EPL Week 10: Cristiano Ronaldo Scores Double As Manchester United Defeat West Ham 2-0
November 1st 2008 02:49
For the first time this season (I think), Rooney started the game as a substitute in order to give Carlos Tevez some playing time. United didn't miss a beat as their first scoring chance came at the first minute when Berbatov's shot was blocked by a defender. Cristiano Ronaldo was the only one to find the net two times in the first half, his first coming at the 13th minute when fired Nani's low cross past Green and his second at the 29th minute after a superb piece of skill by Berbatov. For once in this season, Nani had a strong game on the left flank. But maybe it was because the Hammers' had serious trouble with their marking on the right side. Both goals originated from there.
In defense, the Red Devils were solid. They had no choice, really, what with Kuszczak in goal and all. I love the new kid Rafael, I really do, but he didn't have a great defensive game on Wednesday. He was a bit too hasty in his tackles and it often led to odd men rushes on United's right-flank. Offensively, I thought he tried to go to often for the cross. Cutting inside the box for a low cross would've kept West Ham on their toes a bit more. As it was, all the visitors had to do was wait for the cross and clear it with a header.
SAF finally tried the 'Fab Four' experiment by having Rooney, Tevez, Berbatov, and Cristiano Ronaldo all on the field at the same time to mixed results. By the time Rooney was in, Tevez looked gassed so didn't have his usual intensity. Plus he and Berbatov weren't quite at the same wavelength on certain plays, but I'm sure that a little bit more playing time for those two together will fix things. The return of Carrick also provided a notable improvement in midfield. The play was a lot more creative when he came in. It's amazing to see how a single player can shift an entire team's perspective. All in all, it was a pretty good game for United. They could've scored a couple more goals but a clean-sheet is just as well.
I didn't get to watch the other games but it was refreshing to hear Wenger criticize his players for their defensive performance against Tottenham. It was obvious from the beginning of the season that the center defense was a bit shakey. It looks like Silvestre's arrival didn't improve matters much.
In defense, the Red Devils were solid. They had no choice, really, what with Kuszczak in goal and all. I love the new kid Rafael, I really do, but he didn't have a great defensive game on Wednesday. He was a bit too hasty in his tackles and it often led to odd men rushes on United's right-flank. Offensively, I thought he tried to go to often for the cross. Cutting inside the box for a low cross would've kept West Ham on their toes a bit more. As it was, all the visitors had to do was wait for the cross and clear it with a header.
SAF finally tried the 'Fab Four' experiment by having Rooney, Tevez, Berbatov, and Cristiano Ronaldo all on the field at the same time to mixed results. By the time Rooney was in, Tevez looked gassed so didn't have his usual intensity. Plus he and Berbatov weren't quite at the same wavelength on certain plays, but I'm sure that a little bit more playing time for those two together will fix things. The return of Carrick also provided a notable improvement in midfield. The play was a lot more creative when he came in. It's amazing to see how a single player can shift an entire team's perspective. All in all, it was a pretty good game for United. They could've scored a couple more goals but a clean-sheet is just as well.
I didn't get to watch the other games but it was refreshing to hear Wenger criticize his players for their defensive performance against Tottenham. It was obvious from the beginning of the season that the center defense was a bit shakey. It looks like Silvestre's arrival didn't improve matters much.
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