Manchester United players and fans were ecstatic. We were going to the European Cup final! Having gone down 2-0 against Juventus within the first ten minutes, United turned the game around and won 3-2.
A 2-2 draw would have been enough for us to progress that night in Turin. Giggsy, who had scored our only goal in the first leg, was out injured. The likes of Inzaghi, Zidane and Davids could tear us apart.
The fight back was initiated by captain Roy Keane. There wasn’t even time for celebration. Fist in the air he ran back to our half of the pitch, ready for the restart. After all, we had another goal to score yet!
By half-time we were level, Dwight Yorke scoring our equaliser. As it stood, we were going through. Andy Cole’s goal just added insult to injury though.
As we celebrated, Roy Keane and Paul Scholes trudged off the field. United were playing in the European Cup final, but those two weren’t.
“Turin was Roy Keane’s greatest moment,” Ferguson said today. “He was unbelievable that night, although the whole team did well. This is a similar position to the Juventus tie and we have got the players to step up to the plate. We have got players who can win the game. Winners, match-winners on the big occasion – that is what’s important. Against Porto we have to match our expectations and standards – the standards required of Manchester United.”
We’re ten years on from that wonderful season but Ferguson is having a laugh to think the situations are comparable. We were magic in 98-99. We are not in 08-09.
I’m not suggesting we’re dead in the water here as we might very well progress. We need to win a football match, it’s not beyond all realms of our capabilities. But there doesn’t seem to be the tiniest drop of the passion and excitement and madness that 1999 brought.
Rafael Benitez called for the Spirit of Istanbul last night and despite going 2-0 up, Liverpool ended dumped out of the European Cup. The Spirit of Turin? I don’t think so Fergie. If we win, it’s because we’re better. That year was about so much more than us being the better side.
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The difference is this:We don’t have a Roy Keane anymore.Maybe Wazza can spur us on with his fighting spirit.
“If we win, it’s because we’re better. ”
we are better thou scott
2 months ago proved that
united just need to click again
costa ,Rooney is our keane spirit
no doubt
Shame we dont have Roy anymore, love to see ronaldo and few other wasters in our squad that would play on like he did known they wouldnt be playn in the final, very unlikely… Start prayin lads!
We are gonna make it lads…it gotta be 2-0 to united
He is no Roy Keane,but from our current midfielders Fletch was the one who could urge the team on with his fighting spirit.He will be missed.
I can see we are slipping into Scouser territory, where everything in the present is compared to a more glorious past and there are constant appeals to the ‘spirit of’ X or Y. This is not the way to go. It only adds to the pressures on today’s players. All the time we should be asking ourselves how to help the players add to the glory now, not keep throwing at them the fact that there has been even more glory in the past or that there were even greater players then. Yes Keano wore a magic hat in Turin, but he fucked up on other occasions and he got himself sent off through lack of discipline far too often, so let’s not keep telling the current crop they are ‘no Roy Keane’. Let the past be an inspiration and something to dwell on in the summer, not a millstone to put round the necks of players about to face a very tough cup-tie. This season has had some magic moments too, Giggs goal at West Ham, beating Chelsea, Macheda v Villa, seeing so many kids come through (Rafael, Evans, Gibson, Wellbeck, Macheda, etc) and there could be more Magic Moments to come. After all, we’re World Cup Winners.
I am 0% confident about tonight.:-(
Rather 75% sure that, we ll be out.
just a 1-0 From the Bulgarian.
Firestarter
first of all that doesnt make sence
second,united will do it
Fuck it, time for the heart to rule the head, we’ll just about nick it by the odd goal I think. Alot depends on Rooney, if we do it, he’ll be in the thick of it.
Come on and think positive for fucks sake, its the 1/4 final of the European Cup, our club was built on great nights like these. Enjoy the build up, take it all in, cheer the lads on, and BELIEVE!!!
just got to BELIEVE we can do it… and pray of course
im going out now and i wont be back till united are iin the semis
and dont worry
ill be back tonight
You going on the beer already then? I like your style!!!
Boys if we can’t Porto over two legs then simply we should not be in the competion.
People keep saying how poor we were in the first leg, but personally I think they punched above their weight at OT.
We are a better side than Porto, and isn’t it what they “Form is temporary, class is permanent”.
Its this nostalgic bullshit that fucks us over everytime. I wish we stopped referring to past experiences, especially when 97% of the squad and management team were’nt even part of that treble winning team. Do you think for one second Roy Keane, Schmiechel, Stam would have let the likes of Ronaldo, Berbatov, Anderson, Nani, O’Shea, Carrick half ass it on the big occasions? I think the answer is no. The team now is full of primadonas, thank fuck for the Likes of Fletcher, Rooney, Tevez, if it werent for the likes of them I wouldnt no what to do.
Stephen i would agree with you but strange things can happen.In 2004 we also had more class but they caught us during a bad spell with poor form and lots of injuries.Add to that the refereeing at Old Trafford and there you have it.Tonight,tiny details like the absence of Fletch or Rio rustiness could shift it in their favour.But then again,our players might finally wake up and realise their potential.Despite the dipper “heroics” from last night,this still is for me the most unpredictable tie of the last 8.
ROONEY and RONALDO 2-0 UTD. ROONEY to be main man.
GTHTT – “Firestarter
first of all that doesnt make sence
second,united will do it”
60% of the time, it works everytime!!!!
I’ve no doubt Rooney will perform, it’s the rest of the team that need to muck in. There’s no doubt we can do it, but i’m prepared for the worst.
Revisit Turin 98/99? No wayyy, I wouldn’t want us to be 2-0 down after 10 mins! Haha
Anyway, yea, time for the heart to rule the head. Rather be crazily cheering than gloomy worrying
Come on!
Rooney has just as much passion, fire, excitement as Keane!
Only difference is that Keane is a United legend and Wayne is on his way to become one! He is the reason why we are still in this tie!
Remember, we only have to score once more than porto!
That’s not whole lot against a side with the worst defensive record in the champions league, is it?
As Stephen said, if we can’t beat Porto over two legs we don’t deserve to be in it. Only a small thing but the fact their manager is banned makes a difference. 2-0 United with a performance like first half at San Siro. Every game since dippers I have been saying “this will be the game when the lads click” Well tonight it will be. BELIEVE.
Ps Giles has a point (as usual) for all the good Keano was , and he was fuckin immense he did let United down at times with his attitude.
as Fergie said ‘stand up and be counted.’
it should be a total team effort rather than relying on Rooney & CR7
I can’t concentrate at work!! I am getting fucking nervous as the seconds tick by. I just dont entertain any thought of us going out of the CL.
It’s gonna be tight but we will triumph, we shall overcome, all you pessimists you gotta believe that. There is no denying that this season has a lot of similarities with 1999, but let’s fucking put that aside.
COMMONNNNNNNNN UNITED BEAT porto AND WE ARE COOL
Its nights like this where we miss players like Roy Keane, Rooney is the only one who can match Keano’s passion, maybe Tevez aswell actually.
But Keano would not accept defeat if the team was playing badly or if somebody wasnt putting in enough effort (yes you ronaldo) he would soon sort it out.
Porto are a good team and i doubt we’ll keep a clean sheet against them, so our attacking play will have to be spot on and we’ll have to put away our chances
COME ON UNITED!
come on guys a little optimism would go a long way here! youve got to remember this is porto who are shoddy – we murdered them at OT only to be undone by defensive errors, the kind that rio and vidic will mop up. we always have goals – think lyon, roma away last year, even against barca we got a penalty and should have had another. we’ll make the chances and with our defence nearly back to full strength we surely wont concede many. if the midfield can up their game maybe 5% we’ll walk it. and if not we can all go get drunk and concentrate on equalling the dippers’ record, safe in the knowledge that they at least won’t win the champions league for another year
Newspapers always make these useless comparisons.
I so so wish we had Owen Hargreaves available for tonight. We have missed him so much recently.
@Tony_Oldham
I agree, I just hope that his surgery will be a success so we can enjoy his service for some years. Such a shame that a good player like him has to go through such a terrible injury…
I think for example he would have helped us a great deal when Rafael and Brown were injured. He would be much better than Neville (sorry to say)
Jesus whats up with all the fuckin cryin and hate? We have to beat porto on their field to continue on our way to repeating in the champions league,that is not a bad place to be. I know we haven’t looked as good as we all want them to but we keep doing enough to make it happen. I’m reading people talking like this team has no heart wtf have you noticed how many players have been out, the fighting back to win, fuckin Macheda! This team is heart man, thats the only reason we are still winning everything, you would think we were completely out of every competition waiting for next year! Dont let ronnie’s sulking paint the whole team. Now is not the time to be giving up on the team, now when we still have everything to win? We are leading the league with a game in hand, we have some of our best players getting ready to come back, getting wes, fabio,rio, rafael back and macheda coming up would be like a group of world class signings just for the last month of the season. We still are the team to beat lets act like it
Blimey these nerves are killing me…..football drives me crazy and makes me a nervous wreck.
Heart says utd….head says crowd..porto attackin us and our poor form and shaky defence..sees porto through.
Just think..that european ties require 2 legs of concentration and application. Very rarely do we see teams pull it out of the bag after a bad first leg. Just feel that late goal at OT will come back to haunt us.
But hey id rather we just go for it from the off..in the hope we score some goals which winsus the game…or lose some goals and the game, playing some cavalier stuff. Rather than being cagey and nervy…and suffering last ditch minute heartbreak, trying to defend a slender lead.
Why do we make it so hard for ourselves….really hope we can do it..cos unlike the dips we ve got cup finals looming elsewhere….and everybody will love us get knocked out in every comp and us ‘ cracking up’ and ‘imploding’
praying praying praying……heart says yes..head says no
C’MON UNITED!!!!
Just yawning…….and yawning………….and yawning…….
cherry…blimey i wish i was as confident as you.
hope your belief and confidence is spot on
Suhayl – I know exactly what you mean pal, I can’t even watch United and enjoy it these days. Far too nervous to relax in every game United play. Anyway fuck what others have to say about us “crackin up” and shit, we are United and we always pull it out of the hat. Like you said “why do we always make it hard for ourselves” I can’t answer that but as you will well know that is what United have always done, made it hard for ourselves. Thing is though when we do win these games it makes it so much better!
Can Manchester United score? They always score! 2-0 United.
Ps – There are plenty of United players with “passion” as some people think we have nobody to match Keano’s attitude. We have Nev, Rooney, Rio, Giggsy, Scholsey, Tevez, Vidic, Evra, VDS. The list goes on.
Line up:
VDS-O’Shea,Rio,Vida,Evra-Ronaldo,Carrick,Ando,Giggs-Rooney,Berba
King Eric you have become nervous?I thought that you have made me more relaxed!MAybe we have both influenced each other!Berbatov is a slight risk in the starting line up.
Park not even on the bench.This system could not be the ideal one if it means Rooney on the left and Giggs behind Berba.
–sigh–
well there is no point complaining about the line up now….
COME ON BERBA, PROVE ME WRONG!!! MAKE ME EAT MY WORDS PLEASE
Costas – I am always POSITIVE but always really really nervous. As I said I just can’t enjoy watching United anymore. It is awful. Not a bad line up anyway and as we said yesterday it is time for Anderson to step up to the plate. Lets hope Berba has a big say to silence some of the critics. Come on United!!
True.Let’s hope it’s finally the day Berba steps up to the plate.With these players ball retention is a bit easier.Hopefully that will take the sting out of them.I am not crazy for Rooney playing on the left(if he does) but Giggsy will be great in the roaming role.Come on United!
Man I wish we had our lad Fletch in there to run himself to death….
Any takers on Kiko getting a stopage time winner?
Drew i will go through my roof if that happens.Hopefully it won’t take so long.I also wish Fletch was ok today.But maybe some boos from his former fans will be enough to spur Ando on.On last year’s form,i am not afraid about him.
Yep king Eric…..seriously im toooooooooo nervous….shaking like a leaf here…legs jelly..hands wobbling…sweating….etc etc etc
i cant watch it…..i’ll just pace up and down the house and pray..
C’mon united!!!
COME ON LADS
Old school Ronnie hell yeah! Lets see it again I need a couple goals more before i’ll be comfortable. Anderson looks fuckin up for it. Keep it up!
Nearly Giggsy! are we using this blog for discussion then? cant we just use the chat?
better team when ando on form
anderson the difference. borderin on brilliant so far…….
Very cool and composed first half performance!Our biggest scares were the 2 injuries but hopefully both lads are ok.As jesseto says and as i said before the game,with Ando on form i am not afraid.
what a goal keep it up lads cut the sloppyness out game is ours.
Nervous as fuck these last few minutes
i don’t exactly adore this manchester but we are in the semis. 2 years in arrow we play that kind of football but i can not argue. i see the point.
but as it helped last year this year this won’t be enough for this Barca.
First up Arsenal Corea.The truth is tonight’s United is the one we have got this season.Composed,compact and will always get a goal from somewhere.Congrats to the lads.Best overall performance in a while.Remember:first english team to win there.
Well done Anderson….. And well done to Wayne for doing his job of tracking back and keeping that left back quiet, and still managed to link up play well.
Need more from Carrick and Evra.
We did it, it wasn’t easy but we did it!! Congrats.
Well done guys. Bring on ARSEnal.
FSW eat your heart out!
Fuck off to all those clever bastards in the media that wrote us off before the match.
the truth on your side Costas. there is not much more to say but i think SAF could have used his players better and with greater effect in terms of the creative play.
Ronaldo stood up to the challange with quite a wonder goal! Nervous last few minutes, especially with Sir Alex taking off the excellent Anderson for Scholes. Good performance from Ronaldo, putting himself about and held on to good possession late in the game
Anderson gave us lots of energy today, something we have been missing alot lately.
Rio was immense, holding the defence together. Evra still looks shaky, though a much improved performance.
As much as people might slate Berbatov, my opinion was that he held the line well, bringing in the composure we need and slowing down the game.
Overall, it was a comfortable game, although a second goal would have been good for many of our hearts!
Concern about Rooney though, he was limping quite badly in the first half, and always leaning on the post during corners, which he never does. Hope its not another fractured foot bone!
Marq i think he does lean on the goalposts but i could be mistaken.Personally i saw him ok in the second half.Hopefully he is.Today he was fantastic in tracking back.
Corea i was also disappointed about the creative play.SAF probably thought that opening up the game wasn’t to our advantage.MAybe once we get a few more wins the confidence will come back and so will the attractive football.
anderson man of the match
ronaldo what a goal
rio great to have you back
thought evra was much better tonight
i think berb is gonna get slated but like Marq said i thought he held the line and did ok so im not gonna lay into him
rooney was superb what a proffessional performance
arse is gonna be tooooooough
but tonight im just gonna enjoy being top of the league in the semi final of the fa cup anf the semi final of the european cup. not bad for a crisis!!!
Pretty much agree with Marqs summary of players performances. Thats how you win titles not like that gung-ho, hell for leather brand of football we witnessed last night. Good solid performance and 3 wins on bounce, momentum back for home straight. Come on United!
Time to re-visit all those gripes about United players in the PFA Player of the Year shortlist. United are top of the table, they’ve won the World Cup and Carling Cup, they are in the semis for the FA Cup and Champs League and they’re breaking all sorts of records, the latest being successive matches in the Champs Lge unbeaten.Which other set of players can match that? Clearly there’s a case for Lampard who has been consistently good throughout the season, even when Chelsea weren’t doing that well. But who can seriously complain about Van der Sar, Rio, Vidic, part of one of the best defensive units in Europe (as shown tonight), despite repeated disruptions from injuries. Then there’s Ronaldo, top scorer in the Premiership, and scorer of a stunning world class goal tonight, who can seriously say he’s not worth at least a shortlist place? Some say the Giggs nomination is ‘sentimental’, well I beg to differ. Look at him tonight, showing skill, determination and calm under extreme pressure as United struggle to get their game back on track. If Liverpool had had anyone with Giggs’ composure last night they might be through like United, but they are not. So, after this round of Champs Lge matches where do we stand on the Gerrard claims? Well he was completely bossed out of the 1st leg against Chelsea, his abject failure contributing hugely to Chelsea’s win, on the night and then over 2 legs. He’s been very patchy for England too, blowing hot and cold, looking sulky when things don’t go to his liking – the very thing Ronaldo is accused of. I’d say the big injustice in these nominations is Rooney’s absense from the shortlist. He was voted player of the year by England fans (NOT Gerrard) and has been at the heart of everything good for United in their advance on all fronts.Tonight he performed heroically in yet another role, wide right, showing what a selfless team-player he is, as well as one of the most adaptable footballers in Europe.