Five Thoughts on the Manchester Derby

photo by EG Focus	via PhotoRee

1. It Ain't Over Just Yet, Folks: Yesterday's huge United victory notwithstanding, the BPL title has not been decided. Let's get real: Manchester United have a six point lead at the top of the table with five months of the season still left to play. Anyone remember the Reds having a larger lead than the current one back in April 2012, before coming unglued against Everton and handing the title race over to City?  While it may now legitimately be a two horse race, and United have a clear advantage, it's an awful long season and I'm fairly certain no one on the Red side of Manchester should be celebrating anything just yet.

2. Wazza's Turning Purple:  Wayne Rooney's finally hit a purple patch, and it's come at just the right time of year. Still the heart and soul of the club, Roo has struggled in front of goal for much of the season's early going. But as any veteran United watcher knows, when the man starts scoring he scores in droves. Considering the upcoming fixture congestion, could there be a better time for Wayne to take the team upon his back and fire a Christmas-time point haul?  If only he can stay away from the holiday party scene things are looking quite good....

3. Frustration and Hatred are Not the Same Thing: We're getting a little tired of people calling out the haters whenever a player who has been criticized come up trumps and has a good game. We've been as frustrated as anyone with Ashley Young's play in the season's first half, but that doesn't mean we dislike Young and shouldn't be able to enjoy a fine performance such as Sunday's. It just means we're expecting a bit more consistency from the player in question. If it's true that his early season injury caused Young's multiple sub-par performances, then we'll look forward as much as any United fan to seeing what the fleet-footed winger can do when he's fit.

Please Cancel the Fruit Basket: Week 8 in the BPL

photo by Earl-Wilkerson	via PhotoRee

o We have no idea what Andre Villas-Boas was furiously scribbling in his notebook on the sideline of spurs' 4-2 loss to Chelsea on Saturday, but we hope it had something to do with teaching his players how to hold onto a second half lead.

o farlieonfootie held an office competition this week, in which the loser was forced to watch all of Fulham hosting Aston Villa on Saturday at Craven Cottage. Needless to say, the boss lost -- twice. Although Fulham may have nipped the win in the dying moments, we were long asleep by that time despite the daytime kickoff.

o So if it's time for the Tyne-Wear derby it must be time for the referee to perform a pre-game check on the whereabouts of his red card. This time is was Cheick Tiote playing the part of the unwilling participant, a victim of his own aggressiveness and the natural order of things when these two rivals collide. Of course, it took about 45 minutes for Sunderland to figure out they were the team with the man advantage, but by the time they worked it out it was all they could do to manage a draw with an undermanned Toon side.

o We'll bet James Milner isn't planning to send any fruit baskets Vincent Kompany's way this week. After finally being handed a rare start in midfield for the Citizens, Milner may be forgiven for being slightly peeved at his Captain, who momentarily forgot his role as last line of defense while he was busy daydreaming what it must feel like to be Cristiano Ronaldo. Needlessly stripped of the ball while attempting to carry it across the midfield line, Kompany left Milner totally exposed.

The Observatory: Week 6 in the BPL

photo by tibchris	via PhotoRee

o Chelsea 2 - Arsenal 1: Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger took a big risk by benching Per Mertesacker and starting Laurent Koscielny in central defense against Chelsea this past weekend, but was handsomely rewarded for his bold decision. Koscielny returned a goal and an assist during his terror-inducing minutes on the pitch. Now all Le Professor has to do is point out that it's the other net Koscielny should be aiming at....

o Manchester City 2- Fulham 1 : Has Vincent Kompany let success go to his (extra large) head? The Belgian looks a completely different player than last season -- and not for the better. Giving away cheap fouls and letting his temper get the best of him, Kompany also looks a step shy of the player who was the best defender in the English League last season and a major contributor to City's title run.

o Liverpool 5 - Norwich City 2: Congratulations to Chris Hughton for accomplishing something no other Manager has been able to this season: turning Luis Suarez into an accurate shooter and shaking Liverpool out of their torpid state. In a related development, don't be surprised when Hughton's Norwich City squad become the first team to be relegated this season.

The Manchester Derby, As Seen Through Tweets I Should Have Sent

photo by _DaniloRamos	via PhotoRee

Ji-Sung Park starting?  Where did Fergie dig him up from?

Fergie’s gone all defensive, playing his European system tonight.  Hope it works out better than our other European games have this season.

Good God, I’m nervous, and the game hasn’t even started yet.

Just breathe

Nani looking in the mood tonight

United start brighter, City on their heels.  Can the Reds capitalize?

Quick question, one I can ask only because I have a HD television: Is Rooney dying his hair now? 

City more comfortable on the ball now.  United having a tough time getting the ball back.

Steve McManaman has never seen a foul on a #MUFC player that was justified.

Halfway through the first half.  Not only scoreless, I don’t recall a shot from either side…

United appear to have placed little importance on keeping the ball tonight.

Marriner calling the game in a way that appears more favorable to United to date.

Lots of room in the box for El Kun there.  Where was the defense?!

A goal here would be a killer.

Park with ANOTHER giveaway.  Sigh.

Yup, that one was coming.  Kompany unmarked, 1-0 City. *vomit*

HT Score:             City 1 – United 0
Should be:          City 1 – United 0

All season long we’ve been scoring late first half goals.  Today we surrender one.  How big a problem is that?

I think we can all agree that the Park experiment has failed.  *Back to the Drawing Board*

To Dare is to Do

photo by inkiboo	via PhotoRee

Yesterday against Everton, Benoit Assou-Ekotto's thumper into the right corner of the net put an exclamation point on Spurs' remakable run.  Unbelievably, after 20 games, Spurs are tied with United for second place in the League.  But what's more, they look the more impressive side.

United's most recent endeavor against City showed that the Red Devils still have some teeth, but the near disaster that resulted in the second half from a City team down to ten men had to put a scare in United's fan base.  Plus the introduction of Paul Scholes to team up with Giggs -- a player almost as old as FOF -- shows some good bit of desperation from Fergie.  This is especially true in light of the fact that good ole Paul completed more passes in his short stint in this post-testimonial match than any other player on the pitch.  Surely the boss-man will spin this as proof that he's as good as new;  unfortunately, the reality is that it reflects very poorly on the side that was out there for the rest of the game.

There's been some talk that Fergie put in the old man just to underscore the desperation of United to its owners.  As a plea, if you will, for more money for a new midfielder.  I think this is overthinking it a bit.  Fergie certainly craves about 40MM pounds to drop on another player (who doesn't?), but bringing Scholes in wasn't for show, it was because Fergie knows Scholes is the best he's got.  As I believe some astute observer of this site wrote in:  "For the first time, United is understanding what it's like to be a team like Spurs."  Hurts a bit, doesn't it?

But back to Spurs, it's remarkable how well they've done assembling a team of talented players.  And against Everton today, they also seemed to have invented some depth in the squad.  Just when the disposable duo of Ledley King and William Gallas go down to injury, in pops Michael Dawson, and he picks up pretty much where he ended up before he was hurt so long ago.

The Return of a Legend: Manchester United 3 - Manchester City 2

photo by gordonflood.com	via PhotoRee

The pre-game headlines may have screamed Paul Scholes' name, but it was Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck who made all the difference yesterday, as United edged past Manchester City, 3-2, to advance to the fourth round of the FA Cup.  The Reds ended City's unbeaten streak at The Etihad in a game that was the tale of two halves: United at their attacking best before the interval, aided by an early sending off, and at their shaky defensive worst in the final 45, allowing City nearly all the way back into a game that will go down as one of the more remarkable in the long history of this derby.  Our match report ensues: 


United are under pressure from the get go, as City seek an early advantage to accommodate the screaming throngs at Eastlands.  The Red half of Manchester is packed into the defensive end for the game' first 9 minutes, as Sergio Aguero and James Milner run the show.

It's United, though, who are first on the board today, as Wayne Rooney caps the Reds' inaugural attack with a brilliant header off Antonio Valencia's cross, beating City's backup 'keeper Costel Pantilimon to bang it off the underside of the crossbar for a shock 1-nil lead.

Several minutes later and red is prominent again, as it's the color of the card that's waved in the direction of City stalwart Vincent Kompany by referee Chris Foy, for the Belgian's two-footed tackle on Luis Nani. The announcers may complain, but if Nani were hurt the very same voices would be calling for Kompany's head: it's a rash, two-footed, studs up challenge, and the fact that the Portuguese winger pops straight back up is fortunate for all involved. And if the Blues were in trouble before, they're in desperate shape now, down both a goal and a man.

Almost as if to counter that notion, though, Sergio Aguero nearly ties the contest up after United turn the ball over cheaply in midfield; the preferred Lindegaard is up to the task, though, as he uses every inch of his 6 foot 4 inch frame to deny the Spaniard.  The frantic pace of the early action settles down a bit -- it has to -- as both sides adjust to the game's new reality. Its the Citizens who appear to have the man advantage, still pressing forward in attack, evidently determining that the best defense on the day is a good offense.

Once again, though, it's the Reds capitalizing, as Nani sets up Evra with some fancy footwork, and when the Frenchman's cross is initially tipped into the air by Danny Welbeck, its the local boy who recovers in time to knock his own rebound -- tipped higher into the air by City's Samir Nasri -- into the back of the net for a stunning two goal advantage.