Write For The Manchester United Offside!
By: Taylor Rockwell |
1 Comment
As I mentioned on Monday, The Manchester United page is looking for bloggers to cover the biggest club on the planet. I am planning on staying on and posting 1-2 times a week, but we were looking for someone to cover the day to day news stories. If you’re interested in the position, you can email me at manu@theoffside.com with the pertinent information (name, writing experience, and a writing sample) and then I’ll pass the info on to Daryl. We get a good amount of readers on this page, and the lack of frequent posting isn’t doing you patrons justice. So email me and we’ll go from there.
Category: Manchester United
United v CSKA – Preview and Predictions
By: Taylor Rockwell | 15 Comments
Who: Manchester United vs. CSKA Moscow
What: Champions League Group B – Match Day 4
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester, England
When: 19:45 BST (2:45 EST)
Why: The Old Trafford faithful need a first hand viewing of CSKA keeper Igor Akinfeev before every English tabloid spends the summer linking him with a transfer to the club. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Manchester UnitedUnited 2 – Blackburn 0 : The Obertan Era Begins… with a scuffed shot wide…
By: Taylor Rockwell | 7 Comments
So another decent performance sees United secure all three points at Old Trafford. Overall, I was pleased with the result, but still found a few things troubling. The inability of our three main strikers to score consistently when given the opportunity is slightly worrying, but Obertan’s EPL debut coupled with Berba’s world class finish left me as happy as could be. That said, here are my Top 5 Things that I took away from Saturday’s victory.
1) Dimitar Berbatov can apparently only score ridiculous goals. Berba had multiple opportunities where he looked certain to score, but those chances often ended up in frustration for player and fan alike. One on one with the keeper? Fired wide. Wide open header? Right at the keeper. Balled played in behind him with all his momentum going the opposite direction? No problem. A beautiful first touch setting up an even prettier finish to the bottom corner. Berba reminds me of the player that can only score when he doesn’t have to think about it. Give him too much time, and he over thinks. Force him to react in a quick situation, and the keeper ends up picking the ball out of the back of the net. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Manchester UnitedA Rudderless United
By: Taylor Rockwell | 16 Comments
I really have only one thing to say about yesterday’s performance. My girlfriend and I were out to dinner Friday night and the topic of the Liverpool match came up. She asked me if I was nervous/if she should avoid being in the apartment Sunday morning and I (like an idiot) told her the following.
Me: “I’m always a little nervous… but Liverpool really only have two players that we need to worry about.”
Her: “Who?”
Me: “Fernando Torres, who plays up top and Steven Gerrard, their captain who plays in the midfield. Neither is looking completely match fit, so it should be interesting.”
Fast forward to Sunday morning, and about midway through the second half. She walked into the living room, looked at the television, and asked, “Is Gerrard playing?” I told her that he wasn’t, she paused, and then dropped a bomb: “Then shouldn’t United be winning?” I paused… stammered… and then prepared for the worst. Sometimes it takes a girlfriend with limited soccer knowledge to point out the disturbing fact that you had been avoiding all morning. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Manchester UnitedThe Friday Links – October 23, 2009
By: Taylor Rockwell | 2 Comments
This week has been crazy in pretty much every sense of the word. From insane results in the Champions League to a magic fight in Madrid to Wes Brown’s Zombie Corpse making an appearance in Moscow, it’s been a bit of a random week. So, how better to cap it all off then another dose of The Weekly Links.
Random Podcasts:
The Soccerlens Podcast – This week, the Soccerlens boys interview author Andy Mitten regarding his new book, “Glory, Glory! Man Utd in the 90s – The Players’ Stories.” The new book is based on detailed interviews with many of the big name players from United squads of the 90s, and will no doubt prove a good read for any and all United fans who want to hear first hand just how crazy Roy Keane actually is (plus in depth interviews with Eric Cantona, Nicky Butt, Andy Cole, Gar Pallister, and many more). The interview starts about 10 minutes in, and Mitten (not surprisingly) is keen to discuss all things United.
The Football Ramble – Great podcast coming straight from… erm… somewhere in England. The fearsome foursome of Lukey, Markey, Peter, and James/Jim give you a hilarious look at the major topics of the football week. As their website explains, “The most groundbreaking thing to happen in football entertainment since Tim Lovejoy parted company with Soccer AM to go and do that really boring cooking show with that arrogant bloke that makes the cocktails.” The show airs every Thursday and is well worth a listen, if for nothing else than for “The Dean Windass Hall of Fame.”
The Total Football Soccer Show – A bit of self-promotion I know, but for those of you wondering why I seem to be all over the place lately, here’s the reason. Daryl and I do a weekly podcast that attempts to discuss… well… for lack of a better description… the random aspects of world football. This week’s episode is a bit esoteric, as it focuses on our local amateur league. Nevertheless, it’s decent listen for the drive home. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Manchester UnitedCSKA Moscow v Manchester United: Match Preview and Predictions
By: Taylor Rockwell | 3 Comments
Who: CSKA Moscow v Manchester United
What: UEFA Champions League – Matchday Three
Where: Luzhniki Stadium (Moscow, Russia)
When: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 (17:30 BST or 12:30 EST)
Why: Because the viewing public need to know which is icier… Moscow in October or Sir Alex Ferguson’s currently relations with the media. Boom! Pun!
Current Form: United
United are currently top of the table in the English Premier League (by a whopping one point). The Red Devils are currently sporting a record of seven wins, one draw, and one loss, with a total of 22 points. United are also on top of Champions League Group B with six points (having bested Besikatas and Wolfsburg in their first two match days).
Current Form: CSKA
CSKA are fourth in the Russian Premier League (seven points behind current leader Rubin Kazan). Through 25 games, CSKA are sporting a record of thirteen wins, four draws, and eight losses with a goal differential of +17. The Russians are also third in Group B standings, as they are level on points with Germans club VfL Wolfsburg (three points), but are trailing on goal differential (-1). CSKA lost their Champions League opener away to Wolfsburg, but rebounded with a home win against Besiktas. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Manchester UnitedThings I Learned From This Weekend
By: Taylor Rockwell | 3 Comments
• It’s good to have Edwin Van der Sar back. Bolton may have pulled a goal back, but the big Dutchman kept his area clear for a large portion of the game and definitely seemed to be a calming presence at the back. The play that most stands out in my mind is when Van der Sar made a save and immediately punted the ball 70 yards to the feet of a waiting Dimitar Berbatov, who promptly launched a counterattack. Pinpoint accuracy on the longball + the ability to play with his feet = welcome back Edwin.
• Ryan Giggs has clearly made some kind of deal with Satan. The 96 year old winger once again looked deadly on offense and threatening on defense. My favorite Giggs moment came in the closing seconds of the match when Giggsy dribbled into the corner and then proceeded to hold off two Bolton defenders for far longer than should have been possibly, and then he won a corner. Shouldn’t he be allowed to select a national team to play for in the World Cup? That only seems fair, right?
• Wigan are way better than our shellacking of them indicated. Since we had our way with them way back when, Wigan have found their footing, defeated Chelsea, and drawn with Manchester City. The speed and overall size of that squad could do further damage to some of the bigger teams. Speaking of which…. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Manchester UnitedUnited 1 – Le Havre 0: Pogba to be a United player
By: Taylor Rockwell | 11 Comments
And with that, Paul Pogba became a Manchester United player. After months of speculation regarding the fate of the French teenager, a FIFA-appointed judge upheld United’s claim that Pogba could not have been offered financial inducements to break a contract (because he didn’t have one) and was therefore free to sign with the English champions.
A club spokesman told the official club website that, “Manchester United is pleased to confirm that the Football Association has been authorised by FIFA to register Paul Pogba as a United player with immediate effect.”
The judge dismissed all of Le Havre’s complaints, stating that Pogba was still technically an amateur when he played for the French club and that as no contract existed, United were well within their legal rights to pursue the teenager. Le Havre retain the right to appeal FIFA’s decision. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Manchester UnitedUnited Bits and Bobs – October 6, 2009
By: Taylor Rockwell | 11 Comments
Manchester United have today confirmed that Ritche De Laet will be a United player until at least 2012. The Belgian defender was offered a new contract that will keep him at Old Trafford for the foreseeable future (not entirely sure in what capacity, but at least he’ll be here). De Laet, now 20, was a surprise signing from Stoke, as he had never played for their first team. Nevertheless, De Laet has impressed United Manager Sir Alex Ferguson to the extent that he was today offered a new deal.
According to an interview with The Sun, “Alex Ferguson told me I’m very close to the first team. There has been talk of me going out on loan but Sir Alex said I can’t leave as he may need me. The new contract is a surprise and fantastic news.” Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Manchester UnitedBen Foster: Keeper of the Future?
By: Taylor Rockwell | 15 Comments
Saturday’s match against Sunderland saw yet another questionable performance from current Manchester United keeper Ben Foster. United and Sunderland were tied at one all when a deft cross from Andy Reid was headed home by Black Cats striker Kenwyne Jones. Some (including Sir Alex Ferguson and Ben Foster) will argue that this goal was the result of Jones fouling Foster in order to win the cross. Others will point to this incident as further evidence of Foster’s uncertaintly between the posts.
Obviously, Jones is a rather large fellow but Foster had the momentum and (to some extent) the advantge going in. Yet, when all was said and done, Foster was on the ground and the ball was in the back of the net. Sunderland went up 2-1, and only a deflected rocket from Patrice Evra saved United the embarrassment of a home defeat. Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Manchester United
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