What an eventful week with Foster being flung into the first xi with the injury to Van Der sar and the suspension to Kuszack, it was meant to be an easy game for the 24 year old. Not so as Derby raised their game against United by 100% compared to the humiliating defeat against Chelsea in mid week. Foster played superb and although he has been quoted that he still expects a loan move, he really will have given Fergie a good problem with the title run in reaching its conclusion. To have the confidence, shot stopping ability and positioning as he did on Saturday for someone who has been out for eight months is top class and I’d like to think that he might be given a chance over the next few games.
So we get Roma again – admit Internet and pub rumours of the draw being rigged – and miss out on playing an English side. To be honest, i’m not too bothered as to who we play – I come from the school of thought that if you’re good enough you want to play the best. Sure you can get lucky, but then there is always the flip side of that you can become unlucky (1997 and 2002 spring to mind). Roma is a good draw but they are a good team – make not illusions this is a tough match and United will have to be on top gear to beat a side who disposed of Milan 2-1 on Sunday.
Lastly, we look forward to Liverpool who have been in a good run of form lately. Their last five results show a massive improvement on the side that were dumped out of the FA Cup by Barnsley:
Liverpool 2-1 Reading
Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool (& the referee)
Liverpool 3-0 Newcastle
Liverpool 4-0 West Ham
Bolton 1-3 Liverpool
It makes for impressive reading and United will have to be cautious against a side who have obviously been lifted by having the pressure of competing in a number of competitions taken away from them. They have had good results recently but so have United and in Ronaldo, Tevez, Rooney and Anderson they have the four brightest young talents in Europe. Sure Torres is brilliant – we tried to sign him around seven times if you believe what you read – but Ferdinand tends to have his better games against fast quick strikers than he would do against a strong aggressive centre forward. He had the upper hand at Anfield and hopefully he will do at Old Trafford.
Massive game Sunday (obviously not forgetting the vitally important game against Bolton on Wednesday) and United will want a good win before watching Arsenal take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, a game in which, if United beat Liverpool, could be quite enjoyable for United supporters.
Good blog mate – you’ve pretty much nailed everything.
The one thing I’d disagree with (not particularly with the blog but with a general United fan view), I don’t particularly see the Roma game as a good draw for us.
We overcome the same tie last season at this stage with ultimate ease and in reality, the group stages this season posed us with few problems, but the major issue here is with the “ultras” and the potential for more trouble. In this kind of tie, the result is a secondary issue, Roma, alongside Liverpool, is the one tie I would have ideally avoided when considering these circumstances.
I’m casting my mind back to 1994/95 when we drew Galatasarary again, in the group stages, and everything was geared to “Welcome to Istanbul”.
Your blog, in fairness, is based on the football side though and that’s what I’ll focus the rest of my post on..!! Player for player it would be hard to argue that Roma are better than us – I would say that about any team in Europe at the minute – but then it’s all on the players to produce.
There will be no 7-1, so I hope the rest of the crowd realises that.
Nice observations about Torres too. I have to concede that he’s playing brilliantly at the minute, admittedly he’s not had any consistent major tests that he has produced in, and I hope he waits for the Arsenal 3piece to start.