That certainly was a howler last night. Yes Carrick didnt help him and equally culpable but wtf was that star jump. Use your hands or at least keep the angle tight.

 

Not his best moment granted and the front on camera angle made it look worse although not entirely his fault as you mention.

Dont get sucked in by the tabloids Simon, they're already doing they're utmost to destabilise him, seems they now have an agenda towards the boy.

 

Indeed they are, and its very unfair.
Especially as he had began to gain some confidence after the very shaky start

 

Well:

9 points

13 matches to go?

Can we bugger it up again like last year or do we just need to be consistent and out score the opposition

It's a very, very good position to be in.

 

We'd have taken that at the start of the season, I hope Mancini stays at MCFC for a long time, he is becoming the Rafa of the Etihad.

The little **** seems to be hitting form for Utd again.

 

It is a very good position to be in, and we need to do a number on Everton at the weekend to really pile on the pressure.

Can we bugger it up - ****, hope not.

 

 

Nice one Aaron

Beat me to it, and did a better job, great picture


Lest we forget the flowers of Munich

 

Rest In Peace

 

This is a nice touch.

 

Fair play to the dippers

 

Good win yesterday.
12 clear, and the potential that we could lift the premiership yet again when we meet City

 

Looking forward to tonight and kacking myself too Hopefully, Ronnie will pull something as he runs on to the pitch...

 

Brilliant! The toothy one is going to ride Utd like a cheap manc boiler tonight!

 

Hmm. Was he playing tonight? Thanks for your input

Good result away from home for us with Vidic and a Kagawa replacement to come back for us. Van Persie won't miss 3 sitters next time...

 

Ah - just what we need, yet another scoobynet spell checked


Anyway, you were saying?

 

I was saying what, apart from the scoreline, was accurately predicted. You were very fortunate that De Gea had a good game.

Fat boy, are you saying you should have won 4-1? Surely not.

 

Actually, it was far from an accurate prediction so you're wrong on a couple of levels.

We could have scored more and so could they on another night - pretty balanced to my mind. We had a plan and stuck to it, got the away goal, and now it's back to OT.

Ronnie scored a good goal, as ever, but was largely anonymous in the second half. De Maria was far more dangerous.
De Gea played well - yes. But their keeper played well too - 2 saves from RVP near the end, the lucky "save" from Welbeck that he knew nothing about that was just deflected wide - that is balanced by Ronnie putting one over the bar from his free kick.
We hit the woodwork, they hit the woodwork, their defender should have gone for pulling down Evra when he was the last man, etc, etc.

Not being ridden like a cheap manc boiler at all and, don't forget, this was at Fortress Bernabeu.

Next leg will be another nail biter, for sure, but, they have 8 losses away from home so far this season, Vidic will be back and Fergie will replace Kagawa with someone more effective.

A good game between two giants of European football. Remind me, who are you playing in Europe this year?

 

I think its fair to say they had the lions share of possession and probably a couple more shots “on” target statistically. But we had several good clear chances and just didn’t take them plus a bit of bad luck (Welbecks clip that caught the keepers back on the way past).

I wouldn’t say Ronnie was that quiet in the 2nd half. A lot of movement, the goal, the freekick, the left footed shot. That header was immense – it was like everyone else was stationary whilst he floated above Evra. Was good to see him playing down the goal celebrations as well and by all accounts he was in the Utd dressing room afterwards.

Wtf Giggs was doing not taking the shot on and then not even getting a corner. He gave the ball away a couple of times in silly places towards the end as well. I expect that from Rafael but not Giggsy.

Sergio Ramos annoyed me with his falling over antics.

And what was with the corner given at the end then blow the whistle just as we are about to take it?

All in all a result I am happy with and said as much before kick off. Would have preferred a 2-2 draw to get the extra away goal but as has already been said, away games have been Real’s Achilles Heel this season.

 

Well, as Ronaldo had the lions share of the ball in a game where RM had the lions share of the ball (61%), I stand by the fact I'm correct in my prediction.

 

Except he didn't, so try again.

Today's papers don't agree with you either:

"Ronaldo came into the away dressing room afterwards to catch up with old friends which would usually have prefaced the jokes about that being as close as United got to him all night. But not this time.

In the first half, Ronaldo was a key threat and on the occasion when United got it wrong, he out-jumped Patrice Evra to head in the equaliser. After the break, United managed to keep him much quieter and, if anything, it was Angel di Maria, on the opposite wing who looked the more dangerous"
The Independent

"Cristiano Ronaldo: His dominant header was a reminder of the remarkable range of his attacking talents, but well-contained after that. 7/10 "
Telegraph

"CRISTIANO RONALDO
THERE was a surge of electricity every time he got the ball.
Gave Rafael hell and put Real level with a magnificent header.
Hit a late 40-yard free-kick inches over. All in all, United coped well as he did not score again.
Rating: 7"
Super Soaraway Sun... 3 Utd players were rated 8 - only the Real goalie was.

 

Watching through Manure tinted glasses? No requirement to try again, just read this......

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...=feeds-newsxml

As we are editing, I'll join in. Ronaldo only socred once, a stat that the Manure fans seem to think is a pointer to a success of some sort, he did a lot of what Messi does. Draws defenders, two and three at a time, giving players like DiMaria et al more time on the ball, little touches here and there. He was extremely effective.

 

But Rooneys job wasn't as a free range attacker like Ronnie was, was it. Simple yet effective spin by the worst of tabloid papers.

It's like saying Carrick didn't score as many as Ronaldo so was crap.

Welbeck and RVP were the front men so I'd expect away from home at the Bernabeu, Rooney to track back and be disciplined in his own half. Now at OT I would say it'll be different

 

Not at all - Mourinho said it was 50 50, but then I guess you, and all the other Daily Mail readers know better than Real's manager ?

Remind me again what valid European or higher level football experience Plymouth Argyle fans bring to bear in this debate?

 

Brilliant. The last futile thrashing of a lost argument. Use the fact I support my local team into it.
Alex Ferguson supports Rangers, but them being a 3rd div team, I suppose you think he knows F all.
I'm not a Mail reader either(I just googled the stats, although the Mail cannot bend the 61:39 ratio of possession, or can they?), so wrong on both counts. But in any case, this delusion of grandeur has been exhibited by manure fans for as long as I remember.

 

Fixed that for you

As for the Daily Mail article, I got as far as "How Ronaldo was given free rein to wreck United..." before I realised that was written by someone with the observation skills of a certain dipper on here. And that's the headline!

Ronaldo had a good game, he hardly "wrecked" United though. His 2nd half performance was more off-the-ball stuff than the 1st half which allowed Di Maria and Özil more time/space on the ball in the United half.
Yes, De Gea stopped Real getting another 3 or 4, but that said United created enough good chances to score 3 or 4 more themselves.

It was far from one way traffic dictated by Ronaldo.

 

The second half was 65-35 in favour of RM. As you (and I) quite rightly said, Ronaldo didn't dictate the game primarily with the ball, he pulled between 2 and 4 players round with him allowing massive pockets for RM to fill. Some can't see anything apart from what happens within 5 yds of the ball, a bit like playground football. Can't be helped I suppose.
As for the mail article, the write up is a little simplistic, but the figures and diagrammatical explanations of Ronaldo's movement and ball possession can't be 'spun'.
I must say RM didn't look good from corners, that is the only way I can see Utd getting anything from the return leg. Home/away makes no difference in this tie.

 

Well if you're only looking at the stats then you might want to address this;

United had more shots on target from open play.

 

You can't take any suitable stat from how RM defended the corners, its not how Manchester attacked, but rather how fragile RM were getting it away.

 

LOL An argument needs two sides - your points are so weak that you dont really qualify. Why don't you answer the question - do you know better than Mourinho?

Jose and Fergie (the big Rangers fan...) thought that overall 50:50 was a fair description, despite it being an way game for MUFC, but you clearly know more than both of these managers - and the majority of the papers/ commentators. As a result, I'm just curious where your massive font of unique knowledge and vision comes from - other than from the Daily Mail that is. Perhaps watching PAFC has given given you unique insights into quality football - can't think why you keep flogging a dead horse otherwise.

Ronnie's touches versus Rooney's are meaningless for the reasons you have already had pointed out to you - they were playing different roles.

Ronaldo drawing up to 4 players all over the pitch in the second half ? That would obviously allow RM to score loads of goals then. Hmm, better get my calculator out to add up all those second half goals they scored. Let's see; I make that none.

" Being ridden like a cheap manc boiler " ... and you are trying to take the moral high ground re the PAFC comment pmsl