April 14, 2011

Still challenging upfront for 3 trophies

I used to love to write on anything for my favourite football club and it has been long since I actually wrote something about them.

Ever since I fulfilled like half of my dream to visit Old Trafford, half more because I so badly wanted to watch a match at Old Trafford, that part hasn’t been fulfilled JUST YET, because the last time I went there it was during the off season.

It’s more than 10 years now ever since I started supporting Manchester United, (dunno why I picked up this club at first) but I got to say perhaps David Beckham was the reason behind me supporting Man United, but like people say, the rest is HISTORY. So here I am supporting one of the biggest football club in the WORLD.

Last 10 years or so, Man United has been winning trophies in and out. Last Season we lost out to Chelsea in the Premier League by a mere 1 point. That was hard for me to swallow despite some comeback United have done like the one against Manchester City where Paul Scholes scored within seconds before the end of the extra time. That was really amazing. And I remembered I was jumping mad when Scholes pop that goal inside City’s net that very day.

But at the end of it, It’s the effort of whole season that count and THAT season CHELSEA were just MAGNIFICIENT, they looked unbeatable and prove their worth and landed their THIRD premier league title in the last 6 years.

The came August 2010 where the Barclay’s Premier League Season for 2010/2011 started, Chelsea took off from how they ended last season brilliantly when they were wining each game with MANY goals.

After that came that moment of bleak or blackness for Chelsea during the month of November and December when they only won 2 out of 9 matches in the space of 2 months.

United on the other hand wasn’t playing their best away from home either, having only won ONCE and drawn 7. That is one of their worst away record but luckily enough HOME form lifted United and there were top of league from then on.

United and Chelsea were supposed to meet during the 1st week of December but because of the frozen pitch no thanks to the heavy snowfall in England, the match due in Stamford Bridge was postponed till March.

March came and United were leading the match 1st half courtesy of Wayne Rooney goal but late fight back saw Chelsea winning the Match 2-1. That weekend, United fall to their 3rd defeat of the season this time, to their arch rival, Liverpool by 3 goal to 1- courtesy of late tap in by Javier Hernandez( this guy was a brilliant brilliant buy by Man United which cost united 7 million pound and in his debut season making a strong impact to the team).

By this time, United were still challenging for 3 trophies they are in, Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.

After 2 back to back defeat, it was the 5th Round FA Cup tie with Arsenal that tested United next. Strategist of All-Time, Sir Alex Ferguson, send out a team he knows who can beat the Arsenal side, and 2 goals from Fabio and Wayne Rooney seal the place in the semis and set up a Manchester derby with City at Wembley this Saturday Evening (Malaysia time Sunday Midnight , 12.10am).

Done with FA Cup, United was next tested on the Champions League Last 16 2nd Leg at Old Trafford. After a goalless draw at Marseille in February, United need to get that job done at home.

That start list excluded Rio Ferdinand and worst still without Nemanja Vidic. With United 2 strongest defender not starting, it looked bleaked for United but Sir Alex had a different idea and navigate United through to the Quarter Final with 2-1 win against Marseille, and that 2 goals came from none other than that Little Pea @Chicharito or known as Javier Hernandez.

Then came the Champions League draw and United was drawn to face English side Chelsea, a side United find hard to beat for the last couple of years.

But it was back to Premier League action first and this time United were up against a spirited Bolton side. 2 minutes before the end, United managed to find the net courtesy of the leading premier league goalscorer Dimitar Berbatov. United finally won 1-0.

It was then time for a 2 week international break and the time had come handy for United side for was down with players out injured to recover from their respective injuries.

2 Week Break indeed was good enough for United who recovered most of their injured players, but starting the April fixtures wasn’t what they wanted.

A tough West Ham United side who was facing relegation battle worked hard and was leading 2-0 at halftime courtesy of 2 penalty scored by Mark Noble, but United wasn’t going to give up a game like that with only JUST 7 matches left to play for the season.

Wayne Rooney started his wonderful free kick on the 65th minute followed by 2 more goals to seal his hattrick but the manner he celebrated his 3rd goal when he scored from the Penalty earn him a 2 match banned. Hernandez later confirmed United win against West Ham at Upton Park with the 4th goal for United to win the match 4-2.

With United Camp on high after a spirited fightback at Upton Park, they travelled to Stamford Bridge hoping to break the curse of having not won there for the last 9 years.

And Rooney again proves that he his back to his best when he scored the only GOAL to seal United 1-0 win against Chelsea on the 1st leg.

Rooney started his 2 match banned and did not play against Fulham last weekend. Ferguson opted to start with Berbatov upfront and that paid off as he scores on the 12th minute and Valencia coming back from his long injury scored 20 minutes later to seal united 2-0 win.

Then came the midweek 2nd Leg Q-final tie against Chelsea at Old Trafford to booked a spot in the Champions League semis. United was all fired up for the match knowing that a win would bring them to their 4th semis appearance in 5 years.

And They did it in what I should say in one of their best performance this season. Praised has to go out to the 37 years old Ryan Giggs, 3 assist to set up all 3 United goals in the 2 Quarter Final tie.

Marvelous performance by a person of his age and not to forget Van Der Sar, Ferdinand, Vidic, Hernandez, Rooney and those who started the match for United. The 2-1 win (goals from Hernandez and Park Ji-Sung )sealed a place in the semis and set up a clash with German Club, Schalke 04 who did brilliantly to outclassed defending champion, Inter Milan in the 2 leg Q-Final tie.

So with 6 matches left to play in the Premier League, Semi Final FA Cup tie with Manchester City this Saturday at Wembley and a 2 legged semis to be played this 27th April and 5th May, Will the treble of 1998/1999 be a reality again? OR perhaps a double trophy to Old Trafford this season or will United ended up with ONLY one TROPHY?

We will all find out soon, but to the Manchester United Squad of 2010/2011, All The Best and You guys did a good job so far!!!

P/S : Still I am plotting/planning a trip to Manchester again soon, and perhaps this time around I will be able to catch a match at Old Trafford! :)

Glory Glory Man United,
Glory Glory, Man United,
Glory Glory Man United,
and The Reds goes Marching on, on, on!

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