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Domestic Cups

Just HOW Bad Was Our Performance Against Derby?

January 8, 2009

Scott is the editor of RoM and has a season ticket at Old Trafford. He writes for The Mirror and Red News. He started The Republik of Mancunia in March 2006. Follow @R_o_M on Twitter.

Reaction To Derby… Hmmm

Ronaldo Escapes Crash By The Airport… But His Car Is Written Off

50 Comments

PossePossebon January 8, 2009

We probably still played worse in the second half against the scousers, but this comes really really close. Awful.

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Jas Rai January 8, 2009

Even the atmosphere began to become poor in the second half. Highlight of the match was.....'city are going down with a billion in the bank, a billion in the bank, a billion in the bank'....................followed by 'Derby are going down with a fiver in the bank, a fiver in the bank, a fiver in the bank!!!'

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bruce thomas January 8, 2009

Utterly abysmal. After ripping the piss out of the Rent Boyz supporter down the road after the Southend game, you can imagine the shit I'm having to take over this. A total embarrassment.

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peposhi January 8, 2009

we really missed Berbatov's creativity

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chaosRed January 8, 2009

Worst for a couple of years...we got humiliated by a team struggling in championship

They had more possession and shots. Thats not right!

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THIS_IS_MANCHESTER January 8, 2009

sad thing is tho i can remember a few games were we have been bad, like the liverpool game after the first 20 min... i really want to start seeing the united of last season, quite funny tho ppl believed that berba ruined uniteds style but today shows that we havent really reached the highs of last season and if anything berba has helped us

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Marq January 8, 2009

Nani was horribly terribly, Welbeck didnt touch the ball more than 5 times in the 1st half, Scholes was giving the ball away........ Best chance in the 1st half went to O'Shea of all ppl. Less said the better......

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Dave, Manc January 8, 2009

Certainly one the most awful performances in last year or so.

But in terms of the last few years...Norwich Away , Boro Away when lost 4-0, Chelsea at home, lost 3-0 and Liverpool Away in the FA Cup when we lost 1-0....were certainly much worse.....and woops almost forgot ..AC away when we lost 3-0.

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Drew Vader January 8, 2009

The Pool at Anfield was the first 11 and I thought it was a much worse performance. As was the City match last year at home. Both of those were ten times worse than tonight in my opinion.

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Yeah January 8, 2009

NANI needs to go....he just makes one poor desition after another. He's got the talent but he isnt a smart player. He simply doesnt have the vision, his crosses were poor, his short passing was innacurate....i can keep going for hours. Gibson is just not a good enough player. He isnt 1st team quality for sure. Tevez didnt get a decent ball in...he had to run to the midfield in order to get a pass....i dont know, i wish i could erase those 2 hours from my brain.

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EastStandManc January 8, 2009

As far as 90 minute performances go, this has been the worst this season, no doubt.

I've said before, the reason (IMO) it went to pot at Anfield after 20-odd minutes gone was Carrick's injury. We were passing it around comfortably, watching them waste energy chasing the ball. Carrick gets injured, the passes start going astray and it's goodbye God bless.

People are forgetting that at Anfield we had 3 excellent chances to score after our opener. Tevez should have made it 0-2 and didn't, then, almost directly after the restart, Tevez had a chance to make it 1-2 and didn't, and then there was Giggsy's first touch half-volley that Reina tipped over.

What chances did we have today? A Ronaldo free kick. That was about it. The only other notable chance fell to O'Shea in the first half and that's not saying much.

At least we can say we lost away at Top 4 opposition in a high-tension derby with the dippers. I'm embarrassed to say we lost a semi-final CC first leg to a side sitting in the bottom 3 of the division below us.

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Besher January 8, 2009

It was a bad performance every team has a day like that and its good that we had it against derby not other team.united always give a good performance after a bad one when we lost to city last season we thrashed arsenal 4-0 and when we lost to roma and portsmouth 2-1 we thrashed roma 7-1 at the season before it . And this season after losing to liverpool and drawing with villareal we gave a good performance against chelsea so lets hope its the same story this time . And also would that lose be a good reason to make the fans go and fill oldtrafford its not a nice thing seeing it half full during carling cup games .im also worried about nani last season he was either good or ok and at some games he was excellant this season he is either ok or bad i thought he will improve from last season not get worse i hope he will prove me wrong .

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Its in my blood January 8, 2009

Wish you'd all stop moaning. Apart from our passing, shooting, tackling and ball control, we were fine! Rather a performance like that against Derby than on Sunday against the rentboys.

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Annie January 8, 2009

@Its in my blood: Hah, funny.

The players were utterly useless yesterday. Couldn't believe the match I had witnessed.

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DanS January 8, 2009

We were sh*te. Simple. It happens.

Big performance needed against Chavski.

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FailsworthDevil January 8, 2009

Nobody is gonna be able to convince me... we need a good number 2... Mike Phelan is not the answer and i will not change my mind on this.

I didnt particularly like CQ as a person... but.... he was the man for the job, he had the respect of the players... and could get the best out of the likes of Nani, CR7 and Anderson... (simple fact is.... as either of these 3 perfomed like they did last year?) No....

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Androo January 8, 2009

During the match I was sometimes embarrassed to look at the telly. Derby... FFS DERBY COUNTY were playing us like toddlers. We have no excuse whatsoever. For 15 minutes we played with the whole first team except for Gibson.

I hope to God that we up the ante for Sunday. What a miserable performance!

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Stephen January 8, 2009

Fal, I see where you are comming from mate, but Andy and Nani were poor the latter part of last season also when CQ was there, but Phelan certainly isn't the answer.

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Costas January 8, 2009

SAF has made the same mistake twice.That's what bothers me.When he lost Carlos Quieroz the first time he replaced him with Jim Ryan and by March he brought in Walter Smith.For the last 5 years this club has fanctioned much better with a foreign assistant offering his insight.Maybe it's what i said in another thread:SAF is not as bold as he once was.As far as the moaning goes,i think now is the time to do it.Now that nothing is already lost.If we let this thing slide once again,the consequences might be severe.Apart from 2-3 games,the team has huffed and puffed in every game it has won.And no,i am not expecting us to thrash Chelsea.All i want is for the team to realise it's true potential.We have to start playing with a regular first XI.That's the only way the play will become more automatic and the penetration will start flowing into it.I know that deep down,SAF realises what a low point he personaly reached last night(his only other domestic semi final defeat has been to Mourinho's all powerful Chelsea).Now he needs to realise that his "best squad ever" cannot afford to lose the Premier League title to Gene Hackman err Scolari or even worse to Dirk Kuyt.

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Jake January 8, 2009

its a good point about the last time costas but maybe they couldn't find anyone who was suitable? Might have been the best of a bad situation not to bring in someone totally new and upset the apple cart too much...Phelan isn't the answer but it's going to pretty difficult for Ferguson to remove his mate now. They've obviously kept a lot of Queiroz's training programmes etc and are just going to have to work with it...I wouldn't blame Ferguson too much, he was clever enough and bold enough to let Queiroz handle a lot of the running of the team etc when he was with us and wanted him to be assured of the job in two years but Gill and the board weren't too keen on that idea apparently.

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Stephen January 8, 2009

There seems to me to be too many "jobs for the boys" merchants at our club, we should have the best coaches and scouting network in the world, but Fergies brother is our chief European scout, we should be finding the best young players from all corners of the globe and the only youth we have produced or real quaility seems to have come from CQ knowledge.

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Costas January 8, 2009

I am not disagreeing with you Jake.And to tell the truth,if CQ was going to stay so that he would one day succeed SAF iam glad he is gone.I think CQ's best function was as SAF's number 2.These 2 together were magic.But there is always someone else out there.CQ left us in late June,we went back and forth for weeks before Fergie made Phelan his official number 2 in September.At the summer we heard about Blanc,Bento and Rafa's former assistant among others.I think each and everyone of them would have been more helpful than Phelan.But you are probably right.If he brought someone new in,he would have to go get rid of CQ's techniques.Or maybe SAF wants to prove it to himself that he can still handle the team on his own.Only time will tell.At the moment though it seems like everyone has figured us out and there is no plan B.Ooops i just remembered.SAF has made Jim Ryan twice his assistant.The first time was when Mcclaren left.

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aman matharu January 8, 2009

I was reading thru the Man Utd YourSay section on teamtalk.com - I think the editor has got it bang on!!

"Put simply, right throughout the squad, our performance levels are not where they should be.

Yes, I know United generally kick-on around this time of year but it's difficult to find encouragement from the displays of anyone in the squad right now, especially in an attacking sense.

All season we have looked slow, laboured and predictable going forward. I've waited for signs that the side might be finding it's fluidity but if anything, things aren't getting better, they're getting worse.

Only the failings of our rivals, who staggeringly seem to be having similar problems, have kept us in the title race so, is the rest of the Premier League catching up with the big four? I don't think so.

I honestly believe that whoever wins the Premier League this season will be the poorest title-winning side for at least a decade.

Personally, I'd love to see us using more orthodox width. Even the full-backs appear narrow when they go forward these days, which suits opposition sides down to the ground."

we've been poor this season - is it due to Queiroz leaving? Or is it due to the fact that we haven't got any proper wingers anymore - how many times was Nani always trying to cut in yesterday instead of bombing down the left and crossing in!! He's normally a good crosses but recently it seems like he can't cross to save his life...his first season showed he could cross and assist on a number of occasions!

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Jake January 8, 2009

Ayesteran was a fitness coach...definitely didn't want him, Blanc is a manager (and clearly had managerial ambitions) as is Bento so you're not going to get them to come an assist Fergie for a couple of years before he retires....It sounds awful to say but maybe everyone was thinking longer-term because of Fergie's impending retirement and that people didn't want the job or the board didn't see the point in paying someone totally new to come in when we are going to have a new manager in 2 years whose going to want a lot of his own staff. I can't help thinking Queiroz for the next two years was the only plan and that we are having to make-do at the moment.

I agree about Fergie's brother Steve although he apparently spotted and persisted with Van Nistelrooy transfer, don't even know whether that backs him up or not...I think it's not a bad policy with a lot of ex-united in there because it creates a good culture and stability in the club and Fergie can trust and evaluate their opinions much easier, but I do think some things will be re-vamped when Fergie leaves like the scouting system and the youth policy.

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Stephen January 8, 2009

Jake, I whole heartily agree with you mate, we all want ex reds around the club without a doubt, but only if they are up to the job.
We should be swelling with the best scouts, coaches tthe world has to offer and to me we have lacked that for a while. We should be dipping our rods in many different ponds around the world to unearth the best talent the world has to offer and we recently have produced very little, unless we have paid enermous fees for players.
I agree with CQ, I felt that he was our only real option to take over from Fergie, hence the amount of young Portugese speaking players at the club, and maybe with Fergie not giving any guarentees with a time frame for his retirement, and thankfully not with the debarcle of last time he decided to upsticks.

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North Stand,Tier 3,Back Row January 8, 2009

The performance last night was shocking, no doubt about it, but out of all the games we play this season, it was the one we could afford to lose and it wouldnt affect our season (assuming we win the 2nd leg), and I think the players played like that realised that.
Recent performances have been worrying enough, we're not playing great football, and if our defence wasnt in such good form we'd be in real trouble.
Sundays game will define our season - if we play well and win, eveyones happy and we're favourites for the title, but if we lose (or draw and play crap) we'd be in real trouble, and the knives would come out.
Last night was one of those nights, no point analyzing anyones performance, as they were all pretty poor.
Fuck it, Im an optimist, we'll do Chelsea 2-0, put Derby out in the second leg, all will be good at The Theatre, and we'll all march onto Rome for the quadruple...

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Stephano January 8, 2009

Luis Nani was TERRIBLE , AWFUL, he goes past one player, and then waits for him again, just so he can go past him again. (and fails almost everytime) Idiot!!!

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Costas January 8, 2009

North Stand i really hope you are right.I for one am always a pessimist.Last season i was afraid we wouldn't beat West Ham at Old Trafford.I just think that some things need to be addresed now while the quadraple is still on.The scouting changes need a lot of brainstorming and cant't be done overnight.However the assistant situation can be rectifyed now.SAF twice on the past has brought assistants at the middle of a season:Mcclaren and Walter Smith.And i don't remember if the same thing happened with Brian Kidd.SAF is the best coach in the land but maybe some players responded better to CQ(Nani and Anderson for example).Or maybe they are going through the second season syndrome that even players like Solskjaer have gone through.

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Mic January 8, 2009

By far the worst i've seen in years taking into consideration that Derby are just full out poor, they've no manager, we played a quality quality side who in the premier league would finish in the top 10 if not higher. It was just a joke last night, absolutely no effort. Credit to Derby though, they did their part in making us look like a pub team.

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jamos9 January 8, 2009

Absoulute Jizz.....are midfield is woeful we need someone with tenacity in the centre, a leader, someone with vision, can stick the ball in the net.

None of our midfield barring Scholes, Hargreaves and carrick are any good we need someone special and no Fletch isn't good enough he's a squad man as is J.Sung Park but both will start against the Chavs.

Even Appiah would be a good loan signing he's tried and tested and captains his country!!

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Stephen January 8, 2009

Carrick isn't good? He probably been our best player this season.

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RED_ARMY January 8, 2009

seriously FUCK NANI...the guy is so fucking amature and stupid... he's not even improving....i wouldnt even play him for 2 min..he's that bad

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Adam January 8, 2009

Worst of the Season. I would have said past few years but that goes to City at home last season.

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MakeMineaTreble January 8, 2009

Guys you lot are all correct in your observations. I think that we're a fraction off from having a truly magnificant historic season where we by retaining both the CL and EPL and adding the FAC and CC to our CWC trophy. or a fraction off from having F***ING EVERYTHING up and coming away with only the CWC. that's the reality as we have laboured all season and our defence has been on top form. we've missed Evra who should be back on Sunday and Carrick. I think those two have really been playing well and give our team an extra dimension. As a life long reds fan I think Scholes is showing his age now, and think he's best used coming off the bench rather than starting.
The loss of CQ (dispite all his faults) as SAF trusted no 2 has had an impact on the Portuguese speaking players. And look what's happened to Manucho who was reccommended by CQ! I think had CQ stayed he would have played in the 1st team by now.
so where do we go from here?
1st we really do need to win against cheski. 2. we need to sort out midfield.
3. we need rooney playing more centrally and in the last 3rd more rather than coming deep. the only time he should do this if we are down to 10 men or tactical reasons.
4.we need to vary our attacking threat and how we open up teams, get berbatov more on the ball. get tevez to practice on his finishing more.
5. allow CR7 to roam around the last 3rd (ala like last season).

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Red Rooney January 8, 2009

that was the worst performance after the one against leaver-pool.

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Tom F January 8, 2009

4-1 loss to Boro was pretty bad, how about the 2-1 loss to City in Feb!?

Last night was bad, but not THAT bad!

The good thing to remember is that it's only half time!

...Yes, we do need to win against Chelsea. Every game we don't win, is points for the other teams above us. The thought of Liverpool winning the league makes me ill!

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RedTilDead January 8, 2009

Tevez is an absolute nothing player. Rob Jones was more dangerous. He just loiters around, far too deep, creating absolutely nothing and providing NO goal threat.

If we paid £32m for him....pfft....doesn't bare thinking about. Berba and Rooney are the future.

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Red-Manc January 8, 2009

The whole team play shocking but people think its right to single out Tevez? He has been fucking class since he got here you stupid fucks slating him when the WHOLE TEAM did fuck all, he was actually one of the best on the night even though yes he was poor along with the rest of them, 32 mil a hell of alot of money but Tevez is one hell of a player. Ungrateful bastards was you slating him last year before Berbatov (who i do think is class) and when he got us loads of important goals?

Piss poor performance by the whole team, Our Away fans were class especially in the first half . To many changes to the team for it to work

ARGENTINA!

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KStandRed January 8, 2009

If Fletcher or O'Shea had been as consistently bad, and - much worse in my opinion - looked as lethargic and not bothered as Tevez has been this season they would be getting an ABSOLUTE SLATING.

Tevez has been absolutely woeful. He's desperately slow, offers no goal threat, just looks like he doesn't want to be here. Sooner he goes the better for me. I'm sure it'll benefit both us and Carlos.

He helped to give us some great memories last season though, so he'll go with warm feeling from the supporters - although those feelings are certainly diminishing.

One note though - the away support was amazing last night, as always. Glad I travelled down, even if the performance was a bit gut-wrenching.

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12Cantonas January 8, 2009

Tevez was one of our best players last night? What are you on mate.

I love Carlos, but his attitude this season has been an absolute disgrace. He should be fighting for his place, but instead he's taken it as an opportunity to sulk. Gone are the all action, 100% displays...nowadays all we get is him strolling around, mardy as you like and creating nothing, face like a slapped arse.

I've lost a lot of respect for him this year. Not bothered now whether we keep him or not.

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san January 8, 2009

hardly a match more like fukin shit stain....we suked so bad

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Red-Manc January 8, 2009

When i say one of the best, i realise they were all piss poor including him but he was actually one of the best on the night even if that isnt much of a compliment.

We've had people slating Rooney for not scoring enough and not playing the right role, people slating Berbatov for being lazy and now people are slating Tevez?! So we've got a shit attacking force have we? NO, it always makes me laugh how even when we play so blatantly poor as a team some people still feel the need to slate one player in paticular this time round due to the contract issue people have gone for Tevez. its ridiculous

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King Eric January 8, 2009

First Berba and now Tevez. How the fuck do you expect him to play with all this shite going on. Did I hear "Viva John Terry" belting out at pride park last night? Even press have said today how good the away support was.

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King Eric January 8, 2009

"I love Carlos, but his attitude this season has been an absolute disgrace"

I disagree completely with this comment, his attitude, ok perhaps up until last nights game has been absolutely spot on. What is wrong with you all. As Red Manc says the whole team play bad yet some "fans" feel the need to attack one specific player! Unbelievable.

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Big boss January 8, 2009

It's good this happened in such a game. I hope it's a wake up call to our boys to start getting their act straight and score goals. It really seems like we are only in good form when Ronaldo is in good form. SAD for a club this big.

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Red-Manc January 8, 2009

When you consider how frustrating it must be for him, bar last nights performance he has given more than most players would ever think of giving he gives 100% every game, chases down every ball and after his important goal at stoke his celebration showed how much it meant to him, he knows us supporters love him, well most of us that are sane, and he's given his all and like King Eric said his attitude has been spot on.

Cant believe some of you people, you really need a reality check and i think the great football we've played and the players we've got has gone to your heads, your all being ungrateful bastards. Every team in the premiership would kill to have any one of our strikers yet you sit there and slate them. Its fine to have an opinion but your all just jumping on whatever bandwagon is going by at the time and coming out with drivel.

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TonyBee January 8, 2009

Tevez was the best of a bad bunch( not quite up to his his 32million pricetag)..... our passing was piss poor and Wellbeck showed that he was not quite ready to step up in class. Gibson was absent most of the night and as for Nani..... Fuck me, what a cunt. He was absolutely useless and the sooner we can offload him the better. Lost patience with him now. the ginger prince looked his age and when Carrick came on he showed how to play against an pushed up midfield.
Still no matter what, the 'A' team will do the Rams when the come to OT.

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King Eric January 8, 2009

Tony: That is if SAF plays the "a" team. He has stated that he is gonna stick with last nights and previous line ups in the cc. As for Nani, I agree pal.Every time he starts I think , right this is where he will play well, but just aint happening. Only young but hardly any progression in the 18 months since we signed him.

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Alan Hansen (true manc) January 8, 2009

i don't even know what the formation was and i don't think any of the players had a fucking clue either. Was Anderson told to sit ith scholes in the centre circle for 60 minutes or were Derby really that good? I think the players we had out there should have won comfortably but there was no speed, passion or imagination in our play...Maybe Fergie wants to make sure we get a full house for the return leg...i'm starting to really miss caros quiroz mind cos ronaldo nani and anderson haven't been the same this season.. i think they got their champions league glory too soon... at the expense of poor Park! YES it really was that bad

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ManU January 9, 2009

Carrick should be playing from the start and Scholes is almost dead in the midfield due lack of pace and slow thinking. Nani should be replaced by Pak and Teves more often loosing the ball too easily and running aimlessly. At the back John Oshea is forever ball watching almost non existence.