Jak
United Bench Warmer
Member of the Month - January 08
Posts: 846
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Post by Jak on Feb 15, 2008 21:38:01 GMT
'Bare bones' Arsenal to face United Reuters | Saturday, 16 February 2008
Injury-plagued Arsenal are down to the 'bare bones' ahead of their FA Cup fifth-round clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford this weekend, manager Arsene Wenger said.
Wenger, who will make a late decision on his starting line-up, said on Friday only 14 players were to travel north for the weekend's outstanding tie.
But he rejected all thoughts of fielding a weakened team to save his senior men for next week's Champions League clash with AC Milan.
"It is a priority (this game) because it is the next game and we want to keep our good run going and we want to try to win the trophy," Wenger told reporters. "I am down to the bare bones of just 14 players so everybody travels.
"It will be a late decision tomorrow morning to see who I may give a breather to. So, tonight I will check the medical people."
Wenger said he was doubtful about the fitness of defenders Gael Clichy and Philippe Senderos, striker Emmanuel Adebayor and midfielder Matthieu Flamini with various "joint and muscle" problems.
Arsenal lead the Premier League by five points and have lost just once in their last 16 outings, a League Cup defeat at Tottenham last month. Arsenal are also unbeaten in their last three meetings against United.
Wenger said he is definitely without midfielder Tomas Rosicky, forwards Theo Walcott, Robin van Persie, midfielders Bacary Sagna and Denilson.
He said Jens Lehmann would continue in goal and that he would select the best available side for the game.
"We have a tricky week with Milan on Wednesday and then Birmingham on Saturday, plus Manchester United and we want to win this game - so I will pick my strongest possible side," he said.
"There are only six Premier League teams left in the competition, so the winner tomorrow has certainly a big chance to win the trophy. It could be a decider for one of these teams to go through to the final."
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mufcjoe
United Bench Warmer
Member of the Month - March 08
Whos that comin over the hill?Is it Nemanja?No, wait its a scouser on my bike!Get here you lil twat!
Posts: 736
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Post by mufcjoe on Feb 15, 2008 22:04:29 GMT
Arsene Wenger < my arse
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Post by kokka78 on Feb 16, 2008 0:13:22 GMT
WILLIAM GALLAS has blasted Alex Ferguson and Manchester United for being ‘too arrogant’.
Arsenal’s skipper believes their over-confidence could leave them potless at the end of the season.
The French defender also claims Cristiano Ronaldo is not hard to play against and hits out at United’s Christmas party antics — an overall attack sure to infuriate Fergie ahead of today’s explosive FA Cup fifth round clash at Old Trafford.
Gallas said: “They are a strong team with lots of experienced players. But, sometimes, they think they’re too good. Too arrogant,yes.
"It can make you complacent. We understand that problem. We know we have to score goals, be strong in defence and kill teams in the first half.
“Our squad can win things. And I know that it will be difficult for Manchester United to win.”
Nor is Gallas bothered about facing Ronaldo.
Party antics Remembering his past clashes with the Portuguese wing wizard, he added: “It was not easy against him but it was not that difficult either.”
Gallas, speaking in GQ magazine’s April issue, is still dismayed by the Christmas party antics of United players.
They barred wives and girlfriends, dozens of other women were at the venue and defender Jonny Evans ended up being questioned by police over an alleged rape.
Gallas said: “It would not happen at Arsenal. We have dinner parties with the wives and girlfriends. It’s hard to understand why they did it.”
Red and White Holdings Ltd have increased their shareholding in Arsenal to 24 per cent.
The investment company, whose chairman is ex-Gunners vice-chairman David Dein, is owned by Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov and London-based investor Farhad Moshiri.
Their stake now is second only to director Daniel Fiszman, who has 24.11 per cent.
Taken from the sun. __________________________________________________________________________________________________
If arrogants means being winners than WE'RE SO FUCKING ARROGANTS!!!!
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klauq
United Youth Teamer
Posts: 115
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Post by klauq on Feb 16, 2008 0:34:13 GMT
WOW. Already 4 pages in this thread!! and it's only Feb 13, the game's on Feb 16! Clearly Biggest Day for us this season here, with the recent slump enhances the importance of this match.
Jak, you asked what SAF was doing in Sputh Africa? well to me he's evading questions about the lost to Citeh. XD
Anyway today's the day, fiunally.
I hope we will start with: VDS
Brown - Vidic - Ferdinand - Evra
CR - Anderson - Hargreaves - Giggs
Rooney - Tevez
but i think SAF will start Scholes instead of Anderson.
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Post by redsoldier on Feb 16, 2008 1:33:26 GMT
HOLY ROFL A FRENCHMAN ACCUSED SOMEONE ELSE OF BEING ARROGANT!!!!!
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Post by tomo on Feb 16, 2008 2:53:37 GMT
I gotta feeling Park will start tommorrow, probably over Giggs.
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mike620
United Bench Warmer
plg%%Carrick%%
Posts: 930
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Post by mike620 on Feb 16, 2008 9:02:45 GMT
It has to be Hargreaves and Anderson imo. They've done very well in the big games this season and work really well together. Rooney being back is a HUGE bonus for us... I hope hes learned his lesson on diving and will never do it again.
This will be a tough game and I dont believe Adebayor will be out... Im going with a tight 1-0 win for us with Rooney getting a well deserved goal
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Post by Stew on Feb 16, 2008 9:17:44 GMT
Anderson has to start. He had the better of Fabergas at the Emirates earlier in the season. Obviously having Rooney back is a huge bonus for us, but I think having Evra back is important too. O'Shea's attempts to get forward to join in attacks last weekend were wretched TBH. I think we'll nick this one 2-1. Utd nearly always bounce back from a poor performance.
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klauq
United Youth Teamer
Posts: 115
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Post by klauq on Feb 16, 2008 10:56:18 GMT
a few hours till the kickoff.. damn.. i am getting excited already. But wonder why i am feeling nervous here.. huh
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Post by tomo on Feb 16, 2008 11:10:48 GMT
I think Carrick should definetly start. He looked good when he came on against Spurs and City, so it's Carrick as one of the two for me.
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Post by kokka78 on Feb 16, 2008 12:34:23 GMT
HOLY ROFL A FRENCHMAN ACCUSED SOMEONE ELSE OF BEING ARROGANT!!!!! Hey but he's Gallas!!! World Champion of silliness lol
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17manutd17
United School Boy
plg%%Ryan Giggs%%
Posts: 3
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Post by 17manutd17 on Feb 16, 2008 13:28:30 GMT
I think we'll get the win, but will be difficult coming off city defeat, but after a defeat we seem to preform good, i think carrick should start as he brings attacking and defence attributes, if we keep fabregas and adebayour quiet(if they start) we'll easily win.
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Post by Scott on Feb 16, 2008 14:06:39 GMT
From TheRepublikOfMancunia.com:
“Don’t pass it to Yorke!” I remember shouting at the television, as Ryan Giggs got increasing close to Arsenal’s box. In hindsight, I’m not sure what I was expecting him to do with the ball, I just didn’t want him to pass it to Dwight Yorke. Not to discredit Yorke, who had a phenomenal season, but he was going through a bit of a goal drought and I just didn’t trust him to find the back of the net at such a crucial moment. Equally, I didn’t expect Ryan Giggs to take on the best defence in England, arguably Europe, and rifle the ball in to the roof of David Seaman’s net. But he did.
The game was full of drama. Beckham opened the scoring after just seventeen minutes, with Teddy Sheringham setting him up to score a fantastic goal from 30 yards out. With 20 minutes remaining, Denis Bergkamp had a go, and thanks to a wicked deflection off Jaap Stam, levelled the score.
Five minutes later, David Ellery took great pleasure in sending off Roy Keane for a second bookable offence after a foolish tackle on Marc Overmars, only before Nicolas Anelka thought he’d scored the winning goal for Arsenal. Fortunately, the linesman correctly spotted Anelka in an offside position and ruled the goal out, after several minutes of ecstatic celebration from the unsuspecting Arsenal players and fans.
Just as it looked as though we were going in to injury time, which was not a mouth watering prospect for United, who’d already been playing with ten men for over 15 minutes, Ray Parlour burst in to the United box. Phil Neville, playing at left back, went to ground and got nowhere near the ball. Blatant penalty. Neville lay on his front, holding his head in his hands, knowing that single handedly he had probably cost United their chance at winning the FA Cup, and therefore the Treble.
Denis Bergkamp stepped up confidently and there seemed no point in watching. I did anyway, waiting to be put out of my misery more than anything else. Bergkamp choked, kicking the ball tamely to Peter Schmeichel’s left, at perfect height, allowing him to palm it away from danger. David Beckham was swatted away as he went to hug the Dane, who was now eager to go out and win this match. Nobody expected Bergkamp to miss and now, all of a sudden, there seemed a real sense that the team with ten men would do the business.
In the second half of extra time, Arsenal were comfortable with position. Patrick Vieira was on the ball inside United’s half, and played a pass across the field. Not a single Arsenal player in sight, Giggs picked up the ball just level with the edge of the centre circle on the left wing. I was just grateful to have the ball, the clock ticking down to penalties and reds trying desperately to think of who our five penalty takers could be. Yorke, Beckham, Scholes, Giggs… Butt? Stam? Schmeichel??
Vieira got back across the field, but Giggs passed him with ease. Next came Dixon, a dip of the shoulder, and he was left for dead. Keown came across, sandwiching Giggs between himself and a recovered Dixon, yet still Giggs kept running, breaking in to the Arsenal box. There he was, running in to a seemingly impossible angle at the corner of the 6-yard box, Tony Adams sliding in, Dwight Yorke behind him, Paul Scholes waiting close to the back post. So naturally, Giggs hit the ball as hard as he could, sending it flying in to the roof of the net, over David Seaman’s fingers, leading to the goal celebration which still melts the hearts of lasses all over Manchester. Swirling his shirt around his head, it is Phil Neville who meets him first, wrapping relieved arms around our Welsh winger, and then joined by the whole team and fans who spilled over from the stands. By the time the goal went in, we’d been playing with ten men for 35 minutes, just three days after going in to extra time with the same team, our players were knackered. It was a moment of magic which seemed to sum up what would become the most magical season in our fine club’s history.
Ryan Giggs and David Beckham were carried off the field by the fans that day, us all knowing we were sharing in something special. Goals like Ryan Giggs’ that evening weren’t scored for nothing.
United face Arsenal in the FA Cup again today, our last meeting in the Cup coming when we were cruelly denied victory at Cardiff in 2005. After battering Arsenal and failing to find the back of the net, we lost the Cup on penalties. Today is the day for redemption. Redemption from that FA Cup Final 05, redemption from the derby day defeat last weekend, from Gallas’ injury time winning goal a few months ago, and from Arsenal doing the double over us last season. Tomorrow is for Ruud van Nistelrooy, for Roy Keane, for Ole Gunnar Solskajer, and for every other United great who has dealt with Arsenal’s venomous players and fans. It is a must win game and Sir Alex Ferguson knows this all too well.
Ahead of the game, Ferguson was quizzed about United, the FA Cup and Arsenal. When asked to pick his favourite FA Cup tie from 1999, where we knocked out Liverpool with goals in the 89th and 90th minute, beat Chelsea after a replay, as well as former rivals Newcastle in the final, Fergie responded, “well what do you think it was?” Of course, there could only be one contender. The FA Cup semi final replay against Arsenal. “I watched it on video three months ago,” Ferguson added. “And it is such a fantastic game. There were penalty kicks, deflected goals, Roy Keane sent off. It was marvellous.”
United need a win today and following a week of depression and disappointment, I’m confident we’ll get it. It was victory that day back in 1999 against Arsenal in the Cup that could take credit for us going on to winning the league. The team with ten men battled it out and won the match and this undoubtedly had negative effects on Wenger and his team. If it takes deflected goals, red cards and injury time penalties to get us the victory, then I’ll take it, for the good of our run in the Cup as well as the league. But for the benefit of my heart, I’m keeping my fingers crossed for an easy 2-0!
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Jo
United Reserve Player
plg%%Rooney, Ronaldo, Beckham, Cantona%%
Posts: 433
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Post by Jo on Feb 16, 2008 14:44:09 GMT
Great read Scott, I'm getting really excited in anticipation now! Nervous, but excited!
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Post by Supatrice> on Feb 16, 2008 15:04:50 GMT
One more like that please Ryan. Make up for that glaring miss on an open goal against le arse.
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