United travel to Portsmouth knowing we can go within two points of league leaders Chelsea if we can secure a win.
Unfortunately for us, this game has upset written all over it. Pompey are rock bottom of the table and have just appointed a new manager. Not just any manager though. This is the manager who guided Chelsea within one penalty kick of winning the European Cup at our expense.
Avram Grant is back.
After losing the title on the final day of the season, Grant searched for excuses and pointed back to United’s 2-0 victory in September, which didn’t do anything to change my negative opinion of him. The reality was United were just better, however slim that margin was, and were rightly named Champions of England and Europe. Was Grant a mastermind to take the title to the final day and to penalties in the European Cup final? Or was he just a lucky man with a good group of players still working under the mentality of Jose Mourinho? I’d go with the latter. He wasn’t popular with the Chelsea fans and I’d argue for good reason.
Regardless, he’s been chosen to replace Paul Hart as Portsmouth manager, in similar circumstances to how he got the Chelsea job, and of course United would happen to be his first opponents.
I’d argue their position in the league is a tad deceptive, given that they have won two and drawn one of their last six, boasting recent form better than most sides in the bottom half of the table.
But still, in reality, I fancy us for the three points and that has to be our objective. Of course there are always incredible football stories which steal the back pages, but we’ve got to be hoping this afternoon it isn’t going to be about us.
With a less than convincing interview with Red News last weekend, Nemanja Vidic has pledged his commitment to the club, claiming he would be happy to be one of the bases we build the team upon. Wes Brown, who will partner Vidic in the centre of defence, has also been in the news this week, with Sir Alex Ferguson reiterating his belief that Wesley is the best natural defender in the league. That would leave Patrice Evra at left back and right back is up for grabs. Rafael didn’t have a great game on the left against Besiktas, Neville didn’t hae a great game on the right, but one of them is likely to play there with John O’Shea still unavailable. Unless Evans passes a late fitness test which would shift Wes to the right.
I imagine the midfield will line-up as it did against Everton, with Anderson not doing enough against Besiktas to warrant kicking Darren Fletcher or the steadily improving Michael Carrick out of the team.
Dimitar Berbatov is still a doubt meaning we could see Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen start up front again. With the midfielders winning the game for us last weekend, it would be good to see at least one of our strikers get on the scoresheet this weekend. Sadly again, Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda didn’t do enough to get in the starting team.
Looking at Pompey, they will be without David James which means Jamie Ashdown will start between the posts. He’s only played two games the season, including last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Stoke, where he didn’t have the greatest of games. Papa Bouba Diop, John Utaka and Steve Finnan are all doubtful too.
This weekend should be a good opportunity for United to make up some ground and create some space between us and the teams below us, with the other teams in the top five playing each other (Villa vs Spurs and Chelsea vs Arsenal). Following good performances against Chelsea and Everton, let’s hope our good league form continues and those around us drop points.
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@trevor
totally agree – he kept us in the game in the first half and has done well
considering hes hasnt played first team for ages
was justin kiddin thats all
Costas – Yeah so do I pal. We need to as Spurs are flying and Harry will put out a strong team. There will still be youth in there but some of the big guns.
King Eric, they sure have. Bullard penalty.
want valencia to get a goal – hes been excellent today – wish he had a left peg on him though
happy birthday!!!!!!
Vintage Giggs. Life’s good.
Giggs… awsome!
giggs 100th goal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We’re gonna win the league (again), we’re gonna win the league (again)!!!
Yeah lets retire Giggs and Scholes. They are past it. Fucking clowns.
L
E
G
E
N
D
!
@king eric
There saying giggsy pen wasn’t a pen anti united typical radio 5.
@Costas
I dont like the cunt he done giggsy at ot about 3 years ago.
happy bday giggs, happy century giggs
Bebeto – Fucking losers. There will be some source of amusement at the BOO camp if that stays the same. Hughes out by the end of the week, especially if Arsenal knock them out of Europe.
guess your only as good as your last half.. first half already forgotten
@willierednut: I remember very well.At the 5-1 victory over Fulham. I have also hated him ever since.
Wazza got the hat trick but my two men of the match are our wingers. Fantastic movement by them.
A walk in the Fratton Park…….
willierednut – Of course it was a fucking pen. Even the refs can’t stop United.
What a save again Kuszack!
Should get a wembley start for this! whenever hes played this season hes played good with minimum fuss.
Great stuff from Giggsy as well two assists and a goal. Not bad at 36!
what a save by kuszack
awsome reflex save from kusack
@costas
agree. valencia has had one of his best performances in a united shirt. he just keeps getting better and better.
kuszack was tremendous as well!!!
3 points. well done.
Not a great performance but 3 vital points.
All of that money and they can’t even beat Burnley and Hull at home. We end up walking a game in which an imaginary penalty was given against us.
Talk about a day of perspective.
another game another draw for sparky’s lot. great day so far.
Well done lads. For the second half performance in particular.
Kuszczak deserves praise for his work today. His kicking still isn’t the best, but overall he was solid. I felt for him this season because he has sat on the bench for almost all our games. I see a lot of you are praising him too. I bet it’s because with Foster we saw that we can do worse than PIG? Just kidding!
City drew again? How is that possible? They are a MASSIVE club aren’t they?
What drives me crazy is that people are too quick to pass judgements. At any time any player can have an off game. Or missplace a pass..
When giggs or scholes have a bad game the usuals slate them and say they are finished!
In addition.. when the result isnt going the way we want it, scholes and giggs get the critism first!
It really pisses me off. big time..
For me these 2 guys are united legends through and through. I havent seen a better footballer in all my life than paul scholes. The lad is a genious beyound beleif!
Giggs for me is Uniteds all time legend, no single player has won so many medals with us and i dont think i will see another who will!..> I hope i do, but i dont think so… Fergie has to take credit and often when a mighty manager is replaced it takes some time to get back on top!..
City have repeated the feat of 7 draws in a row. Norwich did it in 92 and the other team in a year. Haha.
Interesting game for us today. 1-4 away, 4 goals scored, almost every chance taken but really sloppy in defence.
Good second half performance.
One thing we learned today is that refs will punish us at slightest opportunity that they get. If they gave penalty for every shirt tug, then they should be giving 4 or 5 per match. I can’t bare imagining if that situation arose at 90th minute and the score was 0:0 or 1:0 for us.
That’s why we need to make sure that fucking referees and linesmen cannot hurt us.
@TREVOR
Well said pal, i agree with you
@Trevor
You forgot about ron jeremy and john homles, them 2 also go down as legends lol.
I am getting really concerned referees are now trying to screw united ever since fergie said those things about that fat ref pig. yet we should have had a pen wednesday, against chelsea where the ref and linesman was looking right at it.
Gotta hate tiny tears
go to redrants website and find a username called GROGNARD, he said fergie is too old and fergie should leave and said this will be the end of united and called united a 1 man team with ronaldo. and I am sure that GROGNARD has also said giggs scholes neville evra and many others etc should all go and united need an overhaul that most of the players are not good enough and united are shit, the disgraceful thing is the other people on that site are like sheep who all agree with that idiot. all us united fans on here should be calling those out those idiots on redrants.com
I’m soooooo drunk just went the jacks while typing this thefe but Rooney is my lord giggs is the god who should be A sir and I love man united costa scott king etc aig corea Giles and all th rest n this . 4-1 made me mony