Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed Roman Abramovich’s “obsession” with winning the Champions League, reiterating that his Manchester United side is just as desperate to secure Europe’s premier competition this season. Speaking ahead of the quarter-final second leg clash at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, Ferguson claimed that the British press is “running away with sympathy for Chelsea,” with the Londoners’ only realistic chance of silverware now coming in Europe.
It’s a notion for which Ferguson holds much contempt and the 69-year-old United manager is determined that his side maintains a recent winning run, having beaten West Ham United, Chelsea and Fulham in the past 10 days and won the last six in succession.
However, Ferguson is likely to make significant chances to the side that overcame Fulham at Old Trafford on Saturday. Wayne Rooney returns from a domestic suspension, while Rio Ferdinand, Rafael da Silva and Ryan Giggs could both come back into the side. The Scot could even pick the same starting 11 that beat Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge a week ago.
“Momentum is key: it’s what keeps you from going off your stride,” Ferguson said on Monday.
“Every game from this point on is like a cup final – the players thrive on that. In that respect I see similarities to 1999, but the circumstances are completely different as we didn’t have any injuries back then.
“We’ve coped very well this season, particularly with the injuries we’ve had in defensive positions. Having the likes of Anderson, Rio [Ferdinand], and [Antonio] Valencia back makes an incredible difference at this time of the season. They’re fresh and they know how to play for the club, so it’s not like signing new players as they don’t need time to adapt.”
Ferguson must decide whether to bring Portuguese winger Nani back into his side despite Antonio Valencia’s outstanding form since the Ecuadorian’s return from injury. Although the Scot could stand down Park Ji-Sung the United manager is apt to pick the South Korean on European nights.
And another striker, Chelsea’s £50 million Fernando Torres, is a symptom of Chelsea’s European obsession, says Ferguson. Torres started in preference to Nicolas Anelka last Wednesday but sat out Chelsea’s weekend Premier League match against Wigan Athletic.
“It does seem to be an obsession with Chelsea to win the European Cup. That is why they signed Fernando Torres,” added the Scot.
“The owner has every much nailed his colours to the mast in that respect. I have felt that for quite a while with him. To have an obsession of winning the European Cup is stretching yourself a wee bit. At the end of the day it is a very difficult competition to win. All the best teams are there. You see the form of Barcelona at the moment – it’s fantastic.
“I had that obsession myself for a long time. Losing the semi-final against Borussia Dortmund [in 1997], I thought we were never going to do it.”
Another long derided forward, Rooney, will return to Ferguson’s team having completed one of a two match suspension for using “foul and abusive” language in United’s win at the Boleyn Ground recently. Indeed, the six-day break since Rooney scored against Chelsea in the first leg has enabled to striker to recharge his batteries, according to Ferguson.
“He will definitely be fresher after missing the game [against Fulham] on Saturday,” Ferguson said.
“That has given him six days’ good preparation and that could make a difference. In the first leg, Wayne Rooney adapted very well to the role we asked him to play. He had to combine partly defensive duties but with an attacking thrust, so in that respect he did very well and of course he put in a good performance.
“He is capable of causing problems no one else can. Balance, power, speed and a great tactical brain – the boy’s got everything.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Ancelotti will choose two of Torres, Anelka and Didier Drogba, with the significant possibility that the Italian will accommodate an additional midfielder away from home. Despite playing without a traditional defensive central midfielder at Stamford Bridge last week – Michael Carrick and Giggs started – United dominated midfield, as Ferguson’s side had done in the Premier League encounter for 45 minutes.
The change might mean leaving Torres on the bench – a decision that might not go down well with owner Abramovich. However, Ancelotti can boast a fully-fit squad, with Yossi Benayoun and Alex returning to the side at the weekend. The Brazilian may start with fellow countryman David Luiz not eligible for the tie.
And Chelsea will have no fears at Old Trafford adds Ferguson, with familiarity an advantage non-domestic teams that normally visit Manchester on big these European nights.
“A British team coming here is different to a European team,” the Scot admitted.
“Although Juventus and Milan, over the years, have played here a few times. For Chelsea, they are here every year. There’s a familiarity with the stadium, the size of the pitch, the conditions of the pitch. All these things are in their favour compared with other European teams.”
It’s an advantage Ferguson hopes will not be significant with United looking for the draw or better than will secure passage through to the Champions League semi-final for the third time in the past four years. Indeed, with Schalke the likely opponents in the next round both teams will have one eye on a final. It would be United’s third since 2008. An obsession you might say.
Opposition
Chelsea – 433 – Cech; Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Essien, Lampard; Anleka, Drogba, Malouda. Subs from: Turnbull, Benayoun, Mikel, Malouda, Ferreira, Kalou, Anelka, Bosingwa, Zhirkov, Torres.
United
United – 433 – van der Sar; Rafael, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra; Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Park, Rooney; Hernandez. Subs from: Kuszczak, Owen, Scholes, Berbatov, Bébé, Fabio, Park, Obertan, Smalling, Gibson, Tunnicliffe, Morrison, NaniKing, Anderson.
Officials
Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco (ESP)
Assistant referees: Fermin Martinez Ibanez, Juan Carlos Yuste Jiménez
Additional assistant referees: Fernando Teixeira Vitienes, Carlos Clos Gómez
Fourth official: David Fernández Borbalán (ESP)
Form
United – WWWWWW
Chelsea – WDWDLW
brilliant can’t wait!
hows that for form too, that loss to wolves was a while ago now
I’m quietly confident about tonight. Not going to get carried away because a 1-goal advantage is way too slender to count for much, so there’s a lot to do, but it would take an awful performance or some very shitty luck for United not to progress (both of which came in the second half during the league game at Stamford Bridge). I’m torn over Torres though, on the one hand he’s clearly of more detriment than help to Chelsea’s momentum at the moment, but there’s always the concern that the goals are going to come for him sooner or later, and that first goal could give him the confidence to really turn in a good performance, which in itself is always a worry considering how many times he’s had the better of Vidic in recent years. I still think United will win tonight though, not at a canter by any stretch of the imagination, but another 1-0 would do very nicely (although I’d prefer a 2-0 win to ease the tension).
I have a feeling that Rio will be immense tonight. Just got the gut feeling that he’ll overshadow even Vidic. Fort Trafford.
Hope I’m right!
Well, well… what a surprise… United in for honours at the business end of the season, and Czuk makes an appearance…
I guess it’s clever logic, having a team in both halves of the draw, eh?
You are the football fan equivalent of a flea…
Anyway enough time wasted on this fickle, glory hunting cunt.
Tonights game… can’t wait… Rooney will be like a pitbull on a short lead… Fergie just needs to turn him loose… hope he doesn’t fuck him about on the left. Rio and Vidic together… defence should be solid… Fergie just needs to get the central midfield right, and we’ll do these cunts good and proper…
2-0
“Badges, to god-damned hell with badges! We have no badges. In fact, we don’t need badges. I don’t have to show you any stinking badges, you god-damned cabrón and ching’ tu madre! Come out from that shit-hole of yours. I have to speak to you.”
I have a feeling they will score 2 away goals and go through
FFS Sid… you need to get more sun.
1:1
Who the fook are you? ffs
Glory Huntingrugbyandyachtinggayboy?
Alf mate, you know they’re gonna score, then its advantage them
We’ll need 3 or 4
sar
oshea rio vida evra
carrick giggs
valencia nani
rooney
mexico
VDS
Valencia Rio Vidic Evra
Nani Carrick Fletcher Park
Giggs
Rooney
Barthez
Milne McQueen Prunier Irwin
Klebs Robbo Coppell
Veron
Forlan Dwight
Both sides will be looking for an early goal. If we score first, I hope we don’t end up in a situation where we become all cautious the longer the game goes on. 2 United goals should hopefully kill the tie.
Dead in here, FFS.
I hope we score first, don’t want to have to sit on the edge of the seat.
The big question is whether we should put three in midfield. Probably not, since Fergie didn’t do that at the Bridge, and at home we tend to play with 2 forwards. Will he just do the same formation again, only with O’Shea subbing for the injured Rafael?
If Evra’s in better form, that will be a huge plus. Otherwise they’re going to target him all night long.
Rumours that Drogba is on the bench.
Massive call by Ancelotti, if true.
He puts him on the bench because by the time United’s defenders tire, Ancelotti will put him on to harry them.
Why advantage them?
We’ve already scored at their shithole… advantage us.
And on OUR patch, we WILL score… then they need 2.
Ferguson will play from the off with caution, and with Rio and Vidic, we’ve got a strong and organised base to work from… our midfield might be shit, but in this case it’s not so important because we don’t have to be too clever anyway… just keep composed and hit them on the break.
I fancy us to score more than one, as they have to chase…
The Renties just aren’t that good anymore, and Torres has been a hinderance not a help… a player or two and they could be a force again next year, but for this year, they’re spent.
“Badges, to god-damned hell with badges! We have no badges. In fact, we don’t need badges. I don’t have to show you any stinking badges, you god-damned cabrón and ching’ tu madre! Come out from that shit-hole of yours. I have to speak to you.”
Van der Sar, O’Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Park, Carrick, Giggs, Nani, Rooney, Hernandez
no valencia is a tad weird..
^^^^
is that the confirmed line up or what u’d like to see starting….?
That’s official
Cech, Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Essien, Lampard, Anelka, Torres, Malouda
perfect team for them..
i see no dogbreath starting
At work till,8.39, ffs, come on united, we can do this, I think 2-1 united.
working til 8.39….do u get paid by the minute mad red?
I hate the dogbreath nearly as bad as the bindipper ( I shag my team mates wifes) Gerrard cunt
LKHF
Ober-Faffer
MUFC: THE RELIGION
who’d he shag?
Attack Attack and the Rentboys will fall.
anyone else a tad nervous?
shitting it
a simple yes/no would suffice
Nerves?..ffs
fookin wimps….. we will get the first goal and then sit back and let em come at us….like last week.
I’m a little nervous about this game. Far too much has been made about tranny boy Torres not yet scoring for the chavs. Have a sick feeling he’s going to break that duck tonight.
It’s all right we’ll contain them
OT crowd will need to play its part tonite
yeah Torres might score because records are there to be broken..
But i feel we’ll deter them.
need to start with a quick tempo
slowing it down will not suit us
fuck is ths
the team he’d love to bang
come on reds
7 shits in 32 hours…my guts are churning…getting nervous……ffs
I feel your pain!! Hate the big games, sad it’s that way isn’t it!!
Goodness me!! Am so nervous it is unreal….
Keep Calm and Paul Scholes.
Terry and Alex is a juicy target…
Terry is succeptable to pace, and Alex has been out a long time.
link?
O’Shea you dummy, why not just lump it into the box?
No fierce Chelsea start as of yet
Fuck… very pro Chelsea commentary.
Rio in trouble.
Rio fucked!! going to be one of those nights? FUCK OFF RIO you’re getting worse than Saha
any links please guys?
Come on we need to get a fucking early goal FFS
Fucking hell they’re going to score first!!
Rooney’s feeling cocky again… bout fuckin time.
http://www.streamhub.tv/ch/V4.php
o shea ffs
Was that Cole swearing at the ref?
Really worried when I saw O’shea’s name on the team sheet
cole shou;d be off then?
nervy
cant keep the ball for long enough
They’re going to target O’Shea now… and I can see him picking up a second yellow.
thanks alf
rent boys bringing the game to united
fuck them on the counter
i won’t be able to take it if we get knocked out by this scum
They’re getting TOO much fucking space!!!!
how is rio doing?
Sitting back aren’t we?
Rio’s run it off… thank fuck.
How shit are we at corners FFS!!!
no fucking way! Offside my arse
unlucky sweet pea
jaysus my streams keep going to shite
robbed
Offside my arse.
we can score against these cocks
come on reds
Park and O’Shea on the right side
The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits…..
OK I think that we’ve done more than enough soaking up the pressure now, time to fucking grab this match by the scruff of the neck… brilliant VDS!
fuckinell, saved by VDS
ffs vidic
VDS… what a champ.
We’re going to get done here unless we wake the FUCK UP!! I’m turning over in a minute!!
i bought a VDS t-shirt for my missus
nani u nonce
pass the ball u cunt
Now, Ivanovic does a Nani 😉
Extra large?
Nah, XL is for condoms
How the hell does the ref blow up against Park in that situation, it’s so fucking obvious Cashley was pulling him back.
Not at OT, Pub, or Home… anybody got a good link for it in the browser? Usual suspects pretty shit… aaaaargh!! (thanks in advance)
any attacking move involving O’shea just goes to shit
Nani… why oh why?
Fuckin frustrating cock!
O’Shea must NOT start the second half or else we will finish with ten men.
My stream is from the American channel “Fox Soccer Network”. They occasionally plaster in big fucking letters across the screen “You are watching UEFA champions league”. Thanks for reminding me, ffs.
sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet peaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
fuckin get in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FUUUUUUCCCCKKKKKKK YEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
YYYEEEEEAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
nice play by Giggs and O’Shea there.
tes yes yes…. makes no real diff tho
It was a clever little ball that set Giggs one his way Cal… typical innit?
Perfect timing innit
O’Shea’s a decent attacker. It helps that he’s played with us for so long that he just knows where people are going to be.
Cunts are targeting Chico, and the cunt scores
Fucking chuffed
he should have put us up ages ago….robbed that time not this time
He still needs to go off. Chelsea will target him in that second half. Get Wes on and let him crack a few bones.
Chelsea are rattled
Few bookings, crowding the ref, lots of bitching
Going to plan so far
We ended that half really fucking strongly. We’ve also got Scholes and Valencia on the bench if we want to change it up, but Ancelotti’s options don’t look as good. Drog for Torres maybe, but that doesn’t really change things all that much for them.
It does though Tel… one goal from them is not enough… no chance of penalties.
They need 2 goals… end of, and they’ll have to take chances to get them… I can see us hitting them on the counter…
Perfect timing… we’re going in with our tails up… they’re going in to dwell on a very big task.
We just need 15/20 minutes of composure…
FFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Let’s get another early second half goal and put this game to bed!!
I can see Chelski scoring next…… then a 90 Min goal by them that would be our luck
if only that linesman had some sense, we’d be stuffing Chelsea after the break
rent boys have 3 yellows
have to be careful as this ref likes to dish out the cards
dogbreath warming up at h/t
hope rio has shaken off that injury he had at the start of the 1st half
I can’t believe the Chelsea bias on the TV. Ray Wilkins should be ashamed of himself totally. What a bald prick!!!
We’re going to have to withstand a lot of pressure during the second half….
might turn over!!
fuck off and go make love to betsy
MAKE LOVE?
baaaaaaaaaaaah
fuckin bollox
that h/t break went by quick
Ask your Mrs for your bollocks back!! “make love” ffs
Racist??
nope
sheepist
drog in the thick of it already
riooooooo
cant afford to sit back for the next 40 mins
attack the rent boys
really short break, was it 15 minutes? =)
it was bang on 15 mins
Luckily Vida’s usually been good at containing Drogba in the past.
Excellent retention… just what we want…
Wouldn’t mind seeing us put on Valencia for Park. Park hasn’t been bad, but Valencia would really put them under pressure on the right the way Nani has on the left.
Speaking about obsession.. Hopefully Mexicans are not obsessed with Madrid.
didnt Lampard get a yellow for that?
They can feel it slipping away… another goal and they’ll fold.
stick valencia and berbs on
we are so poor at corners these days its incredible
ooooohh
how the fuck Giggs
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh… Giggsy… that would have been great.
Ramires off!
keep it tight.. we are almost there now
Man if Giggs would have done better with that simple chance it would have been game over
evening everyone, just got in, keep it up united,
Nani you fuckin cunt… instead of waving imaginary cards around, start thinking about passing the fuckin ball.
Need O’Shea off. We must not go a man down. PLEASE.
their prolly quickest player off
shit shit shit
fucking joke
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NO!!!!!!!
yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssssssssssssss
yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
yessssssssssssss
nah, just what time i am due off my bus, in garage. wish i was paid by the minute
Fuck…
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MYYYYYYYYYYYYYY… stick that in your fucking pipe Roman, you cunt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PARK YOU BEAUTY
the speed of that reaction- hope they are truly demoralised
How’s that for a comeback? Level for barely a minute! That’s surely gotta knock the stuffing out of them once and for all.
HAPPY HAPPY!!!
WAS FUMING WHEN THEY SCORED!!
focus lads
keep it tight
park you hero.
Hopefully Mancini is frightened like crap
Im starting to believe
stick berbs on now please
just hold the ball up for the last 8 minutes
Hi Han, nearly there.
Let’s just see this out please!!!!
hi mad red
another few minutes to go
I bet you say that to him every night!
Clench Han I’m nearly there
park couldnt have scored at a better time.
lol.always room for you brian.
Rooneys taking the piss
stick to betsy brian
i think madred predicted the score
hmmm
can we celebrate yet?
yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
we can now.
What a relief!! Am so pleased. Congrats all.
lol
result
fantastic performance over the 2 legs
Congratulations folks.
Bring on Shalke?
And.. are there any songs about Park?
Giggs is AMAZING.
we did so well over two legs. fantastic.
there is one involving a furry friend…….
we showed we are the best over the 2 legs.. it was pretty easy really
we were the best in each of the two legs as well
not too bad for a shit team
Amazing fucking win
Beaten the cunts home & away
Far and above the expectations I had for this team what with the shit midfield and everything
Who knows what we can do from now
dont forget lads..our midfield is shit…
When did Carrick turn WORLD CLASS?!!
i cant agree with it being easy
tbh rent boys had enough chances at their place to get a draw
however until they went down to 10 men, they looked pretty flat and devoid of any real ideas
dogbreath changed the tempo for them but torres looks a shadow of an attacker – i actually did feel sorry for him for a split second – still we did enough and if giggs had scored with that chance in the 2nd half mid way it would have been less nail biting towards the end
bring on schalke/inter
furry friend – labrador? lol
Do we have to play them again in 2 weeks?
hope rio is going to be ok for the city game
yeain a few weeks. good to have that over them. liverpool will get a result against arsenal before that anyway
makes me feel sick to the bottom of my stomach wanting the scouse shits to beat anyone – still needs must as they say in brian’s parlour
thing is…..i’d rest rio against citeh…theres more important games for him like arse, chelsea and the semi of the champions league…tbf Saturday is only a massive game in reputation only, but there are bigger prizes at stake
Our Park was on fire
ancelotti for the chop?
i kind of agree cap’n but just imagine preserving that 34 years banner at the stretty end by kicking their arses on saturday….
for my money Saturday is the massive game of the bloody season.
a must-win game; i’d given the league to Arsenal for that.
And Carrick is shit too
yeah, but i’d rather have 19 titles and 4 european cups than not lose that banner, just to get one over on citeh….
you sir are a fool
hmmmmmm
ffs let citeh have their cup final if it means we get 19
and lets face it, they’ll fuck it up at wembley in the final….
tbf yes
cock whip him for that
not a chance…he’s not worth a slap of my cock
Good result, both for the Champions League progression and the psychological advantage to United. That’s now 7 wins in a row since that minor blip against Chelsea and Liverpool, best run of form all season, and we still should have another level in us should we find ourselves up against it any time soon.
I’ve gotta ask though, what the hell was going on with the ref’s whistle at the end? I was listening to the game on the radio, and it sounded like the commentators, the players on the pitch and even the fans all thought he’d blown for full-time when he was just giving United a free-kick in van der Sar’s penalty box, and then blew for full-time seconds later anyway. All seems a bit daft.
carrick played a blinder both legs
So what are we going to write on Stretford End if Citeh sneak a win?
A ’19 and counting’?
who fucking cares, and does it really matter??
Carrick was sensational both games. The player I believe he really is.
yes it matters.
For under 10 million, we can buy world class players.
Hernandez cost just 6 million and he is already a superstar. We just need some decent scouts. Once Arsenal fire Arsene Wenger, we can hire him as a scout.
Ancelotti is a goner also. Great win today folks.
Man.City can forget about winning any trophies.
Mancini will be fired by Monday morning. United have given these managers nightmares.
lol
just seen this on the gruniad ffs
the FA are a bunch of whoring arse muching cock sucking pricks
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/oct/23/chelsea-manchesterunited?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487
Where’s my post gone?
Anyway, Park was MOM in my humble opinion. There were plenty of excellent performances out there, though.
I honestly don’t think that was Ancelottis fault.
I don’t think he wanted Torres in the first place, and I don’t think he’d have picked Torres to start tonight.
He’s a class manager, who knows what he’s doing…
You’re about to play the most important game of your season, away from home, a goal down… do you pick the “new guy”, who’s struggling terribly for form, and can’t score?
Or the tried and trusted war horse, that’s consistantly been the best player in the club for the past few years?
It’s a no-brainer… and I can’t see Ancelotti making such a daft decision, just on a whim… I think Abramovich is playing manager again…
I like Ancelotti, he seems to me, a man of principal and class… I reckon he’ll honour his job, and his players and finish the season, but after that, I predict he’ll tell the mad Cossack to stick his job up his arse.
Not for me… Rooney was incredible… I really think he’s got Ferguson thinking about making him a midfielder… he seems to love it there… he sees plenty of the ball without having to hunt for it, he gets to use his full range of passing, he gets to indulge himself… and tonight was the first time in a long time, that he was actually taking the piss… really enjoying himself.
Put a couple of excellent strikers in front of him, and we’ve got our replacement for Paul Scholes… with the bonus, that he can actually tackle.
The whole team were men of the match all deserve credit.
aye he seems to be a decent guy but working for that russian gonad is always going to be hard – still don’t know why they got rid of ray wilkins last year and replaced him with a yankee who appears to know fuck all about the game
still, i reckon gonad face is gonna give him the shove pretty soon
who is ur doctor?
ffs u are in need of some strong medication – remember the 8 mil spent on bebe?
and if u think arse wenger will ever want to scout for us you are surely beyond help
The 8 million on Bebe was wasted money. Who the hell scouted Bebe? You missed the point! Wenger has an eye for finding world class young talent. How many world class players have we produced from our football academy in the last few years? Arsenal have the best group of youngsters assembled in the premier division. And how much did they pay for each player? We need scouts that have an eye for exceptional young talent, then there will be no need to spend millions on players that are more interested in the money then playing for United. We will have our young stars already in the academy in preparation for the premier team. SCOUTS baby, find me some decent scouts.
giggs = utter fucking legend. how that man still has to physical and mental strength to do this shit absolutely boggles me. i’ve been thinking that he should retire for about 3 seasons now but his game changing magic moments are something few players in the world can produce.
park, rooney, carrick and vidic were great, as was chicharito. the kid was born to score goals. his movement is astonishing.
i agree with alf – i don’t think ancelotti wants torres, abrahmovic must be playing manager again. drogba is a fucking beast, terrorises defences single handedly.
Giggs, Carrick, and VDS were the real standout performers for me over the two legs. VDS had some brilliant saves in the first match, and did great work here today too — notably the tackle on Anelka. Giggs and Carrick were two men outplaying three men, nuff said.
Roo, Park, Rio, Hernandez — all did really well too. The only players you could criticise at all really are Evra and O’Shea, and I can forgive Evra because we run him into the ground, and O’Shea did alright, great pass to Giggs for the goal too.
Park Man of the Match for me. Giggs, Man of the Quarterfinal Tie.
Park just ran, ran, ran, ran, and ran some more. Unbelievable. I don’t think he’ll be able to play on Saturday.
To be fair, I don’t think Mourinho wanted Shevchenko either! This is Abramovich’s team we’re talking about, he’s not exactly got a precedent for rational behaviour when it comes to sacking managers, has he? It’s a shame for Ancelotti, who does seem like a genuine guy, but Abramovich only has himself to blame for Chelsea’s constant ups and downs, if he’d stuck with Mourinho from the off and hadn’t interfered with the transfers and team selections I really believe he may have made a legacy there, and perhaps it might not have been us lifting the Champions League trophy in 2008. I do find it genuinely astonishing just how blind he can be to how much he is harming his own team, but it works out well for us I guess!
Agree with Alf and Spud. It is so clear Ancelotti doesn’t want Torres and yet is effectively forced to play him. Drogba terrorised us for the half he was on.
Overall we were more than value for the win. United were simply better and more committed than Chelsea. Park, Carrick, Rio, Giggs, Chicha were all outstanding and I wouldn’t like to even try and pick out a MotM because the whole team were good. Rooney for me showed his true class and what he is able to do when his head is in the game. He was a beast last night, his movement and passing were terrific and between him, Giggs and Carrick, they controlled the game when we needed to.
For them, Ramires looks like a real find and will come good like Essien. Torres looked so off again. I’m struggling to see him as the player I am sure we all know he can be and where his form is gonig to come from.
When they come to OT next before the end of the season, there’s no way I’d play Torres. Put Drogba out on Evra again and watch him run rampant. Something we need to think about for the next Premier League game against them – my feeling is Park will be in there again and helping Evra out specifically with that threat.
Too much is being made of Drogba’s inclusion
Even if he’d started, they wouldn’t have won over 2 legs
Every single one of their players was average, and they had no belief or spirit or desire, especially in last nights match. They didn’t harass or harry or commit enough players forward quickly enough.
Their mission was simple; attack like fuck. I thought they would be revved up from kick off. But then I thought that in the second half of the first leg, and fuck all happened.
Where the fuck was Lampard? Cole, Malouda, Kalou, Anelka, Ramires etc. boring substitutions in a boring fucking formation
Ray Wilkins said it in the studio last night that carlo wanted Torres. That he went for him in the summer and got knocked back by Liverpool. So, that Sheva scenario does not apply here.
Drogba’s goal last night was only his second at Old Trafford and his third overall against United in all competition. So his exclusion from the start is grossly overrated. He never gets any change out of Vida hence his playing on Evra in both matches.
Torres would have been awesome with United… the perfect partner for Rooney… that’s his problem, he NEEDS a complimentary partner… Drogba is a rival for the same spot, not a partner… and he needs better service than he’s been getting as well… Lampard has been shit this year, and he’s their main play maker… The Renties have too many hammers and not enough scalpels.
Ahead of Rooney, with Scholes spraying balls around, Torres would have scored for fun.
I expect Abramovich to stick with him… Drogba will leave, and if the cossack gets Neymar, or similar, Torres will come good again.
“Badges, to god-damned hell with badges! We have no badges. In fact, we don’t need badges. I don’t have to show you any stinking badges, you god-damned cabrón and ching’ tu madre! Come out from that shit-hole of yours. I have to speak to you.”
Completely agree. I think Paddy Crerand was saying something similar (or it might have been on Sunday Supplement) where they said the same thing. That’s the difference between United and Chelsea. We have centre forwards who have different capabilities and whose strengths complement their strike partners.
You have someone like Hernandez plays off the shoulder of the last defender and is a no nonsense goalscorer who stretches defences with his pace. We have other players like Berbatov and Rooney who can play just behind him and score goals themselves or make something happen for their partner.
At Chelsea, they have the same sort of centre forwards making the same sorts of runs into the box. Drogba is probably their most intelligent forward.
Wilkins would say that though, wouldn’t he! Sounds like he’s just toeing the party line.
United Rant’s original returning eternal optimist!
Hate that shittinwankrentboydogsbreathcheatindiving!ididnowrongunsportsmanlikebastard of a cumstain.
The Bindippers would have been the perfect “club” for him.
what? as opposed to winning the league or in europe…fuck that, it’s merely a distraction from the main prize imo….again, i would love to win it, but if it means city winning a trophy at our expense, but we win the league and europe i’d fucking take that any day of the week.
only a knob would suggest otherwise tbf
I don’t see why we can’t put City out of the cup without it detrimenting the rest of our season, after their poor showing against Liverpool on Monday, United would have to be on pretty poor form to succumb to them, and I don’t see it happening.
> only a knob would suggest otherwise tbf
You are over-pragmatic.
Of course Citeh are going to win smth once upon a time.. but i am taking a more romantic approach to the fixture.
No way are they going to win it over us.
You look at Ed’s predictions at the beginning of the season. I think in September everyone was contented with an odd cup.
Now we are all getting greedy, eh?
We still may end up with nothing, mind you.
So, let’s turn it to 36. It’s fun.
I hope yellow cards don’t screw us in the Champions League. We’ve got O’Shea, Evra, Vidic, VDS, and Hernandez on yellows so far in the elimination round. Vida and Evra in particular need to avoid picking up yellows against Schalke (or do it in the first match!)
Let’s hope we win pretty comfortably in the 1st leg, get the above players rested for the second leg.
Edit – Does anyone know if there has been a change in the rules so that yellow cards are wiped out at the semi-final stage?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but players only get a one-match ban for collecting 3 yellow cards during the course of the competition, and none of our players have been booked more than once in Europe this season, so those who have been booked already would have to pick up bookings in both legs against Shalke to miss the final.
tbf ffs…since when is Cap ever fair?
Stop shitty winning is a priority for me… if SAF gets it right (without Rooney
) then I’d say fook the CL, fookin Barca ( or Schalke before them) will maul us anyway. 
Well put spike.
What’s the problem?
Without Tevez, city aren’t that good, and United are rabid right now.
We can cope without Rooney, rest Rio, and still take them apart.
I’m feeling pretty good about this game… don’t bring me down , ya miserable twats.
Agreed Alf. There is absolutely no reason we should go into a semi-final against City with anything but absolute victory in mind, especially with the circumstances. Dzeko hasn’t clicked yet, Balotelli can’t be fucked, Tevez is injured, and we’re on hot form. Even without Rooney we should be able to tear them apart, just stick Berbatov and Chicharito up front and let them run wild.
Have a gut feeling those words of yours will come back to haunt you Alf/Spud…If Dzeko gets his arse in shift then it will be a hard fought win for Utd.
ffs you cunts, i want us to win, but its the least cunting important
knob jockies
City will be hell bent to win it.
Tevez or not.
Agree with Spike regarding Dzeko.
Silva is a terrific player. Proved it at OT.
The only City player who made any sort of impact was Shaun Wright Phillips when he came on in the second half.
City are there for the taking for sure.
they have a good squad and its still 11 v 11, tough game, it will be in the balance
Listen, right, fucking hell… to win the European Cup we’re probably gonna have to beat Barcelona which is very unlikely.
So the FA Cup and Premier League represent our most realistic opportunity of winning some silverware, which given the state of the team this season season is pretty fucking good going.
So we’d better take the game against City seriously – especially after beating Liverpool & Arsenal.