Manchester United Preview
By: Martin | August 28th, 2009Manchester United
Last Season: 1st, 28-6-4 (90 points, +44 goal differential)
Recent Form: WLW
Home Form (last season): 16-2-1
Last Meeting: Manchester United 0-Arsenal 0 (5/16/09)
Well, here we are, one of the biggest fixtures of the season. If you want a little history lesson, you can see Arsenal’s top moments in this rivalry here. While Manchester United beat us quite badly over the two legs of the Champions League semifinal tie last season, it’s worth remembering that we beat them at the Emirates, and drew 0-0 with them at the Old Trafford, a game in which all agree we were by far the better side.
And let me say at the outset–yes, it’s really early in the season. And yes, United started really poorly last season and still won the title. But a result for us tomorrow would be great for us and really put the screws to them. A win would be pretty spectacular. I really don’t have too much in the way of analysis–you know United, you know their players, and you know how dangerous they are. I’ll just say that I think the loss of Ronaldo and Tevez, as well as the injuries to Rio Ferdinand, Owen Hargreaves, and Edwin van der Sar, make United much more vulnerable at the moment than they were at any point last season. Of course, we’ve got injury problems of our own. Cesc has been ruled out for the game with his hamstring problem. Theo, Rosicky, Nasri, Djourou, and Fabianski are also all still out. But here’s hoping we keep our momentum going with a good performance tomorrow, which will keep our confidence high going into the international break.
Almunia
Sagna-Gallas-Vermaelen-Clichy
Denilson-Song-Diaby
Bendtner-van Persie-Arshavin
That’s not the strongest midfield, but United’s midfield (Fletcher, Scholes, Giggs in the middle; Nani and Valencia wide) is their single biggest weakness, so I don’t think we’ll get overrrun there. It will be interesting to see if Wenger sticks with the 4-3-3 or goes back to a more conservative 4-4-2. If so, he’ll start Eboue, who played great against Celtic midweek, on the right, and drop Bendtner to the bench. This will also be the first time our defense, which has played so well so far, will have to deal with a world class group of attackers, and it will be interesting to see how they deal with that challenge.
Come on Arsenal.
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Comments | Add your comment
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I for one hope that Wenger sticks to the 4-3-3, to keep some rhythmn to the team. I think if Song perfoms well again, and continues his growth as a midfielder, we could snatch a 1-0 to the Arsenal. If he goes back to his old form, we will surely struggle.
Either way, it is so nice to be going into a game at Old Trafford with such optimism!Posted from
United States
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OK, so there are 3 days before the transfer window closes, by my count. I was told that after we clinched the group stages, we’d buy another player or two. Now I’m hearing nothing. Someone please tell me we’ll buy before the window shuts. We’ve been fortunate to have our injuries at places where we have some reserves. But if a center back goes down, and Senderos is shipped out, then we have nothing. Same goes for Song or Denilson going down at this point. And over the full season, one of those things WILL happen. Ugh. Are we so dumb?
Sorry to get off the Man Utd topic, but I didn’t know where else to post my thoughts. Hopefully we’ll get a result this weekend. I think I’d take a draw if it were offered to me right now. But we’re definitely scoring goals at the moment, so they’ll have to put one or two past us to get something from it.
Posted from
United States -
I agree with you homey we need to buy, but I dont think we are going signing anyone. I am always reading about rumors that we are interseted in Van Der Vaart along with liverpool, but to which extent are these rumors true.
anyway I am very excited and very optimistic ahead of our clash with united, I am feeling a win. Hopefully it is a win!
Posted from
United States -
Eduardo instead of Bendtner please.
Posted from
United States -
Re: transfers. I agree we should buy, not that I think we need someone right now, or change anyone, but injuries are always there, and maybe mostly for us because of not having enough subs. We should definitely add a HMF, again repeating myself but since Homey brought the subject I wanted to add my feeling too.
Re: ManU. they are tough, they are dirty, they play well, they will be at home. Van Der Saar out should be good news, but this team never stops battling until the referee finishes the game. The really good news is that Cristiano (I dont use the name Ronaldo because of the other, talented human being born in Brazil, and this one just took advantage of a name) aka cry baby when games dont go his way/ aka diver/ wont be there, because even if I hate him, the man is a great, superbe player.
I dont dare to predict a win, but we have a guy who dares and does, I bet for Arshavin.Posted from
Panama -
I think that Wenger will buy someone.I am not sure if it will be a real improvment or a back up.Just remember the Arshavin transfer.There are always the same names Matuidi, Van Der Vaart, Veloso, Inler, Kalou and some unrealistic like Dzsudzsák, Afellay, Gary Cahill, DeRossi but I really think that we WILL BUY someone until the 1st September.At least one player(a CB or DM).
I am also very optimistic and confident ahead of the ManUtd match.Players like Denilson,Song,Diaby or Bendtner really improved this season a lot and Vermaelen looks like a huge improvment for the defence.I also feel a win Gooner and it will be a win.My prediction is 2:0 with RvP and Diaby scoring the goals.
MoMONEY:
Here you go:
Almunia
Sagna-Gallas-Vermaelen-Clichy
Denilson-Song-Diaby
Eduardo-van Persie-ArshavinPosted from
United States -
The Eduardo thing is really annoying.If they really suspend him then Cristiano or Drogba should be sentence to life imprisonment or death by hanging.There is no doubt that that was a dive but why didnt Uefa take action by all the other dives.This is ridicuolous.When players like Cristina,Gerrard,Drogba,Robinho do it noone is complaining but when an Arsenal player do it then everyone is against him.UEFA is shit.
Sorry for the off topic,Martin.
Posted from
United States -
TW14, I feel the exact same way. I think we all do. Why were there no major calls for suspensions before?
Posted from
United States -
There were no major calls before because those dives didn’t cost a Scottish team money. I love Wegner’s quotes in this article: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/soccer/wires/08/28/2080.ap.soc.uefa.eduardo.charged.4th.ld.writethru.0590/index.html
“They’ve opened the door to every single decision made by a referee can (from) now on be challenged. They’ve opened a very dangerous door there.” So true.
Posted from
United States -
I know Homey that all Arsenal fans feel the same way.It is not that we are against the suspention of divers.It is a great idea.But why start with a player who probably dived the first time in his life,who just recovered from a horible injury and has enough problems to find his old form and get to normal football life even without all this pressure from the press.He just started to be the old Dudu and now once again all this is happening to him.He really didnt deserved all this and I really hope that he can handle with the pressure and score at least one goal against ManUtd.
Posted from
United States -
while I was reading news about arsenal, I came to this anyone know anything about it?
hopefully its not true!!!!!!!!!
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2612777/Its-Arsh-but-fair-for-big-Andrey.html
Posted from
United States -
Well I’m feeling pretty good at the half. We haven’t played our best yet either. And it definitely should have been a penalty for us right before the Arhsavin wondergoal. Oh well.
And another thing… I know they said at the start that Eboue is on the field, but I haven’t seen him once. Can anyone confirm he’s playing? I’m not sure who we’ll put on if we keep the lead. Not much need for the attacking players. Maybe Bendtner could come on for Eboue at some point – or Diaby.Posted from
United States -
half time – and I think everyone is glad Arshavin fired that one in – otherwise the penalty issues would have reared their head again.
Hopefully Giggs stays on, he’s been terrible and wasted a few dangerous chances.Posted from
United States -
f**kin Diaby
Posted from
United States -
What a freaking game. Loss or not, that was one of the best games I’ve ever seen, and Arsenal can take away a ton of positives from it. In fact, I think we might’ve upped our odds in the title race with this performance.
Posted from
United States -
In defense of Almunia and Diaby.
Almunia didn’t have a whole lot to do this game, but everything he did looked strong. Aggressive. He even made a wonderful save in the second half. The commentators were talking up Gallas the whole game, deservedly, but I think he and Almunia had this chemistry together whenever United challenged that was so fiery. A personal war with the ball, I thought. I think it wasn’t needless whatsoever that he came off his line in that moment when he conceded the penalty, he just made a critical mistake that, well, a lot of keepers make. Had Foster not saved that Van Persie chance with his foot, Almunia would’ve been clearly the better keeper. In fact, I think he is clearly a better keeper.
As for Diaby, I thought he looked like one of the strongest players on the field, period. He holds the ball too damn long, he always has. But today this felt like a much weaker criticism, because he manned his way through so many defenders as if they were rag dolls. His strength on the ball just blew me away in this match. Not only that, but there are those moments when you’re screaming at the television looking for a certain pass, and I felt Diaby frequently did the right thing with the ball. Much more than he used to. And how many defenders did he just dribble past around the box? He was tremendous start to finish, even after the own goal, which of course cuts his score in half and is of course unforgiveable. I could hardly ask for a better recovery.
So what will cost us the title? There were so many pluses about this game, I was blown away by Arsenal, I thought they played fantastic and really, really deserved the draw. Three very bad things, though. First, we are definitively a first half–of the game and of the season–team. We looked to be a fantastic defense for a long time, the pressing was so energetic and just plain tough in a way that wasn’t visible at all last season. But we ran out of gas, we couldn’t keep it up the whole ninety minutes. We won’t be able to keep it up for the whole season unless our tactics do a little bit of tuning up. Second, lack of sharpness. I’m not talking about the incisive balls that are missed by a half step or the balls that are touched too heavy on the receiving end, I’m talking about the play further back-field. Passes to Song, Sagna, Clichy, Diaby, or Denilson…or from them…that miss or aren’t controlled as sharply as they should be with no pressure. No good at all. It was a psychology that led to mistakes upfield, and, of course, things like own goals. It’s an old habit of our young, young team that’s getting less and less forgiveable. Finally, many players held the ball for too damn long. See especially Song, Eboue, to some extent Arshavin (yes, Arshavin) and Diaby, but this last one, as mentioned, made up for it by refusing to turn it into a turnover (guess he’s had practice holding the ball too long).
But look what we did. We GIFTED Man United a win in their own home. We dominated the game until we self-destructed, and even after we experienced the lethal combination of very, very tired legs and shot-in-the-heart confidence, we played very well and…dare I say it?…looked like the home team. We did it all without Fabregas! Our defense looked excellent, which was once an appalling idea. Individually, each one of our players showed off oustanding skill and everyone had a breathtaking moment on the ball or two. Even Eboue. Even Diaby.
What else to improve. I think we need a real formation. The forwards just don’t have a voice. The defending looks fantastic because we really look like a 4-6-0, everyone’s dropping back. But we need to do it more efficiently, or we’re just going to run ourselves to death, as we did today. The quietest players were our forwards, and that’s got to change. Arshavin got his second goal today, but the only other goal scored by a forward was a PK from a dive (Eduardo, of course). Van Persie has yet to get off the mark, which is particularly worrying. The midfielders look like they’re having a field day week-in-week-out, but it’s not sustainable. Something’s got to change. But with that said, we are only a few mental mistakes away from being a title contender.
I’m starting to believe.
My apologies for the length…this was an incredible game.
Posted from
United States -
great game my friends, great performsnces and two unlucky goals, i finally had it right , my bet was for the russian, and man he delivered!
finally fox decided to broadcast, maybe because it was a big clash,
on the other hand i will stick to my superstitious not watching the game…Posted from
United States
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