VS   

 

Duo absent as United face Danes

My take...

 

                 Van der Sar

Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic,  Evra,

Ronaldo, Anderson, Scholes, Nani,

           Berbatov, Rooney

 

 

Amos, Evans, Rafael, O'Shea, Fletcher, Park, Giggs, Gibson, Tevez, Welbeck.

I wana see Anderson and BBT open their scoring account here man...

VDS

Brown Ferdinand Evans Evra

Ronaldo Anderson Scholes Giggs

Berbatov Tevez

 

prob saf wan take this chance to gel up tevez with bbt

VDS

Brown Ferdinand Evans Evra

Ronaldo Anderson Scholes Giggs

Berbatov Tevez

 

prob saf wan take this chance to gel up tevez with bbt

Rioch leads hunt for autographs as United enjoy a friendly welcome

 

Friendly face: Aalborg boss Rioch greets fellow Scot Ferguson 

 

It is not every Champions League match that sees one manager turning up at a press conference seeking autographs. But for Aalborg's Bruce Rioch, some opportunities are clearly too tempting to pass up.

'I grew up watching the Busby Babes,' said Rioch. 'Wood, Foulkes, Byrne, Colman, Jones, Edwards, Berry, Whelan, Taylor, Viollet, Pegg. I have Sir Bobby Charlton's autobiography with me here, I hope I can get it signed.'

One imagines that Rioch - former boss of Middlesbrough, Bolton and Arsenal - will not have too much trouble securing Sir Bobby's signature. But the 61-year-old's approach to Tuesday's clash with Manchester United sums up a meeting that represents something of a throwback to the days when smaller continental clubs enjoyed much easier access to the old European Cup.

There will be only 10,000 people in Energie-Nord Arena on Tuesday evening, but Rioch warned: 'If we were to take a point off them then it will be like an earthquake in here. 'This is the biggest game in our history. To get to this stage of the Champions League is a fantastic achievement. But to play Manchester United is something else. This is a huge day for Danish football as a whole.

'Everybody here knows Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov. There is a party that leaves these shores every Saturday to go and watch Manchester United. 'I was the same as anybody else when this group was drawn and we got Celtic and Manchester United. I was buzzing, just like the town.'

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and his players are used to the clamour that tends to wait for them at most of their journeys into Europe. Even by their standards, however, they have been afforded deity-like status here. A welcoming party awaited them at Aalborg airport before they were applauded into their town centre hotel by staff and fellow guests.

City centre signs informed them: 'You are more than welcome here' and Aalborg captain Thomas Augustinussen declared: 'This is the biggest press conference I have ever been at. It's amazing.'

Given that he has fallen out with the English written media again, it is doubtful whether Ferguson shared Augustinussen's sense of wonder when he followed the Aalborg representatives in to see the press on Monday night.

 

Reunion: Ferguson (left) meets his former goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel

 

Nevertheless, the Scot is aware of the dangers that Tuesday's game could hold, especially in the light of United's 0-0 opening draw against Spanish side Villarreal at Old Trafford a fortnight ago. Two years ago Ferguson brought his squad to Denmark and fielded a relatively weak side at Copenhagen. He will not make that mistake again. 

Ferguson continues to express his satisfaction with new striker Dimitar Berbatov, but a goal or two from the Bulgarian would not go amiss on Tuesday. He needs them and so do United. Even here in Aalborg, reputations will only get you so far.

 

AALBORG (probable 4-1-4-1): Zaza; Bogelund, Olfers, Beauchamp, Pedersen; Augustinussen; Curth, Johansson, Risgaard, Enevoldsen; Saganowski.

 

MANCHESTER UNITED (4-3-2-1): Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Ronaldo, Scholes, O’Shea; Tevez, Rooney; Berbatov.

 

Referee: Olegario Benquerenca (Portugal).
 

United XI:Van der Sar, Evra, Ferdinand, Ronaldo, Berbatov, Rooney, Vidic, Nani, Scholes, Rafael, O'Shea.

 

Rafael gets a start sia. Whats up with brown?

and O'Shea over Anderson?

 

anyways, i'm off to bed, good luck to us.

hmmm i fully expect us to destroy the opposition... good to see rafael playing

wtf berbacock...miss a sitter

Rooney scores...

Giggs pass..rooney shoots..rooney scores..berbacock looks...

can't believe he missed it... oh well time to sleep

OMFG Berbacock scores!

boring game. =/

well, a few plus, I think Giggs can flourish at AM.. and the young right back was good. Berba is starting to gel. And of course, we need nani to shoot on sight less.. and importantly, Ronaldo is finding his feet too.

I didn't get to watch it live... my dad hogged arsenal's game -.-

Heres the highlights!

BBT's goals made him look like an assassin!

all 3 goals were delightful i must say....

a little impressed with BBT tho... just a little...

I think mostly, the opponents made us look good.. They were hardworking yes but they were second to all the balls and this allows MU to play ball.. Berba is real solids in holding the ball but he lacks movement and he drops way way too deep. Nani, all the corners he take might as well don't take. Good runs yes, but end product don't have. Gotta work on that. Either you be selfish and convert or pass the effing ball to the strikers. Rafael, I feel would be better suited playing as a right mid. He can't defend well relatively to the other defenders. But because he is quite fast, he is able to recover his lapses. Vidic and Ferdinand, effing effing brilliant. Their commitment is unquestionable. Throwing in their bodies just to protect the goal, fucking respect..

Originally posted by jonchao72:

all 3 goals were delightful i must say....

a little impressed with BBT tho... just a little...

But i tink BBT still cannot match Devils playing paced.. He always seems a beat slower.. Passing also like Koo Niang.. Missed the 1st seater *omfg*.. If not he would have got his hattrick.. Should have invested on Benzema instead..

Originally posted by Maurince:

But i tink BBT still cannot match Devils playing paced.. He always seems a beat slower.. Passing also like Koo Niang.. Missed the 1st seater *omfg*.. If not he would have got his hattrick.. Should have invested on Benzema instead..

benzema is no where proven in the epl as well he is overrated i think bbt quite good what can spilt passes only slowing down maybe but wing got cover up don forget giggs and oshea centre midfield maybe nt as good as the freedom scholes and co gives

but benzema surely cheaper than berbatov. i was wondering why no one interested in luis fabiano? he was good and not too old mah, i thought.

Originally posted by limpper:

but benzema surely cheaper than berbatov. i was wondering why no one interested in luis fabiano? he was good and not too old mah, i thought.

no way man.. benz sure damn ex.. they want 40 or 50 million if im not wrong..

rafael getting passed like nobody's buisness. i think he need to learn how to read the game better if defending isnt his way of doing stuff.

 

but getting passed freely by aalborg players..... isnt something nice.

Berba is progressing well.

Do rem where he came from n when. He did not have a run with the United team for long and how to expect him to slot in the high tempo game United has.

At least, now, I can see him working without the ball, and trying to link with the players. For that, we should encourage rather than condemn.

lastly, Benz is around 80mil, do you want MUFC to turn into Leeds? We have tevez to finalise too. Rem, we have not sign him yet leh. And with US economy weakening, I fear for MUFC leh. Cause it will have impact on the team. So a big purchase like Benz is not recommended.

 

 

Originally posted by Pitot:

rafael getting passed like nobody's buisness. i think he need to learn how to read the game better if defending isnt his way of doing stuff.

 

but getting passed freely by aalborg players..... isnt something nice.

well, he is 18, I think he was a bit rash jumping into tackles, mistiming and exposing the rest. but given how dominant Rio was that night, it was a good experience for Rafael..  I think he has to realise the art of balancing attack vs defence.

for me, he could be even better than Evra in future.