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Monday, November 8, 2010

10 Quick Observations From Wolves Game


1. We were dreadful. Couldn’t keep the ball, when on the ball, didn’t know what to do, passing the ball straight to the opposition. Just all round appalling in the first half.

2. Park Ji-Sung. Well, well, well. The player who has been slagged off mercilessly for his poor performances this season popped up with the goods again. Not once, but twice. No, Wolves are no Milan, Liverpool or Arsenal, like opponents he scored against last season, but it’s games like today you need to win, so full credit to him for pulling it out of the bag. The first goal was put on a plate for him, the second was all his own doing, so well done.

3. Poor Owen Hargreaves. Minutes in, to see him hobbling around, was pretty devastating. He jogged off, got sent back on, but he turned around almost instantly to head off down the tunnel. Poor lad. At least it wasn’t his knee though. Didn’t warm up properly for fear of doing his knee? Who knows.

4. Back to the drawing board with Bebe. Was impressed with his bursts of pace and his strength, but his crossing was ridiculous.

5. Darren Fletcher is a confusing one. At times, he was sprinting here, there and everywhere, chasing the ball down, giving his all for the team. Then at other times, like in the lead up to the Wolves goal, he looked like he couldn’t be arsed. Fell over and lost position, then just lay than Ronaldo team and watched Wolves break. As they were slotting home the equaliser, Fletch has made his way back to the edge of the box after jogging back. You’re better than that, Darren!

6. Before the headlines start questioning United minus Rooney, I suppose it shouldn’t come so much as a surprise that we’re below par with so many players missing. Nani, Ryan Giggs, Dimitar Berbatov, Antonio Valencia, Michael Carrick and Anderson were amongst the missing, with Paul Scholes waiting until mid-way through the second half to make an appearance.

7. Hard to deny what a difference Scholesy makes to our performances. He pulls all the strings, adds composure and seemed to lift the spirits and belief of the players. I was beginning to think I was mistaken in thinking Scholes was on the bench, given how long it took for him to come on. You had to think it was going to be ‘one of those days’ when even he is slicing efforts miles wide, but all in all, he had a very calming influence on the game.

8. Javier Hernandez struggled without a proper strike partner and through desperation even resorted to diving. Come on kiddo, don’t go down that path.

9. I imagine Marcus Hahnemann felt sorry for all the time he wasted when United scored such a late winner. Imagine what Wolves made have achieved if he hadn’t whittled away so much time delaying the game?

10. How fitting that, as another anniversary of Sir Alex Ferguson’s time with the club arrives, we win the game with always the lack kick of the game. That’s our “never say die” attitude, and an attitude Sir Alex has instilled in our players for 24 years.

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