Manchester United lose as Manchester City go top
Last season, we all watched, laughed, elbowed each other and pointed in delight at Arsenal’s plight (own up to it guys, no one enjoyed Arsenal’s situation more than Manchester United fans).
This season though, the curse seems to have come on Manchester United, and in good conscience, I can’t do much more than own up and say that this Manchester United side isn’t doing enough to win matches.
Oh, for sure, we’re creating chances. It’s only a matter of time before Carlos Tevez finds the net, before Rooney, Saha and Anderson regain fitness, before Ronaldo comes back from his suspension.
It’s only a matter of time, right? Somehow it doesn’t feel that way.
To be fair, Vidic, Tevez, Scholes and Nani went very close, and Richard Dunne and especially Micah Richards had blinders of a game – Richards was the man of the match for me.
Some quick observations:
- Why doesn’t Nani make runs down the wing with the ball?
- Giggs is not Ronaldo, why did he try to take on the whole Manchester City team by himself?
- Hargreaves did well in his debut, and Evra did quite well today as well.
- United miss Rooney, badly.
- Richards should start for England at center-back against Germany on Wednesday, and if he does well, he should play in the qualifiers.
- Mancester City go top of the table and could stay there if Chelsea don’t get all their points.
- Richards should keep playing center-back for Manchester City.
Manchester United play Tottenham at home next weekend, so maybe we’ll do something about this slide. What’s sure now is that Manchester United are on the back foot as far as the title is concerned. I have a very bad feeling about our title chances – the only consolation is that other teams are doing quite well, so Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal are going to have a lot of problems winning games as well.
What are the odds on Manchester City going to Europe now? With their center-back pairing, at least they won’t be leaking goals. The main problem I find with Manchester City right now is that they are a bit light-weight in central midfield, and that will cost them a few points this season.
So what do you guys think? How do Manchester United’s chances for the title, and Manchester City’s chances for Europe, look after the first week of the Premiership?
Topics: Manchester City, Manchester United, Match Reports
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haha. . . who would have thought 2 points, 3 matches
damn you rooney!!
damn you ronaldo!!
get better saha. . anderson. .
play better nani
good job micah richards
August 19th, 2007 @ 19:49YEAH!!! Man City whoop Man U……. people were makin predictions in soccerlens that Man U would thrash Man City…… Now i seriously think that Sven Goran Eriksson is a good manager and he can win the premiership with Man City…….. LIVERPOOL CAN DEFEAT CHELSEA >>>>>> STEVIE G ROX!!!
August 19th, 2007 @ 19:54United’s defence not up to it, and clearly not up to European football. Ferdinand a dunderhead. Richards magnificent. Good to see Fergie throwing money away again.
Up the City!
August 19th, 2007 @ 19:55i didnt get to see the game but followed online. is henrik retired for good or what? can we not talk him back in or something? and where the hell is anderson? 3 weeks is enough time to be ready for ONE match, no? this kind of start will keep us from the championship.
August 19th, 2007 @ 19:58I don’t necessarily think that this start is entirely terrible, abject, yes…but Portsmouth have always been a bogey team for us, Reading held us to draws a lot last season and City have been on a roll.
Provided we finally turn it on against Spurs/Sunderland, we’ll be ok.
August 19th, 2007 @ 20:08No the problem is we have been found out.teams now know how to play against us because we are so one dimensional.we need to mix up our attacks.and we DO need a target man regardless of what any1 says.and a deadly finisher.hargreaves was just brilliant.brilliant.brilliant man city didnt have a sniff.apart from their goal which came wit a slice of luck but u have to shoot to score and well united didnt do enough of that carrick was really bad today.so were giggs and nani.we need a striker no doubt now.we made big mistakes in the transfer market and now cambell is coming off the bench.
August 19th, 2007 @ 20:11Should not have sold Smudge. And Why didn`t Fergie Splash £30 million on Torres When he did it on Tevez. He just dont seem to have the “killer instinct” That El nino has!
August 19th, 2007 @ 20:29Well that has to be one of the most frustrating matches ive ever watched. I cant believe our season has started so badly, ive heard rumours that we are going to try and buy anelka for 12 million. I admit i never saw him as man united player I think he would be an excellent buy as he can finish and we really need a good finisher. I think the league is over for us (we are playing just like arsenal last season) but if we can win the champions league then I would settle for that. Im just so disappointed for all man u fans alike that we have had practically nothing to celebrate (i missed scholes’ goal). The football we have been watching is cringe worthy.
August 19th, 2007 @ 20:49Sorry i meant ‘I never saw him as a man united player but he would still be an excellent buy and we need something to brighten us up tbh’
August 19th, 2007 @ 20:50Eddie – Tevez has enough of the killer edge, he’s not match fit (unlike Torres), nor does he have a striker to play with (again, unlike Torres)
Anyone noticed that Huntelaar scored 4 goals for Ajax in an away game this weekend?
August 19th, 2007 @ 21:04we had the worst start ever….title hope is almost destroyed…and the most horrible thing is that we are near the relegation zone..while man city is leading.
August 19th, 2007 @ 21:07btw chris, reading held us to ONE draw last season. And we wont the rematch (fa cup). I have to admit teams have got better this season though.
August 19th, 2007 @ 21:08I already posted it this at Red Rants but the Lens deserves to hear my pain also. OK the match is over and it’s time for me to vent. I said it even before the season started, around the time they sold off Rossi that United were far to thin depth wise at striker. Can you imagine that I was right. What’s even worse is that all these great midfielders we possess are incapable of one creative thought when it comes to penetrating the walls teams put up against them in the 18 yard box. The real problem facing United is complacency and arrogance. They assume because they are the champions that by just showing up for the match, that they will automatically garner 3 points. Also, their tactics are so predictable and static that no team is ever left wondering what SAF is going to conjure up to defeat them. Even though we are champions and even though I love the lads, I am starting to strongly believe that we have been riding a two headed horse named Ronaldo Rooney to glory for a few years now. Man Utd goes as these two players go. When they are out of form, injured or suspended, we are no better than the teams that half either drawn with us or defeated us this season. I’m sorry but Giggs and Scholes have not only become too old, but they are also predictable. Their past service is not in question, but their present form is questionable. Nani clearly has shackles placed on him as he is really afraid to let go and use his unique skills. He is also very nervous being the new kid in town with so many expectations. Carrick is incredibly overrated as is Evra. For me Tevez, the center backs and Hargreaves are the only players we can count on to give a strong and reliable effort. I am totally frustrated by the lack of quality service into the box as well as the quality of finishing this team has displayed thus far. They need to stress these two disciplines much more in training. Most of all they need to dig into the Glazer’s kitty bag for some cash and go out and buy a striker. At this point I will even welcome Sulky Anelka with open arms. One last observation. I wonder if all of you are as frustrated as I am with Van Der Saar’s inability to make a save when the opposition has their one opportunity all match. The goal scored by Pompey was a fine header but his inability to set his feet properly as well as his unwillingness to dive and at least attempt to save it was irritating to say the least. Although todays effort by Geovanni was well taken, deflected and well placed, I really feel Van Der Saar moved for it far too slowly. He did this on long shots all of last year too. I’m afraid Eddie is at last showing his age. It’s too bad Kasper Schmeichel felt that playing for United was going to be to pressure filled because he has impressed me and reminded me a lot of his old man as he takes charge of matters in the box. So what will we do? I have been in official panic mode before the season started because I could see the writing on the wall. But even I never honestly believed we would start out like this. The Manchester Derby was a must win for us for more reasons than just the rivalry. Pray for a Liverpool Chelski draw so that we are not looking at the leaders through binoculars. The season is not over but without Ronaldo for another two matches and no Rooney for god knows how long, I do not like our chances to even make the top four. Our lack of tactical imagination and crisp finishing will end up costing us before we correct the problem. Go back to a 4-4-2 and buy another striker. Start showing more pace down the wings and start crossing the ball better with pace and accuracy (Beckham style). SAF is a legend and perhaps it is blasphemy to criticize his approach but it is situations like this that I like a less rigid far more creative manager who will alter his team’s approach, not just shape to defeat a problem. The Special One and Rafa Benitez are able to do this with success. United on the other hand have a stubborn arrogance about them that seems to be stifling their charge. Bring in Cantona to scream at the lads about passion and commitment. What I would give for a maestro like that just behind two strikers and a player like Beckham who can cross the ball with accuracy and pace? Finally, Ruud Ruud where art thou????????
August 19th, 2007 @ 21:09It’s been a horrible start for Man U, but I still have utmost faith in SAF. Maybe there’s some complacency in the team, maybe the new ‘uns need to get used to Man Utd…but it will pick up soon. Man City fans should milk this situation for all it’s worth, I doubt it will last very long. Svennis will be in the shit pretty soon.
August 19th, 2007 @ 21:14This is a different Chris btw.
ditto sandbagger1
August 19th, 2007 @ 21:14Right from the 1st match Utd have manage to create only half chances…except the scholes goal….there hasnt been a chance which u see and go that that has to be a goal.Despite playing most of the game in opponents have the final ball and the finishing has been disappointing.Also today giggs was playing more towards the center than as RM and all the chances came from left side mainly. And after Nani went we were kinda just keeping possesion outside the 18 yard box and trying at half chances.We should have tried a few shots from outside the 18 yard box cause kasper Schmeical isnt 1st choice keeper for Man city nad he would have made mistakes like the time he spilled the ball which micah richards cleared.Richards and Dunne were just brillant today.Specially Richards he ran DOwn Tevez 2 times and cleared that spill from kasper.
On the other hand really nice debut game for owen hargreaves today.
And lastly HI….1st time posting here.
August 19th, 2007 @ 21:52Are you mental? Did you see the game?
Utd were all over them, their finishing was poor however. City had ONE shot. ONE!
Sure City a few “passing shots” that were way off target, but let’s be fair, they had a stroke of luck for the goal and it came off for them.
The opposite can be said of Man U. They pushed and pushed and had no luck.
After the goal, City played well for about 10 minutes and it was all Utd for the other 80.
Utd will be back and any muppet that thinks otherwise is a…well…muppet!
Hopefully they’ll wait ’till AFTER the Spurs game to bounce back, hehe.
August 19th, 2007 @ 22:52Ive heard Pauleta is looking to leave paris st germain. He could work out as a great stop gap in the Larsson mould.
August 19th, 2007 @ 22:53United are a carbon copy of Arsenal last season. Very attractive passing game, very intricate, yet no killer punch. I think SAF is trying to win the league playing football best served for the Champions League. They most certainly need a front man. A Mark Hughes character who can hold the ball and also score goals…Didn’t Alan Smith do that? Why on earth do they get rid of good players at the wrong time?
Anelka would be great. But I am afraid that SAF will be as stubborn as usual, Not buy anyone and suffer. He will sell Saha in January when he is fit. Saha has taken over from Anderton as SICKNOTE!
There must be a clogger in Scotland we can borrow!!
August 20th, 2007 @ 01:03We so need a striker to help Tevez. How long b4 Saha is match fit? I think we should try to get someone on loan for a season. What about Adriano. He is out of favour at Inter and maybe worth a shout. If we can pay his wages for a season i reckon Sir Alex should go for him. Only problem is that he has been off form for awhile but you cannot deny his class and strengh which would be suitable for the premiership. If we are gonna splash out some cash then rather go for someone who will be able to score from the go and that person is Anelka.
August 20th, 2007 @ 01:30I think it is a bit too soon to talk about the league being over for us! It is just the third game, and although things are looking grim for us, let us not forget that last season we drew with Reading and lost to Portsmouth. This time we’ve drawn with Portsmouth so that has to be better. And yes, losing today was a big shock, especially since they didn’t look anywhere near to scoring, other than that one shot on target which went in. But I still have faith in my team, we just need to get our confidence back. A good game against Spurs and Sunderland will certainly help with that.
August 20th, 2007 @ 01:36Ahmed, don’t cry for Huntelaar. The boy is too young! We need someone with proven capacities. Ruud had proven his danger. Kezman had as well, but only after Ruud left PSV. And what was Kezman’s value for Chelsea?
Huntelaar is just like Kuyt. A worker who might destruct poor Dutch defenses, but the Prem is another piece of cake.
August 20th, 2007 @ 02:23And does anybody think all this messing with Heinze is having an unsettling effect on the squad. I for one am hugely disappointed with him. The club and fans have stood by him through thick and thin and pays us the ultimate disrespect by requesting a transfer to liverpool, that is low.
August 20th, 2007 @ 02:27As for the start to the season, this is what many of us had predicted would happen last year. I cant understand how any club who spent over 50 million on summer transfers has to bring on John O Shea to try and win a game. I think there is something wrong at the club. If the players cant stand up and be counted we can kiss the season goodbye.
We didn’t play that badly. Everyone is still gelling, and what didn’t help is Rooney’s injury, and Ronaldo’s suspension. The fact that both tevez and hargreaves is not match fit and in sync with the team proves a big factor in our demise. The big thing is that how all the other players seem to get frustrated so easily especially Rio Ferdinand. It hurts the team more if everyone was tensed and stressed out when things don’t go our way. Just slow down and take a step back and learn to play with fun again. Everything will come back. Expectations nearly killed Arsenal last season, and we should learn from them. Let loose and we’ll terrorize again.
August 20th, 2007 @ 07:04I was thinking the exact same thing about Nani and the wings. It seems to me like there are a couple of possible reasons:
August 20th, 2007 @ 10:04I was thinking the exact same thing about Nani and the wings. It seems to me like there are a couple of possible reasons:
* He came to a sudden realization that he can’t cross (seriously, the crossing efforts he made in the game are some of the worst I’ve ever seen). That’s why they brought on Eagles, feeling that good crosses would put the young keeper under pressure. Unfortunately Eagles only made two or so crosses worth mentioning.
* He lacks pace. He certainly didn’t seem to have the pace everyone claims he has. Perhaps this is down to fitness, but the guy has been at the club for long enough to have a pre-season.
* Because of the formation he felt it better to play narrower. What is the point of going down the wings when any ball you put in is going to result in a contest between a midget named Tevez and two giants named Richard and Dunne. The fact is that when he did attack centrally Nani was actually one of the better players. To be honest I would have put more mony on him to score than Frazier Campbell.
August 20th, 2007 @ 10:13so ahmed.. optimisim sinking out of you??…first and foremost..we made chances…heck a lot of them..yet each time no one was at the end…sad to say..but if micah richards can give us headaches..then what cant john terry do…im not better than fergie…heck i am a thousand leagues under him…but he must realise our problem and correct them….the first step was taken yesterday(playing scholes in the hole)..but still we should im prove and fast. and plz to all united fans stop saying we are missing ronaldo and rooney.no guy makes a team..and these fellows dont too. waiting for ur reply ahmed
August 20th, 2007 @ 10:45I am a Chelsea fan but still feel bad about the way you guys talk about SAF. SAF is one hell of a manager. He does not need to buy a new striker to solve the problem. He can find a solution among the resources available and that is his strength.
Against city he got everything right, played Hargreaves in holding role instead of Scholes, where Hargreaves performed well. Scholes was absolutely awesome behind Tevez. Once Ronaldo is back you will see Giggs sticking to left wing which is the only place Giggs is effective. Evra would be asked to stop running past half way mark coz the kid eats into Giggs’ space.
In short SAF has found a perfect role for every player in the team, and friends though Giggs and Scholes have got old they are still good. Remember “old is gold”. No substitute for experience.
Manutd’s defence is great. City just got lucky, it was not Vidic’s fault and certainly not Van der saar’s as someone said earlier.
Now SAF should sooner realize that he can’t play Hargreaves and Carrick together. Giggs has to be play only on left wing. The most important thing is trying not walking the ball into goal as Arsenal do.
Tevez has been the only disappointment. Ever since he moved from West Ham to ManUtd, he expects to come away home cleanly after every match. He has moved to a better team so he would get chances which are more clear-cut and precise. However he would also get plenty more half chances since its ManUtd and if he wants to take them he might get roughed up. That’s the deal.
I remember Tevez once saying when he was at West Ham, that after every match he comes home with marks all over his body as the premier league is physically tough. I cant see him saying that now. Though he is playing with ManUtd the game is still English so don’t bother trying remain clean.
August 20th, 2007 @ 12:20I disagree with OH’s performance, he did not cover his zone well, his passes were sloppy at times, with 4 defense + OH didn’t help the defense, thats even bad.
Tevez – Too short to make a header goal and too desperate to make a debut goal. (Do we need a target man? yep)
Nani need some time to gel, I guess Eagles is a better player and will prove his worth.
We will bubble up to the top spot in December or January, from there we can start pushing for the 1st spot.
August 20th, 2007 @ 12:28Is it weird that a Chelsea fan has come out with the best reveiw of the game?
August 20th, 2007 @ 13:26No, it’s just that you agree with his version of events more
August 20th, 2007 @ 13:48And I still go into every game thinking that United will win. However, with the league being tougher this season AND with United not performing to their standards, there is reason to believe that this won’t be United’s season. That’s not pessimism nor is it a sinking of ‘optimism’, it’s just reality.
For the record, I hate to even think about it, but here we are.
August 20th, 2007 @ 13:50I am just VERY frustrated. 1 goal in something like 55 attempts does NOT seem good. I know a lot is down to luck, but give credit where credit is due… al lot is down to plain old stubborness (of our manager) as well. (eg. the pressing need to play 4-5-1 in a time where we need a win)
Why did we sell Rossi?
Why isolate Tevez?
Why persist with Giggs?
Why not push Scholes into the hole?
Why only 1/55?
Why can’t our luck change?
On a plus, I think that once we start scoring, there will be some major shit in this Premier League!
August 20th, 2007 @ 14:09Wow, some serious over-reaction in here! I think it would be helpful to take a slightly longer term view here, I mean Fergie isn’t just planning for this season, he’s looking to set things right for years to come, so he can ride of into the sunset and leave behind a great team.
The good news is that in the City game we played the most assured football I’ve seen us play in years. City could barely toe over the half way line, as our marking and blocking of lanes was so organised. Not very exciting, but the only attempt of note they had all game was some 25 yards out. And this was an AWAY game. The only time I’ve seen us play better football was in the second half against blackburn last season, when not only did we barely concede posession, we also created chance after chance.
Could we have used a striker yesterday? Absolutely. However, would Alan Smith have been any more effective agaisnt Micah Richards? I don’t really think so. Rossi? Maybe more clinical, but nothing else, no more physical presence or ability to get up to head crosses.
We’re still a team in transition. Last season was a wonderful bonus, but shouldn’t be viewed as more than that. Our team is incredibly young, and at the moment, incredibly injured. I strongly believe that Foster would have been starting this season, now we have to see if he’ll ever get back to his best again. Saha, Rooney, Ronaldo and Hargreaves would also be starting every match. Giggs could be a substitute, along with Park, to add pace and width. Nani and Anderson would barely play before Christmas, as they learn the system. Frazier Cambell would never play. Eagles and Fletcher would be subs as well.
The idea is that in 1/2 years time we’ll have the team below, which will be experienced playing together and used to the system, and able to grow together as the last golden genreation did:
————Foster————–
-???—Rio——–Vidic—Evra—
———-Hargreaves————
———Carrick—————-
–Ronaldo————–Nani—-
———Tevez/Anderson——–
——–Saha/Rooney———–
That’s a team that could play another 5 years together (maybe Rio would fade, but doubtful – and yes we’d have to replace glass-knee) And I really think that’s fergie’s plan.
August 20th, 2007 @ 15:00Whinging reds, you lost 3 matches and you all want blood, you lose a match that you dominated, fair play but we scored the goal, in the matches you won last season while playing badly all we heard was “that’s the sign of a good teamm winning when they’re playing badly”. Well tough, we won you lost, you’re going down with the Sunderland.
August 20th, 2007 @ 19:31Do you guys remember last season against city? We were awful and won thanks to a penalty. This time we were great.If we continue playing this good, Expect us to annihilate an opposition very soon.
On another note, Campbell came on as a substitute and i think he’s going to shine this season.
August 20th, 2007 @ 21:44What do you reckon?
The last time we started this bad was in 92/93 and we went on to win the league. All is not lost, have faith in Man. United we will come good and have a great run… COME ON UNITED
August 20th, 2007 @ 21:45you do relize that the league is like 10 times harder now
August 20th, 2007 @ 22:39Man city for 5th place
August 20th, 2007 @ 22:430 rooney + 0 ronaldo = 0 man utd and for god sake it doesn’t take a genius to work out that we need a second striker beside tevez
August 21st, 2007 @ 14:29