Manchester United VIII - King of Europe/Double Champions!!!

[Galdor]

We didn't play too well in the 1st half of the Bolton game. Sigh....in fact I find them played very badly. Ronaldo's penalty gave them a boost and from then onwards the game was in our hands.

Ronaldo played well coming on as a Sub. Earned a penalty and took it calmly, giving us the lead. Then he set up Rooney for the 2nd goal.

Park & Tevez were the most hardworking and Nani was firing blanks everywhere.

Not quite impressed with their overall performance as the 1st half was very badly played. Hopefully they will pull up their socks in the next game and start winning.

 

[chrisljh]

Not to be blunt as a man u fan,
but ronaldo ''dived'' to earn dat penalty..
replay shows contacts to ball first.

 

[afbug]

Not to be blunt as a man u fan,
but ronaldo ''dived'' to earn dat penalty..
replay shows contacts to ball first.

Sometimes, its not a dive as contact can be made with ball 1st but can still take the player down. Its the ref who cork eye.

 

[melvin]

Sometimes, its not a dive as contact can be made with ball 1st but can still take the player down. Its the ref who cork eye.

Maybe ref was behind n no see clearly!:think:

 

[afbug]

Maybe ref was behind n no see clearly!:think:

Aiya dun care la, as long as get the 3 pts can liao. Over 30 attempts at goal and only 2 to show for, 1 being a dubious penalty is not too great.

Esp Nani, he better buck up. He is too selfish and wants to show off. Keep shooting at goal but din hit the target.

 

[marios_pittas]

Sometimes, its not a dive as contact can be made with ball 1st but can still take the player down. Its the ref who cork eye.

Think you are right on this one.. robbin style has apologised again!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/bolton_wanderers/7642252.stm

"Rob takes a lot of credit," said Ferguson. "It helps in terms of him showing some humility towards the game. That is the most important thing.
Good old smart Fergie Wipp them before the game, praise them after the game!

Styles will not be punished with a suspension and will be in charge when Tottenham host Hull at White Hart Lane on Sunday. Waiting for his antics in a couple of months....
Sometimes you do wonder about some people.... Its not a matter of if, its a matter of when and with robbin style its always his football game :embrass:

 

[Galdor]

Blog: United's welcome break

United Blogger makes his 12 O'Clock Blog debut with this view from the stands on Saturday's win over Bolton...

Cristiano Ronaldo involved in controversy, who would've thought it?

Much has been made of the penalty decision against Bolton, but frankly, you'll see a dozen worse calls made every weekend. Rob Styles is not the brightest of referees but the fact is that Ronaldo was impeded, he did not dive and a soft penalty it may have been, but a penalty it was.

The press have gone overboard, claiming the penalty sealed Bolton's fate. Eh? Nani had more shots on goal in the 15 minutes he played than Bolton had all game. We had more possession (75-25), more successful passes, corners and shots on goal. On any other day, there could have been a tennis score.

It wasn't vintage United in the first half but we still had the majority of the chances with Tevez, Park and Rio all coming close to scoring. The best chance of the half, though, fell to Muamba at the other end who failed to convert the kind of a chance that's harder to miss than to score from.

In the second half, the United juggernaut started rolling and it seemed just a matter of time before the floodgates would open. And after Ronaldo delivered the telling blow, there could only be one winner. Rooney, Scholes and Nani came on and their influence showed immediately as United created a string of back-to-back chances. Evra's diving defensive header released Ronaldo and Rooney latched on to his clever back-heel to curl the ball past Jaaskelainen.

Rooney's goal confirmed 3 deserved and much-needed points. We need to stay in touch with Chelsea and that means winning week in, week out.

Next in the league we have a tricky trip to Ewood Park, where the pre-match speculation will again centre on which two from Berbatov/Rooney/Tevez will start. Fergie answered that question against Bolton by persisting with Berbatov and dropping Rooney to the bench.

It's a squad game - Fergie's programme notes praised Darren Fletcher's ability to do the simple things well. Fletch's solid performances go a long way to alleviate the impact of injuries to Carrick and Hargo.

Rooney coming on to score the second goal with a real striker's finish was a great moment and should give him much needed confidence. As for Berbatov, the sooner he gets the monkey of a first goal off his back, the better.

Berba showed glimpses of his class with some great through balls and an audaciously-created volley. But for me, a question mark remains on his workrate. He is keeping a very high workrate player in Rooney or Tevez out of the team, and for us not to suffer from that, he needs to work as hard off the ball as they both do – is that his style? Time will tell.
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[Galdor]

Fletch wary of Aalborg threat

Aalborg do not boast a squad of household names, but Darren Fletcher says United won't underestimate their Danish opponents ahead of Tuesday's Champions League Group E clash.

The Reds flew out to Denmark on Monday morning intent on securing a first European victory of the campaign. Group E remains all square following two goalless draws between United and Villarreal, and Celtic and Aalborg.

Fletcher feels the Danes will be buoyed by their point at Parkhead and warns that the Reds must tread carefully.

"Aalborg may not be a familiar name, but there are no mugs in the Champions League. They'll still be a top side," he told ManUtd.com. "A lot of people have already discounted them, but the fact that the pressure is off might help them. It's a game that we'll have to be on top form for if we're to get the three points."

Following a somewhat slow start, the Reds have begun to find their form of late with a draw at Chelsea, a Carling Cup victory over Middlesbrough and a second league win of the season against Bolton.

Fletcher hopes a win on Tuesday will kick-start the Reds' Champions League campaign. "The longer you go without a win the more worrying it becomes," he admits. "It was a good performance against Villarreal, we just didn't get the result to match it.

"The 0-0 draw between Aalborg and Celtic was good for us, especially considering Celtic's excellent home record. Aalborg will take great confidence from that, but it's important we win in Denmark and get things going."

 

[Galdor]

29/09/2008 17:57, Report by James Tuck, in Aalborg

Ferguson explains Neville omission

Gary Neville is set to be limited to one game a week this season as Sir Alex Ferguson attempts to manage his club captain's return from injury.

Neville, who missed most of 2007/08 with an ankle injury, played all of United's 2-0 win over Bolton on Saturday but was a notable absentee from the travelling squad who flew to Aalborg on Monday morning.

"Gary has a slight strain but he’ll be OK for Blackburn on Saturday," Ferguson confirmed.
"Given that he has come back from a long time off, we may manage him in a different way this season so that he does not play all the midweek games, or if he plays in midweek then he won’t play at the weekend."

As he did so successfully for much of last season, Wes Brown is likely to replace Neville in what Ferguson promises will be a strong United side against Aalborg.

The one other high-profile name missing from United's 20-strong squad for Tuesday's Champions League encounter is Owen Hargreaves, who suffered a recurrence of his knee injury before the Bolton game.
"We have to manage Owen’s injury in a different way," Ferguson added. "He’s had all the treatment but his knee flares up now and again and there’s nothing we can do about it.

"The specialists say that in time it’ll go away and we hope they’re correct because he’s an important player to have: he’s a big-game player, he has experience and he’s adaptable in different positions."

 

[Galdor]

Sir Alex Ferguson insists he has learned the Champions League lessons of Copenhagen as United prepare to take on another unfancied Danish team in the shape of Aalborg BK.

Two years ago an under-strength Reds squad travelled to FC Copenhagen in control of Group F and needing only a point to qualify for the knockout stages.
But United put in a lacklustre performance to lose 1-0 and, after a further defeat to Celtic, were forced to beat Benfica in the final game to progress.
It's a situation Ferguson is determined to avoid this time around, and that means fielding his strongest team in the Energi Nord Arena on Tuesday.
"The most important thing is that Aalborg get our respect," the Reds boss told the pre-match press conference on Monday.
"They are a small club, with only 10,000 fans, but we must make sure we don’t fall into any traps and play to our best level.
"Two years ago we made a mistake in picking our team against Copenhagen because we were in a comfortable position in the group, and we ended up scrapping away for qualification, so we’ll definitely field our strongest team this time."
Aalborg claimed a creditable goalless draw away at Celtic in their opening Champions League game, and Ferguson admits he was impressed by the Danes' work ethic and compact gameplan which frustrated their Scottish opponents.
But the United manager warned that after an identical result against Villarreal at Old Trafford on Matchday 1, his side are much better prepared to claim a first win of their Champions League defence on Tuesday.

"Aalborg are a small club who have reached the Champions League, which is an enormous achievement in itself," Ferguson continued.
"Then the result they got in the first game was fantastic, given Celtic’s outstanding home record in the Champions League.
"One defeat for Celtic in all those years is a measure of how important that result was for Aalborg, so it makes it interesting for us.
"But Villarreal got us at a good time, when we were still advancing towards our best form, and I think we’re in much better shape now.

"The players realise how important qualifying for the next stage is. The competition kicks off properly at the end of February, and if we get to that stage, then we’ve as good a chance as anyone.

"We have a difficult game on Tuesday because they will be well motivated and will have fantastic support, so we have to handle these things and hopefully get the right result."

 

[melvin]

Berba backed to shine

Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed criticism of Dimitar Berbatov and is confident United fans will soon see the best of their new striker.

The Bulgarian has yet to score for the Reds since his deadline-day move from Tottenham but has been increasingly influential, most recently on his home debut against Bolton on Saturday.

Ferguson said: "Dimitar only played one pre-season game for Tottenham, followed by two tremendously difficult away games for us, and in those sorts of matches you are asking a lot for someone who’s just arrived at the club to perform.

"When we understand how good he is in terms of his movement and ability to lead the line, then we’ll get the best use out of him.

"You saw that in the second half against Bolton, when we used him more and some of his passes, control and balance were absolutely fantastic."

Berbatov is set to take his place in the starting line-up for tonight's Champions League game in Aalborg, although which forward line Ferguson will select is anyone's guess.

The Reds boss insists his side are under no pressure to play with style because United are the reigning European champions.

"We’ll play how we normally play, which is hopefully in an entertaining and exciting way," he said. "We can’t play like that every game but we try to, and that’s the most important thing.

"We expect a hard game against Aalborg because, irrespective of their league form, playing United is a great motivation for them. But I hope we don’t have any hiccups."

:devil:

 

[melvin]

Rene calls for fast start

Rene Meulensteen believes the gameplan for United's Champions League game against Aalborg should be to score early and "kill their belief".

The Reds' first-team coach faced Aalborg twice during his time as coach of Brondby and revealed they are a hard-working, disciplined side who will gain more confidence the longer they keep United's attack at bay.

"Aalborg typify Danish football as a whole – well organised," Meulensteen told ManUtd.com. "They will work their socks off against us because if they don’t, we will have too much quality for them.

"So we need to make sure we have enough tools available to break them down. We need to win the game in the first half by starting bright and sharp, and if we score an early goal we’ll kill some of their belief. If they have something to hold onto like they did at Celtic, they'll get extra energy from nowhere."

Brondby failed to beat Aalborg in either of their two league meetings under Meulensteen's reign two years ago, so the Dutchman knows United must not take their opponents lightly.

"Erik Hamrén was Aalborg's coach for several years and did a good job. They were a decent side when we faced them – we drew 1-1 at their place but lost 2-1 at home," Meulensteen added.

"Bruce Rioch is now in charge and he's an experienced coach who knows Danish football, having worked with Odense. He has several good players here, although one of the best, Michael Jakobsen, isn’t playing tonight because he is suspended.

"They also have an attacking midfielder, Siyabonga Nomvethe, who has been injured recently but was quite skilful and tricky when he played against us at Brondby.

"Goalkeeper Karim Zaza is a bit of an erratic player who can make fantastic saves – one from a Nakamura free-kick two weeks ago – but he’s not the biggest of players and isn’t always 100% certain on crosses.

"If I look at the way we’ve trained and played over the last couple of weeks, I can sense that there are goals around the corner. But we can’t take anything for granted – we need to earn the right by playing good, attacking football, and when the chances come, hopefully the goals will too."

:devil:

 

[melvin]

6 more hours to go!:devil:

 

[afbug]

29/09/2008 17:57, Report by James Tuck, in Aalborg

Ferguson explains Neville omission

Gary Neville is set to be limited to one game a week this season as Sir Alex Ferguson attempts to manage his club captain's return from injury.

Neville, who missed most of 2007/08 with an ankle injury, played all of United's 2-0 win over Bolton on Saturday but was a notable absentee from the travelling squad who flew to Aalborg on Monday morning.

"Gary has a slight strain but he’ll be OK for Blackburn on Saturday," Ferguson confirmed.
"Given that he has come back from a long time off, we may manage him in a different way this season so that he does not play all the midweek games, or if he plays in midweek then he won’t play at the weekend."

As he did so successfully for much of last season, Wes Brown is likely to replace Neville in what Ferguson promises will be a strong United side against Aalborg.

The one other high-profile name missing from United's 20-strong squad for Tuesday's Champions League encounter is Owen Hargreaves, who suffered a recurrence of his knee injury before the Bolton game.
"We have to manage Owen’s injury in a different way," Ferguson added. "He’s had all the treatment but his knee flares up now and again and there’s nothing we can do about it.

"The specialists say that in time it’ll go away and we hope they’re correct because he’s an important player to have: he’s a big-game player, he has experience and he’s adaptable in different positions."

Neville really cannot make it already. Since his injury, he lost quite a bit of his pace. He will get exposed and turned inside out easily. Playing fewer games is better for him and the club.

 

[melvin]

At Last R & B strike forces is producing results!

Report: Aalborg 0 United 3

United eased to three points, and top spot in Group E, with a 3-0 win over Aalborg in Denmark, thanks to a first-half strike from Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov’s second-half double.

Sir Alex Ferguson was delighted to see his £30million summer signing finally get off the mark for the Reds with two well-taken goals. United’s overall performance showed signs of the team and some key players hitting form – Rooney, Berbatov and Ronaldo in particular.

Unfortunately, however, the victory may have come at a cost. Injuries forced off Rooney and Paul Scholes, the latter suffering knee ligament damage which could keep him out for eight weeks.

The Reds had travelled without skipper Gary Neville, who picked up a knock against Bolton, and Owen Hargreaves due to a recurrence of the tendinitis problem in his knee. Sir Alex promised to put out his strongest available side and, with the exception of a Champions League debut for 18-year-old Brazilian right-back Rafael, he did so.

United immediately laid siege on Aalborg's goal and could have been 2-0 up inside eight minutes. Berbatov had a glorious opportunity to put the Reds in front on six minutes. Cristiano Ronaldo’s tackle on Aalborg goalkeeper Zaza sent the ball spinning up in the air. Berbatov met it on the volley but fired wide from eight yards. Two minutes later Rio Ferdinand saw his far-post volley stopped by Zaza.

The match had started at an intense tempo, with the Reds clearly seeking to break the spirit of a determined Aalborg team, whose players and fans were fired up for this game
as if it were a cup final.

Scholes’ injury on 15 minutes disrupted the flow. He didn’t appear to be in too much discomfort, but Sir Alex’s prognosis post-match didn’t sound positive. Scholes was replaced by Ryan Giggs, who joined John O’Shea in the centre of midfield. The Welshman made an almost immediate impact. It was his simple pass on 22 minutes that led to United’s opener. Cutting through Aalborg’s defence, Giggs’ through-ball enabled Rooney to make his first-time shot look equally effortless, neatly finding the corner of the net.

Aalborg weren’t afraid to get forward when they could and even forced a few scares at the back for the Reds. But when Rooney, who covered every blade of grass in his hour on the field, and Ronaldo had the ball the home side looked scared stiff. United’s attacking play, with Rooney at the reins, looked slick and fluid, even if Sir Alex would have liked to reach half time with a more commanding lead.

In the second half the Reds manager was out on the touchline looking slightly concerned that his side's dominance in possession was not being converted into goals. But he didn’t have to wait long for the goal everyone at the club has been waiting for. It came courtesy of a gift from the Aalborg defence. Berbatov pounced on a dreadful mistake from Augustinussen and punished the Danes ruthlessly by lashing the ball past Zaza. The Bulgarian’s muted celebration suggested it perhaps wasn’t the style in which this elegant front man imagined he would open his Reds account. Regardless of the circumstances, all that matters is that he is off the mark.

The goal knocked the life out of Aalborg, their energy and enthusiasm had been the sole components of any previous forays into United’s half.

Carlos Tevez’s introduction on the hour, replacing Rooney after he took a knock to his ankle, was exactly what Bruce Rioch’s men didn’t want. The Argentinian wasn’t settling for a 2-0 scoreline and he did have the ball in the net, but was penalised for unintentionally using his arm. Tevez perhaps should have been more selfish on 72 minutes when a neat move saw him break into the Aalborg penalty area. Instead of shooting he squared the ball to Ronaldo, whose shot was blocked. Then five minutes later he sent a 25-yard shot whizzing just past the bar.

United's third and final goal eventually arrived on 79 minutes. Ronaldo skipped past his marker to make it to the byline on the right of the Aalborg area. His clipped cross was met with an acrobatic volley from Berbatov to make it 3-0. Job done.

Team Line-ups

Aalborg BK: Zaza; Pedersen, Beauchamp (Caca 38), Olfers, Bogelund; Risgard, Johansson, Augustinussen, Enevoldsen; Curth, Saganowski.
Subs not used: Stenild, Due, Braemer, Sorensen, Kristensen, Schwartz.
Booked: Johansson, Zaza

Manchester United: Van der Sar; Rafael (Brown 66), Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Scholes (Giggs 16), O'Shea, Nani; Rooney (Tevez 59), Berbatov.
Subs not used: Amos, Anderson, Park, Evans.
Booked: Rafael

Attendance: 10,346

:devil:

 

[melvin]

Victory costly for Sir Alex

Sir Alex Ferguson had mixed feelings at full-time in Denmark after seeing his team win but lose three players to injury.

Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney and young right-back Rafael were all substituted for medical rather than tactical reasons during the 3-0 victory over Aalborg BK. The first change was forced on the United boss after just 15 minutes when Scholes was stretchered off.

"There were a lot of plus points but we lost Paul Scholes who could be out for a few weeks," said Sir Alex. It was later confirmed that the midfielder suffered knee ligament damage and could miss up to two months of action.

"We had one or two other injuries," the boss added. "Young Rafael got injured and Rooney has an ankle problem. He felt a weakness in it when he went to receive a ball and we took him off straightaway.

"So there was maybe a cost to pay for the victory. Nonetheless we have four points now and it's where we want to be."

The three points in Aalborg were made safe by Dimitar Berbatov's first and second goals in a United shirt. Sir Alex was delighted to see the Bulgarian open his account so emphatically in only his fifth appearance.

"He scored two fantastic goals and that will help his confidence," said the manager.

"When you're transferred for that amount of money, you want your first goal quickly and he's got it. The second goal (volley from Ronaldo's cross) was a lovely goal."

Berbatov's second-half brace may have spared the blushes of his team-mates - Sir Alex's other complaint, aside from the injuries, was that "we missed a lot of chances."

:devil:

 

[melvin]

Berbatov plays it cool

We're quickly learning that Dimitar Berbatov is a laid-back character, but the relaxed celebration that followed his first United goal against Aalborg and his description of his acrobatic second as “a tap-in” takes cool to a new level.

“I knew that my first goal would come sooner or later,” he said, ultra-relaxed after United’s 3-0 win in Denmark on Tuesday.

The Bulgarian spurned a chance to score his first Reds goal after just six minutes in the Group E clash, volleying wide from eight yards. But he remained unfazed and grew in stature as the game progressed.

Berbatov eventually found the net when he pounced on a defensive error to rifle home United’s second goal on 55 minutes. “I’m pleased to help my team win, that’s the most important thing,” he said. “But I’m happy [to score my first United goal].”

His second goal showed the elegance that led to United parting with £30million to sign him this summer. From Cristiano Ronaldo’s he hit the ball on the bounce with an exquisite scissor kick. “It’s a goal like any other,” he shrugged. “It was a tap-in and that was it, 3-0.”

Rio Ferdinand was pleased to see his new team-mate open his Reds account. "It was a good result," he told ITV Sport. "We knew it would be tough and that we'd have to pass the ball well and take our chances. It was good to see Berba get two goals to get him off the mark. Hopefully now we can go full steam ahead."

:devil:

 

[melvin]

Ratings: Aalborg v United

ManUtd.com reviews United’s players’ individual displays in Denmark…

Edwin van der Sar – Had little to do. Even when Aalborg did break forward, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra and Rafael saw off the danger.

Rafael – Always positive. Loves making forward runs and he’s a feisty tackler, too. It earned him a first-half booking, which he’ll have to watch, but otherwise very impressive. The Brazilian Gary Neville?

Rio Ferdinand – Effortless display from Rio. Great tackle in the first half from United’s skipper to deny an Aalborg chance. Didn’t put a foot wrong all night.

Nemanja Vidic – Solid, but was rarely threatened by Aalborg’s blunt attacks.

Patrice Evra – Gave United a real attacking edge down the left flank. Didn’t have a great deal to do defensively, so concentrated on his marauding forward runs.

Cristiano Ronaldo – Not his most eventful game but it’s another 90 minutes on the road to full match sharpness. Set up Berbatov’s second goal and was always a threat.

John O’Shea – It says a lot that the Irishman was rarely under pressure in the centre of midfield. Kept it simple but performed his duties admirably.

Paul Scholes – Didn’t have time to impress before going off injured on 15 minutes.

Nani – Always wanted the ball and forced Aalborg back with his pace and penetrating runs.

Wayne Rooney – Excellent finish for his goal and seems to enjoy dropping deep off Berbatov. Pivotal in everything United did, looks as if he’s approaching top form. Hopefully his injury isn’t serious.

Dimitar Berbatov – Should have scored after six minutes, but didn’t let it affect him. Scored twice in the second half and began to turn on the style. Some really classy touches after his goal showed his confidence is growing.

Substitutes

Ryan Giggs (on for Scholes 16) – His pass led to Rooney’s goal, showing he can adapt to the role of central midfield creator.

Carlos Tevez (on for Rooney 59) – Lively and very nearly scored on three separate occasions – a definite message to Sir Alex that he’s ready whenever he's called into action.

Wes Brown (on for Rafael 66) – Has had to play second fiddle to Gary Neville, and now Rafael, in recent weeks. Didn’t have a lot to do with United already cruising.

:devil:

 

[afbug]

Scholes out for 2.5 months. Very bad news esp Carrick is still about 1 month away.

Excellent away win. Berba's 2 goals are very nice, sp his second. Rooney's 1st is also a not bad via a sleek thru ball by Giggs.

 

[Galdor]

Cristiano Ronaldo is excited about playing alongside Dimitar Berbatov this season after watching the Bulgarian bag two goals for the Reds against Aalborg on Tuesday.

Berbatov struck twice in the second half against the Danes, much to the delight of his boss Sir Alex Ferguson and his team-mates, too.

&#8220;It's good for Berba to score his first goals for United, and he played well,&#8221; says Ronaldo. &#8220;It's always good for forwards to score, it keeps your confidence high. Everyone knows he's a good player. His style is different to Carlos [Tevez] and Wayne [Rooney] but after two or three games we're getting better together. He's a fantastic player and he's going to help the team a lot.&#8221;

Berbatov&#8217;s first Reds goals and the improving form of Ronaldo and Rooney, who was impressive despite being substituted with an ankle injury after an hour, certainly bode well for the coming weeks. &#8220;The most important thing was to win,&#8221; added Ronny. &#8220;It&#8217;s our first Champions League win this season and we hope to reach the next round in first place &#8211; that&#8217;s our priority.

"We played some good football and 3-0 is a great result. The team has started to play better and better in the last two or three games.&#8221;

Ronaldo, who is still gaining match sharpness following his pre-season ankle surgery, insists he feels completely settled at United despite a summer of speculation linking him with a move away from OT. &#8220;I feel very comfortable,&#8221; he says. &#8220;I feel very good at the club, very happy and I want to carry on like that.&#8221;