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It is hard to describe the set of emotions you feel when you first realise that somebody is complete pillock. Should this person be a close friend, there is a mixture of disappointment and sadness, perhaps a feeling of responsibility for it all. On the other hand, when that person is Manchester City chairman Garry Cook, it’s really quite enjoyable.
A distinguished member of the Crinkleys pointed out this week that he wouldn’t appreciate his correspondence from the early 70s being made public. Indeed, the antics of most people in their late teens and early twenties can be deemed questionable. However, there wasn’t any secret about Garry Cook being an embarrassment and it is a shame he has gone. It may take minutes for City to produce such a mockable figure.
It was only a matter of minutes before United made the game safe on Saturday. For all the talk in the build up of “needing protection for the goalie”, it was Bolton’s shot stopper who would have felt grateful for reinforcements. Indeed, De Gea managed to add another excellent save to his repertoire and a clean sheet for his troubles too. Confirmation again that perseverance works.
It’s certainly not laborious watching this side play at the moment. Robbie Smyth of the Guardian noted on Saturday that it would be Fergie’s crowning achievement if he were to topple Barcelona with this current batch of kids. At this stage, that is certainly wishful thinking, but it is also hard to remember a season that began with such goal fests as these.
It still lingers in the mind that Bolton were a bogey team for a while under Sam Allardyce. Owen Coyle is doing nice things for the Lancashire club but if they keep surrendering at home like this, they’ll struggle this season.
It is impossible not to notice how superior United and City have been in this opening set of fixtures. It makes me wonder if the Premier League is starting to resemble La Liga, or even the Scottish Premier League, with two behemoths dishing out whippings every week. In reality though, we are four games in to a long, long season and City have just arrived at the top table. Comparisons such as those are at least five years away, in that time everything will likely have changed again.
By that point it is conceivable Manchester United will be under the stewardship of another manager. A concept which it is hard to conceive of now. Whether or not he conquers the continent again before he steps down is yet to be seen. You can be damn sure this side will give it a good try though.
Allez les Rouges
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Posted by Kirk on 09/11/2011
This is the side that has to do it. It is still very early in the season and I am wary of starting so good. We have been known to have played better in the second half of the season ( I have always said that we start playing on Boxing Day ) and have seen what happen to teams that start too good, remember Chelsea last season. The squad is young and has a lot of talent and I believe that SAF is the only person that will be able to shuffle the team, to play with a strong side in all competitions. It is disappointing to hear about Tom Cleverly and I wish him a speedy recovery, but what can I say about the Rooney/Hernandez partnership ? Simply fantastic. I am also very convinced that Anderson is the hardest working attacking midfielder right now and I am glad for him. Can't wait to face Chelsea and to play the Derby at Old Trafford.
Glory, Glory Man United,
A Red Devil since 1962.
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Posted by Jackvent on 09/12/2011
I am very excited for United this season especially with the start of 4 matches that they played. I know it is to early to shrug off other teams and hope United can play consistently till last day. My main concern is only injury to united players to affect the wonderful displays that they are showing at the moment. Hope the seniors of Man Utd can catch up with the speed that their juniors perform.
With current performance and the depth of the squads, we have the hope to challenge the prestigious trophy of champions league as Mark said. Hope this season will be double or triple silverware that United can present to their Fans all over the world.
United Rocks
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Posted by Mike on 09/12/2011
United is looking good, but the next to PL games will be more indicative than the previous games against WBA, crisis Arsenal and Tottenham, and Bolton. Chelsea at home and Stoke away will be tougher than those easier games. Man City don't have a real test until like October, they have the cake-ist starting schedule, like Chelsea did last year. I'll be interested to see if United struggle at the end, after their great start. As Arsenal knows, starting the season crap and ending well (like United usually do) is so much better than starting awesome and blowing it at the end
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Posted by yis on 09/12/2011
what is this nonsense u are talking starting well and ending crap? United is not arsenal or chelsea, fergie is not ancelotti or wenger. The man knows how to do it very well. He does rotation and freshening up squad more than anyone. So why will united end crap? They didnt even finish 2nd when they were really crap last season. The only thing that can cool the current tempo down might be if there happens many injuries. Like for example if ando and roo get injured at this moment in addition to tom. It will be like barca missing the three stars. So if no such disaster happens, i think they will do good all season. The fixtures am looking forward will be liverpool home/away specially if gerard returns and the noisy neiboughrs home/away. These will be really tough and interesting games, especially with the old owners of the perch.
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Posted by AR on 09/12/2011
I've been a football fan since 1984, and for all of those past years, i've been a United fan. With that said, i'm wary of overcommiting myself to any form of 'superlative explosion' when describing United's current form.
As has been noted numerous times, form is temporary whilst class remains, and it would be rather churlish to hedge bets on something that can disappear literally overnight. One bad refereeing decision, one crunching tackle (and in the case of Davies on young Cleverly, utterly unnecessary) and suddenly the season is in doubt.
Of such things are coronaries made.
If there's a footballing God, as idiosyncratic as this sounds i pray that the Devils (get it?) can stay largely injury-free in this campaign. If they can manage that, dips in form can be kept to a minimum and hence, momentum can be sustained.
Wayne Rooney, on the other hand... insert your superlative of choice.
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Posted by Reder1k on 09/12/2011
Cook did not have the demeanor to handle the English media which is savage as in jungle savage when it smells blood, neither did he have the charisma or charm to keep them sweet. That doesn't make him professionally incompetent though and from what I see and hear about his impact at Wastelands and the level of his vision and ability in the development of a sporting franchise with infrastructure to support it for decades, he is likely to be remembered for things other than a mis-directed email and a habit of getting City and United mixed up :-)
Am I alone in thinking that the offending email was pretty bland, the offence taken rather OTT and the 12 month's that elapsed before complaining about it to the FA, club (and importantly the media) inexplicable?
Whoever takes over may be less quotable and less accident prone but City will be hoping he/she will not be less visionary. Perhaps we should show some solidarity and offer to lend them Malcolm Glazer's favourite son ;-)
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Posted by MU fan on 09/12/2011
Well said yis!!! start crap or ending crap...we Man Utd will do what we want...win the league! win the FA! win the Carling! win CL!! and you name it!why need to worry about injuries??? while we have The Great SAF!!!!oh yeah now the gaffer got promoted to God of Football!!!! dont you guys ABU saw what he did for years when the defenders get injured!! when the mid field get injured!! when stars left or get chased from the club! go and watch again last season's MU vs Gonners game which won by the MU defenders!! only SAF, The Football God can do it...!!!
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Posted by Unitedsince86 on 09/12/2011
I can't be bothered by what's happening with City;not when United are playing with such attacking verve and panache. Was expecting a slender win at Bolton rather than a goal fest. But when I saw the way the lads strung their passes and how they moved intelligently, I got a good feeling. There's so much more incision in attacking play now.
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Posted by David Smith on 09/12/2011
Wonderful performance at Bolton with Rooney, Chicharito and Jones all outstanding on the day! It's been an unbelievable start to the season and I don't anticipate surrendering our 100% record to Chelsea next Sunday. With the match being at Old Trafford, I can see us winning 3-1. I thought De Gea had his best match of his young United career, but it's still early days yet and clean sheets and good saves are always required of the United number 1, no matter who it is. Jones looks an absolute bobby dazzler and at 19 years of age, I dare say he looks a legend-in-the-making. The tackle on Cleverly was par for the course for that dirty Scouse bastard - still, the good news is our England starlet will only be out a month and not three. After a very positive pre-season, Nani seems to have gone off the boil just a bit. A more influential impact is required of the lad if we are to keep rolling. Benfica on Wednesday and I wouldn't mind seeing the likes of Berbatov, Park and Valencia given a game.
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Posted by ezfulus on 09/12/2011
"It makes me wonder if the Premier League is starting to resemble La Liga, or even the Scottish Premier League, with two behemoths dishing out whippings every week."
Or perhaps the UCL, with two Spanish behemoths dishing out whippings every fixture.
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Posted by Zeid Nasser on 09/12/2011
I was thinking the exact same thing, as United usual foes of the past decade seemed out of sorts.
But, it's probably more wishful thinking than reality :)
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Posted by Reder2k on 09/13/2011
I'm a Man Utd fan, but let me just say this: City or Chelsea can try to halt Utd for one season, but we'll just come back and take back what's ours.
And before you know it, those impatient wealthy owners will start sacking their managers, and in that process, destabilise the club.
Just ask Chelsea.
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Posted by Michael on 09/13/2011
Ezfulus: "Or perhaps the UCL, with two Spanish behemoths dishing out whippings every fixture."
Yeah, because Real Madrid have a such a great Champions League record... what a moron you are.
English teams have dominated Europe for the last 6 years. Madrid haven't done anything since 2002. In that period of time Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and United (3 times) have all been in the final. Barcelona are the only team from La Liga to reach the final in almost a decade.
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Posted by Alex- Singapore on 09/13/2011
I ahve been following Man Utd since 1974 & I am from Singapore!
I am blown away with how the lads are playing now & though I know it's early days, I would rather see the team playing well now & not only after Boxing Day. It's scary to think that Sir Alex will retire one of these days & whoever is gonna replace him better have the shoe size of Ronald MacDonald's! Still, I think Sir Alex is pretty hungry for more success & I am very happy that the younger players are given a chance to shine. I know this is never the team of Beckham, Butt, the Neville brothers & Scholes but looking at the way they played, I am sure they will be the team for the next few seasons.
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Posted by steve katemba on 09/13/2011
As we have all noted the current form of Man Utd is convincingly good,the test that is coming on Saturday is likely to show how the squad is prepared to face any kind of the team.The blues though have not kept 100% record( in winning) by now but it is also a strong side to face.Let's wait and see how Man Utd young lads can show their commitment to trophy winning this season.
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Posted by David Semen on 09/13/2011
SAF may be the awesomest coach, he too have to quit from football one day. We are waiting for the day, when Fergie goes away, Mancunians will lose their trophay, back to the rightful owners, Chelsay.
YAY
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Posted by vicyvicky on 09/13/2011
Seeing united starlets doing wonders in the pitch is not only enjoyable but it also give united fans opportunity to brag.i would love to watch the da silva brothers more oftenly.As for chelsea our noisy neighbours and the one we are sitting on their perch, i think our squad with SAF is much better and only their mental approach of each particular game matters.
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Posted by fungai patrick on 09/13/2011
man utd are just too good at the moment they can win all trophies this season they have a squad with enough depth to play good football throughout the season,
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Posted by kel on 09/13/2011
Can I‎​ ever get tired of the joy manchester united gives me every weekend? No I‎​ cnt,very good way to start a new season and just hope ingury will be reduced
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Posted by byrd.tt on 09/13/2011
For those of you who're saying 'starting/ending crap', in the season 09-10, we were the best performer in Sep/Oct (if I remembered correctly) yet we lose the title to Ancelotti & Co.
So there's always a possibility that anythin can happens in this footballing world.
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Posted by Tapiwa Mubonderi on 09/13/2011
The team was good last season, but Fergie has improved it by adding reinforcements to our strengths; defence and wings and letting squad players go i.e. Brown and O'Shea. Last season the cutting edge was missing, and our defence was pourous against good opposition and this will have to improve as we conceded twice against Gonners & Shitty. This is essential to even have a hope of shutting out Super Barca or Rich Madrid in the UCL. The match with Chel$ea will show how good we really are.
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Posted by peter marcus on 09/13/2011
up up united! SAF & MU will dominate the EPL this season only if MICHAEL CARRICK is not a starter!!! cleverly out is a big blow, but a youngster should be brought in, an industrious player. carrick should be sipped out in january to make way for a real midfielder
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Posted by johanzul on 09/14/2011
G8 feeling to see the team has performed wonderfully early this season. Last season, we started not so strongly and still end up wif cups. The challenge was to win games even with injuries and non performing players but SAF still manage to pull it thru.
Now, present, with almost all positions we have players that we can depend on and have substitution for it, the team shall be much more stronger each day but the challenge now is different whereby SAF needs to rotate his players accordingly and the players need to step up quickly giving less opportunity to be in 1st Eleven team. For instance if SAF puts Berba and Owen to play more on CL and FA while Welbeck and Hernandez on BPL and Carling, these players shouldn't blame due to less playtime, resulting them can't perform well.
Before, I forgot, g8 work from Phil Jones during the Bolton game, one of the 'ingredients' missing since last season, players who dare enough to break 'deadlock' situations.
"and the reds go marching on".
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Posted by JJB on 09/14/2011
i let go all the credit to SAF for his awesome job weldone on his managing job, i'm proud to be a united fan and i will ever be! man u is a team that will put up a fear in you and also do somthing speedily to eradicate it. united are not afraid of any opponent team, bring your best and they will break your wings! injury or no injury the boys are good and they play like one big family. what happen last season against arsenal was incredible, using defenders to top attack, i call that madness, but it was experience! Bravo united! Glory!Glory!Glory! and more trophies united!
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Posted by JAB on 09/15/2011
"Form is temporary, but class seems to shine out of every one of Sir Alex Ferguson's orifices."
the job he's done this year has been spectacular but i can't help and wonder what kind of adversity this squad will face throughout this season. every team faces some and it's how well they can fight through the adversity that proves how great the team truly is. this squad is so young, it worries me. it'll be up to the likes of Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic to keep this team's head in the right place.
but if we can take anything from the Benfica performance United desperately need another option in the midfield. whether it is Carrick or Fletcher stepping up or the buying of another mid, something needs to be done because Cleverly and Anderson cannot hold down the midfield all season long.
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Posted by David Smith on 09/15/2011
The point in Lisbon was quite good for a few reasons. Seven of the first eleven were starting for the first time this season. The midfield alone included 37 year old Giggs; Fletcher, who's been struck down with a virus most of the year; Carrick who's had a torrid time of it the past 18 months; Valencia, who's been crocked in 2011 and Park, a fringe player at United. Then you have a back five that included Lindegaard for the first time ever; the train wreck that is Jonny Evans; a still developing and maturing Fabio; and a Chris Smalling who is full of potential, but short of European experience in red-hot atmospheres seen last night. Not to mention we were away from home against a decent side with strong European pedigree and experience. Fletcher looked knackered before halftime had even arrived and Carrick once again did himself no favors. Rooney was subdued for the first time and Nani came on and contributed nothing. I'll take the point and all three on Sunday against the Rent Boys.
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Posted by Somnath Mallick on 09/15/2011
Hi Mark,
Nice reading your blogs again. I really wish we do Barca this season. Their fans' arrogance is somewhat of pain. But this start is something special. Normally we start the season a bit slowly and pick up the pace come December. But with the league so tough. I think only the team who maintains a consistent pace throughout the season would win the league.
You mentioned 5 years, we may see someone else at the helm. Do you have any inside info on this? :)
I would love to see Moyes at MU. What do you think?
Last night we were with last years players and they did seems rusty. Posiitves to take out of the game was Lindegaard and the second half. But still think we would top the group! GGMU!
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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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