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If you could bottle Manchester United you would have a serious concoction on your hands. It would be the kind of potion to rewrite prohibition laws, alcohol legislation worldwide would undergo serious scrutiny and support groups would pop-up like shoots in the spring time.
My name is Mark and I am a Manchester United-aholic. It all started off so simply. Just a few hours every saturday, but before I knew it it I needed more and more. I could be caught sneaking around in the middle of the night to watch highlights reels or leaf through a Pannini sticker album that was cherished above my health. Before I knew it I was logging on before work on a monday morning just to get my United fix. Results like this one are the reason why.
A thousand scriptwriters working for a thousand years could not have written better dialogue for Federico Macheda. He had the good grace not to fluff his lines. The poor lad will be crushed with comparisons to heroes of yesteryear from here on in but the confidence with which he took that goal (and from now on it shall be known as 'THAT GOAL") was utterly astonishing. The swagger of it, the quality, from one so young is what this club is all about. Norman Whiteside-esque in touch (yep, I'm guilty of the comparison stuff too) and he looks to be far stronger than your average teenage whippet as well. The man has a future.
The rest of the match was the kind to keep heart surgeons in business. Villa are a fine side and alas poor Gary was made to look every inch of his 82 years by Little John in the middle for the Villans and some rapier wing work on their left hand side.
But no matter. We have been due a loss against Villa since Nixon was in office and every time this fixture comes up I dread it knowing that the party must end some time. Thankfully not today, and we can swig from the cup of United now with slightly less trepidation than in the last fortnight. Next up, a round with Porto in Europe. Ye Gods. What will United serve up next?
Comments
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Posted by Omondi Edward on 04/06/2009
am acommitted man utd fan and i want to congratulate young tenager Macheda for doing us proud by taking us back on top of the league.Surely it was a do or die match and the lads showed this by a thrilling overhauling of Villa at O.T.Macheda surely did us proud
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Posted by manu on 04/06/2009
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Posted by Gawaya Tegulle on 04/06/2009
Man, your mastery of H.M the Queen's vernancular is remarkable, to put it mildly. You must be congratulated. This is a delicious morsel that you just served.
You ought to be featured more often!
Alert me whenever you have a posting - on tegulle@tegulle.com
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Posted by Sergey Bashala on 04/06/2009
Yeah! couldn't agree with you any more or better my alcoholic friend and fellow united supporter. The kid is just fantabulous and a bright future at this great club of ours. This is the stuff champs are made of just when you think it's all over, one majical moment will always spark to clinch the victory. this is what sepeartes good, average and great teams, the ability to also attract such awesome talent and believing in them to deliver greatness, Welbeck as well on his debut was just superb with a thunderbolt! from here on, the belief is stronger than ever that this is our 3rd successive title and whoever is brave enough to bet against us taking it is only a big fool like one described by Shakesprear in King Lear...
Lets enjoy with or without alcohol the finale of this great epic...just don't get to drunk, you might miss it!
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Posted by Samiam on 04/06/2009
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Posted by Tego(Mauritius) on 04/06/2009
I have been a Man united fan for 50 years since the days of George Best. I have never seen such a heroic debut from a 17-year lad. Frederico Macheda has achieved three feats with his magic touch, killing three birds with one stone:
1. Removing livefools from our throne.
2. Avoiding 3 consecutive defeats for Sir Alex.
3. Prolonging the quater century misery for
AVFC.
If ever we win the title, THAT GOAL in added time will be remembered for many generations to come because the entire action was simply sublime at a time when the hearts of millions of United fans had stopped beating!
Wishing Frederico a very bright future with us.
May you live as long as Giggs and achieve even more.
With love
From Mauritius
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Posted by John on 04/06/2009
Like 90% of United fans, I was like "Macheda who?" when Alex Ferguson put him in. I guess I haven't been paying nearly enough attention to the reserve team. The team played very flat for the first hour; Ronaldo was really the only player that looked remotely threatening. But like you said, in those last 30 minutes, United looked way more comfortable in attack; the players moved well without the ball, the passes were crisper, and they actually looked a little dangerous around the penalty box. And the last goal was absolute class, the first touch to get some space, then the perfect curled strike to the far post.
Villa probably did deserve a point, based on their run of play in this fixture, and were the better team for 81 minutes. But I completely agree, games like these are WHY I love football.
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Posted by Eduardo La Luz on 04/07/2009
Italian Mancunian,what a finish,another young talent spotted by Sir Alex's scouts.Hold on to this chap,he showed maturity beyond his age throughout his short stint on the weekend.....
Come on UNITED.
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Posted by Josue on 04/07/2009
Games like that shows the true Man U. GO MAN U. Go Ronaldo. Go Macheda. Man U the next uefa champions.
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Posted by osmanchester on 04/07/2009
yes we did it!!! who said Manchester died? if you could ask the history, it would tell you the truth, like what our respected coach said, the club name or the slogan of the team the winner.
of course, this it shows the sprite of fighting until the final whistle blow, if you remeber 1999 and so on.
when I said the winner team it means I am not overconfidence . But this is the reality with the team and the coach himself. My wish and expectation with in two weeks to see that next two games Manchester beat Sunderland and post mouth and Liverpool at lest could slip against either black burn or Arsenal.
If not we have to maintain the winning sprite.
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Posted by SAIDI MUZAHIM on 04/07/2009
wow what a night of breathless game of football im a man utd die hard fan but i congragulate villa for the show they put at old trafford it was that made utd realise what was ahead of them i believe now its the start of the glory to come in may surely the lads did their best and congs to all those who played that sunday afternoon still a long way to go but utd has the will and spirit to destroy any opponent come on porto we show u the way out.thanx and wish manchester utd all the best in the remaining fixtures .we need five so three to go.
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Posted by CJ on 04/07/2009
Fantastic game, ManU forever!!! sometimes, it's good to lose games for us to appreciate winning ...God bless
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Posted by peter addison on 04/07/2009
please sir alex, i think it is high time gary neville should be sent on compulsory retirement before he causes more harvorkon the club. he is so old fashioned and does not know how to play the modern game. if not for federico macheda we would have been a laughing stork for the rest of the footballing world especially liverpool no thanks to gary naville. he has given his best and i think he should bow out now that the ovation is still loud.thanks am peter from nigeria a die hard man u fan
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Posted by Akin Adesola on 04/07/2009
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Posted by A loyal reader on 04/07/2009
Iv been reading your articles for quite some time now but this is the first time im posting. Just HAD to point out that the spelling of Macheda's name will ruin a great article for sharp eyed fans. always love reading your posts. they reflect the fan's sentiments perfectly always! keep up the good work. just please dont do another piece like the one before the liverpool match again. that hurt. take care and good luck!
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Posted by Navin K on 04/07/2009
It was a breath taking finish. This is the real face of a champion. Villa did all to secure a point, but Man Utd outclassed them in the final quarter. Keep it up. I start realising that it will be hard to catch up Man Utd now. Team Spirit is back.
Cheers!!!!
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Posted by Philip Ngare on 04/07/2009
if there are moments in life when u require the child to get you out of a trap,tiwas saturday.we can now c the reason Rooney should start every MAN U game,for sure i didnt know Macheda,sato a new mesiah was born and saved Man Utd.i cant wait to see the combination of Rooney,Ronaldo and Macheda in attack.it would show the brilliance of young lads in action.Macheda made my weekend go Brrrrr... and i bow for him. for Vidic"welcome back" and do the damn thing.as for Fergusson continue to gamble with the lads and you will leap.let the Livefools trail untill the end of the glory.for the ailing master of defence"Rio" quick recovery.let us show FC photo the darkest image.i will never leave Man U and the Quintuple dream should never die.GO MAN U GO!!!..for all those who beleive in victory lets say;"we MAN U FANS will never ever leave our team untill this all trophies are at home and more in Sep Blaters cabinet" God Bless you and God bless MAN U. as to Fergie"old is Gold".
philip Ngare,Nairobi
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Posted by skreem on 04/07/2009
respect manu and that new kid they are true champions for fighting back at the end other teams (chelsea) dont have the spirit to win games like these.props to the new kid with a fanastic goal still without ronaldo manu would not have won a great performance all around the best team in the world...........
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Posted by zul on 04/08/2009
Posted by Isaiah N on 04/08/2009
Oh ...Man U ...you always make me suffer whenever we lose!!!.It has been weeks I being abused by Arsenal fans every where I go..at place of my work,estate where I stay..and even at social places.Please Ronaldo,Rooney,Tevez,Anderson and everybody emerge as winners of every game especially Primier >LONG LIVE MAN U (our game with Villa i died and when I regained my life Ronaldo equalised before the wonderboy KIKO did the unexpected.Sir Alex please give chance to Macheda,Ben Forster for are burning with ambition to prove their worth.
Manchester Diehard
IsaiaH N
Posted by IMMANUEL on 04/08/2009
nice one lad, go united wat a brilliant fight. ronaldo ur a true star...so too to fletcher
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About
Mark Payne writes about football for a variety of media outlets. He reported on the 2010 World Cup for Australia’s ABC network and worked at one of the FIFA fan sites. He has been ESPN’s Manchester United correspondent for four years. His writing attracts a worldwide following and in 2011 this blog was nominated for an award. To contact Mark for football discussion e-mail him on markpayne.editor@hotmail.com at any time. He wears lucky socks on match days.
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