Archive for the ‘Former Red Devils’ Category

In Tevez We Lost

August 14, 2009

MANCHESTER United made the back pages for their high profile departure over the summer. Oh, ok, counting the predictable Ronaldo one there was the other one between Carlos Tevez and the team that plays in blue over at Eastlands. It was a move that was closer to home in more ways than just the geographical distance. While enough column inches have undoubtedly been written about whether we needed him and whether he was in fact playing the fans to secure a deal at Old Trafford there is a still a few angles in the story that must be looked at before we can go right ahead and boo the new blue.

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Real Gone Kid? All a bit Shakespearean

June 1, 2008

WE’VE DONE THIS DANCE BEFORE.  Another summer and yet more speculation about Cristiano Ronaldo and the future he may have at Real Madrid. GTS has been reluctant to write on this topic because in the early days it seemed like a bit of a non story.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s repeated comments about happiness at Old Trafford, and reaffirming his desire to ‘one day’ play in the Spain was absolutely nothing new. United had heard that before. In interviews we heard the question continue to be asked and Ronaldo again would state his dream to play in Spain in the future.

The story was quickly brought into focus as soon as United had won the European Cup, Ronaldo was away from the club and with Portugal preparing for the European Championships, these are times that worry fans because when players are away from the secure environment of their domestic club sometimes comments can be made to alert potential buyers.

 

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The United Trinity

June 1, 2008

 

HISTORY is something you cannot buy. It occurs; it is not created in the wallets of billionaire owners signing chequebooks with a stamp for quickness. It is about the ups and the downs and acknowledging them both equally.

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They Ruined My Headline

January 13, 2008

“Newcastle United are a massive club. Not in terms of success but they are a massive club.”

A Newcastle United fan shows that they aren’t in fact deluded.

  SOMETIMES the team that has just lost their manager play their first game without him like they should have done when he was there. I have to admit, this was not strictly what happened today as we faced Newcastle, though for forty five minutes when the red United tried and failed to make the breakthrough, I did wonder if they would eventually have the last laugh. Newcastle United’s team had a strangely familiar look to it with Nicky Butt and Alan Smith in midfield. Nicky Butt seems to have gone through an on off love affair with the Newcastle fans and it seems they finally may now be taking to him. Although the Toon Army are a funny lot so maybe acceptance isn’t on the cards for Butty just yet, but they should admit that he does a job for them.    ”If you ignore the chances Manchester United had during the game, it easily could have been a draw!”

Given to Score  hero Alan Smith was back at Old Trafford. He got a well deserved welcome from the Manchester United faithful. They will always be grateful for the blood shed for the Old Trafford cause by that man, and many were sorry to see him go but football is like that and old loyalties were forgotten fairly quickly on both sides. The result makes the look one sided and in the second half it was, but that was only after chances galore failed to find the net. How Wayne Rooney did not bag a goal today is a question which he may still be asking himself. How the home team were not awarded at least one of the two stone wall penalties we could have had, is a question which Rob Styles can ask himself. We certainly asked him from our seats, along with the hail of words which I cannot repeat, I have a picture of my impressionable little brother in my wallet and familes read this website!  Steven Taylor certainly left his leg their for Ronaldo in the first instance, the Newcastle defender can be happy with his performance today when you consider that he was in the right place for goal line clearances in the second half. There were very few plus points for the visitors today and he was the only player to go and salute the visiting pogoing Newcastle United fans at the end of the game. Maybe another who would have applauded was Alan Smith, had he been on the pitch at the time.

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The Hall of Nearly But Not Quite Fame

August 5, 2007

There are websites everywhere dedicated to the great and glorious players of Manchester United’s past. The internet is over flowing with sites about Sir Matt Busby and George Best, of God Eric Cantona and legends which few will deny. These are the players we are proud of, the ones that come tripping off your tongue when you get pissed in the pub and discuss the worst players ever to play in the Premiership. Incidentally, that project is under way now and will be with you soon. Here at Given to Score we want to be different, forever challenging what you can expect from a site such as this. We are always after the entertaining, the downright laughable (which, incidentally comes when Liverpool fans search for Anti United songs on Google and end up finding and reading the “Frankly Mr Shankly” article written last year. Thanks for that!) So here we introduce a new feature – dedicated to the players who shone for an all to brief moment and were destined to be forgotten by a great many United fans.

For yes, they may be forgotten. But it’s on these all too fleeting moments of utterly normal and ‘nothing to write home about’ quality that the foundations of the greats were laid upon. Oh yes, dear reader, for every Peter Schmiechel there was a Kevin Pilkington and it’s this type of player we celebrate here. When first place is taken and second is the only one on offer, and you still end up outside the top five… you are a probably an ex Man United player destined for this list. So let us introduce the first inductee into the hall of not quite fame.   (more…)