Manchester United Blog | The Stretty Rant

After we brushed aside a rather naive looking Arsenal in the 3-1 victory in January, I honestly thought there would be no way back for Arsenal. Combine that with a 2-0 defeat at the hands of league leaders Chelsea the following week, I smugly presumed that my prediction from the week before was highly accurate. Fast forward a month and Arsenal are two points behind United and three points behind Chelsea, whilst it appears that the Gunners have an easier run in than both United and Chelsea. So I lay it down to you, are Arsenal serious contenders for the title? Or will they fall at the wayside as they have done in the last few seasons?

Continue reading Are Arsenal now a serious contender for the title?

Tweet This Post

If you’re a regular reader of this blog or our forum then you’ll know nothing gets my goat quite like an idiot journalist; following our recent exhibition at the Emirates I wasn’t surprised to see people concentrate more on Arsenal than United. I was surprised how quickly they would forget however and how quickly said exhibition would be translated by a journalist on Football365.com as a “one dimensional”, “counter attack” philosophy.

Continue reading F365 re-writes United victory against Arsenal

Tweet This Post

You’ve seen it before – a right sided player is jockeyed by two players, he performs a ludicrous Cruyff before wrong footing the opposing player and delivers a cross to the far post, which is bundled in by the out of sorts keeper. Garrincha I hear you say? Or perhaps Luis Figo? Nope – Luis Nani today showed the whole world his quality, determination and class by putting on a mesmerising show at the Emirates today.

Continue reading Luis Nani is finally starting to live up to his potential

Tweet This Post

In a carbon copy of last season’s Champions League tie at the Emirates – almost down to the goals and the style they were scored – Manchester United destroyed Arsenal in a performance that demonstrated the difference in class between the Champions and the pretenders.

Continue reading Arsenal 1-3 Manchester United Match Report

Tweet This Post

Where are United headed; are our players really that bad compared to Liverpools and Arsenals?

Everyone has said Chelsea are unstoppable and once again waxed lyrical about Arsenal and wrote off United. United have underachieved but are still arguably in a stronger position than this time last year. Yet again, the knives are out, and the idiot fans are in their droves to tell us that these United players have no talent and Liverpool’s and Arsenal’s are suddenly better. This is a Manchester United crisis that has yet to see us sink to the trophyless days of those two clubs.

Is it that United were so incredibly underrated despite their incredible success in the last few years that we now are panned for only performing a bit better instead of comprehensively better than our rivals in Red?

Continue reading Crisis at Manchester United? It could be worse….

Tweet This Post

It’s been quite a week – if anyone had told you back in May that in December you would be celebrating a Michael Owen hat-trick in Germany for the club and that Sir Alex Ferguson would describe the possibility of playing Michael Carrick at centre back against Villa as “good news” you would have either carted them off to the loony bin or checked their pockets for a copy of  Grays Sports Almanac.

Continue reading Defeat hailed better than victory – ask the British press

Tweet This Post

Former United captain and current Ipswich manager Roy Keane has defended Emmanuel Adebayor after his controversial celebration in front of Arsenal fans on Saturday.  The £25 Million striker was slated for kicking out at Robin Van Persie and running the whole length of the pitch to show his delight at scoring against his former employers – which happened to be in front of the Arsenal faithful.  However, United legend Keane – who is never short of a controversial remark – has defended the striker.

Continue reading Former Red legend defends City striker

Tweet This Post

Manchester United centurion Wayne Rooney has shrugged off the claims from Arsenal fans that he was on his way down already before contact from Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia in the 2-1 victory over the Gunners last Saturday. Rooney scored from the resulting penalty – which brought United back into the game.

Continue reading Rooney: I didn’t dive against Arsenal

Tweet This Post

United and Arsenal have had some fantastic contests throughout the years – with United putting in an exhilarating performance against Arsenal in the 3-1 victory in May. However, Sir Alex Ferguson believes that Arsenal have got the ‘biggest test’ in 2009/10 due to the fact that the club is apparently ’strapped for cash’. Fergie’s comments come after striker Emmanuel Adebayor left the club for Manchester City this week.
Continue reading Ferguson believes Arsenal have it all to do

Tweet This Post

You may also find these links interesting:

• Match Thread
• United lineup
• 08/09 season statistics so far
• Follow Stretford-End on Twitter

Manchester United claimed their 3rd successive Premier League trophy, and 18th overall, becoming the first club to ever win it three times in a row twice.

They went into the game with Arsenal knowing a point would mathematically ensure the championship and a point is exactly what they came away in an ultimately underwhelming game – somewhat of an anti-climax rather than the swaggering confident display that would have befitted the occasion.

In truth though the visitors were never going to lie down, especially after two very recent humiliations at the hands of their opponents still very alive in the memory. United played as if they had one eye already on the celebrations planned for the end of the game and never seriously threatened to score.

Cristiano Ronaldo made an early break but decided to cross rather than shoot – and aside from a perfectly good goal scored by Ji Sung Park that was wrongly disallowed for offside, the Champions in waiting didn’t even get a shot on target – the closest either side came to a goal was a Fabregas effort in the dying stages that clipped the outside of van der Sar’s post.

Carlos Tevez started, but was substituted for Park, and appeared to wave goodbye to 76,000 adoring fans who immediately chanted “Fergie, sign him up”.

It would be impossible to argue with Sir Alex’s judgement however as this latest success is just another chapter in the ongoing career of unquestionably the greatest manager the sport has seen. United have the welcome opportunity of 10 days almost solid preparation for the Champions League final against Barcelona – a success would make it four trophies for the season, eclipsing even that wonderful achievement in 1999.

In winning the league Sir Alex made it 24 major honours in 19 years, while Ryan Giggs extended his record as the most successful player in the domestic game with his 11th Premier League title and 22nd major trophy. But, in true Manchester United spirit, neither are ready to rest on their laurels just yet, and it this attitude that will hopefully see them get Ferguson’s 25 major trophy in 10 days time.

Source: (Yolkie)

Tweet This Post