SHAMBOLIC DEFENDING!!

As a United fan I am pained to see how the team defence is in shambles. United's defence was its peak in the  2008 campaign with the likes of Vidic,Ferdinand and Evra but with with a number of these names reaching the twilight of their careers and moving on , United should have invested in the right players at the right time to takeover and assume responsibilities at the back.

United have conceded 3 goal in two games and lost their first game at home and could only manage a draw at the Stadium of light. The defence looked ragged and I believe there now exists a large void after the departure of these stalwarts and the current crop of defenders at United are either injured or haven't played to their potential.

Van Gaal must buy quality defenders before the window is shut as players like Smalling, Jones, Rafael and other seem to fail when it matters the most.
Di Maria ,Rooney,RVP, Januzaj and Mata need a stable rearguard if they are to make any impact in matches.

United should buy quality in defence and do it quickly lest we suffer another ignoble season of mediocrity and pain. I can't understand how City purchased Mangala over us.

I am yet to see a team chemistry or the teamgeist that prevailed under the reign of Sir Alex Ferguson.

One wonders whether the acquisition of players like Blind and De Jong will help the team in their defensive abilities on the pitch. 

SUNDERLAND VS MAN UNITED..welcome ROJO n DI MARIA

Sunderland vs Manchester United
Stadium of Light 
24 August, Sunday 20:30 (Indian Time)

After a  disappointing first game defeat at home to Swansea, the manager players and fans worldwide would have really felt low.
LVG commented on how the  the media had turned him into a devil after just one defeat. He has asked the fans to show patience and said that it would take him at least 3 months to get the team into shape.

Sundays game against Sunderland will not be an easy one as many players are injured or ineligible to play.The recent acquisition of Marcos Rojo and possibly a few more names such as Di Maria to follow before the transfer window closes will inspire confidence in the team and fans alike.

United's recent form against Sunderland has been atrocious and the Red Devils will be looking to make amends for the recent poor form against the Black Cats.

Here's hoping that United see the light at the Stadium of Light this week.

Cheers

P.S. Help us Di Maria you're our only hope! :P

And So the Season begins!! Manchester United vs Swansea

MATCH DETAILS
MANCHESTER UNITED vs SWANSEA
Saturday, August 16, 2014
17:15 IST
Old Trafford
Star Sports 4(please check local listings)


The new  Premier league season begins this Saturday with an early kick off against Swansea.
Our new coach Louis Van Gaal will pick up the gauntlet and Manchester United should be firing on all cylinders at Old Trafford after a brilliant pre-season tour of the US.

After a horrendous season last year ,United fans will hope that the man who has achieved so much in Europe and a decent spell lately with Holland will be able to replicate the same success at the Theatre of Dreams. The 3-5-2 system of play may be employed on a regular basis, but Van Gaal has proved to be a shrewd tactician over the years and could adapt quickly to the pace of the premier league.

United should be able to concentrate on the premier league since we won't be a part of the Champions League this year.We will miss the services of Luke Shaw and RVP until they have recovered form their injuries.
Herrera, Fletcher and Mata have looked promising in midfield.The captain Wazza will be looking to prove a point to the new manager for entrusting him with the armband.though the defense could be improved with signing of new blood.

Well, we can be sure of one thing this season... that we will not have a season like the one we witnessed last year .We believe that we can pose a serious challenge as title contenders this year.

Glory Glory Man United!!

  

United crash out of Europe by Lyndon Pinto

Lyndon Pinto

United crash out of Europe

The views expressed in this article are solely of the author and not necessarily that of the blog owner

The only chance Manchester United has of reaching the Champions League next season is to win it. Not to be pessimistic but the chances of that happening with our current squad is bleak and the game versus the scousers at home was a newer low point. United will overcome the Olympiakos deficit but a Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich or PSG test might be a little too strong for United.

Our next ploy into Europe would be the Europa League. In all realism, United could at best finish a disappointing fifth, however, I would rather we beat West Ham and Man City and draw the rest of our games so that we clinch 8th place because United should NOT play in the Europa League.

Why? Well in all likelihood teams finishing 6th and 7th will qualify for Europa League as the domestic cup winners would have already qualified for the Champions League, with the team coming in 6th and 7th starting their qualifying round as early as July 31.

With a host of our stars playing at the World Cup there will be very little to almost no time to rest, making it one long season, with fatigue and injuries United’s premier league campaign will suffer...again.

While an 8th place finish would be devastating to United’s reputation, all will not be lost.

Without any European cup competition to look forward to, players might be reluctant to sign on. However I believe United should learn from their noisy neighbours and implement a similar strategy.

While lavishly spending and paying exorbitant prices for players might not be United’s piece of cake, they will have to shell out a substantial sum as the current United squad is in desperate need of a complete overhaul.

That said, United should sign players who are willing to sacrifice a year out of Europe with the aim of getting back into the elite competition the following year in addition to being part of the renaissance of Manchester United Football Club.

With just the Premier League and two domestic cups to concentrate on, United could pose a formidable challenge in the coming season.

In addition, being such a big brand, United could possibly use its market status to increase revenue by playing friendlies against non European clubs, as and when feasible. With revenue dropping and players having to be bought, Executive Vice-Chairman Ed Woodward will have to find ways to keep the money flowing, keeping in mind the Financial Fair Play rules.

As a passionate fan of a currently struggling club all I have to cling on to is my belief of ‘believe’.... something I am sure is not new to Man United fans, specially since 1999. And while hope helps distort the pain of reality, let us recall our past history and understand that as a football club we have always prevailed, maybe not immediately but eventually.

 It is time for us United fans to swallow that bitter pill called pride and lower our expectations for a year - if not for the sake of the club then for our own sakes - so as to allow the new management, team and club to rebuild and reinvent itself just like a phoenix, but neither as Busby Babes nor as Fergie’s Fledglings but us David’s Daredevils!

United Fans on a Roller Coaster ride!! by Guest Columnist Sydney Fernandes

United Fans on a Roller Coaster ride!!

Here we go again; our hopes go up and come plummeting right back down. It’s been that kind of season where United have uncharacteristically juggled our hopes and expectations and the 2-0 defeat to Olympiakos in the mid-week (can’t believe I’m typing this) epitomizes our season so far.

Take nothing away from the Greek Champions though; they were brilliant on the night, fantastic when in possession and vicious in recovery. The opener from Alejandro Domínguez had a touch of good fortune but the second was sheer class as Joel Campbell (Ex-Arsenal) cunningly nutmegged Carrick and conjured a sensational curler around the static Ferdinand and beyond the outstretched reach of De Gea.

We are the Premier league Champions for crying out loud and to suffer such a degrading loss is a dagger to the hearts of the global fan base. United lacked grit and determination. Moyes is hardly to blame (besides his team selection and substitutions) if the players show no interest in the game. The Athenians on the other hand made a mockery of our back three; with the exception of Vidic that is, who I thought put in a vintage performance capped with a crucial tackle to deny Domínguez an early opener.

United were all over the place and not in a good way. Let’s not point fingers though..to heck with it, who am I kidding. The defending was shambolic, our midfield pathetic (full credit to Cleverley) and our toothless attack . United created just the one decent attempt on goal throughout the 90 minutes. The midfield was miserable. Carrick worked his socks off while his partner Cleverley watched on as Olympiakos carved United open on several occasions. Alas! 

Our defense, where do I start without having to write a book. Ferdinand looked anything but a seasoned center-back as he needlessly gave away the ball on numerous occasions and did nothing to help when faced by an Athenian attack. Smalling on the other hand played with the brain of a child, frightened to death when put under pressure and clueless when Perez charged at him.  In a nut shell it was beyond a shadow of a doubt United’s worst performance EVER!!

Transition phase or not, this is the side that won us the Premier League last year and how a team can deteriorate at such a rapid pace is beyond me. Mr. Moyes is in a world of trouble. The ground beneath him is eroding ever so quickly taking what’s left of the few supporters along with it and dumping them onto the #MoyesOut bandwagon and the players are doing little to help his cause.

My fellow columnist Lyndon Pinto has backed the under-fire Scotsman ever so valiantly and I too, truly believe that he should be given at least another season before being judged. But at what cost remains to be seen.

MOYES OUT!!.... by Guest Columnist Lyndon Pinto.

Moyes out!!.... But only after you!!

United’s loss to Olympiakos last night could be the lowest point or the nadir for the club’s fans . For us Manchester United fans pampered by unbridled success, defeat to a Greek club in the first leg of the round of 16 is bad and  languishing out of the top four is as bad as relegation. But those who believe David Moyes is the wrong man for the job, deserve to be relegated to the trash cans as non bio-degradable waste.

When you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it is bound to fall well short of expectation. Inflated by the success of our ex-manager Sir Alex Ferguson we have unwittingly judged Moyes by the same yardstick. Look at what happened to Chelsea once Jose Mourinho left. Every manager was compared to him and well ... everyone knows what happened. Unlike at Chelsea, United do not have that option as SAF has sailed into the sunset and will not do a Paul Scholes.

David Moyes was and still is in a transitional phase. United have hired him as a long term replacement. If the Board room wanted a quick fix they would have hired Mourinho. Manchester United is a big club; it takes times to understand how it functions and learn how to run it effectively and convincingly. Moyes needs that time.

On the pitch, the harsh reality is that the players let the club down on numerous occasions. You cannot be thought to keep your concentration levels up for 90 minutes. Every single player let the club down and it is now their responsibility to pick up the pieces. 

Moyes has made mistakes too, be it horrendous substitutions, awful team selection or just plain stupid and inexperienced tactics but he is evolving and picking up lessons which he could never have learnt before. As much as we are drawn to compare SAF’s 1984-85 season and Moyes’ 2013-14 season, we must categorically not. Comparisons will not change reality, it will only add doubt. 

Robin van Persie has been blighted by injury this season, supposedly because of Moyes’ dinosaur coaching methods, which implies Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger adopted similar dinosaur methods while RVP was a gunner. The irony of this season is for everything that went right it was because of the players, while everything bad was Moyes’ fault.

For the last couple of seasons United have been playing way below par but still pulling of victories because of SAF’s tactical acumen. Still adjusting to his role, Moyes has not yet taken United by the scruff of the neck and shaken it to its core like he did at Everton. With a gaping hole in the middle of the park, faltering wingers, an aging defense and Anderson, Moyes’ knew the task at hand. It may take two seasons to rebuild a complete squad but Moyes and United will.

THE LAST HURRAH! by Guest Columnist.. Sydney Fernandes...Freelance writer..passionate United Supporter.

The last hurrah!!

The convincing 2-0 win at Selhurst Park over the weekend would have come as a huge relief not only for David Moyes but for the millions of Manchester United faithful around the globe. It was not the victory but the manner in which United secured all three points which has reassured and given fans the hope of a top four finish.

It was undoubtedly United’s strongest possible lineup (give or take a couple of players) and the boys did not fail to deliver. It was an exciting and lethal attack as Rooney partnered Robin Van Persie up front while Juan Mata and the wonder-kid Adan Januzaj played the perfect foil behind the front two.

Wayne Rooney fresh from signing a million dollar contract which will keep him at Manchester until 2019(thank God!!) bulged the Palace net with a  sublime volley in the 68^th minute to give United a two goal cushion  after his strike partner had give them the lead in clinical fashion from the penalty spot minutes earlier.

Rooney’s goal was the highlight of the match but supporters would have been pleased to see under-fire midfielder Marouane Fellaini put in a ‘Devilish’ performance. The Ex-Everton talisman looked out of sorts after his £27.5m move to the Premier league Champions, but his robust and commanding performance at Selhurst Park earned him many a plaudit with teammate and England’s forward stating “He's a good player and different to anything we've got”” .The outrageous price tag was probably a millstone which weighed down the promising midfielder, but the Belgian showed glimpses of the powerhouse he once was in the weekend win at Selhurst Park and his bullying display could be considered as a catalyst for better things to come.

United fans who are accustomed to their winning ways (Pre-Moyes era) have endured a torrid season so far having had to witness dismal and inconsistent performances from the Red Devils. But United’s compelling win over Crystal Palace is a ray of hope and the Reds ought to carry on their positive start as they muster a final hurrah towards this season’s silver lining i.e a top four finish.

Adnan Januzaj - One Of A Kind Promo by aditya_reds

Courtesy: aditya_reds

MATCH PREVIEW: OLYMPIAKOS VS MAN UTD, CHAMPIONS LEAGUE KNOCKOUT ROUND

Champions League Match

Olympiakos vs Man utd(first leg)

26th February(India)

IST(Mumbai) 1:15 am, Wednesday & (19:45 GMT)Tuesday

Karaiskaki Stadium, Greece.


Match preview: Dark horses Olympiakos host beleaguered Man utd at the Karaiskaki stadium.

This is a small step yet an audacious attempt by the Red Devils to book a berth at next years edition of the tournament as things dont look so rosy for the visiting team in their own domestic league.

United's should now make  winning the Champions League a priority.
They may not possess the best squad in Europe, but neither did Chelsea when they won it two years ago.


Yet one cannot take the home side lightly in their own den who are unbeaten for 20 games in the home league. United would miss the services of Evans, Jones,Nani and Mata. Yet United would look to wrap the game up quickly,but could the hosts do a Stoke on United?

Watch the action unfold on an early Wednesday morn in India.

Till next time...

THE RISE, FALL AND RISE OF WAYNE ROONEY

I still remember Wazza's debut in the Champion's League against Fenerbache...A hattrick on a European night and a brilliant way to start his career as a Red Devil.
Any one who questioned why United would pay Rooney 300,000£ a week would sit up and take notice .Btw he scored a screamer against Palace at Selhurst Park.
United have taken a calculated risk and  invested a bomb in their current team talisman.
His wages per year would rival even Ronaldo and Messi..yeah u can keep your Ballon d'Or..
One at least two occasions, fans were left wondering whether Rooney would leave United but the striker remained at Old Trafford even after throwing torrid tantrums.
Now, United will expect the 28 year old to take up the responsibility of wearing the captain's armband after the departure of Vidic in the summer.
Furthermore I think the management at United is trying to tell the world that it is not  a spent force and that a club of its stature can retain players like Rooney and buy players like Mata.
It would also save them the trouble of looking for a replacement in the summer.
Wayne and Moyes seems to have settled their differences and things look rosy for now as compared to the volatile situation that existed during the last few days under the reign of Sir Alex.
So Chelsea will have to look elsewhere and Rooney  and United can now look to  pulling off a miracle in the form of winning a top four berth in the league.
So here's the plan Wazza

Option A...win every  single game till the end of the league
Option B... This sounds outlandish..Win the European Champions league.

Yeah I'm a dreamer.

As a Fan I'd like to wish Rooney a fruitful remainder of his career as a player and future captain of our great club...You are worth every penny..Don't stop at Sir Bobby Charlton's record..Create new ones..We believe in you Wazza..
Cheers mate!

Match Preview: CRYSTAL PALACE vs MANCHESTER UNITED 2014

Match Preview

CRYSTAL PALACE vs MANCHESTER UNITED
 Saturday
22nd Feb, 2014
Selhurst Park

11:00 Pm IST
Check local listings

Preview

Fifteenth place Crystal Palace host the Champions Manchester United. United seem to have lost their bite and have been conceding easy goals to even clubs in the lower half of the table.
Will the hosts thwart United's rise to the top four or will the Red devils take full points in their quest to the top? 

Match Preview: Barclays EPL, ARSENAL VS MAN UTD 2013-14

Up NEXT
Pre VALENTINES DAY GRUDGE MATCH
NO LOVE LOST

ARSENAL VS MAN UTD
The Emirates
Live on Starsports 4 (India) 
February 13, 2014
Thursday
IST 1:30 am 
Please check local listings

Match Preview


The Gooners have been knocked off their perch after sitting there smug for quite some time.
Can the Gunners claw their way back to the top or will a desperate United inflict a miserable double defeat on the Home side.


RESULTS

ARSENAL 0-0 MANCHESTER UNITED

United parked the bus. Arsenal failed to make any impact . Both Giroud and Van Persie squandered chances on goal

Red Devils Goa

Hello Fellow Red Devils

This is Aaron - Paul Fernandes from the sunny and football crazy state of Goa in India. A warm welcome to you all and thank you for visiting my blog page.

I hope this blog serves a platform for Manchester United Fans of Goa, India and the world to learn more about their beloved club,get information such as results,fixtures,stats,player info and crucially a place where we as United fans could express their opinions and views on all things concerning

 MANCHESTER UNITED

History of Manchester United