RedsUnite: a man utd blog

Gary Neville is set to make his return to action for the reserves this evening. If you feel like you’ve seen this before, you’re right. Neville trotted out with the reserves a little while back, played 45 minutes, and promptly pulled his hammy. Hopefully tonight will be different.

I am hoping for a healthy return for the captain, but I can’t say that I am too optimistic about his return. Not that I don’t believe he will become healthy, I do. But when he returns I don’t know that he will be deserving of a first team spot. What am I basing this off of? Giggs and Scholes. Neither of them has been exactly triumphant this season, particularly failing in their ability to cover ground. If Neville returns to the squad with similar issues, can we afford to have a right back who struggles to cover ground? I doubt it. It’s one thing to have a winger who struggles to get back, but a fullback is a different story.

Balsa Boy Louis Saha is back as well and Sir Alex is thrilled. Who can blame him? Fergie praised Saha for his uniqueness in the squad, stating, “He is different from everyone else in the squad. He gives us strength and penetration.” Not to quibble with the boss, but if the reports about Ronaldo’s penchant for hookers is accurate then Saha isn’t the only one penetrating. ZING!

There has been alot of talk lately about SAF’s midfield pairings. Whatever your feeling on who should be United’s first team pairing, the manner in which the lads have handled their shared roles has been admirable. Owen Hargreaves spoke with Manchester Evening News about his place in the squad, his colleagues and what it means to play for United:

“I know you are not going to start every game because you look at the players we’ve got and you know we’ve got options. We can play different styles and I think everybody would like to play every game, but physically you are not going to be at your best if you do, and it is an opportunity for the others to play. Everybody knows there is a bigger picture when you play for United. There is a lot at stake and it is not a case of being dropped, we just play in different styles and it will benefit us in the long run.”

“It is not a case of playing every game. I didn’t think that would be the case at United, and it hasn’t been the case in the past either. In the big games you’d like to play and show yourself, but when I signed I knew what would happen and that’s fine. When you play, you’ve got to play well. It is as simple as that. And even if you play well you still might not play the next game.”

There you have it. Play your best and let Fergie handle the rest of it. All of this conjecture about who should constitute our first team midfield pairing is fun–I’ve certainly participated in it–but I am willing to defer to Fergie on it. While he may be old and gray, something tells me his football knowledge surpasses mine.

It’s nice to see that Hargo and the lads are on board and they believe in United and their gaffer. Players don’t come to sides like United for individual glory, they come here to win trophies. There has never been a trophy run where no one sacrificed. While we are quick to praise their accomplishments on the pitch, their attitude off the pitch is commendable as well. Our ambitions are lofty and will require all hands on deck. Here’s to the lads and their willingness to subordinate their egos to the team.

It doesn’t appear that Lyon striker Karim Benzema is too keen on joining United. He issued the normal garble about how he is under contract with Lyon until 2012, how he is a young player and blah, blah, blah. Then he said this:

“My style of play would fit in best with the game in Spain, then Italy, and then England - in that order.”

There you have it. SAF better go back to the board and tell them to reexamine their targets for the offseason. Young players don’t want to go somewhere where they don’t feel they will flourish. If he was honest in his appraisal of the leagues, in regards to how they suit his style, we will never see him with an English side.

Anderson’s game with the ladies isn’t quite as refined as his skill on the pitch. Must read story. “F*ck, F*ck, F*ck!”

Blog Report

• Becks taking the p*ss out of Wes Brown (Republik of Mancunia)
• United’s Midfield Dilemma (Red Rants)