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First cup of the season :redjump: :cheer: :bluejump:
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continued from here: http://www.mayyam.com/talk/showthrea...010-11)/page54
First cup of the season :redjump: :cheer: :bluejump:
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._7865380_n.jpg
Typically indecisive.
Anyways, Fergie says 'it doesn't matter' before the game but his reaction shows how important it is to get one over the rivals this early in the season?
Good to see Cleverley being given a chance. Homegrown talent. His involvement in that brilliant Nani goal typifies his intelligence.
Great set-piece deliveries from Silva & Young, but not so good marking on Lescott & Smalling. De Gea mistake on Dzeko goal?! Clichy/Kompany :rotfl: for 3rd goal. If it was Arsenal, we would be written off for the season (illana mattum :lol: )
EPL is bit faster than La Liga. His second half save from Johnson was very good. He is young and he will learn.
I think he will be a great goal keeper.
Good article by ZM:
http://www.zonalmarking.net/2011/08/...y-shield-2011/
I too find the front four very flexible & frightening.
Nanai :clap:...watta start :shock:
Go United go :cheer:
So Cesc and Nasty out then :D
Am betting we'll do a lot better than recent times.
In Ramsey I trust :)
Have you guys watched this yet? I think it is brilliant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDBLS...mbedded#at=101
Yeah saw it in Twitter.
GilbertoSilver is one talented guy :clap:
Folks, a gentle reminder to join the premier league fantasy... Code for H2H : 37556-15658
Code for classic league: 37556-15549
dig: Satish, planning for Weekend Meet on Sunday. Check and confirm participation in Hubbers Lounge, Chennai Hubbers Meet Thread
Cesc to Barcelona. Deal done. 36m pounds. Explain that to me while I wish him farewell. You'll be missed but hope you'd miss us even more.
JW or ramsey shud step up big time i guess! hope we buy someone like mata/hazard soon!
Help! I’ve become a United fan!
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/o...-a-united-fan/
AUG 13 — After more than two months of suffering from withdrawal symptoms due to the lack of English Premier League (EPL) football, it’s celebration time with the season due to start this weekend.
Let’s hope that the London riots earlier this week won’t result in some fixture postponements for the matches set to happen in the city this weekend — especially the one involving my beloved Tottenham Hotspur, despite damage to our stadium’s ticket booths due to the rioting.
Like many other football fans, in addition to our own favourite teams, we’ll also have a second team that we root for, for reasons that are too varied to mention and particular to the each fan.
It might be because we love rooting for the underdog that a newly-promoted team with all the odds stacked against them might represent. It might also be that we love to see some attractive, attacking and “kamikaze” football that we choose a particular team as our second team.
As for me, ever since I became hooked on playing the computer game Championship Manager (now called Football Manager), I’ve developed a soft spot for teams that are not afraid to bank on young players, especially young English players.
This is because whenever I play Football Manager, that’s the exact approach I take as manager of my own team, my beloved Tottenham Hotspur. So when I see that same approach taken by another team, naturally, my sympathies will lie with them.
I never thought that I would ever say this, but after witnessing the very exciting Community Shield game that pitted local rivals Manchester United and Manchester City against each other, I think my second team for this season will be the much detested (by fans of other teams that is) Manchester United.
Yes, I still can’t stand a large portion of the Manchester United support, what with all their bragging and expectations of success, but the second half of that Community Shield game totally won me over.
The first half of the game was standard United in my eyes, with them dominating and poking at Manchester City’s defence without much success, and City surprisingly successful at their “sit back, absorb and counter-attack” tactics that saw them go 2-0 up at half time.
Like most other fans sick of United’s dominance in the EPL, I actually felt quite glad to see the status quo being rocked a bit by the cash-rich City, even if it was only halftime.
But what Sir Alex Ferguson did after the break was quite simply inspired. After relying on experience in the first half — and quite unsuccessfully, I might add — Ferguson surely surprised everyone by taking out two experienced defenders, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, and replacing them with youngsters Jonny Evans and Phil Jones.
I’ve read quite a bit about another youngster, Tom Cleverley, who had a good season on loan last year, and he was also brought on to replace Michael Carrick. But I think the biggest surprise was seeing yet another youngster, Chris Smalling, who previously played as a centre back mainly as cover for Ferdinand, deployed at right back.
Add to that the impressive Danny Welbeck, another youngster who started the match as striker alongside Wayne Rooney; the new 20-year-old goalkeeper David De Gea; the still-young Nani; and Ashley Young (pun not intended), and this second-half United team is suddenly brimming with youth.
Not only were they mostly English youths, they were also not brought in when the game had already been won (as is usually the case with young players being given a taste of first team action), but to actually chase the game and try to win it.
And if you actually did watch the game, even the most fervent United-hater will have to admit that United simply blew City away in the second half with their exuberant attacking play and their very obvious hunger to win.
The match finished with United winning 3-2, despite trailing 2-0 at half time, and praise was almost unanimous for the excellence of the kids brought in to change the game during the second half, especially for Cleverley.
For me, though, it was Smalling who stole the show at right back, marauding along the right flank like a pro who’s been doing that job for years. City didn’t help their cause much by basically only playing one striker upfront during the second half, but the young bucks brought in by United to play at the centre of defence barely gave anyone a sniff. You also have to admire the youngsters’ spirits to find it in themselves to scrounge up three goals to win the game.
And after all that excitement watching the kids strut their stuff last weekend, I’m absolutely looking forward to more of that during the course of this season from United, and you can bet that in addition to sticking my face in front of the TV to watch my beloved Spurs, I’ll be keeping a close watch on the United kids as well.
Now, how about that for strange?
I still think it'd take more time to replace Cesc. Expect us to finish in midtable this season.
A bit of a jinx, but largely in line with pessimistic view that's regurgitated in & around the club.
chances of us finishing in top 4 are very slim.. watch us implode right from the first game for a change :cool2:
Scz hits the crossbar with a rabona. amazing. Only seen Maradona do that!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFuGY6CuI0M
Whatta explosive start to the league :cheer: Isn't that a red card for Richardson?
People like Barton and De Jong do not belong to the football field, Gervinho was a victim but silly of him to hit Barton knowing it'll be a straight red.
Nothing to argue about Gervinho's red but how did Barton get away with an yellow? :hammer:
Pity, it was a penalty. Gervinho who was on his way to be MOTM (despite not being able to find the right pass until that point) had to face this fate. Welcome to the league I suppose.
Barton - the less said about him the better. But Song needlessly started it with a stamp. For his friend Diaby?! I like how Barton picks his target every season: Nasri, Diaby, Gervinho.
Oh my, English media turn Song into the worst offender (forgetting Barton is a serial offender!) & make Gervinho into a 'diver'. And some mild defense of Barton already. Same old Same old.
And here's the British hypocrisy, Barton tries to manhandle Gervinho for a 'dive' (that it's not one, isn't the point) but goes down like Gervinho knocked him out like Pacquiao did Mosley. What a wimp *censored*
Thanks to him, we will be severely depleted vs Pool & United.
Cleverly :clap:
Good Bye Cesc! English Football will miss you :clap:
I have a bad feeling about this tie :shaking:
:lol2:
Were gonna be battered next week by a mediocre Liverpool side.They're probably the only team without a win in the Emirates.
Lovely move for Theo's goal. Scz :clap: Ramsey :thumbsup: innum neraiya edhirparkkuren..
We didn't control the game. Udi were better in 2nd half simple as that. But we created chances. On another day, Theo might have finished one of the two clear 1-on-1's. Lobbed pathetically once. And tried a Henry like curler that let the GK to make a save :banghead: Should have just kept it on ground. Lovely play by Gervinho to set it up though. I'm impressed by Gervinho. Works hard for the team & looks a genuine threat. Pity he hadn't made the final passes or took a proper pop at goal. It will come.
MC was good as holdup no.9 covered more ground than any other player bar Ramsey. But doesn't look to have striker qualities any more. Shockingly.
Rosicky looks knackered. Arsha rested for Pool game :lol: Hope he regains those magic powers against his fav. opposition team. Song/Gerv suspended. Frimpong looks a beast, but he often presses rather than hold position, which might leave gaps. Frimpong-Ramsey certain. But who would be the other MF? Rosicky? ?Just pray JW is fit as he could add more creativity & bite.
Theo-RVP-Arshavin would be the front 3 as Gervinho is suspended. I'd not be surprised if Miyaichi/AOC feature in the game.
Xenophobic attitudes of the British press is appalling. Winter (telegraph) on Wenger linking resistance & Joan of Arc last season. Sam Wallace of The Independent doing a Winter this season. Guardian's Paul Doyle using Guillotine headline after Barca game is the nadir. And these are supposedly the best of British press :lol2:
I could see why Phillip Auclair said the other day that Arsene could quit after this season. The amount of disrespect, hypocrisy, & thuggery from English press/media & FA establishment would have achieved their goal. 'The French surrenders again.'
missed the entire action last week...good start boys :clap:...Feb atlast joining Barca...i really want to see where he starts in that star studded line up
That's unbelievably bad & characteristic of Mourinho to pop into someone's eye from behind. OTOH appalling English press wud bum suck this
Disgraceful the whole of Nou Camp started doing their 'monkey chants' on Marcelo. Okay, not exactly the 'whole' of Nou Camp. And yeah, I'm aware of continual racist chants in Bernabeu. But two wrongs never make a right.
A bunch of millionaires fighting & kicking about, being called names & doing things that they'd not regret one bit #ElClasico
Pep "One day, this will end bad. That's what I feel. Football isn't only about the players on a pitch, thre are more people involved" Fair play also for controlling his bench after Marcelo's tackle.
Marcelo, incensed by monkey chants, put in a bad tackle on Cesc, who was stamped by Ozil, who then got slapped & insulted by Villa. #FARCE
Bring back Vincente Del Bosque & save the club's image. Barca have a positive PR around the world. Madrid's at all-time low due to Moaninho
Apparently Villa insulted Ozil's religion. Could be a case of miscommunication as I'd not be surprised if Villa called him a slimy toad. :lol: