United vs Real
We’re inviting our Twitter friends, and now resident thought sharer Iwan Lehnert, to share some of their ‘Pre and Post Match’ thoughts with us from now on. If you want to share, get in touch! You can still enjoy my nonsensical, confusing, punctuation buffets below their proper good ones…
Iwan (@IwanLehnert):
To be honest, I can’t call it. Honestly can’t. We’ve not lost a game in any competition since November, we’re looking solid, clinical and we look capable of getting a result against anyone. The manager wants one more European Cup before he retires, you can just sense it. On the other hand, Real just beat Barcelona twice in four days, and being so far behind in La Liga they have a nice clear run at that tenth European Cup. Ronaldo left us to win trophies like this elsewhere. Mourinho was hired to win it.
So, you pick one. I can’t. It’ll all come down to who wants it more. And there lies the turning point. Now I’m not suggesting for a second that our players don’t want to win, and aren’t desperate to make a big statement in this competition, but I think Real might just be a touch more desperate for it. Their league season realistically ended some time ago, and I can’t see Barcelona dropping 13 points before the end of May. They define themselves by the European Cup, and haven’t won it in 11 years. If the Premier League is our trophy, then this is Real’s.
The thing is our season won’t end depending on events tomorrow night. We still have a healthy lead over City and a home tie in the FA Cup coming up, whilst Real will be left with a tricky Copa Del Rey final against Atletico as their only consolation should they lose. I just I can’t help but feel that Real have more to lose tonight. That can work both ways; it’s either going to suffocate them and let us play with confidence, or make them exceptionally deadly.
I also don’t buy into everyone saying that the two victories over Barcelona aren’t important. Course they are. You beat the best club side in the world twice in the space of a week, it’ll raise your spirits. That’s just common sense, surely. I’m not saying that Real will swagger into Old Trafford and expect to win, but if we’d come up against City twice in such a short space of time and come out on top on both occasions, then we’d be feeling good about ourselves, for sure. Let’s not suggest that the Barcelona results will not have had a positive effect on Real in some form, because they will have. The mere fact that they were able to win 1-3 at the Nou Camp with that brutal counter-attacking display will have given them encouragement, and it won’t be the mother of all shocks if they do the same tonight.
At the risk of getting stuck writing a never-ending paragraph mulling over the line-up and the endless combinations and possibilities, let’s just say that if anything can get us through tonight, it’ll be the team spirit. It really feels we’ve got a group that wants to stick together and work hard for each other, and after last season, it’s a huge comfort. If the defence is leaking goals, then we’ll score more. If we’re keeping things tight at the back, then we’ll make sure we get a result. The attitude in the squad just seems so determined since the turn of the year, and they seem comfortable in the knowledge that they’re on the verge of a massive season. It’s in their hands. The attitude in the league has been spot on, and if that transfers itself to Europe, then we can beat anyone on our day.
It’s impossible to ignore Ronaldo’s return, Mourinho’s presence and the sheer magnitude of the tie. Our advantage is barely an advantage at all, and we know that we have to go out and beat one of the best teams in the world if we want to progress. For the next how-ever many hours, I’m going to be a ball of nerves, excitement, making up as many scenarios and outcomes as I can before my brain inevitably explodes. Up until 7:45pm.
I’m not normally one to make big statements like this, but as football fans, you like for nights like this. See you on the other side.
Brett:
I do wish we could all keep the confident talk of us winning the Champions League down?! If the footy gods get wind of it, we’re toast! As a seasoned expector of good things to happen, I have come to accept that good things tend to happen when the masses least expect them, or at least that’s one theory – the theory that I haven’t got a clue what I’m talking about tends to take precedence over most others.
In the game that most people – United fans included – gave us little chance in, the perception is that we’ve managed to nudge our noses in front, but personally I think the away team can only really be considered in the driving seat with at least two goals under their belt. The second Real score – and we have to be pretty sure they will – they’re favourites; unless we’re already four up, in the last minute, with them down to nine men, with Ronaldo no longer on the field.
I can’t imagine Danny’s going to be playing from the start in the second, which makes me a bit sad. But hey it’s not all about me. Besides, he can come on and score and be an even bigger hero – isn’t that right Danny?! (He’s definitely reading this.) With our family of disfunctional wingers, we could certainly do worse right now, and even though I haven’t got a clue whether we’ll be going narrow or traditional, I think Fergie would opt for Ashley Young and TV if we were to be lining up as the latter. With Fergie’s previous to go on, Nani could provide the wild card.
I’ve just dragged myself into predicting the team again, a wholy unhealthy pastime. So, let’s just get it out the way. I’d go 4-4-2 (4-5-1): David; Raf, Rio, Jonny, Evra; Carrick, Cleverley, Giggsy, TV; Rooney, RVP (Though I don’t think there is any chance this team will happen.). It’s a testament to the squad that any number of line-ups and personnel would be relatively welcome. The news Phil Jones isn’t fit to start doesn’t upset me personally, I much prefer Cleverley in there, despite Phil Jones’ display at Real. I’m backing Rafael to take the game to them down the right, unlike he did in the first half in the first leg. If Giggsy starts I think I’ll smile forever, or at least till kick off (Actually, using Giggsy, as I think Fergie will, as a tool to lift the crowd from the bench, is by far the best policy).
I’ve been really enjoying the ongoing emotive mind games Fergie’s playing with Ronaldo. Speculation of him returning and talk of him coming home make for a highly emotionally charged Ronaldo – maybe a Ronaldo who can’t find it within himself to hammer the nail in our CL coffin, should the opportunity present itself. He’s pretty intensely self-interested, but I think it’s unfair to suggest that that’s all he is. He does have feelings for the club and Fergie and there’s nowt wrong with exploiting them, if it offers you a potential advantage* * This rule does not necessarily apply to real life – check the notes on context in your user manual.
I’m really, really excited – the nerves have been shredding for the past week.
Prediction: 2-1
Goals: RVP and Danny
