It must be fairly embarrassing when, as a 24-year-old in your prime, you get totally skinned by a player approaching their 37th birthday. Poor Jonathan Spector was left with his head in his hands after Ryan Giggs’ trickery saw him beat his man, only to get hacked down.
Wayne Rooney took a long run up and sent Rob Green the wrong way to put us 1-0 up. Green was greeted with boos from the start. It took me a while to realise this could be because of his fuck up against USA in the World Cup. Seriously, the Stretford End booing him for that? He made a couple of decent saves too but it was clear early on that we were going to get all the points.
Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes bossed the game in a way we’re becoming accustomed to. After spending the past few months defending our ‘old man’ team, we will now have to defend against accusations that we’re too dependent on our veteran players. Aside from playing their part in the goals, it was their tag-teamed tackle on Scott Parker that brought about big cheers.
A triangle of passes between Scholes, Rooney and Nani lead to our second goal, with the Portuguese winger making an effort to atone for last week’s penalty miss. With several opposition players around him, he took the ball past all of them before firing in to the goal. It was a lovely finish and hopefully a sign of what is to come from him this season. Playing on his preferred right flank, he put in a good shift and should have scored when one on one with the keeper, after breaking away from the defence, but poor judgement saw him try to lob the keeper from a few yards out, sending the ball over the bar, instead of rolling it past the keeper. Earlier, Dimitar Berbatov flicked the ball on to Nani and if not for Green’s finger tips pushing the ball on to the crossbar, he’d have bagged another.
It was Nani who got the assist for the third goal, with him finding Berb with a perfect cross. Dimi, who has been attempting this move for weeks, leapt in the air and rifled the ball in to the goal. It topped off what had been a good performance for the Bulgarian, with him keeping the ball well like usual, creating goal scoring opportunities for others like usual, as well as chasing the ball down and looking a bit more “busy” up front, which seems to do the trick for our fanbase. That’s 3 goals in 4 games for Berbatov, including the goal against Chelsea in the Charity Shield, and us Berbafans are seeing the tide change for him. He still has a long way to go to win everyone over though, and will have to keep scoring goals to do that.
Rooney had a poor game, if we’re honest, whilst Mike Phelan says he isn’t fit. Clearly, he isn’t fit. Still, I think the rate at which he was giving the ball away yesterday can’t really be blamed on fitness. He should get some game time under his belt for England over the next couple of weeks ahead of our trip to Goodison Park. Since our brilliant 4-2 win there back in 2007, Rooney has had little say in how our game goes. Last season we got battered 3-1 then, with Rooney playing 90 minutes, and the season before he got subbed off for his own good when an over-zealous referee and pumped up badge-kissing Rooney were heading for nothing but disaster. Will a return to Goodison bring out the best of him or will we see more of the same?
Darren Fletcher was also disappointing with how frequently he gave away the ball. West Ham were dreadful so didn’t take advantage but a better team might have done. I’m not trying to make perfection the bench mark here, but I do expect better than the sloppiness we saw yesterday.
We were sloppy in front of goal too, when you consider we only converted two chances. I’m not knee-jerking or getting overly concerned about Chelsea’s goal difference at this stage, but as the season goes on, I would like to see us make more of our dominance when it happens. They’ll be games where we struggle to get the ball over the line and collect the points, so the games when we batter our opponents, it would be nice to see that reflected in the scoreline.
The three substitutions had a detrimental effect if anything, with Owen, Carrick and Smalling failing to have much impact. Smalling almost cost us a goal, playing a stupid ball across the box, but did put in a few good tackles after that. He’s some way short of reaching the form of Nemanja Vidic, who was brilliant. I lost count of the amount of crunching, perfectly timed tackles he made. It will be interesting to see whether he’ll keep the armband when GNev and Rio return, given that vice-captain of last season, Giggsy, has had a look in.
All in all, happy with the performance and happy with the points. We can go in to the International break with the pressure off whilst Everton will hopefully have time to stew on their dreadful start to the season.
Man Utd News 24/7
great result, and we still haven’t hit third gear as yet. scholes, giggs and berba absolute class and nani showing more maturity.
wish we didn’t have the international break as i want more, more more!
united forever
rooney doesn’t look at his best, YET, it will come.
perhaps good for him to get some game time for england and come back sharper for united.
please
Berba looking class…let’s hope he continues.
Rooney- almost there.
Giggs- legend.
Scholes- legend.
Vidic- rock .
Nani- great improvement.
VDS- hardly tested.
Fletch- shaky.
Evans- good.
Evra- not quite there.
Overall, good result. Need to win the next two matches and we’ll be on the way to 19.
Hats off to Berbatov, he’s not my type of player, but he has had a good start to the season so far.
More of the same please.
I think we look solid at the back and we look more dangerous in the final third of the pitch when we play two up front. Would be good to see Carrick get a game soon though.
Happy with the win, if only Ando and Hargo could be in that squad fully fit and playing to the best of their ability, I would have been overly confident about more titles this year.
As it stands, we’ll face tougher challenges than West Ham at home, so I’m not counting our chickens yet.
Well done lads, keep it up.
Thing is we never went past third gear more than a couple of times last season, we need to finish off games!
m one of those berb fans, but ve never seen berba pop up with a winner when we need one, except for once against bolton in 08-09 season off a tevez cross…. berb is sheer calls but his goals have always been part of 2-0 ,3-0 scorelines and never a winner !
Did anyone else think that Vidic looked to be struggling at the end, I doubt it was tiredness, Im hoping it was just a knock and nothing more serious.
As for Scot saying we should convert more chances, he has a point Chelsea seem to extremley ruthless at the moment but Fat Frank has done his groin and Terry picked up an injury now I don’t to see anyone seriously injured but I hope it does disrupt them.
As for West Ham, they where the worst team I’ve seen at OT since we beat Sunderland 5-1 I think it was when Kevin Phillips scored thier goal, they went down that season I seem to re-call, at times in the first half it seemed as if the hammers had 4 players in or around their semi circle with two full backs wide, talk about parking the bus! Anyway I hope the appy ammers take the drop.
i think the nani lob was offside to be fair, berba was my motm by a mile, but i may be biased i hope he continues his cracking start to the season, he can have a nice week off now and come back fresh as a daisy for the everton game. cant wait for that.
Funny how the pundits have changed their tune of ‘United are too dependent on Rooney, Giggs and Scholes are past it’ to ‘United are to dependent on Scholes and Giggs, Rooney’s in the worst form of his career’!
Hopefully Rooney’s goal will set him off on another goal spurt. Really good to see Berbs and Nani continue to show up they’re doubters and Vidic was a rock at the back, and also played some decent passes. Thought O’Shea had a bit of a shocker and couldn’t cope with Dyer at all, would have been nice to see Rafael get a game.
Looks like West Ham are relegation certainties already – which is nice!
Anyone know if Wes Brown’s due to make a comeback anytime soon?
*show up their doubters
Great Review and perfectly fair as normal on ROM.
“Green was greeted with Boo’s from the start” Erm do as you do unto others springs to mind. Little Ingurlanders I guess we have them at United also.
Paul and Ryan were just pure class, the Scissors sisters springs to mind. lol Parker was left running a further 5 yards to our Goal, they had upped and prepared the next attack!
On Dimitar “creating goal scoring opportunities for others” No shit Sherlock! lol
Wayne did have a poor game his first touch has lost him and his finding a United shirt dissapeared.I personally feared for him when he stepped up and did that looped run to take the Spot kick. I thought please pwetty please. All was great however as we now know.Glad to see Nani during that moment slip into the mix and appear humble and almost you could imagine him saying to himself.Well I aint fucking up again.
Darren agreed was a contiuation of the game at the Cottage if the truth be told I think it was GHHT during the live match commentary in London say Fletch is not in the game.
All I think its early days and if we play like this with several of our Stars not hitting anywhere near top gear how will it be when we do.we will purr like a Roll’s Royce.
“He was some way short of reaching the form of Nemanja Vidic” agreed who was our MOM behind Paul in my opinion. Surely Chris will learn from Rio and the collosal Serbian.
Great result for the Villians today and glad to see Kevin McDonald get back on track and further disspirit the Toffees. The lads will do well for a break and call off for International duty. Notice anything familiar there! lol
I taught Nani was. . . . . . . Good in the first half, Second Half he was Fantastic
Berbatov is Good??? im shocked by that – Thats not what gets said to me all the time on here for 2 years
Giggs and Scholes are in a league of there own
I Hope Rooneys Not Fit – Cause he’s not at the races
and Fletcher is another one this season that has been quiet
my moment of the match was When Nani hit the cross bar Scohles pin point pass to berbatov who controlled it in the air with his big toe and past it fantasticly to nani ,all with the one touch and nani’s shot was beautiful – shame it was a half and inch too high
things I learned which are possitive
berbatov is in the box more and working the keeper far more than he did the past 2 seasons
nani looks deadly on the right
scholes and giggs are still our most creative midfielders
@gotta hate tiny tears…I thought it was Vida who passed the ball to Berba who then passed it to Nani…. or could be my eyesight is so poor now?
Redgem
I was in the pub watching it- and id been there about 5/6 hours before it happened so it could of been vidic- i taught it was scholes thou
Routine win for the lads, all the goals taken well, but sterner tests lay ahead. Hugely disappointed with Carlton Cole’s performance, looked a player a few years ago, but seems to have lost his way.
@gotta hate…if not for your drinking (I assumed that’s what you were doing in the pub? lol..) hours before the game, I’d trust you…but considering that, I had to check the highlights…it’s Vida alright,….not being nitpickity…just want to give the dude his due…
Our first week back from the internationals will be massive. 3 wins will be brilliant.
berba not just good hes fuckin class, had a absolutely great day yesterday, i was pissed but honestly cant remember boo’s for green and i was in the stretty end??
@Vidic will get ya, regarding your hearing, Specs savers do hearing aids you know
willierednut – you got it spot on there is nothing more to really debate I am happy berbatov is playing better. he could very well be deadly at OT pending if we go 442 in every game, when we play at home next I will actually pick berbatov and drop crouch in my fantasy football team. hey it will be tevez and berbatov has my front 2 in gameweek 6 LOL
Really off topic, just hope it would bring a smile to my fellow United fans
Been reading through various resources that city, a multi million pound assembled team need time to ‘gel’…. Looking at their second half performance at Sunderland I thought that this team needs a hell of a lot of ‘gel’….
Anyone on here who knows of any high quality ‘gel’ that of course must be branded and very expensive may post his or her suggestions on this post…..
On another note, anyone who can provide a deluded Spaniard by the name of David Silva aka ‘What on earth am I doing here’ may provide advice to the poor deluded soul on the same said post….
We do appreciate your help and will surely deny it as soon as we win our next game…. IF
On the same topic, any club of any size looking for a summer scarf wearing manager we say to you that one will be available in a few weeks, he speaks English and looks after his hair very well………. win win all the way
CedarsDevil – well shitty are learning just because you beat a liverpool side who are rebuilding with tempa tantrum mascherano wantingto leave, add torres who has carried his form from the world cup into his liverpool colours this season, and stevie me still looking has bad has last season then it was the perfect team for shitty to play
GHTT @ 21:50: “Berbatov is Good??? im shocked by that – Thats not what gets said to me all the time on here for 2 years”
I’m a long-time BerbaSceptic and while he has looked good so far it’s still early days and the level of the opposition hasn’t been exactly world class. But that’s somewhat churlish – I’ve never doubted the guy’s skill because my scepticism has other roots. I’ve always wondered how he could be dovetailed to play a fast, up-tempo game alongside WayneRooney, with two wingers. Yesterday didn’t exactly change my opinion but I was shocked – to say the least – to see Wayne Rooney wandering around in midfield. I thought he was “ordered” to play centrally and forward. Against very weak opposition – like West Ham and Newcastle – this kind of “street footie” won’t hurt the team but against a better organized team with better players then having WayneRooney act like StevieGBH just won’t cut it. On the other hand, Dimmy seemed to have found a comfort zone “in the hole” and, I suppose that that’s where he’s most likely to be stationed in most of his games. For sure, p;laying as a withdrawn striker gives him the time/space to showcase his dazzling skill. But I will remain a BerbaSceptic until I see that his integration into the team’s style of play continues when the opposition gets tougher. And, for what it’s worth, I think that the collective orgasms about Giggs and Scholes should be tempered by some caution concerning the quality of the oppostion they are facing. I’m a huge fan of the GingerNinja but he’s always likely to be breath-takingly awesome when the opposition simply leaves him alone to do his thing. (It’s still early days but it sure does look like SAF is right in saying that both Giggs and Scholes can play until they’re forty – did you see Ryan outrun Kieron Dyer along the touchline to win back the ball ? He might have lost a step but he’s still probably the second or third fastest player in the squad – after Chicharito and Obertan.)
Oddly Just watching on football first Liverpool beat that magnificent football Institution called West Brom albion. a magnificent football feast.Bye I goal to zero. Brilliant and the Nameless still is crap as is most of there team.
Be lucky to get into the the top eight, in my humble opinion. And I aint joking
@Denton Davie great points and like you I feel we should play Wayne of the front man. To me it makes total sense.
denton davey – the test for berbatov is def the away games. I could see berbatov sometimes destroying teams at OT. berbatovs biggest tests are away from home
nani showed improvements and his growing maturity through 2 things i hv noted this season:
lol….
he scored the goal very confidently with his left foot – confidence brimming n more importantly, he no longer does his back flips for goal celebrations
signs of fergie’s influence for sure
@rooney the new king says:
I will always say this….. Money will and can buy you most things BUT it will never buy you class, history or tradition……… A petit club they are and a petit club they will remain
denton davey – Did you see Giggs out run Dyer along the tough line? Yeah i did, it’s as well Giggsy was tracked back, because Dyer left Fletch for dead.
*touch*
Yeah, well, Darren Fletcherinho (football genius) isn’t the fastest player in the squad – but wehre was Patrice Evra during that sequence ? I ask because he’s supposed to be the last line of defence along the left side.
And, speaking of Fletcherinho, I thought – contrary to Scott – that he had a very good game. HIs job was to get the ball to the GingerNinja and stop the opposition in mid-field. He did both very well and got forward more often than usual and damned-nearly scored on a blazing shot. For what it’s worth – and I know it’s not worth much ! – Darren has been the best (and most valuable and least replaceable) player for UTD during the last two years. He might have been SAF’s love child but I wonder why the geezer didn’t arrange for twins !
@ red scot haha mate, must of had to much, i do remember that our seat this year is next to the lady who changes the ticker, what a fine job she has done and may she continue her fantastic work for many many years to come
@ Vidic Will gat ya 15. its just me having a bubble with you, not serious. Not that I ever have too much.
I know what you mean regards the ticker, sadly I am back in Scotland.
I did have a fantastic time, the Ladies Goats and other people. lmao was brilliant.
Come on you Reds.
Believe.
And all you lucky buggers(season ticket holders) stop wearing kits with the Nike tick on and revert to some old moth eaten tat. you know it makes sense.
Bon Nuit.
@ redscot, i took it in jest mate, appreciate the joke
hope you had a good trip back up north
Agree with some points by scott and some of the posts, however i disagree about Rooney having a poor game. He wasn’t magnificent but his all round play was not bad. Secondly Denton Dave
@Denton Davey: i’m with scott on fletcher, dint quite do his job the way we know he can,. I thought he and Rooney were blowing hot and cold, i’m sure they’ll both get there. Secondly Berba will never be a speedy Gonzalez, so i can imagine why you think it’ll be difficult for him to be involved against “tougher opposition” when we’re playing fast tempo football. But isn’t that the million dollar question. Against quality opposition we will have to be patient and find ways to unlock truly organised defenses and he is one player out of a few at the Club who can do that
The way i see it, he’s a confidence player and if his confidence is high he’ll fit and play the way he has done against N’castle and W’Ham. Some of the stuff he showed at OT had nothing to do with the opposition but his own skill and endeavor
@Scott. perfect article! now i know we watched the same match. thanks!
I love berba as much ad the next man, I’m just sick of him scoring the 3rd in a 3-0 win or the 5.rh in a five two win (spurs 09) i’m praying for the day he scores a goal that really counts, i.e the winner against Chelsea or the dippers! (ala forlan) then the stretford end will really get behind him ( owen vs city) until then I’m like the majority if reds and the jury is still outbon him and longing for the days if a natural goalscorer like ruud!
BELIEVE
Well dont forget in 2004 Spector did play on united with giggs.
@Barab
how about the opening goal of our premierleague season.. is that good enough for that
wow you are lame mate.. how about we put him on the pitch in those big games rather than on the bench and maybe he will score??? joker
@denton davey
If I’m not wrong, Dyer was running down our right flank when Giggs tracked back to tackle him. If Evra was there, something must be wrong. You should be asking, where was O’Shea? Why didnt he even made an effort to track back? Gathered he probably won’t be able to catch up, but at least try to keep up rather than stand watching a 37yr old do your job.
@Marq
You are completely right! O’Shea looked suspect more than once yesterday. Greater opposition would have absolutely destroyed him. Hope he gets his stuff together.
Not sure if someone’s posted this already but this kinda made me smile:
“7 – Manchester City have fired in the joint-fewest shots on target in the Premier League this season. Distinction. ”
(source http://twitter.com/OptaJoe)
sorry… I had included “)” to the above source link
source link again
http://twitter.com/OptaJoe
Above post @4.23 by JW was actually mine. Didn’t realise his info was on my comment box when I posted. Hey Scott… Do you hv any idea why this is? FYI, I’m using my personal laptop.
@Barab
Don’t know what more you want out of the guy. He has scored winning goals on more than one occasion. Out of Ruud’s 150 goals for us, I doubt even 10 of them were against Chelsea, Liverpool or Arsenal.
Plus, when it comes to Berbatov, it’s not only about goals. You mentioned the 5-2 win against Spurs. It’s not like he was influential in 3 other goals from that match is it?
Denton davey
First off , Hello Mate- its feels like Its been along time since Ive replied to you
I think Berbatovs recent form is simply down to Sir Alex Clicking the best way to play him. Berbatov has been used in “Ok Rooney up front on his own and if needs be for a goal 4-4-2 with 2 up top like wayne and tevez or cole and yorke or ole and eric” but thats not Berbatovs game and hard for me to say it but Spurs copped that straight away when it was berbatov and bobby keane. if you notice at the start of uniteds games berbatov has started in -pre season aswell- he is given the Ronaldo type role of floating around and not having a fixed position , but in what differs to ronaldo is it doesnt go on for 90 minutes-once berbatov finds his best place against a team that works the best with his teammates he satys there for a good chunk of the game. and it seems to be the way of the future
I was looking through the shity website and i noticed the premier league table on the site.
Are the network guys there also going through this is what it feels like to be at shitty???
http://www.mcfc.co.uk/Fixtures/Premier-League-Table
According to the table, everyone had played 3 games.
And then they made some terrible mistakes like:
Everton played 3 w0 d1 l0
Shity pld 3 w1 d0 l0
The whole table is something like that
Considering Shitty only recorded their win, is psychosis spreading throughout the club???
@James546
I’ve had a looked. They separated the table between Home And Away.
wasnt it sweet to see darren bent barely bundle his penalty and break shitty hearts!!!
wish their sugar daddy sheikh wots-his-name was their to see this game… he wud have realised that his money is indeed going down the wastelands!!! sweet sweet sweet
oh and i thought shityy had just managed another cock up
my mistake
Spot on review as always Scott. Over the three games so far the thing that concerns me most (apart from O’Shea!!) is we are just not clinical enough in finishing chances and for all the possession we have we still don’t create enough either. We need to get back to being ruthless against shocking teams like West Ham.
Marq @ 2:43 – you’re quite right, that Giggs’ moment occurred along the right hand side defending the Stretford End. So, the question about defensive cover relates to John O’Shea – and that’s why John O’Shea is a squad player. I’d prefer that Rafael got the starting role on the right but someone wrote that SAF wants to get his veterans into game-shape right off the bat so he can have that insurance later when the inevitable injuries happen.
GHTT @ 7:22 – Dimmy = the new Ronaldo ? I hadn’t sussed that out and will watch more closely to see if that’s the case. I would have thought that Berbatov would get operating-room “in the hole” when WayneRooney stays ahead of him, Nani/Valencia/Giggs stay outside him, and Scholes/Fletcherinho are behind him. But it seems that WayneRooney wasn’t playing centrally and forward while Nani and Giggs were often coming inside rather than hugging the touch line and Fletcherinho was occupying more forward positions than usual. Only Paul Scholes seemed to be constantly in a set position – lying deep in midfield and “quarterbacking” the transition from defence to attack. Is this some sort of “total football” formation – albeit with a central defensive pairing that does stay back ? Right now – after three EPL matches plus the Charity Shield – I am puzzled by the “formation” that UTD are playing.
denton – hello mate. I noticed that you said teams are standing off Scholes and letting him play. Very true but I think that is because nobody can mark him. As Barton said he “is a genius , who just picks you off”. Newcastle to start with, much like Fulham DIDN’T give him time. For the first ten minutes anyway , then they just couldn’t live with him.
As for Berbatov I agree with gotta hate. He is drifting all over the pitch.
Priceless watching the bitters fuck up last night. Tevez ‘s sitter the laugh of the season thus far.
another thing City aren’t a footy team. They look like a team of heavyweight boxers. Toure is simply awful. The man is 3 stone overweight. Richards, deJong et al look more suited to Stockport fucking boxing club
All I could hear aimed at Green was “England Number 1″.