hoping their opposition can do us some favors. The main thing though is that we focus, bear down, and win games. It's still a long, hard road ahead lads. Keep the red flag flying high. 

Back to the Winning Ways

United 3-0 Bolton Wanderers. Had this match not gone our way, United would have faced three consecutive league defeats for the first time in years. But it was not to be the case, as United turned in an all around solid performance and took full points.

The confidence brought about by the FA Cup win over City last weekend was almost palpable. United dominated every aspect of the game in the first half. We created loads of chance, passed very well, and held more than the lino's share of possession. The scoring looked to be started in the 23rd minute after Bolton defender Zat Knight hauled down Danny Welbeck in the box and a penalty was awarded. Knight was booked for the challenge, but many, myself included, felt it should have been a red card. Wayne Rooney took the ensuing pk, only to have it saved by Adam Bognan. Bogs had a stellar game in goal, and denied the Reds on more than one occasion. As the half wore on, it seemed as though it may turn into one of those games where nothing finds the back of the net. That all changed right before the half-time whistle when Paul Scholes tapped in after the ball pinged around the box. United went in to the interval with a deserved lead and all the momentum.

The second half was more business as usual. More attacking from United, more great goalkeeping from Bognan. On 74 minutes, Rooney picked out Welbeck, who converted for United's second. No more than 10 minutes later, Michael Carrick hit a real screamer from 20 yards to make it three and seal the victory. The team as a whole played well, but the real standout performance belongs to Antonio Valencia. It seemed just about every time he got the ball he was able to steam through the defense and fire in an inviting cross. That no one was able to get on the end of any of them is unfortunate, but the form is definitely there.

Ahead next weekend we take a trip to the Emirates to play Arsenal. We all remember August's wholesale destruction of the Gunners, but they are a vastly different team now. They'll be hungry to make a statement after dropping a game to Swansea this week, and they've been enjoying decent form. I remain confident we'll be up to the task, however. We'll need to be in order to keep pace with City, who are almost certain to take full points against a flailing Wigan side later today. That said, I'll see you all next week. Keep that red flag flying high.

Transfers So Far

Just a quick note to talk about comings and goings in the January transfer window. Paul Scholes came out of retirement to rejoin United, while Federico Macheda has been loaned to Queens Park Rangers, and Darren Gibson has been sold to Everton after a rumoured falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson.
My thoughts on the three moves are as follows: Scholes- Papering over the cracks. We need one or two strong signings in midfield, as well as a center-back or two. Macheda- Glad to see him loaned to an English club. QPR are hungry and eager to prove themselves, and I think the loan spell will do him some good. Gibson- While I don't think he's really a United-caliber player, our midfield deficiencies are more than apparent, and taking away an option without a proper replacement seems silly. Although Scholes will probably see about the same amount of game time, so... maybe?

Quieting Those Noisy Neighbors

City 2-3 United. This match was for so much more than advancement in the FA Cup. After yielding 0 points from our last two league games, United were faced with a trip across town to the Etihad. I was, quite frankly, dreading this tie. With the memory of October's embarrassment still fresh, coupled with United's recent lacklustre from, my reservations were well-warranted. The result of this game would do much to set the tone for the rest of the season, either giving us a much needed confidence boost, or giving City even more momentum.

The team sheet, typically left to senior and youth players for the FA Cup, instead read like an important league match. Anders Lindegaard once again started in goal. Our back four was comprised of Phil Jones, Chris Smalling,, Rio Ferdinand, and Patrice Evra. The midfield featured Nani, Ryan Giggs, Michael Carrick, and Antonio Valencia. Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck once again formed our attacking front. The only notable name on the bench was Paul Scholes, who came out of retirement to bolster the ranks in midfield. Seems a bit like papering over the cracks to me. I still question Ferguson's policy of not buying in January, but I haven't run the club for 25 years, so what the fuck do I know?

In the opening minutes, it appeared my fears would come to fruition as City dominated possession. Lindegaard almost committed a howler, nearly bricking a clearance and giving up an easy goal. The momentum would wildly swing to United in the tenth minute when, during our first real attack of the match, Valencia whipped a cross into the box where a charging Wayne Rooney headed in from just over the penalty spot. Perhaps the largest talking point of the game came two minutes later when City captain Vincent Kompany saw a straight red card for a two-footed challenge on Nani. Initially, it didn't look like a foul to me, but rather just a fantastic tackle. Upon seeing replays, my opinion held. It was a soft red if I've ever seen one. Komapny's dismissal would be the third consecutive FA cup meeting between these two sides to see a player sent off. Paul Scholes and Gary Neville saw red previously, in 2010 and 2004 respectively.

City nearly drew level minutes later when Sergio Aguero struck a hard swerving shot that saw Lindy go full-stretch and just barely parry it away. Play continued fairly back-and-forth for the next quarter-hour until a cross from Evra was poorly cleared and converted by Welbeck to put the red half of Manchester 2 goals to the good. United continued to pour on the pressure and were rewarded once again 5 minuted from half-time. Kolarov hauled down Welbeck in the box and referee Chris Foy immediately pointed to the spot. Rooney took the pk, which was actually blocked by backup-keeper Costel Pantilimon, but the deflected ball was headed in by Ol' Hairplug to make it 3-nil.

United went into the locker room in full control, but as so often in the case, this was a tail of two halves. Not long after the re-start, Patty Evra went into the book for fouling Micah Richards. The thing about that, however, is the Richards was the one fouling Evra to start. the ensuing free kick was taken by Kolarov, who struck beautifully and drew one back for the Citizens. Now playing with renewed vigour, Sir Alex made the decision to play a more holding midfield, and subbed off Nani for Paul Scholes. Now I'm happy to see Scholesy back on the pitch and all, but I question the decision to bring him on in a match this important when he hasn't played in 6 months. He gave the ball away very cheaply on more than one occasion, one of which proved very costly. An errant pass was picked up by Aguero, who fired in, saw the initial shot poorly blocked by Lindy, and followed up to close the gap to 1.

City were now in control of the momentum and pressed hard for an equalizer. Anderson replaced Welbeck for United to try to hold the lead as we played keep-away. However, we gave the ball away at critical points and nearly saw it all go to shit late on in stoppage time. Rio Ferdinand stupidly fouled Micah Richards to get booked and give away another free kick in a dangerous area. Lindegaard parried the shot, and fortunately it bounced past the City players in the box and was able to be cleared. The final whistle thankfully blew soon after to seal the victory after a very nervy second half.

This was a critical win, plain and simple. Had we suffered 3 losses on the trot, it would've been a potentially irreparable blow to morale. Be that as it may, we advance in the cup, get a huge morale boost, and can now look very positively towards our home stand against Bolton next weekend. The weeks after see us away to Arsenal on the 22nd in the league, and away to Liverpool the following weekend for the FA Cup 4th round. Both games are certain to be tough, but I have faith and confidence that we can pull results. Well done lads, keep up the good work.

Newcastle v United "Live Blog"

I'm going to try something a bit different today. Rather than post after the game, or in a few days, I'm going to keep a quasi-running commentary of notable events in the match as it happens, and publish immediately after.
A few notes before we start: United's starting XI has Anders Lindegaard in goal (understandably so), Ferdinand, Evra, Jones, and Valencia at the back, a Carrick/Park/Giggs/Nani midfield, and a strike pairing of Rooney and Berbatov. It's a strong looking side, and it's good to see Rio back in the lineup. Kickoff just happened...GO!
4' First chance of the game for the Toon. Danny Simpson brilliantly played the ball to Demba Ba, who mistimed his kick and let the ball slide harmlessly away.
6' Good effort on goal by Johan Cabaye. Saved comfortably by Lindy.
Sidenote-Did Newcastle change shirt sponsors mid-season? Could swear it wasn't always Virgin Money this year.
11' Evra picks out Nani just outside the 18 yd box, Nani fires goal-ward, saved by Krul, despite almost being converted by Rooney.
13' Jonas Guitierrez gets run the fuck over by Antonia Valencia.
14' Evra picks out Berba in the box, fires a header that was deflected away out of bounds by Krul. Corner inexplicably not given.
Sidenote #2- Good christ Nani's haircut is awful. he could play for Arsenal with a head like that.
18' A potentially dangerous shot by Cabaye deflected over for a corner.
20' Handball Cabaye. Unintentional. Free kick given. Rooney takes it, deflected out, United corner
22' Giggs puts Rooney in on goal with a beauty of a pass, but he bricks the touch and fucks it up. Shame, that.
25' Ba brought down hard in the penalty area by Rio Ferdinand. Howard Webb says "uh-uh." No foul given.
Sidenote #3- Upon seeing the replays, that was a penalty on Ba.
30' Ameobi played in on goal, wonderfully defended by Ferdinand.
31' Rio crashes into Ba, Ba gets the foul. Not sure how that works.
33' Ameobi flicks on for Ba, who hits an absolute cracker of a fall-away shot that loops over Ferdinand and Lindegaard. Goal Newcastle.
Sidenote #4- Newcastle did indeed change shirt sponsors. on a closeup of Ba, the Northern Rock printing could clearly be seen under the Virgin Money patch.
42' Ba gets a good shot on target, and draws a foul off Giggs.
44' Ryan Taylor takes the ensuing free kick. Well taken, but just over the bar.

Half-time Analysis: Newcastle were far and away the hungrier team, and deserve the lead. United had very good possession, but the play was poor in the final third, leaving us wanting for chances. The crowd at St. James Park was in full voice, and that can do nothing but help to spur on the home team's effort. United need to make a few adjustments if they hope to get a result here. The Magpie defense, specifically Coloccini, has been really frustrating so far, and I hope we can find a breakthrough early in the second half. Speaking of which...

46' Phil Jones fouls the shit out of Demba Ba to earn the first booking of the night.
47' Cabaye with a flawless free-kick, upper 90. Lindegaard even jumped the right way, but to no avail. 2-nil to the Toon.
57' Berbatov withdrawn for Welbeck. Just as well, seeing as how he did precisely fuck-all in the first half.
58-59' Valencia tries to pick out Rooney in the box, but it goes behind him. Ball falls back out to Nani, who flicks it to Welbeck, who flicks on to Rooney. Shot cleared off the line by Danny Simpson. Falls back to Welbeck, who tried to pick out Park, but it was deflected away by Ryan Taylor, and the danger is over. Fuck me.
60' Giggs to Park, to Welbeck, no shot. Another wasted chance.
61' Lather, rinse, repeat. Good to see some life from United.
61' Valencia and Guitierrez go up for a ball, Valencia gets booked. Questionable. Looked 50/50 to me.
65' Park Ji-Sung comes off for Javier Hernandez. Rooney drops to midfield, while Chicha goes up top with Welbeck.
66' Tiote plays Ameobi on, but a crucial tackle from Phil Jones kills the chance.
68' Valencia fouls Guitierrez again. Needs to be careful.
74' Wayne Rooney subbed off for Anderson. Shola Ameobi withdrawn for Leon Best.
78' Cabaye comes off for James Perch. Good game, Cabaye. One of the prettiest goals I've ever seen.
81' Tiote clips the heels of Michael Carrick and goes into the book.
86' Anderson picks out Welbeck in the box with a beautifully weighted long ball, but Welbeck overcooks his touch to play Hernandez on, and Tim Krul makes the save.
89' Demba Ba comes off for Gabriel Obertan. Ba exits the pitch to a well-earned standing ovation. Newcastle surely will miss the big Senagalese striker during the African Cup of Nations.
90' Phil Jones muffs a clearance form an incoming long-ball and puts in an own-goal. Somehow this is a fitting end to this cock-up of a match. United deserve the zero points they're bound to get here.
95' Final whistle mercifully blown by Howard Webb.

Full-time Analysis: Simply put, this was a great performance by Newcastle, and a poor one by United. Our play in the final third improved in the second half, but the Magpie back four remained on-point and marked our strikers right out of the game. Not much more I can say besides well done.
United are away to City in the FA Cup on Sunday, and I'm really hoping to not see 3 losses on the trot. get your shit together, lads. Now is not the time to fall apart.