Another crucial narrow win for Manchester United today. They’re not scoring a lot of goals but they’ve been incredibly strong defensively. Their last league concession was against Arsenal on November 8th. Since then their league results have been:
Aston Villa A 0:0
Manchester City A 1:0
Sunderland H 1:0
Tottenham Hotspur A 0:0
Stoke City A 1:0
Middlesbrough H 1:0
Chelsea H 3:0
Wigan Athletic H 1:0
Bolton Wanderers A 1:0
That was a killer there today.
Still if Liverpool win on Monday night they go back top.
Sellotanta said this was their 10th clean sheet in a row Bandage - are you missing a game somewhere or are they wrong?
Great win today. 3 wins in a week have put United back to the top of the league. United created a few chances today but it was looking bleak till Tevezs bit of magic to set up Bebratov for the 89th minute winner. 10 league games in a row without conceding alright. Bandage missed the 5.0 home win against Stoke.
United match delayed due to Traffic problems. Anyone have a way to see it. 
Man Utd
[LIST]
[]01 Van der Sar
[]02 Neville
[]05 Ferdinand
[]15 Vidic
[]22 O’Shea
[]13 Park
[]16 Carrick
[]11 Giggs
[]07 Ronaldo
[]09 Berbatov
[*]32 Tevez
[/LIST]
Substitutes
[LIST]
[]29 Kuszczak,
[]06 Brown,
[]14 Tosic,
[]18 Scholes,
[]24 Fletcher,
[]28 Gibson,
[*]42 Eckersley
[/LIST]
Ferguson letting on the likes of Rio, Brown and Park were ruled out. Its a strong lineup.
Berbatov. One Nil.
The blackburn keeper Paul Robinson has just been sent off for West Brom. Strange one that. Good for United though.
2.0 Tevez. Things looking good on top.
That was pretty funny Shan. Manchester United will stroll the league now, as they were always going to do.
4-0 now, utd will romp the league now, they are starting to heat up.
Gave up on the streams at half time as they were shit. Great win obviously. Its important to win when Liverpool and Chelsea are playing tomorrow as to put the pressure on them and with the Everton game on the Saturday now it gives United another chance to set a marker ahead of Sundays Pool-Chelsea match. Hats off to Van Der Sar for breaking Petr Cechs most minutes without letting a goal in. Bonus that Rio and Wes are back as it gives some defensive backup.
In their current form United are a scary prospect, and thats even without Ronaldo playing well, Ferdinand in and out of injury, no Rooney, a dodgy keeper, interchanging full backs, etc etc.
Very true. It’s hard to see them dropping many points from now until the end of the season
Would agree with that.
Liverpool need a win badly to kick start a run of form. They are a team that thrives off confidence.
In Keane’s footsteps: Irish gem Gibson is United’s latest hope tipped to fill Roy’s boots
By Ian Ladyman
It was perhaps symbolic that when Manchester United’s Darron Gibson made his first start for the Republic of Ireland last October, it was at the expense of another former Old Trafford midfielder, Liam Miller.
For where the likes of Miller and a host of other young midfielders have failed in recent years at United, it appears Gibson may be about to succeed.
At 21, Gibson has announced his arrival in Sir Alex Ferguson’s first-team squad this season with goals in FA Cup victories at Southampton and at Derby at the weekend.
‘Darron Gibson did really well on Sunday,’ said United manager Ferguson yesterday.
‘He has got into the Carling Cup final team with that performance. He has played in every round, so he deserves it.’
A Wembley start against Tottenham on March 1 will certainly excite Gibson but, at a time when the United midfield continues to evolve, the young Irishman will realise that much more significant prizes are available in the long term.
Ferguson has tried a good number of players as he has sought to solve the ‘Roy Keane problem’ in recent seasons.
The likes of Miller, Alan Smith, foreign signings Eric Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson were palpable failures as Ferguson sought a player to fill the hole left by his former captain, while the most recent recruit — 18million Owen Hargreaves — has seen his progress halted by knee problems.
Gibson, at the very least, would appear to have a chance. At 6ft 2in, he is, like Keane, a physically imposing figure with a thunderous shot and the fact that he was given a start in a relatively strong United team at Derby says much for his place in the pecking order at Old Trafford.
‘People at Manchester United have a lot of faith in Darron,’ said clubmate and international colleague John O’Shea. ‘They have always believed in his ability and now people can see that.’
While young players from the neighbouring academy at Manchester City have been given opportunities at tender ages, Gibson’s football education came on loan, first at Royal Antwerp in Belgium and, last season, at Wolves in the Championship.
Indeed, had United not been so pro-active in their initial pursuit of the teenage Gibson, he may have joined a club from the second tier in the first place.
Gibson, born in Londonderry, revealed: ‘United were actually the first club I said no to when I was a youngster. They asked me to come across and I said no because I was fed up of going here, there and everywhere for trials.
‘There were agents phoning up the house all the time and my mum and dad were getting fed up.
‘I had decided I would go either to Sunderland or Leicester and nowhere else. But then one of the United scouts said I should really go over and play in a game on my birthday. They persuaded me so I went over and once I saw the place and met the people, I signed straight away.’
He arrived at Old Trafford six months after another bright, young Irish talent — United defender Jonny Evans, now 21. The two are close and go on holiday in the off-season.
Although Gibson was actually born in the north and played for Northern Ireland at Under 16 level, he elected to play for the Republic.
In a case that was ruled on by FIFA and discussed more than once at government level in Ireland, he invoked the terms of the Good Friday Agreement — it declares that anybody born in Northern Ireland is entitled to apply for Irish citizenship — to switch from north to south.
FIFA subsequently closed the loophole but Gibson’s future appears secure with club and country.
Republic coach Giovanni Trapattoni appears to prefer Gibson ahead of Miller and Sunderland’s Andy Reid, while at Old Trafford moves are already afoot to secure him on a new contract that would afford him equal standing to his mate Evans.
It is no surprise he has already won over fans at United, a club who have been lucky enough to see arguably the two greatest Ulstermen, George Best and Norman Whiteside, pull on the famous red shirt.
Gibson added: ‘The profile with Ireland did me good. When I got my chance with my country, I got it with my club.
‘Fergie told me he watched the game against Cyprus and he thought I did well.’
Gibson may soon learn that referring to his manager by his nickname is not the way to get ahead at Old Trafford.
Nevertheless, it would appear to be the only mistake he has made this season
United 2-0 up.
Hate to say it but these cunts are beginning to look like they could do a clean sweep.
The lack of conceding is the key.
[quote=“farmerinthecity”]United 2-0 up.
Hate to say it but these cunts are beginning to look like they could do a clean sweep.
The lack of conceding is the key.[/quote]
Looking serious alright. Not conceding is obviouly massive, but for me it’s the sheer number of players they have who can score in any given game. Liverpool will always fall back to Gerrard and Torres when it comes down to it and they have the draws to show for it.
[quote=“farmerinthecity”]
The lack of conceding is the key.[/quote]
As stated earlier, Im no football pundit, but surely this is one for the stating the bleeding obvious thread
Watching it here in work. United could be easily 5 up. Scholsey bradfordsque volley was superb even though the keeper palmed it in cause of the power. O’Shea has been a great threat going forward. Berbatov and Tevez had goals disallowed. Just need a 3rd before he makes a few changes.