On-Song City Annihilate United

In a city synonymous with its music scene a cacophony of silence rumbled through Old Trafford yesterday.
It was interrupted by a jubilant away end, by fans so used to being shouted down at the famous stadium.
Manchester United supporters had been mute long before Edin Dzeko made it 6-1, but for Manchester City supporters this was a chance to revel in their greatest victory over their famous neighbours.
Only the euphoric blue quadrant of the stadium sang out loud, buoyed by the slamming of seats as reds headed for the exits. “Cheerio” rang out the chant.
They were mad for it.
For Manchester United this was a humbling of incredible proportions, the “worst day ever” for Sir Alex Ferguson.
The last time Old Trafford emptied so quickly was when rivals Liverpool waltzed into town two years ago and crushed them 4-1.
Yesterday would have hurt more.
Talk before the match was about Mario Balotelli’s impromptu firework display at his home.
Not content with last season’s Carrington flare up’s, Balotelli sparked his own domestic bonfire but waited a further day before putting a rocket under United.
His first goal was coolness personified. The magnificent David Silva played in James Milner, preferred to Samir Nasri, who rolled a ball back towards the edge of the United penalty area. Balotelli dispatched into the far corner past a sprawling David De Gea.
“Why Always Me?” read his undergarment in celebration. Well, as Roberto Mancini put it afterwards, he’s “crazy” yet has the potential to be in the “top five players in the world”.
He is also one of the games greatest characters, both marvellous and Machiavellian.     
Balotelli may have been the rock and roll star but Silva was the conductor, giving as luscious a performance as Old Trafford has seen in recent memory.
The Spaniard, up until recently a relative outcast for the World Champions, hovered across the pitch, constantly at ease with a ball that at times seemed to be an extension of him.
Such is his respect for the ball that he also works tirelessly to earn it back. He was the player of last season and, so far, this one too.
How Ferguson may wish he had such a player amongst his midfield ranks.
Instead he opted for the energetic combination of Darren Fletcher and Anderson, a partnership built on industry rather than invention.
But not even those two could close down a City midfield that consisted of Yaya Toure and Gareth Barry as well as Milner and Silva. City had mettle and the gold dust to accompany it.
Two minutes after the restart came what Ferguson saw as the turning point in the match. In truth City were simmering in the face of United’s possession. 
Johnny Evans, incapable of coping with Balotelli and Aguero during the opening half, hauled down the Italian striker a yard outside his own penalty box. As the last man Mark Clattenburg had no choice but to dismiss Evans.
The Northern Irish defender has enjoyed Ferguson’s vote of confidence in the opening months of this campaign, preferring him at the heart of his defence over both Chris Smalling and Phil Jones.
How unwavering that faith is remains to be seen. Evans was having a torrid time, his red card was the second he has received in seven months.
City capitalised on their numerical advantage. Silva managed to wriggle the ball through to Milner who from deep within the United area squared a tempting ball across goal. Balotelli was left the simplest of finishes. Big mouth strikes again.
The third goal sealed the points for City, Aguero getting onto the score sheet after a subdued performance judging by his start this term.
Milner was instrumental again showing craft to play in Micah Richards who put it on a plate for the Argentinean.
Once Richards asserted himself down the right flank, battling against Ashley Young and Patrice Evra, the young Englishman was a constant threat going forward and impenetrable when defending. It was arguably his best game in a blue shirt after two years of stagnation. Take note, Fabio Capello.    
Balotelli was denied his first hat trick for City when he was replaced upon the hour mark by Dzeko. Little did City's or United's fans know that the party was only getting started.
After Silva had flashed over and Dzeko dragged wide, Fletcher played a neat one-two with substitute Javier Hernandez and from twenty yards guided a shot into the top corner.
It was to prove a false dawn. There would be no Community Shield style comeback this time for the champions. Instead there was capitulation.
In a frightening show of strength City doubled their tally in matter of only five minutes. United, rendered frail defensively were exposed two against three for the fourth when Dzeko got his first from close range after a flick at the near post found an unmarked Joleen Lescott. Whether the defender intended to cross or shoot didn’t matter as the Bosnian forward kneed it into an empty net.
United, all hope of salvation having evaporated, had surrendered.
It was left to Silva and Dzeko, running onto one of the passes of the season from Silva, to slot in one on one’s with De Gea to round off United’s most substantial loss in over 70 years.  
Today will not be a happy Monday for Ferguson but Mancini has ignited City and they are rightly installed as favourites for the league title.
A power shift to across the citadel? City have the personnel to compete across all competitions and resources managers would adore. 
City have risen but United will not slide away. 

Rooney Conjures Stunner to Silence City

The resonance of any magic trick lies in the initial deception. The curator will create the set-up, develop the spectacle before reaching the most improbable of crescendos. It is what precedes the finale that makes it all the more incredible.

Those who have followed Wayne Rooney's spectacular rise and fall over the past year may be better placed to see the relevance of the aforementioned sorcery.

Almost a year since Rooney's life, on and off the pitch, capitulated the striker delivered an emphatic moment of self expression to claim all three points against Manchester City. 

Nullified for most of the match by a superb Vincent Kompany - who marvelled in his role as the magicians assistant by keeping Rooney on a tight leash throughout the game - it took until the 78th minute for the Manchester United striker to pull the biggest rabbit from his hat.

After shanking a pass into the air, a passage of play that typified Rooney's so-far miserable day, Paul Scholes delivered a driven pass to the flanks where Nani was occupied.

The winger's cross was hoisted further into the air, the pace of the ball, crucially, dissipating, having skimmed Pablo Zabaleta. Rooney, cloaked in red, sensed his opportunity, leaping into the air and with his back to the goal unleashed a violent scissor kick into the far top corner. Joe Hart stood rooted in the middle of his goal, spellbound.  

Sir Alex Ferguson recalled Dennis Law when he described it as the best goal he had seen scored at Old Trafford. As flattering as it was for Rooney to be compared to The King, the goal was more akin to something another former red, Mark Hughes, might have scored. Sprinkled with the exuberance of Eric Cantona. 

Much of the prelude to Rooney's goal will have been confined to distant memory by the time The striker was reeling away but United were, for large swathes of the game, especially the second half, on the back foot. 

City should have been up in the opening minutes when David Silva, permeating the gaps behind midfield and defence, lacked curl on his close range effort to find Edwin Van der Sar's bottom corner. The Spaniard, a constant fixture in City's nest spells, had another attempt blocked by Patrice Evra.

If Silva was City's biggest threat it was his Iberian counterpart Nani who shone for United. The Portuguese winger tormented Zabaleta throughout, cutting and weaving into shooting positions. 

He as rewarded with a goal just before half time. Ryan Giggs, selected in a 5 man midfield, slid the ball into Nani's path who easily out-paced Aleksandar Kolarov to side foot pass Hart.

Roberto Mancini would have been right to feel slightly hard done by as his side were the more probing of the two. It was unfortunate for the Sky Blue's that their attacks were stubbed out by Nemanja Vidic and a classy Chris Smalling who stepped into replace the injured Rio Ferdinand.
 
The way Smalling contained Carlos Tevez would have delighted Ferguson especially given Johnny Evans' continuing nightmare and upcoming fixtures against Chelsea and Liverpool in the league.

City though were rewarded for their positive approach. Shawn Wright-Phillips, yes, him, cut in from the right flank and squared a ball to substitute Edin Dzeko. The Bosnian's strike clattered against Silva and fell into the net. 

But with only twelve minutes remaining Rooney's perfectly executed scissor kick left United with all three points and City's title hopes disappearing in a puff of smoke.

United Cry Foul At Lost Points

Subject:
 
Manchester United went top of the Barclays Premier League lastnight but did so on goal difference after a controversial Lee Bowyer equaliser earned Birmingham an unlikely point.
 
United will feel should lead England's elite outright after Bowyer's goal appeared to follow directly from at least 2 infringements.
 
United had looked set to regain top spot after Dimitar Berbatov fired United to a 1-0 lead towards the hour mark. The Bulgarian was moments later denied only by a post when his shot clipped the wrong side of the upright.
 
Birmingham's dogged resilience in defence ensured that United were frustrated around goal and as a result Sir Alex Ferguson's side did not capatalise on their dominance of possession. Anderson, arguably in the form of his United career, carried much less threat than has recently been discerned, his passes not managing to forge a path infront of the strikers.
 
Neither goalkeeper needed to be at their best although an outstanding outstretched arm from Ben Foster did deny Ryan Giggs a goal when the Welshman miscued a right footed cross.
 
Giggs later hit the target, and may have been lucky to escpae punishment, with a flying tackle into Bowyer. This coming after the Birmingham midfielder crunched a late, ankle-high tackle on Darron Gibson.
 
The away side emerged from the tunnel at half time and instantly sought to correct their first half inaccuracy and defficiency. Berbatov's goal came during a spell of sustained pressure from United.
 
The striker nonchalantly plucked the ball out of the air and into Gibson's feet in one seemless motion. Gibson intuitively drove towards the Birmingham defence before shifting the ball back to Berbatov who struck past Foster who was beaten low and at his near post.
 
That the ball seemed to get stuck under Berbatov made the ensuing venomous shot all the more clinical. The league's top scorer was denied from making it 2-0 by the outside of the right post following a effective, if uncharacteritic, run at the defence.
 
United though, as has been the case away from Old Trafford this season, were not home and dry and failed to consilidate the three points.
 
Nikola Zigic, who at 6' 7" dwarved Rio Ferdinand, replaced Jean Beausejour and the Blue's looked to pump the ball towards their Serbian target man.  
 
One such loft was met by Zigic who clearly impeded Ferdinand's jumping ability by leaning with both arms. One of those limbs was then responsible for pushing the ball into the path of Bowyer who slid in to volley home.   

United Avoid Giants With Draw

A rare Anderson goal ensured Manchester United progressed to the knockout stages of the Champions League last night.

The Brazilian’s equaliser cancelled out Pablo Hernandez’s first half strike for Valencia and means United qualify top of group C.

The English side will subsequently avoid some of Europe’s heavyweights in the next round of the competition, including Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

The only sour footnote was that Rio Ferdinand had to be replaced shortly after the restart and is now a doubt for his sides Premier League clash against Arsenal next Monday.

United were made to work for their share of the points despite coming up against a weakened Valencia side that included 8 changes from the team that lost to Madrid at the weekend.

The Spanish established an early dominance against a united midfield pairing of Michael Carrick and Anderson. Indeed it was Carrick who was dispossessed deep within his own half that lead to the first goal.

Jose Dominguez, who had enjoyed a lively start for the visitors, was gifted an opening when Carrick turned 360° before sloppily miss-cueing a short pass back to Ferdinand.

Dominguez took advantage of the England midfielder’s premature festive generosity taking the ball to the edge of United’s area and sliding a square ball onto the ensuing Pablo Hernandez.

Hernandez took one touch to steady himself before driving the ball through European debutant Ben Amos’ legs.

The goal came against the run of play and thirty seconds after a Wayne Rooney cross was met by a diving Ji Sung Park whose volley had the necessary power but not direction to guide the ball past Vicenti Guaita.

Rooney was centre to United’s most penetrable attacks and was denied only by the crossbar in the first half when he floated a dipping shot over a scrambling Guaita. A resurgent Rooney was also the architect of chances for Anderson and Dimitar Berbatov.

Firstly for the Brazilian who when one on one with Guaita in the first half hit a timid shot into the keeper when he had time to compose himself and then the Bulgarian, one usually renowned for close touches, took a heavy side-step that allowed the Valencia keeper to again prevent United a lead.

When United scored on the hour mark it failed to spark them into life and, as Rooney said afterwards, they looked to be hanging on for an important point. Berbatov headed wide from a Rooney cross and provider could have turned scorer with three decent efforts towards goal.

Given United’s profligacy a draw was a fair outcome but Ferguson’s will need to enforce the midfield and be clinical in front of goal if they are to make it to Wembley.

Rooney contemplates United exit

Wayne Rooney has reportedly shunned contract negotiations with Manchester United and privately admitted his willingness to cross the Mancunian border and join the blue revolution following a monumental breakdown in relations with Sir Alex Ferguson.

United must now gauge Rooney’s market value and decide whether to sell him during the winter transfer window or wait until the summer when the strikers value may have dwindled. Conversely Ferguson may seek to repair the acrimony that has festered in recent weeks since Rooney’s private life became tabloid fodder.

The damage though is allegedly irreparable and unlike previous falling’s out involving United icons, it is the player who might have the final say and not Ferguson.

Things are said to have soured between the two in the wake of reports in national newspapers of Rooney’s affair with the prostitute Jennifer Thompson. Ferguson reportedly blamed his striker for bringing his club into disrepute before omitting him from the side that travelled to Everton, on the grounds of the “vile” abuse Rooney would receive, and Valencia due to a persistent ankle injury suffered last season in Munich.

Or so Ferguson said. What has transpired since is that Rooney may have been left out of the squad, like he was left out of the starting XI on Saturday, as punishment for his off-pitch behaviour and his blatant contradiction of Ferguson’s assertion that he was injured during an interview.

This, coupled with United’s staggeringly sluggish and, according to Rooney’s camp, underwhelming contract talks has created the perfect storm over Old Trafford.

The odds on Rooney leaving in January have been slashed to 2/1 but the suitors are limited to new football money with Manchester City and Chelsea potential buyers. The thought of Rooney, for most fans the quintessential talismanic leader, wearing the blue of City would be unbearable for most of the United faithful. But it would take the most short –sighted to rule it out. Rooney has after all already ditched Everton (“once a blue, always a blue”) for greater riches and success at United. Who says he will not do the same to the Manchester club like Carlos Tevez did last summer. Rooney may even look to Tevez as an example of the adoration and opportunities he would command.

Although Chelsea have become more prudent in more recent seasons a move for Rooney could be viable despite Abramovich’s remuneration and transfer fee ceiling. A potential stumbling block could be Rooney’s apparent reluctance to move away from the north: a factor that may render Real Madrid and Barcelona a undesirable destinations.

Where would this leave United? Ferguson has repeatedly stated his admiration for Rooney and how his desire fuels his own to continue at the helm. As loss such as this would therefore hurt Ferguson and consequently United. Who would the players look to for that decisive moment? Who would fans urge to beat everyone in front of them? The irony may be that Rooney, a player bought to succeed Van Nistelrooy, has no natural heir and this may be another reason why the striker seeks to ply his trade elsewhere, somewhere where the burden is less strenuous.

Indeed it has been rumoured that Rooney is concerned at the lack of quality players brought in and vision of the future at the club. Having won 6 major trophies at United and sitting unbeaten in the current season you must wonder quite what Rooney’s idea of a successful future is.