Bloggings great when you feel good, happy and winning. It's not the easiest thing to do when you've seen your side lose to your noisy neighbours. Nonetheless we take the good with the bad - a true life lesson.
Once again I'm not gonna give a match report you saw the game, you've read the report. Instead let's see where it all went pear shaped.
Tickets & Wembley
First of all, this should NOT be at Wembley. Wembley should be used for those special occasions that the "creme de la creme" get to play at. The finals of any tournament - even in the lower leagues as it provides a welcomed incentive for the LDV Vans trophy etc - but to play a semi-final there? The only reason it so happens is because our wonderfully functional UK government overspent on the stadium by a colossal amount and thus, they need to generate revenue from it. How so? By de-valuing it as a stadium and playing "almost there but not quite" games to recoup revenue. Poor financial management & once again another belter of a decision from us as a nation.
Regarding tickets we unfortunately didn't manage to get hold of any. Some might say "worked out for the best". Not for me. You take the up's with the down's and if a trip down the M1 (with of course long diversions due to clusre) would have been available I'd have taken it. As United fans we must remember it can't ALWAYS be good and we need to take the bad with the good to appreciate the good.
Team
No Giggs - even my Mac needs to turn off sometime to rest so the medical master that is 37-year old Mr.Giggs deserved a day off. But really Fergie, no Hernandez? Can't complain anywhere else but you know, I know, I think even my Gran knows, Berbatov is over-rated!
Berbatov
Yesterday, he was a disgrace (again) to the Manchester United shirt. Does he understand what it means to wear the shirt???
This season Berbatov has been "magical" being the top goal scorer. Who's a big boy? No. Let's take a closer look at Berbatovs' statistics to really see how good he's been.
He's scored 21 in 29 games with 3 assists. That's impressive: 82% of games he plays he contributes to a goal.
However:
- against the top 5 in the prem exc. us (Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, City) he has NOT SCORED THIS SEASON (He's played in 8 so far) & was not even brought on as a sub in the other 3 games!
- He has 4 goals in 20 CL games for us (11 starts 9 sub) – his goals came in only 2 games (Celtic and Aalborg) with his last CL goal coming on 21/8/08!
- He has only scored 4 goals away from home this season. (Everton, B'ham & Blackpool)
- Nani has scored in as many games as him
The moral of this story: He can't handle the pressure of honouring the Manchester United shirt without playing at home with a crowd that supports him! I really wanted my previous blog post to be an omen that he would go on to score the winning goal in every game. But, Nope. Thanks again Mr Bulgaria.
Can he be deemed the best striker in the premiership by scoring against second-rate teams? You do the maths. I'm excepting some of you to go on about his hat-trick against Liverpool, 5 goals against Blackburn etc. Granted, twas phenomenal, yet can you live off one or two games and be deemed one of the best strikers in the premiership?
Against anyone that isn't in contention for the CL then, IMO, he is ineffective & may as well take his 90k a week and sit at home with a fag and watch us on Sky 3D - a fact probably, and hopefully, drilled home to Fergie yesterday with his two horrific misses, the second in particular. How many of you were praying a certain Mexican was on the end of that pass from Nani...
Scholes' Red Card
Anyone else think it was just a yellow? Nope, nobody. So based on this conclusive evidence REALLY what was the point. At this point in the game City began to look tired, they were up in the clouds, the thought of 35 years of waiting to even come close to a trophy was on the horizon, their arse's were beginning to fall out, their fans didn't know what to do. We were getting a grip on the game ready to pounce... and in-steps Paul Scholes. An absolutely horrific tackle and if you see the camera angle behind the city player (from the United end) you can see the intent in his eyes. I'm not saying we were going to go on and win the game but the minute that happened I just felt it was over. Scholes, for what you've given this football club over the years, arguably the best passer of a football to have ever lived, you do some stupid things! Is that the end of Scholes' career? Does he now look past it? With no current contract extension signed it could well be. Whether this is a good or bad thing is another debate.
Evra
This hasn't been in the spotlight much over the course of the season but I'd like to see how many goals we concede form the left hand-side and Evras mistakes. Since his whole "will he, won't he" contract flirtation with Mr. Gill that he ultimately sgined, he has been our weak link in defence. The problem is because Vidic's been so good in covering Evra playing in the left side of CB, it's gone unnoticed by a large selection of people but for me this truly is a problem. Looking ahead, and in my dreams, I watched Barcelona last night. I watched little Pedrito down the right and thought "if we get to the CL final vs them how the hell is he gonna stop him? He's not quick enough, he's not good enough to read his skill, his positional play is not what it was..." Ahhh I hope I'm wrong but it's another area to concentrate on next time you watch United.
Carrick
Not gonna spend time on this but once again, Carrick screws up. I was more disappointed FOR HIM as much as anything. The last three weeks he's been immense but he always seems to give away goals in key games! I'm not going to blame him because Edwin should have kicked out better, Vidic looked like a cone the way he was rounded and it went through VDS legs. Still, Is he good enough? Would he ever get in Barca's midfield? No and that's simply not good enough.
Did we deserve to go out?
Oh, I really really hate to say this. It hurts typing. On balance, a draw wouldn't have been unfair. if it was a boxing match, City would have probably edged it on points after the 12th round. That's tough to say. The sending off ended it all really.
But if you would have asked any United fan at the start of the season, ANY, would we take being in the CL semi-final & be 7 points clear mid-way throug? Yes. OH YES! Case rested.
It's hard living in Stockport, "the home of City fans", after yesterdays game, hearing Bluemoon out your window all last night from City piss heads, now knowing they're clear favourites to go on and win their first trophy for 35 years. What makes you laugh though is the fact there is no respect in their camp. Balotellis not really sure what his purpose on Earth is, this blog sums it up pretty well, but I find it funny numerous other things about this mis-fit, such as struggling to even put a bib on and being described by Mourinho as a player that doesn't know how to use his brain - what was he doing at the end yesterday? He's only scored 6 all season! Another player takes drugs, another was shipped out to Madrid because of a scrap, Mancini hasn't washed his City scarf since he took over & they have spent over £1bn since the Sheik took over.
So... That's £1bn for an FA Cup semi-final win against United & the highest wages in the PL? If that's good business then I'm the next Duncan Bannatyne. Watch this space...
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