Red Rants

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Elements can’t stop United Posted: 18 Dec 2013 11:37 PM PST Manchester United are unquestionably better than Lionel Messi and they proved it last night. For years, the Argentine’s sheer brilliance has been somewhat slightly overshadowed by fans questioning whether he’d have what it takes to do it on a wet night in Stoke, and while that question remains unanswered, United proved that they can indeed negotiate the Britannia Stadium on a cold, windy night in the Potteries. Cheap jokes and two-bob hilarity aside, it was a night when even those who don’t believe in Christmas miracles would have been hard pressed not to believe that, at this time of the year, there’s something special in the air. How else would one explain Ashley Young’s piledriver and Tom Cleverley’s promising performance, not to mention Patrice Evra’s impersonation of the left winger United have desperately missed? We’ve come to accept that, this season, United delight and frustrate in equal measure, but last night they pushed those boundaries a little further. For the first 45 minutes, the main – actually, scrap that, the only – highlight was the fantastic support provided by the traveling Reds, with United’s usual superb away support made even better by the bigger allocation that makes trips in domestic cups such fantastic and eagerly awaited occasions. On the other hand, Stoke’s self-proclaimed “best fans in the league” could only muster a few boos for Ashley Young and a couple of other United players, before embarking on a gloriously cringeworthy rendition of “We only hate Man Utd”, mistakenly presuming that United fans would be flustered by the notion. A positive start saw Young thunder a shot against the side netting after some neat link-up play by Danny Welbeck, who was again deployed up-front on his own, quickly turned into one the worst 45 minutes of football United fans, or for that matter supporters of any other club, had had the misfortune of witnessing this season. With Stoke’s brand new approach they’ve adopted under Mark Hughes remarkably similar  to the dross they dished out throughout the Tony Pulis’ era and United’s midfield crippled by Anderson’s lethargy and Young’s wayward crossing, there was nothing to get excited about in the first half, as the game trudged along until the elements thought well of providing some entertainment. With half an hour gone, the skies opened and the blustery wind and heavy rain that had fallen throughout the day turned into a hail storm of epic proportions that forced Mark Clattenburg to abandon the game for about five minutes, as the players took shelter in the dressing rooms. Except for Jonathan Walters, who wanted everybody to know how big a man he is and stayed out arguing his case, like a child trying to convince his dad that the water pouring down outside isn’t rain, but just somebody who’s left their tap open somewhere. The first half resumed and ended in spectacularly boring fashion, while the away end proceeded to serenade heroes of yesteryear, from Eric to Georgie Best and Roy Keane. Ten minutes into the second half, David Moyes decided that he had had enough of Anderson and finally replaced him with Javier Hernandez, who joined Welbeck up-front, while Phil Jones and Tom Cleverley dropped slightly deeper in midfield, as United adopted a traditional 4-4-2. Cleverley has often received a lot of justified criticism this season – I, for one, have been guilty of such sin multiple times – but tonight the 24-year-old displayed the enterprise and purpose that we thought had gone from his game. Not only did Cleverley always seem to run with a precise plan in his mind, he was also considerably astute in possession and willing to leave the foot into a tackle. Hernandez’s arrival brought a new edge to United’s game and the Reds were ahead within five minutes. Cleverley’s short free kick found Young, who slip the ball to Hernandez before unleashing a thunderous strike that brought the return pass past Thomas Sorensen, while the momentum carried Young into the delirious away fans and, one can only hope, onto better performances in the future. Young needed the goal, while Patrice Evra has developed a strange habit of scoring them for fun this season and United’s captain on the night did not disappoint when, with just over ten minutes to go, he finished a neat passing move by waltzing into Stoke’s box before curling one into the far post with his weaker foot, a la Norman Whiteside. That was as good as it got for United, who will now face Sunderland in the semifinal. Dan Follow @mufc_dan87

Fletcher at his finest Posted: 17 Dec 2013 09:13 AM PST Manchester United's reassuring 3-0 demolition of Aston Villa last weekend was notable for more than just the club's long overdue return to form. It was a game which also marked the return of fan favourite Darren Fletcher, who finally made his long-awaited comeback after 12 months out with a bowel condition. Many had questioned whether he would ever pull on red shirt again. Fletcher's return is a major boost for United. Not only will he bolster the side's struggling midfield and possibly prove a vital player for the latter stages of the Champions League, but will also boost the spirits of a flagging team. As manager David Moyes said after the fixture at Villa Park: “Today was a big message to a lot of people – keep believing. If you are not well then keep believing that you can get yourself right.” Fletcher has quietly dedicated his career to Manchester United with little fanfare or self-promotion, making over 300 appearances, captaining both his club and country and being chosen in the 2009 PFA team of the year. At his best, Fletcher is a buccaneering, driving force in central midfield, a pest of an opponent, who also possesses the happy knack of capping his best performances with significant goals. To celebrate Fletch's return, here are five of his best games in a United shirt. United 3-0 Everton (November 2009, Premier League) Fletcher scored perhaps his finest goal for United in a 3-0 home win against Everton in 2009, executing a perfect waist-high half-volley finish from the edge of the box following an Antonio Valencia knockdown. Not normally associated with great finishing, Fletcher displayed impeccable technique, getting over the ball and directing it into the top corner in a fashion reminiscent of Paul Scholes at his finest. The goal enabled United to run out easy winners against David Moyes' former side. United 4-3 Manchester City (September 2009, Premier League) This game will go down in history as Michael Owen's defining moment in a United shirt, but the real star performer was Fletcher, who scored a smart brace of headers and asserted complete dominance over a strong City midfield. Michael Owen's winner, deep into the six minutes of second half injury time, clinched a 4-3 victory for the Old Trafford side. United 1-0 Chelsea (November 2005, Premier League) Fletcher was one of the players to come under attack from Roy Keane in that infamous MUTV interview in the wake of a 4-1 defeat to Middlesbrough in October 2005. Keane’s words resulted in his hasty dismissal from the club, but Fletcher went from strength to strength, turning in a performance in the club's next league game which the former United captain would have been proud of. He capped it off with a fine back post header, a goal which proved enough to clinch a valuable victory and end Chelsea's 40-game unbeaten run in the process. United 4-0 Arsenal (February 2008, FA Cup 5th round) Another man of the match performance against the highest standard of opposition. United's attack was led by a Wayne Rooney masterclass, but the striker was only able to operate in such clinical fashion with the knowledge that he had Fletcher at his most feisty and combative behind him. Up against Cesc Fabregas and Gilberto Silva in the centre of midfield, the Scotsman was in imperious form and successfully negated Arsenal's influence as an attacking force. His performance got the goal it deserved in the 74th minute, when he nodded in a perfect Nani cross at the far post to make it 4-0. United 4-0 AC Milan (March 2010, UEFA Champions League) The combined attacking threat of Ronaldinho, Andrea Pirlo and returning former Old Trafford hero David Beckham was nullified almost singlehandedly by a fired-up Fletcher in this match, one of United's most emphatic European wins in recent years. In typical Fletcher style, he capped off his fine display with an excellent diving reader from a Rafael cross.

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