Former Reds return for crunch Everton clash
Three former Reds will grace Old Trafford on Sunday, with Manchester United desperate to send them home disappointed. Phil Neville, Tim Howard and Darron Gibson should all start at their former home, but with United chasing an eight point Premier League lead Sir Alex Ferguson’s men are unlikely to be in charitable mood. United play first this weekend, with victory ensuring at least a five point gap to Manchester City by the time Ferguson’s team visits Eastlands on Monday week. It’s a scenario that would allow the Reds to claim the Premier League title at City’s home.
First though United faces and Everton side in good form, but smarting from having lost an FA Cup semi-final to crosstown rivals Liverpool last weekend. With it concluded the Toffees’ season. Yet, with Everton having won four times in the past six matches there’s little doubt David Moyes team can provide a significant dent to United’s hopes this season.
It means that Ferguson is unlikely to make significant changes to the side that beat Aston Villa so comfortably last weekend. Whatever the selection the 70-year old United manager says that his team’s experience should win through with just four games remaining in the Premier League season.
“There’s good performers out on that field and they are playing with great determination, which you need to do at this time of the season,” said the United manager on Friday.
“And they’ve got great experience of handling big game situations which we are going to face in the next few weeks. So I trust them, I let them get on with it. I think it’s the right time to do that. They are a good bunch of lads, they want to win the league. Hopefully we can achieve what we want to do.”
Positive news, then, that Ferguson reports no fresh injuries for the 12.30pm Sunday clash, with only long-term absentees Anderson, Darren Fletcher and Nemanja Vidić absent from the first team squad. Nani could come into the side for the heavily criticised Ashley Young, with the former Villain having picked up a minor knock against his old club, although the winger will be fit to play some part.
Meanwhile, Michael Owen could make the bench, although teenage contract rebel Paul Pogba is unlikely to play again this season after picking up a hamstring strain in a midweek reserve match.
“Anderson is not going to play again this season and Paul [Pogba] got injured in Monday and he is out for the season,” Ferguson added.
“I have said time and time again that Michael [Owen] is a player who can score important goals if you are struggling in a match. He has had a hard time with injuries. When he gets them it is usually months. If there is a players that can score an important goal at any stage of a match it is Michael. We welcome him back.”
Cynics might add that after a career beset by injuries Ferguson can hold no surprise with Owen’s latest setback. The former Liverpool striker has started just 18 games for United over the past three seasons, and none since picking up a thigh strain in the Champions League last November.
Meanwhile, a player who has benefited from a largely injury-free season – Rio Ferdinand – should make his 450th career league start on Sunday. Ferdinand is approaching 400 games in all competitions for United after nearly a decade with the club.
But is it to former Evertonian Wayne Rooney that United will look to secure the points on Sunday. Rooney, once a blue, now a Red approaching another Old Trafford milestone – the 26-year-old needs just one goal to equal the total scored by club legends George Best and Dennis Viollet of 179.
“It’s fantastic. It will happen of course, hopefully it happens Sunday,” said Ferguson on Rooney’s record. “But it will eventually happen and it’s a marvellous achievement.”
Rooney, who has scored 31 goals in all competitions this season, could well go on to beat Bobby Charlton’s United record of 249 too. “He has every chance of beating that – I am sure he will do it,” adds the United manager.
Yet, Rooney has just two goals in 12 games against his former club, with many believing the Liverpudlian simply tries too hard against Everton – a pressure that adversely affects Rooney’s game. This is the time of season when pressure either becomes an incentive or a burden. Across town City appeared to crumble on it, before cracking in 10 goals in the past two matches. Meanwhile, United has suffered just the single league defeat in the past 14 matches.
“We put pressure on ourselves to win games; the pressure comes from within and from the fans,” says defender Ferdinand.
“They demand that and so does the boss. We have to go out there and produce our own result first – outside pressure doesn’t come into it. We want to win every game until the end of the season. That has not changed and it won’t change until the last day of the season.”
The visitors, meanwhile, will be missing defender Leighton Baines who sustained a hamstring injury in last weekend’s FA Cup semi-final defeat by Liverpool. Jack Rodwell is still out, but Steven Pienaar is available, having been cup-tied last weekend. Old Trafford supporters will be also able to welcome the trio of former Reds ‘home’, with Gibson, Neville and Howard all fit to play.
“It is nice to know you’re in with a more-than-likely chance of playing every week, rather than not,” adds Gibson, who joined Everton for around £2 million in January.
“I am just enjoying it [at Everton] and I’m in a better mood now, I know that. It’s surprised me how well it’s gone because I wasn’t sure. This was the first club I have moved to — I was at United since I was 15. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I’m really enjoying my football. It is a great club.”
Few United fans will begrudge Gibson a successful spell at Everton, although he will ingratiate only the visiting supporters by scoring on Sunday. History is against Everton though – the Merseyside club has not beaten United in Manchester for nearly 20 years, losing 15 and drawing just three in the past 18 fixtures.
Meanwhile, United remains in a purple patch of form despite the loss to Wigan Atheltic a fortnight ago. Indeed, the Reds’ tally of 82 points after 34 games is the best in any Premier League season by Ferguson’s team. United has also scored in a record 47 consecutive home matches since a 1-0 defeat by Aston Villa in 2009.
Few would have predicted that record at the start of the campaign.
Match Facts
Manchester United versus Everton, Premier League, Old Trafford, 21 April 2012, 12.30pm.
Potential Line-ups
United (4-4-1-1): De Gea; Rafael, Evans, Ferdinand, Evra; Valencia, Carrick, Scholes, Nani; Rooney; Welbeck. Subs from: Amos, Jones, Fabio, Smalling, Jones, Young, Cleverley, Giggs, Hernández, Berbatov.
Everton (4-5-1): Howard; Neville, Heitinga, Distin, Hibbert; Osman, Gibson, Cahill, Fellaini, Pienaar; Jelavic. Subs from: Hahnemann, Jagielka, Gueye, Drenthe, Stracqualursi, McFadden, Barkley, Coleman, Vellios, Anichebe.
Match Stats
- United ensured City remains five points behind in the title race with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Aston Villa last weekend – Rooney’s 23rd and 24th Premier League goals of the season, and strikes from Welbeck and Nani gave United the vital win;
- Rooney has taken 124 shots at goal in the Premier League this season with 66 per cent on target, and 19 per cent of his efforts resulting in goals;
- Welbeck has eight goals from 69 attempts, with an impressive 72 per cent on target, although his conversion rate for goals is just 12 per cent;
- Nani has been both scorer and provider for United this season, scoring seven goals and adding ten assists – the winger has also put in more crosses than any other player in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index with 120 so far;
- Everton suffered FA Cup heartbreak at the weekend, but Moyes will be seeking a return to the league form that saw the Toffees win 4-0 against Sunderland a fortnight ago;
- Everton had four different goal scorers that day in Magaye Gueye, Victor Anichebe, Steveb Pienaar and Leon Osman;
- Anichebe has five Premier League goals this season, despite playing just 463 minutes of football – it’s the fifth best minutes-per-goal ratio in the Index, with a goal every 92 minutes 40 seconds. The only players with a better minutes-per-goal rate this season are Thierry Henry, Papiss Cisse, Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez;
- Steven Pienaar has been a revitalising force for Everton since returning, covering 35.26 miles for the Toffees, at an average of 5.87 miles per game, and completing 265 passes in his opponent’s half, one every three minutes and 14 seconds;
- Osman has made more shots on target than any other Everton player this season with 27 on target – 63 per cent of all shots he has attempted;
Form
United: WWWWLW
Everton: WWWDWL
Officials
Referee: Mike Jones (Chester)
Assistants: A Garratt, A Halliday
Fourth Official: K Friend
Also worth reading:
- Carrick’s ‘blip’ leaves United with no room for error
- Poll: Will United win, lose or draw at City?
- Legends prepared as squeaky bum time approaches
- Destiny still in Reds’ hands
- ‘Killer’ Rooney picks up awards
Tags: Everton, Premier League
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“Positive news, then, that Ferguson reports no fresh injuries for the 2pm Sunday clash,”
Kick-off is 12.30pm
If we play like we did against Aston Villa we will win comfortably. Be nice to see some decent football again too… if we’re lucky, maybe even from Rooney.
I’m shitting my pants a bit about tomorrow to be honest. Even a draw would be a disaster.
Win this one and we have one hand on the title. If we win today, all pressure will be on city on derby day. If we drop points today, well, i dread to think what will happen next week as the momentum will have shifted away from us and city will know that beating us will give them a sniff of winning the league. We need the pressure to stay on City.
play like we did against villa and we will score loads
otherwise it will be a nervy game
bugger
its not even on radio 5
only talk shite with collymore
oh well, maybe unc will send me an invite to watch it over at his pad?
can’t you watch online?
Sorry Han , already at unc’s no room left in the bed to watch tv.
MANCHESTER IS MY HEAVEN- SIR MATT BUSBY
Here’s the United team, just announced:
De Gea, Rafael, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Valencia, Carrick, Scholes, Nani, Rooney, Welbeck. Subs: Amos, Jones, Smalling, Giggs, Park, Young, Hernandez
One diver out, another diver in! Talk about strength in depth.
Nani in.
MANCHESTER IS MY HEAVEN- SIR MATT BUSBY
no berba again?
just cannot understand that – if rooney is playing pants, i’d rather berba on than sweet pea
you ho
unc has two arseholes, he said there still room for you.
Wise move from Fergie keeping Young out
Kills that narrative dead
looks like its going to be a long afternoon…
If we’re to win the title we’ll need Nani to drag us across the finish line with some of the great form he showed last season.
Come on United.
If Welbeck does win a Premier league medal it will be one of life’s great mysteries!
Totally agree, he needs to bring some flair and magic!
Getting over run in the middle
Just hope that cunt Gibson doesn’t lash one in from 30 yards.
need to up the game
A draw is not good enough!! FFS come on!!
patience is a virtue
true.
Something I do not have!
fuck
bye bye title.
FFS!!
Hands Man City the title with 3 games to go!
time to pull the finger out reds
Typical United.
One good thing if we do blow it is maybe Fergies will strengthen it.
The Man City game was looking like the biggest worry was if they would do a guard of honor….
Hahahahaha we now look like cunts!
rooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooney
Yes 1-1.
Hello title!
stop whining ffs
Come onnnnnn!!!!!!!
what’s happened to our football, its like we’re a subbutteo team, completely rigid one dimensional 442, nobody moves about,wingers stay wide and the midfielders stay twenty yards away from the strikers, all we do is cross the ball to nobody in particular
Sorry I’ve always been the same!! I’m no good under pressure 25 years of following united!!
Fergie offering the 2nd official a rimming for a 2nd half penalty.
yeah bri has always been a bottling softshite leave him be
everton still looking dangerous
we really need to keep attacking their defenders
well we’re not gonna attack their attackers are we you stupid cunt
Thanks mate, I appreciate your support.
you know what i mean unc
Well that was fucking gutless. Not a collective bollock on display between them.
aye
you can go bum him later after aunty has finished with him
We hoof the ball forward and we hoof it into the box
What is Welbeck doing
things have got so bad, i’ve resorted to listening to talk shite for the past 10 mins
bbc text is impossible
and unc is being a tite arse with his sky as per normal
We look unlike most of our recent United sides as in we can’t handle the pressure!! All you cunts celebrating a title before we’d won it!!
chasing shadows which is what he has become excellent at since the turn of the year
stick the pea on
I’m annoying myself going on about it all the time but he is not up to the level we should expect.
We dont deserve the title. The football offered up this season has been shit tbf.
I’ve switched over to watch cowboy builders
don’t get done, get dom
Not sure whats wrong with the players. They seem half asleep except Rafael of course. Even Valencia is lethargic.
Rooney and Scholes are the only really clever players we’ve got…
Little dom, bish bash bosh
you like builders don’t u
hairdryer will be on charge for the dressing room i guess
was it a pen with raphael?
It would have been given if not for the Ashley Young saga I suspect.
Though it may have just been outside the box, not sure.
looked like a pen.
maybe i’m wrong but there is little urgency this afternoon
perhaps saving it for the last 15 minutes
evra been shocking today….
probably concussed still
comeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
on
welllllllllllllllllbeckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
Welbeck scores. Bri commits suicide.
2-1 United.
Welbeck you absolute cunt
Been anonymous for ages, thought Knobhead had backed another bottlejob
What a goal
nannnnnnnnnnnnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
3-1 yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.
Great goal by Nani. Young would have dived there.
Fuck yeah!!!!!!! I love Welbeck!
How is Gibson still on?
We have showed some bottle coming back from a goal down.
cunts
We just cannot take this can we!!
ffs I turned back over then
Fellaini making our midfield look cuntish.
Rooney.
4-2 yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss.
rooooooooooooney
come on reds
ffs
put this to bed
That’s a cracking goal and two quality assists for Welbeck.
Great goal, It was Cole and Yorke against Barca all over again.
Barca or Juve?
barca and juve
For neutrals great game, for us stress.
don’t remember Barca….
Good drugs.
4-3 fuck sake
and here comes Cahill. Player with big bollox
Honestly l…..
goodbye title
4-4 Pienaar. South African with bollox.
4-4
Fucking suicide!!
Every cunt on that field needs shooting!! Fucking given up!!
fucking disgrace.. evans has been woeful… concede 4 at home ???
A team of bottlers!!
Fergie slow in his substitutions. Should have taken off Scholes earlier.
There is no way we’ll beat City playing like this!!
We’ve just given Man City a massive boost before their game!!
fuck off.
what the fuck were tjhe fuckin cunts thinking. cunts cunts fuckin cunts. useless spineless shite cunts
Total cunts
We collapsed twice
can wolves do us a favour by keeping the score down?
fucking blew it… city game decideds title now.. not feeling confident abou it
we played footbnall for 10 mins and were sleepwalking for the rest. Fucking Evra and Scholes and Carrick and fucking Fergie. Needed a ball winner after 70 mins. Scholes and Carrick kept staying away from their midifielders and the fucked us. Evra is a fucking liability. The crosses for the first 2 goals came from the left flank with acres of space and fuck loads of time to whip in a cross
hence why berba should be on the bench
he can keep the ball instead of fucking about with it
we will need to do it the hard way as per fucking usual
tbf Everton where well up for this. Pienaar and Felaini are classy.
agreed. fellaini was made for english football and pienaar is classy.
and what the fuck was up with our lot then?
we should have buried them after going 4 goals up
fucking pissed this away today
carrick ponderous, rafael and evra poor at the back, nani wasteful. valencia too timid. only positive was welbeck and rooney combination.
Nani wasteful? He scored one and assisted one.
He was our best player today.
Fucks sake. Cant believe it…
Yeah but he could’ve done even more. Several times he overran it, showboated too much, or just shanked a shot when others were available. Not saying nani’s solely to blame but personally i thought welbeck was our MOTM by a mile.
didnt saf say if we were on level pegging with city going to their place he’d take that?
well, if they kick wolves’s butts today, it will be 3 points in our favour but unless we park the bus, coach and ocean liner next monday night, we will be arse banged
“Here is a stat for you: Manchester United still have not won a game after falling behind this season.”
Bollockless
Yeah midfield was overrun and defense lost the plot. All the back 4 were useless.
Waiting for post match comments. Im sure it will be about the ref and the penalty that wasn’t.
league game
but ffs 4-2 up with 12 mins left
man city going to arse whip wolves today and we will be looking like cunts unless wolves can do something
all the talk about experience in the run in is a shower of shit if our players don’t have the balls to stand up and be counted when it matters
wouldn’t bet against berbs being called back for next monday either
still, 3 points ahead is still better than 3 behind
I wonder if the media will bother mentioning the penalty we should have had…
hmm… doubt it somehow.
not sure if i want to punish myself further with the wolves match
Me too. not sure if I can bear to watch it. I’ll just get more depressed with each fucking goal that goes in. Expecting a 8-0 hammering.
my feelings exactly han. especially seeing as its nearly midnight and freezing here.
as to the game… there are no words
Why you worried about the penalty. 4-2 with 12 mins left and we still bottle it.
SAF was singing his praises this morning in the papers
i’m sure he jinxed him
We aren’t going to get a penalty unless someone gets assassinated
It works both ways
it’s laughable that people complain about the penalty and ignore the rest of the train wreck that was our performance.
Why don’t you fuck off you cunt. you sound like a City fan.
We get a lucky decision, a media campaign follows to make referees punish United, now it’s happened and no-one is going to mention it again. Just bias and it could have fucked up our season.
SAF saying it was a bollockless performance from the defence
sounds as down as the rest of us tbf
Don’t know about you, but that reminded me exactly like the form we had in late Septmeber, early October. Great attacking football, calamities in defence. Mad scorelines.
We’ve come full circle.
Doesn’t bode well for the fucking City game does it.
any hope we have of saving this title will rest with city having to go to newcastle after they play us
fucking phil neville, howard and gibcunt
This match has been our whole season in focus. Sir Alex and the muppets around them have cost us this match.
From the off the mentality of the players seemed off. Everton looked more up for it. Again, we play a two man central midfield of a has been and Carrick. Everton load bodies in there and are on top of us from the off and we could never get going. However, by sheer force, will and quality of the players, they manage to get us back and into a 4-2 lead. Why on earth was one extra midfielder not added into that middle so that the players on the pitch will realise that we wanted to shut up shop and play on the counter? Why? How can we be leading and then be so open? I said this on the Carrick thread last night that we are way too open as a football team and ask way too much of our players physically.
Our manager has to look at himself here and take a lot of the blame. Two goal advantage, less than 15 minutes to go and yet no call or change in personnel to let everyone know that we had to hold what we had. For many years now we have been so easy to play against purely because we are out dated and old fashioned in our set-up. This is so very annoying. With the same rubbish set-up in midfield next monday it will be an annihilation – again.
and i had to listen to that cuntface stan collycunt on talk shite
whenever i have listened to that station, united have never won and tbh i stopped until today as well
fucking bbc radio5 cunts with no commentary
I feel for you. Cunt face is an odious prick at the best of times… BBC live text not much better though. Gloating cunts.
thats right focus on scholes
without him, we would be 12 points behind not 6 ahead
we are shit but its our defence that leaks when put under pressure not just the lack of a midfield
It wasn’t Scholes fault, but Cal is right – why THE FUCK wasn’t Cleverley on the bench? If he was injured fine… but fucking hell.
I would have brought Smalling on in the midfield, or even as a 3rd centre back. He reads the game well, good passer and would have sured us up.
Jones does none of those things and Valencia was quite ineffectual today.
If not for Nani, Rooney and Welbeck today we would have lost 4-0.
You lot panic quick. Save your anger for next Monday.
I’m beyond angry!!
Let’s face facts, City deserve to win the title over the season they have been the best team. If Fergie was to win the title with this squad it would have been his greatest as we are fucking average to say the best!
I hate football sometimes! I cannot believe we have come to this situation where we have to go to the City stadium and get at least a draw!
Cunts!
Am disappointed in you Han. You read the whole post and you managed to pick out a “focus on Scholes”? Very poor. Hopefully that your line will bring out the rest of the idiots to gang up but I’ll take it.
It was not the defence. We are poorly set out as a team. That was why Europe found us easy to play against this season. We are porous. Our defence is easily gotten out and we have wide players strewn across the pitch and two forwards. Rooney does not want to do the donkey work of closing the midfielder. Watch their 2nd and 3rd goals and see how easy it was for Everton.
Exactly. Pointless to blame the back 4 – it was a poor team performance defensively.
No pressing in midfield, no urgency, just allowed Everton to play like it was an away game or something.
Also the crowd were fucking dire today. Even by Old Trafford standards.
If City win at Etihad, they deserve the title, if we win, we deserve to win the title.
Simple.
Also, that boy Tom Cleverley was missed today, part man part myth he could be our saviour against City.
Cal
I was “watching” the bbc text service and listening to that gobshite collytwat on talkshite – but you miss the point too. Our defence lacks a true leader and has done since december but we all know the midfield is shite and has been for ages and yet our defence should know better than be bullied by their forwards at OT of all places.
I agree defending as a team is so much better than relying on just our back line, but on the evidence of today, they shat on us by doing the simple things better
oh fuck off. I think the 4 goals leaked was more important than the missed penalty. Stop been such a miserable drama cunt.
fuck off you silly cunt. You’re the one being a miserable drama queen… just like brian two peas in the ugly wanker pod.
and its not like everton don’t have previous history against us
last season’s 3-3 when we were 3-1 up going into the 90th min
squeeky bum time again
You did not watch the game? And you are basing your posts here on bbc texts and radio commentaries? Wow!!!
I really hate this “our midfield is poor” stuff people come out with these days. It is a lazy cop out in my view. watch Sami Khedira at Real Madrid and point out his very good points for me please. I think you might struggle to find many. However, because he plays in a team that compacts their midfield with wide men instructed to come inside when they do not have the ball the game does not pass him by. We keep playing with a two man central midfield and two proper wide men and then expect to win all. It is sheer madness on the part of the coaching crew. It is astonishing to be honest. Teams have bodies in midfield. It is a pre-requisite of the modern game why are we trying to be different?
aye Cal
when radio says evans got turned for their 4th goal, i don’t think i really need to see it – i know what it means without needing to see it
i take it you are referring to justin…
Han
Yes… who else haha.
I’m off now… too stressful to be on here arguing with United fans on top of the result and imminent Wolves capitulation.
See you later
yeah he wants to rim me the silly cunt.
and i thought ur arse belonged to the tronix
United are only this close because of Scholes returning. A two man centre mid of Giggs and Carrick or Scholes and Carrick cant hack it against a 5 man midfield. When the going gets tough Carrick disappears and Giggs/Scholes no longer have the legs to make up for him.
It has been as clear as daylight for 2-3 years that midfield needs serious attention and money. Fergie is either blind or has his hands tied by the gimps running off with the money. Sadly Cleverly and Anderson are injury prone and Fletcher has been struggling for longer than this season with his bowel problem. And dont even mention the Korean credit card kid.
Evans did not get turned. The ball was played into Fellaini who was holding off Evans. He also managed to play the ball inside to Piennar who was not tracked and the guy did the rest.
That is disgraceful on the part of whoever said that Evans was turned. Scholes vacated his position and moved towards the ball and that space was what Pienaar exploited. Who gets the blame? The young Irishman. If Scholes holds his position Pienaar does not score. Watch MOTD later.
im a slut for stupid talk
I want to cry.
We’re actually going to throw the title away aren’t we?
i don’t think i can tbh Cal
i agree we are extremely poor when pressed in midfield but our defence has always been strong over the years
anyway here’s wishing that we haven’t chucked it away today
Justin, you find the blogs on supersport.com?
Cal, have you not learned. Insulting Scholes is sacrilege on Rant.
I saw the blogs but who are you on there?
I’m going to avoid all media and tv till after the Wolves demolition then tune in and have a small bit of hope that a miracle has happened only to see City have won 0-3!! What’s the fucking odds!! Then I will denounce football and refuse to watch anymore!! Then I’ll go for a wank marathon to make myself feel better. …..
the blogs on supersport are good for your marathon
I wrote “el Classico champions league final?”. When you read that, then you will find a link to the one on Messi.
Been saying that Evra is finished. He was in the middle of fucking nowhere for the cross that came in and Fellaini smashed in. The man is an absolute fucking liability.
What pisses me off is the fact that we sat back and stopped attacking at 4-2, let Everton come at us. Another game where we failed to kill off the opposition.
For that reason alone, we don’t deserve to win the title. We don’t want to win football matches.
Sheesh,
the cross came from Hibbert and Nani was rightly the one in front of the full-back. However, our winger made little effort at blocking the cross. This points to what am saying about how we set up. if we had a proper three man midfield, it would have been the holding midfielder going right across to stop that cross from coming in. Watch how many times Khedira, de Jong, Barry and co are the ones who stop crosses from coming in by opposition full backs.
We needed to kill the GAME off not look to score more goals!! needed to deny Everton space to play instead of leaving holes all around the pitch for Everton to exploit. I watched Everton murder Swansea at the Liberty Stadium with sheer industry and plenty of inventive application and I knew we had to match them or there will be trouble. we did not. Shame on the technical crew.
I totally agree mate, my be worth throwing the tittle away now and then see Fergie get some balls back! We’re nowhere near the attacking force we used to be, quality is poor most of the time!
we have scored 86 goals u twat
Work is going to be absolutely fucking shit tomorrow. Nice one, wankers. 8 days until we formally surrender the title to City. Can’t wait.
Yeah and it’ll get even worse when that cvnt tevez scores the winner and does his fookin golf swing. This match is the turning point in the season and in united’s future.
Tell me about it. That is my whole week ruined. And potentially summer too.
Don’t worry that will go over his head. We scored 4 good goals today. Our attack was not the reason we drew.
How do you think we should set up tactics wise against City? Park the bus and play on the counter or have a go right from the outset?
First 20 minutes of the cup tie showed us how it’s done. City are vulnerable and they have to win.
If we don’t win this it will be down to the fact we just haven’t got the quality. We are overachieving with these set players. Man for man starting XIs, City are better and we are pretty much equal with Spurs and Chelsea. Arsenal are similar to us in that they are greater than their parts, this is due to high quality management.
Also can’t see SAF dropping Welbeck. Therefore Rooney will be asked to sit deeper and more like a 4-5-1 It really is on him, he can make the difference here. Rafael looks vulnerable now, Smalling has a good head under pressure and is very solid defensively so he might come in although he hasn’t had much game time. The rest of the side will remain the same. Cleverley could come in on the bench, with Rafael missing out altogether with his brother and Berbatov.
wish i had posted that too
my anger and frustration got the better of me at 2.25pm and what should have been a celebratory mood was turned into a cynical, pessimistic and stressed postings
city were out of sight 6 months ago but full credit that we are 3 points ahead going into the final 3 games
Its ok Liverpool are losing again, that might help slightly. Super Roy!
you mention berbatov as missing next week too but here is the perfect player to bring on when you have won the game and want someone who can hold the ball up
ffs it’s like SAF has been reading the posts on here the way he has treated berbs
I think he has alot to offer, but I just can’t see Fergie picking him even on the bench, a la Champions League final. He will have Hernandez and Young on the bench anyway as attacking options with Giggs, Park, Jones and Cleverley probably in addition.
Its criminal how Berbatov hasn’t been used this season, he still has 9 goals in 11 starts. It just to be down to a complete clash of personalities with Fergie. They just couldn’t be more different.
not often i say this but if thats true, SAF has a lot to answer for in his handling of berba
Training would be interesting to watch, some players who are mysteriously dropped or left on the bench might be cruising in training.
Sometimes a manager just doesn’t fancy or trust certain players when it really matters. In addition does anyone know whether they have extended his contract?
nope
no extension
and if he is by some miracle offered it, he should turn it down and go to a club that appreciates his talent
SAF pulled out the stops to get him from spurs and after being top scorer last season, discarded him like a used tampax
absolutely disgraceful treatment of a fine player
who on here can say hand on heart that berbs wouldn’t have been a better bet than hernandez in the past 2 months?
The thing is that he provides something different than Rooney, Welbeck, Hernandez or Owen. A strikeforce of those 5 could match anyone’s. He can open up a defence in a different way than any of the above.
He’s wasted in England, stick him in Spain with a decent side and he will be constantly tagged world class. United play at a quick tempo, whereas Berba works better in a slow build up or within a passing orientated style of play. United generally play at a quick tempo with wingers.
Just hope he gets a decent move so he can at least make more of his talent.
We dare not get at City. They will murder us. We have to go solid against them. A midfield trio of Jones/Carrick/Giggs. Nani and Valencia wide of Rooney. A draw will do us. let them come at us. Mancini will be counting on our useless tactics and for us to be wide open so they can rip us apart. we must NOT be less than a three man central midfield or else we should just forget it.
Why o why is Berbatov being mentioned now? Absolute waste of a valuable shirt of a talented footballer in a team that does not suit him. He must leave in the summer. He should take Owen with him to clean his boots at his new club.
so are you saying he is a talented player but just at the wrong club?
or perhaps i’m being obtuse?
city will expect us to line up like that – mancini is not stupid
they have the players to do us regardless of how we line up
i say go for broke
fuck them – score 1, we score 2 u cunts
I’ve always wondered who would take over from Fergie….. Step forward Han! FFS!!
I’m really worried about our defence after today’s showing, particularly in the full-back areas. It wouldn’t surprise me if Fergie treated the derby like he would treat a tricky European away game a season or 2 ago. Ashley Young does more work defensively than Nani and, purely for that reason, I would pick him. I’m sure Giggs will play. As Cal suggests, a 5 man midfield is probably the way to go.
I really cannot believe we have put ourselves in this position. When are these players going to wake up? How many bad results is it going to take for us to play with more discipline and better concentration?
8 days feels like an absolute eternity away.
han,
absolutely. He did not think it through before agreeing to join us. Ferguson does not buy players and make the team to suit them. He insists that these players change to suit the way United play. Unfortunately, Veron, Berba were/are too old to change at Old Trafford.
Sheesh, anything bar a 5 man midfield and we will be destroyed. We do NOT have to win. That is the key. I am glad we do not go into this fixture needing a win. Welbeck will have to take a place on the bench despite his great efforts lately. Young will not get any change out of Zabaleta so Nani it has to be.
I have no idea how Monday night will go? All I do know is that it’s entertaining and set up to be the most important derby game for years. But it isn’t the title decider it’ll go to the last game of the season. If city beat us they will get nervous and drop points again especially at Newcastle.
To cheer yourselves up go on here..
https://twitter.com/#!/RAWK_Meltdown
A more worrying thought is that we have a manager who went into a champions league final against Barcelona and played 4-4-2!!! Oh God. The thought still brings shivers down my spine. what on earth do Phelan and co do beside him?! They will go to the Council House now and play with Giggs and Scholes in midfield; Welbeck and Rooney upfront. Oh dear.
I wonder if we can learn to defend before next week?
and thats precisely why u will always remain a titbit for the likes of uncleknobend
When you lot are done slitting your wrists, and moaning about failed tactics and formations,(ffs Cal, you don’t half go on at times)… you would do well to remember a few things…
We are still in charge… 3 points ahead, with 3 games to play… that’s real… not depending on what happens next week… next week is next week!
This is what we watch the game for… these titanic clashes for the big pots… this is the most exciting finish to a title chase in years, and I can’t fuckin wait.
City are a good team… no doubt… but they’re not Barcelona, and they have shown a real talent for tripping over their own tongues… they gave us a right pasting earlier, but that was an abhoration… for all you whiners complaining how Ferguson got this and that wrong, he’s shown time after time an uncanny ability to grind out results when it really matters… Mancini has not, and neither has his team…
Our away fans are great, and they’ll hold their own… we can beat these cunts… absolutely… whether we do or not remains to be seen… but I’m happy to put my faith in Ferguson over Mancini…
This ^^^ fucking right! Bring it on thats what its been about for the last 20 odd years at United. Seeing off the pretenders. Arsenals flowing football, Chelsea’s millions, Newcastle’s attacking football we’ve seen them all off and sent the fans packing after picking up trophy after trophy and being the most entertaining team the Premier League has ever witnessed. I want the drama, the classic clashes some downs but mostly ups. I want us to be slated in the press told time and time again how shit and past it SAF and his squad are and I want a home grown talent like Wellbeck to take the mercenaries apart in their own backyard. We can win at Eastlands.
By the way… when are some of you going to acknowledge the quality of Moyes?
Outstanding manager.
Alf, how many times have we complained this season about the sloppiness and complacency of this side? How many times are we going to fuck up before this lot get their act together?
Fucking hell, to go from an 8 point lead to being on the verge of surrendering the championship – and we had supposedly the easier run-in.
There will be no excuses if we fail to win the league and, I don’t know about you, but it’s awful having people rubbing your noses in it.
Yes, we’re an average side but we are (soon to be ‘were’?) top of the league and when you fuck up the way we have, it’s criminal.
Old Trafford was deathly silent at full-time today. People were just stunned at what they’d witnessed. Such an important game and we see keystone cops defending like that.
well i actually did post some time ago that i wouldn’t mind him coming to OT, but obviously i was shat on by all and sundry on here…
oh but it wasn’t the defence was it according to some on here….
its all the fault of our midfield and scholes, how dare the ginger pubed gonad sucker come out of retirement to play again etc
ffs defending like a bunch of wet pussies has cost us yet again – all our defeats have had some element of defensive fraility to blame and yet it’s always the fault of our midfield
what a crock of donkey shit
evans was hyped up by SAF and served up a right mare and rio was caught with his pants down too
evra has been dodgy as fuck for the past 4 months and raphael looks like he woke up on the pitch after 30 minutes
but oh no don’t be pointing your dirty finger at those cunts
its always the middle that deserves the pasting -
but on today’s evidence i cannot agree
Lol fergie you bullshit artist
Golf and spa trip to Scotland to encourage team spirit as if the title had been won.
Bumming up Evans as the best defender in the epl. Bull crap.
Yes bringing back tevez was a really stupid decision! Mancini is shit! Aguero and Nasri are crap!
Well done city for exposing united and moreover the arrogance and hubris of our downsy fans.
Alf, this is Unitedrant. We are allowed to rant. I am ranting. You sound as confident as you were when the team for the Champions League final was announced and we went 4-4-2 with Giggs and Carrick against Xavi-iniesta-messi-busquets midfield.
Today, City were one nil up against the bottom side and were not playing well. Mancini took off Silva and brought on de Jong. Message? What we have we must hold. Today, we are leading 4-2 into the last 12 minutes was there any message from the bench or tactical move so we hold on to the vital lead and keep our three points? NONE whatsoever. Therefore, I can and will rant on UnitedRant.
Dannii, Evans played well. The defenders had no shield as they have hardly had all season.
Evans is among the chief culprits today, It’s not the fault of the midfield that him and Ferdinand went for the same header and they both lost out to Fellani, it wasn’t Carrick who gave Fellani a free volley from about 10 yards out.
We conceded 4 at home and you think our defenders played well?
oh wait let me watch our defensive shambles on motd before i make any further comment…
I don’t think we had such a bad game, Everton were just very good, and a couple of their goals were great bits of individual skill. Our team is still lacking the perfect balance between defence and attack, largely because of our midfield personnel. We’ve known that for ages, and Moyes is probably the cleverest manager in the PL, he found a way to take advantage.
I’ll be shitting myself against City. There’s no point going on about 3 in the middle or 2 in the middle, we don’t have three central midfielders who are good enough, so if we go 3 in the middle we are objectively lowering the quality of our team. We’ve got no fit central midfielder who puts himself about, it’s pathetic. Park and Jones just aren’t up to the task, not against City’s midfield especially.
We’ll get beaten soundly at the wastelands.
so our midfield is shit – nowt new there
so we have no one of any quality except scholes and carrick – nowt new there
so fucking stick berba in the middle to hold the ball and create something new for welbeck and rooney to build upon
if we are going to get slaughtered any which way, try something so obscene it may work
Sheesh… you have become too spoilt Mate… we don’t have a divine right to win all the time, and our team isn’t good enough to expect them to be unbeatable… we’ve all been complaining about the lack of quality in certain areas for years… yet Ferguson keeps winning the fuckin title with what he’s got… we’re still in top spot now, with only 3 games left, and you’re going on like we’ve dropped out of the top 4… if we don’t win this year, we don’t win…. it’ll be a pisser for sure, but fuck me Mate… every other fuckin team in the PL would give their nuts to be where we are… we fucked up HUGE today… no doubt about it… but we’ve lost nothing yet… and we’re still the team to beat.
Cal… you know what you are… you are the master of post match, analytic hyperbole… after a lost match, you’ve got all the answers… all the theoretical, tactical, strategical, psychological, engineerical, mathematical, pornographical answers… every fuckin time… 4-4-2 is dead… Cal says so… even if we win with it, it’s because the opposing team didn’t play with the wind at their back and the sun was in their eyes… you might even be right… maybe 4-4-2 is dead… but as long as Ferguson keeps bringing home the silverware with it… I’ll keep saying… “you don’t half talk a lot of shit”…
And Dannii… fuck me… what the fuck do you even support United for, you miserable fuckin cunt? all you do is run Ferguson and the team down… unless it’s about the Glazers that is… then your eyes glass over, you get a little stiffy, and try to impress us all with what you think you know about business… and by the way, what is this bollocks?… “Mancini is shit! Aguero and Nasri are crap!”… go on Mate explain that… who says Mancini is shit, Aguero, Nasri, crap???… who says that? no one you fuckin cock… but you often write garbage like that, as if to infer that someone else is an idiot, but you of course know better… it’s old and boring… but if you insist… how about Moyes eh? he’s right shit, innit? Gollem faced cunt, couldn’t manage a pub team, yeah? Dickhead!
And Clopsy…. For fuck sake… how can you of all people be feeling so negative?
I’m not having it… we’ll do those fuckers on their own patch… you just fuckin watch and see… we may not win… but a shitty 0-0 draw will have them crying just as much… and that’ll do for me…
3 up with 3 to play… come on you fuckers… you better hope our away fans have got more guts than some of you lot next week.
“Badges, to god-damned hell with badges! We have no badges. In fact, we don’t need badges. I don’t have to show you any stinking badges, you god-damned cabrón and ching’ tu madre! Come out from that shit-hole of yours. I have to speak to you.”
Another result of match fixing. Thats why the team played the way they did!. The whole world wants to see a Man City vs Man Utd game that is going to decide the title race. Fergie likes drama. He wants United to go to City and beat them to show that United is the best. Being eight points ahead was just to easy for Fergie. But we blew it today. We will get a beating at Man City and if they go on and win the title, blame Fergie for not raising the morale against Wigan and Everton or for just throwing the games to just enjoy the drama at the City ground come next Monday. I really hope this is Fergie’s last season, but then again, what I’m hearing is that Mike Phelan is the strong favourite to replace him. Lord have mercy.
I’ve more respect for Berba than most people around here, but first of all, our problem against Everton was not scoring goals, so what’s Berba got to do with us conceding four? Secondly, Fergie’s problem with berba has nothing to do with a clash of personalities. There’s been no unprofessional public moaning by either of them. Fergie just doesn’t think he fits in the team, it’s a pure footballing decision, right or wrong.
Alf,
unlike most here I do not come with views AFTER the fact or matches. During that Champions League final when you were faoming at the mouth over the line-up I mentioned that we will be destroyed in midfield. For a few seasons now I have been pointing out that we are too easy to play against. Our defenders have little or no protection. It shows in a lot of big games and I have no idea why you can’t acknowledge what you no doubt see too.
If you think we are going to come away with a result at the council house a week today then you have a different view of our set-up. If you want a bad omen then here it is: Arsenal were leading the table until they threw away a two goal lead at struggling Bolton in ’02/03 season. We have just blown a two goal lead cos we have a technical crew that did not realise that we needed to shut up shop. Everton played with Fellaini in the hole/gap between midfield and defence while Jelavic floated all over the shop. Pienaar, Osman, Gibson and Neville absolutely drowned Carrick and Scholes. Clear as daylight. Same thing Wigan did the other night – I forget, it was cos Scholes did not play that was why we lost at the DW right?
Do you watch other leagues? La Liga that you probably watch a bit how many teams still play 4-4-2?
Fuck sake that games gone! Just like the Blackburn game and just the Newcastle game etc. All that matters now is they switch on at the council house. After the run of games against Spurs, Arsenal, Liverpool etc I said if we come out of that period within 4/5 points of city we will win it and here we are 3 pts clear going into the derby. Even a loss wouldn’t be a disaster knowing that city have to go to an in form Newcastle. They need to win all three, it’s going to the wire and I can’t wait for Monday!
Cal… “For a few seasons now I have been pointing out that we are too easy to play against.”… and for all that time everyone has been agreeing with you… we have glaring weaknesses in midfield… where we don’t agree is how we use the midfield that we’ve got… we are current champions of the PL, with what is recognized as a poor midfield… we are leading the league this year as well… Ferguson must be doing something right Cal… we tripped up big time yesterday Mate, and you can dissect the hell out of it afterwards, but if our defense didn’t have such a shocker, then we win… and we are on our way to 20… and let’s not gloss over the fact that our defense has been 2nd only to the Bitters, so they can’t be that unprotected…
Plus we seem to hyping city up as if they are (all of a sudden) unstoppable. They didn’t look that great against Wolves. Nervy, a bit unsure, Lescott is a liability beyond Evans. Clichey is prone to switching off and Barry, Milner and Yaya Toure look knackered. Aguero didn’t look so sharp either. But Nani, Rooney and Wellbeck looked good. With 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1 we can get the result we need and if we don’t its still not over with Newcastle chasing not just 4th but 3rd! This is what being a fan is all about. Just think back to when all we used to do was hope for a good cup run and league games meant nothing especially the last 10 of the season just going through the motions. I’d rather we risked losing everything just in the hope we get chance to rub their noses in it on their patch Monday night. C’MON!!!!
I think that’s a bit simplistic. Besides, who gives a fuck what other teams do. Over the past 5 years or so, only one team has been better than us in the world – Barca. So we’re doing something right.
If nothing else, this game offers more proof that Moyes is the man to replace Fergie. Loyal, classy, gutsy, tactically as good as anyone, and a great man manager. What else could we want? If Everton didn’t have such a paper-thin squad, they’d be competing for the CL spots no problem. It only takes a couple of injuries to wreck their form, and they get a lot of injuries because they have to buy crocks in a desperate search for affordable talent. But I’ve never seen anyone like Moyes for finding solutions to personnel problems; it might take a couple of games, but he’ll figure out how to at least make a good showing against the best with whatever 11 he’s got.
I have never once said, nor have I ever believed that we have a divine right to win all the time. The least I, or any normal United fan should expect, is that when the players go out they give their all for 90 mins. This includes them concentrating at all times and not getting complacent thinking the game is won.
I can accept if it happens once in a blue moon. When players keep making the same stupid mistakes, why shouldn’t we ask questions? When complacency and carelessness have already cost us in the Champions League, why shouldn’t I complain?
If we lose the league this season, it won’t be because City have been so exhilarating and far superior to us, it will be because, when it came to the crunch, we shot ourselves in the foot through our own sloppiness and carelessness. If players are getting careless, that suggests to me that they couldn’t give a shit – and that’s the last thing I expect to see in any United player.
sheesh
i doubt the players couldn’t give a shit – SAF would soon see that in any player and discard them immediately
we were careless as does happen with even the greatest of teams from time to time- i thought wigan was a blip and yesterday was hard to stomach but like i’ve said many times before, we still have the title in our hands
the hairdryer dont work no more.
i’m sending some new duracells to OT immediately
By the way, Alf, you talk about spoilt. You’re the one who, on more than one occasion has admitted that you don’t enjoy watching this United side anymore. You’re as bad as the rest of us
People in glass houses and all that.
Nobody on here is spolit. We’re all frustrated and anxious that, given our once supposedly commanding lead, we could be on the verge of handing the title to a bitter enemy. You might not feel it matters if it’s City or Chelsea (maybe/maybe not, I don’t know) but, for me, it’s much worse if it’s City.
Jesus Sheesh… you’re not half tetchy Mate… read what you wrote, and then tell me how that’s any different from the feelings of ANY other fan of another club when they lose a game… especially a key game they should have won… the difference is… how many of them can say they’re still favourite for the title?
And by the way… every single true United fan is spoilt to fuck, me included…
Fc Basel and athletico and Chelsea