Man Utd Thread:

[supersarsfields]

ML you should know my now to not even reply to the muppets that are "minder" and "Laoislad"

[A Quinn Martin Production]

Fergie more or less put out a carling cup team tonight. If everyone was fit and available only VDS and Valencia would start against the chavs and a fully fit Fletcher. Chelsea had almost a full strength team out tonite and struggled in spain. The return of O shea and Evra will help the defence as will Carrick and Giggs in Midfield. Scholes is genius but his legs are gone and fletcher is nowhere near fit on tonites evidence. Likely team VDS, O shea Vidic ( hopefully) Evans, Evra, Valencia,Carrick, Anderson, Giggs, Berba and Rooney. Chelseas strength is all in midfield so need Anderson and Carrick to step up to the plate.

That's right. Bar Carvalho, Bosingwa, Ballack, and Anelka being rested, and Joe Cole and Alex getting starts after injury it was almost a full strength team. How do you know Chelsea struggled?

It was a complacent, 60% Chelsea performance that only kicked in after AM went one up. A sloopy free kick at the end stopped the Blues winning in Spain.

Is Vidic not suspended for Sunday??  I could be wrong.  But I can't wait to see Drogba in his current form get a go at Evans & Brown (hopefully)

[Archie Mitchell]

He was suspended for the Barnsley game as was sent off for 2 bookings and only got a 1 game ban. Missed the game v Blackburn on Saturday through injury. Drogba is in good form, will be a good battle with him and Vidic.

[EC Unique]

If Vidic is fit he should be looking forward to this as a chance to prove his critics wrong.

[full back]

If Utd had played like they did in the last 10 mins at any other stage in the game, CSKA would have been blown out of the water as their defence was dodgy as fcuk.

Nani is ridiculous. Does Fergie understand that no matter how many times he plays him he isnt going to turn into Ronaldo

Although he pushed forward in the last 10/15 mins when Utd were camped in their half I thought Neville was brutal. He just isnt fit for it any more, be it getting forward and then back when the attack breaks down or putting the ball in early or indeed beating the first man with the cross he just hasnt got it any more.
RIP The Neviller

Was a penalty, but no point in crying over it, wasnt given. End off
Evans was lucky to stay on the pitch after the kick

Good to see Fletcher coming back. He will be needed for Sunday

[BerfArmagh]

Defence was shocking last night. Fabio has not impressed me ever. I thought Neville really burst his guts last night, he must have put in at least 10 excellent crossed. Question is, is'nt valencia supposed to be doing this, he seemed to drift into the middle the whole night. I am not convinved by him. Rooney & Evra made the difference when they came on. The young frenchman looked very good which suprised me as all the reports i have read about him labelled him useless. Scholes passed like a demo in the second half & i though young evans had a storming lasy 25 mins. The fella up front looked a player, methinks fergie might go sniffing in Jan in Moscow. For me Owne is done, he needs 3/4 chance to score now, (ala andy cole) whereas 4/5 years ago he would have finished last night with a hatrick

entertaining game all the same

[Rudigar]

Bye bye Tomasz.


Edwin van der Sar is approaching the final stages of his career amid tensions behind the scenes at Manchester United, with his younger rival, Tomasz Kuszczak, openly asking whether the Dutchman dislikes him and criticising him for not offering any encouragement or help.
Van der Sar, twice the European goalkeeper of the year and a Champions League winner with Ajax and United, turned 39 last week and has a reputation as the consummate professional. Kuszczak, however, is so exasperated by his colleague's lack of guidance the 27-year-old has publicly spoken out about what he perceives to be the failings in their relationship.
"To be honest, I must say this, and Edwin doesn't like this too much, for sure, but he doesn't help me too much," he said. "I have told him a few times already to give me some more advice because he's got more experience and got many more games under his belt.
"I say to him: 'You have to give me something more because I like to know what I do wrong'. I like to watch other people because doing that I can take some good from the advice I get. But I don't know, maybe Edwin doesn't like me. You'll have to ask him."
For a player to question a colleague's conduct is virtually unheard of at Old Trafford now that Roy Keane has left the club, and it is unlikely Kuszczak's comments will go down well with Sir Alex Ferguson given the manager's famous desire to keep everything in-house. It is even more embarrassing for United considering that Kuszczak made his complaints on MUTV, the club's own television channel and the outlet for the infamous diatribe from Keane against his own team-mates that eventually led to the then captain leaving the club in 2005.
Kuszczak signed from West Bromwich Albion in August 2006 and the Pole is clearly frustrated about his inability to put together a substantial run of games as he competes with Van der Sar, the undisputed first-choice, and Ben Foster, who is marginally next in line.
"I've not played too much over the last three years," Kuszczak added. "I hope in the future the games will come. The question is how long do you want to wait? I try every day but it's a slow process and it's not easy. I feel great in the position but I'm not called up and sometimes you think: 'OK, it's difficult, you have to wait', but the question is how long. I've already waited three and a half years.
"I will wait longer but my ambition is so big and I want to have a nice feeling after games, be tired and go home and think: 'Oh, you did a good job'. This is what I want to do. Now it's difficult because I haven't played too much, especially this season, but I'm hungry to play games. I have played a few games in the Champions League and Premier League, some important games, and it was OK. I know I'm able to do it."
Kuszczak and Van der Sar would be far from the only goalkeepers not to have been close over the years.
Jens Lehmann hardly had a good word to say about Manuel Almunia when they were competing for the same position at Arsenal, describing it as a "humiliation" to lose his place to the Spaniard and saying he watched games having to "clench my fist in my pocket".
David James has admitted cold-shouldering Brad Friedel when the American signed for Liverpool, while Ronald Waterreus used to switch on the television in the middle of the night to make sure his PSV Eindhoven room-mate and rival, Georg Koch, slept badly before games.
At Barnsley, meanwhile, the former goalkeeper Lars Leese remembers unnerving his rivals for the position by bombarding them with as many unstoppable shots as possible in training sessions. After he had fired another ball into the net, Leese would say: "Oh sorry, I forgot you weren't good enough for shots like that."

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Bye bye Tomasz.


Edwin van der Sar is approaching the final stages of his career amid tensions behind the scenes at Manchester United, with his younger rival, Tomasz Kuszczak, openly asking whether the Dutchman dislikes him and criticising him for not offering any encouragement or help.
Van der Sar, twice the European goalkeeper of the year and a Champions League winner with Ajax and United, turned 39 last week and has a reputation as the consummate professional. Kuszczak, however, is so exasperated by his colleague's lack of guidance the 27-year-old has publicly spoken out about what he perceives to be the failings in their relationship.
"To be honest, I must say this, and Edwin doesn't like this too much, for sure, but he doesn't help me too much," he said. "I have told him a few times already to give me some more advice because he's got more experience and got many more games under his belt.
"I say to him: 'You have to give me something more because I like to know what I do wrong'. I like to watch other people because doing that I can take some good from the advice I get. But I don't know, maybe Edwin doesn't like me. You'll have to ask him."
For a player to question a colleague's conduct is virtually unheard of at Old Trafford now that Roy Keane has left the club, and it is unlikely Kuszczak's comments will go down well with Sir Alex Ferguson given the manager's famous desire to keep everything in-house. It is even more embarrassing for United considering that Kuszczak made his complaints on MUTV, the club's own television channel and the outlet for the infamous diatribe from Keane against his own team-mates that eventually led to the then captain leaving the club in 2005.
Kuszczak signed from West Bromwich Albion in August 2006 and the Pole is clearly frustrated about his inability to put together a substantial run of games as he competes with Van der Sar, the undisputed first-choice, and Ben Foster, who is marginally next in line.
"I've not played too much over the last three years," Kuszczak added. "I hope in the future the games will come. The question is how long do you want to wait? I try every day but it's a slow process and it's not easy. I feel great in the position but I'm not called up and sometimes you think: 'OK, it's difficult, you have to wait', but the question is how long. I've already waited three and a half years.
"I will wait longer but my ambition is so big and I want to have a nice feeling after games, be tired and go home and think: 'Oh, you did a good job'. This is what I want to do. Now it's difficult because I haven't played too much, especially this season, but I'm hungry to play games. I have played a few games in the Champions League and Premier League, some important games, and it was OK. I know I'm able to do it."
Kuszczak and Van der Sar would be far from the only goalkeepers not to have been close over the years.
Jens Lehmann hardly had a good word to say about Manuel Almunia when they were competing for the same position at Arsenal, describing it as a "humiliation" to lose his place to the Spaniard and saying he watched games having to "clench my fist in my pocket".
David James has admitted cold-shouldering Brad Friedel when the American signed for Liverpool, while Ronald Waterreus used to switch on the television in the middle of the night to make sure his PSV Eindhoven room-mate and rival, Georg Koch, slept badly before games.
At Barnsley, meanwhile, the former goalkeeper Lars Leese remembers unnerving his rivals for the position by bombarding them with as many unstoppable shots as possible in training sessions. After he had fired another ball into the net, Leese would say: "Oh sorry, I forgot you weren't good enough for shots like that."

Did David James keep Friedel out of the team at Liverpool?

Silly comments from Kuzscazk. Surely its the goalkeeping coach he should be going to for advice? He must have known when he signed for United he was unlikely ever to be first choice.

[Rudigar]

Bye bye Tomasz.


Edwin van der Sar is approaching the final stages of his career amid tensions behind the scenes at Manchester United, with his younger rival, Tomasz Kuszczak, openly asking whether the Dutchman dislikes him and criticising him for not offering any encouragement or help.
Van der Sar, twice the European goalkeeper of the year and a Champions League winner with Ajax and United, turned 39 last week and has a reputation as the consummate professional. Kuszczak, however, is so exasperated by his colleague's lack of guidance the 27-year-old has publicly spoken out about what he perceives to be the failings in their relationship.
"To be honest, I must say this, and Edwin doesn't like this too much, for sure, but he doesn't help me too much," he said. "I have told him a few times already to give me some more advice because he's got more experience and got many more games under his belt.
"I say to him: 'You have to give me something more because I like to know what I do wrong'. I like to watch other people because doing that I can take some good from the advice I get. But I don't know, maybe Edwin doesn't like me. You'll have to ask him."
For a player to question a colleague's conduct is virtually unheard of at Old Trafford now that Roy Keane has left the club, and it is unlikely Kuszczak's comments will go down well with Sir Alex Ferguson given the manager's famous desire to keep everything in-house. It is even more embarrassing for United considering that Kuszczak made his complaints on MUTV, the club's own television channel and the outlet for the infamous diatribe from Keane against his own team-mates that eventually led to the then captain leaving the club in 2005.
Kuszczak signed from West Bromwich Albion in August 2006 and the Pole is clearly frustrated about his inability to put together a substantial run of games as he competes with Van der Sar, the undisputed first-choice, and Ben Foster, who is marginally next in line.
"I've not played too much over the last three years," Kuszczak added. "I hope in the future the games will come. The question is how long do you want to wait? I try every day but it's a slow process and it's not easy. I feel great in the position but I'm not called up and sometimes you think: 'OK, it's difficult, you have to wait', but the question is how long. I've already waited three and a half years.
"I will wait longer but my ambition is so big and I want to have a nice feeling after games, be tired and go home and think: 'Oh, you did a good job'. This is what I want to do. Now it's difficult because I haven't played too much, especially this season, but I'm hungry to play games. I have played a few games in the Champions League and Premier League, some important games, and it was OK. I know I'm able to do it."
Kuszczak and Van der Sar would be far from the only goalkeepers not to have been close over the years.
Jens Lehmann hardly had a good word to say about Manuel Almunia when they were competing for the same position at Arsenal, describing it as a "humiliation" to lose his place to the Spaniard and saying he watched games having to "clench my fist in my pocket".
David James has admitted cold-shouldering Brad Friedel when the American signed for Liverpool, while Ronald Waterreus used to switch on the television in the middle of the night to make sure his PSV Eindhoven room-mate and rival, Georg Koch, slept badly before games.
At Barnsley, meanwhile, the former goalkeeper Lars Leese remembers unnerving his rivals for the position by bombarding them with as many unstoppable shots as possible in training sessions. After he had fired another ball into the net, Leese would say: "Oh sorry, I forgot you weren't good enough for shots like that."

Did David James keep Friedel out of the team at Liverpool?

Silly comments from Kuzscazk. Surely its the goalkeeping coach he should be going to for advice? He must have known when he signed for United he was unlikely ever to be first choice.

Agreed, although VDS maybe could have been more approachable if quotes are correct.

Friedl kept James out IIRC.

[TheGreatRambo]

First thing I thought when I saw that this morning was theres a fella angling for a move away from OT. He's been there 4 years and it doesn't look like he's gonna be number 1 even when VDS retires

[ballinaman]

Can't see Kuszak staying, say fergie will go for CSKA or Lyon keepers next summer.

Ferdinand out for sunday. Started off as a calf strain....thing he might have strained something in his head more like it.

[Farrandeelin]

Just a slight feeling, but I think we can do it today!

[anportmorforjfc]

1524: Chelsea v Manchester United line-ups:
Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Essien, Lampard, Ballack, Deco, Drogba, Anelka.
Subs: Hilario, Joe Cole, Mikel, Malouda, Paulo Ferreira, Kalou, Alex.
Man Utd: Van der Sar, O'Shea, Brown, Jonathan Evans, Evra, Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson, Valencia, Rooney, Giggs.
Subs: Kuszczak, Owen, Vidic, Scholes, Fabio Da Silva, Obertan, Gibson.

On paper that chelsea team should win by 2 or 3 goals. Not confident about today, a draw would be a brilliant result.

[ross4life]

Brown & Evans start 

[stiffler]

Where is Berbatov?

Reckon it will be nil all today.