"Those saves were unnatural. He may be a witch. Make him play for West Ham. If they go down, burn him. If they stay up, he's definitely a witch - burn him.";
"Old Trafford's Greatest Davids: 1. De Gea 2. Beckham 3. May 4. Bellion";
"David De Gea IS the bus".
It was in the 56th minute. The score was 1-2 in favour of Manchester United. Arsenal, true to its name, had since the initial calamitous 11 minutes of the 1st half, bombarded the United defence with various artillery of choice. Swarming wave after wave of attack. Airborne, terrestrial and everything in between. The sustained effort had already produced a quizzical but actually simple Lacazette goal in the 49th minute and there was no relenting (I made a silent bet with myself that, as was becoming the norm in these kind of games, United would start the 2nd half sluggishly and concede. Needless to say, Pessimistic me won the bet). Still prying and probing, a through pass snuck past the United backline and Lacazette, again, was onside virtually one on one with David De Gea...
There had previously been only one instance before where my life literally flashed before me.
Many years back, I was on my way with some jolly good fellows to Takwa Bay for the then-famous 'Sunday At The Bay', an always exciting end of the month hang-out via a motorised canoe. And when I say 'canoe', I mean a wooden contraption riddled with holes that would agreeably move along as long as the 'engine' (another one requiring a unique definition) cooperated. Oh, and the life-jackets we were provided could as well have taken our lives. Ah, the recklessness of youth. About 8 of us on it. A quarter way through the journey to, our canoe did a full tilt. Did I mention that I couldn't swim and almost drowned in a bath tub when I was younger? No, I didn't. Now I have. Every high and low I had experienced in my existence did a highlight reel. I actually did have the time to ask myself, "Is this how it ends?"...
...Really, is it how this ends? How would I face the uncountable ABUs (Anybody But United), the mocking rivals, the jesters, the social media footsie group antagonists, colleagues, the convenient after-bad-result phone callers and in some cases all of the above rolled into one? How do I, in my lifetime, explain away or rationalise Arsenal coming back from 2 goals down to equalise United from what was a vantage position without breaking into word salad? There was only going to be one winner if that shot went in and this even before the Pogba/Bellerin circus act.
Don't forget, here I was just recovering and coming to terms with what would be our game play for the most discernible future so I was still trying to keep my cool despite the fact we-were-defending-from-the-11th-minute-when-arsenal-were-ripe-for-the-taking-and-it-was-quite-clear-that-we-could-score-every-time-we-broke-forward-and-we-were-unnecessarily-inviting-pressure-on-an-already-shaky-defence-and-it-was-very-reminiscent-of-a-small-team's-tactics-and-there-was-a-situation-were-we-were-3v3-and-Martial-passed-back-to-a-midfielder-and-I-wanted-to-blow-my-top-and-I-said-to-myself-this-isn't-my-United-but-I-eventually-decided-to-have-a-soda-and-a-smile-as-recommended-by-Mr. Pryor-and-chill. But still this?
Thankfully, just like God in my waterways travail, our beloved David had other plans. He somehow kept out the Lacazette shot and followed it up with one of the most stupendous saves you will ever see. Alexis Sanchez, him with the shots that explode like fireworks, followed up the rebound with a just as vicious strike. David, again instinctively, more than kept out, repelled the missile with the sole of his cleat boot. Un-be-liev-able. The look on Lacazette's face after that sequence of events was equivalent to De Gea's current market value - priceless. The best keeper in the world. No contest.
That was when I knew we were going to win the game.
A smooth breakaway involving Lukaku, Pogba and Lingard shortly after confirmed what I already suspected. 1- 3. Game over. Two possible penalties against us regardless, we held on for a famous victory in one of the weirdest games I've seen in a long while.
Special kudos must also be given to the three central defenders who ordinarily inspire as much confidence as an England football team penalty shoot-out. Smalling lay every thing on the line and then some. Lindelof is slowly, and hopefully surely, coming good. He's been decent to good in the last couple of games he has played and he put in yet another assured performance against elite opposition. Rojo fortunately didn't go all cro-magnon man on the day and held up.
Ashley Young seems to relish these kind of games where graft is in higher demand than gift. If sweat was parallel to worth, young Ash would be worth $100M+. Valencia is another one. And he did that thing were he puts his foot through the ball to great effect. While I vainly try and look past Lingard's post-goal celebrations, I must commend him for the goals he has scored over the past week - important and exquisite. About time he starts to earn his salary...
Was Pogba's unintentional but unbridled stride cum plunge into Bellerin's unnaturally positioned calf a red card? Yes, according to the rules of the game. One of the offences for which a player can be sent off is if he his guilty of serious foul play. 'Serious Foul Play' is described as using "...excessive force or brutality against an opponent when challenging for the ball when it is in play." It further states that "Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force and endangering the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play". Yup, fits the description. See also the famous case of Mane v Ederson (2017). The club has smartly also decided not to appeal the card.Shame like Monie as he was in good form and had been talismanic to the side since his return. Oh well...
A very good result in spite of what I shall still consider a worrying performance. I know, I know...this is how the gaffer prefers to set-up his team and he usually gets results as he did on that day. I know. I'm just saying. Inflicting the gunners' first defeat on their patch since January 2017 is no mean feat. But I've never considered luck a strategy. De Gea is getting all the plaudits now as he should but it would be asinine to expect him to pull of these sort of quite frankly miraculous saves every week if he's exposed to this level of 4G attack (14 saves on the day. 33 shots at goal). Rather alarmingly, that's what a number of fans already expect.
The next league game is the almighty derby against Manchester City. Old Trafford. Sunday. The game has assumed a much bigger dimension that it already is. City are still 8 points ahead of United after patenting 'Fergie Time' in their last 3 matches. They have equalled the league record of 13 straight wins in one season. A win against United will make them sole holders of the record. United has won all its home league games this season and are unbeaten at home since...the last time City visited. Curiously too, Jose Mourinho has never lost a Sunday home league game. Whew. I know it would be a tough game. I believe it would be very ugly. I suspect there'll be a number of surprises in tactics adopted on the day particularly sans Pogba. I pray we win. But I sure do hope we don't play "door-mat defensive football" as may be instinctive. De Gea may not be enough to offer goalkeeping salvation on that day...
But first is the little matter of making qualification certain in the Champions League. CSKA Moscow come visiting on Tuesday evening in the last game of the group phase. We'll qualify.
Signing Out,
B.L...
Your Answers Are:
* The World Cup Draws have been made. Is there really a group of death? Will Nigeria qualify from her group? Argentina and Nigeria in the same group for the 5th time in Nigeria's 6 appearances. Surely, an exchange program should be now be acceptable?
* What is happening to Borrusia Dortmund?
* Can Spaletti, Icardi, Perisic and Co. go all the way? Don't tease me, please...
* How can LeBron James be MVP in his 15th season???? Even while the biggies are coasting till March, he's still operating at optimum level. Insane.
* The Tiger is back. But is it enough for him to just act or he need to show his tigritude?
* What's the job description of a Commissioner for 'Happiness And Couples' Fulfilment'?
Special kudos must also be given to the three central defenders who ordinarily inspire as much confidence as an England football team penalty shoot-out. Smalling lay every thing on the line and then some. Lindelof is slowly, and hopefully surely, coming good. He's been decent to good in the last couple of games he has played and he put in yet another assured performance against elite opposition. Rojo fortunately didn't go all cro-magnon man on the day and held up.
Ashley Young seems to relish these kind of games where graft is in higher demand than gift. If sweat was parallel to worth, young Ash would be worth $100M+. Valencia is another one. And he did that thing were he puts his foot through the ball to great effect. While I vainly try and look past Lingard's post-goal celebrations, I must commend him for the goals he has scored over the past week - important and exquisite. About time he starts to earn his salary...
Was Pogba's unintentional but unbridled stride cum plunge into Bellerin's unnaturally positioned calf a red card? Yes, according to the rules of the game. One of the offences for which a player can be sent off is if he his guilty of serious foul play. 'Serious Foul Play' is described as using "...excessive force or brutality against an opponent when challenging for the ball when it is in play." It further states that "Any player who lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force and endangering the safety of an opponent is guilty of serious foul play". Yup, fits the description. See also the famous case of Mane v Ederson (2017). The club has smartly also decided not to appeal the card.Shame like Monie as he was in good form and had been talismanic to the side since his return. Oh well...
A very good result in spite of what I shall still consider a worrying performance. I know, I know...this is how the gaffer prefers to set-up his team and he usually gets results as he did on that day. I know. I'm just saying. Inflicting the gunners' first defeat on their patch since January 2017 is no mean feat. But I've never considered luck a strategy. De Gea is getting all the plaudits now as he should but it would be asinine to expect him to pull of these sort of quite frankly miraculous saves every week if he's exposed to this level of 4G attack (14 saves on the day. 33 shots at goal). Rather alarmingly, that's what a number of fans already expect.
The next league game is the almighty derby against Manchester City. Old Trafford. Sunday. The game has assumed a much bigger dimension that it already is. City are still 8 points ahead of United after patenting 'Fergie Time' in their last 3 matches. They have equalled the league record of 13 straight wins in one season. A win against United will make them sole holders of the record. United has won all its home league games this season and are unbeaten at home since...the last time City visited. Curiously too, Jose Mourinho has never lost a Sunday home league game. Whew. I know it would be a tough game. I believe it would be very ugly. I suspect there'll be a number of surprises in tactics adopted on the day particularly sans Pogba. I pray we win. But I sure do hope we don't play "door-mat defensive football" as may be instinctive. De Gea may not be enough to offer goalkeeping salvation on that day...
But first is the little matter of making qualification certain in the Champions League. CSKA Moscow come visiting on Tuesday evening in the last game of the group phase. We'll qualify.
Signing Out,
B.L...
Your Answers Are:
* The World Cup Draws have been made. Is there really a group of death? Will Nigeria qualify from her group? Argentina and Nigeria in the same group for the 5th time in Nigeria's 6 appearances. Surely, an exchange program should be now be acceptable?
* What is happening to Borrusia Dortmund?
* Can Spaletti, Icardi, Perisic and Co. go all the way? Don't tease me, please...
* How can LeBron James be MVP in his 15th season???? Even while the biggies are coasting till March, he's still operating at optimum level. Insane.
* The Tiger is back. But is it enough for him to just act or he need to show his tigritude?
* What's the job description of a Commissioner for 'Happiness And Couples' Fulfilment'?
