The Thursday Kick-Off: Game 44
Posted by Taareq Elsokari on 04.12.2007
Champions League review, a look at the Weekends FA Cup Semi Finals and why I think Man Utd might not win the Champions League.
Hey people good to have you all back. Its been a strange week, with the bank holidays you kind of lose track of days. It was nice being away from the office but my body clock really is stuck to work time as I was waking up at 8am everyday no matter what time I was sleeping.
Hope you all a great Easter and ate loads of chocolate, those Eggs are good aren't they?
In saying that……..
If you guys have any suggestions or any feedback or just want to let me know you're reading this then hit me with an email and it would be very much appreciated.
With that all said lets get this game started:
The First Half:
Coleman Sacked
With Fulham's current form this doesn't come as a surprise. The biggest surprise is the timing. I mean there are five games left in the season and Fulham are four points clear of the relegation zone. This decision could be just as likely to send Fulham down as keeping Coleman in charge. Instability is the last thing Fulham need at the current time as that can create further cracks. Lawry Sanchez is a good choice as you just have to look at his work with Wycombe and more recently Northern Ireland
Champions League Quarter Final Roundup
Man Utd vs. Roma
Well this was the most unexpected result pretty much ever. I don't mean Utd winning and going through but I do mean the fact that Utd winning 7-1.
Utd were awesome and looked really dangerous at all times throughout the night. They played wonderful free flowing attacking football where they always looked capable of scoring and threatening the Roma goal.
In particular, Ronaldo Giggs and Carrick were outstanding. Rooney looked better than he has done recently and Fletcher was immense. Fletcher was all over the park, never letting the Roma players settle on the ball and forcing them into errors. Smith was excellent on his return to the first team line up and never once looked off the pace.
Defensively Utd were quite solid. Rio marshalled the back line well and everyone did their job perfectly. Their solidity limited Roma to only a few half chances and most of those were shots from distance.
The Utd goals themselves were absolute gems. All were worked brilliantly and finished exquisitely. The pace of their play was blistering and Roma couldn't live with them at any point in the night. Ronaldo always looked a threat and in the first half Pannuci and in the second half Cassetti couldn't get anywhere near him. This was proved further when Cassetti resorted to a Rugby style tackle to bring him down.
Carrick and Giggs in the centre ran the midfield and totally dictated the pace and style of the game. The positioning of Fletcher as well as his work rate gave them the freedom to go forward and focus on their offensive play.
All in all it was a fantastic night for Utd and everything they touched turned to gold.
Valencia vs. Chelsea
I only saw the highlights of this one for obvious reasons. In the first half Chelsea looked like they were probably on their way out. Valencia scored and looked good, well better for their lead.
Joe Cole was brought on and that turned out to be a stroke of genius by Jose. He totally changed the game and Chelsea looked a different side. Schevchenko scored a typical poachers goal to get them started and Essien scored a late late winner which as Mourinho correctly described as a "golden goal".
Liverpool vs. PSV
PSV suck and they totally showed it tonight. I watched the first half hour and the match was quite boring as expected and so I decided to switch over to the Milan Bayern game.
From what I saw, Liverpool just looked to play out the 90 minutes for a 0-0 draw and no casualties (Bellamy is apparently going to be ok) and get it over and done with. The sending off was a joke. As for the goal I cant really comment on it as I didn't see it.
Bayern Munich vs. AC Milan
Bayern were awful, absolutely atrocious. Milan weren't much better but they got the job done and Kaka was the difference as expected.
Milan have the capabilities to cause any side trouble and Utd's defence without Vidic and possibly Neville will leave Utd open to the possibilities of being opened up by the passing of Pirlo Seedorf and Kaka.
FA Cup Semi Final Preview
Man Utd vs. Watford
Utd should win this. No disrespect to Watford or anything but Man Utd should be winning matches like this. In saying that though, it's an FA Cup Semi Final and form usually goes out the window in these things.
Watford will be buoyed by their recent spanking of Portsmouth and so will also look at this game as a Cup Final. There is little doubt they will go for it.
It should be an entertaining game.
Chelsea vs. Blackburn
This will most likely be a really tight and physical affair. Chelsea will look to match the physicality as well and play around it and Blackburn will look to be physical and stop Chelsea gaining any rhythm. Should be a fun match but for different reasons the earlier Semi Final.
Random thoughts
I'm not too sure Man Utd will win the Champions League; it pains me to say that actually it pains me to think that but I just do. I can't help but think it. I'm still going to go for them in the Roundtables but that's more to do with me supporting my team than wanting acknowledge the fact. Plus I really hope I'm wrong.
The AC Milan Semi Final will not be the easy game some people are already thinking it will be. Defensively Utd are nowhere near at their best. With Vidic out and Neville not being fit there is a gap there that, as good as they are, Brown and O'Shea simply cant fill.
Milan have the players to exploit weaknesses in teams defences and all it takes is for one of Kaka, Seedorf or Pirlo to drum up some piece of genius.
But in contrast, Utd have the players themselves to exploit teams as well. Ronaldo, Rooney, Scholes and Carrick have the ability to exploit defenders for other reasons. Ronaldo and Rooney are able to exploit them with pace and technique where as Carrick and Scholes care capable of picking a pass to open up a defence. Saha when fit which is quite rare, and trust me when I say that as he seems to be made of glass at times, is able to find space and use his pace to get in behind defenders. One thing Milan definitely lack in defence and that is real pace which means that Utd will be looking to get at them and beyond them at every opportunity. The midfield will need to contrl the game and against a quality foursome of Gatusso, Seedorf, Pirlo and Kaka that will not be easy. The one thing Utd have in the favour over the Milan midfield is that using the width of the pitch they can stretch that quartet and attempt to overrun them.
It will be a fascinating game.
The Final Whistle
No Tim this week, he's probably away suffering with the pursuits of a degree or from eating too many Easter Eggs (as a pick-me-up) after events at the Emirates on Saturday………or both.
Keep a look out for the Champions League Semi Final Round Table coming soon and in the mean time have a look at the staff predictions for the Quarter Final to see who got the most right cough*not Tim*cough.
Also continue to follow Ash Cairo's wrestling career by clicking here and here for updates and stuff. Check it out people and support his quest to get to the top as he's awesome people, plus if he makes it to the WWE he could get me tickets to Wrestlemania :D
Check out the all new 411 MySpace page by clicking here.
