Tom (@Tom_McGhee):

Worst. European. Game. Ever

Cowardly tactics, betraying the United tradition.

Stone-Age formation.

£300K a week for Rooney? Disgraceful gamesmanship.

Not that warm.

.

Ben (Benglorious):

Best. European. Game. Ever!!!

The tactics were spot on, befitting our underdog status and getting us a tidy result.

Moyes’ formation choice was excellent, forcing the Germans out wide to be comfortably dealt with by Büttner and Jones.

Rooney was immense!! I’d pay him £300k A DAY purely for getting that plain-faced obersturmführer sent off.

It may have been a bit chilly at Old Trafford, but you could feel the heeeeeaaaTTTT from the atmosphere, even from home.

.

Brett:

Like no one ever says: the best form of defence is defence. The site of Phil Jones chucking himself about like a child on the back fields was a beautiful thing. Even Buttner didn’t do too good, which is a massive improvement from him. Vidic was almost Vidic-y, and scored a quite magnificent Chicha. And we all know about Dave and his ability to rhyme with what he does bestest. Well. Done. All.* *Let’s pretend Rio didn’t play.

As for the rest of ‘em: they all played their part. Defending from the front, wing, Bayern’s area, and the bench. Still expect more from Rooney in these games, but maybe I should remember that I’d decided to start expecting less, so I could be happier with him. Fellaini didn’t do too good, which for him is a massive improvement.

Interestingly, as in not interesting at all, but you’re reading this, so I’m guessing by now you’re used to that on here: I was speaking to someone who loves Shinji Kagawa to bits, and yet hates Danny to smithereens. Imagine that. What a messed up individual. That’s like loving love, yet hating … no, that doesn’t work. Tis an oxymoron.

We are more powerful than they can possibly imagine … occasionally.

About the author: Someone asked me if my prediction in the last game was a true story … I enjoyed a very cordial conversation with everyone in my local, amongst friends, as I always do.

We’re a weird and fickle bunch aren’t we? and by ‘we’, I don’t mean ‘us’, I mean ‘you lot’, not ‘me’. The point I was making in my pre-match thing-me-bob rang true. Fans want everything, all the time and they’re not happy unless they’ve got it, unless they win in the last minute. When they’ve got it, they don’t appreciate it.

I’m not suggesting we’re playing brilliantly, but there wasn’t really an awful lot wrong with that performance to my mind. Okay, Vidic and Buttner were poor, but they’re both standards. In possession we were snappy with our passes in the first half and when we went 0-1 up, thanks to a scorcher from Cleverley, I thought we were going to walk it. Unfortunately, individual errors in picking up and marking let them back in to it and then similarly for the second. Not similarly, actually identically. Then came the inevitable shut up shop/hit them on the break tactics that any team in West Ham’s situation would engage in. We weren’t that bad. Maybe I was watching a different game? Anyway, there’s more important stuff to talk about…

I can’t believe I’ve come this far without mentioning it. It was literally unbelievable. That first touch was an anomaly in the space time continuum, the second couldn’t have been any other kind of touch and then the finish, with his swinger(!), UNBELIEVABLE! (Giggsy’s assist not half bad either.)

The magic of the FA Cup. SWEET DRVPMS <3

MOTM: RVP (duh!)

Iwan (@IwanLehnert):

To be honest, even if tonight is our second consecutive Champions League dead rubber, I’m still finding myself looking forward to it. Not a particularly bold statement, I know. Football fans tend to look forward to watching football matches with their football team playing football. In this case, it’s another chance to see players who haven’t got many minutes under their belt get another needed run-out. This means that the likes of Jones, Smalling, Buttner and maybe Fletcher all get a game and increase their fitness ahead of that lovely Christmas period. Considering that City graciously bowed out of all European competition last night, giving them a nice clear run at defending their league title baring any FA Cup aspirations, we can’t overlook the importance of having a fit squad that can be rotated. Yes, City have been poor in Europe, but you’d be a mug to write them off for the league based purely on that. Staying on top will only get more difficult if City don’t have Europe to distract them. Even if Chelsea have slipped dramatically off the pace recently, it’s hardly a great thing for United if they also bow out of the Champions League so early, either. So the key for tonight is looking at players that need fitness and resisting the temptation to throw reserve players in that won’t be of much use to the squad come May.

That night in Basle still feels savagely raw even twelve months on. Without question, it was a terrible night, and whilst the performances haven’t been quite as commanding in response to last year’s shambolic European campaign, at least the results have improved. I don’t think we’re striking fear into anyone’s heart with our defence the way it is, but at the very least, we’re scoring lots of nice goals and winning more often than not. It’s very much a case of taking the rough with the smooth for United at the moment, but let’s just take stock of our current position; three points clear at the top of the league with the derby on Sunday and already through to the Champions League knockout stages having been knocked out of the last 16 of that Godless backup competition by a team currently ranked 14^th in La Liga. I’ll leave it at that, shall I?

Prediction: 2-1  Probably concede first, Rooney to orchestrate a response. Cluj are fighting for qualification against Galatasaray, and they’ll produce a performance or my middle name isn’t John (and it is).

Hopes: Buttner gives a solid performance, Smalling and Jones remember how good they are

Brett:

I’m sticking with what I said last game – we’re through, so I’m just going to enjoy that situation without getting too caught up in what result may come. No terrible brain “jokes” you’ll be pleased to hear – but may aswell re-use the picture.

Prediction: 2-1

Goals: O.g, Danny

Well, the residual tensions from Sunday were all but consigned to the distant memory banks by the sheer amazingness of this game. Unfortunately, claims of comments aimed at Danny will again elbow their way way into the headlines – as has to happen if football is taking tackling racism seriously.

The game…

After Giggsy’s outrageous (in a bad way) display against Braga, we get something nearing super-human: HE’S 39 YEARS OLD! I don’t mean that rude. What a performance, what a finish, what a penalty, what what. Also on the amazingnessness news front Chicha’s finish was outstanding – he’s coming back and how.

Do you like good news? Cus there’s more…

The yoof by and large did well (not you Buttner). Anderson had a game to put a temporary silencer on his (largely unfair) critics. Fletcher came through another test on his long and winding road back to fitness. AND Ka-Powell looks like eveything I want him to be.

We (as David said in message to me – his words not mine) were rather awesome.

It still sucks that we’re out, but there was no way Chelsea were going to take two defeats in a week from us, and so was unsurprising to see them play a relatively strong team and bring on stronger players as the game went on. Like I said

Do you like bad news? No, neither do I, so I’ll keep it short…

Nani is leaving United soon

Can’t wait for the Arsenal game, going behind early, and scoring shedloads of goals more than them.

MOTM: Giggsy, OBV.

We were pregnant with the future – the future is bright.

]]> https://bifurcated.co.uk/manchester-united-chitty-chatty/bi-a-click-of-paint/halloween-special-manchestaarrghhh-unighted/feed 0 https://bifurcated.co.uk/manchester-united-chitty-chatty/reaction/united-3-2-braga-2 https://bifurcated.co.uk/manchester-united-chitty-chatty/reaction/united-3-2-braga-2#comments Wed, 24 Oct 2012 14:37:08 +0000 http://bifurcated.co.uk/?p=7791 We’re inviting some of our Twitter friends to share some of their ‘Pre’ and ‘Post Match’ thoughts with us from now on. You can still enjoy my nonsensical, confusing punctuation buffets, below their personal views on the game…

Iwan: (@Iwanlehnert)

That was probably as routine as a come-from-behind victory gets, to be honest. Braga started positively and took advantage of some shocking (now standard) defending, scored two goals, and then we started playing. To be honest, I can’t admit to being humongously worried at 0-2, because I was pretty confident that chances would come. At the minute, we’re blessed with such quality going forward that we’re going to create opportunities; it’s just simply a case of who is lucky enough to get on the end of them. As arrogant as that sounds, there’s a lot of weight behind it considering that our goals-to-game ratio is over 2:1 at the minute. Even better that one of the most enthusiastic and hard-working players I’ve ever seen scored twice.

I’ll admit it, I was genuinely worried that Hernandez was going to end up surplus to requirements once Van Persie arrived in the summer, and that he’d get frozen out like…..wait, what’s his name…..Beebop? Last night doesn’t suddenly propel him into the status of an immediate starter, but much like he did two years ago, Hernandez has shown that if presented with a decent chance, he’ll score. His positional play is nothing short of awesome, and he’s probably the best natural finisher at the club. Welbeck, as good as he has been, has been guilty of spurning some decent chances this season, and on a night where we had to come from behind for the umpteenth time, that sort of lethal edge is priceless. Of course, if Cleverley can cross like that consistently then we’ll be laughing after every match. Thing of beauty, it was.

There was a worry that Ferguson was already looking beyond Braga by taking Ferdinand and Evra out of the starting XI and potentially weakening the team, and it almost backfired terribly. Still, criticising our defending is like kicking a table; anyone can do it, it’s pointless and it doesn’t seem to make a bloody bit of difference how ever many times you do it, no one pays any attention. They need to sharpen up, and the boss knows it. We won’t beat better teams in this competition if we decide to gift them a two goal advantage, and the boss knows that too. Chelsea are up next and unless we desperately want to slip seven points off the pace, we need to buckle up from the first minute. I’m still waiting to see a fix for this issue like the rest of you, and I’m hoping it comes soon. The way our forwards are playing at the minute just makes things seem a little brighter though, eh?

Moment of the night: Hernandez’s winner, swiftly followed by repeated use of the word ‘Gaffer’ in the post-match ITV interview. He is, quite simply, the most endearing human being alive

Brett:

I got over my existential crisis fairly quickly in the end – such is the nature of talking a lot of nonsense for what sometimes seems like the sake of it (What?!). If anyone sees me tweeting during games please do something – a couple of levels down from shooting me – like, call me a name, or something. I promised myself I wouldn’t do it. I’m really bad at it; a) my internet connection is terrible and b) It’s distracting from what’s actually going on. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy seeing what other’s have to say, especially the silly things, but I end up not watching the game. What’s the use in that?!

I’ve not felt so comfortable during a game when we’re trailing 0-2 in a long, long time – I just couldn’t see us not coming back into it. I didn’t feel like we were playing awful – Kagawa aside – and was relatively pleased with much of what I saw. Braga are no mugs, Carrick is no defender and Wootton and Booottner are not experienced, so it stands to reason bad things will happen. They did. We got over it. Get over it.

Was great to see Chicha getting amongst the goals and more importantly showing that tenacity (and getting the break of the ball) that seemed to have deserted him recently. Very brilliant in fact. Was also great to see Rooney looking a little bit more like what we expect. Still a way to go, but I feel the signs are good there. RVP is wonderful. Fletcher is plateuxing

MOTM: Giggsy – For his 12 seconds of  mentalness, the like of which will never be seen again, nor should be. BUT extraordinary all the same, and when do you take me seriously anyway?

“Smile, it might never happen.”