RedsUnite: a man utd blog

Manchester United Draw Arsenal in Fifth Round of FA Cup

I must have been feeling prescient yesterday when I said, “with Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool still alive, one can help but feel we will be pitted against one of them. Not to tempt ill-fortune, but I say I’d prefer it. We are going to have to play one of those sides eventually, one would think, and our current form has me thinking there would be no better time.” I must confess, however, that of the three I was secretly hoping we’d avoid Arsenal. Winless against the Gunners in our last three encounters, no team in England has frustrated us quite as well as Arsenal of late. The odds were against such a difficult draw, but, considering our recent luck, could it be any other way? From ManUtd.com:

The Reds may feel slightly unfortunate to have drawn such difficult opponents, especially as Chelsea and Liverpool were handed home ties against Huddersfield and Barnsley respectively.

Incredibly, United have now drawn Premier League opposition in each of the last 10 FA Cup ties (plus two replays). In order, they are: Arsenal, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Watford, Middlesbrough, Reading, Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Liverpool.

The full draw is as follows:

Bristol Rovers v Southampton
Cardiff v Wolves
Sheffield United v Middlesbrough
Liverpool v Barnsley
United v Arsenal
Preston v Portsmouth
Coventry v West Brom
Chelsea v Huddersfield

It’s insane, really, when you think about it. What are the odds of this streak? Oh well. A tie with the Gunners will be a good barometer of our quality and I look forward to seeing how United react against top-class competition in a must-win situation. It is simple to show your quality when you face a team that stands 25 points behind you in the league. It is easy to exhibit your dominance when the results do not carry that ultimate of consequences: elimination. Matches like these are where the great are separated from the good. If we seek to join the pantheon of the historically great we must discard of those who are merely good. Here’s hoping that we are able to draw that distinction against Arsenal in the fifth round.

Ronaldo Gets Praised For A Change

Match hero Cristiano Ronaldo, scorer of two goals yesterday, was deferential yesterday in wake of United’s victory. The Portuguese winger was quick to deflect praise elsewhere, crediting his colleagues and the fans for his strong play this season.

“To score 25 goals is fantastic but I need to say ‘thank you’ to my team-mates because my colleagues and the fans help me a lot. I’m having a great season and I want to carry on like that. The most important thing is the team is playing well, we’re top of the league and in the next round of the FA Cup.”

It’s a good thing he is so gracious, for it must be difficult for his teammates to avoid being jealous of Ronaldo. The plaudits being heaped upon him are many and they come from all over the world. ESPN, the American sports outfit, had this to say in wake of yesterday’s victory:

“Stretching superlatives and defences alike, Cristiano Ronaldo continues on his remarkable path. The prolific Portuguese may be better than the best around the world and, indeed, better than Best.

In the manner of the great goalscorers, he has the capacity to decide games where his involvement has been peripheral. That is a trait more associated with, say, Ruud van Nistelrooy, than Ronaldo but as arguably the Premier League’s two finest strike partnerships met at Old Trafford, the match was decided by the country’s most productive winger. In the process, he contrived to upstage Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez plus Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov.”

He often upstages his strike partners, sometimes to their visible dismay. During the 6-0 thrashing of Newcastle, Wayne Rooney–who failed to score in the match despite numerous chances–seemed almost irritated by Ronaldo’s third goal. His body language was almost as to say, “yeah, yeah, enough already.” The relative ease with which Ronaldo does what even the best in the game struggle to do, score, is a testament to the otherworldly nature of his abilities. Whether he is better than Best is impossible to deduce and completely inconsequential. What can be determined, however, is his standing as the most deadly winger on the planet and this clubs greatest asset.

Scholes Return a Success

It must truly be like riding a bicycle for Paul Scholes. Yesterday’s appearance was his first in three months, but you couldn’t have determined that from his play. Man of the match winner in several publications, Scholes return was quite a success. Owen Hargreaves was among those singing Scholes praises after the match:

“It’s great to have Scholesy back for the big run-in now,” says Owen Hargreaves, Paul’s partner in central midfield. “I think Scholesy’s probably one of the best players I’ve ever played with. I think he’ll be our most important players towards the end of the season now. If he’s fit, he could be crucial.”

Scholes appearance made yesterday’s Telegraph article about Fergie’s potential difficulties in picking the best midfield pairing all the simpler. The fact is that when Paul Scholes is fit he is our best midfielder. In fact, when Paul scholes is fit there are few midfielders in the world who could take his spot. While he may be advancing in age, his class is undeniable. Having him there to mentor the 19-year old Anderson will only aid in the Brazilian’s development, but Scholes’ performance yesterday served to remind supporters of the quality that young players are wont to develop: experience. With Scholes return to the side, along with Giggs, Ferdinand, Neville, Brown and, while new to the club, Hargreaves, United will feature a great balance of youth and experience. In a side that has been well balanced to date, the balance between these contrasts will be crucial in the run-in. I look forward to seeing how well they compliment each other in the coming months.

Vidic Has A Virus

Nemanja Vidic’s fitness for Wednesday’s league match against Portsmouth is in doubt as the Serbian defender is stricken with a virus. Vidic was forced to miss yesterday’s FA Cup match against Tottenham as well, forcing Wes Brown into the central defense in his absence. Missing only four matches to date, Vidic has participated in more matches than any Red outside of Rio Ferdinand, his central defensive partner.

Blog Report

• Off Key United Edge Spurs Out of FA Cup (A Kick In The Grass)
• Man Utd 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur (MUFC- The Religion)
• Take Note Arsenal - Old Trafford is a Fortress Again (Republik of Mancunia)
• Banter at Old Trafford (Republik of Manucnia)
• FA Cup 5th Round Here We Come (Reds Conspiracy)
• Manchester United 3 Tottenham 1 (United on Fire)
• Ronaldo Brace Sees Spurs Through (Red Rants)

I see I’ve reached 1100 words now, so most of you have probably stopped reading paragraphs ago. Those of you who have made it this far, I appreciate your readership. Those of you who stopped earlier can f*** off.