EPL: Man United vs Man City - Dec 9
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GRAHAM POLL REF!!!
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Originally posted by Pitot:GRAHAM POLL REF!!!
oh really 
hope he award man u pk even if it is not a blatant pk
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ROONEY!!!!
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SAHA
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So now... how many goals are we guessing in this game?
I say this match will have 4 goals.. 4-0 or 3-1. -
are you watching this mourinho?
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Kick ass play by Man U.. Kudos by City fighting for the ball.. But sorry Man U is playing flowing football right now..
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Saha was greedy or 3-0 laio!!
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Mourinho eat that and go back to hospital.. Headache my ass u pansy..Originally posted by 4getmenot:are you watching this mourinho? -
Dun so bad la, be a good sportsman haha!!Originally posted by Gackt247:Mourinho eat that and go back to hospital.. Headache my ass u pansy.. -
city are a lousy team with a half past six manager.
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Tit for tat.. i give some tat for his tit..Originally posted by sand king:Dun so bad la, be a good sportsman haha!!
Ok i'm talking nonsense.. -
I love the way their playing currently!
More goals man, more goals!
But I think that cross by Ronaldo for the first goal was such a BEAUTY! -
2-1...
KNCCB... -
3-1!!!
I help you, you help me!
Rooney crosses for RONALDO and scores! -
4 liaoOriginally posted by Gackt247:So now... how many goals are we guessing in this game?
I say this match will have 4 goals.. 4-0 or 3-1. -
MANCHESTER UNITED 3
Rooney (6), Saha (45), Ronaldo (84)
MANCHESTER CITY 1
Trabelsi (72)
Report: Man United 3 Man City 1
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated his Player of the Month award with a killer assist for Wayne Rooney and a crucial third goal as United went nine points clear at the top of the Premiership.
Ronaldo had barely handed back his Barclays trophy when he won the first free-kick, just ten seconds into this lunchtime contest. His assailant wasnÂ’t Ben Thatcher, too slow out of the traps as Cristiano skipped past him; instead it was Joey Barton who steamed in to send the Reds winger flying over the South Stand touchline.
UnitedÂ’s first corner caused some alarm in the City rearguard as Carrick rose to glance a header wide from GiggsÂ’ curling setpiece. Another cross from the right set up Wayne Rooney for a fantastic first goal in the 5th minute.
Ronaldo took the ball down on his chest, strode defiantly towards the baying away support and whipped the yellow sphere into the box with his right foot. The low centre beat not one but two miskicking centre-halves – the apparently solid duo of Distin and Dunne – and landed perfectly for Rooney to gleefully grab the opener.
With the Blues reeling, the Reds almost bagged an immediate follow-up as Saha threaded a pass through to Rooney. But as Wayne bore down on goal and prepared to pull the trigger, City skipper Dunne dropped to his knees and somehow smuggled the ball away from danger. It was a fortunate escape for a frantic defence.
The only surprise about UnitedÂ’s bright start was the first goal preceding the inevitable first booking for Thatcher on Ronaldo. It took the Wales full-back 15 minutes to get himself in bother for a bodycheck on the RedsÂ’ number seven.
CityÂ’s other full-back, Micah Richards, lived up to his growing reputation when he came close to scoring a shock equaliser. A high ball dropped beyond the battling Vidic and Samaras on the edge of the box and the advancing Richards, under challenge from his fellow England defender Ferdinand, headed it beyond the far post.
US international Claudio Reyna earned City’s second yellow card – for dissent – before this lively game moved up another gear to bring both goalkeepers into service. First, the rejuvenated Nicky Weaver – playing in only his second derby – beat away a fierce shot from Rooney. Then van der Sar did well to prevent City’s counter-attack spoiling the party, the Dutchman saving from Samaras after Corradi knocked down Dunne’s chip.
Samaras had another chance to beat van der Sar when the goalkeeper stretched to push away BartonÂ’s deep cross from the right. But the Greek striker took too long to turn into a shooting position, long enough to allow Ferdinand to cover and block.
Ronaldo was much quicker on the draw when he was fed by Scholes but his left-foot shot was saved by Weaver. Saha later had time and space to produce a better effort than the one which flew high and wide into the East Stand.
The Stretford End held its breath when CityÂ’s last corner of the half, from Barton on the left, found the head of Richards and the right-back sent a powerful header towards goal. The hapless Samaras got in the way but controlled the ball and spun to fire wide.
Saha made amends for his miss just before the break when he dashed into the six-yard box to beat Weaver and Dunne to Heinze’s driven low cross and stabbed the ball in off the crossbar. Like Vidic’s equaliser against Benfica, Saha’s strike against City was perfectly timed – forcing the opposition manager to tear out his hair and tear up his script for the interval team-talk.
Stuart Pearce also had to change his team-sheet, bringing on Andreas Isaksson for Weaver – presumably injured as Saha scored – and Stephen Ireland for Reyna. Both of City’s subs had important touches of the ball in the opening minutes of the secondhalf. The goalkeeper smothered a low shot at one end and Ireland forced another save at the other with a left-foot strike that van der Sar parried.
Isaksson's next two saves were more difficult - finger-tipping Giggs' far-post rocket over the top and before that diving smartly to block Rooney's drive after Scholes weaved his way through the City pack. Sadly, Saha skied the rebound goalwards.
Graham Poll booked two more players before the hour was up - Rooney for a foul of frustration on former Everton team-mate Dunne and Corradi for using an elbow in aerial combat with Vidic.
Rooney continued his battle with the City goalkeeper but the Swede was twice successful in the space of a few minutes, diving to his left to deal with a mid-range shot and then producing the save of the match, month and maybe the season when he parried a point-blank volley from Giggs' left-wing cross.
Isaksson's acrobatics were crowned by Trabelsi's brilliant goal in the 73rd minute. City could have been three, four or more goals down but now they were just 2-1 behind after the Tunisian midfielder's rising strike beat van der Sar in the top right-hand corner and bounced in off the crossbar.
United had by now withdrawn one striker - O'Shea replacing Saha - but City kept their attackers on, sensing they might just snatch an equaliser. They had little choice - Richards' hip injury forced Pearce to make his third change at the back with Nedum Onuoha coming on.
Van der Sar had one or two rocky moments as the game entered its final ten minutes. Gary Neville cleared the lines on a couple of occasions but nothing settles the nerves like a two-goal cushion. Ronaldo provided it, tucking the ball home from close range after Dunne failed to clear another cross, from the ever-dangerous Rooney.
It was a brilliant end to one of the best derbies at Old Trafford for several years - in our biased view, of course.
http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={B4CEE8FA-9A47-47BC-B069-3F7A2F35DB70}&newsid=385380&page=1 -
Aiyah.. Can see there's a difference in play.. Why ah? Basket.. That's why Trabelsi managed to score.. It was nevertheless a left legged beauty but it was ultimately caused by the change in Man U play... The moment they took off a striker and played such formation with a lone striker, the attacking options are limited and as a result, when they can't attack, the opponents are less distracted and can organise their attack properly.. City was excellent down the right flank.. Giggs, with his current form, shouldn't be in the first team. Can play as sub but not first team.. His passing and runs with the ball are very off.. Currently, the strikers, Saha and Rooney, are lacking something but I can't just pinpoint it.. Its not perfect yet cos most of the time, Man U's play is cut short because of their wrong passes or touches.. Hmm.. Nevertheless, good play by Man U.. Red Devils roaaaaaaarrr!!!!!!!!
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yes i agree that once SAF took off saha and placed oshea, man city was able to come back more offensively. however i think with regards to Giggs, he played pretty well today making lovely crosses and passes, paul scholes was kinda more of having a 'day off' with ocassional miss passes and giving the balls away. Kudos to Ronaldo as usual for making the fool outta man city defence xD just love it when he 'suan' those defenders with his tricks.. lol..Originally posted by dinky1409:Aiyah.. Can see there's a difference in play.. Why ah? Basket.. That's why Trabelsi managed to score.. It was nevertheless a left legged beauty but it was ultimately caused by the change in Man U play... The moment they took off a striker and played such formation with a lone striker, the attacking options are limited and as a result, when they can't attack, the opponents are less distracted and can organise their attack properly.. City was excellent down the right flank.. Giggs, with his current form, shouldn't be in the first team. Can play as sub but not first team.. His passing and runs with the ball are very off.. Currently, the strikers, Saha and Rooney, are lacking something but I can't just pinpoint it.. Its not perfect yet cos most of the time, Man U's play is cut short because of their wrong passes or touches.. Hmm.. Nevertheless, good play by Man U.. Red Devils roaaaaaaarrr!!!!!!!!
i'll rate everyone as 7.5 except for
Giggs 8
Ronaldo 8
Rooney 8
VDS 8 (he made some nice saves when needed)
heinz 8 (solid anddependable as usual)
Rio + Vidic + Gary 8 , solid as usual
Oshea 7 , didn;t see much action from him since he was covering our own half tactically..
Carrick 8 (a little quiet, but he held the ball well and made nice touches and passes when needed to, held up the central midfield pretty well, if owen were to come and partner him, it would be perfect!!) -
United win Manchester derby to go nine points clear
LONDON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Manchester United surged nine points clear at the top of the Premier League with an anxious 3-1 derby victory over Manchester City on Saturday.
City had not won a league game at Old Trafford since 1974 and their hopes of ending that depressing sequence were dashed as Wayne Rooney and Louis Saha struck before halftime.
Hatem Trabelsi pulled a goal back for City after 72 minutes but Cristiano Ronaldo eased United's jitters when he tucked in the third with six minutes remaining. City then had Bernardo Corradi sent off in stoppage time when he was shown a second yellow card for diving.
United, unbeaten in the league since losing at home to Arsenal in September, have 44 points from 17 games with champions Chelsea, who play Arsenal on Sunday, back on 35 points from 15 games.
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why was saha taken off?
was he injured?
after saha was taken off, man city keep attack and attacl, luckily didnt score, i feel its a negative move if saha is not injured -
its not the best performance frm the reds tonight...but they still won it quite easily...that means we will see the better of them some time later...many passes r quite sloppy..giggs quite off form.Saha's 1st touch as usual was excellent...rooney still as hungry as ever...scholes dictating the play with his wide range of passes...but he should shoot more these days...more goals frm this man plz!..carrick was quite non-exsistant in actual fact...but did helped put well with the defence...defence played well except for the lucky goal by manC..vandersar dived the right way but the ball was too hard to be saved..
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Van Der Sar : 7.5
Gary Neville : 7.5
Ferdinand : 8
Vidic : 9
Heinze : 7.5
Giggs : 6.5
Carrick : 7.5
Scholes : 8
Ronaldo : 8
Rooney : 7
Saha : 7
O'Shea : 7 -
Scholes & Carrick's passing was really very good in this match. Very accurate, their long pass to another player on the other side of the field were excellent.
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Van Der Sar : 7.5
Gary Neville : 7.5
Ferdinand : 8
Vidic : 9
Heinze : 7.5
Giggs : 67
Carrick : 7.5
Scholes : 8
Ronaldo : 8
Rooney : 7.5
Saha : 7(should not have missed that chance to goal after half-time)
O'Shea : 6.5(really can't see him anywhere)