The January Transfer Window

Indeed, the winter transfer period is still a month away, but it's time to start thinking about it. I must say that nothing excites me quite like this time of year. Half of the season is over and most teams are able to assess what they're doing well and what they're missing. It's high time to strengthen an already strong squad and fill the holes in struggling sides. SO... who do I want in January?

Manchester United is obviously a very strong and talented group of players. We have world-class players on every part of the pitch. However, with the losses of Ronaldo and Tevez last summer, and only the addition of Michael Owen in the forward department, we need a striker. Rooney is absolutely fantastic, and Berbatov is great as well, but a top club needs more than two reliable strikers. What we need... is a DAVID VILLA.

The 27 year old Spanish winger currently plays for Valencia in Spain. Although he has had an impressive career, he has only really started to shine in the last couple of years. He managed to captivate the footballing world with his stellar performance for Spain in the Euro 2008 last summer, and his scoring record for his club is fantastic. While he is certainly capable of passing and making plays, his specialty is finishing. He scores goals. He is exactly what Manchester United needs. Rooney and Berbatov are both creative forwards. While more than able to score goals, they play best when they're able to play a bit deeper and create and work with space. I can only imagine how effective a Rooney-Villa partnership could be.

When Ronaldo left for Real Madrid, we lost a forward AND a winger. That's how good he was. It's time for United to get over the loss, though, and move on. Right now, we are very weak on the flanks. For starting wingers, we've got Nani, Valencia, and Giggs. Nani has been very poor lately (and as you may have read here, he's recently criticized Sir Alex...), Valencia is promising but unproven, and Giggs is only getting older. To fill in this large gap, we could use someone like... ARJEN ROBBEN.
Robben is 25, Dutch, and knows how to create magic on the wings. He's lightning fast, he has fantastic ball control, and his passing and crossing are sublime. He also seems very attainable, considering the fact that he currently plays for Bayern Munich in Germany. Bayern is buried in debt right now, and it's no secret that they NEED to sell players to fix up their finances.

Villa may be wishful thinking, but Robben is certainly a possibility. If we were somehow able to secure the both of them, I'm confident that Manchester United would instantly see huge improvements and begin playing even better.

Rooney Hat-Trick Sinks Pompey

It's never an easy match when you're away to Portsmouth, but we made it look easy on Saturday! United kicked off with a modified squad, that featured five midfielders instead of four and only one striker: Wayne Rooney. The changes seemed effective immediately from the beginning of the game, as Manchester's midfield controlled the tempo of the match. With 60% of the total possession for the match, anyone watching could tell who had the upper hand. Pinpoint passes from the likes of Carrick and Scholes found Rooney in the box again and again. It was only a matter of time before the lad finished one off. In the 25th minute, Rooney received the ball and looked likely to score when he was brought down by a dirty tackle from a Portsmouth player. The ref wasted no time blowing his whistle and pointing to the spot.

Rooney slotted the ball right into the lower left corner of the net, and Begovic, Pompey's keeper, had no chance. 0-1 United. Only 7 minutes later, Portsmouth became more aggressive and managed to get the ball into United's penalty area. Boateng fell down on his own accord, and when the referee awarded him a penalty, most watching couldn't figure out what United had done wrong. A call's a call, though, and Boateng stepped up and took his penalty well. 1-1.

At the beginning of the second half, a fantastic pass from Ryan Giggs found Rooney who made no mistake in finding the net with his first touch. 1-2 United.

A frustrated Portsmouth began fouling United players left and right. With their inability to control the play came the apparent realization that playing cleanly could not work. In the 54th minute, when Rooney was fouled in the penalty area again, nobody was surprised. Rooney settled himself and scored his second penalty and third goal of the match. HAT TRICK! 1-3 United.

At this point, the match was mostly over. It takes a determined and talented team to come back from a two goal deficit. Pompey is certainly capable of it as a team, but they weren't on Saturday. The only event worth noting for the rest of the match took place in the 87th minute. Anderson was fouled outside of the box and United was awarded a free kick. Ryan Giggs stepped back from the ball, got ready, and struck the ball brilliantly to score United's fourth goal of the match and his 100th goal as a Manchester United player! Congratulations Ryan Giggs! You're a true legend. 1-4 United

Ryan's 100th Goal in a Red Shirt

Top 10 United Goals of All Time

I've been blogging about Manchester United since September, and despite a few dry spells where I've gotten lazy, I thing I've done a pretty damned good job of keeping you guys up to date with the ins and outs of The Reds. However, there are two main problems that I'd like to address. And I'd like to address them NOW.

1. This blog has only focused on United THIS SEASON

Manchester United is a club with a rich and glorious history. Yes, we are huge now, and enjoying as much success as ever. However, it is important to remember the days of old and the legends that have made Manchester United what it is today.

2. Too many words, not enough pics and videos

Who likes to read, anyway?

With no further ado, I present to you:

THE TOP 10 UNITED GOALS OF ALL TIME

Nani with a no-no... time for a new winger?

When you think of Manchester United, you probably think of several things. Manchester United is personified by world class players, the biggest fanbase in the world, and, of course, Sir Alex Ferguson. Sir Alex Ferguson was appointed as manager in November of 1986, and he has been an integral part of United ever since. A true leader and natural manager, Ferguson has been able to save United from bad spells, make them even better during winning streaks, and bolster and improve the squad consistently, year after year.

The manager of a team is the uncontested leader (even dictator) of its players. He governs his club as he sees fit. He trains the players how he wants to, buys and sells the players he desires and no longer needs, and decides how the team will play any given game. Any Manchester United footballer should respect and fear Sir Alex Ferguson. This explains why any player who "acts up" can expect to be punished swiftly and severely. United's Portuguese winger, Nani, is not exempt.

Why is it, then, that Nani has been reportedly criticizing Ferguson and his managing style recently? The story can be found all over the web, including here. An excerpt from the article:

"He can go from complimenting you to just plain trashing you in a matter of minutes. Has it happened to me? Hell, yes. He'll say 'Nani, how could you miss this or this'?

"He shouts at players in front of everyone. No-one escapes, everybody is the same. (Ryan) Giggs and (Gary) Neville suffer most, because they have more experience."

Nani has not been living up to the high expectations that everyone has had for him this year, and this story may just be enough for Sir Alex Ferguson to want to be rid of him. Simply put, Manchester United is a top club, and it has no room for players who underperform and then complain. Obviously, this is just a prediction... but I don't expect to see Nani in a red shirt in the 2010/2011 season.

Never Count Out the Reds!

Mancester United faced off against CSKA Moscow once again, this time at Old Trafford in Manchester. With some key injuries keeping players out of the match, including the dynamic defensive duo of Ferdinand and Vidic, United did not look to be as strong of a side as they have been in recent ties. CSKA went ahead first after being fairly threatening in the 25th minute, but Moscow couldn't celebrate for too long, as Owen made it 1-1 in the 29th.

A mere two minutes after Owen's goal, CSKA responded and made it 1-2. The half ended with this score and the Red Devils went into the dressing room looking discouraged. When the second half begin, their discouragement only grew as the Russians scored again in the 47th. Milo Krasic, in particular, was a very dangerous player who managed to be involved in every goal, in some way.

United made some key changes around the 60 minute mark, bringing on Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra. This brought some much needed creativity and speed for United. Things looked more threatening, but the goals were still not coming. In the 82nd, United's new Frenchman, Obertan, came on to make his mark. He must have been a good luck charm, because United started looking fast and furious. In the 84th, a ball found its way into the box and onto the head of Paul Scholes. The ball flew into the upper left corner and it was 2-3. Whispers of a United comeback began. It looked possible.

AND IT WAS! In the 90th minute, a shot from outside the box from the boot of Valencia deflected off of a CSKA defender and the ball found its way past the keeper. It was 3-3 with only seconds left, and CSKA had their brilliant victory snatched right at the death. The match ended as a draw and United marched off the pitch triumphantly. It takes a team of tremendous quality to play poorly for 80 minutes, and then be able to comeback from a 2 goal deficit, and United is a team like that.

A Late Victory in Moscow

Last night, United headed to Russia to face off against CSKA Moscow. With a pitch made of plastic, freezing temperatures, and very few supporters travelling, Manchester United had their work cut out for them. It didn’t help, either, that Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney, the two shining stars of the recent United squat were absent due to minor injuries.

Most of the match unfolded with little action. Scholes and Anderson were able to control the midfield for the Red Devils and the Moscow side looked uninspired. One bright spot for CSKA was their winger, Krasic. He was more than willing to take our defense on and infused some much needed creativity into the match.

Our wingers for the night were Nani and Valencia, two young, skilled Portugese players. Both have extremely high expectations to live up to but have largely failed to do so, thus far. On this night, though, they looked up to the task. Nani’s dribbling was impressive and Valencia sure knows how to cross.

Our Brazilian acquisiton from the summer, Fabio, started his first game for United at leftback. Fans looked on, anxious to see how he would perform. He’s got pace and an attacking mindset, perhaps too much for a defender, but he is certainly capable of causing problems.

Most of the match (86 minutes, actually) passed without incident. Sure, there were shots, chances, fouls, corners, offside calls, but neither side looked overly threatened. There was one moment of real magic where Nani and Valencia combined for not only a one-two, but a three-four as well. This display of passing right outside the CSKA box inspired football fans around the world and gave a glimpse of what is (hopefully) to come from the two Portugese.

But then, in the 86^th, Anderson sent a cross into the box aimed at Berbatov. Berbs got his head to it and it fell near the far post, to Valencia who finished it smartly. He met the ball on the half volley and it shot past the keeper, Akinfeev, who looked impenetrable for most of the match. United had gotten yet another late goal, and held on for the win.

I <3 Beach Balls

LOLOLOL. Liverpool F.C, United's biggest and most hated rivals have been doing very poorly so far this season. They're failing to stay competitive in the league and may be written off as a threat very soon if they don't turn things around immediately. This is pleasing in its own right. What just tickles me pink, though... is when things go from bad to worse for them.

Liverpool played Sunderland this past Sunday. You may not know, but it's a tradition for fans to play with beach balls at English football matches. Well... WELL... a beach ball found its way onto the pitch early on. In the fifth minute...

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA

Liverpool were, for a lack of a better term, deflated (bada boom tsshhhhh) after that and Sunderland held on to win it.