2011 Fifa Awards

Man Utd Bounce Back Against Wolves

**So this post is a few days old, just never got around to
posting it**

Man United bounced back from dropping points in the EPL and being knocked out of the Champions League by beating Wolverhampton 4-1. United had dropped points to Newcastle a few weeks ago and then was hit with knockout from the Champions League by not being able to beat FC Basel. There was a lot of concern on their future if they continued like this. The Manchurian tide was sky blue.

United's top player Wayne Rooney and Nani were out of form, until Saturday that is. Both Rooney and Nani scored two goals each. Is United back in top form? They were playing great in the beginning of the season so it might just have been a fluke. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger seems to believe that;

"You want to play in the Champions League but the risk is that you have to go out at some stage. You have to deal with the disappointment, that’s part of being a big club. “Let’s not forget that Manchester United have played in three finals out of the last four, so for them we have to consider it (exit) as an accident."

I personally think it’s great that he is looking out for other English clubs even if they might have a rivalry in the EPL. What do y’all think about Man Utd right now? Do they have an honest chance of winning anything this season or will Man City shatter those dreams?

-JoeyB

Man Utd Sign Two New Players:

Earlier this month, Phil Jones agreed to move to United also on a five-year contract from Blackburn Rovers. The 19-year-old is an English defender who does play some midfield. Once signed, Rooney made sure he welcomed the fellow Englishman by saying;

Gary Neville: A True Red

Gary Neville’s Testimonial match took place this evening, where Old Trafford welcomed the Class of ’92 with some returning stars including David Beckham, Phil Neville and Nicky Butt. Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes also joined the Reds’ captain. They played Juventus who brought out a familiar Alessandro Del Piero.

Double Post: England bleeds the colors of Manchester. Red and Blue

**I didn't realize this didn't post the other day when I emailed it, so sorry for the inconvenience.

This is a double post for a few reasons, first of all because posting two separate post at once is pointless. Also because they happened on the same day and that it is a few days late. But at the same time, I'm going to actually split up this post into two, because I don't want to pass up these headline opportunities, rather than giving it one main title.

Manchester United knock Liverpool off their perch:


Manchester United took the last necessary point out of their match against Blackpool yesterday, sealing their 19th EPL title. United already had a 6 point lead on chelsea with the blues having only two games left, the total points they could get was 6. Rooney scored the EPL winning penalty after Chicharito was taken down in the box. The game ended 1-1 but it was enough to clinch the title. The Red Devils are now the most successful club in English History. Liverpool still remain the most successful English team in European history but United are slowly chipping away at that as well. They are in the Champions League final on May 28th, whereas Liverpool seem to enjoy the Europa League. United didn't lift the trophy just yet, it will most likely be after the final game this weekend.

Manchester City crack open the trophy cabinet:

That's right, after 34 years without a single piece of silverware, Man City decided to play like a team with millions of dollars behind. They beat stoke 1-0. Tevez did lift the trophy, but there is news stating he might be leaving the club this season. His claims are that it isn't about the money rather it being that the distance he is from his family isn't making England an enjoyable stay for the Argentine. Although it is uncertain where he would go. Whether Tevez does leave or not, the 2011 FA Cup is staying with Man City.

-JoeyB

time to party

A fun back and forth game at Stamford Bridge in London ended wonderfully as Chelsea beat Manchester United 2-1.

photo courtesy: Tom Jenkins/the Guardian

The Long Awaited Clash: Manchester United v Chelsea

You might have read our posts on the Manchester United and Chelsea clash a few months ago, but probably just like us, you were shocked when it was postponed due to weather conditions. Well the game will take place tomorrow and we will have the chance to see the league leaders against last year’s defending champs.

Photo Courtesy: DoneDeal.com

Is the old Rooney back?

Photo Courtesy: OverOll.com

Goal of the Year? Manchester Derby

The Manchester Derby was one of the best match ups this season. United getting back from their first loss of the season against Wolverhampton, they had to prove themselves. City has been looking to close in on United all season, but couldn’t pull them back in it.

Giggs Wins the award for the Greatest United Player

After six weeks of voting and thousands of submissions, United fans have crowned Ryan Giggs the club’s greatest ever player, topping a poll held by the club’s official magazine, Inside United, and ManUtd.com.

Giggs– already the most decorated player with the most appearances in the United's history – took yet another accolade by a healthy margin, confirming the esteem in which he is held by Reds fans young and old.

Second place in the poll went to Eric Cantona, who fractionally edged George Best into third position.

Welsh winger Giggs was typically magnanimous when he found out he’d won. “When I got told I was really chuffed,” he said.

“I couldn’t believe it to be honest, especially when you look at the list of other players who are up there.”

5 Point Difference: United and Arsenal Each Take a Win

Wayne Rooney waited a month to do what he did on New Year’s Day. He scored against Aston Villa today in the first minute, when goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar booted the ball across the length of the field to Rooney. He took two touches and blasted it past Brad Friedel, Aston Villa’s oldest player ever. After such an early goal, United played very calmly without any hesitation. Aston Villa on the other hand couldn’t seem to hold on to the ball and even when they did, United just picked up the pace and took it back. Ryan Giggs and Nani were controlling the game, making the plays and holding the ball. With only one minute left in regulation time of the first half, Nani send in a prefect cross across the goal to give Rooney an easy tap in and give him his second goal of the game.

Photoshopped by: Kevin Tedesco

100 Minutes of Glory: Manchester United v. Blackpool

Manchester United faced one of their toughest opponents of the season yesterday, and surprisingly it was Blackpool. Blackpool have had a great season for a team who has just been promoted from the championship. I'm going to start off by saying; Ryan Giggs should have been in the starting line-up. He has been playing phenomenally for the past few games and with an undefeated record that United have, they must play the best possible line up at all times. On the other hand, every player needs to get their rest, and Ryan has been playing a lot since Valencia is out with an broken leg.

Score board Courtesy: Fox Soccer Channel

Manchester United v Tottenham: Full Analysis

I know this should have posted a few days ago, but I have been busy with studying for midterms in school. Despite the fact, I didn’t want to skip over this post, because I had been looking forward to the game so much. It was a rough start for United, because as the pass backwards from the kick was immediately intercepted be Gareth Bale, whose run down the field almost lead to a goal. For the first few minutes, it was attack after attack by Tottenham. United slowly took over the attacking position. Soon enough, it was United who was taking shot after shot, but they still didn’t have the cutting edge to score through. Although Totenham didn’t have enough to break through United’s defense, it was because of United’s constant fouls committed on the Spurs. Van Der Vaart had plenty of opportunities to score from a set piece, but with Van Der Sar in goal, returning from the flu, there was no getting past him. He had no trouble with any of the set pieces. After the first half, United just focused on defending which was a good tactic considering they want to stay undefeated. Tottenham, being a team who focuses a lot on attacking, having the two wingers, two forwards, two attacking mids, and two wing backs, leaving just the two center defense and goalie, just couldn’t break through. All in all, the two teams were pretty equal.

Looking at United’s main defensive players, they were a mess. Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, all experienced players, did not play up to par and for Rafael, the Right Wing Back, getting a red card wasn’t in the best intentions for United either. The first yellow card he got was undoubtedly a yellow, but the second was debatable, but either way, he got it and United needed to make up for it. Wayne Rooney kicked his defensive skills into high gear and took over Rafael’s position. Vidic was alright, but he didn’t seem as experienced because he would rather just kick the ball out of bounds rather than passing it up field. As for the midfield, Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher were decent in midfield, but they weren’t as effective as they normally are. Edwin Van Der Sar had a huge effect on United’s tie. If it wasn’t for him, there would have definitely been a goal for the spurs. Nani on the left wing had some nice plays but was subbed off in the 62nd minute for Anderson. Ryan Giggs on the other hand played his 600th club game, and played phenomenally. He continues to surprise everyone who has been watching United in their past few games. When Rooney took over the defensive position, Giggs took up a forward position as well as the wing position. I think Giggs was United’s best player on the field because he also had to defend against Lennon. Looking at United’s forwards, Rooney, played a great first half as a forward, but broke down in the beginning of the second, but when he had to play defense, he played well. Berbatov on the other hand, didn’t play a good game at all. It seemed like he was one step behind of the play every time he had someone pass to him. Tottenham could easily pick off the ball every time. He was subbed off in the 79th minute for Chicharito, who played a decent match, but to be honest, I expected more attacking opportunities from him.

When you look at Tottenham’s team, there wasn’t a player who I thought didn’t play well. Goal keeper Heurelho Gomes played a great game. I caught myself yelling at my TV every time he snagged the ball from United’s forwards. Hutton and Dawson were great, and it was hard for United to get through their defensive wall. Gallas and Assou-Ekotto made some great runs forward. Especially Assou-Ekotto, he gave Rafeal lots of trouble, which ended with Rafael’s sending off. Midfielders Lennon, Modric and Bale all had an awesome game. They had great passing with each other and set up great opportunities for the forwards. Modric was the center of the passing, controlling a lot of the attacking opportunities. Bale was the main crossing player. I have noticed that Lennon has trouble crossing. He does occasionally, but would rather try to get around the defender and give a short and low pass. This didn’t work that well for him this game, but he still held the ball well against Giggs and Evra. In my opinion, Palacios didn’t play that well because he didn’t seem to cause us that much trouble. He didn’t make many mistakes so it wasn’t the fact that he didn’t play well, it just wasn’t threatening. Peter Crouch was another average player against United. He didn’t any threatening opportunities in front of the goal. The Spur’s other forward, Van Der Vaart, was a huge threat against United. Not so much with the free kicks, but definitely with open play shots. All in all, Tottenham should have been the better team, with one extra player and attacking most of the game, but they couldn’t shut down and in the end it only got them one point.

I think Ferguson planned for just one point by defending because he knows how much of a threat Tottenham are this season. He didn’t want to expose their defense by focusing on attacking, instead he was okay with taking a tie, and I think in United’s position it was a smart move. They are two games behind and tied with title contenders and rivals Manchester City and they are unbeaten this season. It was definitely a smart move. Redknapp was also smart about setting up his team against United by telling the team to focus on attacking. He knew United don’t want to lose a game, so they would normally go up against title contenders, trying to tie, rather than go for the win. Even though United managed a tie against the Spurs, Redknapp doesn’t think this unbeaten streak will go on for long.

“I couldn’t say they (United) are on another level and are going to walk away with the title. I can’t see them going to year unbeaten. There are lots of teams who could beat them on any given day.”

“You can’t be as good a team as you were a year or two ago when you had (Cristiano) Ronaldo and (Carlos) Tevez. I think other teams have improved and gotten closer to them, but at the moment they are still top of the pile after losing players like that” (SingTel BPL for Blackberry)

Redknapp makes a good point about losing Tevez and Ronaldo, but I don’t agree with the statement that teams have gotten better. Besides Tottenham, there aren’t really any new title contenders. Liverpool have not been up to par, and really have looked like an average EPL team this season. Chelsea started of strong, but for some reason, they aren’t playing to their full potential. Man City are still a work in progress, definitely a threat, but still not the best, losing some easy games. Arsenal is a defiantly a team to watch out for, but we beat them earlier this season. I think it is possible for United to go unbeaten, but only if they start to play with some more threatening tactics by passing a lot more, but cut the sloppy passes that they have been known for in the past few games. If they get their act together not only could they go undefeated, but they could also win a lot more than just settling for a tie. Right winger, Valencia will be back soon and hopefully he will add a great attacking factor to the team that they seem to have lost.

Check out the full highlights here:


How do you think United will finish the season?
-JoeyB

Wayne Rooney’s New Year’s Resolution

Wayne Rooney started off the New Year with a game against West Bromwich Albion and scoring within the first few minutes of the game. This was the first goal of 2011 in the English Premier League. Rooney receive a cross from Evra which he then turned into a header with little power but lots of placement. Rooney’s last open-play goal had been in March of last year and it’s about time that’s changed.

Towards the end of the game, Rooney was victim to a tackle that ended up injuring his ankle. This is not the first time his ankle has been a problem for him, in fact it been a major problem several times. Hopefully the recovery will be quick because if Rooney continues to play as well as he did on New Year’s Day, it will definitely make up for the time lost between March of 2010 and now.

Man Utd. went on to win this game with a winning goal from Javier "Chicarito" Hernandez. United remain undefeated and at the top of the table.

(January 1, 2011 - Photo By: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images Sport)

Please Comment!

-JoeyB