Keep your chin up, Arsene Wenger… it’s Sir Alex Ferguson who has reason for worry
He [Ferguson] has to convince his stuttering side that they can succeed without Cristiano Ronaldo and remain among the European elite. And it might just work, even if three of the four Barclays Premier League games they have so far contested have exposed worrying deficiencies that could seriously undermine their chances of becoming the first team to win four successive English titles.
For Wenger, however, there should be no such concerns, and when the anger subsides he will be able to reflect on this defeat with a fair amount of satisfaction. Ferguson was among those who thought Arsenal might struggle this season and here at Old Trafford was proof that they will not; that Wenger was right to have faith in his fast-developing players; that they will, indeed, challenge for the big prizes.
After Manchester United beat Arsenal 2-1, The Daily Mail’s Matt Lawton wrote a scathing piece which tore our team to shreds, whilst praising Arsenal’s manager, players and style of play at every opportunity.
Whilst United were poor for large chunks of that match, what should have been more alarming was how little Arsenal tested us. We didn’t play very well but other than the goal, Ben Foster only had one good save to make in the 90 minutes. That’s hardly the sign of a team playing explosive football.
Regardless, in the next league game we saw another victory for Manchester United, another defeat for Arsenal. How could this be? United are stuttering and struggling in the absence of Ronaldo, whilst Arsenal ‘proved’ they would not struggle after scoring a goal at Old Trafford and losing. Hmm.
Manchester United were easily the better team on Saturday, playing against a team who had the second best form in the league so far this season, even when we went down to ten men. I wonder how many teams there are who continue to attack their opponents when playing away from home with ten men for over half an hour? We had more possession, we had more shots and there was only ever going to be one winner.
In contrast, Arsenal were losing 4-1 to Manchester City at one point on the same day, and whilst United are proving to be able to adjust to life after Ronaldo, are Arsenal missing Adebayor? They certainly could do with a striker who’s scoring as many goals as he is at the moment.
I’m not naive enough to think a game or two makes the season. That’s why I’d never say our performance against Arsenal defined our season, just as our performance against Spurs didn’t. But how bizarre that Lawton would choose one game to make such strong claims about the Champions and last season’s fourth best team. It’s alright Wenger, Ferguson is the one that needs to worry? I beg to differ.
The Daily Mail is notorious for its anti-United banter. They also have that self-proclaimed Arsenal fan Piers Morgan writing for them.
I love it when we shut people up – which is becoming more and more common! XD
Keep up the good work Matt Lawton or whatever your name is.If you have been too myopic to notice,United always perform whenever we are written off. So go ahead and just keep giving our players greater motivation to perform.
1. A bit of a knee jerk reaction after beating a half decent Spurs side, and dont let their fans fool you – they’re not that great.
2. Arsenal were better than us, and they’re result against Man City means no more to them as much as ours did against Burnley – I guess Burnley are gonna be up there for a champions league place right?
3. Anything that involves Ronaldo, you seem as if you have to defend the team and reconvince yourself that we’re good enough without him – a manifestion of the dislike you felt for him. We’ll see how this season pans out, but theres no doubt we’re a weaker side without him. We havent scored too many goals from open play, a part of our game Ronaldo was always involved in. Yesterday, Rooney got a goal from open play, but then Anderson scored what came from a corner, Giggs scored a free kick, and against Arsenal, diaby was a spastic and Rooney got a penalty. That doenst look too great.
4. I get the feeling you’re a bit of a – dare I say it – Rooney fan boy. He’s my favourite player along with Giggs and Ferdinand, but to you this guy can do no wrong. I also found you’re article title of “Fergie: Becks, Giggs, Scholes idolised Cantona” very amusing, when the clear key point of the article was that Rooney will not be captain – a title which every other website showed.
5. You’re a good writer Scott, but I just think you need to have a bit of a more objective view and not get wound up so much by what the media and stupid journo’s have to say, you know they’re just trying to wind us up, so I dont think you should take what they have to say so seriously. Just stick it in the ROM Read section and discuss any interesting opinions that the very few decent journos have to say, not the ones that are clear wind ups.
I watched the Arsenal Man City game (a very entertaining game btw) and both teams could easily have scored 4 or 5 more goals. Both teams have problems at the back,.
Both Adebayor and Van Persie looked immense so im just glad theyre not in the same team any more
Continuing to play and win like yesterday should make these ‘know all’ anti United media cunts shut up once and for all.
THEY WROTE US OFF IN EACH OF THE LAST THREE SEASONS, YET WE EMERGED VICTORIOUS EVERY TIME!!!!!!!!!!!
Fucking disrespectful cunt. “He (Ferguson)….” Its Sir Alex. How foolish are these hacks that even though we won our first 3 out of 4 games they still felt the need to slate United? Why do they judge after just 3 or 4 games when they know full well the lads don’t get into 2nd gear till October? These are the same ones that will this week be singing United’s praises. Lineker has even come out and said that Ronnie would have more chance of winning the Champions League if he had stayed at United.
It`s very early to say MUTD will miss Ronaldo . Once the top 4 starts playing CL,FA,Domestic and league games it will be a bit clearer. As for Arsenal they`re having a few Home games and form will pick up.City will suffer soon and I pray MUTD will humble City like they did Spurs.
I said exactly the same thing yesterday. How many other teams do you know who if WINNING 2-1 and down to ten men would still play outright attacking football? Forgot to add away from home as well. Spot on Scott.
Chels usually win from a goal down and they are playing very attacking football. I`m very impress with Chels this season..who let the drog OUT!
9jmac, I don’t think Scott dislikes Ronaldo at all. It’s just what the media is going bananas about (that we’d be weaker, where are the goals gonna come from yada, yada). Even last night’s game I heard the commentators mentioning his name when Giggs is about to take the freekick. We’ve move on and it’s the ABU that haven’t.
Would United be stronger with Ronaldo in the squad? Undoubtedly.
Do Arsenal appear to have end product to match the approach play? Not from what we have seen at Eastlands or Old Trafford.
Could Arsenal still challenge for the league? Possible but unlikely, six from 12 is poor return on points even given the venues visited.
Will United find city as accommodating as spurs? I’d be surprised.
Quote :
The Daily Mail is notorious for its anti-United banter. They also have that self-proclaimed Arsenal fan Piers Morgan writing for them.
I would like to say that Piers Morgan is not a true Arsenal fan and is despised by true Gooners. He writes to antagonise and he riles up Arsenal fans too.
In fact I don’t bother reading the crap he writes anymore and I’m sure I’m not the only gooner who avoids his boorish diatribe.
United will be there at the end as I hope Arsenal will.
One thing for sure – It’s gona be a very tight fight for the championship this year, and Arsenal are by no means out of it regardless of what people think. They have got two very tough away games out of the way.. Can’t wait for the City game it will be a good test for us – bring it on!
Matt Lawson comments are still valid, only 5 games have been played and Arsenal after some incidents lost it for 10mins again in this match, and that seems to be their only problem.It’s obvoius you didn’t see the game.
City were playing their usual football on Saturday meaning their opposition attacks all the time until they break and score. 52% (YES FIFTY TWO) was played in City’s third whereas only 12% (YES TWELVE) was played in Arsenal’s third.
Arsenal were ridiculously unlucky for City’s first goal (another own goal, this time Almunia). Although they have to start showing an edge in front of goal. Van Persie almost did in the end hitting the net as well as scoring but for the rest of the match – bar the goals – Arsenal did nothing but pass, albeit in City’s third.
You just have to see who this moron writes for. The daily mail hasnt printed a true word since it started.
And the fact is that the season’s barely started and it will be another 10 games or so to see who, apart from chelsea, will be challenging us for the title.
I am pleasantly surprised by how good we look since ronaldo left. We look a better balanced side; Rooney is in his best position; the free kicks outside the box are yeilding more goals now they’re competing with each other to take better ones. I’m sure we will be better by next may as well.
I think Wenger should worry a lot more than Fergie right now. I mean on the strength of their two performances in Manchester it’s fair to say that Arsenal are playing amazing football and attacking with style and flair, there is nothing whatsoever wrong with how they attack. But they defend poorly and their goalkeeper is not world class. A team that gets to attack Arsenal and that takes it’s chances is going to beat them.
To win the title, to even get close to winning a title, you don’t need a good defence- you need a great defence, you need a phalanx. You need to shut teams out. Arsenal are not doing that and teams that are fast and teams that are strong are going to score goals and inevitably that’ll be points lost.
Do United miss Ronaldo? Well how could we not on the field, but at the club, with his attitude, I think we made a good sale. He was good enough that he had to be played if fit, but not consistent, so United were going into matches without knowing what he would bring, if anything, and that’s a long way from ideal when you’re having to win nearly every game. I think United will do fine without him.
This Ronaldo shite, we struggled in front of goal all last season, scoring just 68 league goals, or an average of 1.8 per game. So far this season we’ve scored 11 in 5, thats 2.2 per game and would come to 84 goals over the course of the season if we can keep it up. Now I know its only been 5 games and you can’t judge yet, but surely it should be the other way round yes? You lose your best player/top scorer, so it should take awhile to readjust and get to good form again, whereas we’ve hit the ground running without him. Think back to the last 2 season’s, and the lack of early season goals, the 1-0’s, and 0-0’s, and 1-1’s against the likes of Portsmouth, Reading, Newcastle, and Shitty.
I’ll never say fuck Ronaldo as he was class for us, so thanks for what you did and best of luck for the future, but we’re looking pretty good so far without him, and have scored 5 in 2 games against Spurs and Arsenal, so lets keep looking forward and thinking about how good we’ll be if Ando gets back into top form, Hargo gets fit again, and Valencia and Owen find their feet. And of course Fletch keeps destroying teams. I love you Darren Fletcher and I unreservedly appologise for everything I ever said about you.
I also think we got cashed in on Ronaldo at just the right time. Last season he wasn’t his old self that loved nothing more to take people on at break neck speed, all too often he would hold on to it, slow things down, and i admit draw in two sometimes three defenders, and then pass it. He didn’t look like he cared all that much anymore. And it was annoying to watch him go ape shit on his teammates for having the audacity to make mistakes. And it was really really annoying to watch him blast countless freekicks either directly into the wall or 100 rows up and over. And from what I’ve heard about Portugal and his Madrid career so far, he hasn’t improved on any of this.
Too right Drew Vader.
There’s nothing more annoying than a player who can do pretty much anything with the ball, not doing enough. The dynamic runs straight at defenders, the type that saw them visibly shit themselves, were missing from his game last season, it was HUGELY annoying to see him pick the ball up, facing a defender one on one, then just stand with it before laying it off to someone. His mind was clearly focusing more on not getting injured than anything else.
If you watched City-Arsenal, you’d see Arsenal were easily the better team. Clichy fucked up on their last 3 goals. Awful game for him. All counters led to goals cause he was caught up field.
City created nothing in the 1st half and everything they created in the 2nd was when we were going for a win after equalizing. I don’t know why we opened up as if we were losing and chasing a game in the last 5 minutes, but we did.
Blatant pen denied.
RVP hit post
Ade didn’t get a red.
Everything went against us.
Territory was 52% in their defensive 3rd of third of the field, 35% in MF, and 13 % in our defensive 3rd.
The ref stood there and watched him stamp on RvP’s face too
funny how gooners always say they are the better team and still loosing to lesser team. wtf gooners are drinking!
I think the more critisicm we are getting, the better we are playing so keep it coming you fuckin prick matt lawton!!
@9jmac
mate, i dont know about the other article but as far as this one is concerned i think scott is just pointing what a retard matt lawton is, which is pretty clear in the way that he has written stuff about us.
I’m not worried at all, it’s 4 bloody games into the season. A bit of perspective. Anyone that claims United are going to struggle is just trying to wind people up.
Anyone that lets the musings of a tabloid hack bother them is the one that ought to be a bit worried.
NO – Anyone who is writing United off is just trying to sell their papers. They dont care if they are right or not, they dont care if they managed to wind people up or not. They dont even care if they look daft or not. They just want to sell more copies. IT’s ALL ABOUT THE MONEY.
Because the fact is, ANYTHING United-related sells. Like when i bought a stupid mobilephone case with United logo on it, i knew i wouldnt last a week but i still bought it.
9jmac although you have some points but most of then are stupidly condescending when at the end of the day we are all on the same team and you can make your point much better without taking the piss.
We fucking hate Arsenal so just enjoy it!
Ferguson forever!
Also MICHELDU9 the saddest thing that anyone can do is go on the message boards of teams they dont even support. Taxi for one?
i still for the life of me cant understand why arsenal fans are still on this site harping on about a match 3 weeks ago that they played well in but lost to a team who has done it all before
the 3 time in a row champions with some 10/11 times winners with the greatest (check the medels) manager in the world can handle arsenal. arsenal could handle teams 6 years ago but thats not 2 days ago thats not 3 weeks ago so get over it. Mentality of champions is in manchester united and it will be there in may its how you go from 7th in november 2008 to champions in may of england the world and the league cup in a champions league final in rome,dont mention the war i mentioned it once but i think i got away with it,
arsenal fans take it you played well take it rooneys a cheating diver take it that your day will come again take all your bullshit and take it to a fucking arsenal blog
GOOD MORNING EVERBODY G.H.T.T.
@ G.H.T.T
couldnt have said it better..:) take your shit somewhere fuckin gooners!!
When the article refers to AW, or anyone at Arsenal sites like Newsnow bring them up as Arsenal stories, that is why there are so many gunners on here.
Plus the banter is fun, otherwise you might as well just pat each other on the back all day.
I’m sure the bloke whose site it is happy with extra the traffic!
thought we wer awesome on saturday. just need to go to turkey and destroy early so we can withdraw wayne for tha derby wiv m.shitty! ther keeper say its like hell, think the red devils can handle that,b like playin at OT!!!! 3-0 in turkey and 4-1 for derby day
GHTT,you could always put the link as your website and keep your username as GHTT.Good morning.
how laughable reina concedes title already.haha. i dismissed them befor season started. cant believ scummy chelsea wiv 2 late goals. jammy twats shud only hav 1 point on us but they aint played no one decent yet.
Very proud to support a club which although down to 10 men and winning 2-1 they continued to ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK.
That is why Manchester United Football Club are the best in the Premiership regardless of what these Hack Journalists say.
Ask yourselves this : Have you won as many Pulitzer Prizes as we have trophies ?
Only Woodward and Bernstein were good enough to report on Manchester United.
My user name will be ghtt against i just want to mąkę sure everyone knows that chant for next weekend
Morning all.
gotta hate – thought I hadn’t seen you yesterday , didn’t realise this user name was you!
Fucking Nazi newspaper employed by editors who are total cunts. Piers Morgan is a cocksucking loser.
9jmac
what are you talking about, the way united are scoring goals at the minute is of great team play. I think the team have proved me wrong already, there is a hunger a desire a will to win. united feel they have won nowt at the minute . the reason why scot is pointing these jurnos out is because its about time someone did highlight the media fanboy wenger fans, I am a rooney fanboy he is just class and he is the driving force behind this united attack. off course united are weaker without ronaldo but what united have got in return is 80 million and a better team ethic with players working for each other, and the burdin and talk talk talk of ronaldo this and that is over, the baggage is gone the speculation is over we can finally get back to normality.
Manchester United have never cared about journalists opinions
We don’t care today
We will never ever care
The world is against us
And we still don’t care
Aren’t they still stuck on SAF is a nutcase and a lunatic and a silly old pensioner who is way past his sell buy date?
Well three titles and a CL later (amongst a few other trophies to boot!), we do not answer to nobody but ourselves
Rant over
We are looking better without Ronaldo, than Ronlado without United!!!
Is Ronaldo a huge loss?
Absolutely he was one of the best players in the world and although some of the older generation disagree I think you’ll see the newer United fans(I dont mean the plastics..I mean the ones who grew up as Ronaldos career progressed)were very attached to him. Him and Rooney were the idols for us as Cantona was for you(Although of course there is an enormous difference between Cantona and Ronaldo..I am not comparing them just saying how they had an impact on the fans).
However the team we have now I think is definitely good enough to challenge on all fronts. We will play a more traditional form of football then before but it will still be a feared form of football
five
yet peter schmeicheal who was greater then cantona is hardly mentioned strange isnt it. and we supported united not out of cantona because the team plays great football and wins playing great football, not certain players who are glamerous you sound to much of a glory hunter.
Arsenal too light weight and lack bottle once they go behind to a decent team they will always lose.
The media love them and the dippers lets not forget they haven’t won a trophy between them in 3 years .
If sir alex had a record like that he would have been forced out of the job by the anti untd media
wenger is treated like a hero, by the london based and london biased press