United Takes A Step Back

Wigan 1 - Manchester United 0
Scorer
Wigan: Maloney (50)


Team: De Gea, Rio, Evans, Jones, Evra, Carrick, Giggs, Young (Cleverley 46), Valencia, Rooney (Nani 65), Hernandez (Welbeck 58)

I don't even know where or how to start. We were so bad it's actually worth mentioning. As poor as the result was, we were even poorer. As much as I want us to win the title, there is a little part in me that hope we don't.

We need to be exposed to just what a terrible team we are. All this talk of staying dominant domestically is just rubbish. It has to be clear to everyone and anyone that we can no longer compete in Europe and the only reason why we're still top of this league is because everyone is as poor, if not poorer than we are.

Today's game was just shocking. If Carrick continues to play a prominant role next season, it will just signal a clear intention that we are standing pat and refusing to acknowledge what everyone can already see. He and Giggs were turnstiles. Everyone in blue was having a field day with them in the middle of the park. Rio and Evans had to work extra hard without any cover from the two in front of them.

As for Giggs, it's also becoming apparent that his game will show in the first 15-20 mins. If he starts well, he usually continues along that vein. However, if like today, he starts poorly, he just disappears. Ferguson made a huge tactical error by not removing Giggs today.

The team on the whole was just ridiculously drunk over the weekend results. Everyone played like they had a massive hangover from Sunday. Well, newsflash, after today's results, we're back to where the last two games did not matter. Granted we're still in pole position, but there are no easy fixtures in the EPL. The good thing is that we have 3 home games against teams that have nothing to fight for.

On a last note, I really hope Wigan survives.

Berbatov Christmas Reminder

Manchester United 5 - Wigan 0
Scorers
Manchester United: Park (8), Berbatov (41, 58, pen 78), Valencia (75)


Red Card
Wigan: Sammon (40)


Team: Lindegaard, Evans (Fryers 46), Carrick, Valencia, Evra, Gibson, Giggs (Macheda 64), Park, Nani (Rooney 64), Berbatov, Hernandez

Berbatov must be enjoying his holidays. After scoring the fifth goal against Fulham, he was rewarded with a rare start for last season's top scorer and he reminded everyone why and how he acquired that accolade with a hattrick.

As much as his goal grabbing prowess go, it has also been a microism of his career at Old Trafford: he hardly scores when it matters. By the time he grabbed his first goal in the 41st minute, Wigan were one down to a Park goal and a man down. We were already cruising and the result was never in doubt once Phil Dowd brandished the red card to Conor Sammon. The card was harsh and it rather killed and chances of a Wigan revival.

The second half was mostly a one-sided affair as we continued to pound the Wigan goal as Berbatov grabbed his hattrick and Valencia added another to finish off with a handsome 5-0 scoreline. Carrick was marvelous as a make-shift centreback and we finished the game playing with 4 strikers and only 2 recognised defenders in Evra and Fryers. Yup, there was some weird shit going on at Old Trafford.

As great as the result was, the bigger and more significant news came from The Hawthorns where WBA hosted the table toppers, Shitty. WBA held the bad guys goalless and all of a sudden we're level on points, sharing the summit as the year turns. Bloody hell, if we get anything against Blackburn this weekend, we'd be looking to bloody top the table into 2012! And we'd be doing it with a gimpy looking backline! To think a few weeks back, we were 8 points behind and Shitty were playing like they were going to run far away with it and not look back.

Don't know about you guys, but I'm actually somewhere between a state of shock and one step into the twilight zone right now. If the world does indeed end in 2012, I'm proud to say I've lived!

Clinical Finishing Wins The Day

Wigan 0 - Manchester United 4
Scorers
Manchester United: Hernandez (17, 74) Rooney (84), Fabio (87)

Team: Van der Sar, Vidic, Smalling, O'Shea, Evra, Carrick, Scholes (Gibson 77), Fletcher, Nani (Fabio 85), Rooney, Hernandez (Berbatov 77)

Wigan were the slightly better team for 74 minutes, then Hernandez struck with his second goal of the night to seal the win. He scored early in the first half with a clinical strike after some good work from both Rooney and Nani.

United floundered after scoring the initial goal and played rather nonchalantly, allowing Wigan to play their passing gaming. Van der Sar kept the home team at bay with 3 crucial saves before Rooney set Hernandez off with only the keeper to beat and took all 3 points for the team. We'd be missing Van der Sar when he hangs up his boots at the end of the season.

Berbatov came on for Hernandez and he provided the tap-in for Rooney for the third. It was very unselfish play by Berbatov to find Rooney. He could have taken the shot himself but instead rewarded Rooney for a lung-bursting run into the box. With his play serverely threatened by the scoring prowess of Hernandez, he showed that 'team' glory was all that mattered.

Fabio scored his first goal for the team to put the icing on the cake.

We weren't exactly the better team for much of the game, but the difference between the teams was the quality we exhibited upfront when it mattered. It was a superb display of finishing where all our frontmen contributed.

Midweek - Chelsea....bring it on.

United Beat Nine Men Wigan

Manchester United 2 - Wigan 0
Scorers
Manchester United: Evra (45), Hernandez (77)

Red Cards
Wigan: Alcaraz (59), Rodallega (62)

Team: Van der Sar, Rio, Vidic, Rafael, Evra, Fletcher, Carrick (Hernandez 65), Park (Scholes 56), Obertan, Nani, Macheda (Rooney 56)

Life doesn't get easier when you're at the wrong end of the table. Wigan started the brighter of the two teams but found themselves 2 men and 2 goals down when the final whistle blew. With the result, we suddenly found ourselves sharing top spot with Chelsea in a strange weekend that saw both Chelsea and Arsenal lose. Both losses come in surprising fashion. Chelsea hardly loses, but they've lost twice in successive weeks. And Arsenal lost at home against hated rivals Spurs after going 2-zip up at half time.

Meanwhile we struggled against unfancied Wigan at home and were a tad bit fortunate to be up at half time with a well taken header by Evra right at the stroke of half time. Up to that point, we never looked like scoring. It was a poor poor performance and we struggled to string a couple of passes together. The team was disjointed and unmotivated. Yet Park somehow found space on the right side of the pitch to swing in a cross for his best friend in a United jersey to head home the lead.

The half time team talk didn't improve the way we played. Ferguson's team talk in the dressing room did nothing to spur the players to a higher level of play. Martin Atkinson decided to give the men in red an advantage and sent Alcaraz for a second bookable offense on Fletcher. On hindsight, it was a poor poor decision that decided the fate of Wigan. Alcaraz barely touched Fletcher, but the decision stood.

To compound matters, Rodallega jumped into a two-footed challenge on Rafael barely three minutes later that saw Wigan reduced to 9 men. Surely now with a two man advantage and almost half an hour to go, we'd be seeing a red tide rise to overwhelm the Wigan defense.

But our play was so poor and so laboured that the avalanche of goals we were expecting didn't materialize. Even with a 2-men advantage, we were, quite frankly, awful. The United of the past would have passed Wigan to death...and then somemore. This version of the United was just terrible.

We did eventually kill the game off late, but that was mostly due to Wigan's overworked defense finally falling apart and not really our killer instinct taking over. We were just so shockingly poor, spurning chance after chance. There is just no creativity, no killer pass to beat our opponents anymore. The never-say-die spirit is still there, but it's about the only thing left.

That said, we're somehow sitting pretty, unbeaten, with Chelsea at the summit of the table. This has been one crazy season so far.

Oh and Rooney's back in the team. Ho hum.

Same Opponent, Same Score

Manchester United 5 - Wigan 0
Scorers
Manchester United: Rooney (28), Carrick (32), Rafael (45), Berbatov (50), Valencia (75)

Team: Kuszczak, Brown, Vidic (Anderson 68), Rafael, Evra (Fabio 68), Carrick, Fletcher, Park, Valencia, Berbatov (Welbeck 68), Rooney

5-star performance from the lads at long last. This is how we remember our team playing. The question now is can we maintain this level of football for the rest of the season.

Right from the kickoff, we were playing some breathtaking football. And for a good 28 minutes, the Wigan net was leading a charmed life. The post was struck, tackles were made and shots were parried.

It could very have been one of those nights where you'd remember the one that got away. But tonight was not one of those nights. Facing his old team, Valencia played one of his best games in the red jersey.

I'm not going into details of each goal at 6am in the morning, but every goal was worth its weight in gold. Valencia had a hand in 3 and rounded off a fine fine performance by scoring the last one. Special mention should also go to Rafael for a superb individual goal.

I know I've been pretty down on the team lately, but if they can match up to even 50% of what they did today in any sort of consistancy, there maybe a hope of actually going into the record books as the team to win 4 titles on the trot.

This was just one awesome performance.

United Answers Critics With Five In Second Half

Wigan 0 - Manchester United 5
Scorers
Manchester United: Rooney (56, 65), Berbatov (58), Owen (85), Nani (90)

Team: Foster, Evans (O'Shea 72), Vidic, Neville, Evra, Fletcher, Scholes (Gibson 72), Nani, Valencia, Berbatov, Rooney (Owen 72)

United answered the critics to their horrid performance at the midweek in devastating fashion, smashing 5 past Wigan at the newly named JW Stadium (formerly JJB Stadium).

The first half was a typical United game, plenty of possession but terribly goal-shy. Our best chances fell to Fletcher and then subsequently Scholes, but both missed horribly. Wigan had their chances but good defending and Foster kept the game scoreless.

United sprung to life in the second half, with Rooney notching up his century for the club in emphatic fashion with a header in the top left hand corner. Berbatov, who has been ridiculously hardworking on the night scored a beautiful individual goal, first deftly lifting the ball beyond the Wigan keeper then volleying the ball into the net.

It wasn't long before Wigan wondered what hit them when Rooney twisted and turned in the box, unleashing a shot that deflected into the net giving the good guys a 3-0 lead.

With a commanding lead, Ferguson decided to give the two-goal hero a rest along with veteran Scholes, bringing on Owen to shoulder the scoring load. And he didn't disappoint. In a trademark turn and spin move, Owen cleared himself of the defense and scored United's fourth in the 85th minute.

Nani got into the celebration with good freekick to exocise the ghost of Ronaldo. In all, this was the best answer to all the naysayers, myself included.

However, at the same time, this is also our biggest problem. As mentioned in previous posts, our strikers are going to get their share of the goals, but we need more than that to mount a sustained campaigned. Everyone needs to contribute to the shortfall left by Ronaldo and Tevez. As evident in the first half, our midfielders are still unable to fill the deficit when the chances present themselves. We need to be more clinical and more efficient in front of goal. Not everyday we're going to face a team that's going to present us a boatload of chances.

But let's keep those worries for another day. Today is a day to celebrate a great victory, and let's enjoy it while we can.

Sign Him Up, Fergie

Wigan 1 - Manchester United 2
Scorers
Wigan: Rodallega (28)
Manchester United: Tevez (60), Carrick (86)

Team: Van der Sar, Vidic, Evans, O'Shea, Evra, Scholes (Giggs 75), Carrick, Anderson (Tevez 58), Ronaldo, Rooney, Berbatov (Park 89)

Wow! What an exciting finish. Tevez was once again the spark that we needed to get back into the game.

Under the torrid downpour, we kept slipping and sliding around the pitch. Even a change of footwear didn't help Vidic stay on his feet, and while he was sprawned on the ground challenging for the ball, Rodallega took advantage, scoring on Van der Sar's near post. The Colombian has really impressed me playing upfront alone.

We were pretty terrible in the first half, spurning a couple of good chances early in the game, before Vidic's slip. To be fair to him, no one could keep their feet under the wet and slippery conditions all night. Both sets of players were engaged in a comedy of errors on the ball, a comedy, we United fans didn't find very funny.

The beginning of the second half was more of the same. Fergie probably had seen enough and sent on Carlitos who made an immediate impact. He redirected Carrick's wayward shot into the Wigan net, drawing us level.

Rooney was too far left to do any damage and Berbatov was often tracking back into midfield to collect the ball. Meanwhile, Ronaldo was simply trying his best to imitate my godson's terrible tantrums, and doing a mightily good job outta it too. The game needed an injection of energy and enthusiasm, and Tevez's introduction provided that. Dodgy deal or not, Ferguson's has got to recognise what Tevez brings to this team.

The dramatics of the night was completed with Carrick scoring a late goal to pull us closer to the finishline.

All we need now is a single point in our last two home games. The title's virtually in the bag. But in order to complete the job, we need to really focus on the task at hand. We nearly didn't gather all 3 points today because some of the players were too busy dreaming of the Champions League finals, thinking that the job is already done. Ferguson needs to refocus the troops and get our priorities right.

United Catches Wigan Napping

Manchester United 1 - Wigan 0
Scorer
Manchester United: Rooney (1)

Team: Van der Sar, Vidic, Evans, O'Shea, Rafael, Scholes (Fletcher 86), Carrick, Nani (Anderson 60), Ronaldo, Rooney (Tevez 8), Berbatov

We took another significant step towards our third consecutive title doing just enough to put off an in-form Wigan side that showed plenty spunk and promise. Daisy (or is it Dolly? I can never tell them apart and google/wiki sheds no answers either) has done a wonderful job since taking over the Latics.

We scored our goal early in the 1st minute while Wigan were still in the team huddle. Ronaldo broke off on the right and fed Rooney with a good cross. Rooney's goal was the only one in a game where both defenses stood out.

It's a bitter sweet victory for me. It's been sometime since we scored an early goal (before the 15th minute) and I was just about to use this post to go on one of my usual rants about it. Then up pops Rooney to play the role of spoiler. Curiously, that was the sweet part.

Having taken an early lead, we failed completely to play the game, let alone build on it. We allowed Wigan the time and space to play their game. To compound matters, we were guilty of giving the ball away in alarming frequency in the first half. Thankfully Vidic and his merry men were in fine form yet again.

Another worrying sign, along side our distinct lack of goals (again), was that Rooney seems to have pulled his hamstring. He was replaced by Tevez early in the game. Neither Tevez nor Berbatov made any positive contribution to the game. Well, at least Tevez worked his socks off trying to make an impression. While Berbatov joined the other Spurs alumni fading into the Old Trafford background.

Whatever the case, it makes this weekend's fixture against Bolton at the Reebok so much more difficult. Should we prevail, we will top the table for a good 48hrs before Pool plays.

In other news, United is scheduled to play in Malaysia and Indonesia in the summer. If time permits, I'm thinking of making a short trip down to KL to catch the game. Time to wrestle a few elbows to get free tickets from some journalist friends.....

Last but not least, here are some photos sent to me by Antonio on her trip to Old Trafford and Gigg Lane a month back. It got to me while I was having a whale of a time in Beijing, so sorry for the late acknowledgement. ;o)

Photos

Champions! United Wins No. 17!

Wigan 0 - Manchester United 2
Scorers
Manchester United: Ronaldo (pen 33), Giggs (80)

Team: Van der Sar, Rio, Vidic, Brown, Evra, Scholes (Hargreaves 67), Carrick, Park (Giggs 68), Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez

Giggs scored the vital second goal late in the game to win the Premiership title for United. It was fitting that he rounded up the scoring after coming on as a substitute, equalling Sir Bobby Charlton's United appearance of 758 games. We had to withstand some nervous moments in the game, holding on to Ronaldo's dubious penalty in the first half.

Ly, Kentona and myself decided to catch this game together at Cow's place, whilst dicussing if we should make the trip to Moscow on the 21st (yes, we're nuts). The discussion came to an abrupt end when according to reliable sources, the ticket prices had escalated to 3000 euros on the blackmarket!!!! Then there was also the additional problem of getting accomodation. Apparently the hotels were fully booked on that night, much in line with the rumours that Abramobitch had made numerous high profile bookings. Although Ly swears by the authenticity of his source, it sounds terribly dubious to me. Then again, he works in a travel related industry and I'm not.

Speaking of dubious, today's referee, Steve Bennett, was making an uncharactistically high number of them. But I really shouldn't be complaining, since most of them went our way, especially in the first half.

Wigan started the game brightly, or rather, we started the game poorly. Perhaps it was nerves, but we were quite awful. Scholes was on a one man mission to get himself sent off. He was lunging himself in every tackle and with the game barely a 15 minutes gone, he had already earned himself a yellow. Had Bennett had any balls, Scholes could've seen a second for an ugly elbow on Palacios. He was a lucky lucky man today.

Rio then handled the ball in the area and there was no call from the referee. Again we got away. Perhaps it was going to be our day afterall.

On the other end of the pitch, Boyce lunged wildly at Rooney and Bennett pointed to the spot. It looked terribly harsh on the replay. Rooney was going for the ball but probably wasn't really in control. Terribly dubious penalty to award.

Ronaldo stepped up and scored. It wasn't a beauty and had Kirkland moved in the right direction, it would've been saved. It was a nervous penalty. We were in the lead and the title was ours to lose. That's all that mattered.

In truth, it was just what the doctor ordered. Wigan were having the better of the exchanges and gaining the upper hand.

We had the better spell early in the second half, coming close on a couple of occasions. Scholes should've gotten a penalty, but Steve Bennett swallowed his whistle. I suppose this is a reflection of how the league was won. On hindsight there have been decisions that have gone against us, but over the course of the season, it evened itself out.

Slowly but surely, Steve Bruce's men got back into the game and were really beginning to look menacing. They had a couple of close attempts that caused some really nervy moments in out penalty area. This was made especially so after the news filtering into the stadium was that Chelsea were leading against Bolton.

Fergie threw on Hargreaves for Scholes and Giggs for Park. Tevez was a bag of nerves, giving the ball away everytime he touched it. Ronaldo was no better. In fact he was that whiny kid 3 years ago that we all hated. The only guy playing with a generous bag of balls upfront was Rooney.

And it was only fitting that he made the all important pass to a wide wide open Giggs to score the all important second goal. Wigan's defenders were all over the place for a good 5 seconds, allowing Giggs all the time, space and room to receive the pass.

That goal in the last ten minutes was the ritalin we all needed for both fans and players. We hung on calmly and strolled to the finish line. Over at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea drew with Bolton in the dying seconds.

It was a job well done against a tough opponent today. Wigan pushed us to the limits today but we prevailed.

It was a job well done against a tough rival over the course of the season. Chelsea pushed us to the limits and made this victory all the more sweeter.

We're now just one title away from levelling Liverpool's haul, and it would give me immerse pleasure if we can even things up next season. But before even looking that far, we have a very important game in 10 days time. Another chance to close the gap against Liverpool as the best in England.

Tevez Leads Rout Against Latics (Manchester United 4 - Wigan 0)

United's already packed treatment table had to endure more load after today's game. Already losing Carrick to a mid-week elbow fracture, tissue-boy (Saha) did himself no favours when he hurt himself during the warm-up to today's game.

Once again in an absolutely crazy weekend where there was only one 3pm kickoff (and we're not on that list yet again), we had an early kickoff. And what it meant was that Kentona and I had to spend a mini-fortune bringing our better halves for another expensive prawning trip just to catch the game in peace.

In a first half plagued by injuries to both Vidic and O'Shea, we had little to show for. Their replacements Anderson and Danny Simpson showed what little depth and experience we had left in reserve. With further injury scares to both Evra and Pique, Kentona and I were left wondering what else we had to offer from the bench. Thankfully we were playing one of the worst away teams in the form of Wigan. Had the competition been any stiffer, we could have paid the price for our lack of imagination going forward.

Ferguson must have given the blow-dryer treatment during half time, coz when the teams returned in the second half, there was a determined attempt to blow the opponents away. Giggs hit the crossbar with a rasping shot that brought out the Oohs and Aahs from the crowd.

Then Anderson threaded a wonderful pass for Tevez to chase. Not known for his pace, Tevez shown strength holding Kilbane to get to the ball, guile to cut inside Bramble and skill to go around Kirkland before coolly firing the ball into the net. It was a goal to be behold. Classy.

With the first goal scored, the weight was lifted off the shoulders of the United players. Confidence was oozing back into the players and it wasn't long before the second goal was scored. Kirkland was only able to palm away a Giggs' shot onto the path of Ronaldo who was lurking in the far post. Ronaldo gleefully nodded it into an empty net.

The Latics were beaten and they knew it. Ronaldo added a third after Rooney beautifully crossed a ball from the left. It was set on a platter for Ronaldo.

Rooney finished off the rout when Simpson, who was largely ignored on the right, swung in an inch perfect cross for him to head home.

While I wouldn't exactly say that the free-scoring United of last season was back, but this is a good start. For large parts of the first half, we had trouble breaking down the opponents but once Tevez scored the first goal, there was going to be one outcome. All it needed was the confidence to return.

The good thing is that the next game is 2 weeks away. Hopefully some of the walking wounded will return before we face a tough Villa side away.