The old Man Utd Thread

[Gabzy]

Just...fantastic Chelsea were completely out of sorts for 90% of the match though, it was very strange. Full credit to our team though, they all performed really well and I thought Vidic was our MotM, great header for the important first goal and nothing got past him in defense. Awesome.

[Poppalarge]

Chelsea seemed very poor. They're positioning around the pitch seemed a bit bizzarre and Drogba was awful.

[Trigg]

Fantastic result, team selection was spot on. We may have been out numbered in midfield but we certainly didn't lose that battle. Giggs was brilliant, in both attack and defence and Fletch did his harassing job in midfield without being spectacular. I think everyone had a cracking game tbh, Ronaldo looked a lot fresher and sharper and always looked a threat but for me Vidic was a man mountain.

Absolutely out-fucking-standing he was!

Hopefully we can kick on now and I get a feeling its actually ours to lose, we look quite a bit better than the other contenders have done in recent weeks.

[shewasmadeofchimps]

He said disturbed, not deranged.

Yeah sorry. I half heard it on the radio. Still beautifully dismissal. Fergie firmly in the driving seat.

Brilliant performance today, about time we started playing like a team again. Ronaldo was probably our poorest performer, he still doesn't seem quite with it. Giggs, Vidic and Evra were all outstanding. This should kickstart the season for us.

I thought it was Ronaldo's best game in ages. He played with a lot of purpose and end-product, a lot less faffing about thinking he is the team than in recent weeks.

[Liamness]

I'm going to be silly now and say come the end of February, we'll be top of the league. Seems like the kind of result to go off on a run of form from.

From the commentary it sounded like Ronaldo did a great job, keeping Ashley Cole occupied, creating opportunities and stretching the play. It sounds like Rooney could've got himself sent off, but oh well. Can't wait to see his goal all the same. I hope Giggs doesn't retire at the end of this season. He's wonderful in a central role, and his delivery is incredible sometimes. He gets the ball in places no-one else can.

[moss]

I'm going to be silly now and say come the end of February, we'll be top of the league. Seems like the kind of result to go off on a run of form from.

That's not so silly; the way the fixtures are set up, we could be top by Saturday.

[Mr Do 71]

What a really sweet victory that was, especially after Rafa Friday! That really was a solid performance from all our plays, especially from Evans, Park, Rooney and Vidic. But the best was saved for last, with that fantastic goal from Berbatov. Ronaldo and Evra linking up nicely on the wing, Evra sends in a dangerous cross, Vidic fucks up Ballack, leaving Berbatov to score a quite superb goal.

3-0!

[shewasmadeofchimps]

What a really sweet victory that was, especially after Rafa Friday! That really was a solid performance from all our plays, especially from Evans, Park, Rooney and Vidic. But the best was saved for last, with that fantastic goal from Berbatov. Ronaldo and Evra linking up nicely on the wing, Evra sends in a dangerous cross, Vidic fucks up Ballack, leaving Berbatov to score a quite superb goal.

3-0!

Yeah you could see Vidic whispering with Berbatov before the corner, they were obviously plotting. Think you've confused the second and third goals though, Evra was gone off at that point.

[chalkitdown]

Is it just me or does Terry duck for Rooney's goal?

[phresh]

Thats 8 games (720mins) without conceding a premiership goal now. Not bad considering players have been out and swapped around a little.

[DC Lemon]

I thought it was Ronaldo's best game in ages. He played with a lot of purpose and end-product, a lot less faffing about thinking he is the team than in recent weeks.

And as far as I'm concerned he legitimately put the ball in the back of the net on two occasions. That kind of misfortune is the only difference between now and a year ago. I saw the interview with him before the match, though, and I think he said 'Cristiano Ronaldo' four or five times. The inside of his head must slowly be turning into something akin to the end of Being John Malkovich.

[fatbob]

Anyone head any news on the status of Evra's injury or Rio's scan?

[DC Lemon]

Beautiful.

[Mr Do 71]

Beautiful.

[Liamness]

I'm so pleased for Gary. First game since his long, long spell injury where he hasn't looked off the pace. A tremendous achievement at his age, really, glad to have him back in the game. Oh, and Christiano Ronaldo is referring to himself in the third person now? Must be the crash, maybe he thinks he died and God sent him back because he was just too awesome?

[Mr Do 71]

Beautiful.

Oh god, I hope Alan 'The Opinion' Green didn't see that

[toonfool]

I'm so pleased for Gary. First game since his long, long spell injury where he hasn't looked off the pace. A tremendous achievement at his age, really, glad to have him back in the game. Oh, and Christiano Ronaldo is referring to himself in the third person now? Must be the crash, maybe he thinks he died and God sent him back because he was just too awesome?

He came back from injury in a reserve game at St. James' Park late last year. There were a couple of thousand fans watching it and there was a constant stream of abuse aimed at him, loads of chants and songs. I thought it was pretty funny and I reckon he didn't mind at all. I found a bit of respect for him after that, the ugly cunt.

I think we lost, we probably lost. Still, it was a fun night and reserve matches aren't about results.

[Sloth]

Is it just me or does Terry duck for Rooney's goal?

I suspect that Cole shouted so he left it, but Cole obviously didn't realise that Rooney was going to score through his legs.

[DC]

I feel like dancing.

[oli]

I managed to get home from the game in time to catch Match of the Day, what didn't seem apparent on the TV coverage was just how many decisions went against us yesterday, the referee was dreadful. It smacked of a ref who wanted to stamp his name on the game with some bizarre calls, oh that and never playing the advantage appropriately, weird.

Terry got a lovely reception from everyone.

[Nate Dogg III]

A quick point on the ref - after getting his card out so early on Lampard he then seemed to spend the rest of the game making sure he didn't become the headline and stayed away from controversy as much as possible - that Cole handball as a freekick rather than a penalty, marginal decisions like corners being given as goalkicks....I think the only truly questionable thing he did was not book Rooney for the Bosingwa hack and ensuing moan before booking Bosingwa thirty seconds later. The disallowed goal would have been a big deal - and would be the lino's fault rather than Webb's anyway - but United scored straight away so justice was done.

Overall I thought he did pretty well, didn't break the game up unnecessarily and managed not to send anyone off, which in this fixture is a plus point.

But hats off to you lot, clear gulf in class. These games are so often decided by the finest of margins but not yesterday. It really reminded me of the 3-0 at the Bridge towards the end of the season in 05/06, it was just obvious who was better that year.

Giggs was unbelievable. Will be so sad to see him go when he finally does retire, absolutely world class and one of my favourite players of all time.

[oli]

A quick point on the ref - after getting his card out so early on Lampard he then seemed to spend the rest of the game making sure he didn't become the headline and stayed away from controversy as much as possible - that Cole handball as a freekick rather than a penalty, marginal decisions like corners being given as goalkicks....I think the only truly questionable thing he did was not book Rooney for the Bosingwa hack and ensuing moan before booking Bosingwa thirty seconds later. The disallowed goal would have been a big deal - and would be the lino's fault rather than Webb's anyway - but United scored straight away so justice was done.

Overall I thought he did pretty well, didn't break the game up unnecessarily and managed not to send anyone off, which in this fixture is a plus point.

But hats off to you lot, clear gulf in class. These games are so often decided by the finest of margins but not yesterday. It really reminded me of the 3-0 at the Bridge towards the end of the season in 05/06, it was just obvious who was better that year.

Giggs was unbelievable. Will be so sad to see him go when he finally does retire, absolutely world class and one of my favourite players of all time.

I don't know about that, there were a number of times when we had the advantage and the ref called play back - it just made no sense, from where I was sat it didn't look like Ronaldo was offside either, but I am probably wrong on that one - I was sat at an unusual angle to it. That said I was sat quite close to the Ashley Cole handball and I was amazed it wasn't a penalty - or indeed a booking.

[phresh]

The referee was alright, Rooney probably should have had a yellow card earlier but other than that he was pretty consistent. I think the issue with playing advantage was that so often in these kinds of fixtures the two players involved in the incident end up kicking off and the last thing the referee wants is to be at the wrong end of the pitch while all hell breaks loose.

I don't think there was single person who wasn't slightly surprised by Giggs' inclusion yesterday but he played exceptionally well.

[Trigg]

Ronaldo wasn't offside either Oli, it should have stood.

I thought the Ref was alright, it did get a bit heated at some point and he handled that fairly well. However, he does need a crash course in the advantage rule. Time after time he blew up for a freekick as we're about to break away. There's no excuse for that and thats just poor referring.

[DC Lemon]

Ronaldo wasn't offside either Oli, it should have stood.

I thought the Ref was alright, it did get a bit heated at some point and he handled that fairly well. However, he does need a crash course in the advantage rule. Time after time he blew up for a freekick as we're about to break away. There's no excuse for that and thats just poor referring.

There was also one incident towards the end of the match (I forget the two players involved) where the Chelsea player kicked out from behind and Webb let the play go on, then the same defender did the exact same thing again three seconds later and Webb blew up for a free kick and gave the Chelsea player a yellow card. Surely if you give one yellow, you have to give another for an identical challenge in open play three seconds earlier? Ironically, the time he did let it go there was little advantage to gain.

[roskelld]

There was some silly decisions yesterday, the advantage was one that really should be drilled into him, he got that wrong time after time messing up play.

I couldn't see why Ronaldo got that yellow card for when he got pushed over in the box. I seemed to miss the big after the foul, so I can only presume he retaliated, but really if it came to that then Rooney should have been booked (I think he should of anyway).

There were a few really obvious goalkick/corner kick mess ups. Some of the ref mistakes were caught so well on camera, not just the fouls but the view of the ref with a clear view on them.

Overall the result went to the right team and the final score reflected play, but I think there was a mark of luck on Utd's side, to get that goal in after the disallowed corner kick being one instance. I think in that way the ref was lucky that we were lucky or there could have been a few words in his direction from Fergie, and we all know what power Fergie has over referees.

[MojoChin]

I couldn't see why Ronaldo got that yellow card for when he got pushed over in the box. I seemed to miss the big after the foul, so I can only presume he retaliated, but really if it came to that then Rooney should have been booked (I think he should of anyway).

No, Ronaldo and Carvalho stood up, Carvalho grabbed Ronaldo's shirt and shouted at him. Ronaldo got booked for nothing, he got taken down for what should have been a penalty and got set upon by Carvalho afterwards. How it wasn't a pen baffles me. Carvalho had 2 handfuls of Ronaldo's shirt then blatantly tripped him as he tried to get away.

But Alan Hansen put it best:

"Sometimes scorelines flatter teams. Today's scoreline flattered Chelsea."

[phresh]

Benitez is at it again questioning David Gills involvement on the FA board, despite there being at least 3 other people on the board from premier league clubs. It just starts to make Fergie's comments about him being 'disturbed by something' not so wide of the mark.

[roskelld]

Benitez is at it again questioning David Gills involvement on the FA board, despite there being at least 3 other people on the board from premier league clubs. It just starts to make Fergie's comments about him being 'disturbed by something' not so wide of the mark.

I want to thank Benitez, he's just made this years league victory that much of a sweeter deal. Beating Liverpool to the number 1 slot would be great on its own. Beating them and watching Benitez squirm his to the cameras for a big sobbing session, that'll be classic.

I really hope the sweet victory yesterday has put the boys on a good enough high to take on the next weeks worth of football and pull that first place out of the bag.

[Nate Dogg III]

he's just made this years league victory that much of a sweeter deal

Um. How long did I sleep for last night? Steady on.

It is fucking though, no doubt. Silly bastard was just asking for trouble. I think that's the first time I've heard a manager use the phrase 'mind games', that's normally a press invention.