So, this is it. This is the day we’ve been waiting for. At the start of the season when the fixtures are released, these are the days you pick out. To play Chelsea three games before the end of the season, you’re hoping that you’re within a chance of winning it then, whilst also preferring you won’t be relying on three points in that game to stand a chance.
Three months in to the season, United looked like the title was going to be too much for them. The Double winners were flying, six points ahead of United, whilst we were throwing away points so stupidly against sides like Everton and Fulham. When United are conceding a win in injury time, not claiming it, you know something is wrong.
Another odd feature of our season was we weren’t losing. Going unbeaten is something United have never excelled at, even in our most convincing title winning season.
As the season has gone on though, we have started to look more like United. There was the obligatory ridiculous defeat at the hands of 20th placed Wolves, as well as the brilliant come backs at West Ham and Blackpool after going 2-0 down, to win 4-2 and 3-2 respectively.
Our home form has been exceptional, with an incredibly rare and bizarre mistake from Edwin Van der Sar against West Brom the only reason why we haven’t won every single game at Old Trafford this season. Our ground is a fortress again.
So, if there was going to be any preparation to this game against Chelsea, a win or draw at the Emirates would have been ideal, but our brilliant home performances and results certainly point us in the right direction.
These players have been there and done it plenty of times before. Gary Neville revealed today that our lads and manager wouldn’t be nervous today but that there certainly would be a change in the intensity of the preparation. They know that if they win today the title is more or less theirs. That’s their place in not just United history, but English football history, as the team that won the record 19th title. If that isn’t enough motivation for them to get a result today, nothing will be.
It would be nice to see Fabio and Valencia running down the right wing today, with Ashley Cole bouncing off our Ecuadorian when he tries to make a challenge. The manager might opt for the experience of John O’Shea though, who captained the team through the European Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
On the left we should see Evra and Park, two great mates who should hopefully make the most of being up against Ivanovic. Park has a knack of scoring against Chelsea and playing well in the big games, so like everyone else out there, we will be looking for his hard work and determination. Nani had a good game against Schalke but has gone missing in the league a bit recently. He should be a handy sub though if we need to step it up a gear later in the game.
With Edwin Van der Sar, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic picking themselves, the rest of the places up for grabs depend on which formation the manager goes for. Playing Rooney and Chicharito didn’t work at the Emirates, with the Mexican touching the ball to make a pass on just seven occasions all game. However, on our home turf, you’d like to think the manager had the confidence to think they could pull it off. Rooney could come deeper with Chicharito on John Terry’s shoulder all game.
This would leave Michael Carrick and Ryan Giggs in the centre of midfield, who were both great in our Champions League games against Chelsea recently. Both were given a game off for Schalke with this game in mind. However, if Fergie is feeling more cautious, he might play Rooney up top by himself and slot in Scholes or Ando, who both played well midweek.
Personally, I’d go for playing two strikers and going for the win. We know that Chelsea have to come at us because a draw isn’t good enough for them. They have to win and I fancy us to catch them on the counter.
These are the days we wait for all season and I feel sick to my stomach with nerves and excitement. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. What lucky bastards we are to support a team that puts us in this situation at the end of the season more often than not. These are the days why we love football so let’s soak up every second of it.
So COME on United! Win us the league!
—————-
RoM talks to the enemy on The Chelsea Blog
Man Utd News 24/7
UNITED UNITED UNITED
19th
Come on UNITED!!! 19th is here.. 2 – 0
Believe.
2-0
COME ON UNITED!!!
I’m predictiing a surprise selection somewhere. Wonder if it’s Fletch?
Nervous day here. Fingers crossed for justice
Fergie should read this out in the dressing roomm,,excellent article.Now im off to the pub to drink ciderrrrrrr..
We can do it! Come on United
@DTguardian is suggesting that our line-up is:
VDS; Fabio, Ferdinand, Vidic, O Shea; Valencia, Giggs, Carrick, Park; Rooney, Hernandez
Come on u reds.. On to the 19th”
Come on fellows,never give in as Cena would say.Believe.Lets thump them
I read somewhere that this is the line-Up: VDS; Fabio, Ferdinand, Vidic, O Shea; Valencia, Giggs, Carrick, Park; Rooney, Hernandez (DTGuardian via twitter).COME ON YOU REDS!!!!
C’mon United!!!!!!!!!! Let’s av iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit
I’ve got The Fear. I can see us losing. I’ve been having nightmares about it.
The lads are rested, they are the better side, they know what they have got to do. But it’s just so damn close. Let’s hope it’s Champions League Chelsea that shows up. Make no mistake folks, the fuckers coming to the Fortress of Dreams today are a massive threat. Skilled, strong, determined, and lucky as fuck with referees. We need a massive performance.
It is on like King Kong.
This is it boys. Time for revenge. We can’t allow last season’s trauma repeat itself.
15 consecutive wins at home in all competitions. Lets make this number 16.
For some reason i dont like 2 up front anymore with waz n chico
What if a DM is playing really well and neutralises Rooneys Threat attacking wise this would over power our midfield Like we saw against arsenal when Song Had Rooney In his Pocket.
Its a suggestion that we could play the 1st half with 4-5-1 with rooney as lone foward and then at half time or 60th min switch to 4-4-1-1 to confuse the oppostion to adjusting to the change and chico’s speed.
Just A Suggestion
FOREVER UNITED, Win Or Loss The 19th Is Coming ( a draw would be a piss take for chelski
)
I cant wait for the game to start. I’m so nervous, you would think im making my debut for the team today.
Come on, “We’re Manchester United and we do what we want”. Lets make cry baby cry some more today
2-0 Stoke City! Ha!
I hope this game motivates Stoke to give Shitty a good thrashing next week
Fuck sake. Arsenal only showed up against us. Small time club.
I’m glad we’re in this situation. I wouldn’t have it any other way. If this is Chelsea’s final, then it is our 2nd final.
You can watch this game here: http://redlog.pl/2011/05/08/o-mistrzostwo-wideo-z-meczu-manchester-united-chelsea-fc/#live
Ok, lucky scarf check. Lucky undies check. Off to the game praying I next write on this site with jubilation. Come on Reds we can beat these Chav wankers. 19 here we come!!!
This is the One come on UNITED!!
What else needs to be said? Come On United!!!!!!
Looks like Evra is not playing today.He did finish the last game so maybe he’s got a new injury or what?
Heart started pounding faster and faster as I was reading through article. Pumped. BEL19VE.
I’m at OT in spirit, whilst my body will be plonked on the sofa in Qatar with several cold beers
Bring it on!
From the speculation going around it seems like O shea is playing LB,Fabio on the right,Park and Tony V on the flanks ,Giggs & Carrick ,Wazza and Chico up top.
come on united, the whole Mauritius are behind you…. We are lucky to have a club like this that give you that type of sensation every season! Wooooowww! Come on united….
Evra’s has to be an injury. Oh well. We’ll miss him going forward.
cmon united. NEVER SAY DIE!!
Stoke just fucked Arsenal..it looks like its going to our day!!
COME ON LADS!!
Wayne rooney’ twitter photo is now the man utd crest…..I think neville got to him making fun of his previous photo and hairline:)
Cmon United!
shame if evra is out must be injury. feeling very nervous so hope we get a win! united forever!
☆☆Vamos UNITED☆☆
my bowels are at an all time hi nervous but confident, its old trafford baby got to be confident
when we are at OT we can beat anyone
COME ON UNITED!!!!
all mates here, don’t speculate on evra here, keep faith he will play…
How do we fail to beat an Arsenal that everyone else seems to be taking points off for fun??!!!
Big.
vds
fabio ferd vid evra
nani scholes ando park
rooney chico
that cunt pennat is haunting the babies
Why is Evra not playing?? Not good news to me…
VDS – Fabio, Vidic, Rio, O’Shea/Evra – Tony V, Carrick, Giggs, Park – Rooney, Hernandez
Its that or Hernandez drops to the bench and Scholes or Nani come in. I’m hoping for 2 upfront again though and we hit them on the counter as they look to come at us.
This is Manchester United, this is Old Trafford.. We are going to win the league today! No if, No but!!
It’s really been all about OT this season. Even though we’ve taken 2 points from a possible 15 at Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, City and Spurs, we’ve taken 12 out of 12 points when those teams visited OT. Lets make it 15.
I want United to give these blue bitches the wooden spoon !They might get a complimentary box of tissues,courtesy of the GREATEST club on earth for the trip home.
COME ON UNITED !!!
Team news: Van der Sar; Fabio Ferdinand Vidic O’Shea; Valencia Carrick GiggsPark; Rooney; Hernandez.
Yep. No Pat. Defensively we should be ok regardless. But I do wish he we had him bombing forward.
Subs: Kuz, Anderson Berbatov, Smalling, Nani, Scholes, Evans
Subs: Anderson, Berbatov, Smalling, Nani, Kuszczak, Scholes, Evans
Costas – I find it a strange one we have oshea instead of evra, pat has been one of our most effective attacking fullbakcs in terms of linking the play from defence to attack out wide.
Aint it typical arsenal are crap today, but were able to show up against united
@ arijc – that seems to me a very strong lineup.No Evra… ?Whatever the case may be,if Fabio is good enough for the old man it’s good enough for me.
Damnit. Second again.
This might sound like a minor detail, but shouldn’t we have a full back on the bench?
Epic Scott! That bit at the end had me to my core.
Let’s go for the 19th! Fight! Fight! Fight! Attack!Attack!Attack!
GET IN COME ON UNITED!!!!
I’m feeling the stress really bad right now. Really bad, I’m having a migraine.
@FITB
If he is not even on the bench, he is injured then. It is a blow. But we still have one full back that will make attacking runs. And JOS was going to start anyway…
I just hope that we haven’t become too predictable for Chelsea in the middle of the park. They know all about Ryan Giggs as a CM by now.
I like your last sentence. Win the league!!!! COME ON!!! GIVE US A GREAT MATCH AND SOMETHING TO CHEER! TODAY IS THE MOMENT WE WAITED FOR!!!
Costas – that is a gd point, and they are playing a 3 this time which is a worry. What we can hope for is, they could never handle giggs in both CL games despite knowing how giggs plays for a phew years now. He did play against chelsea in the middle back in 2009, but united seem more flued when giggs plays in the middle, it gets our wide boys and our attacking players in the game more
HERNAAANDEEEZZZZZ
Glory Glory Man United
NUMBER 19. i never though this will happen in my lifetime
GETTTTT IIINNNNN YOU BUNCH OF FUCKIN LEGENDS!!!
We battered chelsea left right and center. What an end to the season
Bring on Barca and we’ll show em who are the best club team ever.
Well done boys. Couldn’t have asked for a better performance. Number 19 is yours!!!
GET IN THERE !