My work timings usually show a canny pattern. Late Monday mornings, early Friday evenings and mid week absconding are clear indications. I have never hit the accelerator anytime before 9:30 AM when it comes to a Monday morning after 2 full days of lazing, typical TGIF, OGIM (Oh God, It's Monday) syndromes, so to speak. But today marked a rather deviating phenomenon. I opened the 'gmail.com', facebook.com', 'football365.com' and 'onlinefootballmanager.co.uk' in that order, as early as 9:10 AM. Reason : I couldn't sleep. I missed the massive Man U - Arsenal clash yesterday owing to travel and though I knew the scoreline and other statistics since I was following it live from my Android application, I wanted to take a look at the highlights as soon as possible and my fingers were itching to hit footytube for a quick look at the highlights.
The last time Arsenal conceded 8 goals was back in 1896. We all know that the Arsenal team that played yesterday night was a very weakened one. But nobody is going to remember that night as a hiccup for a weakened Arsenal side. It would rather be remembered as "That great 8-2 mauling by United". And more importantly, it was not Men vs Boys but was an "average age 23" vs "an average age 23" affair.
What strikes me most is the fact that Arsenal are staring at this "not enough players who are fit" problem so early in the season. Usually, they do so towards the end and more often than not use it as an alibi for their shambolic displays from February to May.
I noticed some bizarre transfer market stats somewhere on the internet. It read as follows:
Net spending done by Arsenal over the last 10 years : -4224000 pounds (They've made money if you notice the minus sign)
Net spending done by United over the last 10 years :172651600 pounds
Net spending done by Chelsea over the last 10 years :540095600 pounds.
Competing for the title, winning trophies and other allied pleasures and accomplishments, that Wenger considers trival and pointless, are just not achievable with these kinds of numbers. I remember Arsenal fans calling names at players when they left for money. Ca$hley, Moneybayor and many more. Look at City. They spent, tried, spent more, tried more, spent even more and now have a formidable team, which on paper, looks like the best team in Europe. You can call Ashleys as Cashleys and all that sort of thing but to those players, it is after all work and what's the point when the team doesn't do well on the pitch? We quit our jobs and move on for better money and better prospects. Don't we? So many fans who are already in a state of disarray have started shouting at the top of their voice yet again. Spend some F**kin Cash. But this time, unlike earlier, Wenger cannot turn deaf ears to those cries. Looking at the league table now, with 1 point from 3 games, Arsenal are close to being in the relegation zone. It is now or never for Arsene, Arsenal and their bunch of self proclaimed "learned" fans. Money is money and Sport is sport and all that crap can gaily come to a close. To win, one needs money and success comes with intelligent investment (borrowing from management jargon). So, Hell yeah! Splash some cash or look down the drain.
On a different note, Manchester looks like the new football capital of England and with both the big guns throwing some weight this season, it sure looks as if the trophy shall stay at Manchester. But it'd be interesting to see if Chelsea (or Mata to be exact) can offer something of a fight to the title.
United fans, get the ball rolling and enjoy the moment, for this is one of the best times to be a United supporter.
Showing posts with label Manchester United. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manchester United. Show all posts
Monday, 29 August 2011
Monday, 30 May 2011
Conclusions from Wembley!
Before I go on to say "Congrats Barca" or shower some other adulation to convey that emotion, let me put forward one strong opinion of mine forward. You CANNOT beat a team like Barcelona with a central mid field pair of Michael (inconsistency) Carrick and Ryan (Unlucky) Giggs!. I mean, it is just suicidal to counter Iniesta and Xavi with Carrick and Giggs. It was clear right at the start, when the team charts were out. One of them can't run and press fiercely while the other hasn't gone to a proper soccer school in his formative years. An important disclaimer for readers here : If you cannot read between lines at this particular juncture and understand who's who in the sentence above, please hit red on your top right. This is not your serving of cauliflower.
Coming to the usual rituals that we need to perform after that stunning performance, let us congratulate Barca, Messi, Xavi and Guardiola for some invincible displays overall. Kudos to them. Manchester United have not been mauled at a big stage like this before. To beat the best English team this season, in a manner like that, takes some impeccable class and that is exactly what Barca showed they possess. Now to the conclusions,
1. Michael Carrick can never prove to the footballing audience in England and elsewhere that he actually has some sort of soccer stuff in him.
2. Barcelona proved to the world yet again that they are the best in the world by a really long distance.
3. It would be to state the facts as they are if we said that Manchester United were the better of the worse in the English Premier League this season. They did not play like champions.
4. Xavi is unequal to any other mid fielder of recent times. He is just a class apart.
5. It is nothing wrong if we said Messi is even bigger than Maradona.
6. Alex Ferguson showed some character for the first time in my living memory by way of heartily congratulating Guardiola after the match and by showering praises in plenty, slightly after the match, in the media.
7. We are probably nearing the end of a fantastic era in world football, that has been defined with some managerial class by messrs. SAF.
8. It is definitely not the way a man like VDS should have retired for what he has achieved with the gloves.
9. Manchester United need to buy some top quality players in the summer window to re-instill some confidence in the fans' minds, especially after an abysmal performance like that.
10. That match is definitely a disgrace to English Football and it will take some time to heal the wound. May be years.!!!
Once again, Barcelona won it like champions, clean, smooth, wonderful!
P.S : I am still trying to reason with myself about Valencia not being sent off for a disastrous defensive display, time and again in those 90 minutes.
P.P.S : Wayne Rooney's goal was a good one really, though it came against the run of play and did not come of a properly orchestrated attacking manoeuvre.
Coming to the usual rituals that we need to perform after that stunning performance, let us congratulate Barca, Messi, Xavi and Guardiola for some invincible displays overall. Kudos to them. Manchester United have not been mauled at a big stage like this before. To beat the best English team this season, in a manner like that, takes some impeccable class and that is exactly what Barca showed they possess. Now to the conclusions,
1. Michael Carrick can never prove to the footballing audience in England and elsewhere that he actually has some sort of soccer stuff in him.
2. Barcelona proved to the world yet again that they are the best in the world by a really long distance.
3. It would be to state the facts as they are if we said that Manchester United were the better of the worse in the English Premier League this season. They did not play like champions.
4. Xavi is unequal to any other mid fielder of recent times. He is just a class apart.
5. It is nothing wrong if we said Messi is even bigger than Maradona.
6. Alex Ferguson showed some character for the first time in my living memory by way of heartily congratulating Guardiola after the match and by showering praises in plenty, slightly after the match, in the media.
7. We are probably nearing the end of a fantastic era in world football, that has been defined with some managerial class by messrs. SAF.
8. It is definitely not the way a man like VDS should have retired for what he has achieved with the gloves.
9. Manchester United need to buy some top quality players in the summer window to re-instill some confidence in the fans' minds, especially after an abysmal performance like that.
10. That match is definitely a disgrace to English Football and it will take some time to heal the wound. May be years.!!!
Once again, Barcelona won it like champions, clean, smooth, wonderful!
P.S : I am still trying to reason with myself about Valencia not being sent off for a disastrous defensive display, time and again in those 90 minutes.
P.P.S : Wayne Rooney's goal was a good one really, though it came against the run of play and did not come of a properly orchestrated attacking manoeuvre.
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
A Guide to Wembley and after (for Man United, I mean)
Hell Yeah! It is truly fascinating to note that "people" are merrily writing off Manchester United for the final at Wembley on May 28th (After writing off Schalke of course). I request "people" to hold on for a second and listen to a few facts compiled by one fellow reader at Mr. Bean's hometown (should be something to that effect for the kind of humor they produce) viz. F365 (yet again). I have been trying to find out why I am so obsessed with stuff from F365 and not able to avoid mentions or similar analyses or mere lifts from there, in this blog.
Cutting tangent and coming to matter, the compilation that I was referring to goes thus.
Whilst Barcelona play great football, I would suggest that the fact that haven't scored many goals against 11 men in good teams recently means United, if they reach the final, have a good chance, if Ferdinand and Vidic are both fit (and probably also if Darren Fletcher is fit). In the roughly 440 minutes played against 11 men over the recent four El Clásicos and the two matches with Arsenal, Barcelona scored three and conceded five, whilst in the roughly 100 minutes against 10 men, they scored five and conceded one. That's one goal scored per 147 minutes against 11 men and one goal scored per 20 minutes against 10 men. Van Persie's sending off was obviously a mistake, whilst opinion is divided over whether Pepe's offence was a yellow or a red - personally, I think it was an orange at worst. Barcelona also failed to score in 111 minutes against 11 man Holland in the World Cup Final. So the best advice for United? Don't get anyone sent off.
Now, on the contrary, I don't see United winning that game (assuming 11 players keep their feet on the playing field for round about 90 minutes, that is), if they play a tactic like the one in the 2009 final with a 4-5-1 where Rooney plays in the 5s.
While I was drafting this post and when I reached this point in my writing, I took a break for a cup of tea. And the tea, filled with ginger and elaichi, definitely proved to be a good refresher, like one of those magical, instantaneous Jeeves' refreshers. It sharpened my thinking faculties and gave me an idea instantly after consumption. The idea, as it ran through my mind, is as follows. In a guide to Wembley, given the nature of this year's champions league and the two teams by and large, it is more important to add some valuable points to the smaller goal of playing 11 players for 90 minutes for Manchester United rather than the bigger one of winning it. As facts stated above indicate, all suggestions and inferences point to an underlying assumption of playing 11 players from whistle to whistle. Hence, here below, I've listed down a few ingenious ideas that I contrived while plainly thinking over it.
1. Manchester United players will do well if they are handed an extra weapon (a secret one, to be used only during emergencies, though emergency is a phenomenon that is expected to arrive too often than obvious to the human mind in such encounters), The extra weapon is a 3 x 5 plastic card, painted red. They should probably make efforts to understand situations in the match, when opponent players are down to the ground and performing like in the movies. At these junctures, work of the moment would be to exercise their option of using that weapon and showing it to the referee who is in the near vicinity. By doing that, the referee is sent off at that moment and the probability of him showing a red card at the player involved in the recent tackle becomes zero. (A referee cannot use his power and exercise his options after having been sent off)
2. Quick Learners. That is the order of today's modern civilization. Manchester United players should show some tact in quickly grasping theatre skills from their catalan counterparts as soon as possible in the match. So that, if the first half is won by actors from Spain, the second one can belong to the fraternity from England.
3. In the game of counter strike, if you have noticed, it is important to stay together as a team, in order to clinch a tag team shoot out. That principle holds good in the game of football as well. It is important for the players to support one another in times of distress and grief and exchange soothing words to bring down their collective tempers. For, in a match against Barcelona, temper, taken as an emotion, can only be displayed by two kinds of people by the rule book. a.) People who fall under the category of proctors/referees in general. b.) People who represent the most populous city of Catalonia.
4. Repeatedly tell Scholes, (when he is on the pitch) that his role on that day is to be an Attacking (with a capital A) Midfielder and any tactless display of defensive skills is suicidal.
A fifth point has been suggested by a faithful reader of this space and I think it will do justice only if i include that most ingenious idea in this list of mine!
5. United management, wait and see which obscure North European country the referee is from. Once you find that out, you can send him a cable with 'From UEFA (shhhh!)' written on top and the contents being, in code language of course, 'Plan change. United win. Messi red. Barca no give 5m and show middle finger'
With such valuable inputs to the people in red, I am signing off with a cliche viz. "May the best team(not in my opinion, but in UEFA's/referee's opinion) on that day win".
Cutting tangent and coming to matter, the compilation that I was referring to goes thus.
Whilst Barcelona play great football, I would suggest that the fact that haven't scored many goals against 11 men in good teams recently means United, if they reach the final, have a good chance, if Ferdinand and Vidic are both fit (and probably also if Darren Fletcher is fit). In the roughly 440 minutes played against 11 men over the recent four El Clásicos and the two matches with Arsenal, Barcelona scored three and conceded five, whilst in the roughly 100 minutes against 10 men, they scored five and conceded one. That's one goal scored per 147 minutes against 11 men and one goal scored per 20 minutes against 10 men. Van Persie's sending off was obviously a mistake, whilst opinion is divided over whether Pepe's offence was a yellow or a red - personally, I think it was an orange at worst. Barcelona also failed to score in 111 minutes against 11 man Holland in the World Cup Final. So the best advice for United? Don't get anyone sent off.
Now, on the contrary, I don't see United winning that game (assuming 11 players keep their feet on the playing field for round about 90 minutes, that is), if they play a tactic like the one in the 2009 final with a 4-5-1 where Rooney plays in the 5s.
While I was drafting this post and when I reached this point in my writing, I took a break for a cup of tea. And the tea, filled with ginger and elaichi, definitely proved to be a good refresher, like one of those magical, instantaneous Jeeves' refreshers. It sharpened my thinking faculties and gave me an idea instantly after consumption. The idea, as it ran through my mind, is as follows. In a guide to Wembley, given the nature of this year's champions league and the two teams by and large, it is more important to add some valuable points to the smaller goal of playing 11 players for 90 minutes for Manchester United rather than the bigger one of winning it. As facts stated above indicate, all suggestions and inferences point to an underlying assumption of playing 11 players from whistle to whistle. Hence, here below, I've listed down a few ingenious ideas that I contrived while plainly thinking over it.
1. Manchester United players will do well if they are handed an extra weapon (a secret one, to be used only during emergencies, though emergency is a phenomenon that is expected to arrive too often than obvious to the human mind in such encounters), The extra weapon is a 3 x 5 plastic card, painted red. They should probably make efforts to understand situations in the match, when opponent players are down to the ground and performing like in the movies. At these junctures, work of the moment would be to exercise their option of using that weapon and showing it to the referee who is in the near vicinity. By doing that, the referee is sent off at that moment and the probability of him showing a red card at the player involved in the recent tackle becomes zero. (A referee cannot use his power and exercise his options after having been sent off)
2. Quick Learners. That is the order of today's modern civilization. Manchester United players should show some tact in quickly grasping theatre skills from their catalan counterparts as soon as possible in the match. So that, if the first half is won by actors from Spain, the second one can belong to the fraternity from England.
3. In the game of counter strike, if you have noticed, it is important to stay together as a team, in order to clinch a tag team shoot out. That principle holds good in the game of football as well. It is important for the players to support one another in times of distress and grief and exchange soothing words to bring down their collective tempers. For, in a match against Barcelona, temper, taken as an emotion, can only be displayed by two kinds of people by the rule book. a.) People who fall under the category of proctors/referees in general. b.) People who represent the most populous city of Catalonia.
4. Repeatedly tell Scholes, (when he is on the pitch) that his role on that day is to be an Attacking (with a capital A) Midfielder and any tactless display of defensive skills is suicidal.
A fifth point has been suggested by a faithful reader of this space and I think it will do justice only if i include that most ingenious idea in this list of mine!
5. United management, wait and see which obscure North European country the referee is from. Once you find that out, you can send him a cable with 'From UEFA (shhhh!)' written on top and the contents being, in code language of course, 'Plan change. United win. Messi red. Barca no give 5m and show middle finger'
With such valuable inputs to the people in red, I am signing off with a cliche viz. "May the best team(not in my opinion, but in UEFA's/referee's opinion) on that day win".
Saturday, 19 March 2011
No, we dont fear Barcelona, But, yes, we fear the UEFA
The general opinion in the circles of young men at the bar is more on the lines of "Bring on the special one" than something like "laugh out loud" after Arry's Tottenham Hotspur have drawn Real Madrid in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League 2010-2011. On the other side of London, Carlo Ancelotti was found visiting a soothsayer to clear off some of his apprehensions. If you thought he was visiting the sages to find out his team's chances against Manchester United, you are absolutely, definitely, positively wrong. He has been reported to have gone there to find out if he himself had those mysterious powers of foretelling stuff. Not very long since he expressed his opinion on the general scheme of drawing Barcelona or Manchester United, the inevitable happened. He has ever since been wondering if what he says to executives from Fleet Street comes from some hidden part of his subconscious mind that has not surfaced hitherto in the 50+ years of existence.
Elsewhere, grapevine has got hints of people shouting "conspiracy" over Barcelona getting the weakest of the available 7 teams for a date in the UEFA CL quarters. One does wonder here, nevertheless, since it has been so for many a time in the recent past. Last year they got a team that had Manuel Almunia guarding the net. One should give some thought here. Manuel Almunia is definitely to Arsenal, what Kamran Akmal is to the Pakistan cricket team. The phrase "safe hands" has never been able to succeed in an attempt to peaceful coexistence with "Akmal" or "Almunia" in a singular sentence. So that was that. And 2 years before that, we all remember they drew Schalke. :-) Needless to say more. No, wait, it doesn't end there. They got Benfica a couple of years before that. It isn't very difficult for a man who can put two and two together to get the general drift here. But for people in my associated grapevine who are kings at the complex task of putting even three and four or for that matter, a five or six together, this one is child's play. They've deduced it all.
Having introduced to my readers, the intelligence levels of my associated grapevine, it would be to let the grapevine down if I didn't mention the other act of deduction they contrived to make. It is that, UEFA want a non english final showdown at England Football Stadiums' epitome - The Wembley. One of our reporters went on to say that he wouldn't be surprised if UEFA setup a shop in Scotland since he believes UEFA hate English Football so so much. That means, the last thing they would want to see is an all english final at the Wembley. What next? Draw the two english heavyweights together. Another one says, he was actually expecting all the three english teams to be drawn together. But a third one rightly corrected him by pointing out that football, unlike ludo or snakes and ladders, is a game where only two teams can play against each other at a given point in time and space.
So there it is. the two non english football teams which have realistic chances of lifting the trophy this year (Inter included only because of the sacking of Rafa "he-comes-with-a-relegation-plan Benitez") have their task cut out. A place in the final is now theirs to lose. And the English giants have been pitted against each other to kill the dominance. Anyone to disagree????
Elsewhere, grapevine has got hints of people shouting "conspiracy" over Barcelona getting the weakest of the available 7 teams for a date in the UEFA CL quarters. One does wonder here, nevertheless, since it has been so for many a time in the recent past. Last year they got a team that had Manuel Almunia guarding the net. One should give some thought here. Manuel Almunia is definitely to Arsenal, what Kamran Akmal is to the Pakistan cricket team. The phrase "safe hands" has never been able to succeed in an attempt to peaceful coexistence with "Akmal" or "Almunia" in a singular sentence. So that was that. And 2 years before that, we all remember they drew Schalke. :-) Needless to say more. No, wait, it doesn't end there. They got Benfica a couple of years before that. It isn't very difficult for a man who can put two and two together to get the general drift here. But for people in my associated grapevine who are kings at the complex task of putting even three and four or for that matter, a five or six together, this one is child's play. They've deduced it all.
Having introduced to my readers, the intelligence levels of my associated grapevine, it would be to let the grapevine down if I didn't mention the other act of deduction they contrived to make. It is that, UEFA want a non english final showdown at England Football Stadiums' epitome - The Wembley. One of our reporters went on to say that he wouldn't be surprised if UEFA setup a shop in Scotland since he believes UEFA hate English Football so so much. That means, the last thing they would want to see is an all english final at the Wembley. What next? Draw the two english heavyweights together. Another one says, he was actually expecting all the three english teams to be drawn together. But a third one rightly corrected him by pointing out that football, unlike ludo or snakes and ladders, is a game where only two teams can play against each other at a given point in time and space.
So there it is. the two non english football teams which have realistic chances of lifting the trophy this year (Inter included only because of the sacking of Rafa "he-comes-with-a-relegation-plan Benitez") have their task cut out. A place in the final is now theirs to lose. And the English giants have been pitted against each other to kill the dominance. Anyone to disagree????
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
We will "Roo" that in Janurary. All in "Wayne"
I was tossing and turning in my sleep last night as I was trying to figure out the inexplicable reason behind Rooney's decision to leave the club. Given the fact that Rooney made his intentions clear on August 14th (Just as the Premier League started), it all goes back to two major events of the past.
1. The big English flop in South Africa (especially after the Algeria game).
2. The Bayern Munich quarter final clash back in April.
Come to point two as it seems to have a lot of significance. Consider that Rooney was rushed back almost immediately for the 2nd leg and he ended up getting kicked by Demichelis so many times. He got taken off in the 2nd half and from then, he failed to recapture his form and couldn't score goals. Now continuing on the same lines to point one, That form was brought over to South Africa and he couldn't produce. I am not able to conjure up a better line of reasoning for this shocking announcement doing the rounds in the tabloids everywhere. If Rooney is leaving on this inexplicable reason, he is a disrespectful disgrace. All Fergie did was at his best interests at heart.If resting the fella too many times is the cause for all this s**t, God save that angry sweet potato, son'uva b***h.
Moving on to the next important thing that's everywhere, I don't see United getting £50m for him. not when he has 18 months of his contract left and has already stated that he won't sign another contract.And that leads us to the next million dollar question. Where next? Manchester City?Chelsea?or the usual suspect Real? Wherever he goes, I am pretty sure of one thing. Life will not be easy for him elsewhere.
To cut a long story short, I dont see any major problem between United and him (apart from the two minor ones I discussed at the beginning. They shouldn't matter though.). Opening a completely new line of reasoning, I think he is mixing his personal life with football. And...........If he is so foolish to be doing THAT, He should go. And see what other clubs will do when he hits a bad patch. This club has respected him, nurtured him, supported him, believed in him. No other club will give so much space and exhibit so much tolerance like United did to that very talented, short tempered ASS.
And now folks, Does this mean we have to truly, madly, deeply love Berbatov now?
1. The big English flop in South Africa (especially after the Algeria game).
2. The Bayern Munich quarter final clash back in April.
Come to point two as it seems to have a lot of significance. Consider that Rooney was rushed back almost immediately for the 2nd leg and he ended up getting kicked by Demichelis so many times. He got taken off in the 2nd half and from then, he failed to recapture his form and couldn't score goals. Now continuing on the same lines to point one, That form was brought over to South Africa and he couldn't produce. I am not able to conjure up a better line of reasoning for this shocking announcement doing the rounds in the tabloids everywhere. If Rooney is leaving on this inexplicable reason, he is a disrespectful disgrace. All Fergie did was at his best interests at heart.If resting the fella too many times is the cause for all this s**t, God save that angry sweet potato, son'uva b***h.
Moving on to the next important thing that's everywhere, I don't see United getting £50m for him. not when he has 18 months of his contract left and has already stated that he won't sign another contract.And that leads us to the next million dollar question. Where next? Manchester City?Chelsea?or the usual suspect Real? Wherever he goes, I am pretty sure of one thing. Life will not be easy for him elsewhere.
To cut a long story short, I dont see any major problem between United and him (apart from the two minor ones I discussed at the beginning. They shouldn't matter though.). Opening a completely new line of reasoning, I think he is mixing his personal life with football. And...........If he is so foolish to be doing THAT, He should go. And see what other clubs will do when he hits a bad patch. This club has respected him, nurtured him, supported him, believed in him. No other club will give so much space and exhibit so much tolerance like United did to that very talented, short tempered ASS.
And now folks, Does this mean we have to truly, madly, deeply love Berbatov now?
Monday, 20 September 2010
Dimiflop Berbaflop..said who?????
I know the count runs into double digits, when one tries to figure out how many times I've said "It's been disastrously long since I wrote in this space" or something of that description, but here I am saying something of that sort once again. Yes, It's been a long hiatus but no points for guessing what the topic is..this time around..coz it's obviously 'football'. Yea, you got it right. This one is not as obvious as the beating that Chelsea gave Blackpool this weekend. But it is obvious nevertheless. What are the bets that they would score something less than 4 in any game this season? It's been a really great start for Chelsea fans around here. They've high five'd- and said cheers almost each time the ref's whistle blew for full time this season.
Coming to the point after some digression as is my wont one too many times on this blog, Dimitar Berbatov is a legend. I have been one of those people who've always said "Dimi can't head the ball" and Dimi would be a better bet at the Chennai marathon each year than inside the 6 yard box. I remember reading in one of the post match reviews last weekend or so that Dimitar's Fleet Street name was soon to become 'Dimiflop Berbaflop'. Yea, you got it right. I read it at F365. Where else?
Back to the betting odds about Chelsea scoring fewer than 4 goals, when shall we see a difficult game for Chelsea this season? anytime before November? This has been an incredible fixture list for the blues and that is adding to the woes of the under-performing Uniteds and Arsenals. To include the fourth of the celebrated "Big 4" - for Loserfools as well. Though they surely look destined for a UEFA Cup qualification fixture once again, they still are a part of the celebrated Big 4 bandwagon and Chelsea are making life difficult for them too.
Cutting short on the tangent once again and coming to the main matter, a second scissor kick in as many matches. What's happened to that guy? For virtually the first time in his career as a Red Devil, Berbatov got a standing ovation when he walked off at the 84th minute after that brilliant hat trick. United fans have been waiting for this day patiently and as sages have pointed out time and again, patience is a virtue and sometime or the other, it is sure to bear fruit. I had goose bumps when the crowd roared as he walked out of the theater of dreams after accomplishing a feat that goes straight into the record books. 64 years after Stan Pearson did it, DimiTAR BerbaTOV scored a hat trick against United's biggest rivals.
It may have taken two years,
But Welcome to Manchester Mr Dimitar Berbatov!
Coming to the point after some digression as is my wont one too many times on this blog, Dimitar Berbatov is a legend. I have been one of those people who've always said "Dimi can't head the ball" and Dimi would be a better bet at the Chennai marathon each year than inside the 6 yard box. I remember reading in one of the post match reviews last weekend or so that Dimitar's Fleet Street name was soon to become 'Dimiflop Berbaflop'. Yea, you got it right. I read it at F365. Where else?
Back to the betting odds about Chelsea scoring fewer than 4 goals, when shall we see a difficult game for Chelsea this season? anytime before November? This has been an incredible fixture list for the blues and that is adding to the woes of the under-performing Uniteds and Arsenals. To include the fourth of the celebrated "Big 4" - for Loserfools as well. Though they surely look destined for a UEFA Cup qualification fixture once again, they still are a part of the celebrated Big 4 bandwagon and Chelsea are making life difficult for them too.
Cutting short on the tangent once again and coming to the main matter, a second scissor kick in as many matches. What's happened to that guy? For virtually the first time in his career as a Red Devil, Berbatov got a standing ovation when he walked off at the 84th minute after that brilliant hat trick. United fans have been waiting for this day patiently and as sages have pointed out time and again, patience is a virtue and sometime or the other, it is sure to bear fruit. I had goose bumps when the crowd roared as he walked out of the theater of dreams after accomplishing a feat that goes straight into the record books. 64 years after Stan Pearson did it, DimiTAR BerbaTOV scored a hat trick against United's biggest rivals.
It may have taken two years,
But Welcome to Manchester Mr Dimitar Berbatov!
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
Paul Scholes for Player of the Year!!
I rolled through the pages in this blog and was trying to find out how I have been gibbering around over the 2 years of writing. I noticed I have written very few posts about football, though about 5 hours of my day in general go by reading through football columns/watching football/discussing football with colleagues and friends. That came as a surprise to me. What was even more surprising was the fact that I haven't written about my love for Manchester United much either. For people who don't understand the seriousness of that thing, the depth to which my love for that Football Club goes can be understood by the fact that I am devising a strong plan to convince my future life partner to think of Manchester as a honeymoon destination. A trip to Old Trafford on the itinerary of course!
Manchester United became one real obsession for me because of this guy from school, who is coincidentally rubbing his shoulders against co-Man United fans at Old Trafford right now. Paul Scholes was the star of the then United team that he was vouching for. He showed videos and gave boring lectures about his genius and other such things.(the choice of the word boring is not a surprise because for a 'not-yet-a-football-fan', these lengthy sessions are sure act as sedatives.) But yea, I became a fan soon enough and went around shouting: my favorite player was Paul Scholes.
I know it is not any occasion to talk about Scholes right now since the time is not too right viz. he has not just hung his boots or won the ballon d'or or something of that sort recently. But his masterclass is the main talking point after the curtains went down for the all exciting Premier League season 2010-11. Ferguson selected the same front six - Valencia, Fletcher, Scholes, Nani, Berbatov and Rooney - for the opening-weekend clash with Birmingham last August. But Scholes yesterday didn't look like the Scholes then. A lot of media love-in is being bestowed on our 35 year old master. Paul Scholes for Player of the year? is a question that doesn't become too irrelevant. More so after having witnessed how Ryan Giggs won it last April after just 12 league appearances. In my opinion Scholes looks the best player in the league when he plays. But the thing to worry about is the fact that he starts only half the league games in any season. 38 in the last two combined - statistically. He hasn't featured in the tried and tested 4 man midfield games against top opposition. That's a fact I have to agree, but he is definitely a "pass master" like SAF put it after Monday's match. No doubting his vision and skills.
Scholes was an unused substitute in United's first loss last season against Burnley. He then returned to the starting line up for the ensuing weekend's match at Wigan. Which United won. 5-0. Go figure. Ok, after I have hyped up so much, I know what you are driving at. He cannot tackle and he has seemingly never realized that he cannot. Those are the two bad things about him. But which other English player in the last twenty years has controlled and decided games form the midfield better than Scholes?
Paul Scholes for Player of the Year!!! Anyone???
P.S : My blog clearly demanded some space for my favorite footballer and here I go. This one is for posterity. I'd definitely look back at this one after his career at United.
Manchester United became one real obsession for me because of this guy from school, who is coincidentally rubbing his shoulders against co-Man United fans at Old Trafford right now. Paul Scholes was the star of the then United team that he was vouching for. He showed videos and gave boring lectures about his genius and other such things.(the choice of the word boring is not a surprise because for a 'not-yet-a-football-fan', these lengthy sessions are sure act as sedatives.) But yea, I became a fan soon enough and went around shouting: my favorite player was Paul Scholes.
I know it is not any occasion to talk about Scholes right now since the time is not too right viz. he has not just hung his boots or won the ballon d'or or something of that sort recently. But his masterclass is the main talking point after the curtains went down for the all exciting Premier League season 2010-11. Ferguson selected the same front six - Valencia, Fletcher, Scholes, Nani, Berbatov and Rooney - for the opening-weekend clash with Birmingham last August. But Scholes yesterday didn't look like the Scholes then. A lot of media love-in is being bestowed on our 35 year old master. Paul Scholes for Player of the year? is a question that doesn't become too irrelevant. More so after having witnessed how Ryan Giggs won it last April after just 12 league appearances. In my opinion Scholes looks the best player in the league when he plays. But the thing to worry about is the fact that he starts only half the league games in any season. 38 in the last two combined - statistically. He hasn't featured in the tried and tested 4 man midfield games against top opposition. That's a fact I have to agree, but he is definitely a "pass master" like SAF put it after Monday's match. No doubting his vision and skills.
Scholes was an unused substitute in United's first loss last season against Burnley. He then returned to the starting line up for the ensuing weekend's match at Wigan. Which United won. 5-0. Go figure. Ok, after I have hyped up so much, I know what you are driving at. He cannot tackle and he has seemingly never realized that he cannot. Those are the two bad things about him. But which other English player in the last twenty years has controlled and decided games form the midfield better than Scholes?
Paul Scholes for Player of the Year!!! Anyone???
P.S : My blog clearly demanded some space for my favorite footballer and here I go. This one is for posterity. I'd definitely look back at this one after his career at United.
Thursday, 8 April 2010
Long time no see...but what a sad result that is supposed to be
After a long hiatus due to unavoidable reasons like disinterest, laziness, IPL, Football etc.. I am unable to control myself from penning down a few thoughts after Man United's shabby exit from the Champions League'10.
1. The risk that was involved in choosing to start Rafael backfired disastrously. Inexperience from him. The Neviller would have kept it 11 vs 11. But I am convinced the Germans enacted a stage play to influence the referee into the booking. It was 35 yards from goal and not many referees would have decided to hand the red.
2. Franck Ribery is not worth 45 million by any standards. He looked like a pot of shit.
3. Sir Alex would rue the miss in the signing of Arjen Robben when he was unsettled at Chelsea.
4. Carrick took a huge role in both the goals that the Germans scored and was instrumental in assisting them. He did that in great fashion. He has repeatedly shown he is not the United class in any sense. Pack him off please and where the hell is that man Hargreaves?
5. Could Nani be the next sensation at Manchester? He looks to be emulating Ronaldo in the build up to a bright United career.
6. Starting Rooney as a surprise was a tactically bold move and surely inflicted a moral defeat to the germans even before the game. But after 3 - 0 up at 40'' and while the lad is limping heavily and the rest are not passing to him, where the hell is the doubt? It was clearly time to remove him. United were rest assured at that point and were playing some good football only to lose the chances because their forward was limping.
7. Having criticized Rafael for his imbecile act, it should not be forgotten that he scared the shit out of Ribery and gave him no space whatsoever. His excellence in having achieved that in the 50 minutes that he played was one major reason the germans surrounded the referee.
8. So Sans Ronaldo what we can win is the Carling Cup only?
9. England is out of the Champions league with that result and what does it explain? Sir Alex, Wenger, Benitez..can you please stop selling the best players from the league? Ronaldo, Alonso, Flamini.....
10. How good will it feel to be a Barcelona fan right now? The only possible threat to their successive triumphs has been brushed aside. Now what?The catalans can go and party. It is in the bag already!
11. Olic has the kind of face that you feel like punching till it gets out of shape. He is such a sore in the eyes of a United fan. Sigh!!
12. This result is a lesson to Fleet Street because that explains to them..There are really good teams outside England and specifically out of London.
13. And finally, let's not try to hide facts...Messi is the best player in the world by a mile and if any english team wants to contend that fact, I don't see any ray of hope. It is plain on paper. English football is on the decline.
Having said that, I wouldn't stop supporting England for the World Cup this year, I am hopeful...Fabio Capello can turn it around...
1. The risk that was involved in choosing to start Rafael backfired disastrously. Inexperience from him. The Neviller would have kept it 11 vs 11. But I am convinced the Germans enacted a stage play to influence the referee into the booking. It was 35 yards from goal and not many referees would have decided to hand the red.
2. Franck Ribery is not worth 45 million by any standards. He looked like a pot of shit.
3. Sir Alex would rue the miss in the signing of Arjen Robben when he was unsettled at Chelsea.
4. Carrick took a huge role in both the goals that the Germans scored and was instrumental in assisting them. He did that in great fashion. He has repeatedly shown he is not the United class in any sense. Pack him off please and where the hell is that man Hargreaves?
5. Could Nani be the next sensation at Manchester? He looks to be emulating Ronaldo in the build up to a bright United career.
6. Starting Rooney as a surprise was a tactically bold move and surely inflicted a moral defeat to the germans even before the game. But after 3 - 0 up at 40'' and while the lad is limping heavily and the rest are not passing to him, where the hell is the doubt? It was clearly time to remove him. United were rest assured at that point and were playing some good football only to lose the chances because their forward was limping.
7. Having criticized Rafael for his imbecile act, it should not be forgotten that he scared the shit out of Ribery and gave him no space whatsoever. His excellence in having achieved that in the 50 minutes that he played was one major reason the germans surrounded the referee.
8. So Sans Ronaldo what we can win is the Carling Cup only?
9. England is out of the Champions league with that result and what does it explain? Sir Alex, Wenger, Benitez..can you please stop selling the best players from the league? Ronaldo, Alonso, Flamini.....
10. How good will it feel to be a Barcelona fan right now? The only possible threat to their successive triumphs has been brushed aside. Now what?The catalans can go and party. It is in the bag already!
11. Olic has the kind of face that you feel like punching till it gets out of shape. He is such a sore in the eyes of a United fan. Sigh!!
12. This result is a lesson to Fleet Street because that explains to them..There are really good teams outside England and specifically out of London.
13. And finally, let's not try to hide facts...Messi is the best player in the world by a mile and if any english team wants to contend that fact, I don't see any ray of hope. It is plain on paper. English football is on the decline.
Having said that, I wouldn't stop supporting England for the World Cup this year, I am hopeful...Fabio Capello can turn it around...
Monday, 9 November 2009
The Forum that is worthwhile
From now on, I have decided I would bring the most hilarious set of comments on The Football365 Forum after every match week to this space for the benefit of 'Football Freaky' readers of this blog.
Here is the latest one after the highly anticipated ManU - Chelsea clash
"- A Man Utd team that is meant to be out of form and grinding out results played the better football than Chelsea. This is a Chelsea team that is meant to be cutting through every team that stands in their path. Man Utd will hold no worries about the rest of the season. Undoubtedly as the season gets to Christmas, Utd will hit their stride. 5 point gap or not, Fergie will still fancy his team's chances.
- John Terry must be wearing Jamie Carragher's lucky pants because he can now haul Valencia down in the box. The rest of the world calls that a penalty. A referee at Stamford Bridge doesn't call it anything!
- Deco is crap. Playing good against Bolton is not an achievement. When John O'Shea is playing better than you, it's time to consider retirement or playing in Italy.
- Jamie Redknapp needs to sack his tailor. He is wearing the tightest trousers on Earth every time Sky do coverage and if he eats anything with a single calorie in it, they will split open on live TV.
- Obertan looks like a much better buy than Nani. I know that is like saying "Sleeping with Megan Fox is better than sleeping with Vanessa Feltz" but Obertan could still be a flop. But he came on, linked up intelligently, showed a few tricks that were productive and not show pony-esque. It might be too much to hope but Utd might finally have a genuine successor to Giggs on the left wing.
- Carrick must be dreading the return of Hargreaves. Fletcher and Anderson are clearly ahead of him and rightly so. They both offer more energy, arguably better passing and more power. Hargreaves fully fit and Carrick may find himself reduced to Carling Cup & FA Cup games.
- And finally...Johnny Evans should be knighted. Any man who wins a header against Drogba whilst drop kicking him in the chest deserves the nation's respect. Especially when he gets away with it!"
Here is the latest one after the highly anticipated ManU - Chelsea clash
"- A Man Utd team that is meant to be out of form and grinding out results played the better football than Chelsea. This is a Chelsea team that is meant to be cutting through every team that stands in their path. Man Utd will hold no worries about the rest of the season. Undoubtedly as the season gets to Christmas, Utd will hit their stride. 5 point gap or not, Fergie will still fancy his team's chances.
- John Terry must be wearing Jamie Carragher's lucky pants because he can now haul Valencia down in the box. The rest of the world calls that a penalty. A referee at Stamford Bridge doesn't call it anything!
- Deco is crap. Playing good against Bolton is not an achievement. When John O'Shea is playing better than you, it's time to consider retirement or playing in Italy.
- Jamie Redknapp needs to sack his tailor. He is wearing the tightest trousers on Earth every time Sky do coverage and if he eats anything with a single calorie in it, they will split open on live TV.
- Obertan looks like a much better buy than Nani. I know that is like saying "Sleeping with Megan Fox is better than sleeping with Vanessa Feltz" but Obertan could still be a flop. But he came on, linked up intelligently, showed a few tricks that were productive and not show pony-esque. It might be too much to hope but Utd might finally have a genuine successor to Giggs on the left wing.
- Carrick must be dreading the return of Hargreaves. Fletcher and Anderson are clearly ahead of him and rightly so. They both offer more energy, arguably better passing and more power. Hargreaves fully fit and Carrick may find himself reduced to Carling Cup & FA Cup games.
- And finally...Johnny Evans should be knighted. Any man who wins a header against Drogba whilst drop kicking him in the chest deserves the nation's respect. Especially when he gets away with it!"
Monday, 27 April 2009
Gimme a Break!!!
Round Up - Last Weekend
United are awarded "a controversial penalty" one week after they were denied a stonewall pen against Everton, which cost them their place in the FA Cup final. They then go on to play the best football United fans have seen all season scoring a further four goals. They win 5-2. Yet for some reason the media claim Howard Webb has handed us the title, with no mention of Liverpool's good fortune a few hours earlier.
Liverpool are the media darlings, whilst Manchester United have to settle for being Champions. It's a hard life.
PS : Extract from the mailbox @f365
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
Manchester United !!! Football freaks Read On
Chanced upon this article. This was written by someone just after Man United won the UCL finals against Chelsea last year. It’s a good read, irrespective of the club you support. Enjoy.
Yesterday I saw Man United win the 2nd UCL final in my life. I did not believe it when they won it the first time. Neither did I believe it when they won it again yesterday.
I have been following United from my school days. Although United hadn’t won a major title post-’68, they were still rated as the most famous club in the world! They were famous as George Best (the only player – allegedly – whom Pele rated higher than himself) played at Old Trafford for 11 years. They became the first English club to win the UCL. They were the first English club to have three European Footballers of the Year (’64, ‘66’, ’68 – Law, Charlton, Best). They were the most well known brand in the world!
My friends (in the late eighties) used to support Tottenham (they were good those days), Everton (they won the league once in the eighties) and Liverpool (they towered with 10 titles between ’76 and ’90). Doordarshan did not use to telecast live European soccer matches. But we used to sometime capture live feeds from Bangladesh TV using something called abooster (can you believe it – soccer matches being telecast not in India but in BangladeshJ) and see them. I used to read paper clippings from The Telegraph (Calcutta) and find out about United’s performances.
United had their issues. They were reluctant to play non-British/non-Isles players and were focussed on playing the players of their academy. While Keegan, Platini, Rummenigge, Rossi, Matthaeus, Voller and Klinsmann dominated European club football, I kept on seeing United losing in crucial matches. There were times when I felt that I was let down by United. I lost my face to my friends at school (I used to study in a school run by Irish Catholics and was therefore privy to a lot of sports that dominated the Anglosphere). My friends (in the late eighties) used to support Tottenham (they were good those days), Everton (they won the league twice in the eighties) and Liverpool (they towered with 10 titles between ’76 and ’90). My friends jeered me about United and said that Best was passé and that United were not the best!
In the nineties, something changed. Despite losing a nail-biting season to Leads United in ’91-‘92, I saw United spark. Ferguson not only instilled a sense of belief in them but also strategically acquired Eric Cantona from Leads United. In ’92-‘93 (when I moved out of school) United won their first title after 26 years. Young guns such as Giggs, Scholes, the two Nevilles and Beckham fired. And Cantona ruled. I could not believe that they had finally won. I wished that my school friends were around!
Cantona mesmerised me (in his 5 years at United he won 4 EPLs and 2 FA Cups). I remember that on many occasions United used to win 1-0. A moment of brilliance from Cantona - and they used to go 1-0 up. And then they used to shut the opposition out. They became so good at this that they kept on winning EPLs with effortless ease! Except for Blackburn in ’95 and Arsenal in ’98 no one challenged them in the nineties. Cantona instilled a sense of self-belief in long-time United supporters such as myself. When Cantona left United in ’97, the year I joined Infosys, I was aghast and shocked. I felt that the definitely needed him to win the UCL (United had messed up against Dortmund in the UCL semis). But he had done the trick. Keane and company took over. United were the most famous and the richest club in the world for long. Now, they took a step towards becoming the best.
I saw United beat Munich in ‘99 (after trailing for 91 minutes) in injury time by virtue of goals from Sheringham (the blond bloke in the Ten Sports commentary Box yesterday) and Solkskjaer in the 91st and 93rd minute. I think that was one of most heart-breaking losses for any major team (even the ’70 World Cup semi-final between Italy and West Germany would pale to insignificance). Even after the match I failed to discern the truth from the make-believe. I could not believe that United had become the best in Europe.
Time passed by. I went out of the country for nearly 7 years and saw United lose two more titles to Arsenal in ’02 and ’04. And then the Abhramovic-powered Chelsea took over. They grabbed United by the scruff of their necks and hurled them to the corner of a boxing ring. Chelsea’s power and wealth dominated the proceedings. Suddenly, a club, that hadn’t had a title in 50 years, won two back-to-back EPLs and almost won the UCL twice. Football became demonic and clinical. I was scared. United kept on playing their youngsters and allowed Nistelrooy to leave. United did not even finish second! Chelsea’s stars outshone everyone. Truly, Mourinho was the special one. He delivered a style of football in which you won by playing with surgical precision and using the mind of a strategy consultant! Football became formula-based and a power-game. Maradona, Cruyff, Pele and Best would not survive in that mode of football.
But I did not see United changing their style of functioning. They could not match Chelsea and Arsenal in those two years. They relied on their academy-based players and kept on recruiting and targetting the English and Isles players. And they kept on losing! And I used to get easily frustrated with Ferguson’s tactics in those years. I felt that United could never stop the Chelsea juggernaut. Chelsea were richer and had better players. In short Chelsea had everything that United lacked. And funds were scarce at United as the Glazers performed a leveraged buy-out to take control. Like most United fans, I was shocked! But I kept on being optimistic. I hoped that Ferguson would deliver as he did so in the nineties. Keep the Faith – I told myself.
United played well - at times Ronaldo played with bewildering guile. At times, I detested him. But come ’07, United started pushing things. As their young team matured, they started calling the shots. I think that United believed for the first time that they could win the EPL despite Abrahamovic, Mourinho and the Chelsea superstars. I did not believe it myself. But I felt that United did. As they delivered the killing blow on Chelsea’s dreams by winning it in ’07 in Mourinho’s tenure, I was convinced about football again. And I realised that they would do well in Europe despite their injured team losing to Milan in the UCL semis.
United became confident. They played brilliantly at times and yet won matches even when they played ordinarily. I think that that is the hallmark of a great team. Of course Chelsea’s internal turmoil and uncanny focus on the UCL and Arsenal’s insistence on playing super-attractive soccer and failure to deliver in the finishing third superbly helped United’s cause! But I was reassured of something that became evident when United won the UCL yesterday.
You can still play with your heart and win in life. United did not win this season because of their tactics. They won it because of their heart. United may not win the UCL again in the coming 21 years. I don’t care. They may never break Liverpool’s record in the EPL or Madrid’s record in the UCL. It does not matter to me. My club is the best in the world again. But most importantly, they became so by not compromising on their tradition, philosophy, attitude or flair. In days of extreme depression, I felt that my club’s football lifted my spirits. In days of lost causes, a United victory helped me stave off the vagaries of life. At crucial moments of my life, my club helped me live. I hope supporters of all clubs have such sterling moments in their lives. My club inspired me to aspire for the extraordinary. My club taught me to be optimistic in the lowest ebbs of my life. My club told me that there was still hope for the regular Joe in the world. Yesterday, I became a bit hopeful about life again!
I love Manchester United. I salute Manchester United. I live for Manchester United.
- From a Manchester United supporter of more than twenty years! We are not blue-blooded. The colour of our blood is RED.
Great Article. Not all people would agree here. But a treat to all Manchester United Fans nevertheless...
!!!
P.S : Post forwarded by Prashant Sahu (Indeed a RED!!!)
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