Uniteds dads army are the union at Norwich, a despatch from a small town near Ipswich, 26th February 2012

This Friday marks the 21st anniversary of the debut of Ryan Giggs, a match when he came on as a sub in an awful match at Old Trafford against Everton where the Toffees ran out deserved 2-0 winners. Today, Ryan Giggs scored what could be a priceless injury time winner, 899 matches later against a Norwich side who, on balance of play, deserved a draw. The goal was greeted by the United fans in the Jarrold Stand at Carrow Road with the kind of primal roar which normally greets winning goals against Liverpool. There was none of the laconic cool that a good chunk of United’s support and Giggs himself sometimes demeans when United score, everybody, Giggs included, went f$ck%n mental when this goal went in. This goal mattered.

I was expecting a tricky game for United today. No matter how poor their recent form is, Norwich, like a lot of other teams always raise their game when playing against United Last time United came here in April 2005, a soon to be relegated Norwich side played United off the park to win 2-0 in what was one of United’s worst performances in recent memory. In October last year, United beat Norwich 2-0 on a gorgeous late summer’s day at Old Trafford but anybody who remembers that match will remember that the final score concealed a whole multitude of sins. Today’s weather was just as unseasonably pleasant and was looking even better on 7 minutes when Paul Scholes ghosted in on the far post to
head United into the lead.

Such is United’s way though that once an opponent is on the back foot nowadays, United don’t go in for the kill. A shell shocked Norwich were allowed back into the game by some typically sloppy passing from United today. Nani in particular had a shocking game and that’s before I yet again, mention his corners, which are now a recurring theme of a bad dream. David De Gea was again outstanding, on 28 minutes he saved with his feet from a low drive from Anthony Pilkington after a chipped cross from Kyle Naughton. Six minutes later he saved a glancing header from Grant Holt. On 83 minutes, an unusually poor ball from Paul Scholes across his eighteen yard line started the sequence of events which give Norwich their deserved equaliser. Norwich sub, Aaron Wilbraham forces another great save from David De Gea which leaves the United keeper conceding a corner. From the resulting corner, powerful Norwich centre forward Grant Holt controls a Zak Whitbread knockdown, to fire a belter past a despairing and faultless David De Gea.

Suddenly, United start playing again and force pressure on Norwich. Danny Wellbeck, who’d had a great game missed a free header four minutes after Norwich equaliser. It all looked like too little too late until Ryan Giggs, even at this late stage of his career stole three points for United.

Today’s been a long day. I got to Chorlton Street bus station at 7am to pick up the Red Issue/United We Stand coach. There was all kind’s of waifs and strays walking about, young lads and lasses coming out of nearby all nighters and hungover reds stood on Chorlton street in sullen silence wondering what the hell they were doing there at this hour. We got to Norwich at midday and were directed by an unusually pleasant and helpful policeman to the Compleat Angler pub on Prince of Wales road, by the banks of the River Wensum. On the bus going to and from Norwich, the reds were in good wit and fine voice. Chants of “De Gea, De Gea de David De Gea” to the tune of SL2s old rave classic
On a ragga tip (a tune I first heard on an all nighter in the Banshee, Oxford street 20 years ago). There were also a new chant of “Viva Ronaldo” which included in these Glazerian times, the very optimistic line of put him on a plane, bring him back from Spain. My favourite though was the chant of You are Scholes, Scholes, always believe in Paul Scholes
which went to the tune of “Gold” by Spandau Bollocks (sic). Why chants like these never take off in the ground is beyond me. It took an hour to get out of Norwich today after the game, but the locals kept us all well entertained with their middle and duel fingered salutes. It’s very hard to take seriously, anybody aiming abusive gestures while wearing Norwich shirts. .

After the recent impressive rendition by Ajax fans, the Bob Marley classic Three Little Birds has caught the imagination of United fans. If you’re gonna be influenced by visiting fans in European competition, I’d rather it be that song, than us standing with our backs to the game looking wacky. In the coach park today as we were boarding the home bound bus, there was a fella in the corner, really getting into the spirit of the song by singing don’t worry about de ting, cos every li’l ting’s gonna be alright.

On the way to Carrow Road today, I also read the newly published Sun on Sunday and headed straight to Roy Keane’s column. Having read it, I couldn’t believe how bland and forgettable it was. It saddened me to see a man of his integrity, honesty and principle put his name to such a load of pony. A man for whom I’ve always had awesome respect, for his candour and selfless, almost psychopathic endeavour on the pitch for United. If he dosen’t watch himself, he could end up being an embittered gobshite in the mould of Emlyn Hughes and Malcolm McDonald.

There was a lot of understandable dissent and disillusion when Paul Scholes returned to United’s squad for the cup match at City, nearly two months ago. Whilst it’s farcical that a club of United’s size and money generating capabilities are reliant on a returning retiree to galvanise them, it’s no surprise to anybody who’s not been burying their heads in the sand, that this has been coming since the Glazer burglary commenced in May 2005. Whatever the rights and wrongs of United’s hand to mouth transfer policy, one thing is agreed by everybody, Paul Scholes has been sensational since returning to United’s squad from what now looks like a much needed refreshing sabbatical, as opposed to retirement. United have never properly replaced the aforementioned Roy Keane, but have won four league titles and a European cup, since his acrimonious departure in the autumn of 2005. Paul Scholes’s absence this season was so keenly felt that he ending up coming back and replacing himself. What happens when he and Ryan Giggs finally call it a day, God only knows.

Blood Red Sky Tonight Eclipses The Blue Moon, Manchester 8th Of January 2012

In two days time, it will be the 25th anniversary of Sir Alex Ferguson’s first FA Cup match as Manchester United manager which was won 1-0, with a goal by Norman Whiteside, against Manchester City. Over the last twenty five years, Ferguson’s been written off countless times by the certain people in the media. The first time was in the winter of 1989, the latest time was last week. Yet again all the obituaries have been written in haste, the front cover of this months 442 magazine was obviously commisioned with a United defeat at the Bradford gasworks stadium (thank you Mr Cousins) in the FA Cup expected. After the last match at Old Trafford between United and City, this is the first Manchester derby I’ve looked on with any trepidation since the 3-3 draw at Maine Road in October 1990, the last time City had a side that could’ve been considered somewhere near equal to United.

City today, were virtually at full strength. Sure, Yaya Toure has been collared by the Ivory Coast for African Nation’s cup but his replacement, Nigel De Jong ain’t a bad player to have as back up. City rested first choice keeper Joe Hart and replaced him with Costel Pantilimon, they can’t even say that the change of keeper weakened them as there was nothing Pantilimon could have done with any of Uniteds first half goals. Vincent Kompany was sent off for a two footed tackle on Nani on twelve minute’s, two minute’s after Rooney had headed United into the lead. In my opinion, the sending off was harsh, definetly a foul and a yellow card but not a sending off. Whilst Kompany may have been unlucky to have been sent off, the way City collapsed between then and half time is an indictment on them. Today in the first half, the pressure was really on for City and they can’t use the excuse of being a man down for that collapse. Any team with City’s aspiration’s should be able to cope with the loss of one man, no matter how harsh the decision or how important the player is to the team, which Vincent Kompany obviously is. The one City player who scares the shit out of me when he’s got the ball, David Silva, was anonymous throughout the entire game. The other dangerman Sergio Kun Aguero was a menace that was generally kept well under control apart from obviously the 64th minute when he seized on a James Milner cross after he’d capitalised on a mistake by a very rusty Paul Scholes.

United fans celebrating at the Bradford Gasworks stadium (Photograph courtesy of Neil Meehan)

I’ve since heard that from pundits and journalists that Wayne Rooney scored for United, against the run of play on 10 minutes. It must have been a similar run of play that the absent today, Mario Balotelli scored at Old Trafford in October as I never felt United were under any serious threat before City scored. Danny Wellbeck scored a beauty on 31 minutes with a swivelling volley that surprised Costel Pantilimon in the City goal. United were going for City with some gusto. Aleksandar Kolarov made a clumsy challenge on Wellbeck on 39 minutes for a definite penalty, Rooney forced a great save from Pantilimon but heads in the rebound. Before the match a win, any win would’ve been more than welcome. We’re now all dreaming of avenging the 6-1 defeat in October, especially when the magnificent Wellbeck just fails to connect in the six yard box in first half injury time. With all the momentum in United’s favour, half time was a nuiscance, it gave City time to regroup. When Aleksandar Kolarov scored with a perfect free kick, after a pretty soft decision from referee Chris Foy on 48 minutes, even with a man advantage, we knew it wasn’t going to be straight forward. Two minutes before Aguero brought the game back to 3-2, Valencia was tripped in the City box by Aleksandar Kolarov, for a blatant penalty which was waved away, by referee Chris Foy. After Aguero scored, it was a very nervous last 25 minutes.

United have had a couple of bad performance’s and defeat’s lately. Before today’s match, any win would’ve been welcome for United, bearing in mind City’s form and the feeling of dread amongst my red brethren for this game. With City’s failure to sell all their tickets for this fixture and with today’s result, it saves the deeply religious City fans of being in the moral Quandary of what to do on Sunday afternoons when their team are at home. Since the final whistle, a couple of hours ago, I’ve had text’s and phone call’s off red’s that I both like and respect telling me that it feel’s like a defeat or at best, a draw after the second half performance. As much as I like and respect these guy’s, I think it’s complete bollocks. United have won a game, back’s to the wall, away from home against a team that on present form, are the best in the country. There’s a lot of talk of papering over the cracks, especially with Scholes coming out of retirement but the crack’s have been getting papered over ever since them parasites seized control of the club in 2005. Whilst City have been running round like Viv Nicholson after too many Babycham’s and financial armagedon might only be round the corner for United, we might as well enjoy days like today as we’ve all known for a long time what’s coming.

Back In The Summer Of ’89 – Manchester, 23rd of October, 2011

Everybody’s talking about The Stone Roses as United are bookies’ favourites and about to play City. After a promising start by United, City run riot and are 3-0 up before United score a great goal to give some faint hope. It’s all in vain as City attack again in waves before winning comfortably, 5-1. This is a memory of mine from September 1989, a memory I never thought I’d see repeated, but today, it’s even worse. At least when City won 5-1 in 1989, it was at Maine Road, today, they’ve won 6-1 at Old Trafford.

Nearly two months ago, I watched United give Arsenal the same kind of thrashing I watched City give United today. Before today’s game, the word on the quiet from my red brethren was a draw would be a good result due to the obvious fact that City are playing well and United, despite good recent results, are not.

Since City beat Tottenham 5-1 at White Hart Lane, there’s been all kinds of talk about how this could be their year. My belief has been that City have not played any team that they shouldn’t beat since then and I was waiting to see how they’d get on against teams like Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool or United. Today they gave a pretty good answer. Knowing City fans the way I do, they’ll already be out in the satellite towns of Manchester (despite all their talk, you won’t see many City fans in Piccadilly Gardens tonight) celebrating winning the title, like last season, before the clocks went back. This City team certainly can but there’s a long way to go ’til next May. As things stand, United are twelve goals & five points behind City, today’s a bad loss but we’ve all seen United recover bigger deficits than this.

On a personal note, I’m writing this an hour after the game, the result hasn’t yet truly sunk in, all I know for sure is City deserved the win. One thing I’ve gotta say in fairness to City fans is that for the first time in my years of watching derby matches, not once did I hear any mention, celebration or singing about the Munich air crash. Whether this is down to them now having a good team and thus not feeling the need to celebrate a tragedy or whether it’s down to the deserved slapping some of their fans got on Wembley Way or the motorway services last April, I don’t know but it was refreshing not to hear it.

United started the game with plenty of possesion and aggression but, despite that, I never thought at any time that City were under any pressure. Ballotelli’s goal was just too easy and when Jonny Evans got sent off in the opening minutes of the second half, I could feel a long afternoon coming on. With City three up on seventy minutes, United went into a kamikaze attacking mode without actually looking like scoring. The understanbly boisterous City fans were quietened with ten minutes to go when Darren Fletcher scored. City fans know from plenty of past experience that if any team could come back from 3-0 down, it’s United and there was a nervous quiet amongst the City fans’ section, just to my right but whilst United kept on trying, City’s defence were just too disciplined to be rattled. I believed when Fletcher scored that it was only at best a face saver, in the end, with three City goals in injury time, it wasn’t even that.