Hello and welcome to this edition of Flog, or as it may be called after this, ‘Tom’s mental breakdown.’
Yes, I’ve just watched Manchester United vs. Tottenham, and despite ridicule I expected us (I say us because if you don’t know, I am a suffering Spurs supporter) to get a result all week. So much so that I wasn’t surprised- I mean not even a little- that we went and scored. The second maybe came as a shocker but still, I was happy enough. Keep it tight before the break, then sit and park the bus second half.
Except United are a different sort of team. And sadly Spurs are too. But all in all, I was under the impression that Howard Webb was a different sort of referee. As in, you know, ‘quite good’. However, with United not especially playing out of their skins, and typically their fans not showing any signs of encouragement until they smashed, like, 12 goals past us, the ball was played to Michael Carrick (easily the worst player on the field today), surging into the area.
Six months ago, and onrushing Gomes would have made me wince. Not so this time, as our much improved keeper of the goal came out and though Carrick touched the ball first to try and divert it away, he failed, and Gomes touched the ball wide. Howard Webb- let it be noted is going to referee the FA Cup final- decided that playing the ball at Old Trafford is such a terrible thing to do that he awarded a penalty.
Spurs, of course, appealed (in vain) but United didn’t. Carrick fell forward, which was pretty much the only thing the man ever did that was forward when in a Spurs shirt, annoying confirming everyone player’s rise into international stardom once leaving White Hart Lane. No appeal though. Because he knew it was a fair challenge.
I’m a big, big believer in momentum in matches such as these. I’m also a big believer in the ‘sing when you’re losing’ method of support, something that escapes United fans every game they begin to lose control of. But the simple fact is this: if you give United momentum, you will never win. Ever. You Don’t get lucky against a pressurising United. You just don’t. They’re too magnificent. Which is why Spurs were 0-2 up at the break- they didn’t allow them to be.
Incidentally, I didn’t see if Ronaldo got carded for his shirt-off celebration, but I will go along with the rest of the official’s performance today and state that he didn’t, and Webb also gave him a hug and a pat on the bum and a ruffle of his hair. Ronaldo acted like a spoilt child an Disneyworld today. As it happens, Gomes looked like a sick child at Disneyworld in that hat in the 2nd half.
The most annoying thing about United, whatever anybody says, is their ‘fans.’ Gone are the days when everyone called them glory hunting Southerners, because in reality they’re all over the effing place now. When singing at Old Trafford (and therefore inevitably not losing at the precise same time) they even sing in a Manchester slur. It’s horrible. It honestly makes my hairs stand up, it’s wrong wrong wrong.
Cue endless United fans proclaiming the League is their’s and so on and so on after.
What they should be mindful of is Arsenal awaiting them midweek. They are far more advanced than Spurs, both in exposing weakness and closing games out, so if United play like they did today (and with 11 men) they will be horribly exposed for the horrible, disgusting, moaning, cheating, painfully watch able bastards they are.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment