Pompey Penalty-Fest

The string of strangeness surrounding United away matches at Pompey continues, albeit this time with an excellent-but-misleading 4-1 score line.

Today’s action included three penalties, thirty-eight shots at goal, seven yellow cards, a Rooney hat trick, and Giggs’ 100th Premiership goal.

So many intriguing subplots to this story, but first, let’s start with poor Pompey.

Not long ago, Pompey celebrated a FA Cup triumph and faced a remarkably sunny future. Maybe a spot in Europe, the supporters must have dreamt during that off-season.

But oh, football can be such a cruel mistress.

Soon Harry Redknapp departs, serious financial turmoil sets in, and a talent exodus from the club leads to seven points from thirteen matches, complete with The Grim Reaper returning to manage their football fortunes.

And then today’s match kicks off.

Pompey looked nothing like a bottom-dwelling club, as they hit twenty-four attempts at goal, forcing seven, often excellent, saves from Tomasz Kuszczak, who made a strong case for the number slot behind van der Sar.

Only poor quality finishing, especially from Aruna Dindane, kept the score line from becoming a nip-and-tuck goal fest. If, and it’s a big “if”, Pompey can find any finishing to accompany such spirited efforts, they will avoid the drop. But, what are the chances they’ll unearth this elusive goal scoring form? Not good.

Beyond my obvious soft spot for Pompey supporters, the United side of this drama was no less intriguing. But first, the refereeing takes center-stage, as much will be written about the curious penalty decisions given by Mike Dean.

When did you last see three – count ‘em – three penalties in the same match?!

Both sets of supporters were absolutely incredulous after the match. In my humble view, the Rooney penalty would be called in a typical match, but surely none thereafter, especially the astounding call against Vidic. It’s the type of argy-bargy that occurs during each and every corner. So, why call it now?! Guilt is no excuse, Mr. Mike.

Football pundits will question Dean’s decision making over and over again ad nauseam in the coming week, which only stirs up more vitriol and ultimately places more pressure on refereeing. Which is too bad because it could overshadow some remarkable performances by four United players.

Kuszczak was brilliant, as mentioned earlier, in keeping United from falling behind, as were Rooney, Giggs, and Valencia.

Rooney’s second hat trick in the Premier League will likely be viewed as extremely easy, since he netted two goals from the spot and the third was a mere tap-in. Rooney will quickly point out the critical role his teammates played in the goals. But regardless, Rooney led the line well today and his performances clearly demonstrate how he relishes leading the front line. This form bodes well for United and England in the coming months.

Next up is our Evergreen leader, the man pushing hard for a knight-ship, the future Sir Ryan Giggs.

How fitting that Giggs’ 100th Premier League goal should come off a set piece that showcased that magic left boot of his. He’s almost thirty-six years old and still routinely outclasses almost everyone on the pitch, almost everyone except Antonio Valencia.

Valencia was electric today, as the ESPN commentators noted throughout the match. It is indeed rare today to see a player with so much pace and such a willingness to run at defenders. Valencia is emerging as the critical wing presence for United, one sorely needed to open up play from the more traditional formations employed this year.

Today’s 4-3-3 in all reality played much more like a 4-4-1-1, with added pressure on Valencia to link play from a forward wing position, a feat more difficult than linking play in the hole behind Rooney.

Early on, the formation seemed to play into Pompey’s hand, with United finding the link forward difficult, but that gradually changed with each and every ball played into space for, or each run around a defender from Valencia. Giggs and Valencia on the wing has quickly become Sir Alex’s favorite combination, whether employing a 4-4-2, 4-5-1, or 4-3-3 of sorts, such as today.

Now, we look to see who will emerge as an heir-apparent for our Welsh Wizard on the left, that’s the next question to play out over the remainder of the season between Obertan, Park, and Nani. Consider the right-side taken by Antonio Valencia.

It wasn’t easy today, but it never really is for United at Fratton Park, with a hat trick, three penalties, three points, and a plus-three goal differential to create a curiously odd symmetry to ponder until next week.

Back at you after the West Ham match. Cheers.

Bounce-Back Ability

Who’d ever want to play United after a loss?!

David Moyes must have rued watching Terry’s goal beat United a fortnight ago, as he feared facing the Red Devil’s almost trademark ability to play their best football immediately after such disappointments. Surely, this apprehension led Moyes to employ a defensive diamond formation in the midfield. Meanwhile Fergie called for “a clinical edge” from his players, as any seasoned United supporter knew that today’s performance wouldn’t disappoint.

There’s so much to savor here – let me count the ways.

First, join me, if will you, in a song in homage to our fine Frenchman, the only United player to start every Premiership game thus far this year: “Paa-trice Evra, Superstar.” A giant “S” and cape seem quite fitting, as his constant forays forward created impossible match-ups and threatened Everton all day.

Second, all three goals came from the midfield today, each one fittingly representing the character of the goal-scorer, with Fletcher’s superb volley demonstrating his profound ascendency as a world-class biting-midfielder, Carrick’s cool, side-footed goal exemplifying his sublime-and-measured control, and Valencia’s relentless pressure being rewarded with a fortunate deflection.

Third, despite the midfield-only scoring, the Rooney and Owen partnership looked menacing throughout, with Rooney’s relentless runs forcing the center halves apart and leaving pockets of space for Owen and midfield runners. How lovely to see Owen’s smiling face much of the day, as he’s enjoying his football at United and provides the much-needed, Solskjær-like poaching ability off the bench. This additional cover and unique dimension will surely come in handy throughout the season much as it did today with Berba sidelined.

And finally, there’s much to look forward to in the coming days, with good news on the injury front and the evergreen two-some closing-in on 100 Premiership goals.

It appears there’s a breakthrough in Rio’s treatment for the interrelated back-and-calf problems, while Park and Hargreaves appear on-track for a return to football in the not-too-distant future.

Arsenal’s injuries and loss today, when combined with a City-Liverpool draw, seem to indicate that there’s another two-horse race in the making. Let’s hope that today’s bounce-back signals another historic run from United.

Back at you after the Portsmouth match. Cheers.

Unlucky

The Stamford Bridge hoo-doo remains in place after today’s United’s 1-0 loss to Chelsea. Physical play and drama reigned supreme, with both sides feeling aggrieved by controversial calls in a tight, edgy contest.

Chelsea felt hard done from Jonny Evans’ lead-with-your-studs, leg-first header and wonder how he remained on the pitch, let alone how Drogba retained a yellow card for the collision. (From United’s and Atkinson’s perspective, Drogba was late and attempted to run through or undercut Evans without a realistic effort at ball.) I’ll concede that whenever studs are shown, in whatever capacity, the player runs risk of serious punishment, with Evans and United fortunate to escape punishment.

Meanwhile United can’t understand how advantage only applies to Chelsea, as Martin Atkinson had several occasions to either allow the Red Devils to continue play, or once Chelsea lost possession with advantage, he’d blow the whistle and attend to an injured player and slow United’s forward momentum. All in all, it was ridiculously one-sided.

But the pen-ultimate controversy from the match will be both the foul called on Fletcher, after arguably winning the ball against Ashley Cole, and the subsequent and resultant Terry goal, which included a Drogba throw down of Wes Brown, one worthy of the World Wrestling Federation.

I’m actually bothered less by the Drogba take-down than I am the original foul called. Whenever there’s a set-piece, there’s always wrestling in the box. Whether it’s called or not, you’ve got to learn to live with it, as its part of the game.

But, the Fletcher foul – you’ve GOT to be joking.

I’ll grant you that Fletcher goes in hard; a regular stuck-in-type player with bite whose tackles often border fouls. Yet, in this case, when two players go for a fifty-fifty ball from opposite sides and both players make contact with ball first, it’s almost never a foul, as Fletcher out-maneuvered Cole superbly.

To get in position to push Cole away with his arm, as claimed by Atkinson, Fletcher needs to come through the ball to do it – thus, ball and possession first. This is precisely the type of physical play Atkinson let go throughout the entire game, thus giving the call added cruelty.

But lest you think I’m a total homer, I’ll admit that United lived dangerously throughout stretches of the second half, conceding too many set-piece chances, Chelsea’s primary threat. This could influence Atkinson’s decision, so goes the logic, thus making the call somewhat self-inflicted.

Regardless, United feel aggrieved and are unlucky to leave Stamford Bridge without a point, as the 4-5-1 that quickly morphed into a 4-3-3 with possession did a marvelous job of shutting down the Chelsea attack. Now, if only United could capitalize on such a strong effort with some clinical finishing. Let’s hope this storyline doesn’t repeat itself too often during the rest of the season, especially during the knock-out phase of the Champions League.

Back at you after the Everton match in two weeks. Cheers.