TBMU: March 2014

Monday, 31 March 2014

Red Rants

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 12:17 AM PDT

Alex Buttner has claimed he can’t wait to face Bayern Munich to come up against Arjen Robben in what will be the biggest game of his – Buttner’s not Robben’s – career. Unlike the majority of Reds who are absolutely terrified by the thought of Buttner taking on one of the best wingers in the world, the 25-year-old Dutchman was a man full of confidence as he spoke ahead of tomorrow’s night game.

Buttner was handed rare starts against West Ham and Aston Villa, as David Moyes opted to give the Dutchman some much needed time on the pitch ahead of Bayern’s visit and the former Vitesse defender claims he’s reaped the benefits of playing more regularly and he’s now ready to face Robben.

“I’m looking forward to playing against Bayern,” Buttner told the Daily Mirror. “I’ve played two games now and I’m starting to get a good feeling, because I thought I played well against West Ham and Aston Villa.

“It’s a big game on Tuesday, but it’s a chance for me to show what I can do. It’s been vital for me to get the two matches, because it would have been difficult not to play and that to have to face a big game like Bayern.

“I probably still need a bit more, but two games should be okay. After that I hope I can get even more matches.

“I feel confident about playing them. I know what Arjen Robben can do and I’m ready for him. I’ve watched him so I know how he plays.

“I’ve never played against him before and I haven’t watched videos or anything like that to study him, but I know enough from what I’ve seen to know how he plays the game.

“He’s very good one-against-one, especially when he comes inside. I have to focus on that game and be confident in my own quality. I know I can get the better of him.

“It’s not under discussion how good he is, we all know that. But this kind of big game is why you play football. It’s what it’s all about.”

The Dutchman admitted that Patrice Evra has been a hugely influential figure during his stay at Old Trafford and Buttner revealed that the French full-back offered a couple of words of advice ahead of Tuesday night.

“I don’t know if people saw it, but before the game Patrice spoke with me for about five minutes,” explained Buttner. “He helped me a lot – It’s not like he was hoping I wouldn’t do well. He helps me every day and I appreciate that.

“He’s been in football for many years and I’ve only been here for two years. In England it’s difficult football and he’s helped me a lot. I’m ready.”

Well, one can only hope he really is ready.

Video: Bayern battles

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 02:28 AM PDT

Watch action from United's previous clashes with the German giants.

Büttner ready to play his part

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 01:53 AM PDT

United's Dutch defender is confident of helping the Reds stop Bayern Munich at OT.

Fletcher: Bring on Bayern

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 01:50 AM PDT

Darren Fletcher says the players will be well up for Bayern Munich's visit to Old Trafford on Tuesday.

Jones plots Bayern downfall

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 01:22 AM PDT

Phil Jones says United will work on how to beat strong favourites Bayern Munich.

Loans: Powell's late joy

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 03:43 AM PDT

Nick Powell scored his 12th goal of the season to earn a point for Wigan at Bolton.

Moyes prepared for Bayern test

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 02:00 AM PDT

David Moyes is out to exploit any weaknesses in Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich side.

Premier League 2014-03-29

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 05:03 PM PDT

Premier League 2014-03-29 (Year month date)

Silva, Arsenal - Manchester City

Crystal Palace - Chelsea

720p Motd Highlights Only : 301MB : [DepositFile]

Arsenal - Manchester City

720p Motd Highlights Only : 271MB : [DepositFile]

Manchester United - Aston Villa

720p Motd Highlights Only : 214MB : [DepositFile]

Southampton - Newcastle

720p Motd Highlights Only : 165MB : [DepositFile]

Stoke - Hull

720p Motd Highlights Only : 147MB : [DepositFile]

Swansea - Norwich

720p Motd Highlights Only : 185MB : [DepositFile]

WBA - Cardiff

720p Motd Highlights Only : 258MB : [DepositFile]

Bayern have weaknesses, believes Moyes

Bayern have weaknesses, believes Moyes
UEFA Champions League: Man United v Bayern
Mata deserving of goal, says manager Moyes
Robben: Bayern ready to dominate in Europe
Lambert absolves Benteke of blame in United loss

Bayern have weaknesses, believes Moyes

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 08:39 AM PDT

United host Bayern in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday, but know they are in for a tough task. The Bavarian giants have not lost in the league this season, culminating in their 24th German title, sealed in Berlin on Tuesday. The defending European champions last lost a game in December but according to Moyes, who is well aware of Bayerns quality - they do have weak areas. Moyes told Uniteds official website: When we drew them, I felt wed drawn probably the best team in Europe at this present time. I think most people would agree with thatMunich are a little bit of a class above the other teams, including Borussia Dortmund. We have got a really tough game and know exactly what we are going to get but well try to exploit little bits of weaknesses they have got. Bayern have only got stronger under new coach Pep Guardiola this season, with the teams style of play evolving significantly. Guardiolas men, who enjoy large spells of possession and control, had more than 1,000 passes in the 3-1 win at Hertha Berlin that sealed their latest Bundesliga title. Moyes feels that the Spaniard has benefited greatly from an extended break before taking the Bayern job. Pep has taken over a really good team and added a bit himself with his own style. They have already won the Bundesliga quite comfortably so the focus is on the Champions League now, he added. Its been different (for Guardiola). I am sure he had done a lot of homework and had a years preparation before taking the job in Munich. He learnt German, watched the games and learned a lot about the players.

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UEFA Champions League: Man United v Bayern

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 08:33 AM PDT

The two sides, champions in their domestic leagues last season, have experienced drastically contrasting fortunes this time around, with many tipping the German giants to be far too strong for their faltering opponents over two legs. Bayern come into Tuesday's first leg at Old Trafford on the back of a 3-3 draw against Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga on Saturday, only the third time this season that Pep Guardiola's men have dropped points in the league. Having already clinched the Bundesliga with a 2-1 win at Hertha Berlin last Tuesday, Guardiola rested several key players on Saturday as Bayern shift their focus to defending their continental crown. A host of first-team regulars started on the bench, including the likes of Thomas Muller, Phillip Lahm and Arjen Robben, although Lahm was introduced after 25 minutes when Thiago Alcantara had to be withdrawn after suffering a knee ligament tear which will keep the Spaniard out for six to eight weeks. On the other hand, United have followed romping to the Premier League title by 11 points last term with a season of struggle under new manager David Moyes as they enter a new era following Alex Ferguson's retirement. Ferguson famously oversaw United's incredible comeback in the 1999 Champions League final, when stoppage-time strikes from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer broke Bayern hearts, and the competition has been a rare source of comfort for Moyes in an otherwise disappointing campaign. Sitting 10 points adrift of the Premier League's top four with only six games remaining, United's best chance of securing a place at Europe's top table next season looks to be by winning the title, although they will start this tie as underdogs. They produced a stirring comeback in the round of 16, losing 2-0 to Olympiacos in Greece before Robin van Persie's hat-trick turned the tie around at Old Trafford. However, the Dutchman will miss out against Bayern due to a knee injury suffered in that win, with Moyes also facing a shortage at right back in Chris Smalling (hamstring), Rafael da Silva (knock) and Antonio Valencia's (knee) collective absence. Both sides will be forced to manage without first-choice selections in the backline, with United's Patrice Evra and Bayern'sDante serving one-match suspensions. Moyes' men have won all of their home games in this year's competition, but that record will be severely tested against a Munich side that has not lost away from home in the Champions League since October 2012. Bayern overcame English opposition in the last round, beating Arsenal 3-1 on aggregate and also knocked United out on their way to the 2010 final at the same stage they meet this year.

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Mata deserving of goal, says manager Moyes

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 12:27 AM PDT

United came from behind to defeat Paul Lambert's men at Old Trafford on Saturday, with Mata drawing the foul from Leandro Bacuna for Wayne Rooney to put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot, before the ex-Chelsea man slotted home his side's third goal. It was the Spaniard's first for United after agreeing a club-record £37.1 million deal in January. Moyes said Mata's goal has been a long time coming, and paid tribute to the 25-year-old for making a positive contribution on the team. "He's deserved it, his play has been very good, he's made a difference to the team he's helped the team," he said. "Goals were one of the reasons we bought him, he's always scored goals, he's got a very good goalscoring record. "I think he was probably feeling it a little bit, he missed a chance in midweek, missed two good chances against West Ham, so I think there have been signs, the opportunities have been coming for him to score goals. "But whenever he's played he's made a difference and done very well for us."

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Robben: Bayern ready to dominate in Europe

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 11:00 PM PDT

Pep Guardiolas men became the earliest Bundesliga champions when they sealed the clubs 24th league title on Tuesday. Robben said there were few celebrations in the dressing room, with players focused on claiming back-to-back UEFA Champions League crowns. The Netherlands international said Bayern had improved under Guardiola, who is in his first season in charge, and their dominance is almost certain to continue. Guardiola has turned us into the most dominant team in Europe. We have made another giant step as a team this season, Robben said. We are more dominant than we have been. From the very first minute we put massive pressure on our opponents and are capable of keeping the ball and putting them under pressure for the full 90 minutes. Guardiola is very demanding. He asks a lot from his players. Every day it is so intense, but I love that. Our playing style is even more attacking than last year. Then we used to play compact, and we let the other team come into our half sometimes, so we could hit them with the counter-attack. But this manager is tactically so strong. He is always pointing out where we can find the space to get one-on-one situations. He teaches us to make quick sprints and runs without the ball. Such has been their dominance, Bayern are favourites for the Champions League title and face Manchester United in the quarter-finals starting Tuesday. Robben said it was in Europe that his side wanted to impress the most. No team can have stroll to the final. We are facing Manchester United, a big name in world football, but we are razor sharp, he said. Our football is phenomenal and we want to show that more than anywhere in the Champions League. Playing United is the sort of thing that really gets the best out of me. We won the German league last week, but we were not even bothered about that. Nobody in the dressing room was talking about it. We knew ages ago we would win the title.

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Lambert absolves Benteke of blame in United loss

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 09:37 AM PDT

Wayne Rooney's double before half-time cancelled out Ashley Westwood's early free-kick as United responded well to a week that saw them thrashed 3-0 by Manchester City. However, Benteke passed up two gilt-edged chances to get Villa back on level terms just after the interval, and those misses would come back to haunt the Belgian as Juan Mata netted his first goal for United to give them a two-goal cushion. Javier Hernandez added gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time to consign Villa to their heaviest away defeat of the season. But Lambert absolved his star striker of any culpability for the result, hailing Benteke's previous sterling service for the club instead. The Scot said: "After the restart we had some fantastic chances and they fell to the big lad who's normally lethal from that distance. "But I can't be too critical of Christian because he has scored some vital goals for us in the last 18 months and he'll continue to do so. "He was in the position to score the goals, he might have had a penalty, and he'll come back stronger."

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Mike Keegan: Fans inside Old Trafford doing United proud

Mike Keegan: Fans inside Old Trafford doing United proud
United 4 Aston Villa 1: What the papers say
Arsenal 1 City 1: What the papers say
Pellegrini: Title race is in City's hands
Moyes: United can exploit Bayern's weaknesses
United facing Bayern injury crisis
Arsenal 1 City 1: Five things we learned

Mike Keegan: Fans inside Old Trafford doing United proud

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 07:06 AM PDT

Social media may have been awash with talk of a revolt against David Moyes on Saturday, but match-going supporters continued to do what they do best.

United 4 Aston Villa 1: What the papers say

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 06:29 AM PDT

Check out our round-up of what the national newspapers thought of the Reds' convincing victory over Paul Lambert's side at Old Trafford.

Arsenal 1 City 1: What the papers say

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 06:29 AM PDT

Check out our round-up of what the national newspapers thought of the Blues' hard-fought draw with Arsene Wenger's men at the Emirates Stadium.

Pellegrini: Title race is in City's hands

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 05:22 AM PDT

Arsenal dented the Blues' push for Premier League glory as they salvaged a draw at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday but Manuel Pellegrini remains confident.

Moyes: United can exploit Bayern's weaknesses

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 05:11 AM PDT

Pep Guardiola's men are the next team to visit Old Trafford, but David Moyes is confident of pulling off a shock win against the reigning European champions.

United facing Bayern injury crisis

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 10:00 PM PDT

Reds boss David Moyes admits he could be short at the back when Bayern arrive at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

Arsenal 1 City 1: Five things we learned

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 10:00 PM PDT

Check out five things we learned from the Blues' draw with Arsene Wenger's men at the Emirates Stadium.

Republik Of Mancunia

Spurs in danger of putting us in Europa League

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 10:33 AM PDT

Yet another dreadful result for Tottenham Hotspur today, showing that some clubs even manage to be worse than us in the big games this season, but they still remain above us in the league.

They’ve played against Arsenal on three occasions and have lost all three of them. They lost 4-0 to Chelsea, 6-0 to City away, 5-1 to City at home, 5-0 to Liverpool at home and today, 4-0 to Liverpool today. It’s worth noting that this team with seemingly no bottle whatsoever has still picked up more points than David Moyes’ Manchester United.

Still, as it stands, United avoid the embarrassment and distraction of playing in the Europa League. If Spurs manage to screw up their end of the season and allowed United to finish 6th, that place in Europa would be ours.

If Arsenal win the FA Cup, as you might imagine they would give then only teams remaining are Wigan, Hull and Sheffield United, there was some talk of the 7th placed team reaching Europa. In actual fact, who wins the FA Cup has no impact on the 7th placed team. The winner of the FA Cup will get Europa. If Arsenal win the FA Cup, whoever they beat in the final will get Europa.

Still, with just two points between us and Spurs, there’s every chance that United could finish 6th this season, which would condemn us to Europa football next season.

The competition would start for us in the Third qualifying round with the first leg taking place on July 31st and the second leg a week later. So, just two weeks after the World Cup finished, United could be playing against the team that finish 3rd in the Cypriot league, the fourth best side in Russia and the winners of the Austrian Cup.

In the third and fourth weeks of August, assuming we got through, we would then play in the play-off round, possibly against the winners of the Swiss Cup, the Danish Cup or the third best side in Ukraine.

Then comes the group stage which starts in the third week of September, meaning by the end of September you have played in five games in Europe. This season, by the end of September, we had played in one game in Europe.

The extra games knacker you out and if the prize waiting for you at the end is the European Cup then it is worth it. But the idea of playing all these games, more than you do in the Champions League, just to be in with a chance of winning the Europa League seems ridiculous. In weeks where we could be resting our players, making them better available for the Premier League game at the weekend, we would be travelling all over Europe. For our away fans, this is quite a prospect, getting to go to countries and grounds they’ve never been to before. But from a practical point of view, one that wants United to do as well as they possibly can next season, avoiding Europa would certainly be in our best interest.

Reactions to United’s victory over Aston Villa

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 02:30 AM PDT

1. United won a game! At home! Oh, happy day! Thanks to that victory, now only eight teams have picked up more points at home than us. Carry on like this and we’ll soon be competing with Stoke and Southampton’s home form! In all seriousness, that was a good performance from United today and we should remember that Aston Villa have beaten the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal this season.

2. All the pre-match talk surrounded the plane with the ‘Moyes out’ banner attached. Was it the right thing to do? How would the fans inside the ground react? Would this sway the Glazers’ decision? Unfortunately, I don’t have a first hand account of the event as the overturned lorry on Chester Road meant I didn’t get in to the ground until after kick-off, like so many other fans. Of course, we couldn’t expect the club to delay kick-off so that the fans could see the game when BT Sport had rights to it. But by all accounts, the plane wasn’t well received by the fans inside the ground, and this was only further emphasised by several chants of “every single one of us will stand by David Moyes” and “David Moyes’ red and white army”. Strange behaviour, but more than likely in response to that tacky plane. Did the stunt backfire? Undoubtedly. Still, credit to Moyes for coming on to the pitch early. Takes guts to do that on a day when you know the fans have paid close to a grand to voice their displeasure over the job you’re doing. Imagine if he had been booed by all four stands? Fair play to him.

3. Wayne Rooney proved yet against just how important he is to United. He now has 25 goals and assists in 25 starts (27 appearances) which is an incredible return, particularly in a team that is struggling. He got himself in to a great position to level the score after conceding early on, heading in an inch-perfect cross from Shinji Kagawa, then put us 2-1 up just before half-time. Having relinquished penalty taking duty after a poor record from the spot, it was a huge relief to see him put the ball so close to the post.

4. Juan Mata! We’ve been waiting for him to get off the mark and it looked as though he was about to do just that in the first half. But then he was taken out and somehow the defender avoided a red card, despite denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. But then in the second half, despite Marouane Fellaini’s best attempts to fuck it up, Mata scored his first United goal. He ran straight to the Sir Alex Ferguson stand, visibly delighted, before then celebrating with his team mates and the Stretford End. Mata went to the museum this week and, just in case you thought you couldn’t love him any more, said: “I think every player should know about the history of the club and what it means to play here.” Yeh, I’m smitten.

5. One of the few downsides of the game was Chicharito’s reaction to the goal he scored. Having come on for a brief cameo and still managing to find the back of the net, he didn’t really know what do with himself when it came to celebrating. He just stood in front of the Stretford End, no usual cheeky grin, before just walking away. When the final whistle blew, and the rest of the team hugged each other and shook hands with the opposition, Chicharito headed straight for the tunnel. He’s entitled to be pissed off. He’s barely been given a chance this season and even with Robin van Persie’s injury, he’s still not getting a look in. It’s a sad ending to his time at the club, given how popular he is with the fans.

6. The midfield seems to tick over a lot better when Darren Fletcher starts. The game moves more quickly, with Fletch keen to pass the ball forward and get on with the game, rather than trying to pick out the perfect pass and slowing everything down like Carrick does.

7. Januzaj has played twice in March, both appearances for 75 minutes, but yesterday showed again why he is worthy of a start. He attempted and competed more take ons than any player on the pitch, despite getting a fraction of the time of everyone else, and only Mata was fouled more times than him, showing how much the Villa defence struggled with him. His ball in to Chicharito was perfect and it would be great to see him starting against Bayern.

8. All in all, it was a good afternoon for United. The points at this stage don’t really matter, but the players coming back from 1-0 down to put in a good performance and take advantage of their chances, regardless of the opposition, is a positive thing. Let’s see where we end up on Tuesday…

Manchester United 5: Football Club

Manchester United defender Alexander Buttner relishing Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich ready to ram home chasm in class in Champions League showdown with Manchester United
Manchester United plan sweeping overhaul of squad as Moyes re-asserts his authority in face of plane protest
Manchester United in awe of Bayern Munich's success
Manchester United to revolutionise official kit supplier approach when Nike contract expires

Manchester United defender Alexander Buttner relishing Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 03:00 PM PDT

Manchester United defender Alexander Buttner relishing the challenge of facing fellow Dutchman Arjen Robben and Bayern Munich

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Bayern Munich ready to ram home chasm in class in Champions League showdown with Manchester United

Posted: 30 Mar 2014 03:00 PM PDT

Power shift has been such that odds are stacked against Manchester United in Champions League clash with all-conquering German club, writes Oliver Brown in Munich

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Manchester United plan sweeping overhaul of squad as Moyes re-asserts his authority in face of plane protest

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 03:30 PM PDT

Manchester United could spend £200 million on new players while several established players will be shown the door at Old Trafford this summer

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Manchester United in awe of Bayern Munich's success

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 03:30 PM PDT

Jason Burt: European champions have increased their domestic superiority under Pep Guardiola, in contrast to United's slide

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Manchester United to revolutionise official kit supplier approach when Nike contract expires

Posted: 29 Mar 2014 03:30 PM PDT

Manchester United consider American National Football League approach to offer three types of shirts to supporters and to link up with fashion brands and retailers

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