Reading V Manchester United Preview

It will be United's fourth visit to the Madejski Stadium tomorrow evening and they have an unbeaten record there. There first visit in 2006-07 season saw United gain a 1-1 draw where Ronaldo equalised. The following season United played twice there and won twice, first was a FA Cup tie where United won 3-2 and then a league game where united triumphed in a 2-0 win with Rooney and Ronaldo on the score sheet.

Reading were promoted back this season and have done very well. Although languishing near the bottom they have started to climb up the table, although a midweek defeat to rivals Aston Villa pulled them back.

United will buoyed by the news that Vidic is back in full time training and is likely to feature against Cluj in the Champions league next week with the Manchester derby looming next weekend. The defence will probably be the same as the West Ham game with Rio possibly starting but I would expect wholesale changes for the midweek game.

The wing situation is not looking great, Nani likely to be out for 4-5 weeks and Valencia likely to be ready for the City game. Also birthday boy Ryan Giggs also out it only leaves Ashley Young as the only genuine wide man. I would expect to see either Welbeck or possibly Fletcher playing a wide position. Scholes may feature but it is likely to be Carrick and Anderson based on the last 2 games.

The striking options will see RVP and Rooney with Hernandez to miss out. Rooney has had to sacrifice a lot since we have gone wingless and his play towards the end of the West Ham game saw a frustrated player who had to be taken off. I would expect RVP and Rooney to be rested midweek, so this will be there warm up for the Manchester derby.

Reading won't be an easy game and a visit to Madejski stadium has seen many teams struggle for large periods but United should have enough to win. The only worry for United is the width and if we get bogged in the middle then Reading may have enough to contain United. It is an important week for Ashley Young, he is due a good game. 

Manchester United 1 West Ham United 0

A rare thing happened last night United, We took the lead! and scored after 33 seconds for the fastest goal this season! that was as good as it got.

Standing on the Stretford End it was a subdued atmosphere and the match despite a great start wasn't much better.

A few suprises were sprung as United again went in with no wingers and Cleverley, Rooney, Anderson and Carrick in midfield. Carrick and Anderson played very well and Carrick being the more defensive unit protected the back four, tackled well and broke up West Ham attacks very well. Anderson incisive running was a thorn in West Ham side. Cleverley did well but some passes went wayward and Rooney linked up well but cut a frustrated figure in the second half and some of his passing and attitude wasn't great and ended up being hooked off with 10 minutes to go.

United made a great start where a Carrick ball played to RVP who did a Bergkamp turn and flicked the ball over the advancing defender and lobbed Jaaskelainen via a deflection of James Collins. It was a fantastic start and the threat of a goal glut looked good. However, it didn't happen and as Sir Alex said after the game West ham made it difficult.

With RVP and Hernandez upfront they didn't get much change and were both reduced to half chances with Hernandez unlucky with a first half effort which Jaaskelainen made a superb save. West Ham with Nolan and Carroll upfront didn't offer too much and Carroll was taken off and replaced by Carlton Cole who posed a serious threat in the last 20 minutes but Evans and Smalling managed to limit him.

The defence although kept only its third clean sheet this season were at full stretch in the second half as Rafael and Evra were old fashioned wing backs. Rafael had a storming game and up and down the pitch and put in some very good crosses and some very timely tackles.

The winger situation improved when Ashley Young came on but he made some weak crosses and this led to frustration on the terraces as the game was on a knife edge. A late effort by West Ham was saved by Lindegaard and United held on for 3 points and top of the table.

Not the best match I have seen but 3 points and there will have to be some serious improvement when United visit City in 2 weeks time.

Man of the match was Michael Carrick who dominated the midfield and was the anchor man for everything United did. Anderson and Rafael ran him close but Carrick calmness and passing was the difference between the two teams.

Manchester United v West Ham United preview

A West Ham win at Old Trafford is a rare event, the last was in 2007 on the final day of the season when a certain Carlos Tevez scored the only goal for the Hammers, they survived but a legal battle began with Sheffield United over the Tevez and Mascherano 3rd party signing soon began.

The match see's Big Sam bring the Hammers to Old Trafford and there is optimism in both camps. West Ham will have big Andy Carroll upfront on loan from Liverpool and Kevin Nolan a constant thorn in United's sides when playing for Newcastle and Bolton. He did score a winning goal at Old Trafford whilst playing for Bolton. However, they will be missing there midfield player Mark Noble who has totted up to many yellows and is now banned.

For United, Anderson will start according to Sir Alex and it is fine reward for his performance against QPR where he upped the tempo and got United into a winning position. I would expect him to be flanked by ex-Hammer Michael Carrick who was rested in the weekend game. The wide position is up for debate but Valencia should start and Young may get a reprieve but the constant rumours of Nani going to Inter and United interested in Zaha at Crystal Palace, Young has got to up his game if he wants to be a regular and produce the goods he was at the beginning of last season.

The striking options will be RVP and Rooney. RVP had a relatively quiet game at the weekend compared to others this season. He still made contributions and was unlucky on a first half effort that hit the side netting. Rooney played very well at the weekend and had to play in a variety of positions to help United get the win. He had two assists and was a constant threat with his passing and a notable long range shot that warmed the QPR keepers hands. RVP linked very well with Fletcher and when Anderson came on, prior to that Welbeck and Young gave him little ammo, so hopefully that will change on Wednesday.

The goalkeeping department has seen Lindegaard start the last three games. He has done little wrong in those games although no clean sheets he has made telling saves and has exuded authority in the box by claiming crosses. I would expect to see Anders retain the shirt with the away game at the weekend at Reading we may need a big presence in the box for that game.

The defence will consist of Rafael, Evra at full backs and Evans along with another ex-Hammer Rio at centre half. Jonny Evans is certainly the leading centre half at the club and on Saturday he played very well in coping with Cisse and covering the full backs.

West Ham were promoted back into the premiership this season and have done very well so far but I would expect United to overcome the stubborn challenge and record a similar win to the QPR game. 

Dave Sexton

For the older generation United fans (include myself in that bracket) Dave Sexton was United manager when I first started following the team after the 1977 FA Cup final triumph against Liverpool.

He took over the team after Tommy Docherty was sacked by United for non-football reasons, Sexton was the first choice to steady a ship that had been internally rocked by The Docs indiscretions.

He was a very successful manager first leading Chelsea to FA Cup and European Cup Winners Cup in successive seasons, when relieved of his duties he went across London to take over Queens Park Rangers and they nearly won the title after being pipped to the title by the Liverpool Juggernaut. They finished second and he was a manager most clubs wanted.

His reign at the club ultimately ended in no trophies but there was some minor achievements such as sharing the 1977 FA Charity shield with Liverpool and the 1979 FA cup final against Arsenal where they lost the '5 minute final' 3-2 after a late goal by Alan Sunderland in injury time secured the cup for the Gunners. The following season United finished second in the league to Liverpool which was the highest position since the late 1960s but they were still a long way of Liverpool. There style of play compared to Doc's team was a bit more conservative and were solid at the back and played with a compact midfield and a target man upfront.

He made some shrewd signings such as Ray Wilkins from Chelsea and a double swoop at Leeds for Big Gordon McQueen and Joe 'jaws' Jordan. They made a big impact on the team but no trophies. His final season in charge they finished 8th in the league and despite winning there last 7 league games he was sacked as attendances started to drop.

He was still regarded as a top coach and helped England U-21 win the European championships in 1982 and 1984. A top coach and gentleman and would during his spell at United was an honest manager and would defend the players to the hilt.

Manchester United 3 Queens Park Rangers 1

For an hour I was beginning to wonder if this was a bad day at the office. United were not at the races and QPR had played very well and defended and attacked in numbers.

United's problems were mainly the width where Danny Welbeck was played out of position and Ashley Young had least effective game in a United shirt.

United were confined to the central positions and any threat United posed was quickly snuffed out by QPR defending. They were also very good on the counter attack and a header by Mackie was ruled offside in the first half. United's defence looked solid but the main concern was going forward. RVP did have a half chance which hit the side netting and Young had a shot which narrowley went wide.

Cesar in the QPR goal was forced into some saves a long range Rooney shot stung the hands but QPR held out and the half drew to a close goal less.

The rain increased in the second half and so did the goals. QPR took a shock lead when a corner played short was then returned back by Tarabt and the cross found Mackie after a save by Lindegaard and the ball was turned in and a shock looked on the cards.

This seem to wake up United and the crowd and then a 10 minute spell effectively ended the game for QPR. The introduction of Anderson and Chico sparked the team and a Rooney corner was met by Welbeck who headed across the goal and Jonny Evans from a yard powered the header into the net. Game on!

United then took control and QPR lost shape and with Rooney now down the left wing sent in another corner and Darren Fletcher met the ball and smashed the ball into the net with a firm header. The relief on the pitch and the terraces were noticeable and QPR crumbled. A few minutes later Anderson and Fletcher were controlling the midfield and the former went on a bursting run through midfield and picked out Hernandez who placed it perfectly past Cesar.

Time was up for QPR and United could afford to send on Nick Powell for Welbeck and he looked assured with some nice touches.

It took a 10 minute spell to win the game and the introduction of Anderson and Hernandez was crucial. Rooney had an excellent game and was forced to move several positions to accommodate others and this did not affect his play. However, man of the match and his first start in over a year was Darren Fletcher who worked tirelessly and kept the team going with forward passes and scored a crucial goal.

So United returned to the top and we can relax and watch the Chelsea and City game. Next up is West Ham who will be a sterner test but United managed to get through with there probing and finally managed to break down QPR.    

Eric the King...

Along with the Sir Alex celebrations this week there was another milestone that went a long way in determining the history of the modern United.

20 years ago in November a Monsieur Eric Cantona signed for United and a roller coaster 5 and a half years which saw 4 league titles and 2 FA Cups including 2 league and cup doubles.

Eric had a troubled career in France and often ran into trouble either with refs or the authorities. He came over to England for a trial with Sheffield Wednesday but ended up signing for Leeds United where he helped them pip United to the last First Division title before the premiership started.

He started the premiership inaugural season as a Leeds United player and scored a hat trick against Liverpool in the Charity Shield but as folklore says a phone call by Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson to Sir Alex about Dennis Irwin led to Sir Alex enquiring about Eric, when Howard said he is available the trigger led to Eric being a United player, long before the transfer deadline days. He made his debut as a sub against Manchester City in December 1992.

He helped United to there first title in 26 years and became the first player in English football to win successive top flight league titles with different teams.

The following season he helped the club win the double and scored twice in the 1994 FA cup against Chelsea. The following season ended abruptly in January when playing Crystal Palace he lashed out at an abusive fan after being sent off. The recriminations were that he was suspended by the club and the FA then added onto the ban by suspending him until October the following season. Facing a trial he eventually received a community service order and decided to stay and help United regain the league title they lost to Blackburn Rovers.

He made his comeback against Liverpool and set up a goal in the first few minutes and scored the equaliser to cap a fantastic return. The club went on to regain the title and he captained the team in the FA Cup final against Liverpool and scored the only goal to help United do the double double.

The following season he was made permanent captain and he helped United to the title again and at the end of the season aged 30 he decided to retire from the game. Cantona's contribution was immense and his influence on the younger players helped developed there game. In 5 years he helped win 6 major titles and scored 82 goals in 185 appearances.

His style of play was a joy and he had a swagger on the pitch that had the opposition worried and the fans vociferous. He was a walking time bomb but that is what United fans loved about him. He didn't like losing and the rest of the team responded. He was a winner and he wouldn't let standards slip, so much that when he felt he could give no more, he walked away. I cannot remember too many games that Cantona never had an influence in the match, he was that good.

His legacy is still felt around Old Trafford and his name is still sung on the Stretford End and he is still Eric the King.. 

Sir Alex Ferguson tribute

Today the club unveiled the statue of Sir Alex Ferguson to be placed outside the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand at 2pm today.

To celebrate 26 years in charge of the club. the club unveiled it's statue outside Old Trafford to go along with Sir Matt Busby and the Holy Trinity of Law, Best and Charlton.

I look forward to seeing it tomorrow.  

United V QPR preview

It will be good to get back home after two 1-0 reversals in the last 6 days. United have two crucial games at home against QPR and West Ham in the space of 4 days and with City visiting Chelsea, it is a good opportunity to put points and performances on the board.

The last 2 games has seen Phil Jones return and a young Nick Powell out in a mature role in Istanbul so that can be a real positive.

So the visit of QPR comes up first led by ex-United Mark Hughes who is under increasing pressure to get the west london side off the bottom of the table. The visit of QPR conjures bad nightmares for the older fans when in 1991 and United leading the table, QPR visited on New Years day and won 4-1, it was the most sobering experience as Dennis Bailey scored a hat trick. Old Trafford was stunned that evening and even QPR couldn't quite believe what they did!

It is a game United are expected to win, but Blackburn visited last December bottom of the table and pulled of a 3-2 win, so United cannot take anything for granted as QPR have some talent such as Wright-phillips and Tarabt. The defence is starting to get numbers back but Vidic and Evans still missing. I would expect to see De Gea return with Rafael, Rio, Smalling and Evra as the backline.

The midfield looks stronger with Powell performance and another performance for Fletcher during the week, only Nani is missing. I would expect to see Scholes and Carrick in the middle with Young and Valencia spreading the width. The striking options will revert to RVP and Rooney and I expect chico and Welbeck to sit on the bench.

Tomorrow we will see the return of Park and Fabio. Ji Sun Park will always be fondly remembered fro his performances against the big teams where he had an uncanny knack of scoring. I am sure he will get a huge cheer from us on the Stretford End.

I expect this to be a routine win for United and with City or Chelsea likely to drop points this is a good time to get a win and return to the top of the table.

Galatasaray 1 Manchester United 0

In terms of previous visits to Galatasaray this was not a needs win basis but a defeat was on the cards considering the number of absentees.

It was a reserve team of sorts but Rafael and Hernandez started and 4 England internationals started included a first appearance of the season for Phil Jones. The only youngster to start was Nick Powell. I watched him play against Wigan earlier in the season and he scored a long range goal and looked to have a pp at goal every time he saw the white sticks. Last night was a big test and in my eyes he passed with flying colours. Powell is only 18 but played a mature role linking midfield and attacking and was unlucky with a header that crashed off the bar late in the first half.

The goal was another header from a set piece for which Fletcher and Jones could be disappointed with there challenge but that aside the team defended well and attacked in numbers when the opportunity arose.

Rafael was given a torrid time down the flank and this resulted in Fletcher dropping back to help the Brazilian. Buttner on the other flank played well and was solid if not spectacular. Carrick and Jones played centre halfs and was disappointed not to see Scott Wootton given another chance but maybe will against Cluj. It was good to see Phil Jones back and a few more games will see him back to his best like last season.

Fletcher and Cleverley did there bit but in terms of attacking it was very limited and the odd occasional burst of speed by Danny Welbeck against Eboue was on very rare occasions. Hernandez troubled there defence and sparked into life in the last 10 minutes especially when Macheda made a rare appearance for United.

Considering the team the result wasn't too bad and the key thing was resting the big guns for the visit of the London teams of QPR and West Ham at Old Trafford.

Man of the match in terms of his energy and output it has to be Nick Powell. I think we will see a bit more of him this season.

Welcome to hell ...part 2

Tomorrow United visit Turkey to play Galatasaray in a repeat of the 1993 European Cup tie where United players and fans were subject to the Welcome to Hell banners and a hostile atmosphere at there home ground.

When United played the game ended in controversy when Cantona was having issues with armed forces and United went out on away goals after a 3-3 draw at Old Trafford and drawing 0-0 in Turkey.

United are going over with an inexperienced squad mainly due to the fact that United have won the group and with two home games coming up, Sir Alex cannot risk any of the big guns such as RVP, Rooney, Rio and Scholes.

There is still plenty of big names in the squad such as Anderson, Rafael, Fletcher and Hernandez, so there will be plenty of experience to draw on to help the young guys through.

It will be a great experience for them to play in a hostile atmosphere and will see how they perform under pressure.

It was a similar situation in 2004 when a young United team went to Turkey to Fenerbache and were outgunned 3-0 by a Tuncay second half hat trick but the team which featured a young o'shea, Fletcher, Ronaldo and Liam Miller were better for the opportunity.

Hopefully, the younger member of the squad will benefit from this and whatever the result that they learn from this and use it to push on to more first team appearances.

From a fans point of view, there is the strong possibility that United may lose but from a practical point of view United have qualified and done what they needed to do. With big games looming in the premiership, it is a perfect opportunity to rest players for a long journey. This time last season we were on a 50-50 basis of qualifying and ultimately failed, so whatever the result welcome to hell will be just another game!

Norwich City 1 Manchester United 0

Whatever way you look at it, this was a bad defeat but a victory Norwich fully deserved. In terms of the premiership, this was United's third defeat already this season and considering they only lost 5 last season, it doesn't leave much space to lose anymore games.

Whether the international break has disrupted things or the loss of Rooney United never looked at the races and can only blame themselves. The defence looked fairly solid unlike previous weeks and Chris Smalling made some crucial tackles and interceptions. The main problem was midfield. The wingers Young and Valencia had very quiet games and didn't impose themselves as we know they can. The central midfield which saw Giggs and Carrick in tandem again found themselves chasing rather than getting a foothold in the game. Giggs made one perfect pass for Van Persie but was largely ineffective.

Upfront saw RVP with Hernandez and with both men bang in form, again were subdued and leading to Hernandez being withdrawn for Welbeck. Anderson and Scholes added a bit more threat when they came on but ultimately we fell short.

Norwich were man for man a match for United and keeper Jon Ruddy made some excellent saves and to rub salt in the wounds it was an ex united trainee who scored the winning goal. Anthony Pilkington scored an excellent header and with 30 plus minutes still remaining United could not break down the resolute Norwich defence.

United lost the game and the position at the top to Manchester City and with the game in early December it will be a 'must not lose' game.

It's back to the drawing board for United and the central midfield is looking a department that may need looking at. Sir Alex has some things to consider whether to stick with the old guard or put more faith in the younger brigade of Anderson, Cleverley and Jones with Fletcher close behind. Early last season Anderson and Cleverley were superb in the Tottenham and Arsenal games until injury scuppered Cleverley.

In terms of United man of the match, Chris Smalling got the nod for his defensive duties and keeping big Grant Holt Quiet.

It's not a time to panic as these freak results do happen to the best teams as United will always react positively. They have a few games against the lower end of the table teams before the Manchester derby. United will never die.

Paul Scholes adoRED

Today is the 38th birthday of one of United's modern day legends. A player who season after season is consistent as the day he broke into the first team.

Paul Scholes a Salford lad at birth and a member of the 1993 FA youth cup runners up team with Phil Neville he made his debut as a 19 year old when he played against Port Vale in the 1994 league cup and made his intentions clear by scoring both goals in a 2-1 win and a few days later he made his league debut against Ipswich Town and scored a consolation in a 3-2 defeat. He scored his first goal at Old Trafford in early 1995 when he scored against Coventry City.

The 1995-96 season he started to make his mark in the first team as a striker when Mark Hughes departed for Chelsea and this was the season United did the double with kids. Scholes was starting to make his mark on the footballing world with his goalscoring and general all round play. An International call was not far and he went on to play for England 66 times scoring 14 goals and playing in 4 tournaments.

Scholes dropped to a more central midfield position after Roy Keane long term injury and revelled in that position with his accurate passing, scoring goals and his tackling although sometimes he was a bit late as his 100 yellows and 10 red cards would testify.

The treble season of 98-99 was one of the finest Scholes and United had encountered. He flourished in a season where everything was perfect. He scored in the FA cup final against Newcastle and played a key role in bringing the title back to Old Trafford. The semi final of the champions league saw him and Roy Keane earn yellow cards which meant they both missed the final. As in typical Scholes he played down the issue and was fully behind the team.

His career was on the up and an integral part of the United team but during the 2005-06 season he missed the second half of the season due to blurred vision and there were fears he would have to retire. Thankfully, he made a full recovery and was back in the team and being a real influence. One of his finest moments that I witnessed was his winning goal against Barcelona at Old Trafford which sent United to the final. Thankfully he made the an appearance in the final and United won the cup.

As the years rolled on he started to make the record books in terms of one of United's most decorated players in terms of medals, appearances and goal scored. Towards the end of the 2011 season although a title was secured he was sent off in the FA cup semi final against Manchester City at Wembley and suffered more agony at Wembley when United lost against Barcelona in the champions league final.

The end of the season he announced his retirement and went on to become a coach for the reserve team. His testimonial was in August but he reversed his decision and came back to united after a injury crisis and made his return against Manchester City in the FA Cup and came on as a sub and joy was on every United fan.

His first game back at Old Trafford he scored against Bolton and it was like he was never missing. He signed a contract extension at the end of the season and marked his 700th appearance by scoring against Wigan and his record continued with scoring in 19 consecutive seasons.

To date he has made 702 appearances and scored 155 goals. In terms of honours 10 premiership titles, 3 FA cups, 2 champions leagues, 2 league cups and 2 world club titles.

Following United since the late seventies I have had several favourites from Robson, Whiteside, Hughes, Cantona, Beckham, Neville and Giggs but Scholes will always be one of my favourites and adored by many

Aston Villa 2 Manchester United 3

In terms of comebacks this was one of United's best in modern times and unfortunately Aston Villa suffered that feeling once again. It was reminicient of the FA cup tie at Villa Park when staring down the barrel united were 2 down until the introduction of Sub Ruud Van nistelrooy inspired a late comeback to win 3-2. the scenes were similar on Saturday when Hernandez repeated the same verdict.

United lined up with a strong attacking team and Smalling was in for Jonny Evans and Scholes started along with Carrick in the midfield department.

The first half for United was not one of there best 45 minutes, Aston Villa played with youthful exuberrance and Uniteds passing wasnt as crisp as usual and the Villa midfield was pressing Scholes who wasnt his influential best in the first half.

The half was looking to be goalless when Villa attacked down the right hand side where Benteke brushed Smalling aside and drilled a cross in and Weimann who smashed it high past De Gea in the United goal. The whistle blew and United were now in a game.

Javier Hernandez replaced the ineffective Ashley Young and now it was a full assault on the Villa goal. However, Villa saw it different and a misplaced Scholes pass saw Villa move swiftly and a cross/shot by Agbonlahor was met by Weimann who guided the ball into the net and Villa now 2-0 up.

This seem to wake United up and scholes was now starting to find more room and a perfect long range pass to Hernandez who took a while to control the ball managed to guide the ball into the net. United's tails were up and minutes later a Rooney pass to Rafael who crossed across the penalty box to hernandez whose shot took a heavy deflection off the Villa skipper Vlaar and all of a sudden United were level.

Rooney had a close attempt and Van persie had 2 shots in as many minutes that both hit the crossbar. Villa also had a glorious chance when a Barry Bannen cross was met by Weimann whose header was beaten away by De Gea.

As the final minutes were approaching a free kick by Van Persie was delivered expertly into the box which found Hernandez free who planted the header into the net. Sir Alex clenched fist and relief had seen United pull of anither remarkable win.

In terms of man of the match it can only be Javier Hernandez. Is he united's new Solskjaer? this season has shown him to be a impact player but keeping him out of the team may prove to be hard.

Aston Villa v Manchester United preview

Villa Park has become something of a happy hunting ground for United over the years. You have to go back to August 1995 the last time Villa beat United in the league, A 3-1 win over Fergies young boys which prompted Alan Hansen on Match of the day to say 'you won't win anything with kids'.

They have had there fair share of cup wins over Villa at there ground and the occasional FA Cup semi finals have made a visit to Aston a rather pleasant one.

Aston Villa appointed Paul Lambert in the summer to help wake up the sleeping giant tag and the evidence so far that it is taking work but they are going in the right direction. He has made big decisions such as dropping Shay Given and England striker Darren Bent. The results of late would prove his decisions were correct.

As for United after an excellent win in Portugal will be relishing this Saturday evening kick off. The news filtered through that Nani will be out for 2 weeks may see the deployment of Ashley Young facing the club whom he left to join United. Also with Phil Jones, Kagawa and Vidic out injured the injury list is starting to reduce.

I would suspect that United will start with De Gea and the back four of Evra, Rio, Evans and Rafael who had a deserved break during the week. Ashley Young and Tony Valencia to terrorise the wings and the middle will throw up some changes but I will plump for Carrick and Scholes with Rooney linking the midfield to Van Persie.

The form United are in they would have to be strong favourites. Given United's attacking qualities Villa may have to sacrifice possession to keep out United. Should be a good game and a United win.

  

THE UNITED WAY: There is a light that never goes out..

THE UNITED WAY: There is a light that never goes out..: Braga 1 Manchester United 3 To coin a phrase from The Smiths classic song, watching United last night against Braga in the Quarry pit wa...

There is a light that never goes out..

Braga 1 Manchester United 3



To coin a phrase from The Smiths classic song, watching United last night against Braga in the Quarry pit was a different affair after the lights came back on.

Last night in the belting rain in Portugal united needed a win to secure there passage to the knock out stage after last season surprise exit at the group stage. A much changed United team with Valencia at right back and a welcome return of Chris Smalling and Rooney playing in a more deeper role with Giggs and Anderson.

The first half didn't see much activity with Braga hitting the post with De gea beaten and United just keeping things tight and the half just petered out. The second half livened up very quickly and Braga earned a penalty after Jonny Evans couldn't get out of the way and was deemed to block the Braga attacker and the resultant penalty by Alan was blasted high into the net past by De Gea. United had a battle on there hands and just when United needed intervention, the lights went out. A power failure saw a 10 minute delay and that on evidence of the rest of the game unsettle Braga.

United sent on the big guns with Rio on for Smalling and Van Persie for Welbeck. United had a lot more intensity but without breaking the door down. 10 minutes remaining a long ball by Giggs was latched onto by Van Persie and with the Braga keeper on walkabout Van Persie took one look and with the right height and power steered the ball into the net past the keeper and defender.

The game was poised and United looked the stronger team and 4 minutes later a loose ball was met by Rooney in the box and a foul given and a penalty, although it took a while for the decision to be given! Rooney stepped up after his penalty miss against Arsenal but scored this time although a slight slip and turf missing didn't hinder him.

Braga looked shell shocked and although they pushed on manfully a third goal was scored deep in injury time when a mix up in Braga defence saw Valencia cross into Rooney who delightfully flicked it to Hernandez who after a few attempts squeezed the ball into the net.

Following Galatasary win, United topped the group and qualified as group winners with 2 games remaining. A real positive statement and now United can put the Champions league to one side and concentrate on the Premiership.

As for man of the match, Wayne Rooney was the pick as he kept the tempo going and chipped in with a goal. After the light fiasco it was like the old United and they managed to pick there way through it and win. It will allow United to field less than strong teams for the remaining games and put all the efforts into dominating the premiership.

THE UNITED WAY: 26 years and counting...

THE UNITED WAY: 26 years and counting...: Today Sir Alex Ferguson celebrates 26 years as manager of Manchester United and with it he has built a club that was a sleeping giant to ...

26 years and counting...

Today Sir Alex Ferguson celebrates 26 years as manager of Manchester United and with it he has built a club that was a sleeping giant to one of the powerhouses in Europe. When he took over in 1986 the club was in a slumber and needed serious reorganisation.

Supporting United in the late seventies and early eighties was nothing like these days. Although we were the best supported club and would often play the best football that was never converted into trophies.

During my younger days all we could muster was 3 FA cup wins in 1977, 1983 and 1985 and was sprinkled with some memorable games such as the European cup winners cup win against Barcelona in 1984, the 3 minute final in 1979 losing FA cup final and some notable wins at Anfield. That was our lot and in terms of league we were never in contention although in 1985 we won our first 10 games and were 10 points ahead before injuries to key players Bryan Robson and Norman Whiteside and the sale of Mark Hughes saw us finish 4th.

Big Ron was in charge and you got the feeling Manchester United was more a social club than a football club. Although Liverpool had a reputation for socialising they were winning leagues and European cups so something had to change!

Prior to Sir Alex arrival the club was in disarray after a poor start to the season and Big Ron got the axe after a League cup exit. Sir Alex got to work straight away and his first game in charge was at the Manor Ground home of Oxford United! to make the job doubly hard, they lost 2-0. It wasn't until his third game that they scored the unlikely name of John Sivebaek securing a 1-0 win against QPR. There first away win was a Norman Whiteside goal at Anfield, that was enough for United to believe United were going in the right direction.

Sir Alex had to get rid off the booze culture at the club and the likes of Whiteside and McGrath were casualties of the new regime and many faces were to join the club to replace the current squad, with the likes of Brian McClair becoming the first player to hit 20 plus league goals since George Best, Mark Hughes returning and a new brood of Paul Ince, Neil Webb, Gary Pallister and Lee Sharpe but still no trophy and the pressure was on Fergie to deliver. The league was looking a long way off although a runners up in 1987-88 they were a good 10 points behind Liverpool.

It wasn't until the 1990 FA cup final that the trophy finally arrived. They were the first team to win the cup without playing a game at home! they beat Crystal Palace after a replay and from that moment the duck was broken and over the next 25 years, we saw 12 league titles, 2 European cups, 2 world clubs, 5 FA cups, 4 league cups etc...that included 2 double seasons and a treble in 1999 and that month of May in 1999 was a complete blur to me as the games kept coming and United kept winning. I still remember Sir Alex interview after the Champions league final when the treble was completed, his response 'Football, bloody hell' that summed it up for me.

Last season United celebrated his 25th year by naming the North stand after him and on the 23rd November the club will unveil a statue to go with Sir Matt and the Holy Trinity. As the banner says on the Stretford End is that Sir Alex made the impossible dream possible. His aim was to get United back to how they were in the 1950's and 1960's winning leagues and playing on the top European stage. The aim was to knock Liverpool off there perch and that he did. It took time and effort to build the club from the youth set up to the first team. The board in the late 1980's had the patience to let him the build the club despite some vociferous protests against Sir Alex when results were not the best. That patience was rewarded and the club and supporters reaped the rewards of that.

The 26 years has been an amazing run and although there is plenty of talk on who will succeed, I will continue to enjoy what is going on and hopefully another few years we will see more trophies.

Thanks 

THE UNITED WAY: United 2 Arsenal 1

THE UNITED WAY: United 2 Arsenal 1: Given the history between these great clubs, the scoreline suggests a close game, in fact it was a one sided affair with United the dominant...

United 2 Arsenal 1

Given the history between these great clubs, the scoreline suggests a close game, in fact it was a one sided affair with United the dominant and a combination of weak finishing and some good saves by the Arsenal's Mannone that kept the scoreline down.

The atmosphere was a bit flat at times not sure if the early kick off or whether this match is losing it's appeal as Arsenal realistically are not title contenders. There was a lot of us on the Stretford End hoping Arsenal would show up and give United a game and within 3 minutes they were on the back foot. A fantastic combination between Valencia and Rafael who ripped apart Santos and the cross that came in Vermaelan made a hash of it and Van Persie with his right foot blasted it into the net and United ahead.

The rest of the half saw United dominate the shots on target and Arsenal could not even muster a shot on target with Arsenal defence and midfield under constant pressure with Young and Valencia pulling the Arsenal defence apart and Arteta and Willshere not allowed to settle with the ball. The half was drawing to a close when Young cross hit Carzola hand and a penalty awarded. As quite common this season the penalty was missed by Rooney. United still lead but you felt it was an opportunity missed.

The second half started with United on the front foot and a Van Persie cross was met in front of a empty net by Valencia who managed to miss the opportunity. The game started to get a bit niggly with Cleverley using his nine lives and sensibly Sir Alex replaced him with midweek hero Anderson. He started to put his influence on the game with a few shots at goal, defence splitting passes and an unfortunate offside goal.

However, Wegner was not so fortunate and after a public warning by ref Mike Dean another rash challenge by Willshere saw him leave the field earlier than anticipated and Arsenal down to 10 men. The challenge was over as another superb cross by Rooney was met Patrice Evra in the six yard box and United were 2 up. Arsenal were now being pulled apart and Santos was being terrorised by Valencia and Rafael and the majority of United's attacks were coming down that side.

Arsenal were not exerting any pressure on United's defence until the arrival of Theo Walcott. He made a fist of it and gave Evra something to think about. By the time Arsenal got there first shot on target it was injury time. Carzola eventually got an opportunity and he scored a fine goal past David De Gea, that was the last kick off the game and United got the three points.

The win was enough to put United top of the table and a game that in truth United had dominated. The defence was solid and the midfield worked hard but for me the man of the match was Robin Van Persie. Apart from scoring the goal, he worked tirelessly and was a constant threat to Arsenal with his link up play.

United and Arsenal face champions league matches in the week and for United confidence will be high as they visit Braga, as Rio said in a interview after the match that United have not quite hit top form but they are winning and that has to be a worry for the premiership and Europe.

THE UNITED WAY: United V Arsenal Preview

THE UNITED WAY: United V Arsenal Preview: As like most United fans this is one of the most eagerly awaited matches in the football calender. I have been to a fair few of these matc...

United V Arsenal Preview

As like most United fans this is one of the most eagerly awaited matches in the football calender.

I have been to a fair few of these matches and I could count on one finger the amount of bad games I have witnessed between these great sides.

I have witnessed the good with the 6-1 and 8-2 league wins and the 4-0 FA cup win, the bad with the title decider where Arsenal won 1-0 and clinched the title at Old Trafford and the ugly with our 2-0 win in the infamous pizzagate affair where United ended the 49 match unbeaten run.

The matches over the last few seasons have been a bit calmer since the Keano v Vierra or Keown v Van Nistelrooy affairs where often the matches were nasty bordering on violent at times. The history of badness can stem back to 1991 where the first battle of Old Trafford where a 21 man brawl ensued and both clubs got heavy fines and points deductions.

The last few years has seen the football shine through and there have been some classic matches between the two.

Both sides go into the match with differing form where United clawed back the lead at the top of the league and Arsenal have slipped out of contention after a surprise defeat at Norwich and a squeaky win against QPR. During the week Arsenal showed there worst and best side in 120 minutes. They played Reading in the Capital One Cup where they found themselves 4-0 down but recovered to win 7-5 in extra time. United also played in a goal fest where they lost 5-4 after extra time against Chelsea.

Although both defences conceded heavily there will be major changes in defence for Saturday's early encounter. United's first team defence is pretty much picking itself and with the imminent arrival of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, the news got grim when Sir Alex announced that Vidic was unlikely to see action until after Christmas.

Also news that midfielder Kagawa is to be out for at least a month has added selection posers in the midfield. The midweek performance of Anderson has given Sir Alex a thought but it's likely Carrick, Scholes and Cleverley will be given the nod. The width is likely to be Ashley Young and Tony Valencia, Nani although played well and scored during the week upset Sir Alex with some of his antics so will unlikely to start.

Tomorrow we will see Robin Van Persie come against his former employees. To his credit Arsene Wegner has called for Arsenal fans to 'respect' Van Persie for his record at Arsenal, hopefully Van Persie will continue with his goal scoring fest.

Wayne Rooney is likely to be partner in crime with Van Persie and it will be tough on Hernandez and Welbeck who have played well in the last few weeks, but to have those two guys on the bench can only be a positive.

In terms of a result, a 10 goal thriller like last season is possible, but I am guessing it will be a tight start and I fancy United to nick a goal and take the three points.

THE UNITED WAY: Chelsea 5 Manchester United 4 aet

THE UNITED WAY: Chelsea 5 Manchester United 4 aet: two matches at Stamford bridge in 4 days which yielded 14 goals, although last night encounter will not have the same controversy as the mat...

Chelsea 5 Manchester United 4 aet

two matches at Stamford bridge in 4 days which yielded 14 goals, although last night encounter will not have the same controversy as the match on Sunday afternoon.

The game saw a virtual full strength Chelsea against a much changed United with plenty of youth in the side and on the bench.

Game got off to a slow start with Dean Sturridge missing chances, but a Cech short pass to a defender which was pounced on by Anderson who set Giggs up for the opening goal. Buttner gave away a foul which saw David Luiz equalise. Anderson was having his best game in a United shirt for a long time set Hernandez up who smartly finished at Cech near post. A 2-1 half time lead for United was a surprise considering the teams but one united deserved.

Chelsea like Sunday started the second half well and got a equaliser through Gary Cahill but minutes later United were back in front when a one-two between Nani and Anderson saw the former chip over Cech to restore the lead. The game then saw numerous chances with Hernandez and Sturridge missing great chances. As the game entered injury time and past the allotted time,Scott Wootton bundled into Ramires and a penalty given. It was a penalty and to be honest they could have had an earlier penalty after Michael Keane handled in the box. The penalty was scored on the last kick off the game and extra time was now required.

With Anderson off the central midfield looked a little inexperienced and Chelsea began to show there authority. A bad 10 minutes for Scott Wootton saw his headed back pass woefully short of Lindegaard and Sturridge eventually scored despite his previous misses celebrated like he won the lottery.

Micheal Keane was lucky to stay on after clipping Sturridge through on goal but the referee Lee Mason exercised some leniency and booked him. United pushed on and were caught on the break where Ramires scored the 5th. United did not give up and Hernandez was bundled over and Giggs scored his second and Uniteds fourth for a consolation.

Considering Uniteds line up this was an encouraging display. The united centre halfs Wootton and Keane played manfully against a barrage of attacks. Considering there age they coped admirably and only towards the end they looked ragged. They will however get the benefit of that experience and they can hold there heads up high. Anderson and Giggs played well and three assists for Anderson was something like he was performing when he dominated games against the likes of Fabregas and Gerrard. The puzzling factor was Nani. Scored a fantastic goal but looked subdued in his celebrations. He ended up in square ups to various Chelsea players and looked a man who thought he shouldn't be playing in this game. Unlike Anderson who saw this as an opportunity, Nani was hit and miss and drew sharp criticism from Sir Alex for his ball retention or lack off it.

In summary a positive performance which saw Nick Powell make a telling contribution and the late arrival of Ryan Tunnicliffe ensures that United have the young talent to rely on. Roll on Saturday and the visit of Arsenal.