Title hangover continues, also covering week 36 updates

          If you were expecting a game review here, I am sorry to disappoint you guys because it will be a 3rd review of games against Chelsea in my 9th post. Having said that, I should not have waited till the game to write this as I am still hurting from the way we lost the game to the blues. I don’t give a shite if we have won the league and the team just needs to go through the motions. When we play the big 4 it is always an important game and let me tell you how I get these losses out of my system. Play the victors in FIFA PC game and hammer them in the professional level for a minimum of 3 games. Of course it doesn’t make any difference to the outside world, but that is how I make peace with the result.

          Alright, let us look at the news for the week since the last post. To start with the game at Emirates – everybody showed a generous dose of hangover from a weeklong partying. I can live with it for the guys had delivered the Holy Grail for the season. However it was a marked improvement in the second half when the lads put the gunners to their places though the finishing in the last third was left wanting. As mentioned earlier, I would have loved to see us win against Arsenal but had to contend with a point. A special mention here about RVP who kept his cool in the charged up atmosphere to slot in the penalty past the gunner’s custodian.

          On the personnel front, did anybody miss Cleverley? I sure did, that lad sure has talent and with a bit of application can nail down a permanent CM position. But what goes through Sir Alex’s mind is impossible to decipher. The Basingstoke born lad had been a revelation in the first half of the season and was the first name in the team sheet when on international duty. So why he has been MIA is beyond me. Now that the league is all wrapped up, it would be nice to see the kid play again. He did play today’s game but I still wanted to write on his absence as this had been nagging me the whole week. Probably you can choose to assume this post was written before today’s game. :P

          Along with the quarterly revenue announcements midweek shared by Ed Woodward who is set to take over from David Gill as Fergie’s boss, he spoke about how the team doesn’t need retooling citing the depth the squad has. Guess he is trying to set the tone of his regime or the anti-united would like to believe that the picture is not going to be rosy with the manager as it had been in the last 26 years. pooh pooh. Fergie’s sentiments echoed the same even if he dropped a hint on possibility of couple of marquee signings. This has been a change from his earlier days when the transfer targets were secretly guarded. Robert Lewandowski? Radamel Falcao? CR7?

Sir Alex with the outgoing Chief Executive David Gill

         Another news that popped up last week was that of the op that the gaffer had to undergo before the next season starts. I guess the timing coincides with the community shield against City and he may miss the season opener. However, the op being scheduled after the pre-season tour and not immediately after this season gets over suggests it may not be a major surgery. I am not sure if his age of 71 should be factored into despite his boyish enthusiasm when I opine on the severity. As expected, his retirement was brought in to discussion again with Jurgen Klopp being mooted as a replacement. Though the German is a good tactician, I sincerely hope our good old Scot continues to oversee many more triumphs.

        Van Persie knows how to win the fans over. (Has he not already at Manchester?) Since the Bulgarian Berbatov’s departure last season the no 9 has not been allocated to anybody. Does his role fit the jersey #, of course yes. But he has chosen not to switch from his #20 because the fans will have to fork out extra quids. Wow! And he gets to enjoy another year with the title #20. The little boy in him should have advised him on the jersey number. Since we are on this topic, let me get something else out. Valencia deserved to wear 7 after last season’s performance. Editing this season’s highlights for United, he may resemble a shadow of himself and to think of the legends who have donned the jersey – Best, Robson, Cantona, Beckham and Ronaldo oh my god.

Making Busquets proud?

       Though I decided not to write a review of the game against Chelsea, let us glance over some salient points of note. The team line up screamed only one message – give a run in for players with less time on pitch so far. Despite this, the team boasted of RVP, Jones and Rafael who have been standout this season for the team. I started writing this post immediately after the game and I was boiling at how the game ended. I so hoped for us to do the double on the blues shite but they trumped us clearly a CL spot being a motivation. We were so lacking on that, lads didn’t know what they were playing for except probably Jones who does wear his heart on his sleeve. I agree with the gaffer that he is destined for greatness at Old Trafford. To make matters worse, Rafael went bonkers revealing his petulant side in fouling David Luiz to see a red. He may have deserved the card, but to see that twat laughing at the sidelines feigning injury, I wish Rafael caused him serious injury. Let me stop now as I may tip over thinking about the game again and again. It is time to kick Rafa’s arse in my FIFA game - AGAIN.

Until next week.....

Domestic double up in flames

                The mood is distressful having watched United bow out of FA yet again, losing to Chelsea in a QF replay. To catch this game Live, I had taken the post lunch session off from work. In retrospect, I feel I could have been at work after all L. Now I pull myself to whip up a post after disappointing my blog’s solitary follower by not sharing my views on the Sunderland game.

                Now enough of prattling, let us look at the first surprise for the game – Wayne Rooney not to be seen in the matchday squad, 2 games in a row. However, the fears were allayed ironically with news on groin injury that was picked up while at Internationals. The second surprise was watching Jones taking the centre midfield when he was expected to fill for Rafael and compounded by Valencia deployed at RB, Nani in the right (this is not a surprise) and Cleverley starting on the left wing (this clearly is).

                The Chelsea supporters for a change, instead of booing at Rafa, booed Ferdinand every time he touched the ball. It took some time for both the teams to find rhythm and start making some statements of intent. Welbeck who was paired with Chicarito to lead the frontline showed immense skill on the ball and could have had a chance if not for the veteran Ivanovic who shoved him to steal the ball in the initial minutes. Nani on the wing looked rustic after not having featured regularly this season kept losing possession with no pressure on him. His crosses were awry and passes erratic to say the least. Carrick, as ever was Mr Dependable breaking Chelsea’s attack and distributing the ball well.

                Seventeen minutes in to play, Ashley Cole pulled a hamstring while trying to fend Welbeck off signalling immediately for replacement. As the camera panned to the bench, there was JT adorning a mask of sadness since he was not a favourite with the interim and hence denied a starting berth by default. I reckon he is still the best defender in the blues rank. For United, Smalling was revelling in the CB role that he so covets but accommodates for the team to play out of position often. He was excellent in blocking and shackling the blue shirts while Ferdinand on the other hand tasked to mark Ba was looking ragged. Both the teams were playing a high backline with the offside trap.

There were 2 attempts at goal in the first half, one on either direction where De Gea’s was a regulation save except that he had started parrying away with his legs more often while Cech flicked the ball with his legs at the last moment to save a Chicarito’s long range shot. Towards the end of the first half, there was a shout for penalty when Nani and Bertrand tangled in the box but Phil Dowd waved to play. A fodder for endless argument today if that was a penalty denied or Nani just trying to act his way into getting a spot kick.

                The second half started the same way with affair being drab and suddenly four minutes into the half, Mata, the pocket dynamo floated a pass over towards United’s box where Ba caught Ferdinand napping and volleyed in a over De Gea who was rooted to the spot. If it was anybody’s fault the fingers should be pointing at Ferdinand as the United custodian could do nothing but gape at his fort getting breached. Ten minutes later when United seemed to exact revenge on their opponents, Welbeck crossed from the right for Chicarito and the Mexican did what he does best, making sure the ball was goal bound only for Cech’s heroics to play spoils. A top notch save it was and no wonder he is the best in business.

Ba volleys

                Fergie in necessity to pull a rabbit from his hat hauled off Cleverley who was ineffective and RVP was thrown in. Ryan Giggs came in for Nani few minutes later. The positions were reshuffled with Jones moving to RB and Valencia RW. However, it was Chelsea who came close to scoring AGAIN, with Hazard dragging the ball wide. It was proving difficult for United to penetrate Chelsea’s defence as their strong midfield dictated the proceeding. The team clearly lacked a player of Hazard/Oscar/Mata calibre to achieve the above. Shinji needs more time I guess. Soon the tiring Welbeck was replaced with Young with ten more minutes in the clock. The comebacks United are known for could still have been achieved if not for RVP skyrocketing from 12 yards. I guess I should contend myself with watching those epics in Youtube and never Live*. Into the injury time, RVP missed a difficult header from a perfect Young cross to score thereby enabling Opta to duly note that he had not scored in the last 9 games. L

                The result though thoroughly deserving for Chelsea left me brooding on what was happening to my team hunting for 3 trophies not long ago. I guess it will have to be just the BPL unless we miraculously squander a 15 point advantage with 8 more games to go and end trophyless.

*-Of course there have been comebacks this season, but would have loved to see them in knockout games.

Roundup:

1. The “Interim” made sure he shook hands with Sir Alex before the kick off as well as after securing a victory to emphasise he has an educated background. LOL
2. Screw you Phil Dowd for sowing seeds of imagination when I looked at you having a laugh with Sir Alex on the way out from the tunnel before the second half. How I wish the United haters’ remarks on you being in United’s payroll were true.
3. On a serious note, the academy graduate Welbeck's display was full of potential that can be tapped  but needs to improve on his finishing.
4. The Easter fixture was a total letdown for the fans as the play was uninspiring.

Chelsea pull the rug out from under United

                A game of 2 halves is what I would call the QF match between United and Chelsea. But before we delve into what happened, let us take a step back and look at any misgivings from the team sheet. Of course there were none, Wazza started the game along with Nani to redeem himself (if he was feeling guilty for the Real debacle). Evans, Kagawa and Chicarito returning to the fold as well thereby benching Vidic, Welbeck and RVP. The teams were evenly poised and the matches between these 2 are always hotly contested if their recent meetings were an indicator.

               It was all cagey with the initial few minutes, get your touches, push the ball around before United drawing first blood on an unsuspecting blue’s defence. From the telecast I could see Nani signalling Carrick to pass crossfield to the right and Carrick lofting the ball angled towards the goal. It took a moment to appreciate his brilliant picking of a run from Chicarito who sent a looping header far beyond Cech’s reach – 5 minutes. The chant of “It’s hard to believe it is not Scholes” was not a flattery perhaps for this deserving and unassuming midfielder.

              United were content with moving the ball across and keeping possession before Nani was tripped by Moses leading to a free kick. It was Rooney’s to pose a threat to Cech’s D and the delivery he sent with a dip towards the end found its way undisturbed into the far corner, thanks to poor marking and non-existent communication within the Blue’s defence. 2-0 up in 11 minutes is more than you can ask for against Chelsea. Another 10 minutes and it could have been 3-0 had it not been for the Czech custodian with quick reflexes denying Rooney his brace and saving Luiz blushes. In the first half, Lampard’s tame effort was the closest they came to score and that was straight to De Gea to remind him he was indeed in the game.

             United were menacing in the attack, balanced in the middle and composed in the defence with Rio Ferdinand giving the English manager watching from the stands second thoughts if it was indeed right to drop the defender from the national setup.

             The low points in the otherwise good first half were Nani pulling his hamstring (Valencia coming on for last few seconds) and Cleverley’s inept display at the midfield. He was consistently finding a blue shirt with his passes and had his memory on positional play temporarily plugged out. As I said, a game of 2 halves, from a United’s perspective we have seen the best and could have gone all the way knocking Roman’s door to remind him of his decision to fire the manager..oops. interim.

           When the second half kicked in, it was the same 11 on the pitch for both the teams but the body language was different from the outset for the blues. An attacking intent was palpably visible and who better than Mata to demonstrate it. United had to be content with stifling the advances in the final third. At 52’Rafa made 2 substitutions – Hazard for Moses and Obi Mikel for Lamps. With Hazard, Oscar and Mata against you, there is no room for complacency with a 2 goal lead that exactly was what we witnessed.

           Hazard, that he is to the defenders, nimble footed and a quick thinker, initiated the proceedings with choking Rafael from his forward bombardment and cutting in to the middle to interplay with Mata and Oscar. It took just 7 minutes from his introduction to the first goal for Chelsea how appropriately scored by Hazard with a curling effort. The travelling blue fans were in for a treat and the united should have been on their toes.

           Fergie, to keep a lid on the score, brought in insurance in the form of RVP for Chica which I believe was not the right switch as he ended up being a spectator towards the end. Valencia on the right could not make any impact on the game with Rafael tied up in the defence and his one dimensional play restricting him to make any meaningful contribution. I feel Young would have been an ideal replacement for Nani and could bring more to the table than Valencia could with his erratic passes (from his last few games).

           There was a brief moment of possession for the reds after the Chelsea substitution but again were robbed off, courtesy Cleverley keeping the momentum. L When you are continually attacked in the final third, there is every possibility that few would breach the goal line and so it did with Ramires being the architect with a marvellous run finishing with a low curl brushing De Gea’s fingers. After the first half, United suffered for tempo and rhythm and were clearly outshone in every department. Welbeck replacing Kagawa to bring fresh legs did little to ease the pressure as I could spot 21 players camped in United’s half.

            The last 15 minutes were a harrowing experience for me as the possibility of playing just for one trophy from being in competition for three few days ago loomed large. United were able to see through to the final whistle though not without a scare. Mata’s low driving effort was instinctively deflected away by De Gea’s with his legs which otherwise would have been a winner for Chelsea and deservingly so.

            2-2 is definitely a great score for the neutrals and the ones not to have enjoyed the outcome would be us – United fans for squandering a SF clash with City and having to face the same foe again sometime in the next few weeks. I was surprised to see a lot of headlines referring to Chelsea earning a replay at Old Trafford. With all due respect, it was United who undeservingly earned a replay at Stamford Bridge which is not going to be an easy affair so to speak.

           If I were to pick a player who was worth his salt yesterday, I will go with Carrick belying his age with a fantastic performance. I feel aggrieved that FA had ignored the services of Scholes earlier and Carrick now by not picking them. If the FA is content with stars and not the players who can make a difference on the pitch, it is their loss (or United’s gain as to how you view).

PS1: It is bold for me to say that Sir Alex was not at his tactical best yesterday by bringing in Valencia instead of Young and allowing Cleverley to stay the whole 90 minutes. Hey it is my view of course and the gaffer may have had his own reasons.

PS2: To think Howard Webb officiating the match yesterday and knowing about how much stick he gets for allegedly being United’s twelfth man, I was secretly hoping if that so happens to be true to avoid any panic attacks. But then, he had a good game after all being a neutral he is supposed to be.