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Posted by PaulJ on 2009-03-13 @ 16:33:39 -0600

Man in the Long Black Coat

On bad nights the surrender of this title of titles comes back to haunt my sleeplessness. I can see clearly as if it were a week ago the Denis Law goal that never was in that tempestuous night forty years ago, the most impassioned crowd I have ever been a part of, and the incomprehensible horror of Roy Keane’s own goal nearly ten years past. I have not been so nervous about a match for many a long year and the presence of the man in the long black coat who covets the command of our club did anything but diminish my fears. My drive up through a cold, grey March day was to Beethoven’s lament of Orpheus for his lost Eurydice. That and the most stirring climax in all music as the fourth movement of the Fifth Symphony emerges like a mighty sunlit mountain from the rumbling and brooding thunderclouds and I wondered in which of those moods would I be driving home.

The traffic was heavy in town and it took us awhile to get to the ground but we met up with Angus. Inside there was something special in the air; these nights are a privilege. We all knew that Berbatov would be up front with Rooney. The defence at the moment picks itself but Carrick partnered Scholes in the middle and Ronaldo and Giggs were on the flanks. The surprise was Giggs and Scholes playing together.

For those of us who believed that the big chance had been blown in Milan the night started better than we had dared hope. Before two hundred seconds was up a long, deep crossfield ball to Ronaldo had won us our second corner kick. Giggs took it from the right and Vidic comprehensively outmanoeuvred Patrick Vieira and headed it in with a determined dive at the far post; 3 minutes 1-0.

Led by the Stretford End the whole ground was in good voice, Carrick got another long ball through to Ronnie and for a few heady minutes it looked for all the world as if this could be a truly famous night. But Scholes’ next long ball for Ronnie was too high, Carrick’s was too long and something stopped working well in the middle of the field. Instead of going for the kill we started to play cagily and the game was reduced to a pattern and pace which suited the visitors. Javier Zanetti, not far off Giggs vintage, was at the heart of their play, Douglas Maicon started attacking up our left, O’Shea was reduced to clogging Mario Balotelli on the right and Inter began really to look like thrice champions of Italy.

Still, we could have scored; when Giggs ran decisively into open space on the left Maicon might as well have not been on the pitch but Giggs’ centre was fielded by Walter Samuel on the ground as if he was a goalie and never reached Rooney. Scholes’ passes began to go asunder as his teammates became hesitant and indecisive. Neither could Carrick find a red shirt and before long we had Giggs backheeling the ball to the opposition. It should therefore not have been the shock it was when Maicon curled a free kick along the line of defenders for Zlatan Ibvrahamovic. Six yards out with a clear sight of goal he headed it onto the ground and it reared up and went behind off the top of the bar.

United were far from impotent but it was only when we got forward that we were playing with energy and directness. Further back another careless ball by Scholes and Dejan Stankovic was twenty yards out blasting a drive to which Van der Sar just got his fingertips. Yet from our one piece of great football in half an hour we should have scored. Rooney’s ball put O’Shea clean through. It could have fallen to anyone else and it would have been in; he could have lifted it over Júlio César, he could have passed sideways to the unmarked Berbatov. He shot straight at the grounded goalkeeper.

Inter took control. Ibrahimovic’s put in a superb ball from the left and Evra had left the window wide open for Stankovic. He missed. Another loose ball left Maicon with a shot which Van der Sar caught. This was more torture than entertainment and the half time whistle seemed a blessed relief but the change which won the game had already taken place; Rooney had been moved to the left to occupy Maicon, Giggs to the centre.

Alex Stepney drew the raffle at half time. He was announced as the United legend born in Mitcham whose career highlight had been the Cup Final against Liverpool. Funny the tricks memory can play, he bore a remarkable resemblance to the fellow I had watched snaffle that pile driver from Eusebio when the 1968 European Cup Final seemed to be slipping from our grasp, the same bloke whose goalkeeping steadied our season in ’66-’67 and won us the league.

Inter took Vieira off at the interval (we felt he had been a danger; his passes were 69% successful. We felt Scholes was having a nightmare; he was on 88%) and both sides came out with their heads up, Inter because they sensed our weakness, we because Ferguson had had words. It was not a magic wand but you could see United now making up with effective hard work their temporary loss of collective inspiration and straight away the tackling was keener, the midfield balls more lustily contested. Sure, Balotelli showed intent by having an ambitious shot but now we responded.

When young Davide Santon got the ball he expected United to allow him to play it. Instead Giggs was on him like a teenager, robbed him, gave it to Scholes and took the return on the right wing, dribbling along the outside of the area past two or three of them. He shaped to shoot but passed onwards to Scholes who moved it to Rooney, our new left winger. He teased Maicon and then produced a beautiful cross inside him. Berbatov was standing a good yard offside but there was Ronaldo, moving through from the back to rise high and nod it in; 48 minutes 2-0.

Giggs had a great second half; European players don’t quite know how to handle him and his footwork was less extravagant but just as tricky as Ronnie at his best. He ghosted into the area with a lovely feint. Late in the game when they were desperate to get the ball off us he dribbled round their half in a complete circle. But Milan were dangerous; Esteban Cambiasso produced a drive which Van der Sar parried and then Scholes gave another careless ball and they broke, Cambiasso’s cross acrobatically volleyed by Adriano, who had only been on the pitch for a minute, and it smacked off the inside of the post.

Rooney’s snap shot was fended out by César, Giggs controlled it and fed Berbatov, six yards out. Where is Gary Birtles when you need him? Berbatov toe poked it at the goalkeeper. With Anderson on for Scholes United were looking less uncomfortable and after an hour Inter were reduced to wild shots from distance. Ronaldo had a thirty five yard free kick which César just managed to keep out, Rooney got himself booked for a lusty challenge and Park, who substituted for Rooney, was so excited at being put clean through courtesy of Evra’s sly little obstruction that he quite forgot himself and the ball.

With about five minutes to go I finally allowed myself to relax. “You’re not special anymore” we sang at the man hanging around on the touchline who seemed freshly apparelled. Do they sell clothes in Milan?

Thus it was neither in sorrow nor triumph that I rocketed home ‘neath the high crescent moon but in the quiet satisfaction that we are in the quarter finals. Thinking of the excitement I had felt at watching us in Milan and the dreary prospect of drawing an English club in the next round I had a brainwave. Why don’t they start a new competition, a cup in which the champions of each country, and only the champions, play each other to decide who is indisputably the best team in Europe? Now wouldn’t that be exciting!

Paul James

Posted by Barry on 2009-03-12 @ 0:08:42 -0600

Sir Alex Ferguson emerged victorious in the showdown with his old rival Jose Mourinho as Manchester United survived a nervous night against Inter Milan to reach the last eight of the Champions League.

Nemanja Vidic powered in Ryan Giggs' corner to give United the lead in the tie after only four minutes, and Cristiano Ronaldo rose to head home Wayne Rooney's cross three minutes after the interval.

But in between those two strikes, Mourinho's Inter were left to regret a succession of missed opportunities to grab a crucial away goal and put the skids under United's bid for an historic haul of five trophies.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic hit the bar with a first-half header and Dejan Stankovic missed a glorious opportunity as Inter failed to take advantage of uncharacteristic slackness in possession and defence from United.

606: DEBATE
What are your thoughts on the game?

There was still time for substitute Adriano to strike the woodwork again after Ronaldo's goal, but this was United's night and their bid to rewrite the record books is still on course.

Mourinho prowled the Old Trafford technical area for virtually the entire 90 minutes as he held out hopes of a repeat of his famous 2004 victory with Porto that sent United out of the Champions League - but it was all in vain as Inter fell victim to their own generosity in front of goal and the more clinical finishing of their opponents.

Inter dominated for spells, but there was an inevitability that they would be punished for their failure to score - and so it proved as United delivered the telling blows in an engrossing battle.

United never touched the heights, but once again they proved that they have perfected the habit of winning even when their best form eludes them.

Indeed, the result extended their unbeaten record in major European competitions to 21 - breaking the 37-year-old mark of Juventus.

Ferguson will be elated with the victory against a dangerous adversary in Mourinho, who was made to suffer the taunts of an Old Trafford gallery that has suffered at his hands before.

But the former Chelsea boss remained defiant to the end, standing alone on the touchline, but turning to congratulate the United backroom staff at the final whistle.

United will need to produce better as the champions of Europe continue on what they hope will be the road to Rome and another final, but they deserve the utmost admiration for the resilience they displayed in grinding out a priceless win.
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho during his side's 2-0 defeat to Man Utd
Mourinho could not repeat the success he has had at Old Trafford in the past

The tie was played out against the backdrop of the Mourinho factor, and his mere presence guaranteed an atmosphere of pure theatre around a packed Old Trafford.

Vidic was recalled after his first leg suspension to bolster United's defensive resources, but it was his threat at set pieces that reaped dividends.

Mourinho, the great defensive organiser, will have been mortified to see the Serbian, hardly a secret weapon on these occasions, rise almost unchallenged to head Michael Carrick's corner past Julio Cesar.

And yet, instead of settling the early nerves United may have been experiencing, the holders failed to build on Vidic's goal and barely survived a harrowing spell of pressure from Inter.

Ibrahimovic is one of the great enigmas of European football, often failing to justify his glowing reputation when the stakes are at their highest.

And he should have drawn Inter level after 28 minutes when he stole in unmarked on to the end of Maicon's free-kick, only to send a downward header against the bar with Edwin van der Sar beaten.

United were careless in possession, which did not help their cause with Inter growing in confidence as the half progressed.

Stankovic's long-range shot was turned to safety by Van der Sar before United relieved the pressure to almost grab that crucial second goal eight minutes before the interval.
Cristiano Ronaldo nods in Man Utd's second in their 2-0 win over Inter Milan
Ronaldo nods in Man Utd's second to wrap up the win

Rooney's instant pass sent John O'Shea clear in the area, but Julio Cesar raced off his line to make the block.

Inter ended an absorbing opening half in the ascendancy, with Stankovic adding to the catalogue of missed opportunities when he somehow steered Ibrahimovic's pass over the top from point-blank range.

Mario Balotelli's clever pass then released Ibrahimovic for a volley that beat Van der Sar but flew inches wide.

Defeated Mourinho praises Man Utd

Mourinho must have felt a real surge of optimism at the start of the second half, and attempted to inject fresh impetus into his side replacing the sadly pedestrian Patrick Vieira with Sulley Muntari.

If he was upbeat about over-turning United again, it was a feeling that did not last for long as Ronaldo headed the second goal United craved after 48 minutes.

Rooney's cross was an open invitation for Ronaldo and he rose to flick an emphatic finish past the helpless Cesar.

The scoreline was a harsh reflection on the contribution Inter had made to the game, but they paid the ultimate price for their failure to make a lengthy period of supremacy count.

We will be stronger in next round - Ferguson

The burly Adriano replaced Stankovic in what amounted to a final throw of the dice from Mourinho, and he almost handed the Italian champions a lifeline when he stretched to turn Esteban Cambiasso's cross against the post.

United were being offered more space as Inter went for broke, and Cesar needed to be at his best again to deny Rooney, recovering well to block Dimitar Berbatov's shot after he was set up by Giggs.

Ronaldo tested Inter's defiant keeper one final time with a long-range effort, but by then the fight had drained out of Inter and United were on cruise control to the quarter-finals.

Manchester Utd: Van der Sar, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes (Anderson 70), Giggs, Rooney (Park 84), Berbatov.
Subs Not Used: Foster, Evans, Fletcher, Gibson, Tevez.
Booked: Rooney.
Goals: Vidic 4, Ronaldo 49.

Inter Milan: Julio Cesar, Maicon, Cordoba, Samuel, Santon, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Vieira (Muntari 46), Stankovic (Adriano 58), Ibrahimovic, Balotelli (Figo 70).
Subs Not Used: Toldo, Maxwell, Cruz, Rivas.
Booked: Samuel, Muntari.

Att: 74,769
Ref: Wolfgang Stark (Germany).

news.bbc.co.uk

Posted by Barry on 2009-03-06 @ 9:46:47 -0700

The second leg of the Champions League last 16 is here. And the two weeks between the first and second legs have been quite eventful.

For starters, Inter came from behind to draw, 3-3, at home with Roma in unconvincing fashion. They were then thrashed, 3-0, by Sampdoria in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi-final and face an uphill task to make it through.

On the other hand, United grabbed some more silverware, the Carling Cup this time, as they beat Tottenham Hotspur, 4-1, on penalties. They continued their winning streak in the Premier League and seem to have one hand on the trophy already.

In both matches, United were a shadow of what they were against Inter, and yet they have still managed to grind out results.

No prizes for guessing who's showing championship form.

On the down side, Edwin van der Sar conceded for the first time in four months with a howler against Newcastle United.

There may be more good news for United if they manage to see off Fulham in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup on Saturday.

The 0-0 draw at the San Siro seems like ages ago already. Fergie appears to have got one over on his old foe in the first leg, or at least he'd like to think so.

While it may be "advantage United" after the first leg, the game is far from decided. Let's see what United got right in the first leg and what they need to get right in the second leg to cement their place in the next round.

The Back Four: A watertight defence...

One of the standout features of United's performance in the first leg was their flawless defence. The much-hyped attacking duo of Inter were kept at bay, and comfortably so, even with a patched-up United defence.

The stand-in duo of Jonny Evans and John O'Shea were outstanding on the night. This aspect of United's game will have to be as good, if not better, should United go on to the next round.

The return of Nemanja Vidic, at the expense of Evans, will add even more stability to the defence. The Serbian's presence will also give an added advantage to United at set-pieces and corners. Vidic and Ferdinand should be joined in defence by O'Shea and Evra.

First casualty of the second leg—Jonny Evans.