United vs Sunderland
Gosh Roy Keane has turned into such a nice chap recently. His team is being beaten left right and centre and he doesn’t seem to have a bad word to say about anybody. Just before kick off the teams lined up to give Ole a guard of honour whilst Clive Tyldesly’s “is this their moment” commentary blared out of the loudspeaker and he ended it with a handshake and a word with Roy.
Either somebody forgot to tell the United players that it was over and a football match had just started or Fergie has decided to patent a new 2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1 formation to once again conquer Europe with a tactically audacious manouvre. Genius.
Honestly they were awful, again, our team of midfield midgets spent the first forty five minutes sitting on each others knees and playing a million inch-perfect 3 inch passes to each other. I for one am of the opinion that we should be having a go at teams at Old Trafford and not treating the matches like Eriksson might have treated an England friendly. If you are playing a team of midfielders without a striker then you’re giving the visiting team a chance. It was not that long ago now that the chant 4-4-2 was heard in the Stretford End, I can see its ressurection before Christmas if things don’t begin to change.
I retain my hopes, Hargreaves looks like he has always played for us and also doesn’t look unlike Robbo did when he was running around in our shirt and Saha, when he came on, was unmanageable, easily as good as a Torres when he is playing. He looks like our saviour at the moment Louis, but I wonder, how long until he is injured again?
September 9th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
It’s funny how some football clubs can invade your memory and live there like one of those computer worms you just can’t get rid of. To many people Sunderland’s only significance is that they are now Keano’s team. Others will remember them as the team which was relegated two years ago with the worst ever Premiership points total (one of which, miserably, was obtained at Old Trafford). But RPTPs (Reds Past Their Prime) may remember the game which has been claimed to be the best ever drawn game at OT. Sixth round of the FA Cup, 1964. Sunderland near the top of the old Second Division, United near the top of the First. They came to Old Trafford and had a go. No three centre backs and a striker in touch with his team mates by radio (Stevie Coppell, ex-Red, how could you?). They had a go, so much so that with five minutes to go it was United 1 Sunderland 3. Fantastic pressure from United. Corner after corner after corner, in one of which their keeper Jim Montgomery is laid out and needs attention after being hit in the face by a header from the King. Seriously, he was flattened by a header. (In those days footballers didn’t pretend to be hurt). With seconds to go justice was done and United managed the equaliser. The replay was almost as heartstopping. 2-2 with a last minute equaliser from Bobby Charlton. The second replay (younger readers may not know that in those days cupties went on for game after game until someone eventually won) and Sunderland had been rumbled. United ran amok. 5-1. But after 43 years I can still recall the unbelievable excitement of those last few minutes at Old Trafford. But then in those days the ground was filled with fans not with customers.
The Grimace
September 15th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Thought I’d add a comment having just not seen us win against Everton (the TV powers that be inexplicably preferring the other lunchtime kick-off Pompey v Dippers). Heard a bit on the steam wireless though. Sounds like we were poor, very poor, although the duet of Alan Green and Stan Collymore didn’t help.
Looks to me like we ran out of steam just after the final whistle on 28th April. Not a single game since then where we have scored twice or more, no flowing football, not a single performance, almost literally, to write home about.
In fact, come to think of it, if VDS hadn’t got his legs in the way of Vassell’s penalty we might have had a far far worse end to the season. So what’s gone wrong? What has changed? Maybe it’s a few key players missing? Well, we did sell Smith and Richardson. No, surely not??
It’s not a crisis, yet, after all we were top for nearly an hour, until the Dippers got their lucky point and then the Arse strolled past pathetic Spurs. But where has the champagne footie gone? Answers please to Alex and Carlos at OT. SOON!