Post by Scott on Nov 30, 2007 22:00:32 GMT
Welcome to our newly named forum paper
Another month has flown by and it has seen a mixed bag of results for the reds. After equalling an 100 year old record of four goals a game for four consecutive matches, and securing our place in the next round of Europe following our mauling of Dynamo Kiev, United suffered a disappointing draw at the hands of Arsenal. Whilst we would have happily taken a point before the match, conceding in injury time, again, left a sour taste in our mouths (and Nathan will discuss this in this month’s issue). This was followed by a 2-0 win against Blackburn, thanks to two goals from Ronaldo in less than two minutes, and an extremely disappointing result against Bolton last weekend. We have ended the month on a high though, with Ronaldo scoring a stunning injury time free kick, which has confirmed our top spot in the group, with a perfect record in Europe, allowing our Reserve/fringe players to see out the meaningless Roma match days before the dipper’s game.
Our shop, MancuniaMerchandise.com, has added a few designs, all, as usual, at good prices.
It is also time to announce some exciting news ;D The RoM awards are back! The awards were a great success last year and we hope for them to be even bigger and better this year. The categories are as follows: Funniest Member, Most Helpful, Most Popular, Most Rowdy, Best Signature, Best Avatar, Best Newcomer, Most Positive, Most Realistic, Most Improved, Most Active and Most Football Knowledge.
To submit you votes, simply PM us at RepublikOfMancuniaAwards. The closing day for submissions is December 26th, and the ceremony will take place on December 29th. I imagine we’ll all be having a night in and saving ourselves for the New Year’s Eve parties the following day, so most people should be able to get some time online. I really do encourage as many people as possible to take a couple of minutes to send us their vote so that the winners can be as accurate as possible.
Now let us begin:
Member of the Month
The issue of member of the month has been a much debated issue over the past few weeks, which is rather disappointing. Each month the staff members get together and decide who they believe has contributed positively, and at times, take in to consideration their previous contributions on the forum. The winner is not always going to be someone who everyone wholeheartedly agrees with, but staff do the best they can to pick a worthy winner. The winner is of course judged on their activity, but most importantly, the quality of their posts. As of next month, previous winners are able to reclaim their title. This month’s winner is someone who has been with the forum for eighteen months now, and has contributed significantly with quality posts in that time.. So join me in congratulating Tomo as November’s Member of the Month.
Interview
Time for the member interview. Ben/Vidic>Superman’s has kindly offered to give us an insight in to his World.
Real name: Ben Harvey Sporle
Where are you from: Born in Norwich where most of my Dad's family live. I live about an hour away in Rumburgh which is pretty crap but I have a nice garden for playing football so I don't mind too much.
Who is your biggest inspiration : Colin McRae, he's been my hero for as long as I can really remember. I still can't believe he's gone. Rest in peace big man.
What would you like to be better at: If I didn't say football I’d be lying. So football. I wish i'd got into football earlier in my life so I could have started football training earlier than I did, when I joined my local team all the players there had been training there since they were like five years old and I joined when I was twelve so I never really had a chance. Shame really but they were all twats anyway.
If you could ask anyone, living or dead, a question, who and what would it be? Without doubt it’d be Colin McRae. After giving much though to this I am still no closer as to what I would ask him. One question just wouldn't be enough.
What is your all time favourite film? Team America without doubt, love that film, seen it so many times, never gets old.
"Derka derka, haka sherpa sherpa"
If you won the lottery, how would you spend it? I'd buy Ludovic Giuly. Donate some money to some charities, buy myself a nice house and a nice car and buy a season ticket. Treat some of my friends for being amazing people.
One job in the world, what would it be? Anything at United or something in football would be amazing. Something with good money preferably.
What’s your biggest ambition in life? To achieve everything I want to achieve and to do everything I want to do.
What’s your greatest ever achievement? Come back to me on that.
What’s your biggest regret? Not telling this girl that I liked her when I had the perfect opportunity to. I do looking back now think that things turned out for the best as the girl is now a complete bitch to put it lightly but I can't help but wonder what would have happened. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason though.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? Hopefully living in Manchester with a nicely payed job not quite sure what job yet though. Hopefully i'll be living in a nice flat, living with some of my mates from school and other places. I'd like to have a nice car etc. I know that is a bit cliché but I know that is what I want.
Who do you hate most: City/Liverpool/Leeds/Arsenal/Other Liverpool. No contest. I don't really know why, don't think I ever will. I just hate everything about them, their players especially Steven Gerrard, their fans (most of them). I was encouraged into supporting a football team by my best mate who incidentally is a Liverpool fan. I do hate the other teams, Citeh, Chelsea,Arsenal, Leeds but not on the same level as I do Liverpool. United 9 - 0 YSB [ed. I think the dippers would have less favourable stats to show us where that is concerned, unfortunately!]
How did you celebrate us winning the title? Well that was very difficult really me not being old enough to drive, or drink. (Don't drink and drive btw) so that meant I couldn't really go anywhere. None of my family are in the slight interested in football or United so I couldn't celebrate the title success with them so I guess I just celebrated it by just boasting to my friends about it. They got quite sick of it in the end.
Which new signing are you most excited about? It's a close call between Anderson and Nani. Tevez wasn't really an option for me as i'd seen him play last season so I knew what he capable of and what he could become before he signed for us. I can't decide between Anderson or Nani as I think they can both go on to become legends for us and I can't wait to seem them play for us in the next few years.
Whats the best game you've ever been too? Well as I live so far away from Manchester and my whole family hates football I haven't been able to get to a United game. I will get to a game as soon as possible though, hoping Norwich invite United to a friendly at Carrow Road, that'd be nice. ;D I have been to a few games down at Carrow Road. My favourite would have to be the England U21's V Slovakia U21's which England won 5-0. I only hope the players that played for England that night can go on and do that for the senior team in the next few years, if they can I can assure you there is nothing to worry about.
Who's your favourite member on the forum? That isn't really a fair question, I can't pick one so i'm going to pick a few.
Chris (DRD): This dude is like a brother to me. A really great guy really awesome to talk to, he has a kick ass taste in music (mostly) and has introduced me to some amazing bands. Ian (Keano16) can talk to this guy about anything and everything, never run out of things to say when talking to Ian. His taste in women is abit off though. Sil well, just another really great person, amazing to talk to, such a kind and genuine person a rarity these days, if there were more people like her the world would be a better place, how someone can be so nice and so helpful to someone they have never actually met in person is beyond me. Last but by no means least Scott, without him many of us would have never met and I for one would be a very different person, here's to you Scott. Cheers buddy. #cheers#
Anything else you want to tell us? Yes, just that I will be temporarily leaving the forum at some point after the new year so I can focus on my GCSE exams. I won't be deleting my account and will try to get on from time to time but I won't be on as regularly as I have been. Once i've finished my exams i'll be back full time though so don't worry too much. I didn’t want to make big fuss about it at the time so I thought now was the perfect chance to just mention it without making a big deal.
Thanks for Scott for letting me do this. #thumb# [ed. Sad temporary loss for the forum, but we look forward to your return, and reading your posts of top marks on your exams!]
Match of the Month
Nathan is very open to offer up his dislike of the Gooners, so it seems only right that he was given the chance to give us his thoughts on our Match of the Month, in which he picked United’s 2-2 draw at the Emirates. Read on for Supatrice’s write up.
The rivalry between Man utd and Arsenal dates back to the late Forties and through the Fifties, with Tom Whittaker and United's Matt Busby stalking each other so closely that no matter where one finished in the old First Division, the other would be within two or three places.
When United turned up at Highbury on the penultimate weekend of the season in April 1955, they were side by side as usual, though out of contention for the title which Chelsea were in the process of winning for the only time before Jose Mourinho arrived half a century later. Arsenal were sixth that day, United seventh. United's win, inspired by Jackie Blanchflower, helped them to a fifth-place finish, while Arsenal withered away to ninth.
United had pipped Arsenal to the title three years before, beating their only challengers 6-1 on the final day – Arsenal making amends the following year.
The following is from an Arsenal program from game in 1955 "The introduction of one youngster after another achieved the desired object and at one period the team (Utd) contained no less than eight players of 21 years of age or under. They have done extremely well and have all the earmarks of another great United team."
They were talking about the as-yet unlabelled Busby Babes who defeated Arsenal to go on to win the next two First Division titles. You would be hard pressed to find such kind words about Utd in one of todays Arsenal programs.
The Rivalry became heated in the 1990 - 1991 season in a match that ended with a 21 player brawl with both teams having points deducted. If you watch the footage you will see a slightly miffed Brian McClair chasing a scared shitless Anders Limpar around the pitch. McClair's Arsenal hatred allegedly stemmed from a cup match a few years prior where McClair missed a last minute penalty resulting in Winterburn taunting him after the match. Sound familiar?
Fast forward 7 years and the Wenger Ferguson rivalry begins almost immediately following Arsene Wenger's introduction to the Premier League. Arsene Wenger had made a quiet entrance to English football, but he first invoked the wrath of Fergie by disagreeing with the United manager's request to have the hectic Premiership season extended: "It's wrong the programme is extended so Man Utd can rest and win everything," the Frenchman said.
Needless to say, Fergie wasn't impressed by Wenger's attitude, especially so early in his career in England, and he wasn't shy about warning the newcomer who was the king of the Premiership castle: "He's a novice and should keep his opinions to Japanese football."
Consider that war declared...
As it became clear in the seasons following that both teams were the dominant force in English football the hostilities between the two managers transcended in a big way on the pitch.
An ape like Martin Keown leading a pack of wild Gunners taunting Ruud van Nistelrooy after he missed a penalty.
Utd ending a 49 game unbeaten run resulting in a petulant Arsenal throwing food at Utd players and staff.
And the infamous Keane and Vieira clash in the tunnel.
Through all of this though there has been some brilliant football matches, some wonderful moments for Manchester United fans, Ryan Giggs scoring arguably the greatest goal of all time to knock Arsenal out of the semi final of the FA Cup. And some heartbreaking, having to watch Utd players give everything and more as Arsenal steal the Fa Cup on penalties with the most loyal of Utd players missing a penalty, I felt for Scholes that day and for the team.
What would this fixture bring, heartbreak or jubilation?
Much had been made in the press about Man Utd and Arsenal being the most exciting teams in the Premiership and with a world wide audience of one billion the stage was set.
Hleb started things it off with a cheeky run from the kick off causing a nervous Utd to concede a foul outside the area but it leads to nothing.
Arsenal usually start the better team taking Utd 20 minutes or so to get settled into the game and it was no different here, with Arsenal looking the better team knocking the ball around well and Utd looking nervous and failing to get any cohesion in their passing.
Few matches could have borne the weight of expectation with which this one was lumbered, and by half-time it was buckling under the burden. Then there was the twist of a Manchester United goal just before half time. Wes Brown standing strong to shrug off the Arsenal challenge with real purpose, then releasing Ronaldo who combined with Rooney to score the first goal. It was first blood to Utd right at the end of half time and the gauntlet had been thrown down to Arsenal.
Fergie must have said to his players at half time to "keep it tight for the first 10 or 15 minutes", so then he would have been fuming when Utd conceded right at the start of the second half. Cesc Fabragas who had a quiet game thanks to the hard work of Anderson and Hargreaves was there to finish off a scrappy piece of play.
Suddenly the ground was alive again, and so were the home side. Fabregas had a low free-kick saved, Hleb and Tomas Rosicky shot high before being replaced. United still counter-attacked well and Rooney ought to have done better than head Giggs's chip wide
Arsenal poured on the pressure and the Utd defence soaked it up and looked to hit Arsenal on the counter, both teams lacking any real edge in the final third, until the introduction of Louis Saha whose brilliant ball released Patrice Evra, with Almunia performing his headless chicken routine, Ronaldo tucked away the best move of the match and United looked set for a brilliant victory over the Gunners.
How many times have we beaten teams or salvaged a draw in the dying minutes of the game? Gallas' goal and Adeybayore's late winner last season at OT must be karma for that night in the Nou camp.
It ended 2:2 and Arsenal celebrated like they' won the league, it was heartbreak for Utd again as the draw felt like a loss and the fans who had been in great voice all day were left dejected.
Relieved Arsenal supporters were able to serenade their team with "We are top of the League", understandably not bothering to add "though only on goals scored and after playing seven of our 11 games at home".
Let's see where both teams are when Arsenal travel to the Old Trafford on the 12th of April.
Player of the Month
It’s been a while since Adam has graced our pages of the paper, so read on for BusbyBoy’s take on our best player this month.
In what has been a relatively quiet month for United with only four games being played and most of the media attention being on England's failure and Rooney's injury (I'm sure it's not deja vu), one player has stood out again despite looking as if he is playing within himself.
Four games, two victories, one draw and one defeat so far in the month and as I speak United are preparing for a fixture against Sporting Lisbon which we appear to be taking seriously although having already qualified. [ed. and Ronaldo's brilliant injury time freekick only adds strength to the following argument].
Anderson has been impressive this season and this month. Against Arsenal, he and Hargreaves, bossed the midfield, restricting the Gooners and frustrating them and then rewind to possibly United's worst performance of the season thus far against the Wanky Wanderers.
In a game that was tough, a battle and United were losing 1-0 with the referee having lost control of the game - the new boy come in the second half and made a massive impact on United's performance. Picking out passes, breaking up play and being our best player on the day in a game that generally is one most wouldn't expect much out of 'new foreigners' to the Premier League - especially from a player that the papers have just been waiting to fail, waiting for him to prove himself Kleberson Mark II but it hasn't happened and he's settled in well.
Nevertheless, I find it hard to look past the man I've chose for Player of the Month. He's got four goals in three games and we missed him a lot in our defeat at the Reebok - he was just the sort of player we were crying out for.
He scored what we all thought was the winner at the Emirates, he wrapped up a four goal special against Dynamo Kiev with a skilful solo goal in which he dazed the Kiev defender and he got a brace against Sparky's stubborn Rovers side to give us all three points.
You know who I'm talking about, that boy Ronaldo, and I'm sure he'll be on form again tonight against his old club, Sporting Lisbon and I'm banking on him to add to his impressive tally of ten goals already. Including four which make him the European Cup's top scorer this season.
He's not been at his flying best but still has hit ten goals already when at this point he had less than half of that having played more games, I'm sure he'll get better this season and I can't wait.
Take a bow, Cristiano Ronaldo.
---------
I hope you enjoyed the eighteenth edition of the forum paper. Any comments about it please leave in the comments thread on this board
Editor: Scott