Losing the verve?
sheffield united 0 - 1 manchester united
the 13th game of manchester united's season saw them start with the same 11 that showed great spirit to leave ewood park the week before with 3 points - this time in blue. the two uniteds were not just fighting to keep the red shirts, the home united actually drew first blood with slack defending. early reports kept the finger firmly pointed at rio ferdinand but it was ultimately a culmination of a high backline and a midfield that was slow to get back. evra was also slow to react and allowed the former united youth player keith gillespie enough space to put a firm head to a well hit cross.
however, even before that short sequence that culminated in the home team breaching what has hitertho been a solid defence, the writing was on the wall. the start saw manchester united slightly loose and the solidity that provided the team's march this season with free flowing, sometimes breathtaking, attacking football was not apparent. queiroz put it down to a lapse in concentration but lapses like these have their reasons. the red devils escaped with all 3 points with a neat little box of tricks from the magic of their no.9.
the first goal in the 30th minute showed a deft piece of skill, controlling a gary neville pass into the box with his left before slotting the ball to one-brow kenny's right. the winner came much later on in the second half when fans like me were beginning to wonder if we would stumble after not preparing properly for this game. from a inswinging cross canoned off evra's left foot for the third time this game, rooney timed his far post appearance to capitalise with a first time volley that gave one-brow no chance.
two ronaldo misses and one scholes over-head kick saved on the goal line later on in the game might have caused more consternation if we had left the blades' homeground with anything less than maximum points on offer. as it stands, we enter the game versus chelsea 3 points ahead with all the pressure on the new enemy, the nouveu-riche. and the united management have been milking it for all it's worth.
if the pressure of trying to be on a par with us would be advantageous to us for that game next weekend, this is a good ploy indeed. i can imagine that pressure providing that extra bit of motivation and urgency for the chelsea players then and if united hold them and play it tight, like a title bout on the alert for signs of weaknesses, from the 3rd quarter of the game on, if the scores are still level, that pressure might start to unnerve all except the most steely hearted. there would be hard fouls as they go for broke if united keep their cool and control the tempo. this would need a strong referee. pair this with all the dark arts that chelsea seem to always have just under their surface and ferguson was already injecting the thought that "the game is not decided on some refereeing decisions" into the collective gaia of the premiership.
before then, we have a big big game at celtic park. that is for another discussion.
the 13th game of manchester united's season saw them start with the same 11 that showed great spirit to leave ewood park the week before with 3 points - this time in blue. the two uniteds were not just fighting to keep the red shirts, the home united actually drew first blood with slack defending. early reports kept the finger firmly pointed at rio ferdinand but it was ultimately a culmination of a high backline and a midfield that was slow to get back. evra was also slow to react and allowed the former united youth player keith gillespie enough space to put a firm head to a well hit cross.
however, even before that short sequence that culminated in the home team breaching what has hitertho been a solid defence, the writing was on the wall. the start saw manchester united slightly loose and the solidity that provided the team's march this season with free flowing, sometimes breathtaking, attacking football was not apparent. queiroz put it down to a lapse in concentration but lapses like these have their reasons. the red devils escaped with all 3 points with a neat little box of tricks from the magic of their no.9.
the first goal in the 30th minute showed a deft piece of skill, controlling a gary neville pass into the box with his left before slotting the ball to one-brow kenny's right. the winner came much later on in the second half when fans like me were beginning to wonder if we would stumble after not preparing properly for this game. from a inswinging cross canoned off evra's left foot for the third time this game, rooney timed his far post appearance to capitalise with a first time volley that gave one-brow no chance.
two ronaldo misses and one scholes over-head kick saved on the goal line later on in the game might have caused more consternation if we had left the blades' homeground with anything less than maximum points on offer. as it stands, we enter the game versus chelsea 3 points ahead with all the pressure on the new enemy, the nouveu-riche. and the united management have been milking it for all it's worth.
if the pressure of trying to be on a par with us would be advantageous to us for that game next weekend, this is a good ploy indeed. i can imagine that pressure providing that extra bit of motivation and urgency for the chelsea players then and if united hold them and play it tight, like a title bout on the alert for signs of weaknesses, from the 3rd quarter of the game on, if the scores are still level, that pressure might start to unnerve all except the most steely hearted. there would be hard fouls as they go for broke if united keep their cool and control the tempo. this would need a strong referee. pair this with all the dark arts that chelsea seem to always have just under their surface and ferguson was already injecting the thought that "the game is not decided on some refereeing decisions" into the collective gaia of the premiership.
before then, we have a big big game at celtic park. that is for another discussion.
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