Preview...UNITED VS EVERTON

Manchester United vs Everton

22nd April 2012

Old Trafford

Referee: Mike Jones 

• Wayne Rooney will go fourth in Manchester United's all-time goalscoring list if he scores two against his former club on Sunday. He will surpass the current joint-fourth-placed Old Trafford legends Dennis Viollet and George Best.

• Everton have not beaten the Red Devils on away soil in 18 top-flight matches. United have won 15 of those, drawing with the Toffees three times.

• 82 points - the current points tally of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side - is the highest they have ever had after 34 matches.

• David Moyes’ men have not lost in four consecutive league matches, taking 10 points from an available 12. However, their momentum was dented last weekend when Liverpool scored late to beat their Merseyside rivals 2-1 in their FA Cup semi-final.

• Although they lost both European matches at Old Trafford, United have won all seven of their games at the stadium since the turn of the year.

• As of Saturday morning, Rooney (24) is three goals behind Arsenal’s Robin van Persie (27) in the Premier League top goalscorer chart. The former Everton forward is on 31 in all competitions, eight ahead of Everton’s top goalscorer, Nikica Jelavic (23), who arrived at Goodison Park from Rangers in January.

• The Goodison Park club have conceded 34 times in the top-flight this season - only Manchester United and Manchester City have a better defensive record.

• That man again: Rooney has not scored in his last six Premier League games against the club he played for until 2004.
• Darren Gibson will make his return to Old Trafford after his winter move to the Tofees. 

Air CRASH INVESTIGATION..... MUNICH 58'

          The title can be touched now, and this article will say no more. United win, City lose, and United can just reply for their derby humiliation by winning the title at The Etihad three weeks from now. Ethihad by the way means United. 


"Whenever I go to the circus, I see clowns"

- Gary Neville in refrence to Mario Ballotelli's sending off. Te best part was Mario didn't even bother to            get off the pitch fast enough.

"Why Always Me? Take a look at yourself there Mario"

-Premier Sky Sports commentary.....the best since Neville's above crack"

Balotelli- 57 games 4 reds. Javier Zanetti for Inter - 700 games 1 red

Second chances

           The title race looks all wrapped up, but before you close this window because that is what you've heard of all week, be assured this blog is not going to be talking about it, just using it as a landmark for reference. This article just asks one clear cut question, and please comment.

            Is this season been all that successful? We know that it is a unproductive activity to cry over spilt milk, but is alright to ignore it totally by pretending water is a lovely substitute? It's hardly been an ideal season and being knocked out European competitions twice, and loosing to a lower division team in the League Cup has not exactly been United's thing the past decade. (Notable exception- 2005 European campaign).

             For starters, the European form has been nothing short of dreadful. There have been just three victories in 8+4 matches, and two of them against Romanian first timers, Oetul Galti, whose name no one seems sure how to pronounce. The other one was a 2-0 win against a young Ajax side, and in all fairness to the Erikssen inspired Dutchmen, they won the return leg at Old Trafford 2-1 but failed to go through on aggregate. That brings us to another huge blip in Europe, they have won only once at home, yeah, against Galati. They lost to Basel, Ajax, Bilbao while drawing against Benfica, twice. Their defence was shambolic and their two ties against Bilbao exposed them to the fullest. Rafael strong in the counter attack, was often rendered helpless at the back. (Case in point- he stood and watched a loose ball, that had rebounded from a fantastic De Gea save, and continued watching as the lurking Munian slotted it high.). Jones got his first goal in Europe, but against United. His lack of maturity showed in his positioning, and showed that comparisons to the OT legend, Duncan Edwards were highly overrated, , but as United just as yet. Ferdinand was dreadful in the Champions League but was in Europe's second tier, he was a little better. (He got a goal against as well.). De Gea was still learning in the the Champions League, and a string of exceptional performances by the Spaniard were not enough to keep United in.    
 
    The cup runs weren't all that glorious as the Reds lost 2-1 to a Crystal Palace side that won through an extra time header. Late goals are United's style not Palace's. The performance was so dreadful and that was certified by the fact that Sir Alex apologised publicly, and when Fergie apologises, all is not well in the United camp. Macheda was particularly poor, misplacing passes and at one point trying to control a routine ball only to knock it out for a throw-in. He was not alone, however. There was the embarrassing sight of Mame Biram Diouf being penalised for a foul throw. Fábio da Silva picked up a yellow card, could have given away a penalty and limped off injured. Rafael da Silva was also forced off, a sort of deja vu for those who have followed the Brazilians' careers. Dimitar Berbatov will be sent for scans after leaving Old Trafford with a protective cast on a foot.


      So even if United go on to win their 20th title, their 37th senior trophy under Sir Alex, is the season as pretty as it is made out to been. In all fairness to the Reds, they are a team in transition. To add to that, they missed their captain Vidic for an entire season, had a shadow of the old Evra in the left wing, had Anderson injured.  The Old Trafford faithful know patience as before the Ferguson era they had to wait 26 long years for a title, but Sir Alex came and changed all that, and that even a United team in transition is challenging arguably the best City team in the Premier League era stands testimony. United have survived departures of key players and seasons without key men, walking out of them with their heads held high. Winning has become part of their DNA, and that is what this season should be remembered for. A 3-3 comeback win against Chelsea, a last gasp Giggs goal against Norwich, and even though not every one woyld agree, the pure attacking urge in the 6-1 loss to Man City. 


     So this season may be one for the record books. Ryan Giggs becoming the player with most appearances, Giggs scoring every season of the premier league and Champions League, United winning their 20th title, Sir Alex becoming the longest serving manager, but the only thing that a football season ever signifies is with United there are always second chances, there is always next season.

Lawn Rov-ing

              Last minute business? Maybe. Excellent defending? Surely. The result we needed? Definitely. Three points from this game means we go 5 points clear of Man-City, and if potentially 8 by the end of the next weekend.

               Meanwhile rumours of City cracking up are everywhere, all that remains is those waving white flags. City showed that they still had spirit, coming back from 3-1 against Sunderland , to draw 3 all. But worryingly for City fans they also demonstrated why a clash of ego's was a collision waiting to happen. The City juggernaut appears to have applied the breaks, but that was not the only thing Nigel De Jong felt like breaking on that evening, following his feud with Mancini. (Yes we are talking about the cool, calm, collected composed and a work horse by nature, De Jong) Then Super Mario showed why he was still 'untrustable' in his managers words by having his mini argument with Kolorov on a set-piece just outside the box.

                United however are coolly ahead now. They had to work for it though. Throughout the first half the Reds found no penetration despite seeing 67% of possession. Blackburn in contrast had the only clear cut shots, 3 splendidly saved by the increasingly maturing De Gea. The second half nothing changed, and Hernandez continued his trend of wasting shots from the first half. The Mexican was soon substituted for Danny Welbeck. Also Paul Scholes came off for Ashley Young and Giggs came on for ex-Rovers man Phil Jones.
 
                 United suddenly turned up a few notches quite like against Norwich City a few matches back and soon Antonio Valencia had the ball at the back of the net after taking the ball along the wing.
5 minutes later Robinson was again picking the ball out of the goal, after Ashley Young curled a pristine shot just out the range of the Keeper.

                United ahead means manythings, not least a 20th title, and for the most Optimistic fan, the Reds could well lift the title at the Ethihad.(Titbit-----Ethihad means United)

We went, we saw and we got conquered.......

       It was always going to be an uphill task. The fact that we scored 1 was always going to be overshadowed by the the fact they scored 2. Even over two legs, they were the better team. United horrendus European form set up a farewell last night, not a very unexpected one, one even many of the most optimistic travelling supporters had braced themselves for. United got what they deserved, so did Athletic.

      There are always lessons to learn from every football match, whether you win or lose," Sir Alex told Channel 5. "It's disappointing more than anything. We haven't progressed in the Champions League and now we're out of the Europa League. I think the best team went through. I don't think we can complain." The best team did win and they did in style. One wondered how long Bilbao could continue their high tempo game.....and 90 minutes they lasted. In all fairness to United they had the ball for an equal time but most of it was in defense.


     United went behind in 23 minutes, as our man to watch, Llorente was unwatched and controlled the ball beautifully with a combo of chest, shoulder and leg and lashed a sublime volley into the goal. Remember the Van Persie goal against Everton, in december i think? This was Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V. Cleverly had a legit penalty claim rejected, and Llorente went out injured.


   Bilbao looked like scoring a few times in the opening stages in the first half, but United hung on until at the 65th when Iraola escaped on the right for the umpteenth time and delivered a centre that dropped at the feet of De Marcos, who should have put Bilbao ahead in the 14th minute only to slice horribly wide after Muniain's shot had come back off the upright. This time the midfielder made no mistake and slotted it home. Roo grabbed a consolation though as he curled a ball from his right after shrugging of his man. 


 United may win the League but the Old Trafford faithful would be reminded that in Europe they have won just 3 games this season and two of those were against Oetul Galati. Bilbao decided to put up quite a show for United, and got out this tie far far better they would have predicted after the draw. United have seen that they need to improve a lot, not to face Real Madrid, but even to face a team 33 points beneath Madrid in the Liga. 


  The sole solace is that this is a United team in transition, and to be fair United shouldn't even be there at the top of the Premier League, and they wouldn't if other teams around them hadn't collapsed so disastrously. The mighty Arsenal, the solid Chelsea, and Spurs who were once title contendors, all gone. 


    But this is a team in transition, so I'd say, well done.

Super Sunday....

      What could be better than a United victory you ask???? A City loss, of course. And when both happen on the same day, and when it means United go to of the table, the average United fan easily puts the mid-week Europa disappointment behind him.

        West-Bromwich Albion under Roy Hodson look this year to cement their first top 10 place Division one finish since the glory days against Ron Atkinson in the 1978-79 season where they finished fourth behind Arsenal, Aston Villa and Ipswich. The majority of this charge was based on their superb away form and they have won eight away games. United got an early reminder of why, as at the 6 minute mark, a ball from Ridgwell almost found the unmarked Keith Andrews who at full length, couldn't get to it. But the warning was far from a sign of things to come. United had firm control of possessions and save a Andrews low-freekick there was nothing to trouble the champions.

        Rooney continued his goal scoring form as a drive from Hernandez, which almost found Foster's hands, was diverted by the frontman into the far post, and unlike the last two United fixtures, United truly deserved to score the opener. As United went into the break ahead, in Wales City were being held by an impressive Swansea side, and as things stood United would go level on points with the leaders.

       The stats spoke all this match as United saw a whooping 65%. However the lack of clear cut chances was reflected by the fact that they had only 8 shots on target to their 23 attempts. Luck helped though as Albion were wrongly denied a penalty, and United later got one, which Rooney calmly converted to score his 25th of the season in all competitions. However Hernandez was denied by the woodwork and Welbeck by the woodwork but United still sailed to a comfortable victory. At the Liberty Stadium, Swans had won the match as late onslaughts from a lack luster City side failed to negate a late opener (85th minute) by late substitute Luke Moore.

  United go top of the table but still have a mountain to climb on Thursday as they must win by 2 clear goals against a Bilbao side that trampled them.