SAF produced what ended up being a very effective lineup, and the better team definitely came out on top. Berbatov and Rooney started up front for United. Rooney, despite scoring early, was invisible the whole game, but Berbatov was everywhere. He should have had at least a goal but Shay Given had his number and made some incredible reflex saves to keep the Bulgarian at bay. Giggs, Fletcher, Anderson and Park controlled the midfield, with Valencia replaced Park 10 minutes after half-time. O’Shea, Evra, Vidic and Ferdinand lined-up in the back for United, and did a decent job despite Ferdinand having potentially the worst game of his otherwise stalwart career.

The game started with a bang when Rooney maneuvered around 3 City defenders within a very small area to put United up 1-0. The theme of awful defending by City would continue throughout the game, but really, he was given way too much time.

The second goal of the game came when Ben Foster decided that he had more skill then he really did. Instead of clearing the ball, he tried to outwit public enemy number one, Carlos Tevez. He took the ball from him, centered it to Barry who slotted it home past Vidic. How unbelievably embarrassing for Foster, who is already known for being totally careless and irresponsible with his feet.

The half would end 1-1 after the last 20 minutes were quite dull. Cue SAF’s half-time rage. United came out absolutely on fire, and City didn’t get out of their half for 15 minutes. United scored minutes after half time, with Fletcher getting on the end of Giggs’ cross to head home his first of the game. Unfortunately, shortly after that Bellamy fires a stunner past Foster, who I really can’t blame for it. However, what Ferdinand was doing not closing him down I will probably never know. Regardless, the game was then tied at 2 goals a piece.

In the 80^th minute, Fletcher scores his 2^nd header of the game off a Giggs free kick. Much like his first goal, he was left completely unmarked in the box after Giggs delivers a perfect ball. United think they have won it here, but how wrong were they. In the 90^th minute, Ferdinand decides to make things very, very interesting. He tries a cute little flick, which hits a City player  in the chest, who sends Bellamy down the line. Bellamy outruns England’s finest, as Ferdinand can barely keep up. All he has to do is out maneuver Foster to tie up the game. Fortunately for him, Foster sucks. Instead of holding his ground and forcing Bellamy out of bounds, he decides to flop down and have Bellamy simply dribble around him to put the ball in from a very sharp angle.  City celebrate, but only shortly.

SAF, being the wiley character that he is, buys a minute of stoppage time by subbing Michael Carrick on. When United have a free-kick 50 yards out, it seems to be the last play of the game. But when City fail to clear the ball, Giggs slots a beautiful ball to a wide open substitute, Michael Owen. And like the veteran that he is, Owen makes no mistake. He’s back!

Mark Hughes meanwhile is having an absolute bird on the sideline, and perhaps rightfully so.  The 4^th official called for 4 minutes of stoppage time, but the goal was scored in the 96^th minute. There was excessive goal celebration and a substitution, so instead of blaming the referee, maybe he should look at why Owen was wide open. Just a thought.

Player of the Game for Manchester City: Ben Foster. It was a toss up between Foster and Ferdinand, but Foster was so god-awful. Although he had help, he was definitely responsible for the 1^st and 3^rd goals, and he must be elated with the result.

Player of the Game for Manchester United: Ryan Giggs. As the commentator said, he was the oldest man on the pitch, and the best man on the pitch. He was incredible in the second half, and set up the last 3 goals. He was unstoppable, and frequently dribbled through 2 or 3 City players. That was probably one of the best games I have seen him play in maybe a decade.

Also of note, United beat Besiktas 1-0 mid-week thanks to a header from Scholes. The game was a bit of a downer and not one that I really want to talk further about.

So, with United facing 3 tough premier league games in a row, they did very well to get 3 wins out of it, and now face hopefully an easier test versus Stoke City next Saturday.

United were down early after conceding a goal within a minute, but quickly came back halfway through the first half with a stunning Ryan Giggs free kick. I must be honest, I fully expected Rooney to have a go, with it being slightly to the left and exactly in his range. I think everyone thought that, so when he ran over the ball and Giggs curled it into the far corner, I was not only shocked but quite impressed. United’s second goal came just before half from Anderson’s left foot. It was his first goal in live play in a Manchester United uniform, and I’m sure he’s just as relieved as everyone else is about that little fact.

Paul Scholes was the culprit who was awarded two yellow cards and despite being a seasoned veteran, he still has not managed to master the art of tackling. Not only that, but he cannot even distinguish an appropriate challenge from a needlessly reckless one. It’s a shame, but at least he never argues. He received 2 yellow cards within the span of 9 minutes, with the second one occurring at the half-way line where no cleat-to-face challenge should ever happen. Regardless, Scholes being sent off actually helped United, as they controlled the play for the remainder of the game.

With roughly 12 minutes to go, Wayne Rooney scored his 5^th goal in as many games with a brilliant individual effort that ended in him nutmegging the Spurs’ goalie. He is absolutely on fire as of late, and I’m pretty sure his form is only going to get better. The partnership he has formed with Berbatov is mouth-watering, as they look like they have been playing together for years.

Man of the Match for United: Darren Fletcher. He had another good game for United today – he was everywhere on the pitch. Especially when they went down to 10 men, he really stepped it up to ensure the victory.

Next up: A champions league tie with Besiktas. With Liverpool beating them 8-0 but also losing to them a few years ago, it’s unclear how this will go for the Champions, but hopefully they can comfortably win to rest up for the Derby on Sunday. With Tevez, Robinho and hopefully Adebayor (because of his horrendous display of sportsmanship and assault on Van Persie) missing the game, United have a good chance at victory.

I write this letter to you in direct response to your false and somewhat erratic rant which was published today. In your claims lies neither a small portion of truth nor evidence that you are still a sane man. Although this letter contains no concern whatsoever for your well being, it shall serve as proof that your words are both meaningless and biased.

Firstly, you claim that United’s tactics are “anti-football.” I think I speak for everyone when I say “What?” Clearly that statement is one of two things. Either it is a poor translation from your native tongue, or it is a deflection from your team’s inability to beat a quality side. My mistake, I guess it can be both. Taking it literally, you are proposing that United do not play proper soccer by attempting to get the ball from the other team. Not only is this hilariously false, it is also further demeaning your side, as a team who does play “properly”, but still cannot win.

You take this claim further in singling out Darren Fletcher from the United side, claiming he is the main culprit in your definition of “anti-football.” Continuing to grasp at thin straws, you say that it is outrageous to put a player in the line-up solely for the purpose of tackling. What is more outrageous is the fact that you have 4 of those players in your own line-up. It’s called a defensive line, and that is their only purpose. La ligne defensive, in case you are unable to follow.

What may be the most offensive claim in your rant was that United’s style of “anti-football” is worse than Eduardo’s dive mid-week versus Celtic. Only two things are worse than Eduardo’s dive, Diaby’s heading accuracy and your ability to stop talking when you are already making a fool of yourself. By deduction, then, Eduardo’s dive was not only a heinous display of sportsmanship from a player whose reputation is forever shot, but also worse than United’s tactics. Defending Eduardo by saying he was merely attempting to dodge contact with the goalie to avoid injury reflects on your decreasing credibility as a football critic, and perhaps, as a human being.

I finish this letter with a probing and genuine question. How would you like a team to play? You demonstrated that playing “beautiful and flowing” football results in a loss, so clearly that cannot be your answer. “Poorly but with chemistry” also cannot be your answer because that’s how your team played all of last year, and you didn’t win any trophies. Although it may be a loaded question, consider this. If a team doesn’t set out to break up the play, how would a team ever get the ball? Intriguingly mind-bending, isn’t it?

Yours Truely,

Concerned United Fans.

The thing is, everyone is looking for Arsenal to fail. Bookies even had them finishing 5th at the start of the season. Although potentially harsh given City hasn’t even proven themselves, there is a reason. They are going to fail. Arsenal is a team that plays very fluidly, but just doesn’t know how to defend. They have no depth, and while they do have chemistry, it takes more then that to win trophies. I admit, they do look pretty decent lately, but beating Celtic and a dwindling Everton is hardly anything to write home about. United will be their first big test, and if they can win then hats of to them, but if not, then, HA.

Prediction for the game: 2-1 United. Out of spite my prediction for Arsenal’s goal would contain Eduardo providing us with a heinous dive with Foster at the other side of the box, but I don’t think that’s how it will go. United are strong defensively, but Arsenal’s recent attacking prowess is potentially too much for Evans/Neville/Brown to contain. I have no worries about Vidic, Evra and O’Shea, but there’s a Rio Ferdinand shaped hole in the defense, and it’s noticeable. Then there’s Foster, but…. Whatever.

Goals: Rooney and Berbatov. Rooney and Berbatov were on a tear in the second half of last game, and both with inevitably start tomorrow, providing the goals for United.

Sidenote: UEFA drew the group stages of the champions league yesterday and the teams themselves were a good draw for United, minus the German champions. But as SAF pointed out, the travel takes a lot out of a team, and trips to Russia and Turkey are about as far away as they could have drawn. Liverpool of course drew the closest draw possible, which will inevitably silence the fans who think the Champs League is fixed, until they draw Chelsea in the knock out stages.

Instead it was Rooney who deservedly got his second goal of the season off a well-placed Valencia cross. Despite Valencia trying the same inside-out move the entire game, his crosses were somewhat less predictable. This one, however, was right on target, and Rooney rose well above his height to nod it into the far top-corner. What he was doing completely unmarked in the box is questionable but moving on.

The second goal of the game came just a couple minutes later, and it was wonderful. Berbatov passes to Rooney and continues his run across the box, where Fletcher flicks the ball through the defense. As Wigan’s keeper was coming out to get the bouncing ball, Berbatov flicks it over his head, and as it lands he bicycles it in. I have always been a huge advocate of Berbatov’s skill, but seriously who flicks it over the keeper’s head? Genius.

Rooney got his second of the night off a wonderful pass from Nani (yes, he passes, who knew?!). He should have hit it one time, but his first touch was poor, so he shot it right into the defender and it took a lucky turn right into the near post. Luck just goes your way sometimes, and United definitely were due from Wednesday, although they didn’t need it at this point.

The fourth goal was a goal scorer’s goal, and Michael Owen, although not a goal scorer in recent form, proved at last that he can put the ball in the net. Running away from goal, he uses his left foot to chip it past the goalie off the far post and in. And boy did he looked relieved, kind of like the look on a teenage boy’s face when he finds out the pregnancy scare was false. Regardless, if he can keep doing that, SAF will be happy, and so will I. Unfortunately for him, today Berbatov proved that he most definitely should not be on the bench at the start of the game. He was pure class and his touch is deliciously smooth (just like him…. cough… awkward).

Finally, Nani puts in a cheeky little free-kick in the 92^nd minute that will undoubtedly garner him some Ronaldo comparison. Unfortunately for him, he will never be as good as Ronaldo. With that being said, he has been playing well lately, and with his new found skill of passing, he should becoming a regular starter out on the left. Although it’s true that Ronaldo once didn’t know how to pass, I just don’t see Nani as a game changer.

Player of the Game: Darren Fletcher. I am a huge fan. I mean huge. He may be becoming my new Michael Carrick (as you can imagine, he has slipped down in my books since Wednesday…). The guy is just so solid. He is super skinny but never once got pushed off the ball. He controls the play and just divides the opponents’ midfield. He was outstanding yesterday and I hope he has no more family issues so that he continues to start and continues to dominate. Hard to believe he’s been on the team for like 8 years.

Next up for United: Arsenal visit the Theater of Dreams next Saturday. It should be a tough one. Preview to come.

Where to start? Well, lets start with the few positives. Ryan Giggs was superb. Sure his legs have gone but he was the only player who played the whole game, and he played hard. He pushed forward and tracked back, and he made every team mate look like a slacker, which I suppose wasn’t far from reality. The second positive was Patrice Evra. He’s had two very good games in a row, and he’s as talented offensively as almost anyone on the team. He did draw the (missed) penalty from one of his many rushes, and he has no trouble tracking back.

Now onto the negatives, I suppose. Let’s just assume everything was negative, but I have to point out a few real stand-outs. Michael Owen looked like he was still playing for Liverpool. He had two point blank tap-ins that you would have to feel even Jamie Carragher would have scored (on either net). I may eat my words later in the year (good lord I hope I do), but him and Rooney just do not click. Rooney needs someone to feed off of, and Owen just likes to scamper in behind the defense. Why Ferguson waited 65 minutes to bring on Berbatov was unclear, but he was a crafty threat from the minute he stepped on the field. One has to feel if Owen, Rooney, Valenica and Berbatov were able to play together they would have found a way to get a goal.

The defense was shaky at best. O’Shea and Evra were good as usual, but Johnny Evans and Wes Brown together in the middle gave me a miniature heart-attack every time the ball went in our half.  And it’s not like United has a capable goalie to backstop the defense either. If he tries to maneuver around another forward instead of just clearing the ball, I may pass out. If Burnley’s goal wasn’t such a rocket I’d knock on him for getting beat near side, but I will let that go.

So where does United go from here? They have a very winnable game on Saturday against Wigan, and surely Ferguson will not pull the same crappy lineup stunt like he did today. I know Fletcher was off for family reasons, but the team just had no attacking presence. Where was Berbatov and Valencia, even Macheda. Rooney can’t do everything by himself, and when things aren’t working for him, things don’t go well. Park, Carrick and Anderson are all very defensive, which left Giggs to run around the whole park by himself. Owen was awful, terrible and worse, he just looked like he didn’t belong.

United need to win Saturday’s game so I can exhale. Although even with a win, I feel like United’s title hopes have been slashed, not by the actual results, but by the way  the results were achieved. Their win over Birmingham was unconvincing, and their loss to Burnley was intensely devastating. It seems like the post-Ronaldo era is going to be a disappointing one.

Player of the game for United: Wayne Rooney. He’s going to have a great year this year, and him and Berbatov linked up for some very dangerous plays. His goal was vintage Rooney, with him just out willing the much taller defender he jumped over and following up on his rebound.

The Rooney goal in the 34^th minute was all United needed, and they simply held on, with a few more scoring opportunities after that. Of note was Owen’s clean cut breakaway that he shot directly at the goalie. Not impressive, but anyone could tell he was too nervous to even hold the ball up successfully.

I thought Berbatov played quite well with Rooney at times, and their partnership would be quite high-scoring if SAF continues to put his faith in them

Finally, Liverpool lost today to Tottenham, who are quickly becoming one of my favorite teams. I am so sick of Liverpool fans claiming that games are fixed when they don’t get 2 or 3 penalty calls. Not only is it irritating but it’s embarrassing to the game when their players call for a penalty when the ball hits a forearm infront of the chest. Give me a break, Rafa.

Next up, United at Burnley this Wednesday.

Now a short preview of the upcoming season. It has been drawn to my attention that after the Charity Shield, Chelsea are now betting favorites to win the Premiership. Not only is that ridiculous, but I have no respect for anyone that bets on the season based on CS results. Regardless, Chelsea are stronger competitors then last year and in my opinion, are a much bigger threat than Liverpool, who had their moment in the light and will spend the rest of the century trying to match last year’s season. Arsenal will always be a tough game, especially at the Emirates, but will not challenge for the title. Manchester City, who on paper look like the British Real Madrid, will no doubt play like the British Real Madrid. I don’t expect them to break the top 4

As for United, the team is an interesting one this year. Without Ronaldo and Tevez, they are no doubt missing in fire power, but what SAF does best is not replace, but rebuild. The new United team will revolve around strength in the middle and a usually solid defense. With Vidic and VDS out for the first few games it may be shaky in the back, but with the weaker competition I don’t expect too many issues. It will give Foster the type of real game experience he’ll need to take the reins next year.  

So for now, no predictions. Games start on Saturday and I’ve been counting down the days since May.

In the Summer of 2008 Ferguson bought Dimitar Berbatov from the Spurs. Given his talent and much anticipated arrival, Tevez surely must have felt that he had lost his place in the starting lineup. But he took it with his chin up and for most of the season, he was a real class act. The Old Trafford faithful loved him because he gave whatever he had for the team. The fact was though, that he just didn’t produce when given the chance. Sure, he had some game changing performances against Tottenham and Wigan in the second half of the season, but he scored like 4 goals. I know he didn’t play as many games as he wanted to, but when he did play, he rarely scored. And yes, Berbatov was “disappointing” too, but if Carlos is fighting for a spot on the team, he’s got to do better then that, especially considering how much SAF paid for Berbatov. Hell, Vidic scored more goals than he did.

Moving on, Tevez’s relationship with SAF quickly deteriorated towards the end of the season. I don’t know who to believe (I believe SAF) but the two bitched back and forth about playing time, contracts etc. Carlos felt the ultimate slap in the face was him not starting in the Champion’s League Final game in Rome. He even went so far as to blame SAF for the loss, claiming that they would have won had he played Tevez, a pretty bold statement considering how truly awful everyone on the team was that night.

Since the end of the season, Tevez has been running his mouth in the papers. He got his contract from United, but it was “too late” and he turned it down in what appears to be the worst decision made by a professional athlete since Michael Owen signed at Real Madrid. He went from playing on a championship-winning team where he was the 3rd best striker, to joining a 10th place team where he is the 4th best striker. He’s going to get even more bench time, and not get any medals. Congratulations on a career ending decision! One thing is for sure, I won’t be cheering for City.

What makes it so much easier to hate him is the fact that he keeps talking. You think he’s done because you say “Wow, he could not say anything worse” and then he goes and tells the world that he wouldn’t even shake SAF’s hand. Come on buddy, SAF gave you 5 trophies in 2 years, and regardless of whether you got a minute or thirty in the game, it’s still more then you’ll get at City.

   Known for his effortlessly classy style of play, and also his sulking demeanour, there is no question that Berbatov is one of the most naturally skilled players in the league, and maybe even in the world (Yea, I said it.) This skill comes out in the form of silky control and devastatingly awesome moves around defenders (see him keeping the ball in against West Ham in fall of 2009). The problem with Berbatov, as Manchester United fans soon came to realize, is that some of the time he just doesn’t care. He goes into 70-30 tackles and somehow is no where close to winning the ball, and after loosing the ball, he looks utterly defeated. He lacks the desire to get stuck in, a skill that players like Scholes and Keane built their careers on. Players like Rooney and Tevez loose the ball frequently, but they always track back. Not Berbatov.

   This past season was a tough one for the Bulgarian. Due to his high price tag (well, it seems like pennies in the wake of this summer’s transfer fees), everyone assumed he would be a goal scoring machine. For numerous reasons, he just didn’t produce like he should/could have. Firstly, Ronaldo. For the past few years, United’s offence has been centred around giving him the ball, and either he scores, or he decides who does. Having someone else on the team who is supposed to be the main goal scorer and play maker is not conducive to Berbatov getting nearly enough looks as he needs. I’m not criticizing this tactical decision, because clearly it worked, but I suppose it helps explain Berbatov’s lack of production for the season.

   He is a player who’s quality of play rests heavily on his confidence. If he’s not getting the looks, he’s not scoring the goals, and his confidence drops. This leads to awful performances and terrible, Shevchenko-like penalties (see FA Cup Semi-Final vs. Everton). However, when he’s relied on to get goals and he’s given the chances he needs, his confidence soars and he looks like he was worth the 30 million it took to get him. This season was no doubt a disappointment for him, as well as Manchester fans, but next season will definitely be different.

    With public enemy number one Ronaldo and his constant snubbing of Berbatov finally gone, as well as “Carlitos” and his hilariously sad attempts to blame SAF for the Champion’s League final jumping ship, Berbatov will have more room to shine. Ferguson will obviously continue to look for a replacement for the Portuguese winger, but instead of attempting to fill a Ronaldo-shaped hole in the attacking force, he should perhaps turn his attention to Berbatov. He’s got the potential, the skill and the experience to dominate for United. A partnership with Wayne Rooney, although overlooked all season, could be a mouth-watering possibility for United in their attempt to win a record 4 English titles in a row.

Berbatov will win the English scoring title in 2009-2010. You heard it from me first.

If you don’t believe me, watch this clip three minute and you will. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzDFjxV5kLU 

Or if you prefer, the shortened version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcchfSOaUi8