Man Utd Thread:

[Spiritof98]

Lads, if Ronaldo had simply fallen over, assuming he got enough contact to make him fall over, it would have been a penalty. The Oscars were last week, so there's no need to attempt the melodrama. Why, oh why, do players feel the need to do the big arched back, fully extended triple salko? And before you accuse me of anti United bias, it's not just Ronaldo that does it.

Did ye see the interview with Paul Scholes? What a down to earth lad. A GAA player trapped in a soccer player's body

Keane has said in the past he liked him because he had a bit of Devilment in him.

Nothing really to say about the game, you could probably use my posts about the last 3 games to sum up what I felt about the game. Worried about the injuries though, can we recall young Rossi from Parma?

[Billys Boots]

FFS, if you're fouled in the box you go down, I know it may be a bone of contention but that is how the way soccer is played by all teams.

If Ronaldo (and as AZ says, it's not just him) is in possession in the box and hasn't a clear shooting chance, he goes down nearly every time.  If I was his manager, I'd be suggesting he might look up for a team mate an odd time.  If you get a name for that sort of thing you'll get booked, and I think you'd deserve it.  The different FAs in the main soccer superpowers should be discouraging this actively through the referees bodies - if they don't there's a risk that the game will turn into a farce like the WWE (wrestling).

[magpie seanie]

I agree BB's but they do not have the will to do so. Top soccer players are like ballerinas. It's turned into a non-contact sport. The attitude to diving in Britain is hypocritical. There's as much diving in the Premiership but everyone blames everyone else and especially Johnny Foreigner. On the continent at least they don't moan about it - whats good for the goose is good for the gander.

[AZOffaly]

It's true Seanie, and it's an awful sickener watching it. Everyone does it. If I were Michel Platini, I'd aske every association in UEFA to create a panel of ex-players to examine every match that was played the weekend previous in the top divisions and major competitions, and give 'penalty points' for dives, regardless of whether the ref dealt with them or not. This points system would be the equivalent to, but independent of, the Yellow/Red Card points system. The only crossover would be that where a player reaches , for example, 5 points which , for argument's sake equates to 2 blatent dives and one exaggeration, they get a red card retrospectively, and miss the requisite amount of games.

Ex players would be the best for the panel, because they understand the difference between exaggerating a foul, completely feigning a foul, and simply innocently falling over.

[Uladh]

Has smith picked up another injury since his return at the start of the season or why has be been missing? i think he played a few games around october if i'm not mistaken?

[Maximus Marillius]

Cannot see UTD winning the champions league, they do not have a out an out scorer. A team such as last night should have been easy winners, was it me or did ye keep waiting for a clanger.  Eto will be up for grabs at the end of the season...Saha is not the answer long term either

[J70]

I'd have given a penalty Seanie, but the way he flew down was too much I thought. He actually made a foul look like a dive in my opinion.

I thought the same. Clear penalty from the replay, but he ruined it and influenced the ref's decision with the theatrics. If the ref didn't see the contact clearly, but saw the exaggerated reaction, I can see why he thought Ronaldo dived.

[Redgreenery]

Match Report:
Utd 1-0 Lille

Much like the performances against Fulham and Liverpool in the league, United were far from their best against Lille in this Champions League second leg tie at Old Trafford on Wednesday, but once again the Reds got the required result.

It took a show of Cristiano Ronaldo's blistering pace and a well-placed header from Henrik Larsson, the perfect goodbye to Old Trafford, to separate the two teams and give United the win.

Lille offered very little in the way of an attacking threat and in truth United's performance rarely rose above the minimum requirements to reach the Champions League last eight for the first time since 2002/03.

Without Louis Saha, out for four weeks with a hamstring strain, Sir Alex started with Larsson in his final match at Old Trafford in a United shirt as a lone striker.

The Reds boss plumped for a 4-5-1 formation with Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo operating on the flanks in support, backed up by a midfield trio of Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick and John O'Shea.

The events of the first leg had obviously made an indelible mark on both sets of fans. United's goalscorer in the first leg, Ryan Giggs, was booed by the Lille supporters when his name was announced, while Reds fans jeered as the away team was read out. It promised to be a tight and tense encounter.

Lille started out much as they had done at Stade Felix-Bollaert a fornight ago, physical, quick to close down and compact.

However, it took an excellent block from Nemanja Vidic after seven minutes to stop Peter Odemwingie getting off his shot inside the area, before United's first opening a minute later, which should have led to something better. Scholes found Larsson's run in behind the Lille defence but the Swedish forward's touch let him down and the ball trickled through to Les Dogues goalkeeper Tony Sylva.

The early momentum was with United, and after fifteen minutes Rooney and John O'Shea had excellent chances to put the Reds in front. Larsson set Scholes free down the right and the Salford-born midfielder chipped his cross to the far post where Rooney's volley was blocked by Matthieu Chalme. From the resulting corner, O'Shea nearly scored his second goal in a week when his header crashed against the crossbar.

Lille were next to threaten from a Ludovic Obraniak free-kick, which saw Jean Makoun unmarked, six yards from goal and with only Edwin van der Sar to beat. But, he sent his glancing header straight into the Dutchman's arm.

Scholes, on his 100th European start, was pulling the strings for United in midfield. A one-two with Gary Neville gave him room to shoot, but his shot was well blocked by Tavlaridis, the former Arsenal defender.

With four minutes of the half remaining Ronaldo thought he had earned a penalty kick after going to ground under a challenge from Chalme, but Spanish referee Luis Medina Cantalejo instead gave the Reds winger a yellow card for diving.

Despite controlling prolonged periods of possession in the first half, the scores remained level at the break, although United were given an early warning at the start of the second half when Odemwingie's far post header hit the woodwork.

The Reds seemed to be lacking a cutting edge in attack – perhaps in part down to Lille's stubborn and regimented organisation – which frustrated the home fans, who were calling for the team to attack. Several misplaced passes in the first fifteen minutes of the second half was uncharacteristic of Sir Alex's side. And although Lille rarely looked like a major threat going forward, but in European football in particular the balance of a tie can change in an instant.

If there was one player to pick the match up from the doldrums it was Ronaldo. And with 18 minutes left on the clock, he did just that. Good interplay between Scholes and Larsson saw the ball weaved out onto the left flank, where Ronaldo used his pace to beat Chalme and loft a cross into the box. Larsson had made his run into the box and met the cross with a well-placed header past Silva.

There was certainly an element of relief inside Old Trafford as Larsson's header hit the back of the net.

And there was almost as big a cheer when the goalscorer was replaced by substitute Alan Smith seconds later, his first outing for the first team since playing an hour in the Carling Cup fourth round defeat to Southend in November. Smith looked sharper than he did earlier in the season, and with Larsson departing and Saha out injured, he may well find this is the first of a few outings in the side.

The game petered out without any response of note from the French side. United's place in the last eight secured, the Reds continue the hunt for trophies on three fronts.

Team Line-ups

United: Van der Sar; Neville (c), Ferdinand, Vidic, Silvestre; Ronaldo (Richardson, 82), Carrick, Scholes, O'Shea, Rooney (Park, 82); Larsson (Smith, 75).
Subs not used: Kuszczak, Heinze, Brown, Giggs.

Lille: Sylva; Chalme, Tavlaridis, Plestan, Tafforeau; Makoun, Dumont (Fauvergue, 74); Keita, Braniak, Bastos (Debuchy, 46); Odemwingie (Mirallas, 74).
Subs not used: Malicki, Youla, Franquart, Lichtsteiner.

Attendance: 75,182

[hows she cutting]

only saw the highlights of this game but thought United were very average, but as has already been said still not conceding. Think Saturdays game will be a similar outcome, should beat Boro but depending on what team fergie fields it could be another close run thing
will go for a 2-1 win

[Redgreenery]

From manutd.com

UTD RECIEVE INJURY BOOST

United were given a major lift on Friday morning with the news that the injuries sustained by Louis Saha and Darren Fletcher are not as serious as first feared.

Saha, who pulled up with a tight hamstring in training earlier this week, was looking at a month-long lay-off, while an ankle ligament problem looked to have curtailed Darren Fletcher's involvement in the current campaign.

However, Saha is now likely to return against Blackburn at the end of the month, and will be joined by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who had a minor operation to clear up his knee.

Fletcher, who had been expected to miss two months of action, is now likely to be back in a few weeks.

"For a couple of days I was starting to think that the roof was falling in on top of us," admitted Sir Alex Ferguson at his Friday press briefing. "But things are looking much brighter now.

"Darren's injury is not bad as we first thought. He could be back in a few weeks. The news is very good on Louis Saha and we expect him to be back to face Blackburn, along with Ole Solskjaer. So things are looking up."

Mikael Silvestre, however, will unavailable for a few weeks after dislocating his right shoulder in the win over Lille.

"We're delighted nothing was broken, but Mikael will still be out for a few weeks," confirmed Sir Alex. "We'll be monitoring him to see how things are progressing."

Alan Smith, who came on as a substitute against Lille during midweek, will be involved for the Reds in the FA Cup quarter-final clash with Middlesbrough on Saturday tea-time.

"He enjoyed a good work out against Lille," said Sir Alex. "He'll definitely figure against Middlesbrough.

"The loss of Henrik Larsson after the Cup game is a big loss. But as one player leaves, it provides an opportunity for someone else, such as Alan.

"For the last three or four months I've had to tell five or six players every week that they wouldn't be playing. It kills you at times because you're talking about some fantastic footballers.

"You feel for them because they're no able to contribute to a good spell of football for the team. But I don't have that problem for a couple of weeks now."


STRONG SIDE TRAVELS TO BORO

Despite a host of injuries, Sir Alex Ferguson insists he will still be taking a strong squad to The Riverside as United bid to book their place in the last four of the FA Cup.

The Reds are without Paul Scholes through suspension, plus injury victims Mikael Silvestre, Louis Saha, Darren Fletcher and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, although the latter trio look likely to be back in action sooner than initially expected. Sir Alex is predicting a tough encounter against Gareth Southgate's men, but is hopeful of making it through to the competition's semi-finals.

"It should be a fantastic Cup tie and we'll be taking a very strong squad," insisted the Gaffer. "Away games are never easy in the Cup and I don't expect it to be any different on Saturday.

"They'll be positive because they've got a home draw and will think they can win. However, there is a great resolve amongst our players, you saw that at Liverpool and at Fulham. There's no doubt that as the season goes on the team spirit is growing."

Around four thousand Reds will make the trip to the Riverside for the tea-time clash. In the past, United have had their ticket allocation restricted because of issues surrounding fans standing, but, much to Sir Alex's delight, Saturday's away end will be much fuller than normal.

"We'll have a strong support behind us which we're very pleased about," added the United boss. "The council have restricted our support in the past because the fans stand, but I watch games every week and everyone is standing. Middlesbrough have fought hard to get our support increased and credit to them for that. But we ask our fans to respect the stewards at the ground and allow them to go about their job in an easy manner."

[FermPundit]

lads, what do you think united's line up will be tomorrow night?

[Square Ball]

Hard to say, has to play with Rooney and HL up front, after that I have no idea, is Evra fit for tomorrow? in a strange way i want a draw, this would be an extra match and another match off Scholes's ban, but considering my track record with predictions, 2-3

[tones81]

think it'l  be 2-0 united, hopefully henrik signs of with a goal,
mans a legend, just wish he could of stayed too end of the season!

[Guillem2]

Larson stays until end of season!

[Redgreenery]

Think it'll be 2-0 to Utd aswell with Larrson getting a goal and mabye Rooney or Ronaldo getting the other one.