How can Manchester United get win after win in the Premier League, by having players in their squad that, when 3-5 crucial main players are not playing, cannot inspire their team to even grabbing one point from teams like Galatasaray and CFR Cluj?!?
Yeah, okay, they're already qualified, but these East European teams are surely no better than Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool, maybe even Newcastle. All of these English teams saw Man. U. leave the stadium in which they faced each other in the EPL with full points, this season.
So, then, how come Man. U. screws up such a small percentage of matches in the Premier League, and such a large one in the Champions League?
(In the last two years, in Europe's best inter-club competition, United failed to win 50% of their matches. They lost 25%. In the English Premier League, over the same period of time, they won more than 75% of their matches. Out of 53 matches.)
It's weird. Especially because Man. U. supposedly got an easy CL draw last year, and they got an easy CL draw this year.
I can't fully remember the last time a team got six wins out of six in the Champions League group stage. (Maybe I gotta look back to the PSG team of the early '90s, for that.)
But, anyway, why wasn't Man. U. interested in a record like that, considering the fact that they got to be in the crappiest group, and they could have won all six matches, potentially, if playing at full strength?
...Or could they?
Highlights from Man. U. - Cluj:
Showing posts with label Newcastle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Newcastle. Show all posts
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Monday, 4 June 2012
England - UEFA Club Competitions Participants - 2012-2013
Manchester City --> Champions League Group Stage
Manchester United --> Champions League Group Stage
Arsenal London --> Champions League Group Stage
Tottenham Hotspur (London) --> Europa League Group Stage
Newcastle United --> Europa League Play-off Round
Chelsea London --> Champions League Group Stage
Liverpool FC --> Europa League Third Qualifying Round
Note: Even though they finished the league in a Champions-League-Play-off position, Tottenham Hotspur was automatically relocated to the Europa League because Chelsea, who did not finish in a Champions-League position, won the 2011-2012 Champions League (and in 2012-2013 England was not permitted to enter more than 4 teams in the Champions League).
Manchester United --> Champions League Group Stage
Arsenal London --> Champions League Group Stage
Tottenham Hotspur (London) --> Europa League Group Stage
Newcastle United --> Europa League Play-off Round
Chelsea London --> Champions League Group Stage
Liverpool FC --> Europa League Third Qualifying Round
Note: Even though they finished the league in a Champions-League-Play-off position, Tottenham Hotspur was automatically relocated to the Europa League because Chelsea, who did not finish in a Champions-League position, won the 2011-2012 Champions League (and in 2012-2013 England was not permitted to enter more than 4 teams in the Champions League).
Monday, 30 April 2012
Nice, Unexpected Comeback
I gotta say, I never expected this.
Manchester United was up 8 points, and they were playing Wigan and Everton, teams they traditionally beat easily.
Well, I don't have a perfect idea of why they dropped points to Everton, but, anyway, United sure screwed themselves!
And, you know, this year, Ferguson's team has been absolutely pathetic against good international teams: Benfica, Basel, Ajax and Athletic Bilbao.
But the Premier League is different. United gets these titles even when they're not the best team in the league.
However, United clearly is a very shitty team this season. They can't win many games that they play fairly.
Of course, they should win the remaining games, against Swansea and Sunderland. No matter what the cost.
But the big question is, what if Manchester City beats Newcastle?
(They should beat QPR, at home, on the last matchday, too, if they're that good. And Manchester City 's getting two wins in the last two matches means United has to get at least two 5-0 wins, or something that amounts to being at least ten goals better than their opponents. This is not something that Man. U. cannot arrange, I'm sure, but what if City gets a 4-0 win, or something, in one of their two matches?)
What I'm saying is, basically, that Manchester City should win this title, but the game against Newcastle is not going to be easy.
Manchester United is probably going to try to provide additional incentives for Newcastle to try their best to not lose that game, I believe. Not that Newcastle doesn't want to win, but... that's the way it works sometimes in football.
As for the match today, in itself, all that can be said is that Man. U. was just pathetic. They only had one chance, in minute 2. After that, it was all City, even when United needed to score.
Kompany's goal was lucky, unexpected and surprising. Bad marking from Smalling left the powerful City player free to head in the ball from just 5 meters away, in first-half injury time. It was a disappointing goal for Man. U. to concede. But then the team was disappointing throughout the entire course of this match.
And I'm sure all United fans would agree, after seeing this one, that making one single goal worth 2 extra points is unfair.
See highlights here.
Manchester United was up 8 points, and they were playing Wigan and Everton, teams they traditionally beat easily.
Well, I don't have a perfect idea of why they dropped points to Everton, but, anyway, United sure screwed themselves!
And, you know, this year, Ferguson's team has been absolutely pathetic against good international teams: Benfica, Basel, Ajax and Athletic Bilbao.
But the Premier League is different. United gets these titles even when they're not the best team in the league.
However, United clearly is a very shitty team this season. They can't win many games that they play fairly.
Of course, they should win the remaining games, against Swansea and Sunderland. No matter what the cost.
But the big question is, what if Manchester City beats Newcastle?
(They should beat QPR, at home, on the last matchday, too, if they're that good. And Manchester City 's getting two wins in the last two matches means United has to get at least two 5-0 wins, or something that amounts to being at least ten goals better than their opponents. This is not something that Man. U. cannot arrange, I'm sure, but what if City gets a 4-0 win, or something, in one of their two matches?)
What I'm saying is, basically, that Manchester City should win this title, but the game against Newcastle is not going to be easy.
Manchester United is probably going to try to provide additional incentives for Newcastle to try their best to not lose that game, I believe. Not that Newcastle doesn't want to win, but... that's the way it works sometimes in football.
As for the match today, in itself, all that can be said is that Man. U. was just pathetic. They only had one chance, in minute 2. After that, it was all City, even when United needed to score.
Kompany's goal was lucky, unexpected and surprising. Bad marking from Smalling left the powerful City player free to head in the ball from just 5 meters away, in first-half injury time. It was a disappointing goal for Man. U. to concede. But then the team was disappointing throughout the entire course of this match.
And I'm sure all United fans would agree, after seeing this one, that making one single goal worth 2 extra points is unfair.
See highlights here.
Man. City - Man. U. -- New Title Race?
I think there could still be a race between these two only if Manchester City beats United.
Manchester United is going to beat Swansea and Sunderland, in the last two matches, I'm sure, and I would bet on it.
And they might probably be working on the referees in the match against their city rivals, too, I think.
However, if City does manage to pull the upset, they could have an advantage of possibly 8-10 goals on United. All United needs to do is pull a couple of 6-0 wins, and they might still be good for the title.
Let's not forget, also, that Manchester City has to go to Newcastle, where Man. U. lost 0-3, and Pardew's team still has Champions League ambitions...
But, let's see first what happens at the City of Manchester (Etihad) Stadium, before I go back to posting more Premier League fixtures/results.
(And, ha, ha, I bet the United management is now ruing the way they approached the match against Wigan...)
Manchester United is going to beat Swansea and Sunderland, in the last two matches, I'm sure, and I would bet on it.
And they might probably be working on the referees in the match against their city rivals, too, I think.
However, if City does manage to pull the upset, they could have an advantage of possibly 8-10 goals on United. All United needs to do is pull a couple of 6-0 wins, and they might still be good for the title.
Let's not forget, also, that Manchester City has to go to Newcastle, where Man. U. lost 0-3, and Pardew's team still has Champions League ambitions...
But, let's see first what happens at the City of Manchester (Etihad) Stadium, before I go back to posting more Premier League fixtures/results.
(And, ha, ha, I bet the United management is now ruing the way they approached the match against Wigan...)
Monday, 12 March 2012
That's Why You Stay Till the End
When football is played honestly, teams can get rewarded if they stick by their guns until the end. But you never know if they will indeed be rewarded or not.
And this is what makes honest football great.
Today, Arsenal added two more points to their potential one by continuing to push forward, even in the 95th minute (the last of official added time).
Vermaelen scored, after a nice ricochet at the end of an extended Arsenal attack put the ball right at his feet.
Newcastle had held off Arsenal quite successfully up until that point.
After Newcastle's random goal - I say "random" because the Gunners goalkeeper should have been able to at least parry Ben Arfa's shot (in minute 14) - Arsenal almost instantly replied (15), through, who else but, van Persie.
The Dutchman continues to lead, in the Premier League topscorer race, with 26 goals.
Getting back, though, Arsenal is only one point behind Tottenham, now. Nice!
I bet those guys wish they had taken some points from Manchester United now...
See highlights here.
And this is what makes honest football great.
Today, Arsenal added two more points to their potential one by continuing to push forward, even in the 95th minute (the last of official added time).
Vermaelen scored, after a nice ricochet at the end of an extended Arsenal attack put the ball right at his feet.
Newcastle had held off Arsenal quite successfully up until that point.
After Newcastle's random goal - I say "random" because the Gunners goalkeeper should have been able to at least parry Ben Arfa's shot (in minute 14) - Arsenal almost instantly replied (15), through, who else but, van Persie.
The Dutchman continues to lead, in the Premier League topscorer race, with 26 goals.
Getting back, though, Arsenal is only one point behind Tottenham, now. Nice!
I bet those guys wish they had taken some points from Manchester United now...
See highlights here.
Thursday, 5 January 2012
Holy Crap, Man. U.!...
Newcastle - Manchester United. 4 January 2012.
3-0??? Yes, 3-0.
No, there's no error. That was the final score. I wouldn't have thought it possible before the game.
I mean, sure, Manchester City pulverized United 6-1 at Old Trafford, ha, ha, but that was a freak accident, and will probably not happen again in a hundred years, or more.
I guess another set of circumstances got together, again, to make Man. U. lose big, for the second time this season.
First, it seems De Gea felt a little bit of Ferguson's wrath. The blunder the Spanish 21-year-old made against Blackburn, causing the third goal by Rovers, seems to have made United's coach prefer the older Anders Lindegaard in goal. Man, did that ever backfire!
Not that Lindegaard is clearly a bad goalkeeper, but one could sort of see he was not exactly familiar with how the defenders do their job for United, at both Ba's goal and Jones' own goal. (And wasn't that a funny one?...)
Lindegaard could also be blamed at Cabaye's goal, if one would really be inclined to assign blame.
Secondly, Newcastle United did really well, and played cohesively in defense, too. At 2-0, they cleared the ball off the line of their own net one time, I remember.
And thirdly, of course, Newcastle can attribute their win to a little bit of luck, too, because at all of their three goals the ball could have gone wide, on a worse day.
But kudos to United. Newcastle United, that is!
If you want to check out the highlights of this nice game, again, go here.
UPDATE: The link is now dead, apparently, but check out what Alan Pardew, Newcastle's manager, had to say after the game.
3-0??? Yes, 3-0.
No, there's no error. That was the final score. I wouldn't have thought it possible before the game.
I mean, sure, Manchester City pulverized United 6-1 at Old Trafford, ha, ha, but that was a freak accident, and will probably not happen again in a hundred years, or more.
I guess another set of circumstances got together, again, to make Man. U. lose big, for the second time this season.
First, it seems De Gea felt a little bit of Ferguson's wrath. The blunder the Spanish 21-year-old made against Blackburn, causing the third goal by Rovers, seems to have made United's coach prefer the older Anders Lindegaard in goal. Man, did that ever backfire!
Not that Lindegaard is clearly a bad goalkeeper, but one could sort of see he was not exactly familiar with how the defenders do their job for United, at both Ba's goal and Jones' own goal. (And wasn't that a funny one?...)
Lindegaard could also be blamed at Cabaye's goal, if one would really be inclined to assign blame.
Secondly, Newcastle United did really well, and played cohesively in defense, too. At 2-0, they cleared the ball off the line of their own net one time, I remember.
And thirdly, of course, Newcastle can attribute their win to a little bit of luck, too, because at all of their three goals the ball could have gone wide, on a worse day.
But kudos to United. Newcastle United, that is!
If you want to check out the highlights of this nice game, again, go here.
UPDATE: The link is now dead, apparently, but check out what Alan Pardew, Newcastle's manager, had to say after the game.
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