About Manchester United

Manchester United Fixtures 2006-2007

2006-08-20T13:18:00.000+02:00

At last the new season is upon us and hopefully it won't end with Chelsea winning their third Premiership title in a row. They weren't that far ahead of us last time around and a simple return to our normal standard of results at Old Trafford, avoiding those frustrating home draws, would be enough for us to outdo the Russians!

This year's Premiership fixtures are currently as follows, although there will of course be all the usual changes and re-arranged dates as the season unfolds.

Fixtures

Man Utd v Fulham, 14:30 Sunday, 20 August 2006
Charlton Athletic v Man Utd, 21:00 Wednesday, 23 August 2006
Watford v Man Utd, 16:00 Saturday, 26 August 2006
Man Utd v Tottenham Hotspur, 18:15 Saturday, 09 September 2006
Man Utd v Arsenal, 17:00 Sunday, 17 September 2006
Reading v Man Utd, 18:15 Saturday, 23 September 2006
Man Utd v Newcastle United, 16:00 Saturday, 30 September 2006
Wigan Athletic v Man Utd, 13:45 Saturday, 14 October 2006
Man Utd v Liverpool, 14:00 Sunday, 22 October 2006
Bolton Wanderers v Man Utd, 16:00 Saturday, 28 October 2006
Man Utd v Portsmouth, 16:00 Saturday, 04 November 2006
Blackburn Rovers v Man Utd, 18:15 Saturday, 11 November 2006
Sheffield United v Man Utd, 16:00 Saturday, 18 November 2006
Man Utd v Chelsea, 17:00 Sunday, 26 November 2006
Man Utd v Everton, 20:45 Wednesday, 29 November 2006
Middlesbrough v Man Utd, 18:15 Saturday, 02 December 2006
Man Utd v Manchester City, 13:45 Saturday, 09 December 2006
West Ham United v Man Utd, 17:00 Sunday, 17 December 2006
Aston Villa v Man Utd, 16:00 Saturday, 23 December 2006
Man Utd v Wigan Athletic, 16:00 Tuesday, 26 December 2006
Man Utd v Reading, 16:00 Saturday, 30 December 2006
Newcastle United v Man Utd, 16:00 Monday, 01 January 2007
Man Utd v Aston Villa, 16:00 Saturday, 13 January 2007
Arsenal v Man Utd, 16:00 Saturday, 20 January 2007
Man Utd v Watford, 21:00 Wednesday, 31 January 2007
Tottenham Hotspur v Man Utd, 16:00 Saturday, 03 February 2007
Man Utd v Charlton Athletic, 16:00 Saturday, 10 February 2007
Fulham v Man Utd, 16:00 Saturday, 24 February 2007
Liverpool v Man Utd, 16:00 Saturday, 03 March 2007
Man Utd v Bolton Wanderers, 16:00 Saturday, 17 March 2007
Man Utd v Blackburn Rovers, 16:00 Saturday, 31 March 2007
Portsmouth v Man Utd, 16:00 Saturday, 07 April 2007
Man Utd v Sheffield United, 21:00 Tuesday, 10 April 2007
Chelsea v Man Utd, 16:00 Saturday, 14 April 2007
Man Utd v Middlesbrough, 16:00 Saturday, 21 April 2007
Everton v Man Utd, 13:00 Saturday, 28 April 2007
Manchester City v Man Utd, 16:00 Saturday, 05 May 2007
Man Utd v West Ham United, 16:00 Sunday, 13 May 2007

All match times are mainland European time not funny UK island time!

Long Hot Summer of Football

2006-08-20T11:44:00.000+02:00

It's been a long hot Summer of football with one of the best World Cups for a long time, in footballing terms at least, providing a feast of controversy, argument and debate but, most of all, some fantastic football.

Of course it all went tragically wrong for England and the footballing genius we call Wayne Rooney

but, looking on the bright side, at least we got rid of the twin footballing liabilities of Sven Goran Eriksson

and David Beckham!

Such good news has not really been reflected back home at Old Trafford where we've seen the departure of Ruud van Nistelrooy

to rejoin Beckham at the broody giants of Spanish Football we know as Real Madrid.

We may never know what went on between Ruud and Sir Alex Ferguson

but it's long been clear that Sir Alex is definitely not the type to be afraid of cutting off his nose to spite his face.

The only great news for us long suffering Reds fans is the arrival of Michael Carrick

from Tottenham Hotspur. Carrick was brilliant in his one and only World Cup start and added a lot to the team's footballing options and could do a similar job for Manchester United. Now if we could only finalise the long overdue arrival of Owen Hargreaves,

we'd have a central midfield pairing that would do us proud!

Premiership Preview Weeks 18, 19, 20, 21

2005-12-25T23:01:00.000+01:00

The Christmas and New Year period is always the start of the most insane period of footballing intensity as every Premiership team and supporter in the Premiership has to endure four vital matches in eight days through the holiday period. Apologies for limited coverage at this crucial turning point halfway through the season.

Things get started with the Boxing Day games making up Week 18 which look like this:-

Monday, 26 December 2005............................. My Call
Aston Villa v Everton................................. .......Everton just
Charlton Athletic v Arsenal...............................Arsenal easily alas
Chelsea v Fulham...............................................Chelsea unfortunately
Liverpool v Newcastle United ..........................Liverpool
Manchester United v West Bromwich Albion.Manchester United
Middlesbrough v Blackburn Rovers ............... Looks like a draw
Portsmouth v West Ham United.......................Looks like a draw
Sunderland v Bolton Wanderers.......................Bolton easily
Tottenham Hotspur v Birmingham City..........Another win for Spurs
Wigan Athletic v Manchester City................... Wigan win

Scarcely are those games over then begins the Week 19 round of games just forty-eight hours later:

Wednesday 28th December 2005..............................My Call

Arsenal v Portsmouth...............................................Arsenal to win
Birmingham City v Manchester United..................Another Red victory
Blackburn Rovers v Sunderland.............................Blackburn to edge it
Bolton Wanderers v Middlesbrough.................... .Tight home win.........
Everton v Liverpool .................................................Looks like Liverpool
Fulham v Aston Villa.................................................I expect a draw
Manchester City v Chelsea......................................Hopefully a tie
Newcastle United v Charlton Athletic....................Much-needed home win
West Bromwich Albion v Tottenham Hotspur..... Routine away win
West Ham United v Wigan Athletic........................Wigan to win

As if that wasn't enough, the football monster just won't stop and only three days later the "Week" 20 round of fixtures bring 2005 to a close with the New Year's Eve fixtures:

Saturday 31st December 2005........................My Call

Aston Villa v Arsenal.......................................Arsenal win
Charlton Athletic v West Ham United..........a draw
Chelsea v Birmingham City............................Can't see Chelsea losing
Liverpool v West Bromwich Albion ............another hard day for WBA
Manchester United v Bolton Wanderers.....Narrow home win
Middlesbrough v Manchester City...............score draw
Portsmouth v Fulham ...................................a rare Pompey win
Sunderland v Everton....................................sadness for Sunderland
Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United....Spurs to win a thriller
Wigan Athletic v Blackburn Rovers............ Wigan to win, just

If that wasn't enough to make any athlete's foot fall off, scarcely is the New Year started before there's the week 21 fixtures:

Monday 2nd January 2006....................................My Call

Birmingham City v Wigan Athletic.......................Points shared
Blackburn Rovers v Portsmouth..........................Blackburn to win
Bolton Wanderers v Liverpool..............................Probably the Pool
Everton v Charlton Athletic..................................Much-needed home win
Fulham v Sunderland............................................Fulham to win
Newcastle United v Middlesbrough....................Home derby win
West Bromwich Albion v Aston Villa...................Home derby win
West Ham United v Chelsea.................................Hopefully home win

Tuesday 3rd January 2006

Arsenal v Manchester United............................ Red Devils must win and will

Wednesday 4th January 2006

Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur............Spurs to edge a tight thriller

Premiership Preview Week 17

2005-12-17T11:45:00.000+01:00

The Match of the Day for this week's Premiership round isn't until Sunday, when Arsenal host Chelsea in one of the most important fixtures this season, a game that will be hugely influential on this season's title race.

Victory for Arsenal throws the title race wide open; a win for Chelsea will massively disappoint the chasing pack. With both teams having massive European matches to ponder in February, against Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively (and what thrilling prospects they are too, I can't wait!), victory will be vital to both teams' moral and self-belief. Having fallen behind in the table, Arsenal's need is greater and I'm going to call a home win.

Saturday games don't lack interest however, as Aston Villa will hope in vain to get anything from the visit of an improving Manchester United in the lunchtime game; in the afternoon, Everton v Bolton will be a fullblooded and skillful battle that could go either way but I expect Everton to pinch it; Fulham v Blackburn is another exciting prospect and I believe Blackburn are going to pick up some welcome away points.

The basement battle of Portsmouth v West Bromwich Albion, Pompey's first home game after the return of Harry Redknapp, will be a fascinating test of which of these new boys have best learned the art of Premier League survival and I believe West Brom, under former Manchester United and England captain Bryan Robson, are learning faster and will win.

In the other Saturday games, West Ham United entertain Newcastle United but the only thing to unite these two skillful battlers will be the tied result and Wigan Athletic should return to winning ways against a suddenly vulnerable Charlton Athletic. Manchester City stuttered last week whilst Birmingham prospered but I see nothing but role reversal today and the Sky Blues soaring to victory in the late game.

Before this week's football is brought to a close by the battle of the London titans, earlier Sunday the third London team, the increasingly impressive Tottenham Hotspur, make a visit to moody Middlesbrough, but I predict only depression for the North East of England as Spurs win in style.

This preview also appears on the mighty BlogCritics site.

Premiership Roundup Week 16

2005-12-13T02:11:00.000+01:00

As predicted, Liverpool got this week's fixtures started with a routine 2-0 victory over Middlesborough through two goals from Fernando Morientes and yet another clean sheet; Liverpool are starting to look impressively strong on all fronts.

The afternoon games produced two major surprises as West Brom showed signs of adapting to the Premiership as they overturned the from guide and my prediction to beat an offcolour Manchester City 2-0. Meanwhile, I got it right with Newcastle, who edged visitors Arsenal 1-0 to stem the Gunners' recovery.

The other matches pretty much ran to form as Birmingham edged towards safety with a narrow 1-0 win over Fulham; Blackburn versus West Ham produced all the thrills I expected but Blackburn confounded my call, just winning 3-2; Aston Villa also fooled me, forcing a 1-1 draw at Bolton, with both goals coming in the last ten minutes; Charlton took my advice and stopped their losing streak with a unexciting 2-0 win; and Chelsea produced another steady if a little dull performance to beat Wigan 1-0 through another goal from captain John Terry.

Sunday's game was a personal vindication for Everton's ex Red, Phil Neville, who ran the game for the Blues and fully deserved his Man-of-the-Match award in the Theatre of Dreams as Manchester United were almost overwhelmed but held on for a frustrating 1-1 draw, despite my predictable victory prediction.

I did much better with the Monday night game, correctly calling a confident Tottenham victory, as the Spurs marred the return of Harry Redknapp as Portsmouth manager, brushing them aside 3 - 1. My score for the weekend a respectable if unexciting 6 out of 10. The current full Premiership League Table is on the Premier League website.

This roundup is cross-posted on the mighty BlogCritics site.

Premiership Preview Week 16

2005-12-10T03:26:00.000+01:00

After all the recent excitements and distractions of Champions League football and the World Cup 2006 draw, it's back to the no less heady bread and butter of domestic Premiership football.

For the second week in a row, Liverpool get the football festival started with the lunchtime visit of Middlesbrough and I predict a routine home win.

Saturday's five afternoon games offer a mixed bag:-

Birmingham City will be looking to return to some kind of form for the visit of Fulham and I believe they will, to record a rare victory; Blackburn Rovers versus West Ham United should be a great match but I see it ending even; Bolton Wanderers should prove too strong for an improving though still weak Aston Villa; Charlton Athletic have been stumbling lately and if Sunderland have any hope of escaping the yawning pit of relegation, they've got to beat teams like this but I can't see it, a draw at best but probably another home win.

Match of the day is easily Chelsea v Wigan Athletic and, although most people outside West London would welcome it, I can't see the Northern lads going home with any points. Last but not least, West Bromwich Albion will put up a very strong fight against visitors Manchester City but ultimately be overwhelmed.

The late game is another potential thriller as Newcastle United, the hard men of England lead by Shearer and Owen, take on the continental charmers of Arsenal. I foresee fast paced attacking football, a ferocious midfield battle and a narrow victory for the Geordies.

The Sunday match is bound to produce fireworks as Manchester United host near neighbours Everton. Let's hope United's Wayne Rooney and Everton's Phil Neville both remember they don't play for their former clubs anymore. This is probably going to be the best game of the weekend and I expect the Red Devils to put recent disasters behind them and run out clear winners.

The Monday night match sees the resurgent Tottenham Hotspur host Portsmouth, who will be hoping the return of manager Harry Redknapp will bring a turn of fortune. It may well do that, but not this weekend as Spurs keep their drive for Europe rolling.

World Cup 2006 Groups

2005-12-09T21:22:00.000+01:00

So here we are, watching the draw for the group stage of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The 32 teams that have qualified for the finals of one of the world's greatest sporting celebrations are just moments away from learning who their three group opponents will be. The global interest is noticeably slowing the internet as people like me log on to the FIFA website and a host of others to watch the draw happen live.

The worthy survivors of the long qualification process are gathered in Liepzig to witness for themselves the whole show - and show is exactly what it is, with FIFA wheeling out past greats like Franz Beckenbauer and Pele and the whole shebang being hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum and television personality Reinhold Beckmann.

GROUP A: Germany, Ecuador, Poland, Costa Rica.

GROUP B: England, Paraguay, Sweden, Trinidad & Tobago.
GROUP C: Argentina, Ivory Coast, Holland, Serbia & Montenegro
GROUP D: Mexico, Angola, Portugal, Iran.
GROUP E: Italy, Ghana, Czech Republic, USA.
GROUP F: Brazil, Australia, Croatia, Japan.
GROUP G: France, Togo, Switzerland, South Korea.
GROUP H: Spain, Tunisia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia.

Germany v Costa Rica will open the games on 9th June 2006.

This special About Manchester United newsflash is cross-posted to BlogCritics Sports.

Premiership Roundup Week 15

2005-12-06T01:20:00.000+01:00

Despite the deteriorating English Winter weather there was some fantastic football played in the Premiership this first December weekend.

First match of the weekend continued the steady progress of Rafa Benitez' Liverpool, who saw off the sadly fading Wigan 3-0 for an easy victory in which Scouse striker Peter Crouch finally broke his scoring duck and took the West Coast boys surfing up to third place.

In the later games, two of the North West's most unpredictable teams swapped roles with Blackburn tamely surrendering home advantage to an unusually sharp Everton 0-2; Lancashire neighbours Bolton Wanderers played to their full potential and sent a subdued Arsenal home on the wrong end of a 2-0 beating; leaders Chelsea maintained their ten point lead at the top with an unconvincing 1-0 home victory against Middlesborough; Newcastle failed to take advantage of the troubled Aston Villa, drawing 1-1; Spurs just shaded a thrilling match with bottom of the table Sunderland, winning 3-2 whilst basement cases West Brom and Fulham tottered to a sterile 0-0 draw.

The last game of the day produced the (George) best football, as a newly confident Manchester United, probably due to the fact they've started playing 4-4-2 again, brushed aside managerless Portsmouth 3-0, thanks to goals from Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Sunday's game produced a feast of goals as Manchester City swamped hosts Charlton Athletic 2-5 with former Red Devil Andy Cole scoring twice for City to consolidate their place in the top half of the table.

Monday night in Birmingham, never an enticing prospect, became all the worse for the home team as visitors West Ham proved too strong and determined, running out 1-2 victors.

There we have it for Week 15, no change at the top of the table but everything's still all to play for; Chelsea have got to drop some more points soon, right?

American sports are so dull, with no relegation to worry about, that the Yanks get as much fun predicting the results as they do from the matches themselves so I thought I just might point out that my predictions for this weekend's results were correct in six out of ten games this weekend!

Click there for the latest Premier League Table.

This roundup also appears here on the mighty BlogCritics site.

Premiership Preview Week 15

2005-12-03T12:55:00.000+01:00

There are some cracking matches in store in the Premiership this first weekend of December 2005, starting with the Saturday lunchtime match when the gathering force that is Liverpool should prove to strong for fading visitors Wigan Athletic.

The traditional three o'clock games feature a fistful of fiery fixtures which I predict will see a stuttering Blackburn Rovers being just too strong for underperforming Everton; Bolton Wanderers will do well to hold visitors Arsenal to a draw; barring an earthquake in West London it's hard to see leaders Chelsea failing to beat an unpredictable Middlesbrough; Newcastle United versus Aston Villa could go either way as both these struggling teams look to build some momentum but I expect Newcastle to take all three points; if Tottenham Hotspur are serious about their European aspirations, they'll treat the visit of bottom placed Sunderland as a chance for some serious goalscoring; meanwhile in the basement battle of the weekend, West Bromwich Albion will confirm their recent improvement against Fulham and will go above them in the table if they win by 3 goals or more. The most emotional match of the day will be in the North West as a grieving Manchester United will look to mark the funeral of George Best this morning with a stylish victory against currently managerless Portsmouth.

The Sunday fixture offers the prospect of a feast of attacking football as the positive minded teams of Charlton Athletic and Manchester City collide in East London and I suspect The Sky Blues will head home the happier.

This week's games are wrapped up with the Monday night game between the seriously underperforming Birmingham City and a sparkling West Ham United, who should take all three points.

This article is cross-posted on BlogCritics.

Premiership Roundup Week 14

2005-11-28T03:38:00.000+01:00

On a weekend in which almost every ground in the country marked the sad passing of football legend George Best on Friday 25th November, some stirringly exciting football served as a fitting marker to his memory.

....................the late, great GEORGE BEST

Saturday saw Arsenal, as predicted, prove too strong for Blackburn Rovers and were worth their 3-0 victory. Aston Villa did very well to earn their second consecutive victory and hand visitors Charlton Athletic their second consecutive defeat; Manchester City should have beaten Liverpool but stuttered again and lost 0-1; whilst Sunderland lost the basement battle with Birmingham 0-1 and are starting to look doomed already.

The game of the day saw Wigan Athletic fall from second place, just being shaded 1-2 by an invigorated Tottenham Hotspur, whilst runaway leaders Chelsea had an easy evening's work brushing aside managerless Portsmouth 0-2.

Sunday offered a veritable marathon of football spanning almost six hours, starting with Everton v Newcastle United, which most years you'd fancy Everton to win and indeed they did, turning round their recent poor run with a 1-0 win over the subdued Geordies. Fulham were impressive against Bolton Wanderers, winning 2-1 thanks to two goals from American striker Brian McBride.

Steve McClaren's Middlesbrough were severely tested by Bryan Robson's West Bromwich Albion and were relieved to finish 2-2. Manchester United's moving appearance at West Ham ended happily for the Red Devils, winning 1-2 thanks to goals from Wayne Rooney and John O'Shea after going behind in the first minute.

A good weekend for Chelsea, United, Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool and Everton but bad news for Wigan, Bolton, Man City, West Ham and Charlton, who all tumble down the current Premiership League table.

This roundup is cross-posted here on the mighty BlogCritics site.

West Ham United 1 Manchester United 2

2005-11-27T20:29:00.000+01:00

West Ham's goalscorer Marlon Harewood

John O'Shea, unlikely matchwinner for Manchester United

West Ham goalkeeper Roy Carroll is expected to oust Shaka Hislop after recovering from a knee injury. Manager Alan Pardew is without captain Nigel Reo-Coker, who will be out for several weeks with an ankle problem. Manchester United will have Gary Neville and Louis Saha back in their squad after long-term injuries. The pair returned to appear as substitutes against Villarreal in the Champions League and also played in a reserve team game 24 hours later.

West Ham (from): Carroll, Hislop, Repka, Ferdinand, Gabbidon, Konchesky, Benayoun, Noble, Dailly, Newton, Mullins, Etherington, Sheringham, Harewood, Zamora, Bellion, Aliadiere, Bywater.

Man Utd (from): Van der Sar, Howard, Brown, Neville, Ferdinand, Silvestre, O'Shea, Richardson, Scholes, Smith, Fletcher, Park, Rooney, Ronaldo, Van Nistelrooy, Saha, Rossi.

West Ham manager Alan Pardew, who is set to use defender Anton Ferdinand to mark brother Rio: "He is our dominant header, which he proved last Sunday with a great goal. He has to pick up the biggest player, which at United is his brother, so he has a huge responsibility for us."

MATCH FACTS

WEST HAM UNITED will endeavour to maintain their best ever start to a Premiership campaign when going head-to-head with eight times Premiership champions Manchester United, who on Tuesday failed to score for the fourth time in five Champions League encounters this season. The point from the goalless draw with Villarreal leaves their ambitions of progressing in the competition hanging by a thread.

The Hammers are bidding for a third consecutive home League victory and need two goals to total 300 in home Premier League encounters. They're four short of totalling 5,000 regular League goals.

The Upton Park club have never beaten United at home in the Premier League, but seven of their 10 home meetings have been drawn. The Eastenders last managed a League maximum over the Red Devils at Upton Park on 22 April 1992, winning 1-0.

MANCHESTER UNITED go to Upton Park aiming to record three League victories on the spin for the first time since the opening trio of fixtures this season. They've lost only one of the last six in the highest League, and won more Premiership matches on the road this season than the Hammers have managed in front of their home faithful (five to four).

The Red Devils have netted three goals in three of the seven League outings since the goalless draw with Liverpool, and scored one in each of the other four games. The heavy 4-1 reverse at Middlesbrough was their only League defeat on the road this term, but the next loss home or away will be United's 600th post war League defeat.

United beat West Ham 6-0 in their most recent meeting in the fourth round of the FA Cup on 26 January 2003. Their last League win at Upton Park was 3-5 on 16 March 2002. Another of United's three Premiership victories at Upton Park was also high scoring - 2-4 on 18 December 1999. The Old Trafford club have also recorded a 7-1 home victory over the Hammers in the highest League, on April Fools Day, 2000.

SEQUENCES/RECENT FORM

WEST HAM UNITED
Club stats
Fixtures
Going into the weekend: 8th 19 points
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premiership fixtures)

# The last three League matches have resulted in a loss, a win and a draw in that order.
# The previous best after the first 12 matches of a Premier League season was 19 points in 1998/99 and 1999/2000.
# Won two of the last four top tier skirmishes.
# Failed to score in two of the last seven Premiership matches, and kept clean sheets in two of those last seven.
# Gone eight games since winning by more than one goal (4-0 v Aston Villa on 12 September).
# Not scored earlier than the 25th minute in the Premiership this season.
# The only club not to have scored in the first quarter of a Premiership match.
# Netted more goals in the last five minutes of top division games than any other club - three of their four coming in stoppage time.
# Ahead at half time in only one Premiership game this season (home to Aston Villa - 2-0 at half time, 4-0 at full time).
# Hold the weakest form of any club in the first half of Premiership matches this season. Gone in at the break leading in one, drawing in six, and losing in five, with only two goals scored and five conceded.
# Won one game when behind at half time (3-1 home to Blackburn on the opening day - 0-1 down at the break).
# Completed eight top division tussles since a win by more than one (4-0, home to Aston Villa on 12 September).
# Boast the best disciplinary record in the Premiership (no red cards, 14 yellow).

# Picked up 10 points from the last 12 available at Upton Park.
# Lost only one home Premiership game this term (1-2 to Bolton on 27 August).
# Failed to score in only one home top tier encounter this term (0-0 with Arsenal on 24 September).
# Kept clean sheets in three of the last four home League matches, and conceded one goal in four at the Boleyn Ground.

MANCHESTER UNITED
Club stats
Fixtures
Going into the weekend: 3rd 24 points
(all statistics are ahead of this weekend's round of Premiership fixtures)

# Recorded six wins from the last 11 matches in all competitions.
# Not lost in three League and Champions League outings.
# Lost one of the last six Premiership outings, winning four of the sextet.
# Won every match in which Wayne Rooney has scored (17 so far - five this season).
# Failed to score just once in the Premiership this season (0-0 at Liverpool on 18 September).
# Only failed to penetrate the opponents goal line in one of the last 17 Premiership outings.
# Managed one clean sheet in seven Premiership skirmishes, and that the 1-0 home victory over Chelsea on 6 November.
# Six points better off than at this identical stage last season.

# Boast the best away form in the Premiership, with 16 points from a possible 21.
# Scored more away goals than any other club in the highest division (14).
# The heavy loss at Middlesbrough was United's first reverse in seven Premiership matches on the road this season, and in nine spanning last season.
# Won five of seven on the road in the top tier this term.
# Averaged two goals per League game away from Old Trafford.
# Scored three goals in each of three of the last four away League games.
# Not managed a clean sheet in four League games on the road, after block-outs in the first three.

KEY PLAYER NOTES/POTENTIAL MILESTONES

WEST HAM UNITED
Squad profiles

# Teddy SHERINGHAM will relish the chance of playing against his former club. The 39 year old made 153 appearances for the Red Devils and scored 46 goals.
# If he plays, Roy CARROLL will also be facing his former club.
# David BELLION is on loan to West Ham from Manchester United and therefore ineligible to play.

MANCHESTER UNITED
Squad profiles

# Ruud VAN NISTELROOY has scored 12 goals for Manchester United in all competitions and is the highest scoring Premiership player.
# The Dutchman leads the Barclays Golden Boot standings jointly with Frank Lampard of Chelsea. Both have scored 10 Premier League goals.
# VAN the Man scored three goals in three FA Cup and Premiership appearances against West Ham during the 2002/03 season.
# All four of Wayne ROONEY's Premiership goals this season have been scored away from home.
# Rio FERDINAND started his professional career with West Ham.

HEAD TO HEAD TOTALS
League: West Ham 34 wins, Man United 43, Draws 23
Prem: West Ham 2 wins, Man United 11, Draws 7

HEAD TO HEAD at West Ham
League: West Ham 13 wins, Man United 10, Draws 17
Prem: West Ham 0 wins, Man United 3, Draws 7

On Wednesday, Old Trafford will hosts its first game since Best’s death — United against West Brom, the fixture in which Best made his debut in 1963. Whether a minute’s silence is asked for, or one minute’s applause, is undecided.

... “It’s an interesting idea,” said Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager.

“I was at the funeral of Neil Midgeley (a former referee) and when they took the coffin out everybody clapped. I think that’s great.”

Best will be honoured at Upton Park today, where United play West Ham. In the coming weeks the club will decide upon a permanent memorial to a footballer who, though he left United aged 27, favoured them with 464 appearances and 178 goals, and countless moments of joy. Best was never a player who had fans sitting in silence but got them up on their feet giving applause.

1st min: GOAL - HAREWOOD: Fantastic goal from West Ham. The Hammers win the ball in midfield and Sheringham's clever ball releases Etherington on the left. His ball into the box is perfectly weighted for a calm sidefoot finish from Harewood just 52 seconds into the game.

West Ham started with a fantastic, rapid passing move to carve Manchester United open. Sheringham and Etherington were the creators with Harewood coolly providing the finishing touch. The home side then spent fifteen minutes chasing leather as Manchester United passed the ball around them with great authority, forcing Carroll into three top saves from Van Nistelrooy, Scholes and Rooney. Having weathered that storm, West Ham have grown in confidence and look threatening whenever they break, with Sheringham providing several neat touches and Etherington a constant threat on the left.

West Ham get the second half underway, looking to hold on to or better their 1-0 lead over Manchester United.

GOAL - ROONEY: Sloppy defending from Repka gives the ball to Park who slides the ball into the path of Rooney who beats Gabbidon before slotting the ball through Carroll's legs.
We've had a goal 52 seconds into the first half, and another just one minute and 59 seconds into the second.

56 mins: GOAL - O'SHEA: United turn the game around in the space of 11 minutes as O'Shea outjumps Carroll to bury a header from Rooney's pacy corner. Some refs may have given a free kick for the keeper, but he got it right on this occasion - O'Shea simply timed his leap better.

Just before the end, Van Nistelrooy is replaced by Richardson, and Neville takes the captain's armband. Could that be a long-term arrangement?

The full-time whistle blows and Manchester United probably just about deserved the points. West Ham started brilliantly with a goal in the first minute, but some of Manchester United's football in the early stages of both halves was breathtaking, but Pardew will be very annoyed to concede the winner from a corner as O'Shea outjumped Carroll to power home. Entertaining game, and West Ham are close to being a very fine side, with Etherington a menace on the left, giving first Brown and later Neville a number of problems.

Sunday Times on Roy Keane

2005-11-27T13:44:00.000+01:00

Most of the media reporting on football can be quite superficial. This article from the Sunday Times Online about the departure of former Manchester United captain Roy Keane seemed more interesting than most.

Photos from Google Images

The Sunday Times November 20, 2005

End of the affair by DAVID WALSH

Both Roy Keane and Alex Ferguson were resigned to the end of their amazingly successful relationship

In the end, the exit happened with almost funereal solemnity. A meeting at Manchester United’s training ground between four men; Sir Alex Ferguson, United’s chairman David Gill, Roy Keane and his friend and adviser, Michael Kennedy. There wasn’t a word spoken in anger, not one raised voice during the last 30 minutes Keane would spend at Carrington.

................... Living Legend Roy Keane

Keane had sensed what was coming from two brief conversations two days before. Having recovered from injury and come through four training sessions, he expected to make his return for United’s reserves against West Bromwich Albion on Thursday. But the day before, one of the physios who works with the reserves told him he wasn’t in the team.

Surprised, Keane spoke with Ferguson and asked him why he wasn’t playing for the reserves. The manager told him he should speak with Kennedy. At that moment Keane sensed his United career was over. He spoke with Kennedy, who had already taken a call from Gill. It was agreed that all four men would meet at Carrington at 9am on Friday.

Kennedy travelled from London to Manchester on Thursday evening and was picked up Keane at eight o’clock the following morning. Though Keane believed the meeting would end in his departure from the club, Kennedy hoped things could again be patched up. They talked things over before heading on to Carrington.

The meeting began at nine and Ferguson quickly made clear he believed the time had come for the player to move on. Kennedy tried to say they had had their differences before and had always been able to continue working together, but it was different this time. Neither the manager nor the player had the stomach for reconciliation.

As the meeting progressed, it was clear the anger, the resentment and the recriminations had, temporarily at least, dissipated. In its place, an overwhelming sadness: like a father telling his favourite son he would have to leave the family home. Keane sat mostly in silence, knowing it was no time for argument. God knows, there had been enough of that. All he said was that he respected the manager’s decision.

....................It takes a worried man, Sir Alex Ferguson

Ferguson explained how he felt Keane was no longer good for the club. When United’s own supporters booed the team at the Stade de France, after the 1-0 Champions League loss to Lille two weeks ago, it greatly upset the manager and, in part, he blamed Keane for that. For years the skipper had challenged everybody at Old Trafford to raise their standards and always the challenge came leaden with accusation.

In the end, Ferguson felt Keane was challenging him and therein lay the reason for the Friday morning meeting. It lasted about 25 minutes, before Keane left, followed by Ferguson. Gill and Kennedy were to perform the last rituals and make sure Keane was given a decent burial.

What was clear was how much both men were upset by the extraordinary turn in the Ferguson/Keane relationship. Gill never wanted it to end like this and Kennedy didn’t believe it had to end as it did. Perhaps they were both reacting emotionally whereas Ferguson and Keane saw it differently. Yes, it was sad, but the time had come for departure.

....................Manchester United chairman David Gill

Kennedy is used to negotiating with Gill and though they enjoy a good relationship, they like to argue and bluff and say not a penny more when they don’t mean it. But not on this morning: the terms of Keane’s exit from Old Trafford were agreed without the usual haggling. He would be paid the full value of his contract and whatever Keane might earn by joining another club would not affect that.

United also agreed that Keane would be given a testimonial game by United, an offer that he will consider when a little time has elapsed and the dust from his departure has settled. After leaving the meeting, Keane left Carrington for his home in Hale, south of Manchester. As is his way at the important moments, he rang his parents and family in Cork and told them what had taken place. Soon, there was word from Cork that Keane’s United career was over and before Gill and Kennedy had finalised their agreed statement, the news had filtered back to Manchester.

Ferguson conducted a press conference at 11am, during which he was relaxed and good-humoured. There was nothing about his demeanour that had hinted at what had taken place two hours earlier. Journalists left Carrington only to return almost immediately. Suddenly everybody knew and when it came, the press release was still warm. It began: “Manchester United has today reached agreement with Roy Keane for Roy to leave the Club with immediate effect.” It wasn’t the most thought-out or well-structured sentence but it perfectly reflected the nature of Keane’s exit.

After agreeing a settlement for his player that he felt was generous, Kennedy drove to Keane’s house. He was surprised by how relaxed the player seemed to be. If he was hurting, it did not show. For a while they watched coverage of the story on Sky News and it was obvious how gutted Kennedy was that the end had come. “It’s for the best, Michael,” Keane said, “it’s the right thing. Time to move on.”

By the time Kennedy got back to his office in London, it was five o’clock on Friday afternoon. Prospective new employers were already expressing their interest; Premiership clubs, a Serie A club, an offer from America and, most persistently, Celtic. Kennedy’s feeling was that Keane wanted to move on and quickly.

IN THE breakdown of the relationship between Keane and Ferguson, the key factor was the player’s disenchantment with what he saw as falling standards at Old Trafford. He felt many players were not working hard enough and not being made to work hard enough. He believed Ferguson had delegated too much responsibility to Carlos Queiroz and when Keane’s relationship with the Portuguese coach took a serious turn for the worse at an Algarve training camp last summer, that affected the player’s relationship with Ferguson.

The rift would not have ended in separation if it hadn’t been for the censored MUTV interview of two weeks ago. So many mistakes were made: Keane was allowed to do the piece even though it was certain he would speak his mind. Then Gill and Ferguson agreed the interview should not be broadcast and made a small problem much greater.

From there it temporarily got better before it worsened again. Keane explained what he had said to his fellow players and they were okay about it. Ferguson took a different view, less conciliatory view than his players. He felt Keane should apologise to the players, a request that was never going to be agreed. Nothing better reflected the gulf that now existed between manager and player because Keane felt let down by Ferguson’s reaction to the MUTV controversy. Ferguson had publicly criticised Keane for saying things that should have remained inside the dressing room.

Keane doesn’t do diplomacy and at the key Thursday morning meeting after the MUTV controversy, he couldn’t hold himself back when Queiroz spoke about the need for loyalty. From where Keane stood, Queiroz had left United for Real Madrid and had no right to lecture others on loyalty. That putting down of the assistant manager in front of the other players may well have been the final straw.

What is undisputable is that Keane saw the end coming. On the Thursday evening, two and a half weeks ago, the player rang Kennedy and said he felt the time had come for him to leave United. Kennedy tried to dissuade him, but Keane seemed adamant. He asked Kennedy to prepare a statement announcing his departure from the club. Kennedy agreed to prepare the statement on condition that Keane would sleep on it and confirm his attentions in the morning. There was no follow-up call in the morning and Kennedy believed another crisis had been averted. The reprieve would be shortlived.

They will remember Keane and they will miss him. There is a story told about the Monday after the Middlesbrough game, before Keane played the pundit on MUTV. It concerned a moment in the changing room at Carrington after Kieran Richardson told his teammates about ordering a Bentley Continental. Keane, it is said, heard the young player talk of his new car and related it to the 4-1 thrashing suffered by the team at the Riverside two days before. He then gave his teammate a severe dressing-down. Richardson, it is said, later cancelled his order for the new car.

Whether Richardson did or did not act on Keane’s stridently delivered advice, it is certain the former captain wielded enormous influence on his teammates. Now Keane is looking for a new club. He lost his last battle at the club, beaten by the man with the ultimate power. But if this turns out to be Ferguson’s last victory, it shall be no victory at all.

Premiership Preview Week 14

2005-11-25T22:04:00.000+01:00

Winter's starting to bite in Blighty and so is the tension in The Premier League as the season unfolds but this week's fixtures are guaranteed to keep you warm.

With no lunchtime game this week there's five at three on Saturday as Arsenal host Blackburn Rovers and should win; Aston Villa will do well to avoid defeat by visitors Charlton Athletic; Manchester City should beat Liverpool if they play well but have stuttered recently; Sunderland are already looking marked for relegation and Birmingham City should take advantage.

The game of the day must be Wigan Athletic versus Tottenham Hotspur, with both these attacking teams looking to keep pace with runaway leaders Chelsea, who have an evening out at struggling Portsmouth.

Sunday offers a veritable marathon of football spanning almost six hours, starting with Everton v Newcastle United, which most years you'd fancy Everton to win, but not this season - Newcastle to pick up valuable away points is my call. Fulham will be looking to make progress against Bolton Wanderers but I predict more disappointment for The Cottagers.

Former Alex Ferguson assistant Steve McClaren's Middlesbrough will be severely tested by the visit of United ex-captain Bryan Robson's West Bromwich Albion but should just edge a tight game. The pupils' former boss takes Manchester United to London's East End to visit West Ham United for a stern test of both teams resources, including Rio Ferdinand facing younger brother Anton, but I expect the phoenix to fly for the Red Devils tonight.

This article is cross-posted here at BlogCritics.

Farewell George Best

2005-11-25T15:37:00.000+01:00

One of the greatest footballers of all time, the legendary GEORGE BEST, died today at the age of 59 after a long illness.

My father was killed in a car accident in 1963 and my grandfather, my mother's dad, took on a lot of the parental role. One of the first things he did was start taking me to Old Trafford regularly, when the first team was away, we'd go and see the reserves together. It was the start of one of the most important and lasting relationships in my life, my love affair with Manchester United, the bright shining light of my home town.

The early 60s were a fantastic time, with great changes in social activity, fashion, music, sport; all were throwing off the depressing early years of a century mired in war, industry and repression in favour of excitement, passion and openness.

The amazing ball control, goalscoring and creating skills of a quality and variety never seen before or bettered since, ably supported by the other genuine superstars of their day, Bobby Charlton, Dennis Law, Nobby Stiles and Paddy Crerand, the sheer vitality of George Best; all this and more helped this wide eyed and vulnerable little boy develop a love for individual style and personal expression that would never leave him.

In this sense, George Best was my father too, someone to look up to and admire, someone to want to be like. For this I will always love him, even though we never met.

The following is the official statement from Manchester United.

"United legend George Best has died, aged 59, following a long spell in hospital.

The sad news was confirmed on Friday by doctors at the Cromwell Hospital in west London, where George had been receiving treatment as an in-patient since 1 October.

George had appeared to be making a recovery in recent weeks; seven days ago, he was reported to be "relatively stable" on a general ward. But he was re-admitted to intensive care last Friday after developing a lung infection.

His condition deteriorated further on Tuesday. Complications caused by internal bleeding in the early hours of Thursday put him in a position from which he could not recover.

Professor Roger Williams said at lunch-time today, "It (the bleeding) has affected his lungs and other parts. There really is no return from that situation."

George Best was arguably the most talented British footballer of all time. He made his professional debut for United in 1963, at the age of 17. He was named Footballer of the Year in England and in Europe in 1968 after helping the Reds to win the European Cup.

Report by Ben Hibbs and Adam Bostock"

This story also appears here on the BlogCritics site.

Manchester United 0 Villarreal 0

2005-11-22T23:41:00.000+01:00

We were boring, they were boring, the match was boring.

Now we MUST win away to Benfica, of all teams, on Wednesday 7 December, in order to go through to the next stage...

Premiership Roundup Week 13

2005-11-21T23:07:00.000+01:00

A third of the way into the season and things are starting to get serious as teams look to grasp the glittering prizes and/or start struggling desperately to avoid the abyss of relegation.

First match of the weekend seems form team of the moment Wigan Athletic brought back down to earth 2-3 by a resurgent Arsenal to claim their first away victory of the season and climb to fourth place.

Leaders Chelsea, rebuilding Manchester United and schizophrenic Liverpool all scored three goals each to mark routine victories against Newcastle United, Charlton Athletic and Portsmouth respectively with only Charlton's Darren Ambrose scoring for the losers.

Elsewhere Manchester City were held 0-0 by visitors Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland's stadium shone no light on their miserable season, going down 1-3 to the not-much-better Aston Villa. In the evening match, the gradually-getting-the-hang-of-it new boys of West Bromwich Albion were far too good for the been-here-so-long-we've-forgotten-what-to-do men of Everton, running out easy 4-0 winners.

The Sunday games saw Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United fail to settle which of them is the third best team in London in a 1-1 draw whilst Middlesbrough proved some North Eastern cheer, holding off visitors Fulham 3-2. That turned out to be the last football of the weekend as the Monday night game between Birmingham City and Bolton Wanderers was postponed due to persistent dense fog.

Here's the link for the current Premiership League Table.

This article is cross-posted on the mighty BlogCritics site.

Charlton Athletic 1 Manchester United 3

2005-11-19T22:04:00.000+01:00

I wasn't able to see this game for a variety of little reasons that ganged up to overwhelm me, but here's all the important news that matters.

Charlton Athletic
S Andersen, L Young, T El Karkouri, H Hreidarsson, C Powell, D Rommedahl, D Murphy, R Kishishev, A Smertin, D Ambrose, D Bent Subs: C Perry, J Thomas, B Hughes, T Myhre, J Bothroyd

Manchester United
E Van der Sar, J O'Shea, R Ferdinand, W Brown, M Silvestre, D Fletcher, A Smith, P Scholes, C Ronaldo, W Rooney, R van Nistelrooy Subs: T Howard, J Park, K Richardson, P Bardsley, G Rossi

It's 4-5-1 versus 4-4-2 today as United stick with the same starting lineup that beat Chelsea. United, in their weird blue away kit get things underway in another crucial game that they simply can not afford to lose.

Great play from Darren Fletcher in the Charlton 18-yard box as he squares the ball to Alan Smith who slams the ball into the net to give Manchester United a 1-0 lead at the Valley.
36:25 GOAL - Alan Smith Charlton 0 - Man Utd 1 Goal by Alan Smith (Man Utd) drilled right-footed (bottom-left of goal) from right channel (18 yards).Charlton 0-1 Man Utd. Assist (pass) by Darren Fletcher (Man Utd) from centre of penalty area.

64:10 GOAL - Darren Ambrose Charlton 1 - Man Utd 1 Goal by Darren Ambrose (Charlton) left-footed (top-left of goal) from left channel (25 yards).Charlton 1-1 Man Utd.

69:06 GOAL - Ruud van Nistelrooy Charlton 1 - Man Utd 2 Goal by Ruud van Nistelrooy (Man Utd) volleyed right-footed (top-left of goal) from centre of penalty area (12 yards).Charlton 1-2 Man Utd. Assist by Wayne Rooney (Man Utd) from left side of penalty area.

84:09 GOAL - Ruud van Nistelrooy Charlton 1 - Man Utd 3 Goal by Ruud van Nistelrooy (Man Utd) right-footed (bottom-right of goal) from left channel (20 yards).Charlton 1-3 Man Utd.

Premiership Preview Week 13

2005-11-19T09:50:00.000+01:00

There is no detailed Premiership Football preview this week due to a foul combination of flu and technical incompetence, but here's the fixture list at least.

Hopefully something resembling normal service will be resumed soon.

Saturday, 19 November 2005

Wigan Athletic v Arsenal, 12:45

Charlton Athletic v Manchester United, 15:00
Chelsea v Newcastle United, 15:00
Liverpool v Portsmouth, 15:00
Manchester City v Blackburn Rovers, 15:00
Sunderland v Aston Villa, 15:00

West Bromwich Albion v Everton, 17:15

Sunday, 20 November 2005

Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United, 13:00
Middlesbrough v Fulham, 16:00

Monday, 21 November 2005

Birmingham City v Bolton Wanderers, 20:00

Farewell Roy Keane

2005-11-18T16:54:00.000+01:00

One of the greatest footballers of the modern era, Manchester United captain ROY KEANE, has left the club today by mutual agreement.

It'll be some time before all the full story be told but things had clearly been building to a head for some time and the clear sighted United captain was clearly in a mood to be uncompromising about the problems the Red Devils have been facing on the pitch for the last couple of seasons and felt the time had come to go.

Thanks for twelve years of glory Roy, you certainly did it your way.

Career stats
Date of birth: 10 August, 1971
Nationality: Rep of Ireland
Position: Midfielder
Height: 1.75 metres

Manchester United

................Apps As sub Goals Yellow Red
Total (Club) 479 19 51 88 13
League 326 17 33 65 9
FA Cup 46 1 2 9 2
League Cup 14 0 0 1 0
Euro/Others 93 1 16 13 2

International career

Rep of Ireland 67 1 9 9 1

Overall career record

Apps As sub Goals Yellow Red
Total (Club) 630 19 87 95 13
League 440 17 55 72 9
FA Cup 64 1 5 9 2
League Cup 31 0 6 1 0
Euro/Other 95 1 21 13 2

Premiership Roundup Week 12

2005-11-08T01:48:00.000+01:00

Bonfire Weekend in England didn't disappoint with a sensational victory by Manchester United over leaders Chelsea; Blackburn's demolition of the previously unbeaten away Charlton and Bolton edging Spurs.

Arsenal's captain Thierry Henry scored twice for The Gunners

The fireworks started at Saturday lunchtime as Liverpool thumped two late rockets through the soggy Aston Villa defence and continued with Thierry Henry leading by example as always, scoring two of Arsenal's three against the already seemingly doomed Sunderland; Blackburn Rovers continued their recent habit of turning over "better" teams with a 4-1 destruction of Charlton Athletic, and Fulham surprisingly eclipsed the sky blue of Manchester City.

Fulham's Steed Malbranque, whose goals rocket the struggling Londoners closer to safety

Routine and unremarkable results in the last three of the day as the Uniteds of Newcastle and West Ham banked three points against Midlands duo Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion respectively. In the late game, Wigan Athletic continued their remarkable run to second place in the table with an easy 2-0 victory at strugglers Portsmouth.

Manchester United's match winner Darren Fletcher

Sunday's matches sparkled into life with the return to form of Everton being just too much for the disappointing Middlesbrough for their first home victory of the season before, in the weekend's star fixture, Manchester United finally stop Chelsea with a rare Darren Fletcher goal.

Bolton captain Kevin Nolan leads his side to victory and third place

The fiery weekend is brought to a close with the Monday night thriller between Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, with the Northerners nicking it 1-0 thanks to another great goal from captain Kevin Nolan, his fifth in six games, to go above neighbours Manchester United into third place in the Premiership table as we break for two weeks for International matches.

This roundup is cross-posted here at BlogCritics.

Manchester United 1 Chelsea 0

2005-11-06T18:59:00.000+01:00

Even though Chelsea start this match as clear favourites, Manchester United, for the first time in ages, come out like a team that does believe in itself and take the fight to the reigning champions.

A fierce battle for midfield control sees the Red Devils compete on more than equal terms with the more physically imposing Chelsea; every one of them looks huge compared to the shorter guys in red.

Thirty minutes in, United's combativeness pays off when a sweeping fluid cross park ball is swung back in from the left by Ronaldo and Darren Fletcher, of all people, sends a looping header over Cech and a despairing Chelsea captain John Terry into the top right hand corner of the Chelsea net and it's a GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL for United to take a deserved early lead. Now we'll see how good Chelsea really are at coming back from behind, as manager Jose Mourinho has been boasting recently.

Manchester United's unlikely matchwinner Darren Fletcher

The atmosphere is electric as the momentum switches back and forth, with half chances at both ends in a high-paced festival of open attacking football as both sides compete fiercely and mostly fairly.

On the stroke of half time Chelsea win a threatening free kick and the comparatively subdued Frank Lampard strides purposefully forward but Chelsea blow the setup and the ball flies harmlessly wide.

So that's it for the first half, a thrillingly competitive forty-five minutes with United worth their lead. Is this the start of another classic United recovery or will the sleek Chelsea machine purr into life in the second half.

Fifteen minutes later United get the second half started but Chelsea have clearly come out a lot more highly motivated than in the first half and the home side is penned in under the ferocious attacking pressure of the most expensive football team in the world.

Ten minutes later there has been little to show for all the Chelsea wealth of riches. Manager Mourinho, clearly starting to worry about Chelsea's failure to impose themselves over the physically smaller United, feels forced to try a different approach, bringing on the Icelandic warrior Eidur Gudjohnsen for for midfielder Michael Essien.

The aded firepower almost pays off straight away as the Iceman, wide on the left, whips in a low fast cross which is met first time by Didier Drogba, big, fast and skillful but Mikael Silvestre blocks what looked a certain goal.

The added urgency of passing time is starting to be felt by all and there's a flurry of yellow cards as Silvestre, Smith, van Nistelrooy, Paolo Ferreira and Darren Fletcher all offend the ref within the space of five minutes.

Jose Mourinho finds out what it feels like to lose three games out of four at Chelsea

Still frustrated with only fifteen minutes remaining Mourinho ups the stakes and makes another tactical move, bringing on the speedy Shaun Wright-Phillips for the mostly anonymous Joe Cole and three minutes later raises again, sending on Carlton Cole for defender Asier del Horno.

With only eight minutes remaining, Manchester manager Sir Alex Ferguson makes his first change, bringing on the assertive South Korean midfielder Ji-sung Park for van Nistelrooy to protect the lead, whilst Mourinho can only stand and scowl.

As well as defending like heroes, United are also looking to seal this crucial victory, repeatedly counterattacking at speed and only just failing to double the lead thanks to some outstanding goalkeeping heroics by Cech.

Four minutes of extra time provide no relief for the Londoners and United hold on in style to clinch a massive victory, bring an end to Chelsea's 40-match unbeaten run and bring some hope to the rest of the chasing pack, with the Blues lead at the top down to only six points and United up to third.

This match report is cross-posted here at BlogCritics.

Premiership Preview Week 12

2005-11-05T09:56:00.000+01:00

There's some great fixtures in the Premiership this English Bonfire Night weekend, starting with a bang in the Saturday lunchtime fixture when Aston Villa, whose midterm fadeout has started early this season, entertain a resurgent Liverpool.

The traditional three o'clock kickoffs feature some real firecrackers, not least when Arsenal host the demoralised Sunderland for what should be an easy win, however Blackburn versus Charlton looks a bit of a possible damp squib and a probable 0-0 draw.

On the other hand, Fulham v Manchester City looks a real sparkler and could go either way; Newcastle should rocket against a struggling Birmingham; and West Ham should have too much gunpowder for those other Westies, West Brom.

The late afternoon fixture will be played after dark, so expect Portsmouth to be outshone by the high flying rocket that is Wigan Athletic.

The biggest explosions are reserved for Sunday when the twisted firestarters of Middlesbrough head for the obstinately soggy fuse we know as Everton. Literally anything could happen with these two unpredictable shooting stars in this late lunchtime game.

Without a doubt, the biggest bangs of all will emanate from Old Trafford, when the unpredictable catherine wheel that is Manchester United will be hoping to raise their game for the visit of the giant roman candle that is league leaders Chelsea at 4pm.

The week winds down with a Monday night barbecue when the crackers at Bolton Wanderers are visited by the giant thunderflash of Tottenham Hotspur. Stand well back for your own safety - sparks are surely going to fly between two ambitious teams currently locked together in joint third place.

Due to technical problems on the part of the hugely inept Telefonica of Spain, this article could not be cross-posted here on BlogCritics until Monday 7th November.

Lille 1 Manchester United 0

2005-11-02T23:34:00.000+01:00

With Saturday's humiliating thrashing at Middlesbrough still hurting, Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United have a lot to prove in their UEFA Champions League fixture in Paris tonight.

Yes, that's right, Paris; opponents LOSC Lille Métropole's stadium needs upgrading so tonight they call the Stade de France home. The giant stadium at St-Denis near Paris played host to the 1998 FIFA World Cup final and will also play host to this season's Champions League Final on July 13th next year.

Paul Scholes was sent off in the corresponding fixture a fortnight ago so misses the game along with the continuing long list of injury victims Roy Keane, Ryan Giggs, Gabriel Heinze, Gary Neville, Quinton Fortune, Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

United line up with a cautious 4-5-1 with Edwin van der Sar looking nervous in goal; another new back four of of club captain Roy Keane favourites John O'Shea and Rio Ferdinand with fit again Wes Brown easing Mikael Silvestre out to left back. The five chosen to establish some degree of midfield control are Cristiano Ronaldo and Kieran Richardson down the wings with Fletcher and Smith as the holding men behind Wayne Rooney, back from his ban, and Ruud van Nistelrooy, who will captain Manchester United for the first time.

Manchester United captain for the night Ruud van Nistelrooy

Lille, who lie sixth in the French league, are still without injured captain Stephane Dumont but otherwise have a full squad to choose from and are playing a more positive 4-4-2. Lille coach Claude Puel has opted for stability in his team selection, keeping faith with ten of the players who drew against Olympique de Marseille at the weekend.

United get the match started in the pouring Parisian rain, knowing only a victory will do against a team that have yet to score in the group stage but it's Lille that make the first tentative attacking moves, albeit to no avail.

Twenty minutes in and United are really struggling to get through a very comfortable looking home defence whilst Lille just look happy to counter so it's all dancing but precious little singing in the packed arena. There's so little ambition on display here Donald Trump would sack the lot of them.

Suddenly, out of nowhere in this sodden snoozefest, a sharp forward run in the 38th minute by Lille left back Gregory Tafforeau catches the Reds' defence sleeping and a pass across the park is met by Slovenian striker Milenko Acimovic and, with no sign of opposition, he has all the time in the world to slam the ball into the roof of the net and it's the first European GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLL this season for Lille who lead 1-0.

...............Lille goal scorer Milenki Acimovic

The French team have already proven their deep defensive skills and that's all we see for the rest of the first half. United are clearly bewildered and don't seem to have any idea beyond sheer persistence as to how to crack the code and the German referee Markus Merk brings a depressing first half to a soggy end.

Fifteen minutes later Lille get the second half started, knowing that another unlikely defeat of the increasingly shambolic Manchester United is on the cards. Amazingly though, it is the home side that goes on the offensive, the half time break only seems to have given United more time to rot, so poorly are they playing.

The most positive thing Sir Alex comes up with is to replace the largely ineffective Richardson with the bustle of the Korean midfielder Ji-sung Park but even his energy fails to lift the team. Little Lille are playing out of their skins, creating more chances and, in the 70th minute have the best chance of the match yet, but somehow striker Matt Moussilou sends a free header over the bar.

There's precious little else to report; Lille had a couple more half chances whereas United only produced two shots on goal in the whole match, a sad statistic that reveals the truly devastatingly poor grasp of football basics on display by Manchester United these days.

Mercifully the referee only adds two minutes of injury time and the suffering is over, leaving Lille delighted with their famous victory and the once mighty United as flat and ragged as a burst balloon, in serious danger of failing to even qualify out of the group stages again.

This review is cross-posted here at BlogCritics.

Premiership Roundup Week 11

2005-10-31T23:14:00.000+01:00

This week's Premiership fixtures kicked off with Wigan Athletic proving just too strong for the improving Fulham but only just, leaving it until the 90th minute to edge it 1-0. The weekend's big fixture saw the strutting Tottenham Hotspur just fail to beat bitter rivals Arsenal, ending 1-all after Spurs had dominated the match but failed to finish off the opposition.

The three o'clock games saw Chelsea extend their control of the Premiership, running out easy 4-2 victors over an initially hard to break down Blackburn Rovers, thanks to great performances by lethal striker Didier Drogba and the best player in Britain today, Frank Lampard in midfield.

..............Chelsea's Didier Drogba

Elsewhere, Bolton Wanderers proved just too strong for hosts Charlton Athletic, stealing a vital 0-1 away win thanks to another crucial goal from captain Kevin Nolan and going above the East Londoners in the table, whilst Liverpool returned to winning ways with a steadying 2-0 victory over the original East Enders West Ham United.

..........Bolton's inspirational captain Kevin Nolan

The two basement battles were decisive, the previously rooted to the bottom Everton leapfrogging over the increasingly vulnerable Steve Bruce's Birmingham City to 18th place, their second away victory coming due to the first of the day's crucial goalkeeping errors. Over on the East Coast, sad strugglers Sunderland confirmed the mammoth task facing them as they are already looking like relegation fodder, going down 1-4 to fellow minnows Portsmouth.

The same score at Middlesborough sounds unremarkable until one realises that it's 4-1 to the home team over a truly dire Manchester United, who were inept in defence and clueless in front of goal. Apparently billionaire American owner Malcolm Glazer is prepared to give Sir Alex Ferguson a blank cheque to make the team competitive with rouble-rich Chelski, news which can't come soon enough for the bewildered fans.

............Sir Alex Ferguson on a happier day

Sunday saw the heretofore underperforming Newcastle United return to winning ways, slamming West Bromwich Albion 0-3, thanks to a brace from the now fit Michael Owen and a late goal from supersub Alan Shearer, a result which takes the Geordies back into the top half of the table but leaves the generally impressive Brummies right on the edge of the drop zone.

............Michael Owen of Newcastle United and England

Week 11 draws to a close with the Monday night victory of Manchester City over up for sale Aston Villa 3-1 with former Villa striker Darius Vassell scoring twice as the Sky Blues soar to fourth place.

The current English Premiership Football league table is here.

This article is cross-posted here on BlogCritics.

Middlesbrough 4 Manchester United 1

2005-10-29T20:48:00.000+02:00

It's a full house at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium as former Alex Ferguson assistant Steve McClaren, now in charge here in the North East for four years, hopes to continue Middlesbrough's good run of results against his former boss. Sir Alex in turn will be hoping Manchester United start a good run of form, knowing that his season, and possibly his career, depend on the next nine days.

Middlesbrough centre-backs Gareth Southgate (groin) and Ugo Ehiogu (knee) are both out injured but Franck Queudrue, Emanuel Pogagtetz and Matthew Bates all return to the team. Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Bates, Riggott, Queudrue, Parnaby, Boateng, Mendieta, Rochemback, Pogatetz, Hasselbaink, Yakubu. Subs: Jones, Nemeth, Doriva, Morrison, Viduka

Manchester United's Wes Brown and Kieran Richardson return to the squad but Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane, Gabriel Heinze, Quinton Fortune, Gary Neville and Louis Saha are all still unfit. Man Utd : Van der Sar, Bardsley, Ferdinand, O'Shea, Silvestre, Fletcher, Smith, Scholes, Park, Rooney, van Nistelrooy. Subs: Howard, Brown, Ronaldo, Richardson, Rossi.

Middlesbrough get things going and it's hammer blows to the United heart straightaway as Gaizka Mendieta collects a long crossfield ball outside the Reds' penalty area and with barely a glance slams a rocket into the back of the net, it's GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLL and 1-0 to Middlesbrough with only two minutes gone. Game on!

.......................................Middlesbrough's Gaizka Mendieta

Unfortunately for United, the home side are now filled with self belief and contesting every ball. Sir Alex' cautious 4-4-1-1 formation isn't built for buccaneering and with Park as the only real wide player, the Red Devils are finding midfield control impossible.

Suddenly, in the 24th minute, it gets worse; Mendieta, helping out in defence, sends a long visionary pass deep into United territory where Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink makes no mistake from close range and it's GOOOOOOAAAALLL and 2-0 to Middlesbrough.

It's bedlam in the Riverside and things are looking grim for the Manchester men. There seems scant prospect of one of those miraculous comebacks which the United fans once took for granted as Middlesbrough seem to have total control and Mendieta is proving the master of midfield.

It's almost half time, offering a chance to re-group for United, when events take a turn for the even worse. Kieron Richardson, on as a tactical change for Bardsley, brings down Stuart Parnaby in the United area and Aiyegbeni Yakubu makes easy work of the penalty, sending Van der Sar the wrong way, so it's another GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL and now 3-0 to Middlesbrough.

As the referee mercifully brings the first half to a close, the words "Sir Alex" and "hairdryer treatment" spring to mind as the United players trudge towards the dressing room.

Fifteen minutes later, United get the second half started playing 4-3-3 now but there's still no sign of winger Cristiano Ronaldo, who would surely help unlock this tight defensive unit. Middlesbrough look determined to continue their good work and not simply defend the lead.

For all their good passing and not for want of trying to get forward, United are getting nothing but scrappy little chances with little real threat to Mark Schwarzer in the 'Boro goal and the danger of a swift counter attack is continuous and real as the home team grow in confidence.

Ronaldo comes on for Manchester with only thirty minutes remaining, but replaces Park, still leaving United with only one wide guy. Predictably, this proves too little and further hurt is caused in the 77th minute when Yakuba brushes past the ineffectual Ferdinand and squares the ball to that man Mendieta who shoots rightfooted into the bottom corner for another easy GOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAL and 4-0.

Cristiano Ronaldo, scorer of Manchester United's 1000th Premiership goal

Just before the end of this shoddy performance by the team expected to lead the Chelsea chase, the hugely disappointing Rio Ferdinand is taken off by Ferguson and replaced by the welcome return of long term injury victim Wes Brown. Then, in the second minute of added time, a further crumb of comfort comes Manchester's way when they become the first ever team to score one thousand Premiership goals as a Paul Scholes corner is met by a bullet header from Cristiano Ronaldo who scores a great consolation GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAL to make the final score a well-deserved 4-1 to Middlesbrough.

Cross-posted here at BlogCritics.

Premiership Preview Week 11

2005-10-28T22:20:00.000+02:00

The dramatic tension of the Premiership is really starting to build now as the heady outlines of glory and failure begin to take shape for all twenty teams.

The fever starts to build with the two lunchtime fixtures where high flying debutantes Wigan Athletic should prove too strong for struggling visitors Fulham. Meanwhile in the match of the day, Spurs entertain Arsenal with their best chance for years of winning the at times heated North London derby. Arsenal's heart, in the shape of

Thierry Henry, misses the game due to injury so the likelihood of Wenger's boys taking advantage of the chance to catch the newly confident Tottendam (sic) looks slim.

In the five three o'clock kickoffs, there's an into-the-valley-of-relegation battle between two seriously underperforming teams as Birmingham host Everton; it's second versus seventh as Charlton hope to resist the attacking verve of Bolton Wanderers; whilst the leaders Chelsea will be hoping both to recover momentum against Blackburn Rovers and that there's no re-run of the pitched battle between the two teams we saw last season. Liverpool will be hoping to avoid further embarrassment against the improving West Ham and in the other basement battle two teams struggle desperately for air as Sunderland face Portsmouth.

The late afternoon match sees the unpredictable Middlesboro host the so far inconsistent Manchester United in a game in which literally anything can happen but, as United keeper

Edwin van der Sar says: "The season is going to stand or fall on our two results this week. There is already a gap between ourselves and Chelsea [who we play on November 6th], so that will only be an important game if we win on Saturday".

Sunday sees West Brom looking to keep their recent good run going against the dangerously wounded beast that is Newcastle United but I expect the Toon Army to prevail and the month of October and this week's round of matches is brought to a close on Monday night as the high-flying Sky Blues of Manchester City will look to take advantage of a struggling Aston Villa.

This article cross-posted here at BlogCritics.

Manchester United 4 Barnet 1

2005-10-25T23:06:00.000+02:00

Manchester United continue their recent custom of using the Carling Cup to develop younger squad players, tonight against Barnet, a team currently enjoying their first season of Football League.

Obviously I wasn't able to see the match but the worst moment was obviously the totally unnecessary sending off of Barnet's goalkeeper in the second minute whilst the best was the confident performance of a weird mixture of rusty first teamers and a handful of kids making their United debuts.

The bare stats of the match are:-

Man Utd Howard, Bardsley, Brown, Pique, Eckersley, Martin (Gibson 75), Miller, Jones, Richardson, Ebanks-Blake, Rossi.

Subs Not Used: Park, Smith, Silvestre, Steele.

Booked: Miller, Jones, Eckersley.

Goals: Miller 4, Richardson 19, Rossi 51, Ebanks-Blake 89.

Barnet Flitney, Hendon, Yakubu, King, Gross, Soares (Tynan 3), Lee (Batt 87), Sinclair, Bailey, Strevens, Grazioli (Hatch 75).

Subs Not Used: Charles, Graham.

Sent Off: Flitney (2).

Booked: Yakubu.

Goals: Sinclair 74.

Att: 43,673

Ref: R Beeby (Northamptonshire).

Premiership Roundup Week 10

2005-10-23T19:08:00.000+02:00

This week's Premiership fixtures kicked off with the Saturday lunchtime game between Mark Hughes' Blackburn Rovers and Steve Bruce's Birmingham City; the striker's team beat the defender's side and Birmingham went home empty-handed after losing 2-0.

In the main group of Saturday afternoon matches, the standout game was a bit of a letdown for both sets of fans as Manchester United were held to a draw by Tottenham Hotspur, which can only have pleased Chelsea fans. Elsewhere Arsenal bested the continuingly impressive Manchester City thanks to a Robert Pires penalty but the former kings of the capital ended the day as they started, only the fourth best team in London.

Perennial strugglers Aston Villa were unable to raise their game for the visit of this season's surprise package Wigan Athletic, who surge to an unprecedented fourth place in their first ever Premiership season, whilst Fulham played above themselves to beat the moody men of Merseyside that are Liverpool.

The late afternoon match saw strugglers Portsmouth entertain high flyers Charlton Athletic down on the South Coast of England - and down is where they stayed as the Londoners came from behind to leap into second place.

The four Sunday matches started with a cracking North East derby as Newcastle United hosted an increasingly desperate Sunderland. The final 15 minutes of the first half produced a flurry of four goals but Newcastle nicked the victory thanks to a stunning second half Belozoglu Emre free kick, his first goal for the club since joining them from Inter Milan.

................................................Belozoglu Emre

Later, Bolton Wanderers continued their good season with a routine 2-0 victory against promoted West Bromwich Albion, which takes them to 7th, whilst West Ham United bounced back from last week's defeat, beating Middlesborough 2-1.

.................................................Everton's James Beattie

This week's fixtures were brought to a thrilling close with this season's surprise whipping boys Everton, currently propping up the table, hosting runaway leaders Chelsea. All non-Chelsea fans will join in congratulating The Toffees as the first team this season to avoid defeat against the reigning champions. The Merseysiders held on for the draw after going ahead through a first half James Beattie penalty and it took another stunning Frank Lampard goal in the second half to bring Chelski back into it. He truly is the best footballer in the Premiership right now.

..............................................Frank Lampard

The current Premiership League table is here.

This article is cross-posted here on BlogCritics.

Manchester United 1 Tottenham Hotspur 1

2005-10-22T18:03:00.000+02:00

After the disappointing Old Trafford performance in mid-week, when Manchester United really should have consolidated the control of their Champions League group but managed only a 0-0 draw against a stubborn but outclassed Lille, everybody from the owners to the cleaners must be hoping for a much better performance against the team between them and leaders Chelsea.

For this week's team, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's job has been made even more difficult by the ongoing injury-crisis at the club. With only a threadbare squad to work with, Sir Alex has selected what looks like a 4-3-3 formation with Edwin Van der Sar in goal, a makeshift back four of Phil Bardsley, Rio Ferdinand, Mikael Silvestre, and John O'Shea, a cautious midfield of Darren Fletcher, Alan Smith, and Paul Scholes, with Wayne Rooney and Ji-Sung Park playing either side of Ruud van Nistelrooy. The increasingly thin subs bench today seats Tim Howard, Cristiano Ronaldo, Liam Miller, Gerard Pique, and Guiseppe Rossi.

Tottenham are totally pumped for this fixture and keep to the same team that beat Everton last week, lining up with goalie Paul Robinson behind Paul Stalteri, Michael Dawson, Ledley King, Young-pyo Lee; a positive looking midfield of Aaron Lennon, Michael Carrick, Edgar Davids and Jermaine Jenas; and upfront Hossan Ahmed Mido and Jermain Defoe.

.................................Hossan Ahmed Mido

We are looking at what promises to be a very open attacking match with United's still experimental 4-3-3 formation ranged against Tottenham's more familiar 4-4-2.

Wayne Rooney kicks off for United and straightaway United, looking very positive, surge forward towards the Tottenham defence, who just manage to tidy up. The Red Devils are clearly determined to be more assertive than in midweek and are immediately driving forward again and again.

With only six minutes gone, an innocuous looking free kick taken by Paul Scholes wide on the left brings an awkward downward header from Ruud van Nistelrooy which Spurs keeper Paul Robinson somehow fumbles and the ball falls to Mikael Silvestre who stabs it into the corner of the net and it's GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL for United and it's 1-0.

................................ Mikael Silvestre

The first half continues as almost one way traffic as United, playing full of confidence and self-belief, continue striding forward at every opportunity and stretching the Tottenham defence almost to breaking point. Almost but not quite and Spurs hold on, resisting attack after attack and being limited to barely three unproductive counterattacks. Before we know it, top referee Uriah Rennie blows his whistle and it's half time. Whew!

Fifteen minutes later the London boys get the second half underway, both sides unchanged. Tottenham have obviously decided to come out attacking and lay siege to the United goal, with at least three clear goal opportunities in the first five minutes, but the United defenders stand firm and goalie van der Sar is as solid as a rock.

Tottenham's determination to get something from the game keeps United pinned back in defence and more than ten minutes of the second half have passed before the home team have an attacking opportunity but van Nistelrooy shoots high over the goal from almost thirty metres out.

After sixty-four minutes Tottenham's clever Dutch manager Martin Jol brings on striker Robbie Keane for midfielder Lennon, as he looks for a way to turn Spurs' territorial dominance into goals, whilst Jenas is booked for clattering into Park, the third Spur to be booked in the space of five minutes.

The change pays off for the Londoners when Rio Ferdinand is falsely judged to have fouled Mido just outside the penalty area. Jenas strolls up to the dead ball and effortlessly lifts it over the wall and direct into the corner of the net. It's a surprise but deserved GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL to Tottenham and the score is 1-1.

.......................................Jermaine Jenas

United respond by bringing on Cristiano Ronaldo for Fletcher so it's obviously going to be a hot final twenty minutes as both teams battle for victory. United are storming forward down both flanks now in search of that crucial goal but in the 79th minute it's Spurs turn to threaten as they get another free kick outside the United box. This time it's taken by the impressive Michael Carrick who floats it into the goal mouth where it suddenly dips and van der Sar has to leap to prevent an almost identical goal, the ball slamming into the crossbar.

Two minutes later, United up the stakes, taking off impressive young fullback Bardsley and bringing on the equally impressive and even younger striker Guiseppe Rossi. Clearly, a draw won't do!

However, despite a bundle of half chances, a draw is what we get as the Tottenham defence battle manfully to hold back a desperate United. The match ends 1-1, a result which only Chelsea fans can be happy about.

This match review is cross-posted here at the mighty BlogCritics.

Premiership Football Preview Week 10

2005-10-22T14:06:00.000+02:00

This week's Premiership fixtures kick off with the Saturday lunchtime game between Mark Hughes' Blackburn Rovers and Steve Bruce's Birmingham City, as the two former Manchester United players, now rival managers, compete for vital points.

Birmingham need the points more as they look to get a so far disappointing season turned around but Blackburn are becoming hard to beat; probably a draw waiting to happen but, if there is a winner, it's more likely to be the Rovers.

In the main group of Saturday afternoon matches, the standout game is obviously at Old Trafford as third placed Manchester United host the much improved Tottenham Hotspur who are currently lying in a well-deserved second spot. United have been stuttering a lot recently due to a bloated injury list, now even longer due to the mid-week fracture of Welsh winger Ryan Giggs' cheekbone by a French elbow, and will be desperate for a victory over the new second best team in London.

Elsewhere, the former second best team in London, Arsenal, host the continuingly impressive Manchester City, who will be looking to maintain their good start. Perennial strugglers Aston Villa host this season's surprise package Wigan Athletic, currently flying high in sixth place in their first ever Premiership season, whilst Fulham will hope to get at least a draw against a Liverpool side boosted by the return of Steve Gerrard.

The late afternoon match sees strugglers Portsmouth entertain high flyers Charlton Athletic down on the South Coast of England - and down is likely where they are going to remain against the well-organized Londoners.

The four Sunday matches start with the prospect of a cracking North East derby as two teams with a lot to prove go for it as Newcastle United host Sunderland. It could get hot in St James Park at lunchtime...

Later, Bolton Wanderers are having another good season so far and will be looking to consolidate against promoted West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United will be looking to bounce back from last week's defeat for the visit of Middlesborough, one place below them.

This week's fixtures are brought to a close with the 4 pm kickoff of this season's surprise whipping boys Everton, currently propping up the table, having to face the runaway leaders Chelsea. All non-Chelsea fans will doubtless be hoping to see The Toffees end the Londoners' perfect start, probably in vain.

Current League Table

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Chelsea	9	5	0	0	14	2	4	0	0	9	1	20	27
2	Tottenham	9	3	1	1	5	2	2	2	0	6	3	6	18
3	Man Utd	8	1	1	1	3	3	4	1	0	10	3	7	17
4	Man City	9	3	1	1	6	3	2	1	1	5	4	4	17
5	Charlton	8	1	1	2	4	6	4	0	0	9	2	5	16
6	Wigan	8	3	1	1	5	3	2	0	1	3	2	3	16
7	Bolton	9	2	1	1	3	1	2	1	2	7	10	-1	14
8	Arsenal	8	4	0	0	9	1	0	1	3	2	5	5	13
9	West Ham	8	2	1	1	8	3	1	2	1	4	4	5	12
10	Middlesbrough	9	1	2	2	3	7	2	1	1	7	5	-2	12
11	Blackburn	9	2	1	1	4	4	1	1	3	3	6	-3	11
12	Liverpool	7	2	1	1	3	4	0	3	0	2	2	-1	10
13	Newcastle	9	1	2	1	2	3	1	1	3	3	5	-3	9
14	Aston Villa	9	1	2	1	6	6	1	1	3	3	8	-5	9
15	West Brom	9	2	0	3	8	9	0	2	2	1	7	-7	8
16	Portsmouth	9	0	3	1	2	4	1	1	3	4	6	-4	7
17	Fulham	9	1	1	2	4	5	0	2	3	4	9	-6	6
18	Birmingham	9	0	1	4	3	9	1	2	1	4	4	-6	6
19	Sunderland	9	0	2	3	5	10	1	0	3	2	4	-7	5
20	Everton	8	0	0	3	0	4	1	0	4	1	7	-10	3

This football preview is cross-posted here at the mighty BlogCritics.

Manchester United 0 Lille 0

2005-10-18T23:37:00.000+02:00

I was unable to see this game due to real life stuff but by all accounts I didn't miss much as Manchester United were pretty uninspired and uninspiring in this Group Stage match against Lille in the UEFA Champions League.

Paul Scholes is facing a ban after harshly being sent off for two debatable yellow cards and, adding injury to insult, Ryan Giggs will be out for a couple of months after one of the French team broke his cheekbone in three places, deepening the already grave injury crisis at Old Trafford.

....................Captain Giggs Talks As Paul Scholes Walks

The only good news is that Villarreal and Benfica also drew, maintaining United's narrow lead at the head of the group.

In case you're interested, here's some info about France, the city of Lille and, for our American readers, Football. These are links to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

Premiership Roundup Week 9

2005-10-17T23:37:00.000+02:00

This week's round of fixtures in the most exciting Premiership season for years produced some surprising results, starting with the early Saturday victory by new boys Wigan, now up to 6th thanks to another Jason Roberts goal,

Wigan Athletic's match winner Jason Roberts

over a still stuttering Newcastle United who drop to 13th and must be feeling their season is already one of recovery - and we're only at the quarter season mark.

In the main group of Saturday afternoon matches, Premiership leaders Chelsea thrashed the previously highflying Bolton 5-1, but only after being a goal behind at half time. Manchester United advance to third after a relatively straightforward victory over a spirited Sunderland side that are better than their current position implies.

Manchester United's American Italian striker Guiseppe Rossi, 18, who scored on his debut

Liverpool had the best of the Northwest derby against Blackburn but both teams remain wedged in midtable. Portsmouth were as pleased as Middlesborough disappointed after their routine draw; the impressive Spurs deepened Everton's mystifyingly poor start and climbed to second place; and West Brom, whose only dream is avoiding relegation, continued playing out of their skins for manager Bryan Robson and beat an out-of-sorts and injury stricken Arsenal.

West Brom manager Bryan Robson

The Sunday lunchtime Midlands derby made history as Aston Villa earned their first ever Premiership victory over neighbours Birmingham whilst the later game saw much-improved-under-manager-Stuart-Pearce Manchester City just best the always positive West Ham United thanks to two goals by the much-travelled Andy Cole on his 34th birthday.

2 goal birthday boy Andy Cole of Manchester City

This week's round of fixtures was completed with a Monday night London derby as Charlton fell to fifth place after having to come from behind to earn a draw with Fulham.

All in all, another good week for reigning champions Chelsea, who lead the table by nine points after nine consecutive victories; the two Manchester teams, United and City, who are third and fourth respectively; Tottenham, who make it a London 1-2 at the top of table; and Wigan, who were playing non-League football only twenty-seven years ago and now are up to sixth in the Premiership.

Week 9 Results

Saturday 15th October 2005

Chelsea 5 Bolton Wanderers 1
Liverpool 1 Blackburn Rovers 0
Middlesbrough 1 Portsmouth 1
Sunderland 1 Manchester United 3
Tottenham Hotspur 2 Everton 0
West Bromwich Albion 2 Arsenal 1
Wigan Athletic 1 Newcastle United 0

Sunday 16th October 2005

Birmingham 0 Aston Villa 1
Manchester City 2 West Ham United 1

Monday 17th October 2005

Charlton Athletic 1 Fulham 1

The current Premier League table can be seen here.

This roundup is cross-posted here on BlogCritics.

Sunderland 1 Manchester United 3

2005-10-15T18:10:00.000+02:00

So it's back to normal after the long international break which thankfully saw England confirm their qualification for next year's World Cup in Germany. Today's challenge for Manchester United, as we look to continue building a decent run of form, is a journey across England to the North East to face struggling new boys Sunderland.

Continuing our recent tradition of fielding a different team every week, today's lineup features Edwin van der Sar in goal, a back four of Barsdsley-Ferdinand-Silvestre-O'Shea (Bardsley is in because of Richardson's injury), an attacking midfield of Park-Smith-Scholes-Ronaldo with Rooney playing a free role behind van Nistelrooy. On the bench are Howard, Fletcher, Miller, Rossi and Pique. I presume Giggs is injured although nothing has been said by club or media.

For the record, Sunderland line up like this:- K Davis, N Nosworthy, G Breen, S Caldwell, J Hoyte, L Lawrence, D Whitehead, T Miller, A Welsh, S Elliott, A Gray and their subs are C Robinson, J Stead, B Alnwick, D Collins, A Le Tallec. Full squad details for them are here.

What's clear right from the start is that Sunderland, having not lost their last three games, are keen not to lose again and so defend deeply. I think it's going to take a while to break them down, even with the attacking lineup we have today.

Sure enough, things tend to bog down in midfield as Sunderland appear to be playing practically 5-4-1. Over 15 minutes have passed before the home team even try and look at the United penalty area but they never looked like scoring.

Rio Ferdinand

It carries on like that for what seems like forever until, with only a few minutes to half time, Ferdinand, who is playing better than of late, clears a rare Sunderland free kick and the ball reaches Rooney who steps forward and slams the ball into the corner of the net from close range. It's a GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL and 0-1 to United!

Wayne Rooney

That's the best moment of a first half that has been more like a home match for the Red Devils as they attack at will and Sunderland play deep and look for the occasional counter.

After the break, nothing has changed, no substitutions by either side and no change in tactics as United look to build on their lead and Sunderland dream of an equalizer, but somehow you can feel they lack the necessary belief.

United seem to want to spread the goalscoring load, not leaving it all up to Ruud and Rooney, and there are useful shots at goal from both Park and Ronaldo, both just kept out by the stretched Sunderland defence. Nothing really worth reporting until, with quarter of an hour left in the game, a sweeping United attack sees Rooney reach Ruud with a clever pass from the right and the Dutch goalmaster makes no mistake, stabbing the ball into the back of the net. GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLL and 0-2 to United!

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Sir Alex clearly think that's job done and replaces van Nistelrooy with American-born Italian striker Guiseppe Rossi. He's no sooner come on than commits handball in the Sunderland half. From the resulting free kick, Sunderland charge forward and striker Stephen Elliott shoots diagonally from the right and it's GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL, only seven minutes to go and it's 1-2. Can Sunderland get another goal or will United hang on?

Stephen Elliott

The question becomes academic with three minutes left when Rossi caps a busy if brief Premiership debut with an impressively taken goal, shooting leftfooted into the right corner and it's GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL and 1-3 to United.

Guiseppe Rossi

That's about it bar the singing and the United team and fans can go home feeling satisfied with the day's work, another victory and three more points towards what is certainly going to be a season long chase after the impressive, if lucky, Chelsea.

This review is also cross-posted here at the mighty BlogCritics.

Premiership Football Preview Week 9

2005-10-14T17:27:00.000+02:00

This week's round of fixtures in the most exciting Premiership season for years features some crucial matches, not least the early fixture today when surprise new boys Wigan look to consolidate their good start to their first ever Premiership season against a stuttering Newcastle United, who will be hoping their surprise signing of England striker Michael Owen

will rescue both their season and the career of manager Graham Souness.

Of the main group of Saturday afternoon matches, leaders Chelsea take on the continuously improving Bolton, who just might sneak a point and spoil the Londoners' perfect start. There's a cracking Northwest derby as Liverpool host Blackburn with both teams needing to get something from the game; Portsmouth make the long journey North from the South Coast to Middlesborough but may return home empty-handed; northern neighbours Sunderland host Manchester United who will hope their continuing injury crisis doesn't cost them dear; the impressive Spurs will be expecting to continue Everton's poor start; and West Brom, performing well under former Manchester United and England captain Bryan Robson,

will fancy their chances against a struggling Arsenal.

The Sunday matches feature a lunchtime Midlands derby with a lot at stake as both Birmingham and Aston Villa try to find some form whilst the later game has two teams that like to play entertaining football, the much-improved-under-manager-Stuart-Pearce

Manchester City and the always positive West Ham United meet in Manchester.

This week's fixtures are brought to a close with a Monday night London derby as Charlton, currently deservedly second in the table, host the so far disappointing Fulham.

Saturday, 15 October 2005, Uk match times.

Wigan v Newcastle, 12:45

Chelsea v Bolton, 15:00
Liverpool v Blackburn, 15:00
Middlesbrough v Portsmouth, 17:15
Sunderland v Man Utd, 15:00
Tottenham v Everton, 15:00
West Brom v Arsenal, 15:00

Sunday, 16 October 2005

Birmingham v Aston Villa, 12:00
Man City v West Ham, 16:00

Monday, 17 October 2005

Charlton v Fulham, 20:00

Current table before these fixtures

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Chelsea	8	4	0	0	9	1	4	0	0	9	1	16	24
2	Charlton Athletic	7	1	0	2	3	5	4	0	0	9	2	5	15
3	Tottenham Hotspur	8	2	1	1	3	2	2	2	0	6	3	4	15
4	Manchester United	7	1	1	1	3	3	3	1	0	7	2	5	14
5	Bolton Wanderers	8	2	1	1	3	1	2	1	1	6	5	3	14
6	Manchester City	8	2	1	1	4	2	2	1	1	5	4	3	14
7	Arsenal	7	4	0	0	9	1	0	1	2	1	3	6	13
8	Wigan Athletic	7	2	1	1	4	3	2	0	1	3	2	2	13
9	West Ham United	7	2	1	1	8	3	1	2	0	3	2	6	12
10	Middlesbrough	8	1	1	2	2	6	2	1	1	7	5	-2	11
11	Blackburn Rovers	8	2	1	1	4	4	1	1	2	3	5	-2	11
12	Newcastle United	8	1	2	1	2	3	1	1	2	3	4	-2	9
13	Liverpool	6	1	1	1	2	4	0	3	0	2	2	-2	7
14	Portsmouth	8	0	3	1	2	4	1	0	3	3	5	-4	6
15	Birmingham City	8	0	1	3	3	8	1	2	1	4	4	-5	6
16	Aston Villa	8	1	2	1	6	6	0	1	3	2	8	-6	6
17	Sunderland	8	0	2	2	4	7	1	0	3	2	4	-5	5
18	Fulham	8	1	1	2	4	5	0	1	3	3	8	-6	5
19	West Bromwich Albion	8	1	0	3	6	8	0	2	2	1	7	-8	5
20	Everton	7	0	0	3	0	4	1	0	3	1	5	-8	3

Fulham 2 Manchester United 3

2005-10-01T18:50:00.000+02:00

With another two week break for World Cup 2006 qualifying matches coming up, this weekend's round of Premiership matches is a vital chance to show some major improvement for the so far patchy Manchester United.

This weekend sees United back in London for the Saturday afternoon fixture against goalie Edwin van der Saar's former club, Fulham, owned by Mohamed Al Fayed, who also owns upmarket shop Harrods. The Red Devils are going to be too busy to go shopping however as, not having won in the League since August, there is some serious work to be done against a club currently lying fourth from bottom in the table.

Manchester United and former Fulham goalkeeper Edwin van der Saar

All I can tell you about the Fulham lineup today is that it reads Mark Crossley, Moritz Volz, Carlos Bocanegra, Alain Goma, Niclas Jensen, Steed Malbranque, Claus Jensen, Papa Bouba Diop, Luis Boa Morte, Brian McBride, Collins John with substitutes Heidar Helguson, Tomasz Radzinski, Ahmad Elrich, Dean Leacock and Tony Warner. Full details on the entire Fulham squad are available here.

Mikael Silvestre

This week's Manchester United lineup looks curiously almost 4-4-2 with Edwin van der Sar in goal; a back four of John O'Shea (the new Phil Neville?), Rio Ferdinand, the returning Mikael Silvestre and Kieran Richardson; in midfield we find Ji-sung Park, Darren Fletcher, Alan Smith, and Ryan Giggs (captaining the side for the second match in a row) with Wayne Rooney joining Ruud van Nistelrooy up front. There are a couple of notable players rested today, giving a bench of Tim Howard, Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes, Phil Bardsley, who did so well against Benfica in midweek and the young Spanish defender Gerard Pique.

Before anybody's had time to adjust to the lineups and formations, Fulham get the ball forward and their American striker Brian McBride heads the ball on to strike partner Collins John standing on the penalty spot.. The Liberian-born Dutch international makes no mistake and slams the ball past van der Sar into the corner of the net and with 2 minutes gone it's GOOOOOAAALLL 1-0 to Fulham.

Collins John

Unfortunately, there is a lot of wind swirling round Craven Cottage making it difficult for either side to get their passing game working. Fortunately, United don't let this early setback get to them and keep pressing forward. Within 10 minutes of the restart the Red Devils have had three decent shots saved by Fulham's keeper Crossley then, in the 15th minute, the Cottagers' German defender Moritz Volz brings down Ji-sung Park in the Fulham box and it's a clear penalty to the Reds.

Ruud van Nistelrooy steps forward and with a confident air practically strokes the ball past Crossley and it's GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL 1-1.

Ruud and Rooney celebrate

The good news has hardly sunk in before Park is surging forward again and slides a great pass through to Rooney who makes no mistake and shoots past the advancing Crossley and it's GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL 1-2 to United! Two goals in two minutes - and playing 4-4-2. Sensational!

United aren't in a mood to settle for this and keep pressing forward whilst Fulham seem happy to play the offside trap and counterattack. Just before the half hour mark and totally against the run of play, Fulham have a free kick which their Danish international midfielder Claus Jensen sweeps goalwards and, with Ferdinand and O'Shea leadenfootedly ballwatching, almost unbelievably it's GOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLL to Fulham and 2-2.

Claus Jensen

Both sides are up for it now and the match is turning into a real classic Premiership attacking game played at high pace. This match is turning into a total vindication of the 4-4-2 formation and attacking football and the hell with 4-5-1!

United do it better of course and in first half stoppage time Park again proved his skill, determination and increasing importance to United with a beautifully placed pass to an unmarked van Nistelrooy who simply tapped the ball into the net and it's GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL 2-3 to United and halftime. Whew!

Ji-sung Park

Heavy rain and determined defending combined to prevent the second half matching the excitement of the first and with only a couple of chances at each end and no further goals to report, United did indeed revert to 4-5-1 for the last few minutes, correctly defending the ultimately match winning lead.

This review is cross-posted here at BlogCritics

Manchester United 2 Benfica 1

2005-09-27T23:47:00.000+02:00

It's European Champions League action tonight as Manchester United try to set all the problems, arguments and bitter disappointment of recent events behind them and focus on this crucial group stage match against Benfica of Portugal.

Longterm fans of The Red Devils will be acutely aware that Benfica were the team Manchester United defeated to win the European Cup for the first time back in the distant past of the 1968 version of the late Sir Matt Busby's Babes, winning 4-1 after extra time.

Sir Alex Ferguson

Tonight's result is all that matters now and United manager Sir Alex Ferguson sticks to his tactical guns with another, albeit of necessity different, 4-5-1 lineup of Edwin Van Der Sar in goal, Phil Bardsley, Rio Ferdinand, John O'Shea and Kieron Richardson as this week's back four and the welcome return of Ryan Giggs on the left of a midfield completed by Darren Fletcher, Alan Smith, Paul Scholes and Cristiano Ronaldo playing behind lone frontman Ruud van Nistelrooy. The unlikely looking subs bench is filled by Tim Howard, Ji-Sung Park, Liam Miller, Gerard Pique, Sylvain Ebanks-Blake, Guiseppe Rossi and Lee Martin.

Benfica Manager Ronald Koeman

Benfica are now managed by Dutch legend Ronald Koeman and playing 4-4-2 with a lineup that I entirely don't know but that looks like this:- Moreira, Nelson-Luisao-Rocha-Leo, Beto-Manuel-Petit-Simao, and Miccoli-Gomes up front.

Given all the recent difficulties, United start the match really positively, determined to set the record straight where it matters, out on the pitch. Everyone is looking sharp and up for it, as indeed they should be!

Benfica have clearly come to the Theatre of Dreams to play counter-attack against a United side that has little choice but to go for the win after the disappointing draw two weeks ago in Spain. It's great to see Ryan Giggs, captaining the team tonight, involved so positively right from the start as the Reds look to control midfield.

There's a lot of back and forth right through the first half with the home team naturally being more positive and looking for an early advantage. Apart from a brilliant van Nistelrooy shot after 15 minutes that strikes the bar, there's little to report until, in the fortieth minute, Ronaldo is fouled and the subsequent free kick, whipped in right footed by Captain Giggs, strikes the Benfica wall and deflects right into the net. It's GOOOOOOAAAAAALLLL and 1-0 to United! That's about it for the first half and the referee blows his whistle to end the half with United playing with a lot more self belief than of late.

Ryan Giggs

Fifteen minutes later Benfica get the second half underway and coach Koeman has clearly told them to get after United's inexperienced defence. The Reds back four are having to play out of their skins but are looking up for the job and the makeshift midfield are getting back to help. So far things are looking hopeful for the Manchester men.

On the hour mark Alan Smith brings down Miccoli on the edge of the penalty area and Benfica captain Simao fires in a vicious shot that leaves Van Der Sar no chance and it's GOOOALLL to Benfica 1-1.

To their credit, United take this hammer blow in their stride and keep pressing hard for another goal. It's pretty much one way traffic but Benfica have switched to a more defensive 4-5-1, obviously happy to settle for the draw, and the way through the Portuguese defence proves elusive.

Fabrizio Miccoli

Our own little Portuguese man of war, Cristiano Ronaldo, has a clear shooting chance from close range in the 65th minute but goalie Moreira somehow manages to tip the ball onto the bar; the next moment Van Der Sar is leaping to block a fierce shot from Benfica's Italian striker Miccoli.

It all gets bogged down in midfield for a while and you can sense the nagging doubt creeping in. Another draw, especially at home, would be very discouraging at this stage of an already challenging season.

Phil Bardsley

With a little more than five minutes left to go, United's latest right back, local lad Phillip Bardsley, 20, races down the right wing and wins a corner. Giggs takes it, right-footed again, and the tall braided figure of Rio Ferdinand rises and flicks it on to Ruud van Nistelrooy who makes no mistake from perhaps 2 metres out and it's GOOOOOAAAALLL 2-1 to United!

Benfica fight back and use attacking tactical substitutions in desperate search of a late equalizer but there's too little time and after a miss at each end and two minutes of extra time it's all over. Victory for Manchester United and vindication for Sir Alex Ferguson's tactics with the added pluses of the welcome return of Ryan Giggs, my choice as Man of the Match, and the impressive debut of Phillip Bardsley at right back.

This review is cross-posted here at the mighty BlogCritics website.

Manchester United 1 Blackburn Rovers 2

2005-09-24T17:59:00.000+02:00

Another week, another Lancashire derby, as the mighty Manchester United entertain one of only three other teams to win the Premiership, the once mighty Blackburn Rovers, now re-building under the fierce Welsh manager and former much-loved United striker, Mark Hughes.

Blackburn Rovers manager Mark Hughes

United get things underway lined up in what looks like a cautious 4-5-1 of Edwin Van der Sar in goal, the current back four of John O'Shea, Rio Ferdinand, Mikael Silvestre and Kieron Richardson,and then a 5 man midfield of Cristiano Ronaldo, Darren Fletcher, Alan Smith, Paul Scholes captaining the team and Ji-sung Park with Ruud van Nistelrooy as lone striker. Both Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs are left on the bench along with Tim Howard, Liam Miller and Phil Bardsley. Let's hope they feel positive and actually play a slightly more positive though still cautious 4-3-3 with Ronaldo and Park getting forward to support the lone wolf!

It's a pretty one-sided first half with United making all the running and Blackburn defending deeply and looking for the quick break forward. It's a pretty open game with both sides making chances although they're coming roughly two to one in United's favour.

Suddenly, with just over half an hour gone, Blackburn win a fairly harmless looking free kick out on the United right. Blackburn's Norwegian midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen whips in what looks like a fast cross but somehow nobody connects with it and it goes straight in at the United far post and it's GOOALLL to Blackburn Rovers 0-1.

After this shock, the sellout crowd is stunned but United keep pushing forward in search of an equalizer, alas to no avail and it's half time with United losing at home.

The second half gets underway with Blackburn already looking happy to settle for the current score and just defend deeply but the Red Devils look determined to strike back.

After 10 minutes Sir Alex Ferguson underlines this by bringing on Wayne Rooney for the strangely preferred Darren Fletcher, Sir Alex's token Scot, and United immediately look even more threatening.

Within another ten minutes this tactical substitution pays off bigtime for Manchester United. Kieron Richardson, looking very cool in the unfamiliar Left Back role, takes a throw in which reaches Rooney in the Blackburn penalty area and he shoots fiercely. Blackburn's impressive American goalkeeper manages to parry the ball but it drops straight to Ruud van Nistelrooy who slots it into the corner of the away net and it's GOOOOOAAALLLL to United 1-1.

Sir Alex immediately brings on Ryan Giggs for Park as United look for the crucial winner. Tragically, in the 82nd minute it all goes terribly wrong for United as the usually reliable Paul Scholes, captain for the day, is caught in possession of the ball on the edge of the United penalty area by Blackburn's Michael Gray, who slips the ball through to Pedersen who slams the ball into the net and it's GOOALL to Blackburn Rovers and United are losing 1-2. Can the season be over for Manchester United and the Old Trafford faithful after only six games?

The home team have four minutes of extra time to try and save the match - and possibly their season. It's all United as the lads pour forwards trying to avert defeat but it's all to no avail and the boys in red sink to their first home defeat of the season.

This review also cross-posted here at the mighty BlogCritics site.

Liverpool 0 Manchester United 0

2005-09-18T23:59:00.000+02:00

The great Lancashire challenge continues with Liverpool, who have won more League/Premiership titles than any other club and are current reigning UEFA European Champions versus a hopefully resurgent Manchester United, presumably looking to do rather better than their solid but uninspired performance against Villarreal in mid-week.

Sir Alex has picked another initially odd-looking team with Edwin Van Der Sar in goal, a back four of O'Shea-Ferdinand-Silvestre-Richardson, and one of his it's-not-quite 4-5-1 but-also-not 4-3-3 formations, let's call it 4-3-2-1 or Christmas Tree (though it seems a little early for that), featuring Scholes-Keane-Smith in midfield and Rooney and Ronaldo wide and deep off frontman Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy

Liverpool kick off this English Premiership lunchtime fixture and within thirty seconds both keepers have had the ball; it's obviously going to be that kind of game!

Steve Gerrard and Wayne Rooney

A hard but fair struggle for control of midfield sets in as both sides renew the ancient battle to be the best in the North West. Liverpool, playing at home, are being a little more direct and placing some very threatening passes through United's midfield and defence. The Red Devils are playing counter-attack at speed and really stretching the Liverpool defence, which concedes a lot of dead ball chances for the Reds (actually playing in blue today, of course) but little more.

Kieron Richardson

Half an hour gone and the tension is visibly rising as both teams look for the first goal. Liverpool are mostly attacking down their right wing, where United's emergency left back and England midfielder Kieron Richardson is doing a great job standing in for long-term injury victim Argentine international Gabriel Heinze. This could prove to be critical for the boys from Manchester, both for the rest of the season and right now, right here in this vital match.

Best moment of the first half for United was a sudden break forward in the 44th minute with Ruud Van Nistelrooy receiving the ball in the Liverpool area and lobbing advancing keeper Reina. The ball just wouldn't come down fast enough and lands on the roof of the net. Liverpool's best moments were probably any one of a number of free kicks outside the United box, all of which came to nothing and it's 0-0 at half time.

Manchester United get the second half under way but it's Liverpool that have picked up the pace and the United defence is under siege. Breaking down both left and right, Liverpool are passing much more crisply than their scrappy first half performance as they switch the play back and forth across the pitch in search of that final pass but United's defence is resolute.

Steven Gerrard

Not until over the hour mark do we see United's first real attack. There's no goal but it signals a change in momentum as the Red Devils start to exert themselves in search of that precious first goal. Both sides know that one goal could be enough to win a match as tight as this.

With eighty minutes gone now it's all been sound and fury so far with neither team having anything to show for all their hard work. Liverpool have used two substitutions but United none, which is odd when players of the calibre of Ryan Giggs and Park sitting on the bench.

Suddenly, with 86 minutes gone it's Giggs on for team captain Roy Keane! Followed immediately by Fletcher replacing Rooney!! It's rarely boring watching Manchester United but is it too late? The changes don't look like match-winning solutions more like settling for the draw.

In the 93rd minute Sir Alex replaces Ronaldo with the South Korean Park, presumably to run down the clock a little, and one minute later it's all over.

Manchester United have had the better of these fixtures in recent seasons, so let's hope the draw signals Liverpool progress rather than a sign of a United decline; either way, with Chelsea having won again, their 6th straight win this season, it's more lost ground for both United and Liverpool in the increasingly important early season going. The late breaking news that United captain Roy Keane has a broken foot and will be out injured for about 2 months is the awful postscript to this somewhat dismal affair.

This review is cross-posted here at the mighty BlogCritics site.

Villarreal 0 Manchester United 0

2005-09-14T23:21:00.000+02:00

I wasn't able to focus on this match because today Wednesday 14th September 2005 is my birthday but I did want to record the result to keep this 2005-2006 football season blog complete.

Manchester United 1 Manchester City 1

2005-09-11T11:01:00.000+02:00

After a long season break for the World Cup qualifiers, the serious business of Premiership football resumes and this weekend it is the even more serious business of the Manchester Derby, Red versus Blue, with pride, points and league standings all at stake.

Despite the importance of the match, manager Sir Alex Ferguson decides to rest some of the senior players before the Champions League game away to Villarreal on September 14th and the following weekend's massive match against local rivals and current European Champions Liverpool. There's no place for club captain Roy Keane nor Welsh winger Ryan Giggs, Ronaldo is missing due to the sad loss of his father and Gary Neville and Wes Brown are both still injured.

Despite the weird 4-3-3 lineup, featuring the odd sounding midfield of Fletcher-Smith-Park, Manchester United quickly settle into their game and steadily begin to put Manchester City's defence under pressure. The Sky Blues have little to offer apart from the occasional counterattack down United's left wing but the Red defence mops up easily.

The new look midfield is working surprisingly well so far, with South Korean newbie Jung_Il Park, in for Giggs, taking a free role down both wings and Alan Smith, playing a little deep, in place of iconic team captain Roy Keane.

Wayne Rooney, a player who I believe could be better than Diego Maradona if he's allowed to develop properly, is having a relatively quiet game, possibly a little stale after England's won one, lost one World Cup matches.

Paul Scholes

The match becomes a slightly dull midfield struggle for control with neither side looking particularly sharp until, right at the end of the first half, Paul Scholes drives forward a free kick which Ruud van Nistelrooy meets firmly on the volley. City Keeper David James, disappointing for England, pulls off an impressive one-handed instinctive diving save but his skill goes unrewarded as the ball rebounds straight to Ruud who makes no mistake and it's GOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLL! 1-0 to United!

City are visibly deflated by the late first half goal but still full of resistance, this IS the Manchester derby after all, as the second half gets underway. Not much has changed from the first half, a lot of midfield toiling away with United being more assertive and looking for a second goal and City defending for all they're worth.

Alan Smith is looking solid in his new central midfield role and, in the absence of Ronaldo and Giggs, Rooney and Scholes are handling all the dead ball situations.

Over an hour gone now and the Sky Blues' need for a goal grows urgent but, despite the presence of former Red Andy Cole upfront, they can't find a way through United's defence. With under twenty minutes left, City's impressive manager Stuart Pearce makes a double substitution in midfield. They are obviously desperate to get something out of the game as even a draw will keep them ahead of the Red Devils.

Joey Barton

Suddenly, in the 75th minute, it all changes for Manchester City. A cross into the United box from City's right wing is missed by everybody and ends up on the left. After a couple of ricochets the ball ends up at the feet of City's new striker Darius Vassell. He shoots and the ball hits City midfielder Joey Barton and it's an unlikely GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLL for The Blues.
It's 1-1 and the first goal United have conceded all season.

Almost immediately, Sir Alex brings on both Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs, followed a few moments later by Kieron Richardson. Can they save the day for United or is there simply too little time left for a comeback?

Unfortunately it's the latter, in fact United almost lost the match in the last minute of extra time. City break down United's left (again) and a fast low cross is met by ex-Red Andy Cole but his quick shot is blocked by Edwin Van Der Sar and that's it.

A fantastic result for City, who remain ahead of United in the Premiership table, albeit having played a game more.

A disappointing result for Manchester United, points dropped, a goal conceded and drawing at home to City feels almost as bad as defeat.

This review is cross-posted here at BlogCritics.

Newcastle United 0 Manchester United 2

2005-08-28T17:53:00.000+02:00

For their third league match of the season, Manchester United are away from home but taking the initiative right from the kick-off here at Newcastle United and the crowd is pumped.

The Newcastle fans, the Toon Army as they're known, are some of the best fans in the country. They love their football passionately at St James Park and expect their team to play similarly.

Quite like Manchester United in fact, who are determined to make up for a bitterly disappointing last season. Now the Red Devils are driving forward looking for an early advantage, leaving Newcastle only the occasional counter attack. Their first, in the 11th minute, sees new Spanish striker Alberto Luque, who only arrived in the North East on Thursday from Deportivo La Coruña, have a goal disallowed for offside.

This encourages Newcastle, who are starting to make a real fight of it now, but lose a little momentum when Turkish midfielder Emre takes a knock and is replaced by Jermaine Jenas.

Half an hour gone and things are starting to boil. Newcastle's main striker and captain, former England goal man Alan Shearer seems to have taken an accidental knock from United's Argentinian left back Gabriel Heinze. As he often does, Shearer sees red and swiftly clatters into first Silvestre and then Ronaldo. The heat is on!

United remain focussed however and keep pressing forward. The 37th minute brings a lovely flowing move ending with Ruud van Nistelrooy feeding a lovely pass to Ronaldo in the penalty area but the Portuguese winger shoots straight at Newcastle goalie Shay Given. A minute later he has another chance when Lee Bowyer attempts an insane back pass to Given and Ronaldo intercepts, but he hurries the shot and it's wide of the target.

Newcastle get another chance when Heinze fouls Shola Ameobi on the left corner of the United penalty area. Luque takes the free kick but shoots straight at United midfielder Paul Scholes and it goes for a corner. Luque takes it but United goalie Van der Sar punches clear. This is the home team's best spell of the match so far. They surge again in the last minute of the first half, Ameobi crossing from the left to Luque (again) lurking at the far post who tries to volley but can't control the ball.

It's half time and Luque has easily been the star of the show so far, he looks a great buy for Newcastle. Manchester United have been solid if not inspired and are going to have to do better in the second half.

After the break, United get the second half started looking for the first goal but get bogged down in midfield. Almost immediately there's a flowing passing move, crossing the pitch from left to right and O'Shea whips in a great cross which Van Nistelrooy meets with a header, but poor control lets him down and the ball flies wide of goal.

Around the hour mark and still no goals, maybe Sir Alex should be thinking of bringing on Giggs? Rooney hasn't been having much of a game but then suddenly bursts into life. Van der Sar collects a loose ball and clears it long; a million players completely miss the ball and suddenly Rooney bursts through the chaos, collects the ball off the toes of a Newcastle defender and slams it in the net! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL! One-Nil to United!

Newcastle, to their credit, don't stop fighting but United are determined to win. In the 71st minute, Van Nistelrooy receives a forward pass from Rooney on the edge of the Toon box and is brought down by Given. Penalty! No!! The ref mistakenly thinks Ruud dived and gives him a yellow card. This cheers up both Newcastle and their fans and they keep pushing forward in search of an equalizer.

Ten minutes to go and Ronaldo skips down the right wing, feet moving like a tango dancer and completely confuses two Newcastle defenders, who haul him to the ground. The ref finally calls the foul, the first he's given but at least the tenth Ronaldo's received.

With a little over five minutes to go, Sir Alex tightens things up in midfield, replacing Ronaldo and Fletcher with Ji-Sung Park and Alan Smith respectively. Then, in the 91st minute, Rooney is helping out in defence, gets the ball from Van der Sar and hares off down the right wing, running the entire length of the pitch before whipping in a great cross to Van Nistelrooy who makes no mistake this time and shoots under the helpless Given. GOOOOOOOOOAAAAALLLL! Two-Nil United!!

This review is also cross-posted here at BlogCritics.

Debrecen 0 Manchester United 3

2005-08-24T20:55:00.000+02:00

With Sir Alex Ferguson taking advantage of Manchester United's 3-0 lead from the first leg to try and rest team captain Roy Keane, a few changes are to be seen in tonight's line-up of Van der Sar, Neville-Ferdinand-Brown-Heinze, Fletcher-Smith-Scholes and upfront, Giggs-van Nistelrooy-Ronaldo. That's got to be one of the most unusual United sides of recent years. To say nothing of the subs: Howard, Pique, Miller, Park, Bardsley, Richardson and Rooney. And the team are wearing their rather different blue away strip. Wild!

A very soggy pitch in Budapest (and they say it's always raining in Manchester!) doesn't bode well for an exciting football match but United are sure to do their utmost to proceed into the group stage of the European Champions League.

After about 10 minutes of fairly uninteresting football, mostly choppy midfield play, the first notable incident is a bad one for United, Neville's down under a bad tackle and can't go on. curiously, Sir Alex chooses to replace him with young midfielder Kieran Richardson with Fletcher moving into the back four.

Another bout of football not really going anywhere is brought to a halt when Van Nistelrooy wins a corner out on the right. Smartly taken by Paul Scholes (told you it was a weird night), the ball is met by Argentinian defender Gabriel Heinze at the far post and he heads the ball with power.
GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL!
That's more like it, 1-0 to United!

The rest of the first half is pretty uneventful, the best footballing moment being a late Debrecen free kick which brings a great save from Edwin Van Der Saar, who is really starting to bring a lot of confidence to United at the back.

United start the second half with young Phillip Bardsley replacing Paul Scholes in midfield, presumably being rested for the tough English Premier League match at Newcastle this coming Sunday. The match is effectively over as a contest with United now leading 4-0 on aggregate and the Hungarian champions looking defeated.

However, United don't stop playing, with several players having something to prove to the manager. Just on the hour mark steady pressure leads to a foul on Ronaldo out on the left. Welsh winger Ryan Giggs takes the resultant free kick and Boom! There's that man Heinze risng at the far post again for an almost carbon copy of the first GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLL!
It's 2-0 to United and certainly all over now for Debrecen!!

Kieran Richardson

Sir Alex takes the opportunity to make his third permitted change of the night, bringing on Irish International Liam Miller for Fletcher. He has no time to settle in at all before United surge forward down the right with Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo combining before the Portuguese winger crosses to substitute Kieran Richardson on the edge of the penalty area. Taking one touch to control the ball, Richardson blast left-footed into the corner of the net and it's GGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLL!!!
3-0 to the Reds.

Debrecen are totally dispirited now and starting to play with less discipline and leaving the foot in more. Unsurprisingly this leads to more injury worries for United, this time to goalscorer Richardson, who is taken off after 70 minutes. Sir Alex has already used all his substitutes so there's no option but to play out the last 20 minutes with only 10 men. There are a couple of goal mouth scares and scrambles, at both ends, but no real danger to either goal and United are content to let the clock run down. Three minutes of extra time and it's all over; United are through to the vital group stages with an emphatic 6-0 aggregate victory, their 4th straight clean sheet.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson post match commented that he was happy with the team's performance.

"We don't care where the goals come from. I'm quite happy when anyone scores.

"I'm very pleased with the performance on a difficult pitch. We kept good discipline and passed the ball well.

"Winning 3-0 away is a very good scoreline. There was too much importance attached to this game to lose concentration and focus."

This review also appears here on the mighty BlogCritics site.

Manchester United 1 Aston Villa 0

2005-08-20T15:46:00.000+02:00

For Manchester United's first home fixture of the new season, Sir Alex Ferguson opts to go with the same starting line-up as last week at Everton.

Playing in his now preferred 4-3-3 formation are, in goal Edwin Van der Sar, a defensive line of Gary Neville-Rio Ferdinand-Mikael Silvestre-John O'Shea, a slightly unusual looking midfield of Darren Fletcher-Roy Keane-Paul Scholes (no Ronaldo, who's on the bench or the still unwell Ryan Giggs) and a front line comprising Wayne Rooney-Ruud van Nistelrooy-Ji-Sung Park. Joining Ronaldo as substitutes are USA goalkeeper Tim Howard, Argentinian left back Gabriel Heinze, Alan Smith and the young Kieran Richardson.

The entire first half mostly consists of a scrappy midfield battle as both teams look to their game plans; United's is mostly positive as they keep going forward in search of that vital first goal whilst Villa, somewhat predictably, just aim to keep things tight at the back and look for a chance to counter-attack. The absence of United's wingmen makes it an untidy and not particularly reassuring 45 minutes in which United's Korean midfielder Park is the unlikely standout player. Wayne Rooney is fairly muted, succeeding only in getting himself booked for a bad tackle on former Red Devil Eric Djemba-Djemba shortly before half-time.

The second half gets underway with United looking more forceful, presumably they've had a taste of the famous Ferguson hairdryer blast in the interval! It's all to no good however and just short of the hour mark Sir Alex makes a double substitution. John O'Shea is replaced in defence by Heinze whilst the industrious and impressive Park is replaced by Ronaldo.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy

United up the pace now and their increased workrate pays off when a Ronaldo cross is poorly cleared by Villa central defender Mellberg and Ruud Van Nistelrooy gets an easy tap-in from close range. GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!

That's about it in terms of goalmouth excitement and after 77 minutes United take off striker Wayne Rooney and replace him with Alan Smith, which obviously signals Sir Alex's desire to maintain a clean sheet. United nearly added a second just before the end when Van Nistelrooy gets past Villa goalkeeper Sorensen but Djemba-Djemba pops up to clear the ball off the goal line.

Gabriel Heinze

It's been a solid but mostly pedestrian performance by United but the important thing is the victory, another 3 points in the bank and no goals conceded. Major plus points are the return to the team of Ronaldo and Heinze, who both add a lot more flair and composure to the team. Manchester United, by virtue of the early kick off, are, temporarily at least, top of the table.

This review also appears here at the mighty BlogCritics site.

Manchester United to go unbeaten says Ronaldo

2005-08-19T21:30:00.000+02:00

In an interview for tomorrow's United Review, the official match programme for all Manchester United home matches, Cristiano Ronaldo, easily one of the most exciting young footballers in the game anywhere, says: "Remaining unbeaten will obviously be our aim but naturally it can be a very difficult thing to do. Sometimes you play well and deserve to win but you end up losing. The most important thing for us is to make sure we're consistent throughout the season."

The 20-year old flying Portuguese winger also revealed that he had lost a bet with Sir Alex Ferguson that he would score at least 10 goals last season and that: "I was very disappointed to lose my bet with the boss. But we will be having another bet this season and I know I'm going to win this time. Scoring goals is a great feeling, but the most important thing to me is that the team is successful - it doesn't matter who scores the goals as long as we're winning."

Critics of the player's high skill levels and tricks are heartened by this demonstration of commitment to the team above all else and will doubtless be excited at the prospect of regular Ronaldo goal celebrations!

Attention now turns to tomorrow and the serious business of United's first home fixture of 2005-2006, as they play host to Aston Villa. Ronaldo will be hoping to make his first Premiership appearance and score, as he did in the corresponding fixture last season, against a team that hasn't won at Old Trafford since 1983 and have suffered the dread "double" for the last 2 seasons.

United's only injury worries appear to be with Ryan Giggs curiously persistent chest infection and the previously known recuperating trio of Wes Brown, Quinton Fortune and Louis Saha.

David Bellion goes on loan to West Ham United

2005-08-17T14:57:00.000+02:00

Manchester United have just announced that they are loaning young French striker David Bellion to London's West Ham United for a year.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: "David Bellion is only 22 and needs match experience. This year-long loan to West Ham, where he will be playing Premiership football, will be beneficial to him. I am sure he will come back a better player for Manchester United."

David Bellion

Bellion has had a difficult time at Old Trafford and struggled to break through into the first team. He also suffered a broken leg whilst playing for United's reserve team in May.

West Ham are delighted to be able to take Bellion on loan and Hammers manager Alan Pardew commented: "David will reinvigorate the right hand side of our attack and give me a whole new set of options. He is the sort of player that can break a deadlock with his pace as he is without question one of the quickest players in the Premiership. David Bellion was wanted by a number of Premier League clubs and I feel it is a great compliment to this club and its supporters that he wanted to come to West Ham. He has been troubled with injuries in the last two seasons but we are now satisfied those are cleared up and outside Manchester United, we have the best back room staff in the game so I am certain we can give him all the support he needs."

The first task is for Bellion to regain full fitness, with West Ham certain they will aid a speedy return to action for their new loan signing.

This news item is also cross-posted here on BlogCritics.

Wayne Rooney - growing up in Manchester

2005-08-17T03:06:00.000+02:00

The big worry about Wayne Rooney last season, his first with the mighty Red Devils, was marked by some fabulous football and a worryingly large amount of petulance that seemed to get in the way of the football.

Many people were commenting as to whether Rooney could resist all the temptations of fame or be overwhelmed by it as so many, from Paul Gascoigne to Diego Maradona have been in the past. And now that referees' have the power to send people off for foul language, it could have meant that Wayne would pick up a lot of suspensions throughout the course of a 9 or 10 month season.

Fortunately, it looks as though the wonderkid is starting to mature nicely, as this article on Times Online, the "best of The Times and Sunday Times online in real time", shows.

If Rooney keeps up this level of development, then a lot of defenders throughout England, Europe, and next Summer, the World are going to start having nightmares about the latest great number 8.

Everton 0 Manchester United 2

2005-08-13T15:42:00.000+02:00

And the new season kicks off with the opening fixture featuring the resurgent blue power of Everton, with added Neville power, hosting the team with the most to prove this season, our very own Manchester United.

The teams lineup like this
Everton: Nigel Martyn, Tony Hibbert, David Weir, Joseph Yobo, Alessandro Pistone, Phil Neville, Simon Davies, Mikel Arteta, Tim Cahill, Leon Osman, James Beattie

Manchester United: Edwin Van der Sar, Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Mikael Silvestre, John O'Shea, Darren Fletcher, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Ji-Sung Park, Wayne Rooney, Ruud van Nistelrooy

It's a great opportunity for new Reds Edwin van der Sar and Ji-Sung Park, deputizing for the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, to make good impressions in their first Premiership games for United and neither one of them lets us down.

After a tight opening spell in which Manchester United try to take the attack to the Toffeemen, first damage is done when James Beattie goes off injured and poor Leon Osman gets hit right in the groin by the football but eventually recovers.

United keep up the pressure on the Everton defence and just before half time, after a cracking buildup, Rooney passes wide to John O'Shea whose accurate pass finds Ruud van Nistelrooy who makes no mistake from about 8 metres out and cracks the ball into the top left corner.

GOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The second half kicks off with United looking to consolidate their lead and it happens straightaway. Everton's defence gets into a muddle and an attempted backpass by defender Yobo is intercepted by United's ex Everton star Wayne Rooney, who makes no mistake and simply rolls the ball into the net.

GOOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's 2-0 to United and surely there's no way back for Everton now. Indeed they seem to lose interest in the game now and United simply keep things tight to wrap up their first victory of the season. And as they are playing the midday fixture, United also top the Premiership table. Let's hope it stays that way all season long.

This review is cross-posted here at the mighty BlogCritics.

Manchester United 3 Debrecen 0

2005-08-10T02:56:00.000+02:00

So the shadow dancing of pre-season is over and The Reds get down to business with an impressive 3-0 victory over the reigning Hungarian champions Debrecen.

Wayne Rooney

I expected a slow beginning but Wayne Rooney put paid to that idea with a well taken if scrappy goal in the 7th minute. Debrecen didn't threaten much beyond the occasional speculative counter but did have a goal disallowed right at the start of the second half.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy

United tidied things up, playing with a lot of pace and looking sharp and added goals from Ruud van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo, both courtesy of excellent Rooney passes so, barring unexpected disasters during the away leg in Hungary on Wednesday August 24th, we should be able to get through to the Champions League proper, the group stage.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Now we can concentrate on the opening Premiership fixture, away to Phil Neville's new team, Everton, on Saturday lunchtime.

Cross-posted here on BlogCritics

Sir Alex Ferguson gets grumpy

2005-08-08T21:11:00.000+02:00

I watched the press conference given by Fergie today and, it has to be said, he may be one of the greatest football managers in the world, but he sure doesn't have much of a way with the press.

Seldom have the media bods been treated so contemptuously and, well, rudely frankly! Sir Alex certainly has never bothered to learn the fine art of media management. Now, I'm not saying that the media are the good guys here, most of them do seem to resent us Reds on some level for sure, but to personalize it the way Fergie does just isn't right.

You'd think a man of his achievements, all the way from the tenement back streets of Glasgow to Buckingham Palace, would have learned a little sense of ease with the important, if occasionally inconvenient, job of briefing the world's media on the latest developments at the world's greatest football club. Sir Ferguson may be the man at the Theatre of Dreams but he definitely falls short in the black arts of the Dream Theatre that is the media.

Manchester United Sell Neville to Everton

2005-08-04T12:58:00.000+02:00

The BBC Sport website is reporting that Everton have returned some of the Rooney fee to Old Trafford in the shape of a 4.3 million Euro deal to buy our homegrown kid, Phil Neville.

Personally, I'm sad to see him go, he was always rather under-rated by many of the Old Trafford "faithful", but I have always thought that his versatility made him an ideal squad member.

Whether filling in at the back or up one of the flanks he was never less than reliable and, on those rare chances he got to play in central midfield, proved a steely stand-in for Keano or whoever. However, footballers like to play and with only 12 starts last season - and now an even bigger crowd of midfielders at Old Trafford - he must have been keen to avoid the Nicky Butt experience...

Not long to go now...

2005-08-03T16:15:00.000+02:00

It seems to be taking forever for the new season to get started and we're still none the wiser about who might be joining the squad.

Will it be Owen? That's starting to seem increasingly unlikely now, though I thought it was a done deal on Monday. How about Ballack? These rumours keep bubbling to the surface which seems to indicate that there are some level of negotiations going on between Manchester United and Bayern Munich but I guess it is in both teams' interest to keep it quiet.

I'd prefer Ballack of the two, the need for some commanding midfield presence seems the most urgent, assuming that Ruud van Nistelrooy is going to get back to something like his best that is. If Ruud's dry spell goes on, and he still seemed out of sorts on the Asian tour to me, then Owen would be good to have around but if Ruud is back, it would be one striker too many. I'd hate to see Owen playing against us though. Even if it was in a Newcastle shirt!

At this stage it's hard to believe that we are properly prepared for a serious title challenge this season, what with the rows, the tantrums, the injuries and the unsettled squad, to say nothing of the continuing doubts about the Glazers. Let's hope that Sir Alex will prove me wrong - it wouldn't be the first time...

Barney Breaks China

2005-07-31T22:28:00.000+02:00

The Chinese People's Daily Online reports on Manchester United's 2-0 victory over Urawa Reds of Japan thanks to 2 goals by Barney Rubble, oops, sorry, I meant Wayne Rooney.

We seem to have played well, despite the sweltering humidity and it was good to hear that the Boy Wonder has finally started to play.

People's Daily Online -- Manchester United beat Japan's Urawa Reds 2-0 in friendly

Difficult Early Going

2005-07-31T22:12:00.000+02:00

We've had a difficult pre-season so far, what with people like Roy Keane not going on the trip to the Far East, others like Phil Neville, Kleberson, Owen may or may not be transferring in or out, the continuing problems of what's up with Rio Ferdinand, to say nothing of the difficulties of settling in new players and coping with a very tiring trip. All in all, not necessarily the best pre-season warm-up that we could have had, and it does raise a lot of questions about the season ahead...

Hello, Good Evening and Welcome...

2005-07-31T21:23:00.000+02:00

Hello and welcome to "About Manchester United" which is one lifelong fan's modest contribution to the glory of the world's greatest foootball club.