Giggs wins it in injury time!

Norwich 1 Man Utd 2



As I had predicted, calamity did happen after leading for 70 minutes and disappointingly, we had never actively gone for a second goal. We did have a couple of chances but we we casual in our approach. When Norwich did get their equaliser, we suddenly came to life again and started getting forward with purpose. Inevitably, the question is WHY, WHY, WHY???? Why do we take our foot off the pedal when we have just got a one goal advantage?? At 3-0, I would understand but at 1-0?? And why does SAF allow it to happen? His forte has always been motivating his team but something keeps happening again and again.

Today, quite unusually, I was the optimistic one as Carlos sms ed me saying that the league is gone at 1-1 - but I replied asking him to BELIEVE. I had a feeling that we had enough time to score a winner. True, Welbeck missed two sitters that had me nearly believing that it is truly the case of game over - BUT...up popped Giggsy on 92 min at the far post to score the winner. Incredibly it is Scholes and Giggs who have kept us in the title race!

Positives from today - De Gea, he probably had his best match to date. Young came on and seemed sharp. Jones was steady at RB. Negatives, Welbeck missed a couple of sitters. Chichi was poor, Nani was so and so, and Carrick never set any houses on fire.

We live to fight on, but we will have to improve to get anything from White Hart Lane next weekend. They will be wounded and willing to make amends for their fans after today's debacle.

Scholes with the lead...

...but I am under no illusion. We need at least another goal as after a great 20 minutes, we started conceding too much possession and Norwich came forward. They had a couple of good chances but De Gea was alert. We could have scored a second when Welbeck had his shot turned to a corner. Chichi had a good chance as well but he concluded centrally. Scholes has been active in midfield but Carrick seemed a bit subdued. Giggs is also seeing very little of the ball.

My gut feeling is that we will concede at some stage. Let's hope that we get a second before calamity strikes!

GO ON REDS...believe!

We have to bounce back...Again!

Not a good sign when I have to start my match rant with the above heading! Rio and Evra return at the back. Nani starts and Giggs on the left wing. Carrick and Scholes in the middle. Rooney is out and Chichi and Welbeck start up front.

De Gea,
Jones, Evans, Ferdinand, Evra,
Nani, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs,
Welbeck, Hernandez

Not sure we can rely on the Scholes and Carrick for 90 mins. And it may well be that Welbeck drifts to the left to form a 5 man midfield. Fingers crossed but I have a bad feeling about this.

GO ON REDS.

Another dismal European night

Man Utd 1 Ajax 2



United are through...but only just!! A dismal second half and yet another goal conceded from a set piece saw us hanging on for the last few minutes. De Gea had made a great save off a header but he absolutely needed to get off his line for that free kick which led to the second goal and punch it away. True, the defending was abysmal as the Ajax players were queuing up to head it in BUT any decent keeper should not concede a headed goal from the 6 yard box ...and during a set piece!!!

We created very little during the second half and SAF had to bring on Scholes and move Jones into midfield to try and calm down a much improved Ajax team. If they had played with the same vigour and intensity last week, we would probably be out of the Europa League. SAF tinkered a bit too much with the line up for my liking but I still thought we had enough to get a result tonight. Nani was again frustrating, Berba did well during the first half but switched off for the second half. Chichi, Young, Smalling and Cleverley are all struggling to get back in form.

Be that as it may, we now face Athletic Bilbao with the first leg at OT. Another poor home performance and we will be out of this competition as well. Norwich away next weekend. Once again, I have to use the infamous 'we have to bounce back' term before the match.

Numquam Moribimur!

1-1 at HT

Early goal by Chichi and I expected more but we started with the fancy stuff, Berba and Nani being the main culprits and Ajax threw everything at us, earning a draw with a well taken goal. Both defences are vulnerable and De Gea is not looking any safer every time a cross comes in. I expect more from Nani and Young. Cleverley is doing well but needs to cover back more as both him and Park are allowing too much space and possession to the Ajax midfield.

Fingers crossed we get the next goal as if we concede a second, I think we will go through some panic moments.

GO ON REDS!!

2 away goals should be enough

You should not take anything for granted in football BUT, quiet honestly, I can't see us losing 3-0 at home to this Ajax team. De Gea keeps his place and the twins are our full backs with Smalling and Jones in centre of defence. Both started the season in great form but faded out and lost their form, also due to injuries. Hope they are up for it today. Cleverley starts with Park in midfield, with Nani and Young wide. Berba and Chichi up front.

de Gea
Rafael Jones (c) Smalling Fabio
Nani Cleverley Park Young
Berbatov Hernandez

SUBS: Amos, Evra, Evans, Scholes, Carrick, Giggs, Welbeck.

GO ON REDS!!!

Two second half goals should be enough

Ajax 0 Man Utd 2

SAF must have used his hair drier at HT as after a mediocre fist half, we showed more determination after the break and got two goals by Young and Chichi which should ne enough to see us through to the next round. Cleverely had a decent hour but when Scholes came on we controlled the match better. De Gea was comfortable against such opposition as they never throw people in the box and send in high balls but try to pass it to goal or have a shot from outside the box.

Nani was back to his frustrating best but SAF probably had a go at him during the HT talk and he was better during the second half. SAF now has one week to prepare his troops for the run in and try to get more players in shape.

Poor half ends 0-0

No one really performing, making mockery of SAFs claim that we can compete with the big guns in Europe. Not on this form, Sir Alex....

Europa League here we come

Not particularly pleased to see United play on Thursday night but whatever.
de Gea
Jones Rio Evans Fabio
Nani Cleverley Carrick Young
Rooney Welbeck

I like this team. if we can get Cleverley and Young back in form, that will do wonders for our hopes in the EPL.
GO ON REDS!

UPDATE: We are second again

As expected, City beat Villa to go two points clear. Still plenty of matches to go and all to play for though...Numquam Moribimur!

BTW, our next matches are away and home against Ajax. The Norwich away match comes after these two matches - on the 26 February. It will hurt not seeing United play Champions League football this coming week but it is nothing more than we deserved. No team has a divine right to succeed, full stop.

United beat Liverpool to go temporarily at the top

Man Utd 2 Liverpool 1



A Rooney brace at the start of the second half should have been enough for a relaxed second half. But instead of hitting them on the counter, we never threatened again and decided to control it, with 30 minutes still to go!!! Too early of course...and on 80 minutes the inevitable happened. Evans went for the header and missed, Rio's reflexes let him down and De Gea was rooted to the ground. 2-1 and I was sweating for the last 10 minutes. Overall, we were the best team on the pitch and we played some good football today.

Rooney came to life after he scored. Amazing what a goal can do, but I still think he was not right for his reaction on the 90th when Welbeck,who had ran his socks off, slightly misplaced his pass. Scholes had a great match, Carrick a bit erratic, Valencia was positive. Our weak point remains our defending and SAF should by now have understood that even 2-0 is not enough when there is still over 30 minutes to go. I was surprised that no subs were made by the Gaffer as I think that they were needed.

But anyway, 3 points and whatever way you try to put it, Suarez is a disgrace to English football and to his club. He unashamedly admitted to being a racist today. OK, Evra was a bit of a nuisance passing in front of Suarez and celebrating at the end but nothing will change the fact that Suarez had the chance to show he is a man and alleviate pressure off the match and let himself and his club down.

Norwich away next weekend...

Still 0-0

We have been the better side but too erratic in the last quarter. Liverpool are defending well and I do not think you need to be a genius to understand that we need to go wide and attack their full backs. We are vulnerable at the back, and after 10 minutes we allowed too much space to their full back and nearly conceded. Scholes could have scored with a header on 30 minutes but concluded centrally. Rooney has been average and needs to be more enterprising. Cleverley could come on in midfield as both Carrick and Scholes are bound to tire out. I would like to see more energy and hunger in the second half - we need to win today. No words for the Evra - Suarez incident except that Suarez may be a great player, but he is definitely not a great man.

Keep the faith...BELIEVE....GO ON REDS!

Rhetoric, I know, but we must win

We hardly can afford to drop any points today, and till the end of the season for that matter. I would say that we at least need to win our home games, that's for sure. Including this one, of course, for all the reasons in the world. SAF has gone for experience in midfield with both Scholes and Giggs starting. Rooney and Welbeck should be a threat if properly served. it is the Rio, Evans, De Gea combination, together with Evra's repeated mistake to allow too much space that worries me. Anyways, not much choice I suppose. Glad Cleverley is on the bench...will he be needed? Chichi could play a part as we'll.

De Gea
Rafael Evans Rio Evra
Valencia Carrick Scholes Giggs
Rooney Welbeck

Subs: Amos, Fabio, Cleverley, Pogba, Chichi and Berba

GO ON REDS...BELIEVE!!!!!

A marvellous comeback

Chelsea 3 Man Utd 3



The worst possible start to the second half left us with a mountain to climb. Quite frankly, our defence is as safe as a punctured dinghy at the moment. Apart from Rio being repeatedly exposed and Evans having no footballing brain, the amount of times Evra is being found wanting on the left is becoming embarrassing. Kuuyt's goal last week, Evan's own goal for Chelsea's first, Torres' cross for their second and the foul leading to their third can be attributed to Evra's lack of defensive qualities and inability to keep his position. Give me a mundane and simple Dennis Irwin over the skillful Evra any time.

Having said that, the world of football today again witnessed the great courage and never-say-die attitude of Manchester United. Evra made partial amends for his errors by going to gain a penalty in the opposing box. 3-1, game on. Welbeck played for, and gained, a very dubious second penalty. Rooney scores the second penalty - hope. The way we pressured Chelsea at 3-2 until Chichi scored the equaliser from a Giggsy cross was pure United comeback style. Thoroughly deserved in my opinion.

Credit where it is due. De Gea's save off the Mata free kick was pure class. If only the boy could increase his presence in the box and get a clue how to go out for crosses! At the end, we did not have the energy to go and win it. Will this point count at the end of the season? Maybe, and maybe not.

Fact is, City are two points ahead and it's advantage to them again. Unless SAF finds a way to stop us leaking soft goals, our fight to retain the EPL is bound to capitalize at some stage. We are still in it of course, but we have been defending badly and that is not a good sign. Vidic, is being sorely missed and unfortunately, that will be the case till next season!

Numquam Moribimur...

1-0 down

Undeserved, perhaps, but we are 1-0 down. We are lacking the killer touch up front. Rooney should have had a shot twice and decided to pass it on both occasions. Welbeck should have had a foul at least which would have meant a yellow for Cahill. But Mr Webb (who by the way the ABUs say is biased in favour of United) incredibly waived play on.

We had a positive reaction after we conceded the own goal (did you see Evra trying to defend against Sturridge!!) but failed to get a deserved draw. It now all depends who gets the next goal. If we get the draw, we can go on and win it BUT, if calamity is round the corner and we concede a second, it will be game over.

We need to get back in this quickly. If not, the cards to play are Scholes in the middle and Chichi up front. And SAF should not wait further than the 60th minute.

We have to keep the faith...BELIEVE!!

Critical week starts now

Today's and next weekend's matches are fundamental in my opinion. If we do not collect 6 points, City will run away - simple as that. The line up below does leave me somewhat pessimistic, but I always am anyway! In all honesty, I can't see us getting 3 points with De Gea in goal. SAF should have had the courage to throw Amos in. De Gea has had his chances and let himself and his team down. Elsewhere, Rio and Evans is a dodgy combination and Carrick and Giggs will probably tire out at some stage and Scholes will be needed. Young returns and Rooney starts but we have to see what performance they can deliver. We'll see...

De Gea
Rafael Ferdinand Evans Evra
Valencia Carrick Giggs Young
Rooney Welbeck

SUBS: Amos, Fabio, Pogba, Scholes, Park, Berbatov, Hernandez.

GO ON REDS...BELIEVE!!!