Left For Red

Arsenal Out-Gunned in London

2012-01-27T08:28:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-16T12:12:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-14T08:45:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-09T10:31:00.001-06:00

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"

2012-01-04T16:16:00.000-06:00

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.

A Disappointing End to the Year

2012-01-01T11:33:00.000-06:00

United 2-3 Blackburn. For the second season in a row, United interrupt a good run of form with a loss to the last-place team. Last season was Wolves, this year obviously Blackburn Rovers. The match took place on Sir Alex Ferguson's 70th birthday, and every United fan worldwide was expecting 3 points as a gift. Wayne Rooney was rested and left out of the side entirely, but that left no shortage of attacking power on the pitch. Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez were up top, joined by Nani and Danny Welbeck in midfield, and Antonio Valencia at right back. Rafael and Anderson both made returns this week as well, with Rafa in midfield to start, and Ando on the bench. The rest of the bench selection, which featured almost entirely youth players, concerned me a bit, but I figured we would have this match well in hand. As it turns out, my concern would be well-warranted.
United dominated possession to start, but the whole mood of the game changed in the 14th minute when Berbatov hauled down Chris Samba in the box to give away a very stupid penalty. Yakubu easily converted, and Rovers were a goal up. United regrouped and pured on the pressure for the rest of the half, creating an onslaught on chances, but excellent play from keeper Mark Bunn and the rest of the Blackburn defense kept United out of the back of the net for the duration of the half.
The second half brought some changes for United. Anderson came on for Hernandez, Welbeck moved up top, Rafael dropped to right back, and Valencia assumed his normal role on the right wing. The formation change would not yield instant success, however. Five minutes from the restart, Yakubu carved through our defense and fired past David De Gea to double the lead. Things looked very bleak, but a mere 75 seconds later a mis-hit shot from Rafael fell directly to Berbatov, who put it into the back of the net. The sudden response invigorated both team and crowd as hope was restored. Ten minutes later, Valencia steamed into the box and picked out Berba once again, who converted to bring the scoreline level.
With the momentum now clearly in our favor, we poured on the pressure once more. We created good chances, but Blackburn's defense remained steadfast. A draw seemed fairly imminent, but then everything went tits up ten minutes form the end. A terrible attempt at a punch out from De Gea resulted in a cluster fuck in the box, and Grant Hanley headed in to put Rovers up 3-2. United scrambled like madmen to get another equalizer, and nearly had it in the closing minutes. Phil Jones fired a hard low shot that seemed sure to find the back of the net, but it careened off another United player on the goal line to deny the attempt.
It was a disappointing loss to say the least. Only one of the goals (Yakubu's second) should have happened. The penalty was unnecessary, and the third goal was purely a result of David De Gea's shoddy goalkeeping. De Gea's shortcomings have been evident this year, but never so much as in this match. Yes, he's got raw talent, but he's scrawny. He has good height, but is rail-thin and nowhere near strong enough to play in the Premier League. Someone needs to get that boy on a weight regime and some protein supplements right quick. If he bulks up and improves his strength, I think he has what it takes to be great. For now, however, I think we need to hand the number 1 shirt to Anders Lindegaard, who has been solid so far.
So this was a missed opportunity. Fortunately, as I was typing this, Sunderland pulled a very late winner against City to keep the points level. We've got a tricky trip to St. James Park to play Newcastle on Wednesday, and we need a decent result to keep the pressure on. Losing against Rovers was a setback, to be sure, but we'll hopefully learn and grow from the misstep and soldier on towards title number 20. That's all for now, see you lot mid-week

A Happy Boxing Day Indeed

2011-12-26T17:57:00.000-06:00

United 5-0 Wigan. I don't think I was alone in the thought that taking full points form this fixture was all but a foregone conclusion. Wigan are in the drop-zone, and United have been enjoying a decent run of form. Wigan trotted out the same squad that drew against Chelsea last week, while United fielded a somewhat ramshackle side that saw Antonio Valencia and Michael Carrick in defensive roles, as well as rare starting appearances by Darren Gibson and Dimitar Berbatov. One reason for the makeshift back for was the late withdrawls of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. Smalling took a knock during pre-match training, and Jones was presumably still bothered by the cheek injury sustained against Fulham.

Following the recent trend, United opened the scoring early on. Inside 10 minutes, Patrice Evra tore through the Latic defense and found Ji Sung Park, who fired past Ali Al-Habsi. Several minutes later, Wigan blew what would be their best chance of the day when Conor Sammon inexplicably failed to head the ball into an open net. At the other end of the pitch 4 minutes later, Nani nearly put Javier Hernandez on the scoresheet, but Wigan Captain Gary Caldwell cleared the shot off the line.

United dominated the match from the get-go, but the moment that really killed of the game for Wigan came in the 39th minute, when Conor Sammon was shown a straight red card for striking Michael Carrick in the face. Initially the sending off seemed harsh, and further review confirmed it. Not that I think a full Wigan squad would've changed the result, but still. Two minutes later, United doubled their lead when Darren Gibson picked out Berbatov in the box, who controlled the ball with two deft touches and slotted into the back of the net.

The second half began with a change in the United side. Ezekiel Fryers replaced Johnny Evans, who was booked in the first half, and was later revealed to have picked up a slight calf injury. The Reds poured on the pressure in search of expanding the lead, and did just that just before the hour mark. It would once again be Berbatov who did the scoring after being set up by the rampant Valencia. United wouldn't stop there, however. Soon after the third goal, Wayne Rooney and Federico Macheda came on for Ryan Giggs and Nani. With 4 strikers on the pitch, further punishment seemed imminent for the Latics. That punishment would come at the hands of Valencia in the 75th minute. The Ecuadoran fired on an absolute screamer and could actually be seen cracking a smile as he made his way back up the pitch. The final nail in the coffin would come when Ji Sung Park was failed on the line of the 6-yard box, and Berbatov converted the penalty to complete his hat-trick.

Thanks to Man City being held to a goalless draw against West Brom, the result against Wigan puts United tied for first on points. City still lead on goal differential, but even that lead was cut down substantially today. The momentum clearly belongs to us at this point, and it won't be long before we sit alone at the top of the table. We play at home against Blackburn on Saturday, and full points are expected. We're coming for you City. Our time to silence the noisy neighbors is now, lads. Don't fail us now.

Burning Down The Cottage

2011-12-21T18:34:00.000-06:00

Fulham 0-5 United. The lads were resplendent in what would become a scoring clinic that saw five different Red Devils find the back of the net. The ball movement was fantastic, and our creativity was top-notch. Today was the closest United have looked to their early-season form, and it was a welcome sight indeed. Our starting 11 was much the same as the last 2 fixtures, with the only changes being Anders Lindegaard starting in goal, and Ryan Giggs taking Rio Ferdinand's spot in the roster.

Things were interesting from the get-go. In the second minute, a wanton elbow from Clint Dempsey caught Phil Jones under the eye, which looked a nasty blow. Soon after, Nani engineered a wonderful run down the left sideline and fired in a low cross to a waiting and unmarked Danny Welbeck, who slotted home neatly. Some time later, Fulham looked to be clear in on goal, but an impeccably timed challenge from Jones sent it out for a corner. The challenge was to be his last contribution to the match, however. He left the game due to a slight feeling of dizziness following the collision with Dempsey, and was replaced by Ashley Young. Hopefully his removal was merely cautionary and he won't be missing from play for too long.

United doubled their lead not long after, with Nani getting himself on the score sheet. He would get involved yet again right before half-time, setting up a goal from that boy Giggsy. On a side note, that goal continued Giggs' running streak of scoring in every Premier League season.

Fulham were better in the second half, nearly scoring at several points and giving United considerably more trouble than before the break. It was still not to be their day however, as Rooney found the net from long distance to make it 4-nil. Midway through the half, Young left the match with a knock, followed shortly by a rare appearance by Count Berbatov himself, who came on for Welbeck. To throw the final salt in the wound, Berba tapped in with the cheekiest of back-heels a few minutes from time to wrap up the outing.

We were good today, plain and simple. Two home games await to close out the year, against relegation-zone clubs. Obviously full points are expected. See you all after the Boxing Day clash against Wigan. Come on you Reds!

The Hunt Is On

2011-12-18T14:07:00.000-06:00

Queens Park Rangers 0-2 United. This fixture had me a bit concerned going in. United have loads of injuries to deal with, and QPR are tough at home. United trotted out with the same squad that beat Wolves last week, so I knew the chemistry was in place. It was nice to see both Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov on the bench and back from injury, as it added some much needed offensive threat from the bench, should the strike pairing of Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck prove unsuccessful. Phil Jones once again assumed a midfield position, a role he is likely to see a lot of, given our missing players and Ferguson's tendency to not spend in January.
The atmosphere at Loftus Road was boisterous as usual, but the lads in red were up to the challenge. A mere 52 seconds in, Antonio Valencia fired in a cross to Wayne Rooney, who found the back of the net with a less-than-ideal header. Our wing play looked fantastic and we created the lion's share of quality chances, specifically over a 3-4 minute period around the half hour mark. Welbeck had a goal disallowed for being (questionably) offside, Johnny Evans put a header over the bar in front of an open goal, Phil Jones just narrowly put one wide, and Valencia had what seemed a certain goal turned away by Cerny. QPR dug in and kept up the attack, though. They created their own fair share of chances, but the United back four were solid and well-organized enough to keep them out of any real danger.
The second half started fairly evenly, until the 55', when Joey Barton's misfired pass was intercepted by Michael Carrick. The normally unremarkable midfielder made a spectacular solo run and fired in, scoring for the first time in I don't know how long. I know I talk a lot of shit about Carrick, but today he was beyond solid. This is fortunate, because our midfield needs all the fucking help it can get.
The chances kept coming over the next ten-fifteen minutes. Evans and Rooney combined for a near chance off a corner, Welbeck was denied thanks to another great save from Cerny before being withdrawn for Hernandez, and Phil Jones clanged one off the woodwork. DJ Campbell had a golden opportunity to put QPR right back in the thick of it, but misfired to put his shot high and wide. A myriad of half-chances and serviceable attacks followed, and United closed it out and carried the day at 2-nil. The only other notable event was the substitution of Rooney for Ryan Giggs, who made his 890th appearance for the club. Well done Giggsy.
The win saw United go top of the table for a few hours, but Arsenal were unable to get anything going against City, and summarily lost 1-nil at the Eastlands. So City remain two points clear at the top, but it's a lead that's far from insurmountable. The fact that City were only able to muster the one goal (and a late one, at that) at home gives me hope. The noisy neighbors will quiet down before too long, I'm sure of it.
Coming up, United have a potentially tricky game away to Fulham, followed by a home stand against Wigan on Boxing day, and closing out the year at Old Trafford against Blackburn Rovers. Needless to say, I hope we close out the year by taking full points away from all three fixtures. United turned in a classy, solid performance today. It seems we've found a return to form, and the machine is starting to hum. Forward the Reds, and I'll see you mid-week.

Europa League Picks

2011-12-17T11:47:00.000-06:00

The Europa League draw also occured this week, giving United fans a glimpse at what's to come on our quest to try and redeem ourselves in Europe. Maybe. I can't even call most of these predictions, since I don't know enough about most of these clubs. So I'll be making most of the picks based purely on what team I find less objectionable. That said, here goes...

-Porto v Manchester City
Porto are always crafty, and strong against English opposition. I have a feeling the wheels are going to fall off for City before too long, and I don't think they're going to make it out of this round. Forward the Portuguese!

-Ajax v Manchester United
Clearly I'm backing United to advance. What kind of fan would I be otherwise?

-Lokomotiv Moscow v Athletic Bilbao
And here's the first of the matchups I know nothing about. I'll pick... the Russians.

-Salzburg v Metalist
Ahem, who? Metalist gets the pick, because they have the more badass name.

-Stoke City v Valencia
As much as I want to support the Potters in this effort, Valencia looked pretty good in the CL group stage, and are generally a pretty good team. Fuck it, I'm still going with Stoke.

-Rubin Kazan v Olympiacos
I maintain that the Greeks play lousy football. Rubin to advance.

-AZ Alkmaar v Anderlecht
Based on my fondness for the Dutch, AZ get the vote.

-Lazio v Athletico Madrid
I feel the same way about most Italian clubs as I do the Greeks. Onward Athletico!

-Steaua v FC Twente
Twente. Can't dignify this one with a real comment.

-Plzen v Schalke 04
Schalke were last year's "dark horse" of the CL until grinding to a halt against United. Plzen were wholly unimpressive in CL this year, and I look for that trend to continue. Schalke to go on.

-Wisla v Standard Liege
Cripes, who knows? Standard. But only becaue their full club name is ludicrously long.

-Braga v Besiktas
Oh those crazy Turks. Gotta love 'em.

-Udinese v PAOK
Uh oh. Italians vs Greeks? The real loser of this snoozefest will be anyone who watches is. Udinese to make it through, I guess. Probably on a 1-nil aggregate.

-Trabzonspor v PSV Eindhoven
More crazy Turks, but I like the Dutch better.

-Hannover 96 v Club Brugge
Ugh, this post is growing tiresome. I shall pick ze Germans!

-Legia Warsaw v Sporting Lisbon
Polska! Polska! Polska!

Champions League Round of 16

2011-12-16T17:16:00.000-06:00

Following today's draw, it's now time for my round-of-16 predictions. There will be one less biased pick this year, seeing as how a certain team in red has crashed out of the competition.... sigh. And away we go:

-Lyon v APOEL
I still don't know anything about APOEL. I'm backing Lyon.

-Napoli v Chelsea
Napoli were tough in te group stage, but Chelsea have hit a decent run of form as well. The Blues are also perennially good in Europe, so I'll back them to advance.

-AC Milan v Arsenal
This should be a good pair of fixtures. Milan are one of the very few Italian Clubs I can stand to watch, and Arsenal, as I've said previously, are a completely different team than they were when they began the season. It could be close, but I'm going with Le Gunners on this one.

-Basel v Bayern
This has the potential to be the show-stealing matchup of the group. Bayern are always dangerous in this competition, and Basel are the feisty upstarts who showed scads of talent and determination in the group stage. I like Bayern, but I'm backing Basel since they knocked United out.

-Leverkusen v Barcalona
Barca, even without the now-injured David Villa, should have this well in hand.

-CSKA Moscow v Real Madrid
CSKA are tough, especially at home, but Madrid are crafty as always. I'll look for the Spaniards to advance.

-Zenit St. Petersburg v Benfica
In what turns out to be the least interesting pairing to me, I'm going to pick Benfica. They were good in the group stage, and I recognize more of their players than Zenit's. What?

-Marseille v Inter Milan
I'd like to see the frogs pull this out, but I don't see it happening. Inter to make it through.

Get Well Dazza

2011-12-13T10:22:00.001-06:00

Sympathies and best wishes go out to Darren Fletcher, who has announced he is taking an extended break from the club to continue his battle with ulcerative collitis. On behalf of the Red Army, we all hope for a full and speedy recovery.

Now That's More Like It

2011-12-11T07:59:00.000-06:00

United 4-1 Wolves. The lads (and the fans) needed a lift after our mid-week exit from the Champions League, and a home stand against hapless-on-the-road Wolves proved to be just the ticket. United were thoroughly dominant from start to finish, keeping the lion's share of possession and creating wave after wave of good attacking football. Nani and Wayne Rooney both scored a goal in each half to finish with a brace apiece, and Antonio Valencia racked up 3 assists.
Not to say that our opposition was all that fierce. Wolves' marking was horrid, and they allowed the United attackers acres of space with which to create time and time again. Our wing play proved devastating for them, as Nani and Valencia found themselves speeding in and arond the box throughout the match. There may well have been several more goals in this match on a luckier day. Phil Jones, Danny Welbeck, and even Michael Carrick all had come very close chances go astray.
This was a good win, and much needed. Hopefully we can maintain this level of play and keep spirits and scorelines night and high. Trips to Queens Park Rangers and Fulham await the week before Christmas, followed by home stands against Wigan on Boxing Day, and Blackburn on New Year's Eve. United are well-poised to close out the year strong, and we truly need to take full points from every fixture, and not waste opportunities. Hopefully Chelsea can do us a favor and take some points off of City on Monday to help close the gap. Now's the time to step on the gas, lads. Don't fail me now.

Oh, Silly Me...

2011-12-08T08:32:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I talked about how United now had only domestic competitions to worry about. I had forgotten about the Europa League, since that competition and United are seldom mentioned in the same breath. That said, hopefully the squad can regroup, refocus, and bring home some European silverware. Only time will tell, I guess...

Champions League Group Stage Roundup

2011-12-07T21:18:00.000-06:00

Time to see how I did with my group stage predictions (see the post from September, aptly titled "Champions League Group Stage). Or more likely, time to prove what a fucking moppet I am. Here goes...

Group A-
Predicted: Bayern Munich, Manchester City
Actual: Bayern Munich, Napoli
Yeah, yeah, I said Napoli would bottom the group. I had Bayern right though, so that must count for something?

Group B-
Predicted: Inter Milan, CSKA Moscow
Actual: Inter Milan, CSKA Moscow
No real surprises with the end results here, but the crafty Turks of Trabzonspor made a good go of it. Score two points for me!

Group C-
Predicted: Manchester United, Benfica
Actual: Benfica, FC Basel
No comment. Still sick about it. I mean really, what the fuck?

Group D-
Predicted: Real Madrid, Lyon
Actual: Real Madrid, Lyon
Lyon almost spoiled this pick, given the group table going into the last group matchday, but an Ajax loss and a 7-goal haul from the French side conspired to make me look clever. Allez!

Group E-
Predicted: Chelsea, Leverkusen
Actual: Chelsea, Leverkusen
Hot damn! I'm on a roll!

Group F-
Predicted: Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal
Actual: Arsenal, Marseille
Arsenal are a vastly different team than they were when I wrote the original post. They looked good in the group stage, and have the potential to make it deep into the competition.

Group G-
Predicted: Porto, Shaktar Donetsk
Actual: APOEL, Zenit St. Petersburg
Screwed the pooch on that one, didn't I? Oh well, I admitted from the start that I knew very little about any of these clubs.

Group H-
Predicted: Barcelona, AC Milan
Actual: Barcelona, AC Milan
Who didn't predict this?

Overall I went 11 for 16 on picks. Not bad, I guess. Round-of-16 predictions to come once the draw occurs. Stay tuned!

A Swiss Miss

2011-12-07T20:41:00.000-06:00

Basel 2-1 United. For the second time in as many weeks, Manchester United have exited a competition. But where the prior was the rather insignificant Carling Cup, this is the Champions League. For the first time in years, United will not progress beyond the group stage. I'm fairly shocked. True, the team hasn't been in its best form, but I thought we were made of sterner stuff. I knew this match would be tough. Basel have looked good throughout the group stage, and I was not relishing playing them on their own pitch.
The first half saw United go a goal down in the 9th minute as Basel popped one in from short range. United poured it on from that point and looked certain to score, given the amount of pressure and number of chances being created. It was not to be, however, as the hosts doubled their lead late on. Phil Jones pulled one back for United to give us hope of a late comeback, but it wasn't in the cards. To pour salt on the wound, Nemanja Vidic left the match in the first half with a nasty looking knee injury. It was just a poor outing overall.
If there's an upside to this whole thing, it's that we can now focus on domestic games. We need to step things up in the league, and we've still got the FA Cup forthcoming. Hopefully having to compete on one less (very strenuous) front will help, but it doesn't make our exit form the competition any easier to take. At least there's the consolation of City not progressing either, I guess. But they've got inexperience to blame; We just flat out weren't good enough. We must move on though. We're at home to Wolves on Saturday, so hopefully the lads can turn in a good performance and we can get some mojo back. Fuckin' hell I hope so.

The Frustrations Continue

2011-12-04T09:20:00.000-06:00

Aston Villa 0-1 United. Despite getting the full three points, this performance was unacceptable, full fucking stop. Having two-thirds the possession, numerous shots on goal, and an opposing back line who were clearly unable to to cope with our pace means we should've had loads more goals. It seemed every time we got forward we made the wrong decision. Our passing was decent up until the final third, and our ball movement was serviceable, but our finishing was deplorable. Our midfield deficiencies seemed more glaring this week than in games past, and it's evident now moreso than ever how much me need Tom Cleverley back. Phil Jones was one of the few bright spots of the match, playing in a midfield role. He and Cleverley could make a dangerous pairing, and I relish the thought.
Speaking of Jones, he managed to get himself on the scoresheet for the first time in United colors, after a beauty of a cross from Nani and some really languid definding by Villa. This was a critical win, but we're nowhere near where we need to be if we hope to retain the league crown. All eyes now shift to Wednesday's trip to Basel, where we pretty much have to win. This team is set on giving me a coronary this year, I can feel it. See you mid-week...

A Surprising Exit

2011-12-02T09:53:00.000-06:00

United 1-2 Crystal Palace. United have exited the Carling Cup, losing at home to Palace in extra time. Had this been a road game, the loss would've been a bit easier to take. We fielded a decent enough squad, with plenty of senior players, but were unable to get it done. Yes it's the league cup and it doesn't really amount to much, but still.
After a deadlocked first half that saw no really remarkable play from either side, Palace's captain struck home with an absolute cracker from long range. Antonio Valencia had United's best chance of the game not long before, but shanked it just wide of the post. Kiko Macheda equalized for United after being hauled down in the box, and the full-time whistle would blow to end regulation at 1-1.
Thanks to my DVR cutting off the added time, I didn't actually see it. Obviously, Palace scored and United left the competition. How many more times can I say we need to get out shit together, really? Villa awaits at the weekend, and we need 3 points. Liverpool did us a favor and held City level last week to keep the gap at the top at 5, when it could've grown to 7 after our miserable draw against the Toon. Our performances this year are looking too much like last year's, and as I've said before, I don't think it's going to be good enough this time around.

Toon'd Out

2011-11-27T08:14:00.000-06:00

What a debacle that was. United 1-1 Newcastle, a scoreline that shouldn't have been. United were the superior attacking team throughout, and created loads of chances. A somewhat lucky goal went in off Hernandez after pinballing off the keeper after a Wayne Rooney free kick. The Geordies were gifted the mother of all non-penalties not long after. Rio Ferdinand made a stunningly brilliant tackle to take the ball away from Ben-Arfa, and all appeared to be well at first. The referee signaled fro play to continue, but the linesman said penalty. Upon watching the replay, it was clear that the tackle had been clean. But the linesman talked the ref into awarding the PK, and Demba Ba slotted it home.
United poured on the pressure and had some extremely close chances. If it weren't for the brilliant performance in goal by Tim Krul, that shit penalty never would have mattered. This one's a bitter pill to swallow, but we've gotta get past it and focus on not dropping any more silly points like this. City show no sign of slowing down, and I hope the scousers can take something away today. I'm one frustrated Red today. Things need to improve, and soon. Until next time...

Champions League Matchday Five

2011-11-25T08:49:00.001-06:00

United 2-2 Benfica. In spite of the scoreline, United actually looked pretty good in this match. Well, offensively at least. Our usually stalwart and well-organized back line were fairly shambolic. Phil Jones gave away an own-goal about 4 minutes in thanks to some sloppy defending and poor positioning. Dimitar Berbatov (yes, remember him? He DOES still play for us) drew us level later in the half. United poured on the attack and pressed high, crowding the box and firing a seemingly endless barrage of decent chances at the Benfica goal. Had it not been for some excellent goalkeeping on the part of the Portuguese, United may well have put in 4 or 5.
It was Darren Fletcher who put United ahead around the hour mark, but within minutes, more shoddy defending and poor marking allowed the visitors to equalize. This time it would be Rio Ferdinand to blame for the goal. We need to tighten up at the back, plain and simple. Neither of Benfica's goals should have happened. I'm ecstatic that we put on a good attacking display and seem to have found some attacking stride again, but it's going to worth fuck-all if we give up cheap goals. Given this less than desirable result, United now have to get at least a draw against Basel on the last group stage matchday. A draw sees us take second in the group guaranteed, but could also give us first if Benfica lose to Galati. (Not fucking likely) A win and a Benfica draw or loss gives us the group win, as does a win with lots of goals, depending on how many Benfica score if they win. I'm not too concerned about whether we take first or second in the group, just so long as we advance.
We've got Newcastle tomorrow, and we can't afford the type of defensive mistakes we made mid-week. We need the points, boys, so don't let us down now.

Steps In The Right Direction

2011-11-19T16:57:00.000-06:00

Swansea 0-1 United. Another 1-nil win, but a good one. Swansea are tough at home, and until today stood unbeaten on Welsh soil this season. United showed more life and creativity in this match than they have in recent weeks, and I feel a true return to form is forthcoming. An errant pass from Angel Rangel set up United's goal early on. The ball was intercepted by Ryan Giggs, who played in Hernandez for the score.
Swansea had moments of brilliance, but the United back line were steadfast and well-organized. After a brief spell of vigor from the hosts, United dominated possession and pressed high, creating better chances and hemming in Swansea's passing game. Hernandez, Giggs, and Rooney, among others, were left begging after some good chances that could've really torn the scoreline open. No matter, though, as the end result still gets us the thee points we needed.
We're 5 points adrift of City, with home stands against Benfica and Newcastle on the horizon. We need to keep the wins coming, so don't fail us now lads

A Silver Anniversary, A Tarnished Performance

2011-11-06T11:09:00.000-06:00

This weekend marked the 25th anniversary of Sir Alex Ferguson's reign at Manchester United. Fergie came to the club in 1986 after having great success at Aberdeen. The Gaffer has led United to some of their greatest triumphs, assembled some of our greatest squads, and brought in some of our most memorable players. He's been at the helm almost as long as I've been alive, and the thought of MUFC without him is a future I don't often like to ponder. To commemorate the occasion, a new sign was unveiled above the north stand, forever dubbing it the "Sir Alex Ferguson Stand." Thanks for the quarter-century of service, and here's to a few more years. Now onto the match itself, which was rather less impressive.

United 1-0 Sunderland. Another tense, nervy match that saw fairly sloppy and unimaginative play from the boys in red. United came out with Rooney playing in the midfield. While he's certainly suited for the role, I feel his attacking talents are wasted here. If he's not going to be an out-and-out striker, he needs to play just behind the front man. That said, Rooney's midfield play might be better if we had a better supporting cast. The deficiencies in the middle of the pitch this season have been far from subtle.

Sunderland actually looked the better side in the first half, and had it not been for a Wes Brown own-goal just before halftime, the match may well have ended in a disappointing scoreless draw. The goal came off of a Nani corner. Danny Welbeck got his head to the ball, which then deflected off of Wes Brown and into the net. Welbeck's header may have been on target regardless, but that's neither here nor there. The goal was against the run of play, and while I'll certainly take it, it felt a bit undeserved.

We looked better in the second half and created a handful of decent chances, but were still wholly unimpressive. We've done a complete turnaround from the squad that started the campaign firing in loads of goals and dismantling opponents with sheer firepower, and have become more like last year's team. The main difference is that I don't think playing this tentative, skin-of-our-teeth grindball is going to cut it this time around. The level of competition is clearly higher, and while teams around us are improving, United are looking worse. Something needs to happen, and quick. The January transfer window is fast approaching, and I think a purchase or two needs to me made. There's a lot of season left to play, but as fans we could all stand to breathe a little easier for the time being. We'll keep the faith, you keep bringing in wins. Another international break awaits us, so likely no posts for 2 weeks or so. Until then...

One Foot in the Knockout Round

2011-11-03T09:36:00.000-05:00

United 2-0 Galati. United looked respectable in this home win that saw Antonio Valencia open the scoring after an excellent cross from Phil Jones, and a little help from Michael Owen. The scoreline remained 1-nil for most of the match, with United creating the lion;s share of chances. Wayne Rooney fired a shot that took a wild deflection into the back of the net in the 87th minute to put the Romanians to rest for good. I'm not sure of Champions League has a dubious goals panel, but if the goal stays credited to Rooney, he needs only one more to tie Ryan Giggs as the top scoring British player in the competition's history.
Galati were game enough, but were simply outclassed. The win puts United tied on points with Benfica in the group, but sitting on top thanks to goals. We close out the group stage with a trip to Basel and a home stand against the Portuguese. (I think in that order) Should be another trip to the elimination rounds, barring some catastrophic performances. Sunderland is up on Saturday in league play. Let's get another 3 points lads.

A Quick Retraction

2011-10-31T08:26:00.002-05:00

Just popping in to note that I have misinformed the readers of this page. I had said in previous posts that Otelul Galati were from Cyprus. They are, in fact, from Romania. This is what I get for gleaning information from conversations at the pub. Apologies. Fact checking FTW!

'Tweren't Pretty, But We'll Take It

2011-10-29T18:34:00.001-05:00

Everton 0-1 United. I was only able to see the last 35 minutes of this match after finding a decent enough internet feed to watch it on. I'm not sure how we looked in the first half, but I'm glad Hernandez scored early, because sweet fucking christ did we look nervy in the second. All I could think of was last season's trip to Goodison Park, where we went in to half time up 3-1, only to give up 2 goals in stoppage time and barely escape with a point. Worries and reservations aside, the lads pulled through and got 3 critical points away from home.
A low point of the match was seeing Tom Cleverley leave the match with another injury. Hopefully it's not too serious, because our midfield needs all the help it can get. Coming up we've got Otelul Galati mid-week and Sunderland on Saturday. Both matches are at home, so here's hoping for 3 wins on the trot. Keep that red flag flying...

Carling Cup Action

2011-10-27T08:51:00.000-05:00

Aldershot Town 0-3 United. The end result didn't surprise anyone, I'm sure, but it was good to see a win after last Sunday's atrocity against City. Dimitar Berbatov fired in United's first midway through the first half, and set up the second to Michael Owen just before half time. Antonio Valencia added the third 3 minutes after the restart thanks to a real beauty of a strike from long range. I give credit to Aldershot for not giving up and continuing to try and take the fight to us. Again, no real surprise in the result as United march on to the next round. We've got Everton up next in the league, which will come with a somewhat uninspired post, given that the match appears not to be televised on any station I have access to. Regardless, here's hoping for full points. We certainly need it.

Oh, The Horror...

2011-10-25T14:00:00.001-05:00

United 1-6 City. A scoreline that defies all logic. A silly red card and a total collapse in the second half were the harbingers of what was to be United's worst outing ever in the modern era. I said after the last two matches that we needed to improve drastically if we were to have a chance in this game. Needless to say, we did not. I was fine with the squad selection, save maybe for Johnny Evans. Personally, I would've started Phil Jones, but I digress. The midfield looked fine to start, and I understood the choice of Welbeck over Hernandez up top. City's back 4 are all pretty big lads, and Chicha was likely to get trampled. We actually looked pretty good and were the better side for much of the first half. That is, until City pulled the opener completely against the run of play, thanks to a Mario Balotelli strike set up by James Milner. After that point, things just went tits-up.
Allow me to point out United's shortcomings. Our build-up play was actually pretty good to a point, but we couldn't finish to save our lives. The wing play was alternately above average, and complete shit. Anderson was deplorable in central midfield. Sloppy passing, cheap turnovers, and an inability to track back were all reasons he should've come out of the game far sooner than he did. The Evans red card: I understand the whole "professional foul" thing, I guess. Had he not been last man, I'm sure it would've just been a yellow. But the fact that it was indeed a red card at a time where United were 2 goals down and had to start pressing just took away whatever wind was in the sails. Damage control has never been United's style, so we had to attack the home end to try and pull something back. Unfortunately, we were severely punished for it. Lastly, and probably most devastatingly, we had absolutely no answer for David Silva. He proceeded to carve up our side on just about every major City possession, and had a hand in most of their goals.
In trying to take anything positive out of this match, it's that I think this has to have lit a fire under the club's collective ass. I think the only way to get over this is to refocus and recommit to closing out games. With the form City are in, and a now 5-point lead, United probably cannot afford to drop any points between now and the mid-point of the season. We've gotten all of the bigger clubs out of the way, so it's definitely attainable. We need to keep our heads up and start playing our brand of football again, or it's going to be a long miserable season. I know Sir Alex generally doesn't open the coffers in January, but our midfield needs some help.
I'm doing my best to put this ugly loss behind me and look forward to what's on the horizon. A trip to Aldershot is up later today in the Carling Cup, and we're away to Everton at the weekend. Now's the time to step up, boys. Don't let us down.

Finally, A Win in Champions League

2011-10-19T19:55:00.000-05:00

Otelul Galati 0-2 United. I don't have a whole lot to say about this match. We looked mediocre at best. If it weren't for a blatant handball and a semi-questionable trip of Wayne Rooney in the box, United may well have been resigned to another CL draw. But, as it were, the above events did happen, and Ol' Hair Plug himself slotted 2 home from the spot.
There were scads of cards in this match, eventually culminating in both sides finishing with ten men. Nemanja Vidic made his first appearance since the opening day of the season, and celebrated by getting himself sent off for a wildly clumsy challenge on some hapless midfielder. Welcome back, sir. We need to improve drastically if we hope to take full points off of City at the weekend. Forward the Reds and all that. Until next time...

A Point Well Taken

2011-10-15T16:17:00.001-05:00

Liverpool 1-1 United. A draw that we were lucky to get, in my opinion. The match was rife with problems from the start. First and foremost being the team selection. I understand the 4-5-1, but with that 11? Back four: fine, no complaints there. Midfield: I question the inclusion of Giggs and Park as starters, especially with Park on the wing. Why not start Nani on the right and move Park to the middle? Having a substantially less-than-creative midfield with Danny Welbeck all by his lonesome up top does not a successful side make. Welbeck is a fine player and all, but he needs another striker to play off of. On to the match itself...
United were lucky, and Liverpool decidedly not so, to go into the half level. The Merseysiders created better chances, and looked all in all hungrier. The stalemate was broken not too long after the restart thanks to a Liverpool free kick. The kick in question was a result of a questionable foul on Charlie Adam, who made a meal out of the slightest of contact from Rio Ferdinand. That said, I won't begrudge it further. United, as with all big clubs playing on their home ground, have enjoyed their fair share of gifted fouls/kicks/whatthaveyou. The real travesty was the kick itself. It should have crashed harmlessly into the wall, but Ryan Giggs inexplicably, and inexcusably, moved out of the way to allow Steven Gerrard's kick to sail nearly uncontested into the back of the net. It was a bush-league, rookie error, and I'm shocked that a player of Giggs' caliber and experience allowed it to happen.
A few changes later (Rooney for Young, Nani for Park, Hernandez for Jones) and United looked to actually want to try and make a game of it. Chicharito headed in late to equalize, and the Red Army heaved a sigh of relief, as our play seemed to have doomed us to our first loss of the campaign. Honestly, had Gerrard not scored to begin with, I think the match would've ended nil-nil. The way we were playing and (not) creating chances made it appear we were playing for the draw, and I don't know that we would've pressed all that hard for a match winner. Regardless, after a very nervy final 10 or so minutes, the whistle blew, and United escaped Anfield with a point. Were it not for an astounding performance from David De Gea, the scoreline would've told a far more woeful tale. No less than 3 times did the young Spaniard stop shots that I'm sure most people watching had written off as certain goals. Well done lad, you did your club well today.
So yeah, it was a lucky point from an ugly match. We'll need to seriously improve if we hope to take full points from City next week. Lads, don't fail me now.

United 2-0 Norwich

2011-10-03T08:07:00.000-05:00

I wanted to make some sort of Canary-in-a-coal-mine joke for the title, but nothing seemed to work. Oh well. Anyhow. United managed to keep themselves atop the table despite a poor first half against Norwich. The Canaries were the hungrier team in the opening period, creating better chances and looking more tenacious on the ball. United were sluggish and unimaginative in midfield, creating lackluster attacks and giving possession away cheaply.
Things improved in the second half. We looked more focused and determined. Things finally paid off on a corner kick that saw the ball bounce off several United heads before finding the back of the net off an Anderson header. The Reds continued to press and seal the victory for what would be our 19th consecutive home league win. Danny Welbeck sealed it in the final minutes to make it 2-nil after a great run-in and pass from Ji-Sung Park. Most people probably expected Park to take the shot himself, but he had the presence of mind to dish it off to Welbeck, who neatly slotted it home.
United deserved the win after the improved performance in the latter half, but were lucky to keep the clean sheet. I'm glad we've got the international break ahead to rest up and refocus, because our October match schedule is rather daunting. We come back from the break and go to Anfield arch-rivals Liverpool, followed by a home stand against City. Important matches, both. Keep it up lads, don't fail us now.

From Elation, To Worry, To Panic, To Being Ok I Guess

2011-09-29T07:39:00.000-05:00

United 3-3 Basel. What a cock-up of a match that was. United looked serviceable in the first half. We moved the ball well, allowing Ryan Giggs not once but twice to set up Danny Welbeck for goals in quick succession to put the Reds up 2-nil inside 20 minutes. That was pretty much the end of United's high points until the very end.
I'm actually a little shocked Basel didn't score in the first half, given the amount of chances they created. Our marking was poor, and we were a bit languid on the field. It's almost as if we decided that Basel would roll over and give up, seeing as they were down 2 goals at Old Trafford. Such was not the case, and we were summarily punished for the transgression.
United were terrible in the second half, while Basel stuck to their game plan and kept attacking. 10-15 minutes after the restart both Frei's netted to draw the Swiss side level. Not terribly long after, a penalty kick put them up 3-2. Had the whistle blown on that scoreline, Basel would've become only the third team ever to beat United at home in the Champions League. Fortunately for us, we had just enough fight left in us to not drop all 3 points. A pinpoint cross form Nani superbly picked out Ashley Young, who headed in the equalizer in the 90th minute. Danny Welbeck had come close to his hat trick earlier, but it wasn't to be.
After 4 minutes of stoppage time, the match ended level, but with Basel clearly the victors. United currently sit third in the group on 2 points. I realize this was only the second match of the group stage, but come on. We need to get our shit together if we're going to make another run at it this year. Bah. Norwich await on Saturday. Hopefully we'll take full points and get back on track. October has some big matches in it, and we need to maintain pace. Make us proud, lads.

A Decent Enough Result

2011-09-25T08:30:00.000-05:00

Stoke 1-1 United. Taking a point away from the Brittania is never a bad result. United were without the talismanic Wayne Rooney, who'd picked up a slight hamstring injury. Hopefully we'll see him back in action against Basel midweek or Norwich on Saturday.
That said, the Potters are always tough at home. Berbatov got his first league start of the year, and the rest of the squad looked solid. Things looked to be business as usual after Nani put us up in the first half, but after a Peter Crouch equalizer early in the second half, we just couldn't seem to find the back of the net.
It's a shame we couldn't keep the win streak alive, but a point is a point, especially on the road. I'll be interested to see the squad we start midweek for Champions League, and I suspect a return to form against the Canaries at the weekend. Until then...

Leeds 0-3 United, Carling Cup 3rd Round

2011-09-21T09:44:00.001-05:00

In what was more or less an outing for youth players and veterans, and a tune-up match for some of the previously rested first teamers, United comfortably strode past long-time rivals Leeds. The Reds were surely looking to get some revenge after the somewhat shocking loss to Leeds at Old Trafford in the early rounds of the FA Cup 2 years ago. This time the match was to be at Elland Road, and it would indeed prove United's night.
Michael Owen netted twice in the first half to get things rolling. The first was a bit on the greasy side. After a decent pass from J. S. Park, Owen got a partial boot to the ball and it barely squeezed into the bottom corner with a minimal amount of pace. Still, a goal is a goal. Owen's second was considerably better. It came from the top of the box and curled beautifully past the keeper and into the top corner. Way to earn your wages this week, Mickey.
Shortly before half-time, that boy Giggsy proved that he's still got some tricks in his bag, dancing through the Leeds defense and deftly flicking in a near-post shot to put United 3 goals to the good, and solidify the win. Little of note occurred in the second half, save for the first team debut of Paul Pogba. Look for big things to come from the young Frenchman, as he shows a lot of promise.
All in all, it was business as usual. There isn't too much to get excited about with the Carling Cup, except maybe to see the youth players in action. We're away to Stoke in the league at the weekend and at rip to the Brittania is always daunting. Hopefully our run of wins continues. Until next time...

Trial by (Mis)Fire

2011-09-19T10:02:00.004-05:00

United 3-1 Chelsea. A respectable scoreline in any estimation, but it belies the game that could have been. In a match that saw an offside goal, a long range cracker, defensive errors, and spectacular misses, United emerge victorious to extend the win streak to 5 and sit alone atop the table.
This was the first match of the year I was really worried about. Going in, Chelsea looked have the toughest defense we've faced so far, as well as a multitude of attacking options. Sure they would be without Didier Drogba, but we have our (more than) fair share of injuries to contend with as well. What formation would we play? Who would we start in the midfield? Was our poor performance against Benfica mid-week indicative of how we were set to play, or was it that we were so focused on Chelsea that our standards slipped against the Portuguese? Chelsea are crafty, and always dangerous, so my reservations were, I believe, well-founded.
The match kicked off with a strong United squad on the pitch. I was happy to see Darren Fletcher, rather than Michael Carrick, in the middle alongside Anderson. This would immediately cut down on our back-passes by about 85%. The rest of the squad was fairly predictable, save for Johnny Evans at the back alongside Phil Jones. I would've thought Rio Ferdinand would've played, but perhaps he's still carrying an injury. No matter, Evans has improved considerably over last season, and Jones had been rock-solid.
United wasted little time in opening the scoring. Chris Smalling headed one in off an Ashley Young free kick to put us a goal to the good inside 10 minutes. I'll be the first to admit that upon seeing the replay, Smalling was offside. However, the lack of protest from the Chelsea players, and the fact that the Blues have had more than one offside goal allowed against us in the past make the injustice a bit easier to cope with.
Things were fairly back and forth from there. Chelsea created some good chances, including what looked to be a certain goal from (I think) Ramires. He looked to have De Gea beaten, but the young Spaniard made one hell of a save to punch it off the line. Several minutes later, and somewhat against the run of play, Nani, on a fanastic solo run, rifled an absolute stunner into the upper corner after Juan Mata blew his mark, allowing the winger to create space. Two goals up, and United began to pour on the pressure. With only a few minutes before the interval, Phil Jones made a great run into the box, only to get tangled up and dispossessed. The ball got away from the Chelsea defense and settled near the penalty spot just in time for an oncoming Wayne Rooney to fire in United's third. Things were looking good heading into the locker room with a substantial lead and all the momentum.
This match was to be a tale of two halves, however, as the second half painted a far different picture. Fernando Torres chipped one over David De Gea from close range to pull one back for Chelsea mere minutes after the restart. Not long after, United were awarded a (very) soft penalty when Nani went down in the box. As Rooney stepped up to take it, I was sure number 4 was on the way. But fate intervened and Rooney slipped as the ball was struck, shanking the PK high and wide. While missing a penalty is heartbreaking, it felt only fair, as the foul was unjustly given in the first place.
The botched spot kick seemed to renew Chelsea's vigor in the match. They were relentless in attack, creating some very good chances. Torres nearly got on the score sheet again after firing a volley just inches over the bar. United also created good shots, with Nani nearly doubling up with an effort similar to his first, only to see it clang off the crossbar. Rooney also had one hit the post, which was collected by Javier Hernandez. After firing a second shot into the side netting, Ashley Cole delivered an absolute horror-show of a tackle. It was high, late, studs-up, and the ball was out of play. He received a booking for the challenge, but how it wasn't a red card, and why an ensuing penalty was not awarded, I really don't know.
Berbatov came on for the now injured Hernandez, and nearly scored himself after a wonderful break from Rooney. But the pass was a little too long, and Chelsea were able to clear it off the line. Perhaps the biggest talking point of the match was "the goal that wasn't." Fernando Torres picked up a beauty of a pass, and sidestepped De Gea, leaving a wide open goal. Rather than neatly flick it into the empty net, Torres fired in wide into the crowd. Seeing such a horrendous miss more that made up for Rooney's bricked penalty. The back and forth continued up to the final whistle, with United holding strong and taking a well earned 3 points.
In all fairness, the game probably should have ended 5-3, maybe 6-4. Rooney blew his chance for a third hat trick in as many games, and Torres pissed away a hat trick of his own.
United have taken 15 out of 15 points, and sit atop the table 2 points clear of City, who drew away at Fulham. We've beaten 3 of our top competitors in the first 5 weeks of the season, and it seems the machine is starting to hum. Granted, all 3 of those wins have been at home, but our away form hasn't looked to shabby either. It's still a long march to the end, but we're in a good position. Keep that red flag flying high.

Of Players Lost (And one that should have gone)

2011-09-17T16:55:00.001-05:00

The summer transfer window saw the noteworthy exits of several players. In addition to the retirements of Scholes, Neville, and Van Der Sar, we sold John O'Shea, Wes Brown, and Gabriel Obertan, and loaned Ritchie DeLaet. We also released Owen Hargreaves, but more on that later.
O'Shea and Brown both went to Sunderland. Good for them. Both were seeing fairly limited use, and I understand their desire to play more first team football. I think Sunderland will be a good place for the both of them, and I wish them well.
Gab "Squidward" Obertan went off to Newcastle. I was a little sad to see him go, because the boy has some incredible speed and raw talent, but he always seemed to under-perform when playing for United's first team. I think he'll turn out to be a good player someday, just not for us.
DeLaet continues his loan spell with Norwich, where he's seemingly flourishing. I look forward to taking him back after he's progressed a little more.
Hargreaves. Poor, poor Owen Hargreaves. He spent the better part of the last 3 seasons warming the bench for us due to nagging injuries. So we release him, and he winds up at City. What a bastard. You leave United and sign with a club already flush with healthy midfielders, so you can sit on the bench there too. I guess the paycheck was just too tempting. Personally, I'd rather get aid less and actually play.
One player I thought would have left (or wish he would have) is Michael Carrick. This man angers me so much whenever we field him, it's ridiculous. He's slow, he blows his marks, and he seems wholly incapable of moving the ball forward. The season to date has featured Anderson and Cleverley in the middle, and they've been fantastic together. The movement is good, the passing precise, and the creativity ever-present. That all changed when Cleverley got injured against Bolton and Carrick came on to replace him. Immediately, balls were being played back to the defense. He looked panicky and timid on the ball, and he just sucked the life out of the midfield. This used to be a player I enjoyed watching, and I don;t know what's happened to him. It appears he's lost confidence in his ability to pick out a player in traffic, thus negating his midfield creativity. If such is the case, he needs to go.
I deeply hope not to see Carrick's name among the starting eleven against Chelsea. Personally, I'd play Jones in the middle alongside Anderson, with Smalling, Ferdinand, Evans, and Evra at the back. Ando and Jones could be devastating as hard men in the midfield while Nani and Young tear up the wings. Chelsea will leave no room for timid play, and Carrick is a liability. If Sir Alex starts him, I can only hope he proves me wrong. Tomorrow shall tell, I suppose. Until then...

Injury Updates

2011-09-11T21:34:00.001-05:00

Reportedly, Danny Welbeck may return to training late this week or early next, after suffering a hamstring injury against Arsenal. Darren Fletcher and Antonio Valencia could also be making appearances on the training pitch in the near future. Both will be welcome sights in the first team upon their respective returns. Skipper Nemanja Vidic remains sidelined, but seeing as he's too mean to be down for long, I suspect he'll be back sooner rather than later. Perhaps the most prevalent injury news is that Tom Cleverley has not in fact suffered a broken foot, but merely ligament damage as a result of a bad tackle from Bolton's Kevin Davies. Cleverley is said to be out for about 4 weeks, rather than the 3 months it could've been had a break occurred. Kevin Davies, however, is still a twat. That is all.

Another Win, but Not Without Its Costs

2011-09-11T11:18:00.000-05:00

Bolton 0-5 United. In a match that saw excellent counter attacking and wing play from United, Javier Hernandez bagged a brace on his first start of the year, and Wayne Rooney netted his second hat trick in as many games. There were several other chances as well, but I'll take 5 goals on the road anytime, yeah?
Nani was stellar on the wing, providing two assists and nearly scoring himself on more than one occasion. A real bright spot was the performance by Phil Jones at right-back. We've seen him be solid as a center back already, and now he's shown his mettle as a more forward player. My expectations continue to rise for this lad. The lone shadow on the match was the injury to Tom Cleverley, who has been superb in midfield for us this year. Early reports suggest he's got a broken foot, and could be sidelined for up to 3 months. We all wish you a speedy recovery, Tom.
The scoreline doesn't really showcase how much closer the game could've been. Bolton played a decent match and created some good chances. One hit the woodwork, while a few other clear chances were left begging through bad bounces and poor connections. Additionally, De Gea was solid in goal, and our defense was where they needed to be. Bolton were perhaps unlucky at times, and were summarily punished for their deficiencies.
All in all, our away-form-woes from last season don't seem to have returned, and we're once again top of the table. We're at home to Chelsea on Sunday, and hoping for another impressive home victory. Keep that red flag flyin' lads, don't let us down now.

Champions League Group Stage

2011-09-07T10:01:00.000-05:00

I know I'm a few weeks behind the draw, but seeing as the groups stage of CL begins soon, it's time for some observations and predictions. Given my past track record, that last statement should probably read: "It's time for me to once again prove that I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about." That said, here goes:

Group A: FC Bayern Munchen, Manchester City, Napoli, Villareal
I suspect this to be a pretty decent group. All the squads have a fair amount of talent, and the ending point totals should be pretty close. I'm looking at Bayern to win the group. I'm picking Napoli to bottom out because as I see it, there's really only 2 teams in Italy who are worth a shit. (AC and Inter Milan, naturally) Second place is kind of a toss-up for me. Villareal are scrappy, and City have loads of talent, but I'm not sure how well they can cope playing in Europe. They're a side that has little continental experience, and the wheels could fall off in this competition. I think they probably have what it takes to make it out of the group stage, but the first knockout round could prove their likely departure.

Group B: Trabzonspor, Lille, CSKA Moscow, Inter Milan
Inter will be the clear winners in this group. The rest of the teams are scrappy, and I'll back CSKA to advance. They're pacey, good at the back, and have a good keeper. Trabzonspor and Lille have a decent crack at second if they can pull all their home results, but I'm not sure how likely that it. Russkies and Itals to soldier forth.

Group C: Manchester United, FC Basel, Otelul Galiti, Benfica
My obvious choice (and just about everyone else's) is United to top the group handily. Benfica should take second, although Basel may have some tricks up their sleeves. I hope the Cyprussians (Cypresians?) don't become a total punching bag. Looks like an all-but-guaranteed ticket to the knockout rounds for United regardless, which I certainly won't complain about.

Group D: Lyon, Dinamo Zagreb, Real Madrid, Ajax
Tough group, this. Madrid will probably win it and go on the crash out in the last 16. I wan't very badly for Ajax to advance, but my gut feeling says Lyon. The Croats could make things tough for the opposition, especially when playing at home, but I don't see them advancing. Third at best for them, methinks.

Group E: Valencia, Chelsea, Leverkusen, Genk
Valencia are perennially decent in CL, while Leverkusen are no slouches either. Chelsea are generally strong in Europe, so I'll back them to win the group, leaving the Spaniards and Deutsch-bags to battle it out for second. By a hair, I'm going with ze Germans. Oh, and poor, poor Genk will round out the bottom. (As if anyone would have them finishing anywhere else)

Group F: Arsenal, Olympiacos, Marseille, Borussia Dortmund
Yet another tough group. In their current state, Arsenal don't look like they're going anywhere. However, they've made a few signings and can only improve from here, so I think they'll turn it around. I'll look for them to battle Marseille for second, while Dortmund tops the group.

Group G: Zenit St Petersburg, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, APOEL
Christ, I don't know. I don't know enough about the current states of any of these clubs to make any sort of real analysis. Porto are usually pretty good, despite getting shelled in the Super Cup, so I'll pick them to win the group. Zenit and Shakhtar will duke it out Commie-style for second, and I'll back Shakhtar just to show the Ukraine some love.

Group H: BATE, FC Barcelona, AC Milan, Plzen
Yeah, doubt there'll be any surprises here. Barca to win, AC Milan to take second. 'Nuff said.

As always, the CL is bound to be an exciting tournament to watch. Stay tuned for another CL post after the group stage, where I'll either prove myself a genius (highly unlikely) or a blowhard (best odds in town!) Until then, I remain...

MUFC v2.0.1.1

2011-09-05T13:23:00.005-05:00

Some thoughts about the state of the team right now:

We look damned good, if I do say so myself. We're functioning well as a unit, some of our youth players definitely seem to be stepping up, and we've made some good signings to strengthen the squad. A breakdown by topic:

Young players: Obviously Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley come to mind. Both players had loan spells last season, which seem to have done them worlds of good. Welbeck is pacey, good on the ball, and a monster in the box. He's clearly hungry for goals as well, as is evident by the fistful of chances he's had already this year. Hopefully the injury he suffered against Arsenal won;t prove too nagging. Cleverley is the real rising star for me this year, however. After seeing him in preseason, and then maintain that same form into the start of the league campaign, he has shown, at least for now, that our decision to not buy a central midfield player was a good one. His passing is good, he's got a good eye for goal, he can hold the ball up when he needs to, and he's adept at getting back to defend after a break. I look forward to seeing him grow and improve as the season progresses.

Other players coming into their own: Anderson finally seems to have figured out they type of player he wants to be. In the past he's looked rather unimpressive to me. His passing was so-so, his shots errant, and his defensive capabilities lacking. He always seemed to be a bit out of position defensively, but that seems to be improving. This progress, coupled with Cleverley's work rate, have leveled out his deficiencies and allowed him to play in a more attacking position.

Nani continues to improve as well. Another player I wasn't sold on in the past, he finally started to come into his own last season. His main issue has been that he's a bit of a drama queen, and spends too much time on the deck. If he can manage to "turn the bitch down" and get on with it, he's got the potential to be world class. He looks a bit tougher this year, so hopefully it's a step in the right direction.

Chris Smalling: Not enough can be said about this kid. He was impressive last year, and continues to one-up himself this year. He's been a dominant force at right back, creating a great attacking presence, as well as fierce defending. His pace and strength on the ball continue to be impressive, and his crosses are ever-improving. This lad is going to be a United legend, I can feel it.

Summer signings: First up, David De Gea. Yes, he was expensive. Yes, he's unproven in England. Yes, he's made some blunders. But he's played three proper games for us. He's going to get better. Much better. The penalty save against Arsenal is likely the confidence boost he needed to really launch his talent for United. It's still going to take some time for him to adjust, but he'll be worth the wait. We may not keep as many clean sheets as we were accustomed to with Van Der Sar in goal, but this will improve. Have faith.

Ashley Young: Wow. I can't believe how well he's slotted into the squad. His pace is fantastic, his crosses are deadly, and he's got a hell of a shot on him. What more can you ask for in a winger? I never thought he was really that great when he played for Villa, but it seems that playing at United had really elevated his game. Look for our wing play to become even more devastating once Valencia gets fit again.

Lastly we have Phil Jones. I knew very little about his when I read we'd signed him. I actually questioned the purchase at first, thinking "what do we need with a defender? We need midfielders." But after a) seeing him play, and b)our defensive injuries, I'm glad we got him before someone else did. He's not the fastest defender I've seen, but he's quick, and can make up lost ground when he's been beaten. His ability to commit the hook-tackle from behind and not take out the man is impressive. His play style reminds me a lot of Gary Neville in his prime, which certainly isn't a bad thing. Once Smalling make the eventual move the Center-Back, as I'm sure he will, the pair of them will be the heart of our back 4 for years.

It's an exciting time to be a United fan right now. Let's hope the good times keep coming.

Getting Caught Up

2011-09-02T10:50:00.002-05:00

A quick post to get myself back up to speed on the state of United in the 2011/12 season. Over the summer we bought David De Gea, Ashley Young, and Phil Jones. While De Gea is going to need some time to really adjust, I think he'll be well worth the hype. Young has slotted nicely into the squad, and will provide some great attacking prowess on the left. Phil Jones, a player I knew nothing about, is already looking like an absolute beast. He and Chris Smalling are going to be the heart of our defense for quite some time. More in-depth stuff on our summer buys to come later.

The season so far has brought us an away win over West Brom and home wins over Tottenham and Arsenal. The Baggies win was a little shaky, and the status quo looked only marginally better form last year. However, the Spurs match would show some signs of life. We won it comfortably, and with a bit of style. The crown jewel in the campaign so far is obviously the Arsenal match. 8-2. I'm going to write that again, because it bears repeating: Fucking 8-2. Rooney had a hat trick, Young had a brace, and Welbeck, Park, and Nani all got on the scoresheet. Arsenal were absolutely shambolic at the back, and were punished time and time again. United turned in one the most stunning performances of Total Football that I have ever seen. The match is still on my dvr, and has no signs of leaving anytime soon. I'm glad we've got the international break this week to rest up most of the squad, because Bolton away is generally pretty tough. After that we get Chelsea at home. Obviously I'm hoping for 2 wins, but the Chelsea match will really prove key. If we can rack up points over Spurs, Arsenal, and the Blues this early in the season, it'll make the title that much less difficult.

That's all for now, much more to come throughout the season. Keep that red flag flying high.

Back In The Saddle

2011-09-02T10:25:00.002-05:00

After almost a year's absence, I've decided to pick up the reigns once more. The state of the team has inspired me to write again, after last year's rather lackluster showing. (Despite the end result)

Speaking of last season, allow me to recap. First: The Prem. Yes, United won the league, but it was far from a vintage performance. We managed to grind it out and essentially fuck up less than everyone around us. Our away form was deplorable. We dropped too many point and gave up too many leads. If half of our draws (which were only so because we gave up too many late goals. Fulham away in particular comes to mind) were wins, we would've run away with the league probably by March. Such as it was, we finished strong and got the end result we wanted. Yes, trumping Liverpool and getting #19 is grand and all, but, well, we all saw last season. Anyways...onward.

League/FA Cup: Our youth side crashed out of the Carling Cup to West Ham. Not really a big deal, because no one really cares about the CC anyways. Good on Birmingham for taking it home, and cheers to Arsenal for fucking up yet another big match to keep the Emirates Trophy Case nice and empty. As for the FA Cup, we lost to City in the Semis. Shame, that. Not only did United turn in a heartless performance in the game, but City went on to win the damned thing, ending the 34/35/however many year run without a trophy. Seems a waste of all those great songs now. Oh well.

Champions League: United turned in some of the year's best performances in this competition. After cruising through the group stage, we ground out results against Merseille, who would turn out to be our toughest opposition until the eventual final. After thoroughly dispatching Chelsea in the quarters, and making Shalke look foolish in the semis, we once again met our nemesis in the final. The mighty Barcelona, for the second time in 3 years, were to be our last hurdle in the race for the European Crown. I went into the match far less optimistic than I was 2 years ago. As I've stated, United were having a sub par season while Barca were, well, Barca.

The first half went fairly well. We went in level, and then proceeded to get completely outclassed in the 2nd half, eventually losing (perhaps mercifully) 3-1. This loss was easier to take however. 2 years ago, United didn't show up for the game. They seemed to just go through the motions, and were never really in it. This time we played what I truly feel was the best game we could. it just wasn't good enough. When our team passing total was surpassed by any combination of 3 Barca midfielders, you just can't expect to win.

This season also saw the end of the line for 3 great players. Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, and Edwin Van Der Sar all hung their boots up. Neville and Scholesy weren't really surprising, but it's still sad to see them go. They've been ominpresent during the tenure of my fanship, and it's strange to not see them on the pitch or the sidelines. VDS is the one I'll really miss though. He was one of my favorite players, and will be sorely missed not only in goal, but for his ability to marshall the troops so to speak. Legends and true Reds all. You will be missed.

Circling the Drain...

2010-09-19T21:27:00.003-05:00

I doubt anyone still looks at this blog, but I've decided to pretty much put an end to it. I've lost the motivation to write about the football on a regular basis. So for all intents and purposes, this is it. I'm not bothering to take the page down, and there may be an errant post here and there, but don't expect anything. Keep the red flag flying high. I'm out.

Off to a good start

2010-08-20T08:35:00.000-05:00

(Apologies for the incredibly late post. Things have been hectic, and I'm still getting back into the idea of blogging about club football after taking the summer off to breathe in the World Cup) United 3-0 Newcastle. A win was expected from this fixture, and while 3-nil is certainly a respectable result, our goal tally should have been much higher, given our superior play.

Berbatov, Fletcher and that boy Giggsy all netted for the Red Devils. All 3 scores were pretty nice, particularly the effort from Giggs. A pinpoint pass from Paul Scholes set up a phenomenal first touch strike from the Welshman, giving Giggs a gaol in every Premier League season. Fletcher's goal was solid as well, and it's always nice to see goals produced from the midfield. It was Berba's goal, however, that I feel was most significant. Despite the fact that he should've had a brace, if not a hat-trick, scoring the opening goal of the season has to be a huge confidence boost for the Bulgarian.

It's no secret that he's squandered many a chance in front of goal, especially during last season's run-in. Furthermore, most of his goals came when we were already comfortably in front, and he was just padding the scoreline. Netting what was essentially the game decider against the Geordies bodes well for his season, I think. I truly hope for great things from him this year, and I have a feeling we'll see them.

That's enough of that for now. We're away to Fulham on Sunday. The Cottagers always play us tough, and I don't expect any different from this match. Keep up the good work boys. GGMU

And It Begins.

2010-08-14T09:06:00.000-05:00

The 2010-11 Barclay's Premiership season is upon us. Finally. United will obviously look to regain the League crown this year, as well as challenge for the Champions League, FA Cup, and others. Things look pretty good for the lads. They had a decent preseason US tour, with the most notable match being the absolute destruction of the MLS allstars. Last week's Community Shield also gave lots of hope to the red army, as United defeated Chelsea quite handily by a score of 3-1.

There's been lots of movement in the lineup as well. Ex-Cottager Chris Smalling looks to be promising at the back, while Javier Hernandez looks to really turn some heads. The little Mexican had phenomenal pace and control, and could make quite a strike partner for Wayne Rooney. We've also picked up Portuguese striker Bebe, although I admittedly know nothing about him.

We've loaned off Welbeck and Diouf to Sunderland and Bolton, respectively. Hopefully some time at these smaller clubs can get these boys the experience they need.

I'm still hoping we'll make another signing or two to bolster the midfield. I'd love to see Ozil wearing United red, but that looks increasingly less likely as time wears on. Whether we do end up making more purchases or not, I'm wholeheartedly looking forward to this season. We've got the Toon ahead on Monday. Let's get 3 points to start the year off right, lads! GGMU

The Gaffer's Prayer

2010-05-17T09:01:00.003-05:00

Our club, who art in Manchester,
United be thy name.
Through tables run, and titles won,
Wondering ever who'll be the next to wear 7.
Give us this day our football fix,
And revel in our passion,
As we have no intention of forgiving those who stand against us.
Lead us not towards relegation,
But deliver us to glory.
For yours is the Red Army,
Pledging undying support,
For ever and ever,
Amen.

The Red Flag Still Flies...

2010-05-10T11:54:00.003-05:00

United 4-0 Stoke City. A fine end to the season, but a result that ultimately didn't matter for the title race, given Chelsea's 8-0 destruction of Wigan. I doubt that any United fan had themselves fully convinced that the Latics would get a result at Stamford Bridge, and I think that made losing out on a 4th consecutive league title a little easier to swallow.
All in all, coming in second is a season that saw us lose 7 league games and have over a dozen starting players out with injury for over a month each isn't too bad. Aside from a few poor results, specifically the 0-0 draw against Blackburn, United played solidly for most of the season. Pushing the title race to the final day of the season is a testament to our resilience, and I think indicates that we are certain to make very strong showings in seasons to come.
And now for my final thoughts on Chelsea winning the league: They may have come out winners, but they are not, and never will be Champions. The manner in which they conduct themselves is deplorable. They play dirty, negative football, and have had far more questionable decisions go their way than United ever have. Furthermore, the amount of diving that Chelsea does, specifically from Drogba and Lampard, would make even Christiano Ronaldo blush. So Chelsea, enjoy it while you can. Your lack of class will catch up to you.
That's all from me for this season. There may or may not be intermittent posts during the world cup if I can pull myself away from the pub for long enough. Otherwise, see you all in August. UNITED!

It all comes down to this

2010-05-03T11:40:00.000-05:00

United 1-0 Sunderland. A result whose goal total would've been much higher, had it not been for the bumbling efforts of Dimitar Berbatov. Long have I defended the Bulgarian, saying he just needed to adjust; his time would come. Well, with yesterday's repeatedly botched efforts, his time had passed. I still think he's a good player, but there's a few factors that keep him from shining at United. A) I feel he's misused in our system, and B) He simply cannot cope with the expectations that come with being a United striker. He was brilliant at Spurs, but noone really expected Spurs to do fuck-all, so the pressure was less. I'd reckon he's as good as sold this summer, if we can find a buyer. I hope for all of our sakes, he moves on.
Despite Berba's poor efforts, United still pulled a win. The result hardly seems to matter, though, as Chelsea ousted Liverpool 2-nil at Anfield. Stevie Gerrard played the worst back-pass in history to allow Didier Drogba to tap in to open the scoring. Frank Lampard fired in a second as the Merseysiders struggled to get anyhting going all game. After all the debate this week over whether or not Liverpool would give this game away to deny United the title, I'll say this: I don't think they laid down. While it was far from their best performance, Liverpool appear to be a team whose had enough this season. They've had a fair few injuries, some internal turmoil, and with the form of the teams around them in the table, essentially had nothing to play for.
That said, United play Stoke City at Old Trafford on the season's final day. I'm sure we'll take full points here, but my real attention will be turned to Stamford Bridge, where Wigan Athletic hold the fate of the Red Army in their hands. If the Latics can manage a draw or, fates willing, a win, then United will retain the premier league crown. A win for Chelsea, and the title is theirs. It's a long shot, I know, but hope springs eternal. I guess all I can say is that we'll know after this weekend. Until then...

So Close, Yet So Far

2010-04-26T08:16:00.000-05:00

United 3-1 Tottenham. This fixture had me very worried, given Spurs' recent form and the absence of Wayne Rooney. A toothless first half from United did all but confirm my woes. The football gods looked to be smiling on Old Trafford when we were awarded the first penalty. It felt to me like an "Oh, all right, here you go" moment as Ryan Giggs slotted in from the spot. My pensive feelings were soon warranted once again as Spurs drew level, thanks to some shoddy defending from Rafael. (Am I the only one who thinks this kid needs some more reserve experience before playing for the first team? His idiotic red card veritably eliminated us from Champions League, and his lack of awareness cost us a goal in this match) All was to be well, however, as some trickery from Nani and a second Giggs penalty put us through 3-1. Well won, lads.
Sunday brought us Chelsea v Stoke. Every United fan on earth was pulling for the Potters to have the game of their lives. Things looked... well, not promising, but not desperate, at the start, but Solomon Kalou's opening goal seemed to take all the wind out of Stoke's sails. I, nor probably anyone else thought that it was a sign of the onslaught to come. The Blues proceeded to fire in 7, while Stoke's players looked like all they wanted was the final whistle. United are now left depending on Liverpool to beat or draw Chelsea next weekend if we have any hope of retaining the crown. We'll see, I guess.

At long last, I am come to stay

2010-04-20T21:18:00.000-05:00

So, that week or two turned into an extra month. Meh. The important thing is that I have rejoined the world of mediocre football blogging. To business!
A lot has happened with United in my absence. We've clawed our way to the top, only to be dethroned, and then climb back. And be dethroned again. Lather, rinse, repeat. We currently sit 1 point behind Chelsea in second with 3 to play, meaning we need to win out, and need the Blues to draw or lose 1 game in order for us to take a 4th league on the trot. Not at all impossible, especially with Chelsea having to make a trip to Anfield. Fingers crossed on that one.
But what of the other competitions, you ask? Wait, what other competitions? Surely you jest. Shit, that wasn't a dream, and we did in fact get knocked out of Champions League. It sucks, but I'm now backing Bayern to win. Or anyone but Barca, really.
There'll be more to come in the next few weeks. Thanks to anyone that picks this back up after an all too long hiatus. Cheers.

Not Dead!

2010-03-08T10:28:00.004-06:00

To anyone who is kind enough to actually read this blog, I have not abandoned it. My PC has been out of commission since mid-January, but should be up and running in the next week or 2. Regular posting will continue after I have it back. Cheers.

A Lucky Point

2010-01-09T13:39:00.000-06:00

United 1-1 Birmingham City. A result that can only make me shrug my shoulders and say "Well, it could've been worse. United dominated the first half in every aspect except finishing. It seemed as though the match would be scoreless at the interval until Cameron Jerome tapped in a pin-balling cross to put the Blues ahead around the 40th.
United looked much the same in the second half, moving the ball well but lacking inspiration in the final third. It wasn't until a Scott Dann own-goal brought things level that we really started creating chances. Joe Hart gave an amazing performance in goal to keep his side unbeaten in 12 league outings, while Kuszczak's performance helped greatly in salvaging a point for the reigning champions.
All credit to Birmingham for sticking it to us and really playing well. United need to pull themselves together quick if they hope to keep the title race alive. Don't us down, lads.

....UNREAL.....

2010-01-04T22:07:00.002-06:00

Really? Did the reds really go down to long-time rivals Leeds United, a league one opponent? Really? This is what not only every United fan is wondering, but also every footy fan across the globe! It was an unbelievable performance by both sides. United definitely under-performed, as Leeds executed exceptionally, grabbing the only needed goal in the 19th minute by talented starlet Jermaine Beckford. Everyone on the red's side needs to take credit for the poor performance, especially the ones up-front missing plenty of opportunities. Even Rooney had a handful of decent chances throughout the match. Fergie only credits Valencia as the only player on Man United's side to actually perform to his capabilities. Although it's tough to give a fierce red devil rival respect, I do hand the Leeds squad much deserved credit for coming into a hositle environment in a FA Cup tie in the Theater of Dreams.
I can't comment too much more on this post, as it hurts to discuss. All I know is that Fergie better not go overboard on these "drastic changes" he is preparing for Wednesday's match against, yet another rival, City!

Great way to close out a wonderful decade!

2009-12-31T15:35:00.002-06:00

What a decade it has been for United! After completing a dominating run at the treble in 1999, United did not lose momentum for the years to follow. Much awards and silverware has been granted to this prestigious club. On behalf of us at leftforred, the United faithful, and all who appreciate wonderful football talent; we sincerely thank Fergie and his astonishing squads that entertained us throughout the last ten years!
With 6 Premiere league titles, 1 FA Cup, 2 Carling Cups, 3 Community Shields, 1 UEFA Champions league title and 1 FIFA World Club Cup United proved to be one of the best throughout the last decade. Also not to mention, the Ballon d'Or, European Gold Shoe, UEFA Club Footballer of the Year, and FIFA World player of the year in 2008 that Cristiano Ronaldo captured! We are all thankful for a wonderful display that the entire squads have been able to provide. A special thanks to the ol savy vets in Neville, Scholes and Giggsy themselves. They have seen many years at Trafford, and continue to provide top class form. After the reds have proved dominance over the past ten years, their recognition and fame has grown considerably. Because of this last decade, their fanbase is the largest in the entire world, which also stretches pass any other sport team out there. It has been a true delight to be a United Fan, and if they haven't achieved their goal, they always give the best effort as no season since 2000 has been remotely close to a disappointment! A HUGE kudos to Fergie, for having the capability to see young talent develop, and putting together such a dominating, consistent club in Manchester United.

As the 2009 winds down to a close, United ended with a very large exlamation mark as they topped Wigan 5-0 at Trafford Wednesday night, making their season aggregate 10-0 against the Latics. The whole match was basically controlled in Wigan's defensive half, besides 2-3 Wigan opportunites. Rooney started the enslaught in the 28' with a beauty one-timer from Rafeal. Then 4 minutes later Carrick added the sure dagger by nailing a right footed worm burner to the left side of the post, which was assisted by Valencia (who created wide open space for Micheal as a horse could have kicked it in because he was so wide open!). As the half was ending, Rafeal took the enitre Latic defense to school and dribbled by 3 defenders and blasted a beautiful left foot shot that went right side post! This young lad showed amazing talent which should get the United faithful excited for years to come! At the Half, Wigan's goal keeper Kirkland came off as he saw plenty of balls flying at him to give Michael Pollitt a try to stop this remarkable assault. Berbatov add the 4th goal in the 50' as he landed a right footed shot after the ball was dancing around the center of the box through several defenders. Then in the 75', Rooney sended a beautiful through ball to Valencia as he nailed one through to give the reds the 5-0 much deserved victory. I would have to give Valencia the gameball for this match, as he netted one goal and created plenty of opportunities for his whole side to deilver wonderful shots. After controlling 62% of the time, United saw themselves 2 points behind leaders Chelsea going into the new year, which is very healthy considering all of the injuries that plagued United this
campaign.
2010 brings good hope and fortune to United. Most of the defenders are almost all healed up, excluding Johnny O'Shea, and will likely make their moves to pursue that top position, especially since the African nations will be competing in their cup leaving Chelsea shorthanded in the next several weeks. The next decade can only bring more positive energy, especially if we have Fergie himself calling all of the shots. What a match twas, as well as a wonderful decade United has put together! Way to go Reds!

Something Needs To Be Done, and Quick

2009-12-20T16:58:00.000-06:00

United 0-3 Fulham. Our second league loss in 3 matches. Sure we trounced Wolves by the same margin mid-week, but they fielded a squad that was disjointed at best. Our injury woes and complete lack of defense are altogether frightening. We're starting our entire midfield and midfield bench just to piece together a back 4 that won't be completely laughed at. Sure it worked against Wolfsburg, but the jig is up and our opposition is figuring it out.
Not to take anything away from Fulham, mind you. They systematically tore our midfield and defense to shreds. Morale seemed to be in the gutter from the start, and the Cottagers took full advantage. We also had zero imagination in the final third. I think we had one clear chance on goal in the entire match.
It's mind-bendingly aggravating as a fan to see the team given chances to really close the gap at the top, and then squander them. I realize we have at least 11 senior players out, but we shouldn't be getting flat-out beaten this badly. I've got nothing left to say except get better, boys. We sure as hell need it.

Champions League Final 16

2009-12-18T07:24:00.000-06:00

The Champions League draw occurred this morning, and some interesting matchups have come out of it. First Legs to be played on 16/17 ans 23/24 February. Second Legs to be played on 9/10 and 16/17 March. Let's get to it then, eh?

Barcelona v VfB Stuttgart
Stuttgart are pretty scrappy, and have the ability to pull the upset, but I can't see the defending European champions getting knocked out in the first knockout stage.
My pick to advance: Barca

Olympiacos v Bordeaux
The Greeks still don't impress me. They took second in a soft group. Bordeaux looked solid in the group stage, so I'll be backing the frogs in this round.
My pick to advance: Bordeaux

Inter Milan v Chelsea
The Special One makes his return to Stamford Bridge. Both legs of this matchup should be well-fought. However, given that both sides tend to play stranglehold football, it could be a bore in the goals department. This is a tough one to call, but I think the Londoner's hold a slight edge overall.
My pick to advance: Chelsea

Bayern Munchen v Fiorentina
Both teams were solid in the group stage. Bayern knocked off some tough competition to pull through, and have really started to pull their game together. Fiorentina, however, has really been impressive this year so far. Another really tough matchup, but I've got a fondness for the Bavarians.
My pick to advance: Bayern Munchen

CSKA Moscow v Sevilla
The Spaniards should have this one wrapped up. I don't think CSKA has enough tricks up their collective sleeve to pull an upset here.
My pick to advance: Sevilla

Lyon v Real Madrid
Madrid typically has trouble in the round of 16. If Lyon are on their game, it'll be a harrowing task for Real to get past them. Each team should win their home game, so it'll come down to what I think will be a fairly large aggregate score. In that department, I think Madrid poses more of a threat.
My pick to advance: Real Madrid

FC Porto v Arsenal
I wrote Porto off last year when United drew them, and they nearly sent us packing. Their home record against English opposition is, to say the least, impressive. Arsenal are plagued by injury and may soon be forced to focus their efforts on either domestic or European competition. I don't think, at this stage and with this many injuries, they have the depth to challenge on 2 fronts.
My pick to advance: Porto

AC Milan v Manchester United
This should be epic. While it's certainly not an easy draw, I'm really excited to watch these matches. If United's defensive injury woes don't right themselves by then, we'll be in trouble, but otherwise it's going to come down to which team brings they're complete a-game. As if there was ever any doubt...
My pick to advance: Manchester United

United's Week In Review

2009-12-18T06:57:00.002-06:00

Just a quick update before I get onto to real matter at hand. After a miserable performance and a 1-nil loss to Villa, United came back strong, brushing aside Wolves with a 3-nil win. Goals from Rooney, Vidic, and Valencia put the Reds on top and kept the race at the top close after the weekend loss. It didn't hurt that Chelsea finally dropped some effing points, either. Fulham's coming up on Saturday. Red Army, don't fail me now.

Champions League Group Stage Round-Up

2009-12-09T18:33:00.000-06:00

Remember those predictions I made back in August? I thought not. As the Champions League group stage drew to a close today, we found out who would officially be going on, or going home. Now the tournament well and truly takes shape, setting Europe's elite against one another over 5 months of glorious football.
So how did my predictions pan out? Let's take a look, shall we?

Group A
Predicted winner/runner-up: Juventus, Bayern-Munchen
Actual winner/runner-up: Bordeaux, Bayern-Munchen
Juve were wholly disappointing throughout the group stage. Bordeaux played sold ball throughout, and Bayern got critical results when it mattered most. Look for both sides to be tough in the next round.
Score: 1 for 2

Group B
Predicted winner/runner-up: Manchester United, VfL Wolfsburg
Actual winner/runner-up: United, CSKA Moscow
United more or less cruised through the group, with the exception of the B-Squad losing to Besiktas in a tie that hardly mattered. The win at Wolfsburg with our piece-meal defense was one of United's more impressive outings.
Score: 2 for 4

Group C
Predicted winner/runner-up: Real Madrid, AC Milan
Actual winner/runner-up: Real Madrid, AC Milan
No real surprises here. Both squads had some key wins at key time to keep them afloat. Both are sure to make a lot of waves in the knockout rounds.
Score: 4 for 6

Group D
Predicted winner/runner-up: Chelsea, Porto
Actual winner/runner-up: Chelsea, Porto
Nailed this one too, eh? Chelsea systematically played their way into first, while Porto did much of the same, albeit a little more flashy. Atletico proved uninspired throughout. I said they were dodgy at the back, little did I know they'd be dodgy at the front as well. A piss-poor performance overall. What a waste of talent.
Score: 6 for 8

Group E
Predicted winner/runner-up: Liverpool, Fiorentina
Actual winner/runner-up: Fiorentina, Lyon
Nothing makes a Red Devil happier than seeing the Scousers fail. Their league season is mediocre at best, and now they're out of the elite European competition. Well done Fiorentina. Forza Viola!
Score: 7 for 10

Group F
Predicted winner/runner-up: Barca, Inter Milan
Actual winner/runner-up: Barca, Inter Milan
Again, no surprises. Just about anyone could've picked this group.
Score: 9 for 12

Group G
Predicted winner/runner-up: Stuttgart, Rangers
Actual winner/runner-up: Sevilla, Stuttgart
Yeah, yeah, I picked Rangers, and they sucked it up. Big time. Oh well. Nothing about this group excited me anyway.
Score: 10 for 14

Group H
Predicted winner/runner-up: Arsenal, Standard
Actual winner/runner-up: Arsenal, Olympiacos
Did anyone doubt the Gunners would win this group? I basically drew straws for my other pick, since I know fuck-all about any of them. Good for the Greeks, I guess. I still don't like 'em.
Score: 11 for 16

Eleven outta sixteen isn't too bad. A few surprises, but mostly right on. Onward to the final 16!

As the Reds Go Marching On, On, On!

2009-12-08T16:39:00.000-06:00

Lots to cover in this post. I've been lacking in updates recently, still due to recently moving house and getting settled. Anyhoo, onto the football. United have enjoyed success across multiple competitions in the last week or so. These include a Carling Cup win over Spurs, a 4-nil drubbing of West Ham in the league, and perhaps most notably, a crucial away win at Wolfsburg in Champions League to secure the top spot in Group B.
The Carling Cup tie against Spurs once again saw a squad of youngsters take the field. A brace from midfielder Darren Gibson put the Londoners to rest and set up one half of what would become an all-Manchester semi-final, as City secured a berth as well.
Last Saturday saw the boys come out in fine form against West Ham at Upton park. After what seemed a deadlock in the first half, United turned up the intensity and fired in goals via Paul Scholes, Darren Gibson, Antonio Valencia, and Wayne Rooney. The decisive victory helped close the gap at the top to 2 points, along with Chelsea's loss to Manchester City. The title hunt continues, lads.
Lastly, this afternoon saw an injury-struck United travel into Wolfsburg for the last round of the Champions League group stage. United needed a point to secure the top spot in Group B, a daunting task, given that 14 senior players were out with illness or injury, 8 of them defenders. Nevertheless, with Carrick in a central defending role, and flanked by Fletcher and Evra, the reigning English and German champions locked horns. The scoreline remained blank until just before the interval, when Michael Owen headed home. Wolfsburg scored early in the second half to draw level, but 2 late strikes, again from Owen, put the Reds on top for good. Owen's hat-trick was hist first since 2005, and earned United only their 3rd victory in 10 attempts against German opposition in Europe. Well won lads, well won indeed.

United Pummel Pompey

2009-11-29T19:59:00.003-06:00

After several questionable calls, a hat-trick by Rooney, and a wonderful executed free kick by Sir Giggsy himself United sees their way on top of an under-achieving Portsmouth 4-1 on Saturday afternoon at Fratton Park. It was a very slippery pitch, as it down-poured for nearly the entire match. Rooney netted the first goal, after an obvious foul in the box. However, Pompey equalized as referree Dean awarded a penalty kick as Vidic supposedly grabbed Piquionne's kit and hung on too long. Personally, this call was very unacceptable as I am sure Fergie agreed, yet couldn't say much as his match suspension left him in the stands to sit and watch, rather than argue the blatent non-call situation.
Rooney did net the go-ahead goal off of a beautiful cross by Fletcher to start the second half, which in hand was delivered by Giggsy. The ball movement was beautiful as it set up the third goal of the match, as United didn't look back from this point on. Another penalty was called in the box against Pompey's Piquionne, resulting in Rooney netting his hat trick. The fun did not stop at this moment as Giggsy drilled an excellent free kick just outside the 18, with a dazzling left-foot dagger. Using his patent left foot hook, Giggsy made Begovic just simply stare, as the ball, as Tommy Smyth would say it, "netted in the ol onion bag!" It was simple beauty!
This was the debut for newly acquired Pompey Manager Avam Grant, yet he knows it best, United is tough to defeat, especially when their form as of late faces a weak side.
Congrats to the Reds, and a special congrats to the United staple of Ryan Giggs, as he drilled his 100th premier goal! What an accomplishment!

Back On Track...Hopefully

2009-11-24T07:46:00.000-06:00

United 3-0 Everton. Despite the Toffees' struggles this season, they generally play United very tough, so this fixture was not one to be overlooked. Things seemed well in hand, however, as United dominated the midfield battle.
It was the midfield, in turn, that produced all of the United goals. Darren Fletcher opened the scoring, firing a hip-high ball into to top left corner with a very clinical finish. Some time later, Michael Carrick was picked out by Ryan Giggs' pinpoint cross, and slotted home from the top of the box. Antonio Valencia rounded out the day with a strike in from the right to bring the scoreline to 3-nil and seal a rather comfortable win for the Devils in red.
It was good to see chances converted into goals, something that has seemed to plague Untied all season. This was particularly true in the Chelsea match, but alas, that's the football. Forthcoming matched include a Champions League tie against Besiktas and a league match against Portsmouth. Neither have me too worried since we've already qualified for the CL knockout stages, and Pompey have scraped just 7 points from 13 games. Don't fail me now lads. Come on United!

Almost Worth It

2009-11-09T08:53:00.001-06:00

United 0-1 Chelsea. A disappointing result considering we created far more chances. At the very least we deserved a draw. However, our finishing was once again poor, and we paid the price because of it. The officiating was questionable all around, as blatant penalties by both teams went largely unpunished. John Terry hauled down (if I remember correctly) Antonio Valencia in the box with no consequence. The biggest no-call, however, also made the loss easier to take. Minutes before Chelsea scored, Johnny Evans and Didier Drogba went airborne for the ball. Evans proceeded to kung-fu kick Drogba square in the chest, a la Eric Cantona. Seeing the Ivorian diving champion (deservingly) roll around in pain made the whole day worth it. To top it off, Drogba proceeded to pick up a yellow card for bitching to the ref about it. Classic.
But a loss is still a loss. We sit in third place, tied in points with Arsenal. The Gunners are up on goal differential and also have a game in hand, so they are most definitely poised for a run at the crown. Still a lot of season to go, though, so we'll keep that red flag flying high.

...And We're Back

2009-11-06T07:22:00.000-06:00

Sorry about the lack of posts. I was moving house and had no reliable internet. In my absence United picked up wins over Barnsley in the Carling Cup and Blackburn aka Swine Flu FC in league, as well as an exciting draw against CSKA Moscow in Champions League. The draw secured us a spot in the final 16. One step closer to Madrid, boys! Chelsea coming up on Sunday. Let's hope we turn in a vastly better performance than we did against Liverpool. Come on United!

A Fair Start; A Flacid Finish

2009-10-26T11:17:00.000-05:00

United 0-2 Liverpool at Anfield. That makes 3 straight we've dropped to the Scousers. After all the hype surrounding Liverpool's 4 consecutive losses, along with injuries and whatnot, we still couldn't get it done. Granted, United were without midfield enforcer Darren Fletcher, but that can hardly be an excuse. One man does not a squad make.
United dominated the first half in every aspect save finishing. We moved the ball better, controlled possession, and created more chances. It all fell apart in the second half though, as the defense broke down and Fernando Torres skirted through our defense, firing a tidy shot over Van der Sar. Our only real chance at an equalizer came when Antonio Valencia's shot was denied by the woodwork.
Things may have been different if the officiating had been more accurate. Jamie Carragher deserved a red card for hauling down Michael Owen when he was clear through on goal, but escaped only with a yellow. Apparently the "last man" rule doesn't apply at Anfield. This especially made no sense in a game filled with cards. Nemanja Vidic earned a sending off for his second booking late in the game, as did Javier Mascherano. Masch, however, should've been sent off much earlier. The two fouls he was carded for were nearly identical to several others he made earlier in the match with no repercussion. But that's football, eh?
David Ngog scored Liverpool's second late in added time, but it was little more than salt in the wound at that point. The damage had been done. Chin up lads, there's a lot of season left to play.

Champions League Action 21 October

2009-10-21T20:23:00.001-05:00

United 1-0 CSKA Moscow. In a largely forgettable match which showed little to no imagination, let alone chances at goal, for the Russian side, Manchester United found themselves thrust forward into victory thanks to an Antonio Valencia goal in the 86'. This win put United solidly atop group B with 9 points. The closest are VfL Wolfsburg with 4. Two of our 3 wins have come in Turkey and Moscow, crossing off some of the more daunting challenges in the group stage. The 11 fielded by the Reds was without the names Rooney, Giggs, Park, Fletcher, and Evra, all of whom have picked up minor knocks during either the international break or in last Saturday's win over Bolton. Hopefully all are fit for Sunday's clash with Liverpool. Good win today lads. Let's continue our march to the third final on the trot. Come on United!

On Top Once Again...

2009-10-18T23:33:00.000-05:00

After some help from another own-goal that went United's way, the Red Devils defeated Bolton Wanderers 2-1 to find themselves on top of the Prem once more. Early on, a Patrice Evra cross was headed across goal by Mickey Owen, only to bounce between the legs of defender Zat Knight and into the goal. United poured on the pressure for most of the match. Key players came in the form of Ryan Giggs and Antonio Valencia, whom both played very well on the wings, and Dimitar Berbatov, who had several near chances and created several more for his teammates.
Valencia fired in United's second goal before halftime to finally show some payoff for the Reds' domination of the match. It wasn't until the final 20 minutes that Bolton showed their teeth. A goal from Taylor sparked the fight within the Wanderers, who challenged the United defense for a solid 15 minutes. It looked a few time as though Bolton may secure a draw, but United's back four, along with the return of Edwin Van der Sar in goal, carried the day.
This win proved to be a very important one, as it put us back into first place following Chelsea's loss to Villa earlier in the day. Elsewhere, a Torres- and Gerrard-less Liverpool were "undone by gold shorts and a red beachball." (Thanks, Jim) This saw the Scousers sink into 8th in the table, which is always nice to see from a United standpoint. However, they'll be eager to redeem themselves against us next week. It's sure to be a good one. Until then...

Don't Look a Gift Point in the Mouth

2009-10-05T15:20:00.001-05:00

United 2-2 Sunderland. As much as I love my boys in red, this should've been a loss. The play was sloppy and unimaginative, and the finishing was alarmingly poor. The latter has unfortunately been true all too often this year.
At any rate, on to the match. Darren Bent put the Black Cats ahead in the 7', where it would remain until just after the break when Dimtar Berbatov delivered a beauty of a bicycle kick to draw level. Kenwyne Jones made the score 2-1 Sunderland soon after. Things seemed resigned to a loss until fate, luck, or what-have-you intervened deep into stoppage time. A Patrice Evra cross into the box deflected off the heels of Anton Ferdinand and into the goal, robbing the Black Cats of what would have been their first win at Old Trafford in over 40 years. It was an unearned point, but we'll certainly take it.

Champions League Action 9/30

2009-09-30T18:37:00.000-05:00

Not going to be a real long or in-depth post, just want to recognize the boys going atop their group as the only team to record 2 wins so far. Today's 2-1 win over German Champs VfL Wolfsburg was a good one. Both teams looked uninspired in the first half, but the krauts drew first blood in the 53'. A Ryan Giggs free kick deflected of the wall and into the net to equalize 3 minutes later. In the 78', Dimitar Berbatov set up the game winner. Berba received a cross in the box and attempted to pass it to an open Giggs. The Welshman, however, was caught slightly out of position, but was able to pass it to Michael Carrick, who fired in to seal the victory. A fine night in Manchester, boys. Keep up the good work.

Top of the League After a Crazy Day

2009-09-26T22:45:00.000-05:00

Manchester United find themselves atop the Premier League for the first time this season after defeating Stoke City 2-nil at Britannia Stadium. United's win allowed them to leapfrog Chelsea into first after the Blues' 3-1 loss to Wigan. It was once again the superb wing play of Ryan Giggs that gave United the edge in a game that they dominated from the start, but were frustratingly unable to put away early. After near chances from Rooney, Nani, and Valencia, nothing seemed to be going United's way.
However, in the 57', Giggs came on for Nani, and with him came the needed spark. After a feeding pass from Darren Fletcher, Giggs fired a low cross into the area, where a waiting Dimitar Berbatov slotted in from 3 yards. This was Count Sloth-ula's 2nd goal of the season, meaning he only owes us about 30 more for his 33-million-quid pricetag. But I digress. Giggsy picked up a second assist 13 minutes form time, arcing a free kick into the path of John O'Shea, who headed home to seal the victory and put the boys on top. Well won, lads.
Elsewhere in the league, plenty of action abounded. Fernando Torres bagged a hat-trick against Hull en route to their 6-1 victory, Robbie Keane netted a stunning quadruple while Spurs crushed Burnley 5-nil, and perhaps the most surprising of all, Wigan ended Chelsea's win streak in a 3-1 showing that saw Petr Cech sent off with a straight red. A crazy day for the football. Here's to many more.

On to Round 4

2009-09-24T08:16:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note about yesterday's Carling Cup match against Wolves, which I was unable to watch due to work. United were down to 10 men from the half hour mark after Fabio Da Silva earned a sending off for bringing down Michael Kightly when he was through on goal, but the lads held strong and kept any further chances at bay.
Victory came in the 66' as Danny Welbeck played a textbook give-and-go to Michael Owen, who played the ball back into Welbeck's feet. The young striker then slid it past keeper Marcus Hahnemann to put United on top. Far from a resounding victory, but good enough to get us through. Good work lads, keep it up.

The Grandest of Derbies

2009-09-21T09:51:00.000-05:00

Be still my beating heart... I'm still reeling from that match. In what was far and away the greatest Manchester Derby that I've ever seen, emotions ran the full gamut. This particular Derby was set to be big long before kickoff. Not only did it mark Carlos Tevez' first return trip to Old Trafford after whoring himself out (for which he was heartily booed) , it also presented a significant challenge for City, who prior to yesterday had been unbeaten in league play.
The match began at a break-neck pace as Wayne Rooney opened the scoring a mere 2:15 in. Celebrations were short-lived, however, when a grievous error by Ben Foster allowed Tevez to get the ball to an advancing Gareth Barry who fired home comfortably.
City looked excellent from their opening goal until the interval, but in spite of the scoreline, the match fundamentally belonged to United thereafter. Darren Fletcher headed home off a Ryan Giggs cross to put us a goal to the good in the 48', but City were determined to give us a fight as Craig Bellamy equalized in the 52'. United poured on the pressure, switching out a struggling Ji-Sung Park for Antonio Valencia, who helped to exploit City's weakness on the wings. City were almost put away several times thanks to headers from Dimitar Berbatov and a few shots from assorted United players, but it was not to be. Shay Given had a marvelous display in goal, recording stellar save after stellar save.
United brought on Michael Owen to replace Berbatov in an attempt to put the match away for good. Given's seemingly impregnable goal-line was at last broken in the 80' by a second goal from Fletcher to put the scoreline 3-2. The win looked to be in hand until a blundered free kick from Rio Ferdinand, as well as sloppy goalkeeping by Foster allowed Bellamy to slot home his second goal to equalize once again.
While the draw seemed imminent, United kept up the pressure and attacked viciously. The efforts finally paid off deep into stoppage time as Giggs sent a perfect pass into the feet of Owen, who controlled the ball with a single touch before sliding it past Given to give the Reds a 4-3 lead with only seconds left.
While Owen was the immediate hero, congratulations are in order all around. Darren Fletcher proved once again how much of an impact player he can be in the midfield. His tenacious defending and two goals earned him well-deserved Man-of-the-Match honours. Ryan Giggs also turned in a great game. He dominated the wing play, set up both of Fletcher's goals, and nearly set up a few more for Berbatov. All this, and he nearly knocked one or two home himself. Patrice Evra was the star of an otherwise lackluster defense, and his wing play didn't disappoint either.
It was surely a Derby we shan't soon forget. United deservedly came out on top, and continue their quest for a fourth successive league title. Keep giving us something to sing about, boys.

A Well-Earned 3 Points

2009-09-12T14:58:00.003-05:00

Tottenham away; a fixture that would've been laughable last year, but was cause for concern this season, as Spurs were off to a brilliant start. The concern looked well-warranted from the get-go, as Jermaine Defoe netted off a deftly timed bicycle kick a mere 47 seconds into the match. The early goal galvanized United however, and the play tightened up.
Things were drawn level in the 25' after a Ryan Giggs free kick flew just over Cudicini's outstretched fingers and into the top corner. In the 41', Anderson fired home from just outside the big box to put United a goal to the good. Both sides created loads of chances in the coming minutes, and it was a marvelous display in goal by Ben Foster, paired with a few fortunate bounces off the woodwork, that kept Spurs from climbing back into the match.
Things may have turned grim for United in the 59' after Paul Scholes received his second bookable offense and earned himself a sending off. Having come out in a 4-3-3 formation, this left a rather unfavorable gap in our midfield. To remedy, Michael Carrick came on for Dimitar Berbatov. This worked well, as United's continued domination of the match hardly belied their player deficit.
The match was well and truly put away in the 78', when Wayne Rooney, after a cheeky bit of ball-handling, nutmegged the Tottenham keeper and brought the scoreline to 3-1, where it would remain. This was an important win for United, as it moved us into second place, and took away a bit of Spurs' momentum. Strong showing today lads. Keep it up. Come on United!

And Now Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

2009-09-11T06:59:00.000-05:00

After what felt like an excruciatingly long international break, league play resumes this weekend. World Cup qualifiers are fine and all, but it seems more often than not these breaks just bring injuries and disrupt the run of play in the leagues themselves. That said, I'm happy to be returning to premiership action. United are away to Spurs tomorrow, which is a daunting task, for certain. Jermaine Defoe and Aaron Lennon are riding waves of momentum, but Luka Modric is out with a broken leg. White Hart Lane can be a difficult place to win at, but as always my faith remains that the boys will prevail. Come on you Reds!

Arsene...are you kidding me?

2009-08-31T22:23:00.003-05:00

So Mr. Wegner claims that United is using "anti-football" tactics when it comes to performing.....EXTREME BULLOCKS!

Arsene says that Fergie uses players (i.e. Darrin Fletcher) just to foul and hurt opposing players rather than use them for the technique and playing performance. Wegner claims that it slows down the game and no football fan wants to watch a match with just free kicks....Um sorry that our set piece resulted in a Diaby own goal! Every natural human usually finds a reason to blame something for a mistake that took place. I do give the gunners plenty of credit this year, as they have been looking beyond footy fan's expectations, and have been mowing down opponents for the first several weeks. And I also feel that Arshavin's go ahead first goal on Saturday was "beyond ridiculous." However, it is completely unneccessary for one to bash opposing tactics for one's own mistake. And yes, that was offsides at the end, close don't get me wrong, but I (personal opinion) feel that the refs got it correct. Well, we are now in the top four again, as United did look ever so clockwork. I am getting very pumped to bash some city skulls in Trafford on the 20th of September. Go on you reds and good showing Zac for keeping the blogger funky fresh!

United v Arsenal, 28 August 09

2009-08-31T08:32:00.000-05:00

Well, that was certainly an interesting match, wasn't it? Both sides came out strong, moving the ball well and creating chances. United's squad choice seemed a little suspect, opting for width of play, rather than a multi-headed strike force up front. The chosen formation of Rooney up top with Nani and Valencia far out on the wings may well prove useful in some games, but I think it was a poor choice against Arsenal, who had Van Persie and Arshavin back in their lineup.
United moved the ball well in the first half, but Arsenal's staunch back four stymied us time and time again. Play continued back and fourth for the entire half, with Arshavin finally putting the Gunners on top just before halftime with a gorgeous strike from 25 yards. Ben Foster actually got a hand on it, but the shot looked just too powerful to be stopped.
The game flowed much the same in the second half, with Arsenal's defense looking impregnable, until Manuel Almunia got flagged for a rather soft penalty on Wayne Rooney. Rooney proceeded to fire in the equalizer, much to the chagrin of Gooners everywhere.
Being that the match was a few days ago, and there was plenty of beers involved, I am unsure of the exact order of the following events. Robin Van Persie had what seemed a certain goal blocked by Foster's fortunately-placed boot, and a Gunner free-kick clanged off the crossbar with Foster beaten.
The next time Arsenal would net, however, is an incident I'm positive they'd wish to take back. a Ryan Giggs free kick from the wide position sailed in towards goal with no United players to receive it, only to be headed in by Abou Diaby. The luckiest of breaks, for certain, but I surely won't turn down a goal. United turned up the defense to try and protect the narrow lead, which was almost shattered deep into stoppage time when Van Persie struck home to equalize. William Gallas had been judged offsides in the build-up, however, and the goal was nullified. Arsenal skipper Arsene Wenger was unnecessarily sent off for kicking a water bottle after the offsides call, but looked better for it in the end after walking into the stands, strolling in front of the United fans, and defiantly throwing wide his arms. A ballsy move, sir, and well-played.
It was a greasy win at best, but I'll take it. Decent goalkeeping from Foster, good defensive play overall, and an excellent midfield performance from Darren Fletcher really kept United in this one. We were lucky here boys. There's a lot of work to be done. Keep that title at Old Trafford.

The Stage Is Set...

2009-08-27T17:53:00.000-05:00

The draw for this year's Champion's League took place today to determine the 8 groups. Following will be results of said draw, as well as which teams I think will make it through to the knockout stages. Granted, in more than a few cases, I don't know fuck-all about some of these clubs, but we'll see. I do the same thing with college basketball every year too, and that seems to work out ok. But I digress... Back to the football.

Group A:
FC Bayern München
Juventus
Bordeaux
Maccabi Haifa FC

The obvious choices here are Juve and Bayern. While a certain barkeep we all know and love will surely be pulling for the Israeli side, I don't see any huge upsets happening in this group.

Group B:
Manchester United
CSKA Moscow
Beşiktaş JK
VfL Wolfsburg

United drew far from the hardest group, certainly, but the teams we drew with are sure to put up an adequate fight. The Turks are always feisty, and the Russkies are nothing if not persistent. Regardless, I still expect United and Wolfsburg to make it through.

Group C:
AC Milan
Real Madrid
Olympique de Marseille
FC Zürich

The Milan-Madrid clashes should be interesting, what with the sale of Kaka and all. Marseille will make a worthy effort of things, but in the end, it'll be the Italian and Spanish clubs through to the next round.

Group D:
Chelsea
FC Porto
Atlético Madrid
APOEL FC

I wrote off Porto last year, and they gave United a run for their money. Atlético have a real scoring threat, but are a bit shaky at the back. Chelsea, aka 1-nil, 2-1 FC are almost certain to win this group, and I'll back Porto to bust through as well. I'd enjoy seeing the Cyprussians (I'm sure that's not correct) in the later stages, but I don't see it happening.

Group E:
Liverpool
Olympique Lyonnais
ACF Fiorentina
Debreceni VSC

Despite early season falterings in league play, Liverpool are exceptional in Europe. They'll win the group, while Fiorentina and Lyon battle it out for second. Last year, of those two, I would've backed Lyon for sure, but after selling Karim Benzema, I'm not so sure. Fiorentina to win out.

Group F:
FC Barcelona
Inter Milan
Dynamo Kiev
FC Rubin Kazan

Quite the group we have here, no? Kiev may surprise a few people with how scrappy they are, but only a fool would bet against Inter and defending champions Barca. That matchup also provides a showcase for the return of former players to their old clubs. Look for some exciting fixtures from both sides.

Group G:
Sevilla FC
Rangers
VfB Stuttgart
AFC Unirea Urziceni

'One of these things is not like the others, one of these things doesn't belong...' I'll give you three guesses who I'm talking about. Here's a hint; it's the club that sounds like a bladder infection. Hahaha... oh. I tire of Spanish teams, and Sevilla makes me yawn. Stuttgart to win the group, Rangers close behind.

Group H:
Arsenal
AZ Alkmaar
Olympiacos CFP
Royal Standard de Liège

If the Gunners can mostly maintain the form they've been playing in, they're a lock to run away with this group. As for runners-up... I don't know anything about the rest of the teams. Let's see here... I don't like Greeks, so it's a toss-up betwixt the Dutch and Belgian sides. And it's Standard by a nose, for having the longest name in the tournament. Yep.

Best of luck to all involved, with a double helping for my boys in Red. UNITED!

A Glorious Rebound

2009-08-22T19:02:00.002-05:00

After the embarrassment at Turf Moor on Wednesday, United turned in a dominant second half to hand Wigan a 5-nil thrashing at DW Stadium. United moved the ball fairly well in the first half, but were ultimately wasteful of the opportunities created. Wigan had a few near-chances, but an improved defense and central midfield, as well as a nice performance in-goal from Ben Foster, caused the scoreline to remain nil-nil going into the break.
United came out strong in the second half, and their efforts paid off in the 56th minute as Wayne Rooney headed in the match's first goal, and his 100th for United. Count Berbatov netted a mere 2 minutes later, and Rooney doubled up in the 65th. Michael Owen finally bagged his first league goal for the club, and Nani scored in the final minute to complete the rout.
Today marked a fine return to form for the boys, turning in the type of performance that has come to be expected of them. If they can consistently work this well together (not to say they'll turn in 5 goals every game, but so long as the momentum remains) then we have a real chance at a fourth league title on the trot. Keep up the good work, lads.

A Dreadful Display...

2009-08-19T16:37:00.001-05:00

1-nil to Burnley. Well done, lads, you certainly earned it. A beauty of a strike to put them ahead, and a brilliant penalty save from the keeper put the defending champions to rest. United looked woeful at best, unable to finish and looking sloppy up and down the pitch. Central midfield: awful. Central defense: terrible. Passing: abhorrent. Finishing: absolutely dreadful. This is NOT the way defending champions should look. If this level of play continues, we'll be lucky to stay in the top four. The only highlight for United was the penalty shot, which Carrick took beautifully, only to be saved by an excellent Burnley keeper. Aside form that, we had nothing. Players were sluggish and out of position all game long. Never have I been so disappointed in a United performance. You've let the Red Army down, lads. I pray this doesn't become a habit.

Hooray, the Football is Back!

2009-08-16T17:16:00.000-05:00

...And what a start it was. Notable fixtures/happenings are as follows: Hull City looked to actually fulfill the fleeting belief that Chelsea would be their big road win of the season, only to be cast aside via a Drogba double. Arsenal looked in fine form, delivering a crushing 6-1 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park. That team, is they manage to not have anymore injuries, may well be terrifying this year. I shudder to think what they could do at full strength. The real gems of the weekend (for this fan at least) came in the form of a United win and Liverpool loss.
United took their first 3 points of the season in the form of a 1-nil win over Birmingham. Wayne Rooney scored in the 34' to give the defending champions all the lead they would need. Despite not being terribly impressive, it is nonetheless a win, and we'll take 'em when and where we can.
The icing on the cake, however, was Liverpool's loss to Spurs at White Hart Lane. Aside from a United win, nothing makes the Red Army happier than seeing the scousers drop points. I find it delightfully ironic that Jim (of Match Pricks) jokingly twittered that Liverpool would win 7-0 or lose 2-1. Keep the predictions coming, sir.
The season's officially under way, with months of action to come. United have Burnley up next on Wednesday. Last season's giant-killers in the F.A. Cup will have plenty to prove, and shouldn't be taken lightly. We shall see. Until then, cheers.

The Flying Dutchman has been temporarily grounded...

2009-08-04T20:09:00.000-05:00

Edwin Van Der Sar, keeper extraordinaire, will miss the start of this season's campaign. The Dutchman has had surgery on a finger that he broke during the penalty shootout against Bayern Munchen in the Audi Cup. He's set to miss up to 8 weeks, and United's website says his first likely start will either be against Arsenal on 29 August, or Tottenham 2 weeks later.
While this certainly deals a hefty blow to United's defense, it gives backup keepers Ben Foster and Tomasz Kuszczak a chance to shine. Both have proven themselves worth in the past, here's hoping the trend continues.

Results from Munich and the Audi Cup

2009-07-30T15:57:00.003-05:00

United split their games in the interesting-but-meaningless Audi Cup over the last 2 days, beating Boca Juniors 2-1 on Wednesday, but losing to FC Bayern Munchen 7-6 on penalties after a scoreless 120. Luis Antonio Valencia netted his first goal in a United shirt against Boca, with Anderson having opened the scoring earlier.
The loss to Bayern on penalties is what it is. While it's always a disappointment to see the boys lose, it's only the pre-season, and I shant dwell on it long. We're only 16 days from the real football. Here's to four in a row!

A word about the pre-season Asia Tour

2009-07-29T07:06:00.000-05:00

United looked well in form for their preseason tour of Asia, winning all 4 games. Michael Owen netted 4 times in all; once in his debut, again in the second game, and bagging a double in the tour closer. Dimi Berbatov looks to have found his stride, also scoring multiple goals and looking better than he has to date. Perhaps the most significant even of the tour is Ryan Giggs bagging his first career hat-trick during the 8-2 route of Hangzhou Greentown. Now I know these our fixtures don't account for anything really, but it's nice to see the boys out there getting things done. We've got the Audi Cup coming up with games against Boca Juniors and either AC Milan or FC Bayern Munich. Should be an exciting warm-up to the season. Come on you Reds!

New 09/10 Away and Keeper Kits

2009-07-29T06:54:00.000-05:00

So that's the new away kit for this season. I dig it. A lot, actually. I think it'll look really sharp in a longsleeve, and I've always enjoyed black away kits overall. I like this better than the home kit, to be honest. Good show, boys.

And here are the keeper kits...

I enjoy these as well. Of the two, I prefer the red-on-white, but both are better than the yellow atrocity from last season. Overall, I'm happy with our new kits this year. They're a far sight better than some other clubs, at any rate. (Barca and Chelsea away kits, I'm looking in your direction)

Our third kit for the year is rumored to just be the white away kits from last season. Meh, not terribly impressed, but what can you do, eh?

Ahem... who?

2009-07-17T19:23:00.001-05:00

After publicly announcing that there would be no more new signings this transfer period, United have picked up 21-year old Mame Biram Diouf from Norwegian side Molde FK. However, fans won't see him in action until at least January, since the Red Devils have agreed to let the striker remain at his present club on loan until then. The fact that several other noteable clubs have shown interest in the Senegalese international is likely the reason for the late signing, given that he has been a target of United's for some time. Yeah, I've never heard of him either. Good luck, lad.

The surprises with Owen continue

2009-07-14T05:21:00.000-05:00

Just a quickie to note how surprised I was to see that the newest player to wear #7 for United is none other than Michael Owen. Really? Him? I'd have thought the legacy that number carried would cause it to go unworn this year. Prove me wrong, Mickey. Prove me wrong.

Another new face

2009-07-08T10:07:00.000-05:00

United have signed 20 year-old French International Gabriel Obertan from Bordeaux. He put pen to paper on a 4 year deal after being purchased from the French club for around £3 million. The winger has shown a bit of promise in past seasons, specifically with the French U-21 team. I don't really expect a huge showing from him this season, but I really think he could develop into a great player. His drive to succeed and his ability to play in several offensive positions could make him into a valuable asset in the future.

Didn't see this one coming part II: The Follow-up

2009-07-03T20:29:00.000-05:00

Michael Owen is now a United player. Yep. In a wholly underwhelming, move, the 29-year-old striker has signed a 2 year deal. I certainly hope this isn't the end of United's spending (or rather lack thereof) for the season. I'd like to see another big name or two flock to our banner because quite frankly, Owen doesn't really do it for me. But who knows? Maybe (and hopefully) he'll prove me wrong. Like I said in the last post, he's got a lot to prove, so we'll see. Don't let the Red Army down, Mickey.

Didn't see this one coming

2009-07-03T08:02:00.000-05:00

Michael Owen? Really? When that name first surfaced in link with United, I thought surely someone was having a lark. Mickey Owen? Can't be. What a load of bollocks. Good one, son. Jog on now... But it's apparently true. Reports say that Owen has arrived in Manchester to undergo a medical that is being described, among other things, as stringent by pretty much every media outlet. While I initially balked at this prospect, it may not be so bad. He's got big club experience, he certainly has the goal-scoring ability, and perhaps most importantly he's got a lot to prove. With World Cup fast approaching, Mickey needs a good season to rekindle his hopes of remaining relevant for England. Also, the fact that he has seemingly agreed to United's performance-based pay offer, rather than the £65,000 a week tabled by Everton, shows he's still hungry for success. Lastly, it's a free transfer. The club doesn't stand any significant financial risk by signing him. So if this all goes through and Owen does indeed join United, let's hope it turns out to be a good decision.

The frustration continues (or, a Silly Season indeed)

2009-07-01T14:02:00.000-05:00

Me and my big fecking mouth. I just had to say how much I would've like Benzema to come to United. And now, as stated by Lyon on their website, Real Madrid have gone and reached into their impossibly deep coffers and swooped him up. Now what? Ribery and Aguero seem unlikely, and there hasn't been much serious talk of anyone else. Certainly more signings must be made to bolster the lineup. Not to say the players we have aren't up to the task, but we need to maintain depth at key positions if we hope to challenge for silverware on multiple fronts as we have for the past few years. I'm really hoping something fantastically unexpected happens soon, because the shadows of doubt are looming large.

Finally landed one...

2009-06-30T18:58:00.000-05:00

United have made their first signing of the transfer period by bagging Wigan winger Antonio Valencia for £16 million. While this signing was somewhat expected, it comes as a relief to me to finally see some progress being made to fill the gap left by Ronaldo's Madrid move, as well as the imminent departure of Carlos Tevez.
Elsewhere on the transfer front, a Lyon teammate of Karim Benzema's has gone on record saying that the French international is as good as sold to United. I'm not putting a whole lot of stock in this, but I certainly wouldn't mind seeing that boy in one of our kits. Time will tell, as ever it does.

New 09/10 Home Kit

2009-06-25T23:35:00.001-05:00

Well, there you have it. Thank fecking christ it's not the lace-neck, extreme v-stripe atrocity that surfaced early in the spring. Pics of this design surfaced a while ago, but until now everything was very speculative. I don't hate the new kits, but I'm not in love wit them either. This design leads me to believe the away kits will be white with a red chevron, and the 3rd kit is anyone's guess. Overall I'm happy with it. There's been quite an array of interesting kit choices for various teams this year, but no matter what the players are wearing, I, like so many others, simply want to see them in action. 7 weeks...

United's 09/10 EPL Schedule

2009-06-17T07:51:00.000-05:00

Fixture lists for the coming season came out today. Here's the preliminary schedule for United, which is sure to change thanks to TV, Cup games, and whatnot. Not a bad preliminary schedule, I feel. Arsenal on 29 August looks to be our first big test. Can't wait for the season to start. Come on you Reds!

August
Sat Aug 15 Birmingham City H
Tue Aug 18 Burnley A
Sat Aug 22 Wigan Athletic A
Sat Aug 29 Arsenal H
September
Sat Sep 12 Tottenham Hotspur A
Sat Sep 19 Manchester City H
Sat Sep 26 Stoke City A
October
Sat Oct 3 Sunderland H
Sat Oct 17 Bolton Wanderers H
Sat Oct 24 Liverpool A
Sat Oct 31 Blackburn Rovers H
November
Sat Nov 7 Chelsea A
Sat Nov 21 Everton H
Sat Nov 28 Portsmouth A
December
Sat Dec 5 West Ham A
Sat Dec 12 Aston Villa H
Tue Dec 15 Wolverhampton Wanderers H
Sat Dec 19 Fulham A
Sat Dec 26 Hull City A
Mon Dec 28 Wigan Athletic H
January
Sat Jan 9 Birmingham City A
Sat Jan 16 Burnley H
Tue Jan 26 Hull City H
Sat Jan 30 Arsenal A
February
Sat Feb 6 Portsmouth H
Wed Feb 10 Aston Villa A
Sat Feb 20 Everton A
Sat Feb 27 West Ham H
March
Sat Mar 6 Wolverhampton Wanderers A
Sat Mar 13 Fulham H
Sat Mar 20 Liverpool H
Sat Mar 27 Bolton Wanderers A
April
Sat Apr 3 Chelsea H
Sat Apr 10 Blackburn Rovers A
Sat Apr 17 Manchester City A
Sat Apr 24 Tottenham Hotspur H
May
Sat May 1 Sunderland A
Sun May 9 Stoke City H

So Long Ronaldo

2009-06-11T17:12:00.000-05:00

Well, it finally happened. United have sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for the sum of almost $132 million (80 million GBP). Can't really say I'm surprised. Clearly this transfer is paving the way for the club to bring in another big name or two. Who could it be? Benzema? Ribiery? Pato? Eto'o? Maybe we'll actually sign Tevez now. It's been a crazy transfer season so far, and I feel it will only get crazier. Can't wait to see how this all pans out.

Never though it would end like this...

2009-05-27T19:15:00.001-05:00

United 0-2 Barcelona. A devastating result to any Red unfortunate enough to clap eyes on it. Without a doubt, the better team on the pitch won today. Aside from the first 10 minutes, when everyone watching was sure the Reds would dominate the match, United looked purely fucking abhorrent. Our defense was sluggish at times and sloppy with the marking. Our midfield was nowhere to be seen, causing our forwards to be out of position whilst trying to compensate. The most disgustingly poor part of United's game was the total inability to maintain possession. Michael Carrick turned in what was probably the worst performance I've ever seen from him. To quote a fellow patron at the bar, "he looked like he had cement boots on." Horrible; just horrible. Sir Alex tried to help the situation by bringing on Tevez for Anderson at half. The hope faded just a few minutes in as United fell back into their utterly shite performance. Berbatov came on for Park Ji-Sung soon after, and looked typically lazy. Scholes came on later still, and sparked United's only decent looking stretch of play since the opening minutes.

Barca, on the other hand, looked brilliant. Lionel Messi was nigh-unstoppable. We just couldn't get him off the ball. Eto'o and Iniesta turned in great days as well. The back four, touted as being the Catalans' week point thanks to the absence of Abidal and Dani Alves, were stellar. After Eto'o struck home in the tenth minute, Barca systematically dismantled United and put them on their collective back heel for the duration. Their performance was marred only by Puyol and his cry-baby tactics. He dove several times and rolled around on the ground like he was dying, only to be in the thick of the frey a few seconds later. There was no call for this when his team clearly had the game under control. That said, cheers to Barcelona for handing United a thrashing. You well and truly deserved the win today, boys. May you wear the crown well.

As for United, they've had an outstanding season. The Carling and Club World Cups sit securely in our cabinet, as does a third successive League trophy. Certainly our achievements this year are worthy of merit. We've seen good performances overall from just about every player, as well as some glimpses of the future. (Macheda, the Red Army looks in your direction) It's been a great year, lads. We'll keep the Red Flag flying high, and see you in August to try and start it all over again.

Just a few hours to go...

2009-05-27T08:14:00.001-05:00

It's all come to this. May 27th has finally arrived, and the joy/fear/excitement/apprehension has been mounting since before dawn. In what could well be the biggest match in club history, my beloved United take on the venerable Catalans of Barcelona in the Champions League Final today. (As if anyone who reads this didn't know that already) I've got a really good feeling about the outcome, but as we all know, anything can happen in this beautiful game. The party starts at the bar in less than 2 hours. It's going to be one hell of a day no matter what the result is. Obviously I'm pulling for a United win, but I'm just as excited to share a day filled with friends, food, football, and frivolity. I wish a happy, fun, and safe final to all who are planning to watch. Kickoff is 5.5 hours away and ticking. May the best team win.

On the Eve of Battle

2009-05-26T23:10:00.003-05:00

I am having difficulty sleeping tonight, as I am sure the United players are having much more difficulty sleeping on the eve of this prestigious battle! We enter tomorrow's encounter vs. a strong and confident Barca, which gives me cold, yet expected chills down my back. I believe we can win tomorrow, and I know it can happen. Barca loves the pass game, and that is a perfect element in United's counter-attack formula. After last year's result, and our current form, United will give Barca a headache in their back four. What really excites me is the "pretty certain" guarantee of pt time for Ji-Sung Park. I am dreaming of a go-ahead goal by the Korean, and if it does happen, I guarantee you will see tears of joy run down my face.
Good luck to all that is having trouble catching some Z's before the epic finale at the Stadio Olympico tomorrow, it's going to be pure debauchery!

Passion for United!

2009-05-26T20:54:00.004-05:00

On May 16th, United drew a hard-fought battle at the field of dreams with a struggling Arsenal. This draw put United ahead of a chasing Liverpool by 4 points, with one match left, ultimately resulting in back to back to back English Premiere League Championship for Manchester United! I woke up at 6:45 a.m. to view this spectacular moment, and this is after a night of celebrating an end of a college career and before a long day of commemorating with family and friends. Not only was this a day for United to gain more silverware for the 2008-09 campaign, it was also the day I graduated from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. I was so ecstatic that United won the league, as I called my fellow United supporter, Eric, and told him that I am wearing my United shirt under my gown in the reds honor (keep in mind all guys at these types of ceremonies, especially in the College of Business, where dress pants, dress shirts and ties). As I did wear my United shirt, Eric informed me that he was unable to walk the stage for his graduation and wanted me to wear my United scarf in honor of the Reds, his inability to walk the ceremony, and of course my graduation. This was very risky as everyone graduating is very formal about the process, and in addition, students wear different colored sashes to identify themselves with high honors such as high GPA's. So when I gathered in the gym, many (I mean many) students stared at me with a confused look. Some students even approached me and asked why I was wearing that scarf, I explained, and they looked at me like I was crazy and stupid! (one student did acknowledge me and said May 27th baby, can't wait!)
So with the confused looks, I was expecting this type of reaction in a ignorance-type crowd in a northern Wisconsin City of Oshkosh, as many people in these neck of woods do not know what real football is (except Packers, Packers, Packers....puke).
To shorten up the story, I walked across the stage, some faculty members asking me why I was wearing it, some faculty members actually recognizing my passion by stating go United. (keep in mind it was all faculty that knew what I was wearing with the exception of one student). One faculty member yelled Go Arsenal, F*ck United! I respected his passion by whispering, "what happened in Champions League and this morning!" So I did it! I walked across the stage representing a United Glorious English Premiere League Championship! I wore it with much pride. I just wanted to demonstrate my passion for the club....GO UNITED!

A Potentially Bright Future

2009-05-26T15:46:00.000-05:00

This is a few days late, I know, but it's been a busy week. United wrapped up the EPL season away to Hull City. Having secured the league the week prior, Fergie unsurprisingly trotted out a squad of reserves. I actually expected Hull to hand us a loss, given that they were just barely out of the relegation zone to start the day. The United young'ns looked to impress, however, creating good chances and moving the ball very well. Darren Gibson's long strike put us up 1-nil midway through the first half, and that's how it ended up. Hull had a few good shots, but no results were produced. The most outstanding performance of the game for United came courtesy of Ritchie De Laet, a name I had previously only seen in the FIFA 09 roster. This kid was everywhere; great tackling and a real tenacity for the ball.
Despite Hull's loss, the Tigers managed to stay up thanks to losses from Middlesbrough and Newcastle. Both the Magpies and Teessiders needed wins to possibly stay afloat, and neither could pull it off. So they join the doomed Baggies of West Brom in the Championship next season. Boro deserved their drop, I feel. A team with that much potential shouldn't have turned in the season they did. It's kind of sad to see the Toon go, but such is life. Best of luck to them next year.

And now a word for Rafa Benitez

2009-05-16T18:29:00.002-05:00

Where are those two mistakes you were positive United would make? Are you still confident that Liverpool will win the title?

Good god I cannot stand this man. All the inane comments and "fact" diatribes. He went on to the press about how United only won the title because of how much money they had, and how much the players are paid. Sure, winning clutch games had naught to do with it. Performing well at the right times and getting results when it mattered most didn't factor in either. Yes, Liverpool beat us twice this year, including the 4-1 drubbing at Old Trafford. Cheers to them for that. But their tubby, blowhard, impudent cunt of a manager surely didn't win those games for them.

Rafa, for all your promises of victory, all your posturing and prick-waving, all your incessant shit-talking; All this, and it's yielded you nothing in the end. All you've accomplished is walking away from yet another season where Liverpool has won fuck-all. Here's hoping you choke on that oh-so-bitter pill.

That boy Giggsy...

2009-05-16T14:06:00.002-05:00

Just felt this deserved its own post. 11 League titles, all with United, yadda yadda yadda, you all know the deal. Long story short, Ryan Giggs is solidifying himself as the most decorated player to grace the Premiership. I'm forever glad you wear United red, sir. Here's to winning much, much more.

And now you have to believe us... We just won the league, again!

2009-05-16T13:57:00.003-05:00

United 0-0 Arsenal. Not the most climactic of finishes, but certainly good enough for the needed point. After grinding out a match that saw Arsenal create some really nice opportunities, and United blow just as many, the Red Devils hold high the Premier League trophy for the third year in a row. The match itself was a tense affair, with neither side able to maintain an edge for very long. Bookings for Robin Van Persie and Andrej Arshavin took a bit of fire out of the Arsenal attack, causing the two to play perhaps a little less aggressively than they would have liked. Five Gunners in all were booked, the others being Fabregas, Nasri, and Song. There were scads of fouls against Arsenal, but most of them, especially a few of the bookings, were questionable. I'll concede that there was definitely some home-pitch favoritism for United in that department. Standout performances for United, I felt, came from Vidic, Fletcher, and Evra. Vidic anchored our back line and provided excellent defense all around, specifically in the air. Fletcher was all over the pitch and looked to be running full-bore for the entirety of the match. Patrice Evra continued his string of quality showings this year, playing all over the pitch and working tirelessly for the ball. The low point of the match for me was the uncharacteristically flat performance of Carlos Tevez, who was subbed out for Park in the 2nd half. In what may well have been his last home appearance, the feisty Argentine couldn't seem to get anything going.

The match itself paled in comparison to the greater result it wrought. The point earned put United in first for good and clinched a third consecutive Premier League title. This makes it 11 EPL titles total, and 18 League titles, equalling the record set by Liverpool. Ryan Giggs, of course, has been with the team for all 11 EPL titles, further building his legacy. This was only the second time United have won the title at Old Trafford, and I was glad to see it come against another one of the big four. Cheers to Arsenal for making an excellent run of things in the face of recent media criticism and 2 recent home losses to United and Chelsea. With the league wrapped up and only Hull left to play, Ferguson can trot out the B-Squad to close the season and give the senior players some extra rest. All eyes turn now towards Rome and the venerable Barcelona in the Champions League final. Congratulations on everything, lads. It's been a spectacular year thus far, but there's 2 more to play, so we must remain focused. The match against Barca could well become one of the most important matches in club history. Let's keep the European crown in Manchester boys. Until then...