You would think that our fans had never seen through a whole season supporting United, judging by the reaction to our defeat against Burnley. Don’t get me wrong, it was a dreadful result and a poor performance, but christ, it’s not as if we haven’t seen them before. Just looking over the past ten years or so, we’ve had some bloody awful results and performances. Who remembers that 3-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday during the 98/99 season? What about the 5-0 thumping we were delivered by Chelsea (before their days in the top four) the following season? Or how about when Boro did us 4-1? I wonder which United people have been watching all these years when a 1-0 at Burnley is seen as the end of the world.
Of course, the knee-jerk reaction is simply because we have sold Cristiano Ronaldo. Whether you’ve been confident of our success with or without him, we’ve all wondered what we would look like without a player who has been at the focal point of our team for a couple of years. When we lost 3-1 on the opening day of the season to Aston Villa following the sales of Mark Hughes, Paul Ince and Andrei Kanchelskis, there will have been similar worries.
We haven’t started well but then neither have the ‘title favourites‘ thanks to their opening day defeat, whilst Chelsea have only got full points on the board thanks to an accidental injury time goal. We should hardly be shaking in our boots.
We travel to Wigan today, a team who we often beat 4-0, hoping that we can get some strikers’ names on the scoresheet, increase our confidence, and most importantly leave with three points. Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov will likely start, with hopefully Nani and Valencia getting a go down the wings. I’d like to see Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher in the centre of the park, with the best possible back five Ferguson can get together amidst our injury woes.
I’m confident of a win because we have to be but let’s not kid ourselves in to thinking the season hangs on this one result. I’ve read comments on the blog claiming this to be the most important game of the season, clearly forgetting the dreadful starts we’ve had during so many of our title winning seasons, but that’s bollocks. A defeat today would mean the pressure is piled on, it would mean we’ll get a load of stick in the press, but it wouldn’t be a season-defining moment.
I want to see a disciplined Rooney today who manages to control his desire to go deep in search of the ball. For this to happen, our midfielders need to keep possession and get the ball to him. Less of this lobbing it up the pitch, save those kind of balls for Scholesy to deliver, and keep the ball on the ground. We will be hassled and harried but let’s just keep possession of the ball and run them ragged by keeping our passing nice and short and accurate.
Nani and Valencia need to bomb it down the wings, skin their full-backs, and keep pumping balls in to the box. Rooney has the strength to get to those balls first. If he doesn’t, the likes of Carrick and Berbatov should be prowling and ready to have a go when the defence try to scrabble it clear.
I agree with the majority that we’re a player or two short of the dream team we’d all like to have but the players we do have our capable of winning the league. It is about their attitude, it’s about having that bit of luck and it’s about them having faith in their own ability. Another central midfielder and winger would ease the nerves but this squad is a good one and is capable of winning the title.
Wigan are a hard working team but they’re without arguably their best players of last season with Valencia, Palacios and Heskey all making their move. They will fancy their chances after the Burnley result but our lot need to be professionals here and get the job done. I want us to come our all fires blazing and I hope that’s the tactic Ferguson goes for. Just go out and scare them shitless. And if we beat them 4-0 again, I won’t be complaining…
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Spot on – you’ve echoed the issues and points I had a go at making mainly about the ‘fans’ pissing themselves about a squad that just wasn’t on form or in the position I’d have them play. The structure wasn’t there and Fergie will have pondered it in the way that he does, thinking he needs solid defending, outplaying midfield and strikers who have to have the ball given them them in the final third, otherwise they’re going to tire themselves out too quickly which we don’t need – we need them on the field for the whole game rather than them running ragged and having to be taken off. Owen, Rooney and Berbs need a full game – they’re all of the same stature and have to have the faith they whatever they do is great, a game together would be fantastic with Berbatov feeding both of the snappers rather than them having to fetch on their own. Nani and Valencia on the wings are definitely something I’d like to see against a side like Wigan, and not just because Antonio just moved from there.
Either way, they’ll give it their all and be charged by the result at Burnley. Come on!
spot on
Knee-jerk at its best. You should read some of those muppets who claim we’ll do well to make the top 6! People can be idiots. Its definitely gonna be a hard season but we knew that all along so their reaction just baffles me. Things will get better. BELIEVE.
scott always fills me with optimism with his rational analysis on our situation
we only have to beat say liverpool and that cancels out our bad result to burnley
and i for one think well go all our to crush the dippers when we meet
any team news?
Gotta agree on most points – especially the reaction to the loss midweek. I would say tho’ that Fergie looked a bit off midweek, either annoyed at the press or having to hide his own disappointments. I feel he may be losing heart with some players, after Rome, and is constantly looking for improvements from them.
off topic/on topic..
Sky Sports had a debate today about Ashley Young, stating that he has levelled his performances off and doesn’t seem to be improving. It’s what I like to call the “English Player” syndrome (not just english players tho!). We create superstars too soon, and potential is lost. In Spain + Italy they don’t start their kids till they are 22-23. Yet they win more than England. We just steal their kids now based on this. I’m a proud inger-land fan. We will reach the final of the world cup and win it. I believe in that, like a fool. But we have players like Young, Lennon, Walcott, Owen, Defoe, Joe Cole, Carrick, even Rooney, who never take it to the next level. Rooney is our king now (club and country), and he needs to become one of the bet in the world. Not best 10 (where he is now), not best five, but Messi/Ronaldo best. He needs to make more of an impact like when he came through, driving with the ball, taking people on, and with his improved shooting boots, he would score more and get more reaction from all. The same goes for Carrick. He needs more drive. he’s laid back, I get that, but he can still shoot more. His goals versus Roma were class.
I think we will win 3-0 and we’ll be back on track, but I just wonder whether United are looking at a mass shake-up of the team next season in order to find the key ingredients which we all agree are missing (let’s not go over them, again!) I really can see 4 or 5 leaving in June as they have got “england syndrome” and failed to reach their potential, or are aging to much; this may include Hargo, but I really hope not because he’s a star.
‘we miss Tevez’…. ‘Berba will be our downfall’… ‘Oh, I miss Ronnie’s holidyay-disco-shorts’…. fecking laughable!
Between Valencia, Nani, Giggs, Tosic, Obertan, Llajic, Park, hell even Fletch I think the wing positions should be dynamic thru the season
a Sneider/Van der Vaart/ Aguero/ Costas/ (the chilean lad..) kinda player may be needed in Jan or even next summer to give further attacking edge and support Roo n Berb! IFWT!
Great post Scott, fully Agree! Pull the Guns out and take no prisoners!
I hope you are right. Whilst i dont agree with those who claimed that we will finish 6th. I do see where their concern is coming from. Scott its not only the display against Burnley that worried the fans. Its actually the teams performance for the majority of last year. We were dreadful at times but still managed to win. But im not so sure we can repeat that this year, with our make shift defence.
A 4-0 victory against Wigan can help settle the nerves a bit.
Heres hoping Berba can score.
foster gary vida evens evra.valencia fletch scholsey nani .berba wazza team for the day!
NO Carrick or Ando on the bench
are the United players resigned to the fact that they are slow starters or is it just to do with the fitness levels ?
Great post. all them fans here on rom who were slamming the players, demanding fergie to spend after the burnley game, should be reading this post. it was like the end of the world for them. come on, this is going to be the toughest and most competitive season yet. due to the sale of ron and our poor start to the season, every single team will be on fire against us, including wigan today.
i wouldn’t mind carrick scoring the winner, just like the wigan game at the end of last season, and seeing the same goal celebration with rooney.
@ Park, Park, wherever you may be
“Oh, i miss Ronnie’s holidyay-disco shorts”
LOL
Carrick dropped again
wtf?
not even on the bench
scholes starting??
wtf is on with carrick…disgraceful
Costas.
Good because they were both VERY disappointing against Burnley.
Is Vida fully fit?
No Carrick again? Has he upset the boss?
Gary is going to struggle if N’Zogbia is playing on the left. hope we score early to calm us down.
bench : kuszack, owen, giggs, welbeck, fabio, oshea,gibson….how must macheda feel not on the bench on his birthday..lol unless he didnt want to play today
Good to see nev and vida back, need 3 points 2 1 berba wazza com on.
PS welcome back ghtt
@Sketch: I hope he is fully fit.
No Brown or Park either. SAF has certainly rang the changes. Personally, i wouldn’t have made so many changes to the team again. CArrick and Fletcher make the best combination, so i think they should be playing together
@ Park, Park, – You’re right. When the forwards start their campaign of scoring like Ronaldo at a brothel (he’s left us now, I can say it!) the knee-jerk reactions will be be back to ‘we couldn’t give a toss about Tevez’…. ‘Berba is our god and he’s silkier than the skin of Jessica Alba…’ and ‘Oh, I miss Ronnie’s holiday-disco-shorts, and the pretty flower, but We have wee lil Mik-ey Owen and he’s scored two a game lately,’ followed by ‘Park deserves to play in Madrid when we get there!’ etc etc. We will soon have ‘Valencia’s so fast that teh only way they can stop him is by shooting him’ (let’s not tempt Mark Hughes, i just don’t trust him..) and ‘Zoran Tosic and llajic, we don’t know how to pronounce your names but we love ya’ anyway!’
fickle fans. Keep an eye on the gooners today. they are the ones to watch not chelsea. Once Essien gets injured Chelsea will be struggling.
i see recently that quite a few United fans are having a go at Carrick and some even continuing with those bollocks rumours which were going around between the Birm and Burnley games.ffs, stop these rumours and get behind every player. Carrick may not be fully fit yet.
honest from Mark Lawrenson -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/default.stm
team
foster
g nev j evans vida evra
valencia scholes, fletch nani
berba wazza
@ Javac
You’re so right about arsenal.. they never dip in form due to their style, just hope their inexperience is a factor!hehe Our style is more freestyle and adaptive. so hope we will be cheering the ‘unpronounceables’ soon enuff!
Wazza, I too believe he’s not on his level. I think it’s a bit more mental than physical. we need calm heads in the middle right now. Carrick WILL be back! :O)
off topic..
Is Tosic injured? I’d ‘ave liked him on the bench otherwise… maybe Welbeck has been doing all the right stuff in training..
fuckin starting Scholes again, WHY? All the talent in the world but a huge liability.
Good line up though. Fletch to do the business today.
There’s got to be something happening about Carrick we don’t know.
Any decent links 4 the match?
@MUFC the Religion -Nothing Wrong with starting with Scholes. He had a good game against Birmingham and linked well with Rooney.
There’s nothing going on with Carrick. He is definitely going to start against Arsenal. (Atleast i hope so)
I think the changes are a bit panicky. Players always underperform in August, but dropping them from the bench won’t help a lot. Anyway, i hope we get the job done today and that Rodallega has a worse game than he had last May
thank god fletcher is starting.
where on earth is carrick?
http://atdhe.net/8602/watch-wigan-athletic-vs-manchester-united
where the hell is carrick? Not even in the squad. Where is he?
fletch shud have scred.that was a good chance
should be two already
come on lads! settle the nerves and massacre them
For fuck’s sake, Scholesy better get his act together! Can’t afford to lose him.
Nothings happening. Just win, don’t have to be a massacre just win, or else.
First half over, we should have taken some of those chances!! Berba has done really well creating some of them, his touch is magical. What’s the deal with Fletch missing those absolute sitters? He also missed a sure chance against Birmingham.
My main worry for the second half is Paul Scholes. When he has been booked I can never be easy.
Anyone still in doubt over Foster? Great save when he denied Koumas.
i think we can call that a result
5-0
its going to be a hell of a season
get in!!!!!!!!
Searching for a result? 5-0, that’s a fucking result!
5 goals in 3 games for Rooney, Berba, and Owen. Keep that up boys!
i believe paul scholes can play better. there is nothing wrong starting him