Jono Scholes 1 - 0 Barcelona
We have been written off over the last three days and if we are honest, by ourselves too, almost. Last chances don’t come any more final than this and they don’t come even more brutal than the one facing a certain Mr. Scholes in what could well be his final season.
All of our minds drifted back to Turin, all of us thought we needed an old head to calm the nerves and show experience. I for one thought that Scholes was the man for the job but that he was too much of a quiet chap to actually do it. Luckily his feet did the talking and it was truly a goal worthy of winning any football match.
Although you do (in pun terms only) feel slightly confident against players going by the names of Shabby and Messy, it is noticeable that Ronaldo spent the evening diving and complaining. He deserved his yellow card. Messi was, Rio aside, virtually undefendable and never complained or dived once. An interesting point and frankly, I think, a truly great player.
This really was a victory for mental fortitude (and perhaps a pinch of luck) and I agree completely with Jono that this turns the season around again. Fergie is a genius once more. So it’s Russian gangsters or scousers in the final now. Sadly I expect English football fans to let themselves down whatever the outcome, I hope I am wrong.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Park Ji-Sung:
Although Tevez and Evra have shouts to say they matched him for work-rate I can think of no other man in a red shirt who deserves it more. He never, ever accepts that anything is a lost cause and is the only player we have at the moment who is picking himself. Significantly on a field containing Messi and Ronaldo, he was by far the best winger on the pitch.
April 30th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Man of the Match?
We had loads:
(1) Tevez - for never ever not even once leaving their back 4 alone, for doing it for 96 minutes absolutely unrelentingly. For winning the ball constantly, for starting endless new moves, for putting in excellent crosses, for never ever giving up. Best game yet for United.
Man of the Match (2) - Rio, now finally forgiven for not p**ing in the bottle to deny us 4 in a row. A giant at the back.
Man of the Match (3) - Wesley who, as some of the papers suggested, should have waited till after this game before signing his new contract.
Man of the Match (4) - Park. Not a bad player at all and Marcus you are quite right, he never ever once gave up running and running, and was indeed quite effective.
Man of the Match (5) - unsung hero, Carrick. Lots of good passes, calmed things down more than once, put some good tackles in, also tireless
Man of the Match (6) - should be no 1 really but no of course I haven’t forgotten Scholesy. The boy done well.
Man of the Match (7) - Evra, immense, rarely flummoxed by the brilliant Messi, fantastic going forward, maybe he was our best winger?
MOTM (8, 9, 10, 11) - the rest of the team (and indeed Fletch, who put in a good stint, let us not forget). I wouldn’t want to argue over the right MOTM order but I have to say Rio and Tevez did it for me.
And I also agree that Ronaldo was a disappointment in some ways, but he was I think under orders to play a more disciplined game and he did start the move that brought the goal. But yes, a little pale in the shadow of Messi.
I hear we are playing Chels in the final. We’ll have to be at our best for that too. Especially if Drogba is playing. Decent player really and no worse a diver than Stevie G.