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Article by Mark Graham, Editor, Record Keeper & Official
Reporter @ MUFCINFO.COM.
Manchester United lengthened the gap at the top of the table
to seven points after the combination of a victory @ Old
Trafford over Blackburn Rovers on Saturday & Liverpool
failing to beat Manchester City @ Anfield on Sunday.
Daylight and more now separate the World, European & English
Champions from the rest of the pack & with another bore draw
for a poor Liverpool side who without inspirational Captain
Gerrard & Half a Boy & Half a Girl Fernando Torres seem
harshly average & unable to compete for the title despite
only losing only once in 25 games.
A note worth mentioning before we proceed with our usual
match report is the status of the Liverpool bench against
Man City which was a must win for the dippers & highlighting
just how average the Scousers actually are on the bench on
Sunday were reserve goalkeeper Cavalieri, an ancient Sami
Hyypia, Aurelio, Ryan Babel, Young Striker Ngog & topping
the bench off were Jay Spearing who has only played twice
for his club & Moroccan Striker Nabil El Zhar who was used
as a sub in the game & has played less than 25 times?.
Is this a bench worthy of a team which can realistically
challenge? With strength & depth so painfully your
reporter still feels the team will finish 3rd possibly 4th
with Chelsea finishing above in 2nd.
SAF shuffled his team with Milan in mind on Tuesday as Jonny
Evans was preferred to Vidic due to the Serbians suspension
& with Wayne Rooney returning to fitness at a crunch time in
the season after spell out on the sidelines, Carlos Tevez
joined the bench, Rafael got the nod for the right full back
slot & Nani was preferred in one of the wide
positions.
This choice of SAF points toward starts against Inter for
Darren Fletcher, Park with Ryan Giggs who your reporter
feels SAF will have earmarked tactically to do the job he
did so magnificently against Chelsea's slow moving midfield.
United started with the 1st chance as good defending from
Blackburn's Nelsen cleared danger with Rooney sniffing &
Patrice Evra saw a shot go wide at the home side began to
search for an opener in the early stages.
Good work from Nani on the right soon contributed to an
opening United goal as the Portuguese forward sent in a ball
across the face of goal, at full stretch to block the
dangerous low ball, Nelsen unable to do much else nudged the
cross into the path of Wayne Rooney who capitalized
immediately on the gift & punished the Blackburn defence to
the max beating Robinson to his left.
The Reds finally conceded a Premiership goal but in true
Chuckle Brother fashion as a string of asinine mistakes led
to a Blackburn goal beginning with Nani & Paul Scholes who
both waiting on each other to collect a loose ball dallied
giving
an
opportunistic Andre Ooijer time and space to run at United's
defence 25 yards out.
After passing Patrice Evra mistake number two came from
reserve Keeper Tomasz Kuczszak who like a scouser being
offered a job panicked & ran mile off his line in pursuit of
the ball even though Rio Ferdinand had tracked the run (away
from goal) of Roque Santa Cruz, who now with a gaping &
empty net passed the ball accurately from an awkward angle
for the equalizer.
With Rovers certainly not laying down to die in anyway &
showing a Big Sam sort of mentality United found it
difficult going especially in midfield where Carrick &
Scholes were sometime devoid of options from the hard work
of Blackburn's midfield men.
Shortly before the half time whistle, United scored through
Jonny Evans after Rafael had won a corner before being
almost flattened by Pedersen, Nani soon after delivered an
excellent ball into the box but somewhere in the thick of
the action Howard Webb had spotted an infringement and
disallowed the Irishman's goal still leaving the game open
to either side.
Ronaldo demonstrating overall in the the game his whole
repertoire of good & bad & the downright petulant kicked out
at David Dunn straight in front of Howard Webb without
punishment, a trait that will eventually be punished to the
max for the talented forward.
Once again
the ugly side of Ronaldo's game bared fruit after a quick
passing move into the visitors penalty box resulted in
Ronaldo diving, an act which Ronaldo was punished in the
form of a yellow card.
Still
managing to play well & keep there heads above water when
many other sides have drown spectacularly Blackburn
continued the hard work & Pedersen tried from distance
forcing United's keeper into a save.
From the ensuing corner Scholes blocked a shot from Grella
and Andrews played a high ball back into the penalty area
and a flick on later Nelsen then scared the hell out of the
Old Trafford crowd as his effort beat Kuszczak but struck a
post, before good handling from Kuszczak saved Diuof's low
follow up.
Ronaldo showed
his World class talent next & an example of his good side as
he stepped up gunslinger style to take a free kick in a
dangerous area.
Keith Andrews after hacking down Patrice Evra was yellow
carded for his efforts & selecti8ng only two in his wall,
Robinson stood & awaited Ronaldo ensuing free kick, from the
acute angle on the edge of the box Ronaldo smashed "one for
the highlight reel" as his free kick evaded the wall &
rocketed past Robinson giving United the lead.
With a slender &
arguably undeserving lead, controversy transpired as after
pressing forward Morten Gamst Pedersen dashed ahead of
Rafael into the United penalty area after a delicious
through ball from David Dunn and with the young Brazilian
showing raised arms all over Pedersen the Norwegian once
linked with a transfer to United overexcitedly hit the floor
like a bag of spuds in the hope Howard Webb would blow for a
spot kick.
Rafael's arms may yes have touched the Norwegian winger but
the obvious dive probably swung the Refs decision in the
Brazilian full back favor.
With SAF bringing
on Vidic & Tevez for the injured Evans & winger Nani, Wayne
Rooney then took centre stage as Vidic shored up the United
defence.
The White Pele after moving wide left gave Ooijer the slip &
galloped down the wing and delivered a beautiful ball into
Dimitar Berbatov who nodded just over the bar having
honestly been marked out of the game by the Blackburn
defenders.
More excellent work from Rooney saw a long counter attack
run end with a inch wide long range effort as Vidic's
telling presence at the back stopped anything Blackburn had
left in the tank & with only moments left to run out the
clock United snook away all three important massive points.
DRUNKEST MAN IN OLD TRAFFORD
_tho.jpg) |
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Thommo ,
during the 1st half |
During the 1st half of play WALTER WINTERBOTTOM or Grant
Thompson of Cockermouth finally succumbed to the power of
Cider, having all landed in Sam Platts 10 hours (or so it
seemed) before the match Thommo was so gone he missed
portions of the game & awoke singing a song about Bryan
Robson such was the amount consumed.
Thanks to Miss L Randles for the picture.
WEST CUMBRIA REDS RENDITION OF THE NEW TERRACE ANTHEM
Anyone in Sam Platts (down Stairs) on Saturday Tea time will
have heard the excellent singing of the new Liverpool/Torres
bashing song to the same tune as When Johnny goes Marching
down the wing.
It goes a little bit like this!!!
He's half a boy &
half a girl Torres, Torres
He looks just like a transvestite, Torres, Torres
He wears a frock, he loves a c*ck & sells his ar*e on Albert
Dock
Fernando Torres, Carragher's bit on the side.
What's your
opinion?.....HAVE YOU'RE SAY BELOW |
Rooney (23 mins), 
