Pre-Match Discussion: Champions League

This Wednesday, United battle the reigning German champions, VfL Wolfsburg in the Champion's League MatchDay 2.

For the football illiterate, the Champions League is a cup competition, consisting of several stages. The first stages are group stages, where every team in the competition is placed into one group or another. These teams all play each other and the teams who end up with the most points advance to the next stage.

Things don't get really serious until the latter stages for Manchester United, as they are usually expected to sail through the group stages. However, Wolfsburg has emerged recently as a real power in European football and could pose a serious threat for the English champs. Luckily, the match is at Old Trafford, and United's supporters will be sure to outsing any travelling Germans.

If United were playing a tougher side than Sunderland this weekend, I would advocate resting some key starting players against Wolfsburg and being fairly conservative. However, it's important that this win is picked up, and Wolfsburg should not be taken lightly. I propose the following eleven players start on Wednesday:

----------Foster-----------
Neville-Ferdinand-Vidic-Evra
Valencia-Carrick-Fletcher-Nani
----------Rooney------------
---------Berbatov------------

I have not started Giggs because even though he has been superb, he is an aging player and will need his rest to start against Sunderland. Although Nani and Valencia have been a bit shaky in recent matches, they should be able to handle the fullbacks of Wolfsburg. I've started Rooney in his natural role, right behind the front striker. If Rooney and Berbatov are allowed to work off of passes from Carrick and Fletcher, they should be able to penetrate the German side easily.

Glorious Giggs Wreaks Havok on Stoke

Saturday, September 16th - As United lines up against Stoke, an unspoken, yet collective thought dwells in the minds of every Manchester United fan watching on: "We got this." The rationale behind this confidence is simple. Manchester United has been performing fantastically, all of our starting players are fit, and Stoke isn't one of the tougher teams in the league. The reason that this thought remains unstated is also simple. In football nothing is certain. Any team can beat any other team on any day. Also, we're away from home! Let's not get ahead of ourselves!

As was expected, United dominated possession for most of the first half. Manchester's defense looked impenetrable and its attack formidable. Our passing was fluid and the creativity was there, but the final ball was simply lacking. And that is what's most important in football... I've watched far, far too many games where the "undeserving" team won. It's completely possible (and also commonplace) for a team to sit back and defend the whole match, never looking threatening, and then without notice score a goal out of nowhere that knocks the wind out of the other team for good. I pondered this frightening scenario as the first 45 minutes came to a close and the scoreline read 0-0.

The second half began and play resumed very similarly. United looked far better than Stoke, but at the same time, stagnant. Then, in the 56th minute, Sir Alex Ferguson made a tough decision to take Nani, the Portuguese winger out of the game and replace him with the seasoned veteran, Ryan Giggs. Giggs has been in this game for a long time. A very long time. At 35, he is by far the oldest player who is still considered dangerous in the premiership. In fact, Giggs has been criticized in recent months for being too old. They say he's over the hill and that he's just not physical enough for the modern game. Quite simply, they're wrong.

As soon as he came on, Giggs made an immediate impact on the match. His surging runs, expert crosses, and beautiful dribbling served to completely unsettle Stoke and really open the match up. The Red Devils' attack instantly became more potent and soon, it seemed that a goal was all but inevitable. In the 62nd minute, it was inevitable. Paul Scholes played a perfect, dissecting ball down the wing and into the box to Ryan Giggs, who showed his experience by slotting the ball to Berbatov with just one touch. Berbatov did all he needed to do: tapped the ball in and celebrated. 0-1.

Then, in the 77th minute, a Stoke foul gave us a free kick about 40 yards from goal. It was too far to have a shot, but not too far to try a cross into the box. Once again, the Welsch Wizard, Ryan Giggs, crafted the perfect pass to John O'Shea who headed it home. 0-2.

With a two goal lead against Stoke in the 77th minute, the game was United's. Reds all around the globe let out a sigh of relief and watched on in ecstasy, knowing that in just over ten minutes, they would be top of the table. The rest of the match played itself out and in the end it was 0-2 to United and three points were gained. And the Reds go marching ON ON ON!

I have something to confess...

I am a completely heterosexual male. I like women. BUT... there is one man capable of igniting something in me that I just can't ignore. His name is... WAYNE ROONEY.

Wayne Rooney joined Manchester United five years ago when he was only eighteen. On his debut in United colors, he scored a hat-trick. Ever since, he has delighted and inspired football fans all over the world with his unique and powerful approach to the game. Simply put, he is a football prodigy.

One of Rooney's finest goals...

Footballers often identify with those who play their position, their style. When I kick the ball around with my mates, I always love to be the striker. I love to launch the ball into the net and finish with passion. This is exactly what Wayne Rooney does. To be honest, Rooney is the reason I am a United fan. When I first got into the game, I did some research to decide who I would support. I discovered Rooney and chose United because he was the centerpiece of the team.

His first touch is sublime. His passing is genius. His finishing is brilliant. He's been fantastic throughout his whole career, but "with great power comes great responsibility." He is also one of the most criticized footballers around. Everyone seems to expect him to save England. He has always had a gigantic influence on every game he's been in, but this season... I honestly expect him to become one of the top 5 undisputed footballers on Planet Earth. You heard it here... WAYNE ROONEY!!!

THE MANCHESTER DERBY

WHAT A BATTLE!!! This past Sunday a potential game of the season took place at Old Trafford. The two teams of Manchester, United and City, gave each other Hell for ninety minutes. Now, Manchester United and Manchester City have always been fierce rivals. Manchester simply isn't big enough for the both of them. However, it's worth noting that until this season, City has been a team worthy of writing off. Sure, they're a mid-table team, and they could always give you trouble... but United have always been too strong for them. THIS season, though, they have a billionaire owner who seems up to the task of taking them to the top. After spending hundreds of millions this summer, City emerged with new talent looking to be world-beaters.

Coming into the match, both teams were in good form. Manchester United brought a record of four wins and one losses while City showed up undefeated after four matches. This time, no one was writing City off. Tensions were high before the match began at the sold out Old Trafford. The supporters of both clubs tried to out-sing each other as the teams took their places on the field. BUT THOSE TENSIONS WERE EASED AFTER ONLY TWO MINUTES WHEN THE WONDERBOY WAYYYYYYNE ROONEY FOUND THE BACK OF THE NET!!! 1-0.

The match continued and City looked wounded yet determined. United held the lion's share of possession for the first fifteen minutes until the unthinkable happened. Ben Foster, United's starting keeper due to the impenetrable Van Der Saar being injured, has looked good for the most part, but also shaky at times this season. He has made mistakes previously this season, but the biggest one he's made in a Premiership match ever occurred in the 16th minute of the first half. An awkward ball was played into United's 16 yard box and Foster charged for it. The ex-United-now-City Tevez chased like a bulldog after the ball, as well. Foster was flustered and Tevez managed to expertly steal the ball from him and slot it over to Barry who finished emphatically. 1-1.

After another half hour of chess-like football, the first half was finished. Both teams retired to their dressing rooms. Now, I wasn't in either of these rooms, but I can imagine what transpired. I see a furious Sir Alex Ferguson shouting at United, telling them that they're good enough to destroy City but not disciplined enough to take the match into their own hands. I also see Mark Hughes, hungry for a deep title run this season, encouraging his lads to play on, to take it to the Champions and give it all that they've got. After 15 minutes of whatever was said, the match continued...

United flew out of the traps as the second half began and it wasn't long before DARREN FLETCHER HEADED ONE HOME!!! In the 49th minute a pin-point cross from Nani found Fletcher and it was 2-1 in an instant.

Now listen... I'm a diehard United fan and City can go fuck themselves as far as I'm concerned. But even I can admit that Craig Bellamy produced a bit of magic in the 52nd minute. I'm not a talented enough writer to describe exactly what happened, but trust me, it was glorious. He received the ball in the final third, dribbled past a defender, and struck a thunderbolt right into the top right corner of Foster's net. 2-2.

The match continued and the two clubs continued to display their brilliant football. Both clubs have extremely talented offenses and defenses, so the likes of Rooney and Berbatov were denied as were the likes of Tevez and Bellamy. Finally, after 20 more minutes of struggle, FLETCHER STRUCK AGAIN. Fletcher's second was almost identical to his third, with the midfielder once again heading home a cross from the far post. 3-2.

With only 10 minutes left in the match, City knew it was time to step up. The ten minutes after Fletcher's goal were complete fury and fire and the final few minutes of the original 90 were complete chaos with end to end attacks. Defense was an after-thought. In the NINETYth minute, the unspeakable happened. Bellamy beautifully took a long ball past a defender and past Foster for another goal. 3-3.

As the sign went up signalling that there were four minutes of stoppage time to be added on, the controversy began. The four minutes allotted were due to substitutions, injuries, and other complications. However, Bellamy scored JUST before the 90 minutes were over, and obviously, there was a celebration. How would these minutes be added? We found out when in the 94th minute, the whistle had not yet blown. BUT IN THE 95th MINUTE... MICHAEL OWEN, THE HERO, MADE IT 4-3. 4-3. 4-3. 4-3.... 4-3!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In the last possible moments of the match, Giggs threaded a beautiful ball to Michael Owen who finished clinically.

So, in the end lads, we won it. We always deserved to win it. Possession was 60-40 us. We had 24 shots, they had 11. 8 of ours were on target while only 4 of theirs were. But, as you know, football is never decided on who deserved to win it. It's all about the scoreline. Even there, though, we won it. MICHAEL OWEN. WAYNE ROONEY. DAAARRRRREN FLETCHER!!! Well done, lads. GLORY, GLORY, MAN UNITED!!!!!!!