Once again Reds supporters have been attacked and stabbed by cowardly knife wielding Italian scum prior to the AS Roma vs. United game in Rome last night. We were led to believe this would not happen again following the appalling scenes of last season when visiting fans were attacked by both the locals and the police. Sadly and predictably, it happened again with several supporters sustaining 'serious' looking facial injuries.
At least one supporter was reportedly attacked by a policeman prior to the game which ended in a creditable draw. It could have been much worse, visiting fans can be thankful that they didn't find themselves on the wrong end of a Carabinieri bullet, unlike the Lazio fan who was killed recently. There's no point in saying that something will only be done when someone gets killed - as clearly little or nothing happens in Italy even when there's a fatality and as we saw last night the violence carries on unchecked.
No doubting that UEFA will come down hard on United again, but Reds supporters have an excellent recent record when travelling abroad and surely it's no coincidence that yet again trouble flared up in Rome.
Many fans will no doubt be amazed to learn that despite the appalling behaviour of the Carabinieri, Roma "stewards" and "Roma fans" UEFA has awarded the Champions League 2009 Final to Rome - which must be in Europe's top three worst cities when it comes to football related violence.
The joke that is UEFA, recently fined both United and Roma for the events of last season and then we learn that the city has been awarded this prestigious final - what sort of message does this send out to Italian football? What is the Italian phrase for "corruption and brown paper bags stuffed with Lira"?
Of the match itself, despite fielding a team which lacked experience in the back four United were marginally the better side without creating too many clear cut openings.
Gerard Pique gave the visitors a deserved first half lead from a corner. The Spaniard's header was the Reds main first-half highlight in a game that wasn't as dull as some feared it might be with both sides having little to play for. Nonetheless it did not stop the Italian TV director spending an inordinate amount of time showing gratuitous crowd shots. Viewers learnt as much about the latest Italian headwear of choice as they did about the stars on display in the somewhat sparsely populated Olympic Stadium. For those looking for fashion tips and if you did not see the game, beenie hats and bandanas appear to be the current di-rigour.
United's own fashion icon (tee he) Wayne Rooney looked pin-sharp and dare I say slimmed down. 'Wazza' had a decent game without unduly troubling the Roma back-four, apart from a fantastic second half one-two with Louis Saha that should have ended with United making it 2-0 only for the Roma stopper deny the Frenchman. Not long after the home team levelled through Mancini after Roma boss Spalletti made several late changes, by which time Rooney had been taken off and safely wrapped in cotton wool for his return to his native Merseyside for that huge game on Sunday when United visit Liverpool.
Showing posts with label AS Roma. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AS Roma. Show all posts
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Rooney v AS Roma - no red mist or new injuries please...
So United are set to take on AS Roma in a game of little significance with the Reds having already secured their passage into the knockout phase of the Champions League by winning group F along with Roma who finished runner-up. No doubting the Italians will want to avenge last season's 7-1 mauling, which must still hurt, as will to a lesser extent the 1-0 defeat earlier this season. So there is something to play for.
When the two sides met in October at Old Trafford Wayne Rooney was the man who scored the match-winner. Tonight in the eternal city, Rooney will skipper a side that will be largely drawn from reserves and youngsters. The former Everton striker has suffered two serious injury setbacks already this season, the last thing United or Fergie needs right now is for Wayne to collect any new injuries, or to get himself sent off in a game that should in theory cause few problems for either side. However, football is a funny game and as we have seen from time to time when the dreaded red mist descends Rooney can lose it. Please do not let it happen tonight Wayne.
Saha, Nani, Fletcher, Brown and O'Shea are included in the squad along with Rooney and the manager will be desperately hoping that all of his senior players come through his this game unscathed ahead of the titanic clash with Liverpool at the weekend. Should Fergie lose Rooney due to events in Rome then the United manager will be left cursing his decision to play the England striker.
When the two sides met in October at Old Trafford Wayne Rooney was the man who scored the match-winner. Tonight in the eternal city, Rooney will skipper a side that will be largely drawn from reserves and youngsters. The former Everton striker has suffered two serious injury setbacks already this season, the last thing United or Fergie needs right now is for Wayne to collect any new injuries, or to get himself sent off in a game that should in theory cause few problems for either side. However, football is a funny game and as we have seen from time to time when the dreaded red mist descends Rooney can lose it. Please do not let it happen tonight Wayne.
Saha, Nani, Fletcher, Brown and O'Shea are included in the squad along with Rooney and the manager will be desperately hoping that all of his senior players come through his this game unscathed ahead of the titanic clash with Liverpool at the weekend. Should Fergie lose Rooney due to events in Rome then the United manager will be left cursing his decision to play the England striker.
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Reds beat Roma, but Moscow final looks like a forlorn hope..
Manchester United came nowhere near producing the kind of football that destroyed Roma when they thrashed the Italians 7-1 in the Champions League last season, that was a one-off as we have been rightly told umpteen times going into last night's game.
Wayne Rooney won it for the Reds with a late second half pile-driver after Nani had found the England striker lurking on the edge of the Roma box, that was the most memorable moment in a game that didn't live up to expecations and one which was short of highlights and goal-mouth action as far as United were concerned.
United didn't seriously test the visitors keeper enough. Rooney had the Reds only other really meaningful effort on goal in first half when once again Nani was the provider, but Rooney's effort was high wide and not so handsome. The Portuguese winger also hit the crossbar with a second-half cross and Tevez hit a fizzing long-range low-rising drive from outside the box.
However, it had taken United 27 minutes to register a shot on goal, in a game that from the start looked like both teams would have settled for a draw. United had started the game well enough with a passage of crisp passing in the opening moments, but as the first half wore on the Reds became ragged with Scholes, Nani and Carrick all giving the ball away cheaply to Roma or else putting it directly out of play.
Scholes isn't looking anything like the player that we know he can be and he's playing too deep, often just a few yards in front of the back four. Carrick looks as though his confidence has been shaken by the arrival of Hargreaves and his subsequent benching, because his passing has been poor too.
Fergie had rung the changes going into the game, Giggs who has been awful in his last two outings was dropped in preference to Nani and Tevez was rested as Saha started.
Nani for his part did some things very well, but on other occasions he was sloppy when losing the ball in dangerours areas. Saha was starved of decent service and he also looked a bit rusty at times too.
Ronaldo was well marshalled by the Roma defence and so as an attacking force United did not function individually or collectively, apart Nani who managed to create two good openings for Rooney.
The visitors looked nothing special really, Totti spurned a decent second-half chance to score, but thankfully his lobbed effort sailed over the crossbar. Alberto Aquilani and Mauro Esposito had chances to score, the latter should have equalised late on but instead he blazed wide of Kuszczak's far post.
United had to hang on for the victory as Roma piled on the pressure, but in the end they just about deserved another 1-0 win. Going off recent performances United need to improve massively if they have any serious ambitions of reaching the final in Moscow next May.
Fergie doesn't seem to know what is best team is at present, too many players are playing well below their capabilities and this is not helping the manager one bit. The latest injury to Hargreaves who could be out for up to a month is a big blow because United desperately need him fit and firing in that engine room which is not functioning at present.
In perspective though, it would be wrong to ignore the positives which are that United are currently second in the league table, they are top of their Champions League group and they are not conceding goals and are winning - if not in the United way in terms of style. It would be all right for just about any other club to be getting 1-0 wins, but not United, such are expectations.
The Red Army would love to be making plans for Moscow, let us hope that doesn't turn out to be a forlorn hope.
Wayne Rooney won it for the Reds with a late second half pile-driver after Nani had found the England striker lurking on the edge of the Roma box, that was the most memorable moment in a game that didn't live up to expecations and one which was short of highlights and goal-mouth action as far as United were concerned.
United didn't seriously test the visitors keeper enough. Rooney had the Reds only other really meaningful effort on goal in first half when once again Nani was the provider, but Rooney's effort was high wide and not so handsome. The Portuguese winger also hit the crossbar with a second-half cross and Tevez hit a fizzing long-range low-rising drive from outside the box.
However, it had taken United 27 minutes to register a shot on goal, in a game that from the start looked like both teams would have settled for a draw. United had started the game well enough with a passage of crisp passing in the opening moments, but as the first half wore on the Reds became ragged with Scholes, Nani and Carrick all giving the ball away cheaply to Roma or else putting it directly out of play.
Scholes isn't looking anything like the player that we know he can be and he's playing too deep, often just a few yards in front of the back four. Carrick looks as though his confidence has been shaken by the arrival of Hargreaves and his subsequent benching, because his passing has been poor too.
Fergie had rung the changes going into the game, Giggs who has been awful in his last two outings was dropped in preference to Nani and Tevez was rested as Saha started.
Nani for his part did some things very well, but on other occasions he was sloppy when losing the ball in dangerours areas. Saha was starved of decent service and he also looked a bit rusty at times too.
Ronaldo was well marshalled by the Roma defence and so as an attacking force United did not function individually or collectively, apart Nani who managed to create two good openings for Rooney.
The visitors looked nothing special really, Totti spurned a decent second-half chance to score, but thankfully his lobbed effort sailed over the crossbar. Alberto Aquilani and Mauro Esposito had chances to score, the latter should have equalised late on but instead he blazed wide of Kuszczak's far post.
United had to hang on for the victory as Roma piled on the pressure, but in the end they just about deserved another 1-0 win. Going off recent performances United need to improve massively if they have any serious ambitions of reaching the final in Moscow next May.
Fergie doesn't seem to know what is best team is at present, too many players are playing well below their capabilities and this is not helping the manager one bit. The latest injury to Hargreaves who could be out for up to a month is a big blow because United desperately need him fit and firing in that engine room which is not functioning at present.
In perspective though, it would be wrong to ignore the positives which are that United are currently second in the league table, they are top of their Champions League group and they are not conceding goals and are winning - if not in the United way in terms of style. It would be all right for just about any other club to be getting 1-0 wins, but not United, such are expectations.
The Red Army would love to be making plans for Moscow, let us hope that doesn't turn out to be a forlorn hope.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Roma expects victory, but will they once again end up begging for the Reds mercy?
The time for talk is nearly over, as AS Roma are once again set to visit Old Trafford the battle scene of that fabulous 7-1 Champions League trouncing last season.
As ever we've had the usual pre-match hot-air emanating from both camps. From United we normally have Ryan Giggs or Gary Neville telling us the fans that this year the Reds will go all the way to the final, blah, blah, blah.
On the back of his woeful performances of late Giggsy is thankfully keeping schtum and of course our Gary has been out injured and so he too has more pressing things on his mind, like getting fit.
So it has been left to Ronaldo to put his big foot in it. On the eve of the game our Portuguese star has let be known that an unnamed Roma player 'begged for mercy' when pleading with him not to do any more fancy footwork, aka dribbling. You really could not make it up. It's not as if Roma needed any more of an incentive to wipe the bitter memory the last season's mauling is it? In true Basil Faulty style I guess we can forgive Ronaldo because he's from Portugal isn't he.
From Roma's perspective they too have been talking the talk, nothing out of the ordinary, Ludovic Giuly has said that his team-mates are looking for revenge.
United have injury concerns over Vidic, Brown and Hargreaves. I expect all three to start the game, call it a gut feeling. Van der Sar is out with a toe-injury.
Ahead of the game experts like Alan Hansen have been somewhat predictably telling us mere mortal fans that there will be no repeat of the same Old Trafford result. No exactly a difficult prediction that Al.
The only thing that I will predict with any degree of confidence is that when United visit Rome for the return leg of this double header is that the local police force will be just as useless as they nearly always are. Apparently AS Roma do not stop fans from entering the Stadio Olimpico with knives. Unbelievable, but true apparently.
Let us hope both games pass-off without too much trouble and that the emperor that is 'Ferguson the merciless' has cause to say that this was another of his greatest victories.
As ever we've had the usual pre-match hot-air emanating from both camps. From United we normally have Ryan Giggs or Gary Neville telling us the fans that this year the Reds will go all the way to the final, blah, blah, blah.
On the back of his woeful performances of late Giggsy is thankfully keeping schtum and of course our Gary has been out injured and so he too has more pressing things on his mind, like getting fit.
So it has been left to Ronaldo to put his big foot in it. On the eve of the game our Portuguese star has let be known that an unnamed Roma player 'begged for mercy' when pleading with him not to do any more fancy footwork, aka dribbling. You really could not make it up. It's not as if Roma needed any more of an incentive to wipe the bitter memory the last season's mauling is it? In true Basil Faulty style I guess we can forgive Ronaldo because he's from Portugal isn't he.
From Roma's perspective they too have been talking the talk, nothing out of the ordinary, Ludovic Giuly has said that his team-mates are looking for revenge.
United have injury concerns over Vidic, Brown and Hargreaves. I expect all three to start the game, call it a gut feeling. Van der Sar is out with a toe-injury.
Ahead of the game experts like Alan Hansen have been somewhat predictably telling us mere mortal fans that there will be no repeat of the same Old Trafford result. No exactly a difficult prediction that Al.
The only thing that I will predict with any degree of confidence is that when United visit Rome for the return leg of this double header is that the local police force will be just as useless as they nearly always are. Apparently AS Roma do not stop fans from entering the Stadio Olimpico with knives. Unbelievable, but true apparently.
Let us hope both games pass-off without too much trouble and that the emperor that is 'Ferguson the merciless' has cause to say that this was another of his greatest victories.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Champions League draw: United complacent over fan safety?
The Champions League draw took place on Thursday and United are in what looks to be a very tough group F. Celtic (D) and Rangers (E) have been pitched against AC Milan and Barcelona respectively in what will no doubt be described as the groups of death. The other English clubs have relavitely easy looking passages to the knockout stages.
The Reds have been drawn against AS Roma, Sporting Lisbon and Dynamo Kiev.
So United fans will have to endure another trip to the eternal city where last season supporters were attacked before and during the game by both the police and home supporters. United's CEO David Gill appeared to be somewhat complacement about the rematch stating that we wouldn't see a repeat of the bloody scenes.
However, Italian football expert Gabriel Marcotti talking on BBC Five Live on Thursday stated that he has concerns over the Rome police, in particular the chief of police who he says 'isn't a very nice man'.
Apparently Roma are the only Italian club who have not banned knives. Many fans will be flabbergasted if this claim is true. United fans were searched thoroughly on entering the Stadio Olimpico, but the home supporters did not get searched at all, this led to the Italian's raining all manner of missiles onto the visiting fans.
UEFA fined both United and Roma for the troubles of last season, but more needs to be done to guarantee the safety of visiting fans. United's travelling supporters will be hoping that Gill's apparent complacency isn't misplaced and they will be keen to know what exactly United and Roma have done to ensure that we see no repeat of the ugly scenes this coming December in the Stadio Olimpico.
Regarding matters on the field of play, Ronaldo and Nani will no doubt be keen to renew acquaintances with Sporting Lisbon and Reds fans will no doubt be busily looking for cheap flights for the trip Kiev in November over the next few days.
The Reds have been drawn against AS Roma, Sporting Lisbon and Dynamo Kiev.
So United fans will have to endure another trip to the eternal city where last season supporters were attacked before and during the game by both the police and home supporters. United's CEO David Gill appeared to be somewhat complacement about the rematch stating that we wouldn't see a repeat of the bloody scenes.
However, Italian football expert Gabriel Marcotti talking on BBC Five Live on Thursday stated that he has concerns over the Rome police, in particular the chief of police who he says 'isn't a very nice man'.
Apparently Roma are the only Italian club who have not banned knives. Many fans will be flabbergasted if this claim is true. United fans were searched thoroughly on entering the Stadio Olimpico, but the home supporters did not get searched at all, this led to the Italian's raining all manner of missiles onto the visiting fans.
UEFA fined both United and Roma for the troubles of last season, but more needs to be done to guarantee the safety of visiting fans. United's travelling supporters will be hoping that Gill's apparent complacency isn't misplaced and they will be keen to know what exactly United and Roma have done to ensure that we see no repeat of the ugly scenes this coming December in the Stadio Olimpico.
Regarding matters on the field of play, Ronaldo and Nani will no doubt be keen to renew acquaintances with Sporting Lisbon and Reds fans will no doubt be busily looking for cheap flights for the trip Kiev in November over the next few days.
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