Manchester United can stretch a lead at the head of the Premier League to five points with victory over Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Monday night. With Manchester City’s drawing at home to Sunderland on Saturday, Sir Alex Ferguson’s men begin the fixture with the advantage now firmly with the Reds in the Premier League title race. Indeed, United faces two pivotal, and potentially title-winning, fixtures in the next week after City dropped points at Eastland. Should the Reds beat Blackburn, and then Queens Park Rangers next weekend, Ferguson’s men will be eight points clear before Roberto Mancini’s men play again.
No wonder Ferguson focused on praising United’s nerve this week, with City seemingly coming apart at the seams over the past two months. Mancini’s almost permanently pained expression says much, while Blues Mario Ballotelli and Robert Kolarov came to blows in City’s weekend draw.
Yet, with United travelling to a ground where the Reds have not always enjoyed success, Ferguson knows that United’s advantage is based on the slimmest of foundations until converted into points. The Scot’s side has won just once at Ewood Park in the past four visits, ensuring few Reds will count the points won and advantage sealed just yet.
“Hopefully we can remain there but we also know that football can turn on you and bite you,” said Sir Alex.
“We have a small advantage, it’s not a great advantage; it can be changed in one game. We just have to take each game as it comes along, it’s the only thing we can do. Once the Fulham game was over the focus was on Monday night [at Blackburn] and after that it’s the game against Queens Park Rangers. That’s the way we need to handle it.”
Ferguson’s relaxed press conference this week offered a stark contrast to Eastlands where Mancini’s stress levels are palpable. Little wonder given the relative experience of the Premier League title run-in, and his players’ propensity to self destruct. That Mancini is increasingly calling out Carlos Tevez as a potential title-winner is, perhaps, the kind of “desperation” Ferguson again talked about this week.
“You get nerves. You are in a football job and it’s your life and there is anxiety but not to the point that you get desperate. We lost the league in 1992 with four games in six days and to see your lead evaporate like that – it felt like it had disappeared within seconds.
“There could be a shock around the corner now, you never know. We have done well in terms of getting into the position we are and now it is a case of playing our game and keeping our nerve. That is why I was so concerned in the last 15 minutes of the Fulham game when we kept giving the ball away.”
Meanwhile, Ferguson will choose between Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernández in attack, with the Mancunian youngster under pressure after a poor performance against Martin Jol’s Cottagers last Monday. Phil Jones and Chris Smalling are both available, but Nani is unlikely to return with the Portuguese still suffering from an ankle injury. However, Rio Ferdinand will start despite being withdrawn after 60 minutes on Monday night.
And United’s collective fitness is in sharp relief to the reverse fixture with Blackburn this season, when Kean’s men won 3-2 at Old Trafford in what still amounts to the biggest Premier League shock this season. That defeat came amid the most devastating injury crisis in Ferguson’s 25 year reign at Old Trafford.
Yet, after three draws in the past four years at Ewood United players cannot count on the three points won already, not least with that Blackburn defeat still fresh in the mind.
“It’s always been a tough place to go for us,” Giggs told ManUtd.com.
“It’s like a mini-local derby. We always take good numbers there but that just seems to lift the Blackburn fans, who are always up for it. On a few occasions down the years we’ve not played very well there and we’ve had one or two players sent off at Ewood Park as well. It’s just been a tricky place to go, although we do have good memories of going there from last season when we won the league at Blackburn.”
Meanwhile, Blackburn manager Steve Kean, who has led his team to 10 points from the past six games, could again be without defender Gael Givet. The Frenchman’s hamstring problem is yet to heal, meaning Kean could name an unchanged side for the fourth fixture in succession.
It is a remarkable turnaround by Blackburn, with Kean’s side bottom before the win at Old Trafford and the Scot under fan and media pressure. Now clear of the relegation zone, Kean’s men not only have designs on staying up, but securing an unlikely double over United in the Premier League.
But in Wayne Rooney, who has scored 31 goals in all competitions for club and country this season, Ferguson retains the Premier League’s most in-form striker. Little more than a year ago Rooney had been caught paying a prostitute for sex, and had blackmailed the club into offering a lucrative new contract. Now, Ferguson believes the striker’s goals and new-found maturity will fire United to a 20th domestic title in little more than six week’s time.
“You always see a maturity about players when they reach their mid-20s,” says Ferguson of Rooney, who is now 26.
“Along with their ability comes the thought patterns and timing. They are more in control of themselves in terms of what they are capable of doing. He could get to 40 goals. He has eight matches left, he can average a goal a game; you’d take that, wouldn’t you? We would reasonably expect eight more goals. Would he get footballer of the year? Well, you have to say that Van Persie has had an exceptional season.”
Eight goals would take Rooney to 39 for club and country, but whose counting if those strikes secure United the title?Increasingly in the driving seat, United will surely be desperate to ram home the advantage at Ewood. It is a venue where happy memories reside from last season’s title-winning draw. Travelling Reds will hope for a repeat experience.
Match details
Blackburn Rovers versus Manchester United, Premier League, Ewood Park, 2 April 2012, 8pm.
Potential Line-ups
Blackburn (4-4-2): Robinson; Mn Olsson, Dann, Hanley, Formica; Pedersen, Nzonzi, Ms Olsson, Lowe; Hoilett, Yakubu. Subs from: Bunn, Orr, Dunn, Petrovic, Vukcevic, Modeste, Goodwillie.
United (4-4-1-1): de Gea; Rafael, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra; Valencia, Scholes, Carrick, Young; Rooney; Hernández. Subs from: Amos, Fabio, Smalling, Jones, Giggs, Park, Cleverley, Pogba, Welbeck, Berbatov.
Match Stats
- Blackburn face Premier League leaders, Manchester United, this weekend coming off the back of a defeat to local rivals Bolton Wanderers last weekend;
- Of the top 10 goalscorers this season, Ayegbeni Yakubu has the best shots-to-goals ratio in the EA Premier League Sports Index. Yakubu has racked up 14 goals from 30 shots, which is an impressive 46.6 per cen strike rate;
- In Blackburn’s last game Morten Gamst Pedersen covered more ground than any other player on the pitch, clocking up 6.7 miles. In 25 appearances this season the Norwegian averages 6.5 miles per game;
- Only Norwich City has made more clearances than Blackburn this season, with Rovers making 335 clearances to date;
- Meanwhile, United’s Patrice Evra has averaged 5.5 miles per game in his 29 appearances for United this season, making him United’s top runner with 161.16 miles in total;
- Wayne Rooney poked home from Jonny Evans’ pass last weekend – Rooney has now scored 21 Premier League goals this season from 71 shots at goal, giving Rooney a conversion rate of 29.1 per cent;
- United has the best shooting accuracy of any team in the Index, with 63.7 per cent of the Reds’ shots hitting the target. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side also has the best shots-to-goals ratio of any team in the league, with a goal every 6.24 shots.
Form
Blackburn: WLDWWL
United: WLWLWW
Officials
Referee: Howard Webb (Rotherham)
Assistants: S Bennett, M Mullarkey
Fourth Official: M Atkinson
It’s a simple case of showing up… if we play well, we’ll win…
But one of our clumsy efforts, and we’ll get nothing.
Potential blue-baller this one. Hate playing away at Ewood ever since Big Sam left…
Hopefully there will be a reaction to last weeks performance.
p.s If we smash Blackburn we could be on our way to a record goals tally this season. Impressive considering we have been mediocre for half of it.
It’d be naive to assume a win, but given the difference in quality between the teams, and the opportunity that City’s faltering has given us, it’d be a huge disappointment if we finished the game with anything less. I’m well aware we have a poor record at Ewood Park in recent years, but it’s about time that was addressed.
United Rant’s original returning eternal optimist!
The away form is stunning, but I think we’ll draw because they’re cunts
this is a game that berbs needs to start or at least come on as a sub
we saw the panic last week in the latter stages against fulham
come on SAF, put the bulgarian on
starting with sweet pea is a no no
everyone in the media is writing us off tomorrow
fuck them
blackburn need to attack and will try and test de gea with their set pieces and high balls but the lad has been pretty top notch since december and will cope
another performance from tony vee will help but rooney really needs to be better than his last game which was pretty poor
Yeah they are… but I’d rather them do that than talk us up like they did against Fulham. Plus they have a point – we have been shite against Blackburn in recent seasons.
Agree about Chicha too. Wouldn’t mind seeing Rooney/Welbeck/Berba on the pitch together.
Berbatov won’t start another game for United, unless there’s an injury, or if we already have the league won.
Yeah it’s too late to turn to Berba now. What kind of motivation would he have? We’ve burned our bridges there. I’m not saying he wouldn’t try to be professional, but at this stage of the season you need the players to be really motivated to get you over the finish line.
Anyway, I reckon we’ll do Blackburn quite handily, I’ve got a good feeling. I suspect Fergie might name a dodgy looking tinkerman line-up that actually cruises to victory. I said Sunderland would beat or at least draw against City, so I’m on a roll with my predictions!
Why is Fergie’s record there so shite
2 wins in 11 visits to Ewood
they will raise their game cos it’s united who have come to town – as most teams try and do
so no surprise there
that yakubu looks a handful even when he is not playing well
it’ll be a long evening if our defenders aren’t at their best – so less attacking wing play from evra or raphael would be handy
“so less attacking wing play from evra or raphael would be handy”
And I thought I was the optimistic one.
Everyone has a bogey team. Look at City’s record against Everton!
If Berbatov does get to play, he will deliver the goods because deep down he would really like to finish his career with Man United. He still has lots to offer but can’t do nothing sitting on the bench every week.
http://m.guardian.co.uk/ms/p/gnm/op/sCZQM5dP8XvMPSkOd_cicLg/view.m?id=15&gid=football/2012/apr/01/roberto-mancini-manchester-city-title&cat=sport
(not sure whether the link will work, it’s from the mobile site)
Clearly an attempt to psyche out united over the next two games. Still, it’s pretty startling to hear mankini actually admit that they’ve pretty much bottled it and that the blame lies with someone that isn’t Balotelli, even acknowledging he himself is to blame.
The article then goes on to say how he thinks we’re gonna draw at Blackburn – even so, we’ll be six ahead when they go to the Emirates, and there’s every chance they could lose that game. Squeaky bum time, indeed!
On the subject of berba, I really would like to see him play for us again but it’s hard to fathom a situation where he would at this stage. Especially with Owen coming back (typed with a hearty roll of the eyes).
we are man united, we do what we want
Herbie’s view please
Bogey team or not, we are just too good for these clowns.
Bastard Rovers 1-3 United
This will be a real test. Sadly, their fans aren’t being a set of treacherous window lickin’ good types and might even get behind their team / mgr because it’s United, which can only make things tougher. Kean at least has their players bought into him, and they took all three at OT earlier this season which was a dumper of a result. I seriously fear they’ll be well up for this today.
If the crowd was wound up and shouting abuse again at their players and manager, then we might expect an easier time.
We need all the players to show up. They’ve had the weekend off to relax and get away from football. They need to re-focus today and put in a huge shift to get a good result. It is imperative with City imploding a little at the minute and pointing the finger at the guy who cracked in a belter at the weekend to get their heads back up, that we turn the screw as it shows they’re beginning to feel the pressure.
Maybe. But Blackburn are actually slipping back down the table now after a brief purple patch.
If we get an early goal and dominate possession the crowd will be quiet I reckon.
Bitters are finished, and it’s Mancinis fault.
He’s handled the last 4 weeks all wrong…
And I’ll bet the owners will see it that way as well… he’ll be replaced in the summer… and depending who comes in, could set them back another year.
Ferguson will have their heads right, and like you said, the lads are well rested and fresh.
I’m expecting United to stamp down a marker, and give Rovers a hiding.
After tonight, all the press will be reporting – “title over, Ferguson puts another one in his place”…
It won’t really be over of course, but Mancini might as well concede, after his latest man-management masterstroke… what a turnip.
“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.”
Precisely that, DeadRevel. If we can get an early goal it’ll quieten the place down, maybe get some dissent in their heads again, and knock the wind out of the players.
Blackburn will come out all blood, spit, and thunder I reckon. If we can shut that down, we *should* be ok, providing all the players don’t start daydreaming again like against Fulham. Day dreaming / karking it.
i’m shitting bricks about this one, just don’t like it. we’re definitely the better team, just hope it shows over the course of the match, not like the last game.
fucking hell
24 replies pre match and it’s not even 6pm
looks like rant is also up for the game
Blackburn are well rough. Play someone ruff like Pogba and this game is won before the start.Simples[supposedly]
I’m looking forward to this one… ultimately it won’t settle anything, but after City crapped themselves on Saturday, this’ll be a great chance to rub their noses in it… and that’s what Fergie will be saying as well.
Give Blackburn a mauling, while the Bitters look on… it will put an end to any fight they’ve got left, and Arsenal will finish them off at weekend.
fucking hells bells alf
what you taking and please may i have some of that in a jar
I hate playing these cunts away!!! I have a bad feeling!
Worst part of the season for us pussys this is!!
but you always have a bad feeling
stop letting uncle play with you that will help
Bemused by the line up. Who’s playing wide left – Evra?? Or it 4-3-3?
Team: De Gea, Rafael, Evans, Rio, Evra, Jones, Carrick, Scholes, Valencia, Rooney, Hernandez
no berba in the subs
hmmmmmmmmmmm
i’m guessing he has done something so grotesque in his past year that he will never play in a united shirt again
and with all that fannying around in the last 15 minutes against fulham, he would be the ideal player to keep the ball for you instead of passing it to the opposition
Yeah, and he got the two goals back against Blackburn at Old Trafford. He also scored 7 against them last season. Madness really. SAF clearly holds grudges to the detriment of the team.
just seen sweet pea as a starter
another hmmmmmmmmmmmm moment for me
jones will be winging it for sure
Hernandez good for counter attacking and nicking a goal against quality opposition. So he will probably be useless tonight. Game for Berba for sure. And Cleverley. And Welbeck.
Predictable team sheet then ffs.
so we do agree on something
i think it’ll be a 4-3-3 with jones, carrick and scholes in midfield. looks blunt to be honest. hernandez won’t be creating anything by himself, so it’ll be down to rooney, valencia, and jones’s runs from midfield to create stuff.
maybe jones has been asked to mark the yak – that fucker can run our central defence ragged with his physicality if he’s on form.
First part of my prediction has come true anyway, although I thought we’d see Park start, not Jones in midfield. Rooney must be out on the left in a 4-3-3?
Come on United, need the 3 points.
hi mad red
you couldn’t have put it any better
except when don’t we need the 3 points?
I can see us dropping points tonight.
I’m really surprised to see Jones given a go in central midfield again so soon. He could have a future there, but he needs much more training in the position.
note to sheesh
speak to alf and ask him to send some of his stuff in a jar
Hi Han, true, tonight really is big,a win would be a massive result.
cleverley injured again? not even on the bench – then again, nor is berbs who even a blind drunk can see him doing a job tonight against these
FFS… I thought Indians were a positive lot.
Burn some incense to Shiva and quit whinging!!!
i really do hope its not a case of feed the yak, and he will score…much prefer the older saying of feed the yak and he’ll get fat…
i heard that the apache and the mohicans are, but as for the rest of them…who knows
It’s on Bloodzeed, but it’s taking a long time to load.
positive thoughts people.
Going to miss the game at this rate. Been on hold to Admiral Insurance for 35 minutes. CUNTS.
Their offices had better not be closed and someone forgot to turn the answer machine on
try the AA
they have gone to watch the match.
Vipstand usually tends to my streaming needs
Come on lads get it done
Gotta love how the stream struggles to run… until the advert starts… then it runs like a telly.
according to radio 5, this is the 26th time united are playing on a monday and have remained unbeaten – hmmmmmmm
don’t think thats true
Come on United.
Yeah and also your love of cock!!
Longest pre game bullshit parade I’ve see for a while. Had it on mute tho so there could be a reasonable explanation
ffs
i wait an hour for a return riposte and all i get is that
FFS. What a joke.
We’re looking lively so far.
Wonderful pass, not surprisingly Hernandez shanks it.
What a fuckin ball from Rooney… and Chico fucked it up.
Can’t get a stream yet
Who is on the left?
Looks like only Evra so far.
Well Rooney’s doing a bit of an Ashely Young-type role it looks like, drifting in from the left. But in practice, it looks like he’s going to be central most of the time.
We’re going to thrash them, even Carrick’s coming in and belting at goal already.
Goal coming…
Dominating. Need a goal to show for it.
Got a stream now
Rooney popping up on the left too
Berba would have scored at least twice already if he was playing.
Possession good. Cutting edge…not quite yet
rooney playing wide so thats what is lacking in terms of cutting edge
It’s all going down the right
Valencia is ‘aving it, but it’s a bit predictable
The away fans are class
The ‘always the victims’ chant is going to be a regular
Feels like an away match in Europe the way we’re set up
final ball is bollox
we will score.
We’re lacking a final ball at the moment . If we get it going we’ll beat these!!
Given our dominance, if Berba was playing the match would be won already.
ffs
de gea proving his worth
possession is a load of shit if we aren’t going to score with it
they have had shit all of the ball and yet our keeper has had to do all the work
come on sort it out
It says it all that we’ve had 70% of the ball and yet De Gea has been the busier keeper.
Blackburns game plan is spot on. We have no penetration through their mass of defenders. As the game wears on, we will get more frustrated, Rooney will pick up a booking or worse and they’ll nick a win. I can see it now.
Part of me feels Fergie would take a draw tonight given the line-up and tactics. Nice passing but no real urgency.
Yup, De Gea has had to do a lot more than their keeper. Hernandez is useless, and Rooney is stuck too far away from the danger zone. Hernandez off, shove Rooney up in their faces, put Young on the left. Maybe put Giggs on for Jones in the attacking midfield role. Jones is up for it, but Giggs has more class and creativity to make something happen.
Webb is pissing me off… hope he doesn’t fuck us over with a shit decision.
Not convinced by the formation
Id take Jones off and play Young
if nothing else, the last 5 minutes may bring blackburn out to play and we can then hit them on the break instead of trying to break them down for the best part of 40 mins
No need to panic… we’re playing well without taking any needless chances.
Rovers only had a bit of pressure at the end, because Webb gave them a free kick where they shouldn’t have had one, and then didn’t blow when Evra was fouled…
Blackburn is defending well, but threatening little… Ferguson will call for patience, and the goal will come… if it comes early, we might get a few.
Nah… Rovers have parked the bus, and stuck to their task… Baldie will ask more of the same… I agree with Bernie though… take off Chico for Young.
Chicharito will score…
We’re going to be punished for our final 3rd shitness!
bring on giggs and welbeck now
Scholes rightly telling Webb to fuck off
He won the ball
fucking cocks
what the fuck happened to us this half
playing like cunts
Well… Hernandez did a job for us tonight.
Just not a very good one.
Come on you arse bandits
Enough bottom fiddling
We are playing as if we are chicken kormas FFS get the fucking vindaloos out and burn their anal passages
I’ve no idea what that means, but I agree with the sentiment.
Come on FFS let’s make Robinson work!
Aye, this is the kind of match where a trademark Young curler could open the floodgates.
We’ve dominated but only one team looks like scoring first!
I fucking hope Blackburn get relegated this season.
NAPALM THE CUNTZ
give us a goal united
I thought modern football was supposed to be all about possession
FFS we’ve had no free kick threat at all since Ronaldo left.
Cant recall seeing anyone try and beat a man
what is young doing on the bench still?
Fuck sake evra SHOOOOT
Keep the ball fucktardz
Berba would have scored a shed load in this match. This is so fucking ridiculous.
Stunning tackle, Rio
Blackburn are small time cunts! if they tried this hard every week they’d be mid table!
Come on Young you cunt!
Fergie you twat get young on. We need some pace to break the dead lock.
tonyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
YYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO YOURSELF TONY VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
Now hold out you cunts!!!!!!!!!!
yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss tony v.
Valencia u legend
VAAAALLLLLLLL
Tony’s practically the only player we’ve got with any fucking bollocks
He’s in some fucking form, Valerie
Class hit, just has a punt, boosh
Ha Ha see Fergie…. looked like he was going to drop ‘ worldclass’ Danny then!!
Welbeck u twat, dont showboat at 1-0 up
Fergie going mental screaming ‘keep the fucking ball’
See it out you bastards!
YYYYEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YOUNG!
I FUCKING TOLD YOU! YOUNGGGGGGGGG!
youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuungggggggggggggggggggggggggggg
YES
CUNTS, SOMEONE
You fucknuggets keep the ball
Great finish!!
Tony V has been immense!!
Fuckin typical… my stream turned to shit… and we score.
Was it good?
GGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
EYE OF THE TIGER
FFS dont let Pederson go on his left ffs
fantastic.
Young’s celebration
The new players have the hunger
“City’s cracking up”
Think its City, or Mancini?
1 more to eliminate City’s GD advantage….
Loving some of these chants
Mankini has just shat it
massive result.
They’re singin ‘city’s crackin up Sid. Maybe with a few mancinis thrown in
One more for the GD!
20,000 empty seats
And this is how it feels to be City
Fans doing their bit taking the piss
Fairplay Welbeck is shite.
Night lads! great win!
Rim you later!
Number 20 in the bag
Get the fuck in
fuck city
but that was fucking arse wrenching for 80 minutes
fair do’s though, we did enough in the end and have de gea to thank for those superb stops
make sure you brush your teeth before you touch my arse
fair dos now Arsenal do us a favour
beat qpr on sunday and city will be fucked before they kick a ball
I’ve got the anusol on the piles tonight. Be gentle and make sure you shave your tache.
thats not his tache that tickles – it’s his dick
Now for Game of Thrones
When am I not gentle my flower pot of the East!
please.
stress for 81 minutes, then joy.
Don’t need a wank tonight, shot my load when tony v scored.
Did Han pork ja botty
fuck me, i was tearing my hair out till the 1st goal. there was no real threat till then except getting the ball to valencia. anyway, he’s becoming fucking immense, i have a lot of man love for valencia.
That result was a bit harsh on Blackburn but, sod it, we won. Stunning goals.
I too have gentlemans relish on my iPad
RACIST NAZI CUNT
watch it danni
he’ll coat his tongue with tabasco
very much so, a real pleasure tonight.
I’m getting tired of his sly comments. He thinks they are funny but they are not. He ruins every thread.
we’re finally looking like the real deal. 66% possession in a premiership is Barcelona-esque.
Beautifully executed plan in terms of taking points from a slippery away tie
You going for a big dump.?
Fucking hell.
Probably the best we could have hoped for. 2-0 at Ewood Park and did it late to completely soul-fuck the City cunts.
Have to burn my pants after that though.
Great result, but halfway thru the second half we’d only had two shots on target, not good enough, and frankly Hernandez was shite and should be used as an impact sub at best, or sold to fund buying a quality striker.
DeGea was superb.
sweet pea has been pretty woeful whenever he starts not just tonight
he is the classic super sub in the ole mould – studying the pace of the game from the bench and then coming on and grabbing a goal is what he is brilliant at
and he has been injured/burnt out last year so whilst he hasn’t lit up the games he has played in, he has some time to learn
shame about berbs though
when saf was slating welbeck off, i couldn’t help thinking that the 1 player who can take the pressure off the team in this situation would have been the bulgarian
still, no matter how much i want him to play, it’s not going to happen
Abso-fucking-lutely.
Plus Welbeck doesn’t seem the ‘super sub’ type so there is little argument against Berba’s inclusion tonight.
Ah well, we won. So I suppose we have to bow to Fergie’s stubborn wisdom.
I wouldn’t jump to conclusions on Hernandez and his performance tonight. Such a compact set up just didn’t suit him. They closed play down well and out numbered us in the final third. They did it so well I don’t think Scholes even got one shot off from outside the box even though he had all that possession. With all that Hernandez nearly got the opener. The thing that lets him down in games like that is his ability to hold the ball up. SOmetimes he does it well sometimes he doesn’t.
De Gea was class tonight with 3 big saves
At the final whistle Eric Steele ran over to him on the pitch and gave him a massive hug
all in all a brilliant day and the icing on the cake is….
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17583592
please stay king kenny
and a proper match day rant thread as well
none of the shitty sub 100 posts as has been the case this season on several occasions
note to dead revel
please use quote to show which post you are commenting on – thanks
note to han – that’s what the ‘reply’ button is for – so you don’t have to quote. Unless you have wank formatting, my comment should be indented beneath yours.
Scouse cunts http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/apr/02/twitter-abuse-james-perch-investigated?newsfeed=true
and this too…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/apr/02/fan-charged-liverpool-manchester-united?intcmp=239
I’d have taken a draw tonight. Thought Blackburn played well, sat very deep very compact. Very difficult to turn and get behind the back 4. IF we do win this title, bear in mind this is a squad in transition with lots of new and young inexperienced players at times looking very accomplished in tight nervy fixtures. Would be a serious achievement to look back on if it happens. People keep talking about it being a matter of time before city take the title. I wouldn’t be that confident if I was a city fan. United may add to this side, Chelsea may go on another spending spree? Looking at city’s remaining fixtures I’m seeing more and more dropped points. In fact they may struggle to win another away game. city are not a shit team nor a shit squad, they don’t have shit players. But what they are is a shit football club and long may it continue…
it isn’t hence why i posted the note
note to self
stop downloading that porn coz it fucks up the computer
City youth player (and United fan) cheers on United via Twitter
http://sportwitness.ning.com/forum/topics/manchester-city-youth-player-spends-evening-backing-manchester-un
and thats why someone like the berb should be at least on the bench
that twatter doesn’t half cause problems for its users
Looks to me, Berbatov is history! Never been impressed with Welbeck but Iam impressed with young Matts Daehli.
Guess we will always be good enough to win the English league but just not good enough to win the Champions league, unless we get rid of those GLAZERS.
That’s it, talk about Berbatov after an epic result like that.
Btw, did anybody else see Welbeck get the hairdryer treatment from Fergie for giving the ball away. Fergie was raging.
Now LFC are ( hopefully ) well off the pace for a top 4 spot, wouldn’t we trade one of their league defeats for one in the Cup semi or final ? Ain’t goona happen unfortunately…
Anyway, I think we’ll be OK after last night, City have to come at us on 30 Apr. Gain two points on them in the meantime and we can clinch it there.
what about the time before those when he played at blackburn and cost us the league
han needs to get over it, its pathetic
Well why would you concentrate on something that happened 2 years ago?
Typical anti-Berb propaganda.
Oh and saying he cost us the league is the only pathetic comment on here. I seem to remember him creating a great opening for Valencia, who fucked it up. Something tells me you’re not still whinging about Valencia though.
Utterly pant-shatteringly brilliant night, which was difficult and required real patience, concentration and focus from the players.
Jones and Hernandez had terrible nights, but I don’t think it was their game. Jones did a job in the first half working hard and helping us to retain possession, which was why Blackburn looked dead on their feet after 70 minutes. Hernandez also kept their defenders moving and busy most of the night. I doubt the intention was to use the two of them to exhaust Blackburn but that’s what they did – Carrick and Scholesy very rarely had to break into sprints.
Tony V remains an utter beast, if only he could use his left foot but holy monkey-biscuits what a right foot he has. There’s no way that was “50/50”, the way he has hit that suggests to me there’s all intent there. If that’s the confidence he has at the minute, he will be our most important player on the rest of the run-in.
I thought every one else was largely superb. Rooney was something of a let down, but he’s being asked to “do a job” in games at the minute. Against QPR I imagine he’ll be let properly off the leash. Young’s goal was very well taken. Evans and Rio has immense games, and how Evra manages to bomb up and down that flank all night I will never know. The guy desperately needs a rest, but he was good again and kept their flank pressed back.
DDG – EPIC.
That is all.
well its relevant because since then he hadnt been trust in this run in or the last one no matter how many hattricks he scores against riff raff on sunny days in october
eh? he had a poor game, but so did everyone else. they showed the highlights of this 0-0 before the game last night. berba played in tony v for a one-on-one, which he missed. that was the only really clear chance. berba had a decent volley brilliantly blocked by jones and g nev missed a chance on his left foot. harldy culpable for the title. i’d say it had more to do with United failing to turn up at home against chelsea and losing.
not trusted in the run-in last year? i seem to remember important goals and performances against bolton and fulham.
there’s enough evidence to highlight berba’s ineffectiveness and fergie’s lack of confidence in him, without having to make stuff up.
unclekiddlyfiddler, do you still not rate tony v too?
Well said. I doubt bad uncle will listen to such a well-reasoned argument though.
I don’t like the abuse Berbatov gets from some either… but you can’t deny the point Knobby is making.
Ferguson has completely lost faith in Berbatov… and it’s not like Berbatov stirs shit in the press, or has spat his dummy… at least not that we know… it can only be for football reasons, that Ferguson has decided Berbatov doesn’t fit his plans…
And anyone saying that Berbatov would have scored for fun last night is full of shit… that’s just speculation, and you could just as easily claim that his slower style of play would have suited Blackburn even better… and cost us the game.
“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.”
No it’s definitely pure footballing reasons that has seen Berba sidelined. Although I think lately Fergie doesn’t even bother putting him on the bench because things have got to the point that he knows the player wouldn’t be very motivated even when called on (though I think he’d try to be a professional), and he doesn’t want to rely on him at all because he knows he’s not the future of the team, so it’s better to get the likes of Hernandez and Welbeck used to relying on themselves.
But I do think Berba would have been ideal for the Blackburn game. Obviously it’s speculation, but the reality is that he’s a very high quality finisher and creator in a packed penalty box. In games when we dominate possession, it highlights all his qualities and masks his deficiencies. He’s no use if we’ve a real battle on our hands, but in games like that we can afford the “luxury” of Berba. It’s not like Hernandez did anything useful anyway, so it could hardly have been worse to have Berba on instead.
But it really looks to me like we need a top quality striker if we’re going to continue to play Rooney in the more withdrawn, creative role. A club like ours deserves a player of the quality of Benzema, Llorente, or Cavani up top. Imagine what a player like that would have done against Blackburn.
aye but uncle won’t slap hernandez down will he? sweet pea has had a mare of a season considering what we expected of him, but doubt our resident galway is going to slate him or welbeck for that matter
yes berba cost a fortune but putting him on the bench for the best part of this season doesn’t make any sense especially when you need some experienced forward to hold the ball up as you did against fulham and yesterday after we had scored
sad way to treat a quality player who would have wiped out city’s goal difference in the past 2 games singlehandedly – as uncle always maintains, he can do it against the riff raff so why not give him the chance?
“as uncle always maintains, he can do it against the riff raff so why not give him the chance?”
(quoted for your pleasure)
Yeah that was probably the most moronic thing in his comment. Admits he is likely to score lots of goals against teams like Blackburn then refuses to accept he would have played well last night. Sigh.
No we don’t know if Berba would have been successful. All I know is that pace was rarely effective last night. Blackburn were camped in their own box, and we needed a playmaker in an advanced position – I just think Berba fits the bill perfectly.
In the end it doesn’t matter, we won, with a Fergie favourite in Valencia. No complaints from me about that.
bman I doubt an out and out striker would have done much IMO. We needed midfield guile and pace not a forward. I still think we could forget buying yet another striker – having 4 strikers a la 1999 is redundant now. Just ensure we get the right midfielder, whatever the price.
Knobby doesn’t rate Hernandez… neither do I for that matter… and I don’t much rate Welbeck either.
In fact… aside from our defence, keeper, and Rooney… there isn’t a player on our team I’d keep.
Valencia, Carrick, and Young would make fine squaddies… but I’d gladly ship out the rest.
Thank god you’re not the manager.
I don’t like all this presumptuous talk in the media that the league is all but won. We’re massive favourites but we still need to make sure we win the next 4 fixtures.
I’m a bit worried about complacency creeping in, especially given the teams we’ve got left to play.
Wigan away could be a banana skin if we’re not careful.
Oh ffs, Sheeshy…
Om Nama Shivaya… Shivaya Nama Om…
Honestly if Arsenal had kept up form they would have pushed City for 2nd come the end of the season. The momentum is gone from City, I don’t see them winning all their remaining games while United have looked fresher in recent months.
I said after the Chelsea game in September United would win the league by ten points and I feel it will be around that.
Oh no… do I ever feel put in my place now.
Sorry mate, didn’t want to insult you or anything. It’s just that you’re a fucking idiot.
You’d sell Nani, Cleverley Pogba, Welbeck and Hernandez. You wouldn’t give a starting 11 place to Carrick or Valencia.
Therefore you’re an idiot. I’m sure some other Ranters will vouch for my logic here.
Of that five, Nani or Carrick are the ones I’d get rid of if I had to. I think Pogba will buckle down all the more now Morrison’s been given the boot.
Three of those are good but not great players (Nani, Tony V, Carrick), three are young lads with potential that may or may not make it (Cleverly, Pogba, Welbeck), and one is a not-so-young lad who looks like being squaddie quality only (Hernandez). Only a few would have a chance at starting regularly at the sorts of teams we’re supposed to measure ourselves against.
Agreed – plus young as a squaddie is also insane.
Get some perspective ffs
We are by far the best team in the epl and the gap between real and barca plus the rest is too large plus FIFA bums them too much. Take out real and barca and we by and large measure up even taking into account the shit euro campaign – look at the last five years not six months
Can’t really argue with that… made a casual, sweeping statement… now look a bit foolish…
Still don’t rate Hernandez though.
I don’t think you can say we measure up to the top teams in most other European leagues, our form in Europe this season proves that — we were outdone again and again by mediocre teams. The likes of Bayern would have slaughtered us. Yeah we’re great over the past five years, but you can’t pretend that we haven’t said goodbye to some of the best players in the world: Ronaldo, VDS, Tevez (before he started slacking off). Other top players such as Vida, Rio, Scholes, and Giggs aren’t as good as they were (possibly Vida if not crocked). So it’s just an objective fact that this current team is not as good as we were several seasons ago.
The plus side is that it’s definitely a “transition” team, even if Fergie doesn’t like to think that way, because he demands results all the same. Things change quickly with young lads, so it’s quite possible that even without buying any new players, we’d be much better next season. Lads like De Gea, Cleverly, the various young defenders, Pogba and Welbeck might all play better than they currently do, but they might also “click” as a team better. There’s a lot to be positive about looking forward.
Nevertheless, I still think we are one or two superstar-level players short of strutting our stuff on Europe again.
alright lets get it right with berbatov
times hes proven useful:
at ot
against midtable-relegation opposition
when the rest of the team are doing ok-flying
when we play 442
he has 9 times out of ten needed all of these to put in an acceptable performance
times he is useless:
against any top draw opposition
against any opposition that are bang up for it and havent shat emself
any away games
when hes the lone striker
his time at utd backs this up, therefore theres no business for anyone having wanted him to be involved against blackburn, who were up for it, we were away, we were playing 451 so he wouldve had to be the lone striker, and it was must win, so no faffing
taggart got it spot on leaving him out on monday, we battered blackburn, hes got it spot on leaving him out of the run in as he did last season except when he wanted to rest rooney against the likes of shaclke and fulham and blackpool (all games that gibson also played in ffs)and hes got it spot on fucking him off, albeit later than he shouldve
hernandez is laughably bad, even his finishing aint much cop at the minute, and hes a fucking cunt when it comes to beating an offside trap
based on your latest comments, i can only assume you have shoved your head up your avatars arse