Official: ac milan v united thread

It was all down to luck apparently.

[SIZE="5"]Will to win is disguising Manchester United's need for a major overhaul
[SIZE="3"]Experience is just about outweighing infirmity and Sir Alex Ferguson knows precisely what is needed on the pitch

Kevin McCarra Thursday 18 February 2010

Manchester United's season is more of a mystery tour than a campaign. While the destination is still to be revealed the trip is already engrossing. After being champions of England for each of the past three years, the relative tapering off has restored a sense of adventure. The side that ultimately won 3‑2 would still not have known where it was going at half‑time in San Siro.

The luck that brought Paul Scholes an equaliser in the away leg against Milan did not mollify Wayne Rooney as he rounded on some of his team‑mates in the dressing room. United must battle against natural misgivings about themselves while also taking on the opposition. On the domestic scene they have five points fewer than at this juncture last season and that looks an appropriate measure of the shrinkage in quality. No one, however, is downcast.

The challenges that lie before them are sharpening the hunger. Unorthodoxy is licensed in the process. Sir Alex Ferguson seemed liberated by the limited options when he decided to put the youngster Rafael da Silva in harm's way, instead of placing Gary Neville or Wes Brown in the danger area. If there was torment to come, it might as well serve an educational purpose.

Ronaldinho, in a World Cup year, has every incentive to recover his place in Brazil's plans. If the coach, Dunga, will take some persuading, the attacker must put on a show week after week. His 19-year-old countryman Rafael proved more of a foil to Ronaldinho than a foe but it would have been much the same for anyone else. There was an air of freedom about Ferguson in making such a decision that he might not have had when veterans such as Neville had more to offer.

We are still far from witnessing any benefit to United's relative retreat from the transfer market and the squad appears patchy. If it goes on functioning without major overhaul it will be because the habit of victory lingers, experience is just about outweighing infirmity and the manager knows precisely what is needed on the pitch.

Antonio Valencia, for instance, has not taken Old Trafford by storm since his move from Wigan Athletic but the impact of a strong-running substitute with a good cross is apparent as a game becomes stretched when players tire. The Ecuadorian sent over the ball with which Rooney gave United a 2-1 lead on Tuesday.

The scorer is now prolific enough to protect United's interests with a bulwark of goals, but there is no concealing the truth that the team will be hard-pressed to go on delivering results that are so much better that the displays. Jonny Evans presented Klaas-Jan Huntelaar with an opportunity at San Siro but the Dutchman missed the target. The striker really ought to have put Milan 2‑0 up and that could have been the start of an ordeal. United will appreciate that fact, yet it is also stimulating for the time being to feel keenly that there is danger at every turn.

With Rio Ferdinand still unable to convince that he is now free of back trouble and Evans so ill-at-ease, United badly need to establish a rapport with the seemingly estranged Nemanja Vidic, even if he cannot be dissuaded from leaving in the summer.

The Champions League group phase was therapeutic for United and they have continued to be lucky in their foes. Anyone taking their eyes off Ronaldinho might have developed a horrible fascination for Alessandro Nesta. He is coming back from injury but a miserable showing against Rooney was the embodiment of a Milan decline that renders recovery in the second leg all but inconceivable.

People would prefer to forget Luciano Moggi, the former director general of Juventus who is serving a five-year ban from the sport, but his opinions cannot always be rejected. Prior to the Champions League ties, he said, "We will see that calcio is not competitive on the international stage. We will be lucky if one side makes it through to the next round."

Milan had stirring moments but were unsound. Tougher days lie ahead for United against better opponents. If they continue to progress it will be on a wing and rather a lot of prayers.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/b...ampions-league

File alongside all the ifs and buts that crop up after a football match. If they had a better striker they may have scored, if they'd taken 1 of their 3/4 good chances. They didn't. That's football, tough shit.

When we went 3-1 up after a much improved second half there's no real mention of the chances we created afterwards, and how we looked like scoring a few more. Instead, it's glossed over and they'll just concentrate on Milan's second and our nervy finish. That's fine to an extent but I don't think our comeback can be underwritten. 1-0 down, not playing well, in a ground we've struggled in. If I didn't know the score line and just read some of the English press reports I think we'd have scraped a draw or worse.

Also re Evans. Inter Milan last season were a much better side (IMO) and against them in their own back yard he was excellent. Not that I expect some @#%&! of so called sports journalist to remember that.

Originally Posted by Sandman

It was all down to luck apparently.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/b...ampions-league

Fair do's, that's an epic amount of horse-shit.Is he a Bitter?

was speaking to the hotel bloke on weds, he was there and is a ST holder. There is an enourmous amount of repsect coming our way from Milan, Ferguson is very popular in Italy and he said that Italians dream of a player like Rooney. Milan are seen as the cavalier italian team themselves so to be done at thier own game in thier city sent shockwaves thru the italian football press i guess.

One of those truly amazing United nights for me.

Originally Posted by Whalefish

File alongside all the ifs and buts that crop up after a football match. If they had a better striker they may have scored, if they'd taken 1 of their 3/4 good chances. They didn't. That's football, tough shit.

Exactly. It's all exceptions isn't it? 'Ah, but if it weren't for Rooney...'. Rooney is a United player. Funny, it was 'one man team' this time last year too, and the year before that....and when Eric was there....and Hughes in 1989, and Robson before that....amazing that United have won so much playing 1 v 11 isn't it.

Originally Posted by Smeggs

was speaking to the hotel bloke on weds, he was there and is a ST holder. There is an enourmous amount of repsect coming our way from Milan, Ferguson is very popular in Italy and he said that Italians dream of a player like Rooney. Milan are seen as the cavalier italian team themselves so to be done at thier own game in thier city sent shockwaves thru the italian football press i guess.

One of those truly amazing United nights for me.

Exactly. I was speaking to the guy in the hotel on Weds morning and he thought we were brilliant.

The guy who I get my pizza from is Italian, and he thought we were marvelous.

Originally Posted by Whalefish

Also re Evans. Inter Milan last season were a much better side (IMO) and against them in their own back yard he was excellent. Not that I expect some @#%&! of so called sports journalist to remember that.

Evans was magnificent last season, but I thought Milan were far better in the final third, compared to Inter last season.

btw, I don't know if any of you who went over saw the build up to the game on Italian tv. Six hours before KO, they were interviewing one ex Milan or Inter player after another about Rooney. All they talked about in the build up was Rooney. His old coaches from Everton were tracked down, players who'd played against him, even the Stereophonics ffs. They were absolutely terrified of him...rightly so Got 8/10 in Gazetta the next day too.

Oliver Holt and a couple of other hacks were in the same restaurant as us after the game. Was going to give him some stick for his 'End of the Empire' piece from 2003, but he turned out to be quite a decent chap so I remained civil

Originally Posted by Grimson

The guy who I get my pizza from is Italian, and he thought we were marvelous.

piss taking #@&%!

Originally Posted by Grimson

The guy who I get my pizza from is Italian, and he thought we were marvelous.

Why, did you give him big tip?

Originally Posted by The Watcher

Was going to give him some stick for his 'End of the Empire' piece from 2003, but he turned out to be quite a decent chap so I remained civil

Just as well, if my recollection is indeed correct and it was in fact Des Kelly who wrote it

Originally Posted by red in cumbria

Just as well, if my recollection is indeed correct and it was in fact Des Kelly who wrote it

Sure it was Holt in The Mirror. After the 3-1 defeat at Main Road ("feed the Goat"). Even had a cartoon of a statue of Fergie crumbling. I kept it pined up on my wall at Uni, convinced that we'd somehow come back to "get our Trophy back", which we did

Yes, I remember it well. "FERGIE'S EMPIRE IS CRUMBLING AND THE END IS NIGH" the headline screamed

I am equally sure it *was* Kelly tho' - wasn't he their sport editor at the time? Maybe Google will turn something up.........

Originally Posted by wiganste

Exactly. I was speaking to the guy in the hotel on Weds morning and he thought we were brilliant.

Originally Posted by Grimson

The guy who I get my pizza from is Italian, and he thought we were marvelous.

Originally Posted by Zorg

Why, did you give him big tip?

Who, me and ste?

Originally Posted by Grimson

Who, me and ste?

:giggle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm9YMrK12Gg

McCarra is a Jock...what the £#%&! do they know about Champions League football...apart from Fergie and Fletch

there has beeen some shite written about United this season McCarra just nailed the worst article yet

Originally Posted by £#%&! KFC

McCarra is a Jock...what the £#%&! do they know about Champions League football...apart from Fergie and Fletch

there has beeen some shite written about United this season McCarra just nailed the worst article yet

But he didn't just write a load of %@#$&!s, he then went on the Guardian podcast and made an even bigger @#%&! of himself. It's in the first 10 minutes for anyone interested.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/b...-extra-podcast