RedsUnite: a man utd blog

Match Preview

Didn’t I just write this article a couple days ago? Oh, we’re away this time. Well I guess that changes things enough to write another one.

Not much has changed since United defeated Tottenham 3-1 last weekend. United’s stellar form has continued. A midweek double from Cristiano Ronaldo saw United dispose of Harry Redknapp’s Portsmouth side within the games first 15 minutes. The remainder of the match was a mere formality. The Reds have now won 13 of their past 14 matches and are in the best form in England.

There are two primary reason’s for our success of late, Cristiano Ronaldo and our defense. Ronaldo’s form is in a continues state of ascension, scoring at a clip greater than a goal per game. He has had his way with defenses across the league, with it almost becoming a given that his name will find the score sheet. His performance against Portsmouth was of such repute that it still dominates the headlines today, two days later. His free-kick, a “marvelous hit that no goal keeper in the world could have saved,” according to Alex Ferguson, has served as the crown jewel of a season filled with gems.

The defense, conversely, has seldom allowed anyone the honor that Ronaldo has come to take for granted. Their miserly play has been the foundation upon which all of our offensive success has been built. Allowing .45 goals against in league play, United has 0nly conceded multiple goals on two occasions–to Arsenal and West Ham United, respectively. In our recent defensive form United has only allowed one goal in the last 540 minutes. While Ronaldo may dominate the headlines, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic are deserving of equal praise. There are no statistics, however, that serve to distinguish individual defenders. The industrious work of these men is seldom the stuff of highlights. Good defending is not usually spectacular, for the best defenses often go unnoticed. They simply dispose calmly of everything that comes their way, seldom losing their calm and rarely drawing attention to their efforts. Ferdinand and Vidic have rendered opposition attacks impotent throughout the season and their play, in concert with their offensive counterparts, has been the reason United sits atop the table.

Tottenham Hotspur, however, is a much stronger home side. We will be remiss if we enter White Hart Lane expecting the same result we achieved at Old Trafford. 4-0-1 in their last five games, the Spurs currently boast the fourth strongest recent home form in the EPL. They have won these matches by a combined tally of 17-9, so our defense will have to be in top form to contain a Spurs attack that is averaging over three goals per game in their last five at home. Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov represent one of the strongest strike pairs in England, so Ferdinand and Vidic will need no reminder of the task they face. Spurs have also made some transactions late in the January transfer window and it will be interesting to see how they contribute tomorrow.

The man I will be focusing on is Wayne Rooney. His recent play has been simply wasteful and we need him to regain his form if we are to ascend to the heights we are capable of. His first touch has been inconsistent and his form in front of net has been anything but clinical. I wrote an article discussing my concerns about his play a while back that was roundly rejected when discussed over at Republik of Mancunia. It appears that his past few performances have swayed the tide of public opinion, as others have become concerned over his poor performances of late. For all of our offensive success, we have been a side crippled by a striker who is in the cruelest of droughts. Here’s hoping that he rights the ship tomorrow, as any goal on Saturday will be of critical import.

While our recent form may convince us that we will never lose, fixtures like this give me reason for concern. We were fortunate to win our last match against Spurs as comfortably as we did. An in form Jermaine Jenas could have single-handedly seen the Spurs score three against us. Traveling to White Hart Lane is never an easy task and should provide United with their first legitimate test in weeks. As always, we will field the stronger side. We are the most talented team in England, I feel, and the only thing that can bring us ill-fortune is a lack of focus and intent. If United come out with the sense of purpose that saw us bury Portsmouth in 13 minutes, then we can not be defeated. However, if we jog out of the gate with the lack of intensity that this side has featured so often in the first half of matches we may be victimized. Lets hope Sir Alex has his men focused tomorrow for our success will be dependent upon it.

Blog Report

• Ronaldo shines as the big selection debate returns….(A Kick In The Grass)
• Ronaldo: Shhhh, It’s a Secret (Republik of Mancunia)
• Who is the Greatest United Player? (Republik of Mancunia)
• Capello Factor: What’s Up With Rooney? (Republik of Mancunia)
• Fergie’s Super-Galactico Dream (Red Rants)
• What Does Football’s New Contract Ruling Mean for United? (Man United Pies)

Know Your Enemy - This Week’s Tottenham Hotspur News

• Gilberto Joins Tottenham
• Defoe to Portsmouth on Deadline Day
• Alan Hutton Poised for Tottenham Debut
• Poyet Hails Woodgate’s “Fantastic” debut

That’s all for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with whatever odds and ends one must know before kick-off.