Renton 21043 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Where does this defeat leave United now? Sep 11 2006 By Alan Oliver, The Evening Chronicle Glenn Roeder was absolutely distraught when the signing of German international defender Robert Huth did not materialise. And on this sorry defensive showing it's easy to understand why. United were not good enough to add to Scott Parker's 54th-minute header, but it did not seem to matter as Fulham did not look good enough to do anything about it at the other end of the field. So what happened? Well United decided to give Fulham a hand. First, in the 82nd minute Peter Ramage, who had done well enough at left-back before then, slipped and allowed Wayne Routledge to cross into the middle, where Yankie striker Brian McBride fired in the equaliser at the far post. Quite frankly, a 1-1 draw would have been a bad enough result for United, but at least a point would have been a point. That's why every United player should have been on red alert in the last minute after Shay Given had saved brilliantly from Boa Morte to concede a left-wing corner. But once again Titus Bramble switched off and completely lost his man, McBride, as the Fulham striker's header thudded against the crossbar for another Yank substitute, Carlos Bocanegra, to bundle in a winning Fulham goal that never looked a possibility for most of the match. Glenn Roeder got rid of Jean Alain Boumsong because of his many mistakes, and Bramble has got to ask himself if he wants to suffer the same fate. United were booed off and you cannot blame the fans, who know that three points were just thrown away. Something just isn't right about United these days and nobody seems to be able to pinpoint just what it is. Certainly it's not skipper Scott Parker. United were always going to miss the influence of Alan Shearer, who watched Saturday's dismal end result from his private box. But Parker has led from the front after taking the armband, and it is surely no coincidence that he was sitting in the home dug-out with an ice pack on a leg injury when Fulham got their two goals. Parker and Emre controlled the middle and the little Turk gave as committed a performance as he has given in a black-and-white shirt, but to no avail. Throw in the fact that in Damien Duff and Charles N'Zogbia United have two wingers who, on their day, can trouble any defence, then United are well covered in midfield. But while they still have problems at the back, the fact that only one goal has come from a striker in three Premiership outings tell its own story. Certainly new £10m striker Oba Martins has shown nothing in his hour at Villa Park and in the three-quarters of the game he played on Saturday. Yes, it takes time when players switch from one country to another, but time isn't something Martins and United have at the moment. United have now lost successive matches for the first time since March and that against two teams, in Aston Villa and Fulham, who on the respective days looked nothing more than moderate. So taking into account both Villa and Fulham picked up the three points, just where does that leave United? Not in a very healthy position today, bearing in mind the next two Premiership matches are at West Ham and Liverpool. United were never going to finish in the top four and get back into the Champions League, but they have already lost ground on their bid to emulate last season's seventh place. And I have to say they look a pale shadow of the team which won six and drew one of their last seven games last season. I had a bad feeling about this season when I left Villa Park a fortnight ago. But not as bad as when I left St James' Park on Saturday night. For once, I agree with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom 14011 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Yeh... you know its bad when it gets tp the stage where Oliver is right... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmill 44106 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Aye me too. Apart from the stuff about Roeder being distraught about Huth. If that's true then we should have approached him sooner than the last day of the window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOPTOON 0 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Hard to argue with that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curry stained pilchard 0 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Something just isn't right about United these days and nobody seems to be able to pinpoint just what it is. Lack of quality at the back and front. Pinpointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peasepud 59 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Where does this defeat leave United now? Sep 11 2006 By Alan Oliver, The Evening Chronicle Something just isn't right about United these days and nobody seems to be able to pinpoint just what it is. Well I reckon all but maybe one on here can see what Oliver cant then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ugly Mackems 133 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 (edited) Where does this defeat leave United now? Sep 11 2006 By Alan Oliver, The Evening Chronicle Something just isn't right about United these days and nobody seems to be able to pinpoint just what it is. Well I reckon all but maybe one on here can see what Oliver cant then. Oliver knows fine fucking well what needs to be 'pinpointed' as the cause of our shiteness. But, can he get his head out of Shepherds arse long enough to tell it as it is? Edited September 11, 2006 by Ugly Mackems Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asprilla 96 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 "Yank" "Turk" not so bad...but still not great Apart from that, yep, he's right. Shepherd out, he's useless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetleftpeg 0 Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Aye me too. Apart from the stuff about Roeder being distraught about Huth. If that's true then we should have approached him sooner than the last day of the window. Totally agree, what a fucking joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donaldstott 0 Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 And he was doing so well.... When was that back in 1989 United stick together as Rossi jets outSep 12 2006 By Alan Oliver and Lee Ryder, The Evening Chronicle Glenn Roeder kept his Newcastle United squad together by taking on-loan striker Giuseppe Rossi on the plane for Thursday's UEFA Cup tie with Levadia in Estonia. Sir Alex Ferguson decided that he did not want his young striker to become cup-tied by playing in Europe while on loan at St James' Park in case he is needed by Manchester United in the Champions League in the New Year. Before flying to Tallinn, Roeder told me today: "Obviously Seppe cannot play for us in the UEFA Cup at the moment, but I thought it was important to get him involved and he will train with us across there on Wednesday and Thursday. "He went on as a substitute against Fulham with only a couple of practice matches behind him and he will feel the benefit of being away with us this week." Roeder also kept left-backs Celestine Babayaro and Olivier Bernard with his squad even though neither will play against Levadia. Babayaro is still troubled with the hamstring injury which forced him off at half-time at Villa Park a fortnight ago. And Bernard, who is short of match fitness, got 71 minutes under his belt last night as a United second string won 4-2 at Berwick Rangers. The United boss said: "With three games in seven days I am looking to juggle and rotate my squad and I feel that we have enough in the squad we have got to do this." Roeder will have to decide whether or not to play Shola Ameobi as the striker was clearly not 100% match fit against Fulham on Saturday and the United boss has to balance whether to give him another game or give his never-ending hip problem a rest. If Ameobi does not play, Roeder does have the option of handing French Under-21 international Antoine Sibierski his first start in a black-and-white shirt as he can play both up front and in midfield. Meanwhile, Lee Clark says that Olivier Bernard is making good progress as he bids to reach full match fitness. The Toon coach has been looking after the reserves since Tommy Craig stepped down last week and was in the dug-out for a 4-2 friendly win over Berwick Rangers last night. Clark said today: "Olivier did well and it was always the manager's intention to give him 70 minutes or so to help him get back to the required fitness levels. "He did pick up a knock before we took him off after 71 minutes." Goals from Andy Carroll, Matty Pattison, Phil Cave and James Troisi were enough to see off the Border side at Shieldfield Park. United's reserve game with Wigan tomorrow night at Kingston Park is off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazarus 0 Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 French under 21 international ??? he's 32 FFS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asprilla 96 Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 French under 21 international ??? he's 32 FFS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curry stained pilchard 0 Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 Must've meant Martins... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shearergol 0 Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 "He did pick up a knock before we took him off after 71 minutes." Jesus wept. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted September 13, 2006 Share Posted September 13, 2006 Btw, Roeder and Oliver are good mates or so I've heard so if Oliver is worried already, maybe we should all be worried. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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