Glory Glory Man United
Written on 9/22/2004 11:39:00 pm by sikapitan
Sorry, this is an impromptu entry that's probably overdue. Glory glory Man United!It's great to see United firing on all cylinders. Their 2-1 victory probably didn't do them justice because they totally dominated the game.
But I must comment that Liverpool, on that day, was poor. Their midfield dynamo, Stevie Gerrard, never got into the game before he had to pull out due to injury. The zonal markings employed by Senor Benitez didn't work. I have to say that both of United's goals can be attributed to poor play by Liverpool rather than good play from United.
However, the whole game saw a marked improvement over previous games. Perhaps the inclusion of the mercurial Christiano Ronaldo straight from the start galvanised the entire squad more than the appearance of Rio. Ronaldo was at his mesmerising best, and I've always wondered how the hell he managed to keep on twinkling his toes even late into the game. Super fit I tell you. Rio himself was excellent, but the defenders didn't have to work so hard as Liverpool hardly made them sweat. But I was pleased to see him bringing the much-needed calmness and stability to the often fragile centre. Both Wes Brown and Gabri Heinze shined, though for differing reasons. While Brown made a great impression of the gung-ho attacking Brazilian right-back, roaming the entire right hand side in an irresistable partnership with Ronaldo, Heinze was showing why he was one of the outstanding players in Argentina's Olympic squad. He looked solid, bringing in a certain kind of toughness that was sorely lacking previously, and I predict he'll be the mainstay in the squad from now on. The fact that he plays dirty like any respectable typical South American hardman makes him even more appealing. Enough with wankers, I want real men in the squad.
Which brings me to Roy Keane, certainly a candidate for Man-Of-The-Match. By his own admission, his form has been below par this season, but yesterday he showed that he has lost none of his combative qualities. A sliding tackle to block off Kewell early in the first half sets the tone for the entire game. With O'shea given the impetus to attack, Keane sat back, patrolling the centre circle and cutting off any impending attack. O'shea himself didn't do too badly, though I wonder what on earth did Phil Neville do not to deserve starting in the middle. He was good last season playing together with Keane but he doesn't appear to be even in contention. O'Shea though brings with him an aerial presence that cannot be denied. I count at least three times where he managed to win headers in the opponents penalty box. BUt if Fergie keeps on shuffling his pack, we'll never see O'shea develop as a midfielder. Giggs was having one of his better days, but I really want to see Rooney moving in for Giggsy, playing on the right with Ronaldo on the Left. The twin Ro would scare the hell out of any defenders. Scholesy's form this season has not reached his normal standards, and frankly speaking, he was again low-key in this match and a break from football might not be such a bad idea after all. Ruud returned to Old Trafford for the 1st time this season, and he appeared to have lost none of his charms. Holding up the ball, tracking back, annoying the hell out of defenders- yeap, ruud is back.
Good game. I hope it's the catalyst for a great season. Insyaallah.
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