Beating the Bullies

Khaaaaaaannn!

As in Amir Khan, that is. The WBA light-welterweight belt holder, Wanderers fan, and self-described motivational speaker revealed that his pep talk to the Bolton players several weeks ago helped inspire them to three wins and two losses on the trot prior to United's trip to the Reebok Stadium. Granted that's much improved form from the fifteenth team in the table.

But could Bolton punch above their weight and damage Sir Alex's dreams of a nineteenth title?

Upon initial analysis, this game had potential as a banana-skin for the Red Devils, given the recent away form (2W, 2D, 1L), the Wanderers' inevitable aerial assault, and no Rooney or Rio on the team sheet.

Such was the mood before kickoff that, according to Soccernet, “When news of the teams filtered through an hour before kick-off, one wag suggested in Rooney's absence it was time for 'own goals' to start pulling his weight again."

Apparently wags know best.

Own goals did pull his weight in the form of a beautifully-struck strike, just inside the far-post, from Jlloyd Samuel's bizarre clearance attempt across goal, albeit off a difficult Giggs cross and with Fletcher lurking in the wing.

That brings own goals' tally to eleven on the season, a remarkable statistic and one that speaks volumes both to United's relentless pressure and luck this campaign. Only a brace from Berbatov allowed the Bulgarian to overtake his rival for second on the team scoring sheet with twelve goals.

There's soooo much to discuss from this game – how United held serve and narrowed the goal-differential gap and how SAF took a brilliantly-calculated gamble in resting key players ahead of the Champions League and Chelsea matches – all obvious observations.

But what I found noteworthy, when looking at the statistics, was that there were no, I repeat, no cards given to anyone in this match. What are the odds against Bolton?! You could possibly retire on such a well-placed bet, assuming the English odds-makers would make one.

As remarkable as Martin Atkinson's restraint was Vidic's aerial-prowess, clearing everything in sight, and van der Sar's two highlight-reel saves that kept United in the game and drew fulsome praise from the manager. Van der Sar may not make the quantity of saves of a typical EPL keeper, but the quality and timing of his shot-stopping could be second to none on the planet right now.

Ferguson told ESPN that the save against Fabrice Muamba's postage stamp “was a match-winning save”, which at first glance sounds like hyperbole given the 4-0 outcome, but the gaffer's right, as that save held the 0-0 scoreline at a critical junction and kept Bolton from gaining control of the match. Up 1-0, Bolton would play deeper and rougher as well as launch even more long balls forward in what a certain Frenchman would surely deem “anti-football”.

Beyond the back line, it’s been such a joy to see all three wingers – Park, Valencia, and Nani – grow in confidence this season. Last week, both Park and Valencia played massive roles in the win over Liverpool, with Park netting the game-winner and Valencia causing a penalty off Macherano.

Today, it was Nani's turn to shine, as he tormented Samuel Ricketts most of the match, including setting up two relatively easy goals, one for Berbatov and the other for Gibson on his first touch of the match.

However, what's more amazing than Nani's trickery was his tracking back to win United possession of the ball today, a critical contribution with loose balls in the air in the United half and something his former teammate and current countryman was loathe to do. If Nani adds an ability and willingness to mark his wing effectively, that will bring even more strength to an already-strong Nani-Evra partnership.

Next up for praise is the evergreen threesome, Neville, Scholes, and Giggs, who provided much-needed composure to play against such a physical opponent on their home ground. Surely a certain professor from North London must look upon United's depth with envy and jealously, especially after today's results.

Well-done, Sir Alex, your impeccable team selection – gambling that there would be goals without Rooney – and the overall improved team form continues to delight us, those lucky enough to call Old Trafford our football Mecca.

After all is said and done, the light-welterweight belt holder's advice wasn't enough to carry the day, as Bolton punched and counter-punched, but couldn't overcome the current EPL belt holders. Punching above weight was a tall task for Coyle's men, especially given own goals' ability to deliver a knock-out blow. Stunning, that lad.

Back at you after next the heavyweight fixtures against Bayern Munich and Chelsea. Cheers.

Little Football, Much Drama

All the over-hyped talk of Vidic’s three straight red cards and Liverpool’s three successive victories over United came echoing back immediately after Fernando Torres netted a wide-open header in the 5th minute, thanks to an untimely Carrick turnover in his own half.

Surely you jest. Down one-nil already?!

Visions of Torres run amok linger with the Old Trafford faithful, as there already was an audible gasp the first time Torres ran at Vidic. That was before the goal.

Not now. Not again. Not against Pool.

Thank God, it wasn’t Liverpool’s day, as United ground out the result thanks to Rooney’s 12th minute conversion of a penalty rebound and Ji-Sung Park’s brave, diving header in the 60th minute.

The three points bring United a step closer to the coveted 19th title with seven games remaining.

On one hand, it’s tempting to break down the reasons behind United’s victory.

On the other hand, Phil McNulty for the BBC and Daniel Taylor for The Guardian have already done a superb job of analyzing the details behind today’s result.

Suffice it to say, Torres was largely isolated, especially in the second half, and United did a better job of linking play with Rooney, thanks largely to Ji-Sung Park taking up a forward position in the center of the midfield where his boundless energy made it almost like playing with a man-advantage going forward. Indeed, Sir Alex continues to amaze with his tactical timing in big matches this season, as he was spot-on today.

To me, upon some reflection here, what really stuck out was how the game’s defining moment illustrates both Howard Webb’s uncanny ability to upset both sets of supporters simultaneously and why more people watch this match annually than the Super Bowl.

The pivitol moment came in the 12th minute, as Mascherano hauled down Valencia, with contact beginning outside and continuing into the box, thereby giving Webb the opportunity to award a free kick or a penalty with equal merit in either claim.

The decision: penalty. The card: yellow.

United benefit from the penalty, but feel Mascherano should have seen red, while Liverpool dispute the penalty claim altogether, saying that Valencia dove and it was outside the box.

It gets better.

Immediately thereafter, Torres kicked up a large chunk of sod directly on the penalty spot in a rage, thereby creating a sizeable divot and wasting time before Rooney’s penalty. Surely, this merited a yellow card.

Not in Howard’s world.

Such was the obviousness of the call that one of the live commentary feeds – Soccernet, perhaps – prematurely gave the Spanish striker a yellow card without confirmation, as someone near us confirmed on his iPhone. Such is our ever-connected world.

To be fair to our referee, however, this match is an enormous pressure-cooker, making every decision gravitate towards a polarized reaction, given the large audience and weight of such a tightly fought encounter between historical rivals.

Certainly you can understand why even neutral observers get out of bed way too early on a Sunday morning and wander down to the pub to watch this one live at 8:30 AM CST.

It wasn’t beautiful football, just a gripping drama that tantalizes fans worldwide.

White-Hot Pele

Today Sir Alex returned to the traditional 4-4-2 with Carrick and Berbatov in for Scholes and Park to face the player (Schwartzer) and manager of the month for February.

On one hand, Fulham pose potential problems for United, given their recent form and consistent organization this campaign.

On the other hand, Fulham’s road form leaves something to be desired, having scored only 11 times away from Craven Cottage and having played a demanding match in Turin on Thursday.

Surely everything appeared in place for a comfortable United victory.

However, after a scoreless first half that saw the Red Devils wingers give away possession cheaply and each forward miss a golden opportunity, you wondered if it would be “one of those days” for United.

Fear not. He goes by the name of Wayne Rooney.

Less than thirty seconds into the second interval, United broke through thanks to a Nani cross into the box that setup the side footed breakthrough from the White Pele.

After all was said and done, Rooney nabbed his trademark double and Berbatov finished off the scoring for an entirely comfortable 3-0 victory over fatigued Fulham.

What else is left to be said about Rooney?!

One of today’s announcers asked, “Pound for pound, is there anyone better in World fooball right now?!”

The answer’s quite obvious, after the demolition of AC Milan and Wazza’s scintillating 24 goals in 22 games.

It’s becoming harder and harder to say something original about Rooney, as it’s like trying to come up with an original domain name, a nearly-impossible task.

Really, the only serious debate involving Rooney looks ahead to England’s World Cup campaign, as people argue about whether the World Footballer of the Year candidate plays better alone or with a partner up front. (If only Gerrard and Lampard could play for country like club, then the formation would be obvious, but alas, I digress.)

Today’s match provides fodder for both arguments, as Rooney and Berbatov demonstrated chemistry on all three goals, but both players seemed out-of-synch with each other at times as well, as they desired central positions simultaneously or misinterpreted each other’s intentions. Such performances, when combined with their divergent styles, lends to the debate about their partnership.

Some misunderstanding is to be expected given the frequency United have played with a lone striker recently. Berbatov and Rooney need time together against live action to maintain any consistent and sustained chemistry. Largely, today both were brilliant.

Ah, the spoilt life of a United supporter, where we’re left debating the degree of chemistry between two world-class strikers in a comfortable victory to move top of the league yet again.

Moving forward we can sit back and reflect on a truly wonderful week that saw AC Milan and Fulham dispatched by a 7-0 net score line and look forward to the Champions League Quarter-Final draw. And oh, there’s that little match against somebody mid-table from Merseyside, where the big tactical question will be whether Fergie employs a lone or paired strike force. Most suspect a return to the Champions League formation yet again.

Rooney now stands at 32 goals and counting, leaving football writers across the planet in search of an original simile and Ronaldo’s 42-goal haul within reach, an utterly remarkable accomplishment on both fronts.

Got that Liverpool?! You’re next up for the White-Hot Pele.

He Scores Goals

The central question today was “Where will the cutting-edge come from?” with no Rooney, Giggs, or Owen.

Linking with the central midfielders and pace around the outside would be paramount, as you just couldn’t envision Berba stretching the defense forward. Instead, the fear was he’d drift back too far and United would lack a focal-point.

Consider the fears confirmed after the first half, as the best opportunity fell to the Wolve’s Stephen Ward, who missed an open header from just 6 yards out. United created next to nothing during the first interval.

Tension mounted at halftime, as the tantalizing prospect of going top of the table added frustration to a match with little creativity on either end of the pitch.

And then, up steps Scholes.

Premier League goal number one hundred couldn’t come at a better time, as every onlooker knew that whoever scored would inevitably win this match. Jody Craddock’s mistake was dispatched with the trademark coolness we come to expect from Scholesy and what an enormous goal for United.

Soon afterwards, the away supporters broke into “We will never die” as the result seemed certain with Ferdinand and Vidic partnering for only the fifth time this year.

Credit Wolves for going for going full-tilt for the equalizer, as Mick McCarthy added two additional forwards in an attempt to snatch a point, which nearly paid-off during stoppage time as Volkes’ blatant miss over the top from 6 yards left the Wolves faithful befuddled.

On a different day against stiffer opposition, United could have easily left the ground 2-1 losers after conceding two gilt-edge opportunities from the top of the six-yard box. But it wasn’t to be today, as Wolves relive a Ground Hog Day moment that bares an eerily similar feel to their recent loss to Chelsea.

Looking ahead now to the Champions League clash with AC Milan and the rest of the EPL season, Rooney’s troublesome knee injury must worry Sir Alex, as United currently have no suitable replacement for The Boy Wonder up front, especially with Michael Owen now lost for the campaign and the obvious lack of a focal point when Berbatov operates as a lone, central striker.

Kiko Macheda’s return from injury couldn’t be better timed, as Diouf showed us both his massive potential and raw finishing today by being in position to miss two, mind you, two sitters. United cannot rely solely on a Berbatov-Diouf partnership, at least in the near term.

Ah, but let’s leave all thoughts of a Rooney-less attack behind, as we salute United’s Ginger Prince, a man who’s longevity, guile, and strike-rate surely deserve recognition today as he propels United to the top of the league.

He’s Paul Scholes. He scores goals. One hundred and forty-eight in all competitions and counting.

Here’s to the Ginger Prince putting pen to paper for just one more year. Cheers!

Are You Alan Shearer in Disguise?!

I know, I know, United supporters loathe that man that spurned Fergie many years ago. And if you believe this, you might also feel that Shearer’s relative lack of silverware was a deserved consequence from that decision. Fair enough.

But all animosity aside, don’t you feel like Rooney’s channeling the EPL’s record-setting goal scorer?!

I mean, c’mon, Rooney’s drifting slightly deeper in the box and taking positions where his first-choice is a header on goal. And from distance, mind you. No more one-dimensional crashing the near or far post. Now defenders need to take heed even when Wazza drifts ever-so-slightly back in the box.

Today’s Cup-winner came from a deeper position and the end-product, a perfectly placed, looping header, was the only-possible way to beat Brad Friedel from a distance.

His inch-perfect match-winner makes five headed goals in a row, an utterly remarkable stat for a man now clearly in ascendency for the Golden Boot and World Footballer of the Year honors.

But these are individual accomplishments.

Looking from the team perspective, we shouldn’t get too caught up in Rooney’s raging form, as United couldn’t be happier with the recent developments on the wing as well.

We’re watching Valencia’s crossing and confidence grow, given a short break earlier along with the added incentive of competition with Nani after his recent resurgence. Is this a coincidence? I think not.

Valencia’s improved service reinforces Wazza’s newly-found aerial prowess, as clearly Wayne expects and often gets pin-point service. Obviously this adds another dimension to Rooney’s menace, which makes him even harder to mark in and around the box.

Yet the improved crossing ultimately makes Valencia more difficult to stop as well, as defenders need to close down the increasingly potent crosses and risk being beaten by Antonio’s quick footwork on the carpet, an unenviable pick-your-poison proposition that clearly demonstrates why Valencia won Man of the Match honors today.

Sir Alex now has three potent wingers, all of whom are all elevating their form simultaneously with Rooney. A fourth consecutive EPL title and magic number nineteen are clearly within reach, especially if Rio and Vidic can get healthy for the run-in.

So, do you ever wonder what Mr. Newcastle thinks while watching United win trophy after trophy? Cheer up, Alan Shearer! Oh what can could have been indeed.

Poor, Poor Pompey

Early on watching today’s match, I had “A Few Minutes of Silence” from Paul Westerberg’s 14 Songs running through my head, an appropriate choice for the minute’s silence in honor of the Busby Babes and the ground’s atmosphere early in the match.

You could simply feel the impending doom amongst the compact Pompey formation while the crowd quietly waited for the inevitable thumping.

But, for all the United possession, the attack petered out in an over-reliance on tricks and unconnected crosses. How could it still be scoreless after nearly 40 minutes against the bottom-dwellers?

We all know Pompey will go down this season, with four different owners in six months, threats of administration, massive player turnover, and finally, the new manager caught at a brothel. Oh, you must feel for this club.

Poor Pompey indeed.

You knew the flood gates would open at some point, especially while watching the center backs arguing with the midfield about who should pick up Rooney when he drops back, for example. And, it’s absolutely no surprise that one Wayne Rooney would nod-home the goal that would break Portsmouth’s back. That’s 8 goals in 5 ½ games, bringing his tally to 23 on the season and keeping Wazza front-and-center in the Player of the Year debate.

This game was soooo anti-climatic that the only drama involved whether United would keep a clean sheet and what would be the ultimate score line, hoping Owen and Diouf would add to the growing goal differential on the season.

Today’s match goes down as an easy 5-0 victory, with three own goals perfectly symbolizing the struggles faced by Portsmouth on and off the pitch this season.

You just have to wonder, if on the team bus to the airport, somebody might slip in a copy of a certain Westerberg song.

A moment’s silence, please, in honor of Portsmouth’s fate. We feel for you.

Champagne Football

First and foremost, after halting this blog for nearly two months, I wanted to share the reason behind my absence before reacting to United’s 3-1 victory over Arsenal.

Early this past December, my wife, Jill, was diagnosed with breast cancer, which came as a total shock after her first mammogram. Understandably, my focus turned to supporting her and subsequently stopping my weekly United post.

Fast-forward to the present and the diagnosis couldn’t be better. The cancer was removed, it hadn’t spread, and the survival odds are 97% to the good. Jill still faces 6 weeks of radiation after we take a much-deserved vacation to Mexico in mid-February.

Thus, the blog’s back.

And what an incredible, welcome-back match, one with headlines such as “Rooney and United Run Riot” (Soccernet) and “Slick United Punish Sloppy Arsenal” (BBC Football) attempting to capture the game’s essence.

From the United perspective, the six-pointer provides precious relief from building anxiety surrounding the club’s financial debts and moves it to within one point of Chelsea.

From the Arsenal perspective, the game feels a bit like U2’s “Stuck in a Moment”, one they can’t escape and one eerily reminiscent of the last two encounters with United and Chelsea at the Emirates. Or past title campaigns for that matter. Take your pick.

While there’s so much to relish here, from the devilishly-delightful counterattack led by Rooney and his 100th Premier League goal to the midfield genius of Fletcher, Scholes and Carrick playing in space behind the front three, my focus today centers on the tactics that involved none other than Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha’s coming out party.

Suffice it to say that through December, Nani had disappointed everyone, including himself. After United’s very uneven performance and fortuitous draw at home with Sunderland last October, I wrote:

“As we’ve seen all too often, Nani kills off attacks with wrong decisions that can lead both strikers to a self-fulfilling, downward cycle where frustration begets more frustration. All-too-inferior defenders can play Nani straight up as they stay goal-side and wait for him to inevitably show too much ball or hit an absurd cross. Right now, his play seems to infect the entire attack.”

Today, Nani infected the entire attack alright, but this time with the menace and electricity desperately needed to play effectively with one lone striker against top-level competition.

Such a threat had not been seen in a United shirt since the departure of his fellow countryman, and with all the deference in the world to Rooney’s superb play today, Nani fully deserved his Man of the Match honors, since his dribbling and darting opened the scoring.

Fergie’s 4-5-1 formation, one that becomes 4-3-3 in attack, demands exceptionally athletic, fit, and gifted wing play to work properly, as it allows United to absorb pressure, quickly transition into the counterattack, and create gaps of space just behind the front three for the central midfielders to weave their passing magic.

We know Park’s full of industry, but can lack a clinical edge in the area.

We know Valencia’s been impressive in stretches, but is still learning how to use his speed and strength to his maximum advantage, and at times he seems to want to become the second-coming of David Beckham – cross after predictable cross – but without the pin-point delivery.

That’s what makes Nani’s technical trickery so important.

United desperately needs someone with pace and the ability to dribble through opponents to pull apart defenses and create space for others. Today’s match clearly demonstrates what happens when you add this dimension to the wing, one I’m sure Valencia duly noted given his ability and reluctance to run at defenders.

One game doesn’t make a season, but you couldn’t help but feel as though Nani turned a huge developmental corner in the past fortnight, one which will bring him the confidence to turn in more electric performances in the future.

Well done, Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha. Enjoy the bubbly, the first of many yet to come.

Back at you after the Pompey match. Cheers.