Finally, Bridged Over Troubled Waters!

How great these moments are in football where you know you deserved a victory and you got some 'overdue' luck that you deserved for playing well. You know where this is going - This post is going to be dominated by the united fan in me for reasons that are quite obvious!

          FULL - TIME
Chelsea 0-1 Manchester United.
                  24" Wayne Rooney.

Carrick picks out Giggs with a cross field long ball to the left flank. Neither Boswinga nor Giggs expected that ball but Giggs happened to be jogging towards Chelsea's goal while Boswinga was back peddling. Giggsy's first touch took his marker out of the game for the moment and the agile winger raced into the box sliding the ball to Rooney who adjusted to meet the ball, angling his body, thus placing the ball into the net off the post leaving Cech with no chance.

On a night where we might have not dominated in possession, we certainly did so in goals! Just one goal separating a game where United had to compromise on attack and contain and counter attack to meet Chelsea's relentless ability to pressure the opposition into self destructing. We didn't succumb. We held on. We played fair. We won with only 3 shots on target against Chelsea's 6, netting one of those in with the help of the post. The rest of the time, we just crowded out our defense forcing Chelsea to take shots from the edge of the box. With their misfiring strikers, all we had to do was just put bodies in deep in our half and block shots, if not crosses. Neither team was creative. For us, it was quite clear. Do not concede. We did better by scoring one.

Roo are you!!!! Roo are you!!!
Chelsea were outclassed on the night where Rooney showed the world another side to him, so different from the one he portrayed at West Ham last week. He was calm, composed and played the role of a sitting striker, trying to feed Hernandez and spearheading our midfield. He was magnificent. He ran his socks off all over the park and did not for once in his entire footballing career, look hassled by the other team; on a night where he picked himself up from late challenges only to get on with it and not look back. I never expected that. He looked very mature on that pitch and I'm sure that's the same Wayne Rooney we will all want to see at Old Trafford on Tuesday night. A man returning to form at the right time when the whole world including the F.A. and the Press were conspiring against him. He's starting to win over one of them.

The best form of Offence is Defense!
Aside from that brilliant goal line clearance from Evra and Van Der Saar's tipping save off Torre's goal-bound header, our defense was close to impenetrable. Chelsea didn't offer much threat inside the box. We had Ferdinand back on a night when we needed composure and dual leadership at the back. His fitness worried me a bit as I'm sure it did too for Ferguson as well, but his experience and change of game over the last two odd years wherein he just sticks to intercepting crosses rather than going in for tackles unless absolutely necessary gave our team some balance and more importantly, confidence - with full respect to the quickly maturing Chris Smalling. Evra and Rafael are there for that. When the latter got injured, I like many fans, was quite puzzled when Fergi brought on Nani - who was slightly off the ball, pulling Valencia to right back. But Ferdinand's experience as a captain helped Valencia settle into that odd position really well. I'm sure Vidic was really happy to have him back because he can't teach smalling and look out for Torres and Drogba at the same time. At least not in this big a game. Ferdinand's inclusion certainly raised everyone's confidence, security and game. Michael Carrick played exceptionally well and If Rooney hadn't showed what a world-class performance he put in that night, Carrick would be my man of the match. He made United's fifth man in defense by tracking back when Chelsea had possession in our half while he also picked out Ryan Giggs for the opening goal with a bloody brilliant sixty yard pass.

The Wolf who cried Foul!
This tie, like many other Chelsea/United clashes, wasn't without any controversy. Last month, Chelsea were awarded a spot kick for a nothing challenge as Chris Smalling merely stood his ground against an on rushing Zhirkov. Yet, it was "contact" in the box and the resulting play was a set piece from the penalty spot. I didn't complain. I think we probably didn't deserve it and felt it was harsh but as per the law of the game, it was a penalty. Luiz wasn't sent off for late tackles but you know what? For me, I accepted it and moved on. I would've taken the same decision if it happened to us in another game. Just like Drogba's goal that sealed a 2-1 victory to the Blues at OT last year in a decisive game, where, when he received the ball for the resulting goal, was two yards off-side!!! Turned out that they later won the league by one point. But for me, that's water under the bridge.
So when Evra felled Ramires, yes, in my opinion, it was a penalty. We got lucky. They mightn't have scored or they might have. who knows... Torres dived shortly afterwards and got a yellow card. Also, he did dive early in the first half too but he did himself a favour by picking himself up before the referee had; with the help of a first yellow card. So, technically he should have been sent off. But I guess that both teams had their unfair share of fortune, right? Parity now?

Tic Tactics are gonna get you!
Manchester United gambled with their line up and it payed off for us. Chelsea worked with the wrong strike force. Its sad that Ancelotti has no full control over his selection. The recently acquired 50 million pound Spaniard, "had" to start, and with Drogba, you can never ever rule them out. But I think Drogba with and Kalou or Anelka, would've been even more threatening. Sadly, even as Anelka came on, it was the Drog who made his way off. Great for United but not for Chelsea as this striker performs really well in general keeping aside the theatrics he's acquired from Westend. I'm sure their some of their fans would agree with me on that one. Torres hasn't been able to gel with the rest of the team and he needs more time and less pressure to start finding his feet even at this level. That's what pre-Season games are meant for. That was the difference between the two sides. We were quite happy to sit back and soak up all the pressure and then counter-attack when presented with the opportunity, while Chelsea were forced to lead a high defensive line and generally push higher up the pitch. Our defense was tight while Chelsea's was rarely threatened. But we were a bit more clinical in front of goal thanks to coming into form Wayne Rooney.

Here are my summations of our squad and their performances on the night.

1. Van Der Sar. Two class saves and rarely threatened from set pieces. Like his counterpart, had nothing much to do.
2. Rafael. Slightly sluggish but coming off actually worked in our favour rather than against us.
3. Rio Ferdinand. Composure. A rock with Vidic and played well after missing out for two months. Added a sense of security for us United players and Fans alike!
4. Nemanja Vidic. Looked at ease after his partner returned to action. He finally got the better of Torres and hopefully he's put those demons behind him.
5. Patrice Evra. Played well against the pacey Boswinga. Made two vital challenges in the box, of which the second was down to pure luck for not conceding a penalty and worse, getting sent off.
6. Michael Carrick. Looks very sharp and confident as he returns to form and still very much the anchor of United's midfield.
7. Park Ji-Sung. Industrious. Nothing more. Nothing less. Does what he's asked to do and he delivers in a high profile game whether he's on the score sheet or not.
8. Ryan Giggs. Still got the energy and speed to out run his marker at rare moments when he choses to. But they pay off most often than not.
9. Antonio Valencia. He's back. He's our most potent threat. Surprisingly, our goal came from the left wing! But as always he's adventurous and the shift he put in at right back was immaculate thanks to Ferdinand's presence.
10. Wayne Rooney. A skilled goal, though only a tap in. Took Essien out of the game when we weren't in possession and filled the void between the midfield and forwards.
11. Chicharito. Because of our tactics, he didn't get much service but he always kept Chelsea's defense on their toes, thus keeping them contained and a bit pegged back in their own half.
12. Nani. Sluggish. Needs more game time to regain that deadly form.
13. Dimitar Berbatov. When introduced, I think he too knew, that he'd hardly touch the ball.
14. Chris Smalling. Introduced at the death just to finish off the last thirty seconds of added time

We actually played with ten men contributing. With less service for our strikers, the eleventh man ( the forwards, in this case ) was only meant to keep Chelsea's defense alert. He was there to make up our numbers, constructively.

Player Ratings out of 10
1. Van Der Sar - 8
2. Rafael - 6
3. Ferdinand - 7
4. Vidic - 7
5. Evra - 8
6. Carrick - 9
7. Park - 7
8. Giggs - 7
9. Valencia - 7
10. Rooney - 9
11. Chicharito - 7
12. Nani - 6
13. Berbatov ... really not worth mentioning!
14. Smalling... came on too late!

Now lets look forward to the second leg. Should be very very interesting. I see Chelsea getting an away goal or maybe even two if we can't keep our men fit for Tuesday and focused although I doubt that they'll be complacent against Chelsea.

Great game guys!!! I don't mean to brag, but for me personally, sitting among a majority of Chelsea fans was a treat. This result made my ride back home on my cycle so so sweet!!! Scarves were flying about and a red cycle to match that! I had a flight to catch the next morning at 11 am luckily for me, so I ended up watching the first half all over again! It was worth the lessened hours of sleep...

Champions League Quarter-Finals Preview

So, it begins. Tonight, Tottenham Hotspurs take on Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in what is arguably Spur's toughest test so far after brushing aside the giants from Milan; both A.C. and Inter. Real Madrid look menacing when they are in top form but they can be very sporadic about that when it comes to the Champions League. Spurs on the other hand, have been knocking them out of the park every time they've been pitched with some the biggest guns in Europe. It'll be a very difficult one to call. Real Madrid have the history, the the experience and most of the worlds best players in Higuain, Ronaldo, Cassilas and many more. To top off all of that, they've got Jose Mourinho one of the most successful managers in this millennium guiding them. Tactically, he can pull it off over both legs. He'll play defensive even if he has to just to get the job done. Redknapp on the other hand can weave some of his magic and can inspire his team at some stage, bringing out the best in them. He's got a squad young in experience but, they're fearless and will have a go at anyone with Bale and Van Der Vaart in their ranks. That's all the inspiration they need and of course, Gomes, their keeper, not to have one of his worst days between the sticks. Tonights game promises to be a close one, if not a high scoring one and I'm sure that any football fan out there supporting any club aside from Inter and Shalke will be intrigued by this fixture and they should be watching a good game of football.

Inter Milan host Shalke at the San Siro. Inter's cauldron hasn't been the fortress it used to be a few years ago. It's still a daunting place to come to but they've had this knack of conceding at home while also finding the net when it matters. So this tie really cannot be decided over the first leg and we'll have to see how Shalke shape up tonight. Im sure that although everyone is tipping Inter to breeze through, I think they might find a very stubborn Shalke side offering resistance in their midfield while they might only keep one forward up front. I'd actually like to see them go for Inter's throat and surprise a few people. But that might be the case in a fantasy football world. Inter have started to rediscover some of their magnificent resolve they showed against Munich last time out and that might just give them the upper hand tonight as I'm quite sure, they'll go all out to put Raul & Co. to bed as early as possible. Should be a good match to watch if both teams play offensive football.

Chelsea host Manchester United in the biggest game this quarter-final has to offer. To make this one short, Chelsea are major pissed at losing 2008 final to us; although they'd have to blame John Terry for that. United have felt hard done in the last couple of games we've played there in the League and will want to prove a point to themselves that they can actually win at the Bridge for the first time in seven years. I will elaborate more on this tomorrow when my emotions are building up as game time approaches us!!! Stay tuned...Should be a nail-biting / end-to-end game.

Shakhtar Donetsk travel to Barcelona as the underdogs not surprisingly. Barcelona are arguably the best team in the world at the moment and I believe that they'll be going into this game with a lot of confidence looking to do all the usual stuff they did against Arsenal; out play their opponents by keeping 70% possession. Or more. If Shakhtar were to walk away with anything, it'll be in the second leg. They've got a good record playing at home this season, and have actually won at the Nou Camp before. They are, of course, the underdogs of this tournament. In fact, I'm actually tipping Shakhtar to surprise everyone including Barcelona and win the tie over the two legs. The Catalans might think that they have that semi-final berth in the bag, but I think they're in for a big surprise. Cannot wait to see that game too. 

Its good to have football back again after two weeks off. A much needed break I suppose. It was all getting  a bit too hectic with the UEFA, the League, the FA Cup, the Carling Cup and what not. The Cricket World Cup provided some entertainment at the right time but Football is always a priority! We've got an exciting end to the season to watch out for and the fun has only just begun!!!

We love this game...

Of bans, and victories and more bans

At half time, I said to myself, it's one of those days where we will be on the winning side. It had that feeling I suppose where we will get something out of this game. It feels like the Blackpool game. I'm not worried, I'm not concerned. I'm positively hopeful and that's it.

We were two goals down to West Ham United at Upton park last Saturday courtesy to two silly penalties conceded by our left back and central defender. It was laughable. We probably didn't deserve to be losing that much inside the first 30 minutes but they caught us off-guard on the counter-attack on both occasions so we only had ourselves to blame for some ghastly defending. Then, on either side of half-time, we were lucky not to have Vidic sent off on two occasions; one for a last man bringing down the attacker for which he only got yellow carded for that and after the interval, a mis-timed challenge that definitely warranted a second yellow. That was the luck we needed. At that point, I was ready to take a draw still knowing, that a victory was very much on the cards. 

West Ham tired as the game wore on and we got on our substitutes in Berbatov and Hernandez at the right times in the second half to add more energy and composure in front of goal to give ourselves a chance of stealing a vital victory right from our rival's noses. Rooney curled a beautiful free-kick just inside the right post to give us the initiative to press forward even more. He soon doubled his and United's tally by controlling Valencia's pass with a sublime first touch before placing his shot across the keeper and into the net. The pressure paid off ten minutes from time when Fabio did very well to first lob his marker on the bye-line, cut into the box before evading a tackle from Upson who when after he managed to pick himself up off the ground in time to block Fabio's lofted cross, in my opinion, destined for the the penalty spot with one of our players waiting to pounce at the end of it, literally handed the ball to us giving Wayne Rooney the chance to put West Ham to the sword. And  he did so with ease, taking the pressure of us a little bit by abusing the camera. Hernandez calmed us down by adding a quick fourth. 4 goals in as little as 18 minutes made life a lot easier for us that evening as both Chelsea and Arsenal drew leaving United to enjoy some much needed breathing space at the top. I was relieved, happy, overcome with this feeling that I knew we could do it and do it, we did! Ahh... well done guys.

I'd seen it happen at Blackpool before and on other numerous occasions. the 5-3 come from behind victory against Spurs a while ago, 3-2 against Villa in 02, if I remember correctly. Anyway, the point is, we believed that we can always come out of adversity after making it very very difficult for ourselves. On most occasions, it happens to be within the same game! Good for us. 

Bad for us is the fact that Rooney got a two match suspension for his little outburst which now rules him out for the Fulham game at home in the Premier League and the F.A. Cup semi-final clash against a resurgent Manchester City. Should he decide to appeal against that successfully, he'd only miss the league game. Should he fail, he'd get banned for an extra game which would see him sit out the the Newcastle game ( away ) in the league in addition to the first two he's already scheduled to miss out on. The only thing going for him having the ban reversed to a game is that he apologized almost immediately. I say its a good gamble to take. Ferguson and Rooney could enjoy watching these games from the stand while one chews gum and the other, flashes his evenly spaced out teeth which are brown in colour. Maybe he's better of at home cussing his luck, Taping himself doing that, and putting it onto YouTube, tagging the FA in it. That'll show 'em.
I feel that we're being victimized here a little and that's sad. But you know what, I say bring it on. We've not been at our best and the FA probably think that that's not enough to win the league and FA cup. So we'll have to pull a few rabbits from the hat, not to have a week or two of shortcomings. 

Its been a good start to the final third of the season. We've just about kept our heads above the water, while others have a lot of ground to make although they might still have a game or two in hand but we've got the points; that's most important. We're coming into good form at the right time. not peaked, and far from that I'd say. I don't think we can peak this season because of the injuries we've sustained this season and we're almost to the end of it but maybe, we can do just about enough to taste a bit of success in at least one out of three competitions, realistically speaking. Like I said before, I'm positively hopeful. It'll be a great end to our campaign if we can achieve something when everyone wrote us off for not having a the squad of yesteryears, strength in depth and bans to top it all off. 

Come on United.