We Dikembe Mutombo'd that, didn't we? 😄 No in-your-face dunk, no posterization, no easy lay-up. Go that way and shoot your free throws.
There are some victories that are infinitely worth more than 3 points. We all know how we felt after the full time whistle was blown. This wasn't just 3 points. This was the preservation of collective honour and pride. Even the vanquished neighbours know that the inevitable champagne celebrations have lost a certain sparkle that a reversed victory would have provided to unquantifiable end. It should have been the aftermath of David decapitating Goliath. Instead what they'll get is Jon Voight in the final scenes of "The Champ".
But this scenario was unfathomable after the first 45 minutes.
I had assumed that the fury, numbness and subsequent writer's block inflicted by That-Champions-League-Game-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named would serve as the emotional nadir for what has been a frustratingly inconsistent season but boy, was I proved wrong. That first half perfectly encapsulated everything that has been wrong with the team this season:
✱ Smalling, inattentive, weak, badly-positioned, obsessed with the man rather than the ball, trepidation at playing out from the back? ✓
✱ Pogba taking unnecessary extra touches and failing to influence the game? ✓
✱Sanchez taking at least three unnecessary extra touches in an eventual journey to nowhere? ✓
✱ Lukaku's big game anonymity? ✓
✱ Corporate inability to complete four passes ? ✓
✱ Characteristic lethargic, lukewarm, lackadaisical start to games? ✓
The real shocker after the first 45 was how United was only two goals down. Really difficult to even write but City's performance in that half was another in the week deserving of even the opponent's fans standing ovation (More on that later). It was a footballing masterclass and my singular prayer for the second half was that United would be able to muster a shot on target.
It was reported that very little was said at half time. For good reason too I believe. The team needed a certain atmosphere of quiet to be able to psychically connect and listen to the vitriol and anger of millions of fans world over. Makes a lot of sense since they apparently weren't listening to the manager thus far.
No changes were made going into the half and my primary petition was quickly satisfied when Eduardo made a save from Pogba within 10 minutes of the restart. The basic uncomplicated tweak of quickly passing the ball made all the difference in this half. Same personnel, pretty much the same formation but a little more zip and movement and then Boom! Boom! Boom! The hitherto appropriately vilified Pogba came up with a beautiful brace to level the scores to the general disbelief of the City supporters (and United's as well). Look at the 2nd goal again. As simple as it was effective. After a successful string of passes, Pogba, in the centre circle, gives the ball to Sanchez on the left. Sanchez takes two (forward) touches, checks in to his right and crosses into the box. Pogba never stopped running after passing the ball. Header. Goal.
"Ah! Would that it were so simple."
And the winning goal? Smalling, the unlikeliest person you would imagine, poked in from the most basic of free kicks (thereby earning himself a reprieve from immediate sale at least till season end). It was that kind of game. Another presumably out of favour and reportedly on his way out player, Senor Ander Herrera, subsequently conducted a brand of 'game management' that would rile you if you played for the other team but would absolutely adore if he happened to be on your side. Think Diego Costa or Sergio Ramos. Is it possible to keep him singularly for this purpose? His comments after the game further endeared him to a large number of Reds. Even if it has not fully translated football-wise, the man absolutely gets what it means to be a Manchester United player.
FT 2-3. Was I happy? Without a doubt. The Cityzens weren't going to be crowned in our presence and it is always nice to silence the noisy neighbours. Was the victory deserved? That's what the scoreline says. Can we kick on from here? Honestly, I don't know. As stated severally, Mourinho's ultra-conservative and reactionary approach will never gel with me. It also doesn't seem to be strategy that the players, particularly the forwards, enjoy. But there remains the eternal argument of what 'enjoyment' constitutes for both players and fans alike if you've just beaten Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City, the champions-in-waiting, in quick succession.
For me, while I recognise that we won a (significant) battle but have, in reality, lost the war, I still need to occasionally feel the way I felt on Saturday. Pyrrhic, it may be, but these sort of victories serve as a necessary lubricant for the emotional engine of fan-dom. The high remains for a long long time. That said, would I swap positions with City at this very moment? You betcha! Plaster my face as a meme all over the internet and TV networks as the crying fan whose team capitulated after a seemingly secured victory. All well and good. I'll reply all messages as soon as my team picks up the league trophy.
As the fixture list gifts, the reward for beating the top team is to immediately face the bottom team, West Brom at Old Trafford to consolidate 2nd position. The result should be a no-brainer - 'Brom has lost eight successive matches. Minus That-Champions-League-Game-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named, United has won seven straight. But if you've followed this United season closely and the marquee football games of this week, then you would be prepared to expect the unexpected.
Fingers crossed.
It was reported that very little was said at half time. For good reason too I believe. The team needed a certain atmosphere of quiet to be able to psychically connect and listen to the vitriol and anger of millions of fans world over. Makes a lot of sense since they apparently weren't listening to the manager thus far.
No changes were made going into the half and my primary petition was quickly satisfied when Eduardo made a save from Pogba within 10 minutes of the restart. The basic uncomplicated tweak of quickly passing the ball made all the difference in this half. Same personnel, pretty much the same formation but a little more zip and movement and then Boom! Boom! Boom! The hitherto appropriately vilified Pogba came up with a beautiful brace to level the scores to the general disbelief of the City supporters (and United's as well). Look at the 2nd goal again. As simple as it was effective. After a successful string of passes, Pogba, in the centre circle, gives the ball to Sanchez on the left. Sanchez takes two (forward) touches, checks in to his right and crosses into the box. Pogba never stopped running after passing the ball. Header. Goal.
"Ah! Would that it were so simple."
And the winning goal? Smalling, the unlikeliest person you would imagine, poked in from the most basic of free kicks (thereby earning himself a reprieve from immediate sale at least till season end). It was that kind of game. Another presumably out of favour and reportedly on his way out player, Senor Ander Herrera, subsequently conducted a brand of 'game management' that would rile you if you played for the other team but would absolutely adore if he happened to be on your side. Think Diego Costa or Sergio Ramos. Is it possible to keep him singularly for this purpose? His comments after the game further endeared him to a large number of Reds. Even if it has not fully translated football-wise, the man absolutely gets what it means to be a Manchester United player.
FT 2-3. Was I happy? Without a doubt. The Cityzens weren't going to be crowned in our presence and it is always nice to silence the noisy neighbours. Was the victory deserved? That's what the scoreline says. Can we kick on from here? Honestly, I don't know. As stated severally, Mourinho's ultra-conservative and reactionary approach will never gel with me. It also doesn't seem to be strategy that the players, particularly the forwards, enjoy. But there remains the eternal argument of what 'enjoyment' constitutes for both players and fans alike if you've just beaten Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City, the champions-in-waiting, in quick succession.
For me, while I recognise that we won a (significant) battle but have, in reality, lost the war, I still need to occasionally feel the way I felt on Saturday. Pyrrhic, it may be, but these sort of victories serve as a necessary lubricant for the emotional engine of fan-dom. The high remains for a long long time. That said, would I swap positions with City at this very moment? You betcha! Plaster my face as a meme all over the internet and TV networks as the crying fan whose team capitulated after a seemingly secured victory. All well and good. I'll reply all messages as soon as my team picks up the league trophy.
As the fixture list gifts, the reward for beating the top team is to immediately face the bottom team, West Brom at Old Trafford to consolidate 2nd position. The result should be a no-brainer - 'Brom has lost eight successive matches. Minus That-Champions-League-Game-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named, United has won seven straight. But if you've followed this United season closely and the marquee football games of this week, then you would be prepared to expect the unexpected.
Fingers crossed.
Signing In,
B.L...
Your Answers Are:
B.L...
Your Answers Are:
* Conventional footballing wisdom says that a goal, however beautiful, cannot automatically engrave you into the Mount Rushmore of the greats. But it does suggest that a moment is capable of doing just that. 'Moments' have to do not just with the goal, but also with the occasion and ensuing universal acclamation that inevitably follows. 17 year old Pele's header in the 1958 World Cup Final in Stockholm. (Also that famous 'body-over' dummy that fooled the Uruguayan goalkeeper in the semi-finals of Mexico '70, the subsequent shot at goal which he narrowly missed). Maradona v England in Mexico (again) '86. That Van Basten volley against USSR in the '88 Euros. Zidane's too in the UCL final. Baggio's merry dance against Czechoslovakia in Italia '90. Ronaldo de Lima's powerful slalom against Compostella. His hat-trick in Old Trafford 😩. Kaka in Old Trafford 😢😢 . Ronaldinho's artsy evisceration of Real Madrid. Messi playing football...
You get the picture.
The instance that serves as the marker of a career.
Well, it seems ex-boy and ridiculous goal machine, Cristiano Ronaldo finally has his. It would seem odd that for a man who has scored well over 600 goals in his career and who has more goals than games for statistically the biggest club in the world would only just be receiving his. But let's think about it for a minute - which of the goals in his vast catalogue of goals would before now be considered a 'moment' as defined above? The long range bullet against Porto for United? Beautiful but not definitive. That header against Roma? Stupendous but not definitive. The free kick against Portsmouth? Iconic for the EPL but not career definitive. The multitude of free kicks, tap-ins, volleys, headers for Madrid? Nah. Do I even need to explain that penalties don't count?
However, his second goal for Real Madrid in the 0-3 defeat of Juventus last week in the UEFA Champions League became it. Against fierce rivals in the competition. The last three times both teams met in the knock-out phase, Juventus had eliminated Madrid. However, Madrid had prevailed in the finals in which they had collided including last year's. Revenge was on the front burner. There was also the backstory of the legendary Gianluca Buffon's possible final run in the only competition he is yet to win in his stellar career. Juventus very rarely lose at home. Juventus very rarely lose, period.
Ronaldo (who else?) got the opener in the 3rd minute. Juventus reacted, harrying, pressing, pressuring to no avail. And then came the 64th minute. You will remember where you were when it happened. An overhead kick/bicycleta/sangalo that has understandably been analysed ad naseum and a standing ovation later, Cristiano had his moment. It could also rank as his best ever goal.
Where do you think Ronaldo would end up in your greatest and/or best ever list?
* "Just pass to Messi" is not a strategy that will get you out of jail all the time. Mind, it's been relatively successful for his teams thus far but coordinated team work would sometimes leave you with a bloody nose. And for this reason, Roma are through to the semi-finals of the Champions League and Barcelona is out.
Liverpool v Roma
Real Madrid v Bayern Munich.
Oh, and Arsenal v Atletico Madrid and Marseille v Red Bull Salzburg.
And your finalists are?
* The NBA Play-offs are here;
West East
Rockets (W) v Timberwolves Raptors v Wizards (W)
Thunder (W) v Jazz LBJ (W) v Pacers
Warriors (W) v Spurs Celtics v Bucks (W)
Trailblazers (W) v The Brow The Process (W) v Heat
Who ya got?
* Does Sebastian Vettel realise that he's still not going to win the Driver's title this season?
* Tiger struggling in the woods. Does it get better from here?
* Congratulations Bayern. <Yawn>. Niko Kovac?
* The closing credits are about to come up. Salah or De Bruyne?
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