RoM Reflects On 2008: January

With the end of 2008 approaching, RoM will be reflecting on the year we’ve had as United fans.

January 2008

1st: Birmingham home
United beat Birmingham 1-0 at home in what was a dire game of football. Hungover and cold, the crowd were at bit worse for wear, reflective of the football we watched. After Tevez put us ahead with 25 minutes played, there were moments towards the end when we were hanging on a bit. Not the greatest start to the New Year.

Upon getting home, still hungover and cold, hearing Fergie lay in to us didn’t do much to brighten my mood.

“The atmosphere was not very good,” Ferguson said. “It was like a funeral out there and we needed them to lift us a bit. We needed that today. It was the quietest I have heard here for some time and the atmosphere today did not help us.”

Cheers!

Rooney’s hopes for the season
“In an ideal world, we would win both,” said Rooney. “I would like to win the Premier League again because it’s a massive prize and you play in the league every week. Of course, the Champions League is a big trophy, too, and I am desperate to win that one for the first time.”

4th: Brown bid rejected
Newcastle want to sign Wes Brown after he rejected United’s final offer on a contract extension.
“The matter rests with Wes and his agent,” said Ferguson. “We’ll just wait and see what happens. Our offer is still there – it’s now up to Wes.”

5th: Villa away in the FA Cup
If there’s any one we can rely on to get our team going, it’s Wayne Rooney. 70 minutes of nothing passed us by at Villa Park before Wayne Rooney came on the to the park. He almost immediately had our best chance of the game so far, played a part in the lead up to Ronaldo’s goal 8 minutes from time, then bagged one for himself 1 minute from time.

11th: Ronaldo not for sale
“This is such a piece of nonsense,” said Ferguson. “Why would we sell Ronaldo? Because it is Ronaldo and he is one of our best players, we have to respond to it. We don’t want the fans to think that we would even consider it. David Gill is absolutely 100 per cent correct. We only sell the players we want to sell.”

12th: Newcastle home
Alan Smith made his first return to Old Trafford after being sold to the North-East club. It wasn’t a good day for him. After being a fault for a couple of the goals he was sent off for protesting the 6th goal, a straight red, so God only knows what he said to the ref! Ronaldo bagged his first hat-trick for United, whilst Tevez and Rio also got on the scoresheet.

17th: Real still want Ronnie
“Ronaldo is an exceptional footballer and, although we know signing a player like that is very complicated, we will just have to keep working on it,” said Real’s sporting director Predrag Mijatovic.

18th: Rio wants to be England captain
“Who wouldn’t want to be England captain,” Ferdinand said. “I would love to be given the opportunity to be England captain one day. But that is not the be all and end all. I just love playing for England, if you are named captain then that is a bonus and it’s a great achievement in your life and your career.”

19th: Reading away
United left it late to secure the points, Rooney scoring our first in the 77th minute before Ronaldo wrapped up the points in injury time.

21st: Trip to Saudi Arabia
Danny Welbeck missed a last-minute penalty as Manchester United lost 3-2 to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabian legend Sami Al-Jaber’s testimonial. £1 million in the bank.

22nd: Ronaldo’s mum lurrrrves Real Madrid
“They are my favourite team, the best in the world,” she said. “If one day he were to leave England then I would really like to see him go to Madrid. I would not like to die without seeing my son playing there, then I could go knowing that my dream was fulfilled.”

27th: Spurs at home in the FA Cup
Robbie Keane scored with less than an hour played, looking pretty happy at the possibility of causing a United upset. Tevez evened the score before half time and United pressed on looking for the winner. Dawson conceded a penalty for a foul on Ronaldo in the box with 20 minutes to go, which he was sent off for. Game over. Ronaldo scored the penalty then made it 3-1 two minutes from time.

28th: Tevez looks to the future
“I would like to play four or five more years in Europe,” said Tevez. “I would love this to happen at Manchester United and then go back to Argentina. I know I will finish my career at Boca. No doubt about it. I do not imagine myself retiring without winning one more title there.”

30th: Portsmouth home
Ronaldo scored the only two goals of the game with less than 15 minutes played, one of which that sublime free-kick.