[Drito]

The match is only in a few hours and still no match thread??

Ill open this thread, but hopefully I wont jinx the unbeaten run. It will be interesting to see if fergie will start Rooney, considering Ruud, Saha, Smith are all back.
Probably one or two of Giggsy, Keano, Scholesy will be rested, but Everton are short of strikers up front, so its the perfect time to face them :devil: .

 

[Russell]

This game will hold alot of interest, not least because we see the return of Rooney to Goodison and Ruud,Smith and Saha from injury. I've no idea of the formation/tatics Fergie will use, lets hope he doesn't disrespect the cup and Everton too much Although it's vital some of our bigger players have a rest ahead of the Milan fixture.

We could also see the Orange ball put into commission today (or maybe for the Milan game). I hope so, an FA cup tie wouldn't be the same without dangerous conditions and mean sliding tackles

 

[Shaf]

Rooney's return to Goodison though I don't expect him to last the entire match. best sight of the match, irrespective of the result, will be the return of Ruud into competitive action after such a long time. He will be rusty for sure but it's imperative that he gets as many minutes under his belt as he can. Nothing is equivalent to time out on the pitch and if possible I would love to see him stay on for the entire 90 minutes.

United will probably employ the 4-3-3 initially with Rooney and possibly Smith playing out on the wings while Ruud or Saha leads the line upfront. In midfield, expect Phizza to get a game along with Fortune and Scholes. Fergie will in all likelihood take off Scholes sometime through the second half. Heinze could be given a breather with O'Shea taking his place while Rio and Brown forms the defensive pairing in the center.

It will be a team set out with the UCL tie against Milan in the mind, though the biggest mistake we could commit is to have a laxed mentality because Everton will not be making it easy for us. David Moyes have a very professional outfit and they will be fighting for every half ball so it is important that our concentration is there for the entire match. We are the defending Champions of the Cup and it will be a travesty if the club lets go off their hold meekly at Goodison.

 

[vipeoutboyz]

Lineup:

----------------------------Carroll------------------------------
----Neville---------Ferdinand------Brown-----------Heinze-------
----------------------------Neville------------------------------
Ronaldo-----------Keane-------------Scholes------------Fortune
----------------------------Rooney-----------------------------


Subs:
Howard
Spector
Miller
Giggs
Smith

No Ruudy.

 

[Jak]

EVERTON 0 - MAN UTD 1
Fortune scores with header after the great ball crossed in by Cristiano...

Just watching tracker, can someone describe it more pls?

 

[Blitzkreig]

please post updates about the match.

 

[sHaHed]

At half time we are leading 1-0 by Fortune's goal from a great cross by Ronaldo.

 

[Jak]

HT 0-1

corners: 2-3
S on Goal: 0-1
S on target: 1-1

Great chance for Everton in the end of the 1st half, but Carrol saved us.
Rooney and Roonie on the fire again from what I've read in the report.
We had plenty of possession despite the terrible pitch.

 

[sHaHed]

At the end of the match the score was 2-0. Ronaldo scored the second for us. We march on to the quarters!!

 

[Simba]

Excellent team performance, thoroughly deserved win - shame about some of the Everton idiots throwing missiles and generally being plebby.

I was a little suprised that Ruud didn't get 20 minute run out.. surely he won't start against Milan without being match sharp?

 

[vedz]

Great result! Didnt have a chance to watch the game but am nonetheless very happy with the score!

Obviously, for me, its wonderful that Ronnie got another goal! roud:

 

[A.Johnson]

At the end of the match the score was 2-0. Ronaldo scored the second for us. We march on to the quarters!!

You were flukey though p.
Seriously though - the turning point came when Bent should of scored before half time. We came out the second half with more confidence, didn't seem to last long though. Martyn was at fault for the ronaldo goal, but I don't blame him after his two saves at the start of the 2nd half.
Its just a shame that we did make Caroll work at least once in the second half but for completley the wrong reasons; totally out of order :thmbdown:

 

[A.Johnson]

I was a little suprised that Ruud didn't get 20 minute run out.. surely he won't start against Milan without being match sharp?

He wasn't on the bench.

 

[Russell]

A near perfect performance

our defending was excellent, Rio was very solid. The passing and movement from our midfielders was exceptional, Scholes, Ronaldo and Rooney played some lovely interchanging football. Keane was his ever reliable self, protecting the back four and assisting in attacks.

The biggest thing for me though was our workrate, we never stopped trying to create chances up until the final whistle.

We finally have the United swagger......

Milan better beware, we definately have hit form.

 

[Drito]

He wasn't on the bench.

Thats what suprised me, as fergie today said he passed the fitness test.

About the match, great performance which sets up the Milan game nicely. Scholesy and Keano were brilliant in midfield and totally controlled game.
For Fortunes 1st goal, Ronaldo took the ball from the half way line(on the right wing), went past one player and then Naysmith did not close him down, so Ronaldo put in a great ball, which got converted in by a great header from Fortune.
Ronaldo was our main attacking threat from midfield, and he was the one that was winning us the most freekicks around Evertons box(most of the fouls were done by Arteta).
Just before the half, Carroll did great to save the 1 on 1 chance with Bent (that was the only time in the game, in which the defence switched off).

Martyn was great, as he denied Ronaldos shot with a superb save, and also two one on ones with the Roonster.
For the 2nd goal, Scholes hammering freekick was deflected a little by Osman, but still it went straight to the keeper, but Martyn messed up, so Ronaldo acted the quickest and scored.

About the Milan game, Scholesy and Keano are on top form, so it will be interesting if they dominate the midfield, like they have done in the last few months.
Rooney has 6 goals in 9 games, while Ronaldo now has 5 in 8, so both of them are in form :devil: . And even though most of you were saying that only Giggsy-Rooney should partner Ruud, with the form that Ronaldo is on, it will be interesting to see if Fergie still drops Ronnie.

 

[Fred Elliot]

what was this about Carroll getting a bottle on the bonce? toffees taking it too far with that kind of carry on.

Heard Rooney had a very good match. A good game all round.

 

[rae]

yeah, he was good enough, concidering that every time he touched ball everyone strted to whistle and yell...

 

[Drito]

FERGIE LAUDS RONALDO
Sky Sports

Sir Alex Ferguson eulogised over the performance of Cristiano Ronaldo as Manchester United eased past Everton in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
The Portugal international proved to be a constant thorn in the side of the home defence as he was involved in both goals in the 2-0 success.
Ronaldo was the architect for the first at Goodison Park as he darted from the halfway line before crossing for Quinton Fortune to head home.
In the second half, Ronaldo put the seal on the win when he reacted quickest to convert the rebound after Nigel Martyn could only parry Paul Scholes's free kick.
United boss Ferguson was delighted with the winger's display, particularly in the manner he ignores the stick he receives throughout a match.
"The boy Ronaldo is a fantastic player," Ferguson told Sky Sports News.
"The abuse he took today, I don't know how many fouls he had against him and no-one was booked. I don't understand this game, Roy Keane has two fouls and is booked.
"But the boy (Ronaldo) is persistent and never gives in. He gets up and wants the ball again, he's truly a fabulous player."
The Red Devils were rarely tested by a team who sit just two places below them in the Premiership table and comfortably advanced into the quarter finals.
Ferguson sympathised with Everton's plight in missing key players but was overjoyed by his own side's performance on Merseyside.
He added: "It was a fantastic performance by us.
"In fairness I think Everton have missed a couple of players and got some young players out today."
The United chief also reiterated that he never envisaged leaving Wayne Rooney out of his team on the striker's first return to Goodison Park since he left Everton last August.

"I think there was talk of leaving him out; that was just ridiculous, he's got to return to Everton at some point whether that's today, the next game or next season.
"I think the supporters were pretty fair actually. Of course they are going to boo him because that is the nature of the game."

 

[Drito]

Also got this from the United website:

Not Risking Ruud
"I didn't want to risk Ruud today but he will certainly be involved on Wednesday. I have some big decisions to make because Alan Smith and Louis Saha have both been training well, so I will have a few strikers available."

 

[Fred Elliot]

Merseyside Police have defended their decision to allow tomorrow's highly-
charged FA Cup fifth-round tie between Everton and Manchester United to kick off at 5.15pm, amid growing concerns about security at an event notable for Wayne Rooney's return to Goodison Park for the first time since his acrimonious departure last August.

Everton, fearful of emotions among both sets of supporters being fuelled by
afternoon drinking outside the ground, were strongly opposed to an evening kick-off, but the police have insisted they were right to accept the FA's
recommendation that the match be switched for the benefit of the BBC, who will televise the match live.


Chief Superintendent Mike Langdon said: "There are numerous requests to
change kick-off times and each kick-off time has its own potential and dynamic.

The fact that millions will be able to see the game live is a consideration when planning the timing. There will be a strong operational order in place to deal with every eventuality on the day."

The police presence is expected to be the largest Goodison Park has witnessed, with security concerns heightened not only by the Rooney factor but by fears that thousands of tickets for Everton sections of the ground have fallen into the hands of United supporters, who, as the authorities are well aware, could use the prime-time terrestrial audience to demonstrate against the proposed takeover of their club by Malcolm Glazer.

Chief Superintendent Langdon added that there would be "a vigorous arrest
policy in place to deal with those who try to get in the ground under the influence of alcohol".


United's supporters, meanwhile, are planning to stage a torchlit protest against Glazer's takeover bid before the European Cup match against AC Milan next Wednesday. Two groups, Shareholders United and the Independent Manchester United Supporters Association, have called on thousands of fans to join them in a march towards Old Trafford to demonstrate their opposition to the American tycoon, who submitted a revised proposal to buy the club earlier this month.

"This is a symbolic act to reiterate that if Glazer and his people start putting out stories that the silent majority are in favour of the bid, this will show that it's a mass movement of every single United fan, joining with the board, the players and the manager, in saying we don't want to be interfered with," Oliver Houston, a spokesman for Shareholders United, said.

"It will probably be like something out of a Steven Spielberg movie. A sea of
torches being carried down Matt Busby Way might look quite awesome."

The supporters groups want to ensure that United remain independent and are particularly opposed to Glazer's £800 million bid, about £300 million of which he proposes to raise by taking the club into debt.
---------------

about 33 mickey mousers arrested for getting a bit tasty.

Anyone in England heard about this torch lit walk down Matt Busby Way?