Hi all,
What a difference a week makes.
Last weekend, almost everyone thought that the English Premiership title was headed Manchester United's way, after John O'Shea's late and unexpected winner against Liverpool.
But in the past few days, the worry lines have been making more indentations on the foreheads of Man U fans.
For so long, Man U has enjoyed an injury-free run, while Chelsea have not been so lucky.
Suddenly, Lady Luck - in return for presenting O'Shea his goal - seems to be "punishing" the Red Devils somewhat.
The result is an extending queue in front of Man U's treatment room.
In defence, a back-up option has been lost with Mikael Silvestre, out due to his dislocated shoulder.
In midfield, another back-up option has been lost with Darren Fletcher out for the season with an ankle problem.
Also, Paul Scholes' red card in the Liverpool game means he will miss the next three Premiership games (against Bolton, next Saturday), (against Blackburn, 31 Mar), and (against Portsmouth, 7 Apr).
Up front, Louis Saha has been ruled out for a month with a hamstring injury, or possibly longer, now that Henrik Larsson is confirmed to be returning to Sweden.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is recovering from knee injury.
That leaves Wayne Rooney as the sole striker with real match fitness, since Alan Smith has only made a comeback recently.
The Postman's Question of the Week: Do you seriously believe Man U are in trouble and could slip as a fighting Chelsea smell blood? Tell us how so.
Reply by 3pm on Monday, in not more than 200 words, please (click link right for auto word counter).
Post your views here by clicking on "comments" below my sign-off here, or e-mail to The New Paper's sports desk under the title "Dear Postman" (by clicking the link on the right).
At your service,
Ernest Luis
The Postman
The New Paper
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43 comments:
Hohoho. Has Lady Luck really abandoned Man U after I threatened to strangle her earlier this week?
I still don't really think too much of the recent injuries to Man U. Frankly speaking, they're all only to their back-up players. Now, maybe if you take Ronaldo, Giggs, Van der Sar, Rooney out... Haha, am I becoming a little too evil? But well, you get my point. Barring injuries to these key players, I don't think we'll see them too affected in the remaining games.
Perhaps the loss of Larsson and Scholes would hurt them the most. Larsson in particular, has been an inspiration, and has contributed much in their campaign in all 3 competitions with his experience and intelligent play. Rooney, whose form has been blowing hot and cold lately, will have to really step up in his performances now that Larsson's gone.
Still, I think Chelsea has a tougher set of remaining fixtures compared to Man U's. Potential banana skins for Man U only include the Chelsea game and the Manchester derby. The next 3 matches when they'll miss Scholes are mostly home games which shouldn't pose too much of a problem even with a slightly weakened Man U lineup.
Man U are really in trouble now. The injuries are indeed pilling up and it will only be a matter of time before over-used players(ie Ronaldo, Giggs) legs starts to collapse from beneath them.
They should have strengthen when they had their chance(Its not like nobody wants to join them) but all they got was Carrick and Larsson(on loan till Saturday).
Many will argue that Larsson should stay, but how much more can a 34 yr old take? The only reason why he is playing well is simply because he is more fresh. He can not last anymore than another month of such intense action.
Man U probably hit top gear too early anyway. They use to hit it at about this time of the season. Now its Chelsea's turn. To all Man U fans out there, enjoy it while you can. The end is neigh!
Theatre of Dreams seems to have turned into a nightmare in just a week with the queue in the treatment room extending as long as the numbers of people lining up outside Singapore Pools for the 10 millions Toto.
Injuries to both first team players and fringe players came at the wrong time,and at a times when their football is less than convincing,thats really bad.However Man U can still be counted lucky as the depth of the squad are much better than last season.Just look at the several positions causing problems.With Evra and now Silvestre injured,there is still one able Heinze.In the absence of Scholes,the energetic Park or defensive O'Shea can come into the picture in a reshuffled makeshift midfield.Up front however one can only hope Rooney lift up his game and with Smith showing some nice touches on his comeback against Lille,thats a welcoming sign for Devils even though they are going to miss Saha,Solskjaer and Larsson.
With the 2 weeks internationals breaks coming up,things could be get better or worse as injured players could be recovered by the breaks end and otherwise more will be queuing up in the physio room if they get injured.Man U must hoped that this double-edged sword act in their aid,if not slipping up in the last minute looks to be in motion and the Blues will be rubbing their hands in glee waiting to capitalise.
Man U now can only played their best team week in week out and avoid any more injuries,particularly to the key members.Nothing is impossible in this world.The Devils have to take a step at a time now and hope the guardian angels of their players stay fit and sensible enough not to get any send off unnecssary.
Cheers
Almost every season, almost every club will have almost all their players injured. They are human afterall, and bound to be out for sometime.
What makes a good footballer is how they recover after their injuries, and what makes a good club is how the club cope when their main players are injured.
Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool are dictating the EPL because the main man in charge knows this and each has their way of rotating.
Had John Terry been fit, how could we know Essien was as good as him in the same role. Benitez's tinkering is bearing results now, silencing those who criticised him early this season. Arsenal has got young gunners ready to run their lungs out anytime the old legs fail.
I believe if Man Utd slips, its not injuries to blame. Chelsea is the one which had been so consistent. Man Utd got to match this if they wants to win. This season, it seems that Man Utd squad is so shallow than the other 4 team. Luck seems to be keeping them on. But i believe manager of Ferguson's class is well prepared for injuries. Let's just look on....
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ydzzrThe end is nigh indeed!!! *sic* Last I checked, United still leads the Premiership table my 9 points, still in the FA Cup and Champions League. Wishful thinking I may add...
Looking through the United squad, everyone who is left fit can play in two or more positions. Silvestre's lost is not a concern since Heinze, O'Shea and even Richardson can play left back.
When Scholes got his eye injury last season, United still went on a good run and finished second. So it's not all doom and gloom with his suspension. I'm looking at it in a positive light in that he will be back fresher.
So too the attacking department. Even with Saha and Solskjaer out, Smith who is the freshest will lead the line and prove his worth. He might not be as speedy or technically gifted like the injured two but his determination and heart will bring a more physical dimension to the attack.
Anyway, there's still Dong Fangzhuo waiting in the wings. People might not be too convinced of his capabilities but Fergie wouldn't have brought him over in January if he thought Dong can't do a job. His game is similar to Saha's, his only downside is a lack of experience in the Premiership. But you gain experience by playing games, not languishing in the Reserves...
Manchester United's Saha and Silvestre are the latest victims on the injury list.But it doesn't mean Chelsea will win this season's EPL Crown.
Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal aren't Chelsea's friendly neighbours.They make sure Chelsea lose at all cost to them in their coming respective matches.That is winning while inflict serious injuries on The Blues and making referees give red cards against individual Chelsea players.
Shaun Wright-Philips undying love for Manchester City, will provide inside information to The Psycho in his struggle to keep the club in EPL, ensure Chelsea loses three points
Dong Fan Zhuo, Keiran Richardson, Alan Smith and Gabriel Heinze are freshest in Red Devils outfit.They are able replacements for striker, central mid-fielder and left back posttions.
Together with return of Paul Scholes, Chelsea may lose another three points to Manchester United.
Manchester United won't slip up but more likely, together with other EPL teams, making sure Chelsea doesn't win EPL title again.
From : Chester Low
I think there are a few more twists in this tale yet. United still have to go to Stamford Bridge and it's a very long time since The Blues lost there.
There's a million and one reasons to hate Chelsea, but you can't deny their mental strength. They have their key players coming back to full fitness and they all know what it takes to win a title.
Man Utd are going to have to tread carefully in these coming weeks. In the past 10 years Newcastle, Arsenal and United themselves have all been way out in front at this stage of the season and they've all managed to lose their grip on the title in the final straight.
The United injuries are bad, but their lack of form is much more of a problem. It's time for their players to step up and drag their team over the finishing line. Rooney, in particular, has yet to win anything of note in his career. If he is to make the most of his prodigious abilities, it's about time he won some medals.
It's not over yet.
Dong Fangzhou?No way man!Maybe I'm bias but well I would prefer them buy our local talents like Indra Shahdan or Noh Alam Shah instead..
Haha maybe can get Mustafic Farhudin to solve the 'Keane' position that has been rattling on and on..Just kidding la..they should just get Owen Hargreaves & Fernando Torres!
Come on I don't think 10 games should be an issue la if they can survive for so long..At most put Giggs behind Rooney then Park goes to the left lor..Then O'Shea partner Carrick and its time for the latter to prove his worth..
Chelsea must be rubbing their hands in glee after seeing United’s almost injury-free season disrupted with Scholes’s suspension and a spate of injuries. The blip everyone expected couldn’t come at a worst time for Ferguson and the chances of United slipping up is possible.
With an almost full-strength, Chelsea will fancy their chances of overhauling the Devils. The return of the inspirational Terry will galvanize the Blues but they need to win all their remaining games and hope United lose points before their impending clash at the Bridge.
Further injuries to key players could derail Fergie’s title aspirations. The injury scare to Rooney at Anfield must have almost given Ferguson a heart-attack. If the likes of Ronaldo, Van Der Sar or Ferdinand gets injured, it could cause major problems as the replacements are simply not comparable.
At this stage of the season, United’s thinning squad is a cause for concern as complacency and fatigue could set in with games coming thick and fast. Hence, its crucial Ferguson ensures his squad remains healthy.
United have been winning matches without playing well recently and as long as they keep on grinding the results; it’s still their title to lose.
Chelsea must be rubbing their hands in glee after seeing United’s almost injury-free season disrupted with Scholes’s suspension and a spate of injuries. The blip everyone expected couldn’t come at a worst time for Ferguson and the chances of United slipping up is possible.
With an almost full-strength squad, Chelsea will fancy their chances of overhauling the Devils. The return of the inspirational Terry will galvanize the Blues but they need to win all their remaining games and hope United lose points before their impending clash at the Bridge.
Further injuries to key players could derail Fergie’s title aspirations. The injury scare to Rooney at Anfield must have almost given Ferguson a heart-attack. If the likes of Ronaldo, Van Der Sar or Ferdinand gets injured, it could cause major problems as the replacements are simply not comparable.
At this stage of the season, United’s thinning squad is a cause for concern as complacency and fatigue could set in with games coming thick and fast. Hence, its crucial Ferguson ensures his squad remains healthy.
United have been winning matches without playing well recently and as long as they keep on grinding the results; it’s still their title to lose.
Well Iain, I think the stage is set for Rooney to lead United to the title. He himself would admit he hasn’t had the best of seasons by his standards for he has flattered to deceive. With injuries to Saha and Solksjaer, it’s a perfect opportunity for him show everyone what a world-class talent he is and spearhead the attack together with Ronaldo. He has to prove he is a winner and what better way to do it then to bring the title back to Old Trafford.
Alan Smith, the forgotten man of United, will also want to prove his critics wrong and he will go all out to show he deserves to be in the team. While not a prolific scorer, United need his tenacity and drive to lead the line. No doubt he is still not match-fit but by playing games, he can do a decent job in there.
United do not have a choice. Both of them need to deliver with the title on the line. It’s time to stand up and be counted.
Recent performances suggest that United's players are running out of fuel. Of course, it is entirely possible for them to win their remaining matches bar at Stamford Brigde which is to be frank, a tricky fixture for any team. I do not know the severity of Scholes's loss but the situation has become slightly more favourable for Chelsea to make an unlikely comeback run than before. May the team with the most points win!
PS I can't believe Liverpool got the luckiest draw for the Champions League, against PSV! And if Chelsea manage to beat Valencia, it could possibly be another Champions League semi-final matchup! Not again..
Firstly, some latest news on the injury front from Sir Alex. But we have now discovered Darren will only be out for a few weeks rather than a couple of months and Louis should be back with us for the Blackburn game on March 31, when Ole will also be fit.
A closer examination of the fixture list shows that Saha will be missing only 1 game if this is accurate. Even with Silvestre out, we still have Heinze as backup. To be honest, the defence is not really an issue because we have the likes of O Shea and Brown ready to step in. It is perhaps the problems in attack that could threaten Utd's ambition. As the defence looks perfectly capable, I feel that the only way Man U could lose its position will be those sickening 0-0 draws when the smaller teams play for a draw at OT. Due to its lack of attacking options recently, this could happen against Bolton and Blackburn. But having received much better news on the injury front with Saha/Solskjaer due back on Mar 31, i do not expect the Devils to drop too many points even without Scholes because i believe they have many different players capable of scoring goals.
Cheers,
kel
Hello,
Are we too concern about what lies ahead. I am a supporter for Man Utd since 1990 and had been through thick and thin since the days of Paul Parker, Pallister, Bruce and then the generation of Cantona, Beckham, Neville brothers and now Rooney and Ronaldo. Man Utd and Sir Alex Ferguson had been through the years knowing they can't do anything about injuries but it is how you make use of your exsisting players to the best tactic and effect to win games. Now you can see Chelsea are playing their games with bare minimum and why can't Man Utd do that. We maybe losing Larsoon soon and with Saha is out but we all know Sir Alex is very good at pushing his players the right mind and frame for every game. He can use Giggs and Ronaldo as floating attackers with Rooney as the main strikers but in the end, we may even see Park scoring from midfield. No matter who is the target man, as long as anyone who is on the field will be dangerous. Even Mr Jose from Chelsea will say that to you. Now is the best time for fringe players like Park and O'shea to prove their rights and play out their life to win the championship. Without Silvertre, we have reliable Heinze. Without Neville (Gary), there is Wes on the run. No Scholes, we have Carrick doing the job. O'shea will be the rock in front of the defence for Carrick to do the job. Remember the treble period of Utd, we take a game at each time. Why worry now when times is not up yet. My last word, MAN UTD will not slip up.
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I think Manchester United won't slip up although with the amount of injuries and suspensions.
What Man Utd have which other Big Four doesn't except for Chelsea is consistency.
Everyone is talking about how Man Utd can do the treble this season. I thnk the players and Alex wouldn't let the fans down by losing the title to Chelsea this season.
Man Utd is sitting comfortably on top of the table with 9 points although Chelsea have a game in hand. Even if Chelsea wins that game, they'll still be 6 points behind.
Man Utd only have onetricky league games to go, Chelsea. But, Chelsea have two, Man Utd and Arsenal.
Man Utd will only slip up if the 'replacements' get complacent. For any player, you can never get complacent and underestimate the opponent. This will be the two reasons for Man Utd to slip up.
Ng Haley Harrison 14
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Man Utd is holding on to their replacemtents for now. Dong, Richardson, Smith and Heinze.
I see Man Utd slipping up only when their replacements don't play well enough. The replacements are very vulnerable now. You coud argue that they are fresh and will not be fatigue. But, can they keep up the consistency of the whole squad?
They have not played for a period of time. Although some came in as subs few times, they will need time to adapt to the high level of the EPL. They may lose their touches and skills after not playing for a period of time.
Ng Haley Harrison 14
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"PS I can't believe Liverpool got the luckiest draw for the Champions League, against PSV!"
Lucky??? Look what happened to the Gunners. Winning them 2-1 was no mean feat and all the three goals were scored by PSV (or should I say 2 were scored by Chelsea???). If PSV wins against Liverpool, I won't be the least surprised.
There is no easy draw at this stage of the competition given the pedigree of all the eight teams. All the games could go either way. To me, all the games are 50-50, barring injuries and suspensions. It's gonna be a cracking round for football lovers...
It is true that PSV is a good team. But if you compare PSV against the ikes of Roma, Valencia, Milan, Chelsea, Utd, Pool, bayern, they are most certainly the weakest.
>>(or should I say 2 were scored by Chelsea???). If PSV wins against Liverpool, I won't be the least surprised.
Cute. Wenger was blaming Chelsea for their loss, can you believe that?! Anyway, I would be surprised. Because Liverpool plays the Champions League very well.
The long season has an obvious effect on all teams not just Man U. If Man U will slip up, so will Chelsea. Both Man U and Chelsea have the FA cup and Champion league games coming up. Nobody knows which team will falter first. And to get the treble for either team is the job of a team of super-humans. I think Chelsea and Man U will have to decide if EPL is more important or FA cup. At one time, I thought Arsenal was in all conquering form. Arsenal had capable youngsters will strong legs. But in a space of 10 days they were kicked out of all cup competitions and no chance of EPL.
Man U will not have some key players for a short while. Man U experience is telling as they need not have strikers to score goals to win games. But their form seems to be bad with ‘lucky’ wins for the past few weeks. Luck for some but still effective as every game won is 3 points on the road to EPL glory. At the end of it if Man U pulled it off they are a great team!
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Can I make a point about the CL draw? (Please don't scold me for going off-topic! :()
Anyway, I just wanted to point out that I wanted AC Milan!! (Ok it was for a very silly reason though...) Booo.
Even though we got good results against PSV in the group stages earlier, taking them on again won't be easy. For one, there's their manager Ronald Koeman... Not only is he an ex-Barca player (and that'll probably spur him to try and beat us), it was also his Benfica that knocked us out last season. And I remember then, it was after some (not all, but some) Liverpool fans confidently proclaimed we'd show Man U the way to beat Benfica after we got the draw for the knockout stages. I'm just worried that some fans are again thinking we'll show Arsenal the way to beat PSV this time.
It's important not to take anything for granted, and never underestimate your opponent! This especially after how certain Barca players (like Messi) practically wrote us off earlier!
I think it's not all easy pickings for English clubs still in the competition. While Liverpool seems to have the best draw, PSV is a very dangerous opponent. They are technically very good and have an astute coach in Koeman so it's going to be a good battle of wits for both managers. If you are able to knock Arsenal out of the competition, PSV deserves to be respected.
Chelsea seems to have the worst possible opponent in Valencia.You can say they are Spain's version of the Blues. They defend well as a unit and have a potent attack so Jose has his work cut out. Having to go to the Mestalla in the 2nd leg will be tough so Chelsea must get a result at the Bridge.
What a clash this will be: Roma vs United. The Devils need to keep Totti and Mancini in check and from what I've seen, they have a solid defence, with a ball-playing defender in Chivu and the midfield enforce, De La Rossi.
The tie of the round should be AC Milan vs Bayern. Both haven't been in good nick recently so it can go either way.All the teams need to be in their best form in order to proceed.There are no easy matches or opponents once you reach the knock-out stages.
It's going to be exciting though. How we love this competition!
Valencia will KO Chelsea courtesy of David Villa's goals.
PSV Endhoven, on paper looks like easy prey for it's predator Liverpool, learn their lessons quickly by giving KO blow to Liverpool result of Reina slip ball away while other players continue wastefulness in front of goal.
AC Milan and Bayern Munich.It depends on who gets 2-1 or 1-0 scorelines in the 1st leg.For the 2nd leg likely to be 1-0 or 0-0.
Manchester United has the Lady Luck in winning against Italian teams.Like 1998-99 campaign against Inter Milan in the quarter-finals, another victory for Manchester United is assured with the help of Lady Luck.
From: Chester Low
Sorry to burst your bubble Chester but Man Utd does not have any divine right to win against anyone, even with Lady Luck by our side for the past few games. The last Italian team to knock us out was AC Milan en route to their final lost to Liverpool in 2005.
It is a very tricky tie. We can only hope that Totti, who is known to disappear in big games like a certain Frenchman who is crocked for the rest of the season, would remain invisible. Roma is a dark horse. To beat Lyon who were the form team in the group stage was by no means a flash in the pan.
For one, I feel De Rossi makes them tick, not Totti. With Chivu and Mexes in defence, they are gonna be tough nuts to crack. Mexes for one, has improved so much to the point that he's finally back in the French squad.
It's gonna go either way and I for one will hope that United will pull up their socks and aim for the trophy. No point saying they are just hoping to get as far as possible. It's as good as giving it up without a fight!!!
Compared to how ladyluck have been with them so far, this current hiccup seems like a major issue. But it is not. Man U aren't going to be in trouble because of these injuries. (as long as VDS/rollnado/vidic is fit) The shape of the main team is still there. Man U goals have been coming from different players & thus, their attacking is not going to suffer terribly.
But Man U is definitely gonna drop some points if they repeat the performances against Liverpool, Fulham (minus those last minutes rescue). The previous teams didn't punish them. That doesn't mean Bolton/Blackburn won't.
Though Chelsea is behind by 9 points with one extra game, I am still going to put it as Chelsea's title (as i always did).
Chelsea will continue fighting. Man U have to be consistent. Between now and the championship, the crucial decider will be the 15 April game. I don’t see how Mourinho is going to suffer his first home defeat (EPL). But it be interesting to see how Chelsea can catch Man U.
Was just about to highlight the Crespo goal for Milan (or was it Chelsea :p) beat Utd at home in 2005 Champions League. Thanks PM.
Hmm, tonight, Utd take on Boro, which I think could be a tricky fixture considering that it is played at the Riverside.
Roma vs Utd would be a tricky tie. But Utd has the advantage of restoring any mishap in the first leg by playing at Old Trafford for the second leg.
TBH, I am slightly worried about the Valencia. We have a tendency of leaving the game open right till the very end, which could be costly as we're playing the second leg away.
All in all, all the match-ups look pretty exciting bar Liverpool's, where neither team can be expected to progress.
hey ernest!haven't posted on your blog for a long time.
anyway, i'm gonna be biased and say no, Man Utd won't slip up. there's no doubt that the injury and suspension list looks long, but then, how many times have Man Utd proved the critics wrong by overcoming all these to win big?
everybody knows larsson would only be there for 10 weeks. yes, he has contributed a lot in Man Utd's matches. experience, skill, goals and all. but MU still has cristiano ronaldo and rooney. they're younger, equally talented and quite experienced. it's a huge blow to have scholes sit out 3 matches, but the midfield can still hold strong with michael carrick and darren fletcher, who's improving all the time. as long as these players remained commited, i'm sure they can hold up pretty well.
besides, dong fangzhou is coming in as well. Fergie has rave reviews about him, saying that he's fast etc. if what he's saying is true, and dong can adapt well to the first team style of play, i'm positive he can complement rooney like how saha used to. rooney is more of a provider now. a more faster player acts as a finisher.
so with capable replacements in the different departments, i don't think Man Utd will slip up that easily. however, chelsea is a different story. we know what jose has to do for chelsea: win it for the team. so maybe in the excitement to catch up with Man Utd, instead they might slip up. who knows? with both teams invloved in the champions league now and whatnots, it's getting more difficult to say who will be most affected by fatigue. chelsea may not have any injuries now, but fatigue will catch up on the players, and their reserves are half as good as the senior team.
Judging by Manchester United’s recent displays, one cannot help but admit that they have been anything but impressive.
Doing the bare minimum to scrap past teams is fast becoming its forte as Premiership fans reckon the Red Devils have the ‘luck of champions’.
It has since taken its foot off the accelerator pedal since the FA Cup 1-1 draw with Reading, which was followed by a run of fortuitous wins.
The malaise that stems from the numerous injuries and lengthy season taking its toll on the tired legs is starting to manifest in its performances as the lack of quality depth has not exactly aided Ferguson’s cause.
However, before one easily predicts a spectacular collapse during this crunch period, Chelsea continue to grapple with internal strife at the management level.
A common yet potentially fatal point lies in their over-reliance on their star performers, namely Didier Drogba and Cristiano Ronaldo.
With both teams still pursuing success on all fronts, perhaps the Treble will be beyond United’s reach but I dare say the red ribbons are virtually secured to the Premiership trophy, awaiting United’s coronation after three long years in the wilderness.
It may be too little, too late for the Blues.
Man U may have drawn with Boro yesterday. But the silver lining behind the draw is that Scholes will be made available for Blackburn, thus missing only 1 match against Bolton. Along with Saha and Solskjaer who should also return, Man U could be back to almostfull strength.
The scenario to Utd changes almost everyday that this question has so many ways of answering. We saw VD Sar missing out yesterday. Both Vidic and Ferdinand picking up knocks. Hopefully these injuries are not serious enough to cause them to miss any further matches. If they are, we could see the impact of what Chelsea faced without Cech and Terry.
Fingers crossed, these regulars return safely, Man U should still have enough in them to fire towards the finishing line.
Cheers,
kel
There are few games left to play in the EPL for Manchester United. They have only 9 matches to go in the EPL.
If we are talking about slipping up in the EPL, they probably won't. They only have 2 tricky away games left, Chelsea and Portsmouth.
It remains for Ferguson to decide if he wants to win the EPL, or in cup competitions. Manchester United are only in the Champions League and the FA Cup.
I see Manchester United sliping up in the Champions League Quarters aganst Roma. But in the FA Cup, they would probably be the top 4, but they wouldn't win the cup.
The other teams shouldn't underestimate Manchester United now even with the injuires and suspensions on hand.
The injuries aren't very serious so it wouldn't take much time to bring the players back.
The friendly against Europe XI on Tuesday will be very crucial. If they win the match, it will definitely boost their morale. ALthough it is just a charity match, it will help them a lot.
Ng Haley Harrison 14
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Personally, I feel that Ferguson's treble-obsession is turning into a double-edged sword. Intended originally to spur the team to the heights of 1999, the opposite has happened and the team is struggling to hit top form, displaying sluggish performances over the past few weeks.
Teams facing Man U have also come out with effective solutions to limit the damages caused by their free flow attacking football. Goals have also dried up considerably as compared to their early season form. Memories of the collapse of 1998 is returning to haunt Man U(Ok I exaggerated).
At this late stage with the finishing line in sight, I still feel that the title is for Man U to lose. With a superior GD and a nine points lead, it's hard to envision Chelsea nicking the title. It's possible but difficult. This season represents Man U's best chance of recapturing the trophy. Unless Man U faces a dramatic collapse nearing the finish, the League title will be heading for Old Trafford. Not even injuries, suspensions or a defeat at Stamford Bridge can stop the Red Devil's march. Unless of course, Man U decides be charitable and starts to throw points away. Like I say, anything is possible!
Talking about the Champions League quarter-finals draw, it will be very intersting to watch the matches.
Everyone is saying that the match between Liverpool and PSV will be easy to decide the winner. But, think. PSV's manager Ronald Koeman was Benfica's manager last season. Benfica dumped Liverpool out of the Champions League by three goals in total of the two legs. Koeman knows everything about Liverpool like Rafael Benitez knows about Barcelona. Not forgeting PSV coming out as underdogs against the gunners in the knock-out round.
It's surprising that there is only one spanish team left, Valencia. Valencia will be facing the Blues. Although Chelsea looks much stronger on paper, I think Valecia will emerge victory against the Blues. In defence Valencia have the likes of Robert Ayala, David Albelda, Miguel and once-Blues del Horno. The defence itself will make Mourinho mad. Finding goals will be no problem for Valencia even against Cech. Villa and Morientes are also in great form.
Now Van Der Sar is injured,adding salt to the wound eh. Sir Alex will definately loves to do the treble one more time before he really call it a day.Flashback to 1999,the year when they did the treble,everyone was fit and on form even for fringe players like Henning Berg and David May back then.Not forgetting Yorke and Cole the twin terrors with Solskjaer and Sheringham to call upon when required.
However now the story is different,injuries creeping into the team and performances were not convincing and subducing at all.Sir Alex treble quest could backfired and end up with nothing at worst.Perhaps he should prioritise his targets to prevent that scenario to happen and if they really accomplished the treble this season,thats surely will overshadowed the 1999's achievement given the differences in circumstances.That is of course just if.
As a Devils fan,I will love to watch the EPL title back in Old Trafford first,Champion League will be a bonus and then the FA Cup being the icing on the cake if permitted.
Cheers
OMG. What a match aganst Spurs. Yet again, an open game when Chelsea's defence played at its worst since Liverpool. Spurs probably was unlucky to not win it when Defoe's shot hit the cross bar. But I'd take this replay anyday. What a match - a classic.
PS After all the Chelsea matches, many has been interesting and entertaining, I hope this pretty much kills off the myth that we play and endorse boring football.
PPS Ah.. now both utd and Chelsea have a replay, now we'll both have a fixture congestion, its come down to who can survive with a disfigured squad better.
Injuries, Scholes' suspension and Larsson's departure seem to be tearing United's squad down to its bare bones, but I don't see them slipping up, not at this stage of the season.
United still has their 'backbone' of the team well intact. Van der Sar, Ferdinand, Vidic, Ronaldo, Giggs and Rooney.
Issues have been made about injuries to Fletcher, Silvestre, Saha and Solskjaer. However, maybe save for Saha, the other 3 are not exactly first choice in their positions, unlike Chelsea who lost 2 important parts of their armoury in Terry and Cech. I see players like O'Shea, Richardson and Park, all versatile players, being more than able to deputise in those positions, while Giggs and Ronaldo are able to support Rooney in attack.
If there is any chance of United slipping up, it has to be due to the fatigue factor. As they are in the latter stages of both Cup competitions and in the run-in to the league title, it’s hard to see their key players being rested too much. Chelsea are in a similar position but their squad depth is still bigger than that of United’s.
-Raymond Ng, 19, student, Man U fan
Once a Devil, Always a Devil
boo. I was screaming at Tottenham to score a 4th while they were 3-1 up. See! That's what you get for not listening to me!
Alright, but I think it was a fair enough result at the end.
Frankly speaking, raynaldo, Chelsea's squad depth isn't much. Of course they have way more depth in midfield, but too much rests on the shoulders of their key players too (Cech, Terry, Lampard & Drogba).
And they ended yesterday's match with a 3 men defence, Essien, Boulahrouz and Carvalho. Yikes! Not exactly the most convincing defence huh? But it did contribute to the exciting end-to-end stuff I guess. How many players did Defoe go past exactly? I lost count!
Well, cfcfan, it's always thrilling stuff when neither side can defend properly! Haha. But well, FA Cup matches tend to be very special because you just can never predict what you'd get.
Man u are in deep trouble as they do not have key players such as scholes and saha,with larsson returning to sweden and solskjaer doubtful for the next few matches and fletcher who is scholes's replacement is out for the rest of the season,manu would lose attcaking flair and miss the creatity of scholes.that would mean that man u would score much less goals.with teams such as portsmouth,bolton and blackburn whom they are playing in the next three games could frustrate them by getting the valuable points against man u.i think that the injure crisis is too much of a problem for the grandfather of english football is to hard to solve thus man u would slip up and the title would swing into chelsea's hands.
Scholes is the major problem now. He has been one of the stars this season for Man Utd. Man Utd will be missing much of his assists and this will prove a problem to score goals.
Larsson doesn't proves much of a problem as he hasn't been a cracker during his stay at Old Trafford. Although he is a world-class player, do not forget his age.
Saha will be another problem in search of goals. He has been scoring quite regulary this season for Man Utd. Man Utd are depending on Rooney and Ronaldo for goals now. Man Utd are known for their attacking game, losing attacking midfielders and strikers will prove a great headache for Ferguson.
Solskjaer will be out for the next few matches. This is another headache for Ferguson. Solskjaer has scored and assist quite a number of times for Man Utd this season. He is also one of the most senior, or the most senior United's player in the squad. It will prove a problem for goals too.
The main problem now is to find goals. Having lost many attacking players, United will be very desperate to search for goals. This is the time when Rooney can shine, it's time to win some medals or trophies for Rooney. The squad must get together during this crucial period for the Red Devils. If they can't, the downfall will begin.
Ng Haley Harrison 14
Student 94307049
Liverpool
Now everyone is rattling on how Man U will slip up through injuries and the suspension to Scholes,but they forget all about the mighty Blues who have that kind of never-say-die attitude especially after the match against Spurs last night.
Just when most of us thought Chelsea will be out of the FA Cup competition,they came back from 3-1 down to earn a replay.That kind of battling courage shown will have increased the heartbeats of Sir Alex whose team earnt a replay with a very lucky penalty for a harsh call on Boateng's handball.Man U must be very careful in every match now as Chelsea is still very much alive and kicking in the race.
Why use Scholes's absence as a reason for Man U to slip up in the EPL? He has already served one match of his 3 match ban at the Riverside, the next will be against Bolton at OT and the last will be against Boro in the replay. Thus, realistically speaking, he only misses 1 EPL match. As we saw against Boro on Sat, in the first half especially, his creativity was not really missed. Larsson may be gone but Saha will be back by Mar 31. Again, he misses only one additional EPL match.
Thus, i feel that there are two ways in which Man U can slip up.
1) If the injuries to VD Sar, Ferdinand, Vidic on Sat are serious enough to keep them out for a few EPL matches.
2)Fatigue. The fixture congestion that happens at this time of the year with Man U still competiting on three fronts. Well, but all things being equal, Chelsea having a game in hand still has more matches to play so we can't really complain about fatigue.
With points in the bag being better than games in hand, it would be unrealistic for Man U to drop more than 7 points till the end of the season and Chelsea not to drop any at all. I may fear the impossible happening but I seriously doubt the Devils will slip up in the EPL. For the rest of the Cup competitions, i am less sure because Roma isn't a very consistent opposition for me. But knocking Lyon out has sure proven its European pedigree.
Cheers,
kel
9 games left and all to play for still. Chelsea's resolute determination not to give up their crown will ensure United must earn their way to the title.
While fatigue could be a factor, the spine of the Treble winning team played 60-70 games that season and players will always want to play irregardless of tiredness so it shouldn't be a problem for this professionals.
What could derail United's title aspirations are suspensions and long -term injuries to key players as well as a loss of form. Wes Brown is no Ferdinand, Kuszciak is not a world-class VanDerSar while Ji-Sung is not in the same ball-Park as Ronaldo.
The experienced campaigners need to step up and provide the leadership to ensure United stay focus and not be complacent. Though winning the FA Cup and Champions League is possible, Ferguson must make winning the League his utmost priority.
Hence, being distracted on 3 fronts could make United lose sight of the EPL title. Even though it's still the Devil's title to lose, Chelsea will not let go of their title without a fight so United better beware.
Players injuries story could be the work of spin doctor to pull the wool in front of Chelsea eyes.SAF is an expert, in psychological verbal war, wants Chelsea players to be over confident which result making many mistakes in their play that translate into losses in remaining matches.
It also takes away pressure from his own players regarding winning the treble.
From: Chester Low
I have yet to recieve my prize for the letter of the week please look into it
Chelsea Fan - Ng Ghim Pheng
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