Inter Milan v Manchester United Match Thread 24th Feb 09

Mitch Connor

alanmurphy83 wrote: »

So the press conference didn't really clear anything up.

O'Shea and Evans to have late fitness tests. Evans has not been able to train while O'Shea will be doing a light session on his own.

Looks like O'Shea will make it once he doesn't get a reaction after the training, while Evans will be given all the time he needs but it looks very doubtful.

Don't think I will enjoy this match at all.

I reckon Evans will make the bench, and only be there if we absolutely HAVE to bring him on for whatever reason

Boggles

Headshot wrote: »

didnt Fletcher play rb once and was total ****e

maybe im mistaken but i taught he did

He played about 50 minutes against Derby in the Carling Cup, he didn't do anything wrong, so you can say he was shíté, he did look out of place, kept wondering into the centre, twas quite funny actually.

Tom65

I thinking (hoping, really), O'Shea will make it. Fergie has done this in the run up to big games before - basically kept quiet about injuries, talking about "late fitness tests" and so on. I think the Evans injury must be keeping him out (or he wouldn't have come off against Blackburn), but my hope is that they're overstating how bad John O'Shea's is to keep Inter guessing. And yes, I'll be the first to admit I have no basis for this theory, it's just what I'm hoping will happen.

As regards Ibrahimovic, I've not really heard anyone who doesn't play/manage Inter talk of him as the best player in the world. He may be one of the best strikers, but I don't think he's as good as Rooney, Ronaldo, etc., let alone Messi.

Spud83

Mitch Connor wrote: »

I reckon Evans will make the bench, and only be there if we absolutely HAVE to bring him on for whatever reason

I hope to see both of them starting. Its like the feckin AC match all over again.

Boggles wrote: »

He played about 50 minutes against Derby in the Carling Cup, he didn't do anything wrong, so you can say he was shíté, he did look out of place, kept wondering into the centre, twas quite funny actually.

Wouldn't be so funny tomorrow.

eZe^

Boggles wrote: »

Rooney and Berbatov are a class above I'm afraid. From what I have seen of Berbatov this season there isn't a more natural footballer on the planet than the Bulgarian, he makes me smile when I watch him, pure genius.

Berbatov is a poor mans version of Ibrahimovic tbh.

Jazzy

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO want inter to win this match. they would be my 2nd team if i had any. been a fan since the days of bergkamp and ruben sosa.

gwan jose!


oh, and yes... i ibrahimovic. wat a player. + i could cheat with him in pro evo 6 on the ps2 ^^ god bless a broken balance stat and having stars for dribbling and tactical dribble. score every time from the SS position. my mates banned me from inter

eZe^

Tom65 wrote: »

As regards Ibrahimovic, I've not really heard anyone who doesn't play/manage Inter talk of him as the best player in the world. He may be one of the best strikers, but I don't think he's anywhere near as good as Messi, let alone Ronaldo, Rooney etc.

I'd consider him one of the best players in the world no doubt. So talented. And LOL at the last sentence, to say that Messi isn't as good as Rooney...... Good one buddy.

Tom65

eZe^ wrote: »

I'd consider him one of the best players in the world no doubt. So talented. And LOL at the last sentence, to say that Messi isn't as good as Rooney...... Good one buddy.

Oops, I phrased that wrong. Yeah, it should've said he's not as good as Rooney, let alone Messi. My bad.

I'm really hoping Ibrahimovic doesn't prove me wrong tomorrow night, but whenever I've seen him, he's occasionally brilliant but looks quite average most of the time.

eZe^

Tom65 wrote: »

Oops, I phrased that wrong. Yeah, it should've said he's not as good as Rooney, let alone Messi. My bad.

I'm really hoping Ibrahimovic doesn't prove me wrong tomorrow night, but whenever I've seen him, he's occasionally brilliant but looks quite average most of the time.

Apologies then mate! Write Ibracadabra off at your peril though. ;)

Boggles

eZe^ wrote: »

Berbatov is a poor mans version of Ibrahimovic tbh.

lol

I love the Ibrahimovic hype this season, eZe your letting yourself down buddy.

Tom65

eZe^ wrote: »

Apologies then mate! Write Ibracadabra off at your peril though. ;)

Yeah, I will admit I was in the middle of writing him off during Euro 2008 when he curled in that beauty against Greece.

Headshot

eZe^ wrote: »

Berbatov is a poor mans version of Ibrahimovic tbh.

wtf



edit::im stunned,thats someone thinks Ibrahimovic is that good or worse that he's better than berba
berba has been great so far this season 12 goals and has 9 assist (the most assist in the league)so imo berba brings alot more to a team than Ibra

Ibrahimovic is one the most over-rated players in the world

he never turns up for the big games tbh
touch wood

redout

This Lazy Bulgarian is so unlikeable but I have to agree with Boggles here and say he is actually class. They more I have watched this season the more I appreciate what he can do. I have never bought into the whole Ibra hype and have watched him several times this season notably against Juve and AC Milan and he didnt make stand up and take notice in them games. Maybe he is class but many a report on him criticises him as being inconsistant and going missing in many a game but when he hot he is red hot.

Mgoraf

JOS will have Ibrahimov-erated in his pocket :pac:

ITT-Pat

Mgoraf wrote: »

JOS will have Ibrahimov-erated in his pocket :pac:

I sense a new location for myself...

ntlbell

i can't recall has evra ever played on the right for united?

Mgoraf

Nope.

Fabio could play RB maybe if needed :S

deisedevil

Mgoraf wrote: »

Nope.

Fabio could play RB maybe if needed :S

He wasn't named in squad. If we were going to put in Fabio then we may aswell put in Eckersley. Neither have enough experience for a game like this yet.

Fletch Ferdinand O'Shea Evra

I have a feeling JOS isn't as bad as they are letting on, hopefully!

Mgoraf

Fabio is in the squad according to the BBC.

Daysha

Ibrahimovic is the definition of a youtube footballer

D.S.

Fabio did travel..taken from Manutd.com

Travelling squad
Goalkeepers: Van der Sar, Foster, Kuszczak.
Defenders: Ferdinand, Evra, O'Shea, Evans, Fabio, Eckersley.
Midfielders: Giggs, Park, Carrick, Nani, Scholes, Possebon, Gibson, Fletcher, Ronaldo.
Forwards: Rooney, Berbatov, Tevez, Welbeck.

I'd say the chances will be high enough we'll be seeing Eckersley/Fabio make a European debut one way or the other on the night even if JOS makes it.

Mgoraf

Stankovic will be LW for Inter? Don't know much about him...would he really trouble Fabio if he played RB?

Mitch Connor

I simply don't get why anyone would advocate Fabio over Eckersley at RB. It just doesn't make sense. A defence that is going to be shaky enough, and people want to play an inexperienced attack minded left back at right back instead of the defence minded right back, because he is inexperienced. Just boggles my mind.

D.S.

Mitch Connor wrote: »

I simply don't get why anyone would advocate Fabio over Eckersley at RB. It just doesn't make sense. A defence that is going to be shaky enough, and people want to play an inexperienced attack minded left back at right back instead of the defence minded right back, because he is inexperienced. Just boggles my mind.

+ 1, we'll want our most experienced players out on the pitch, not either (or both) debutants with no CL experience.

However, Id say we could well see one of them on the night as a sub. We are desperately short at the back..

Personally, Id like to see Fletch at right back and JOS at center (presuming Evans is indeed out). If JOS doesn't make it, we probably have to bring Fletch into CB. We could play Gibson right back if we had to. Id prob prefer that to Fabio/Eckersley..

Zonda999

D.S. wrote: »

We could play Gibson right back if we had to. Id prob prefer that to Fabio/Eckersley..

Me too. Adds a bit more experience to the mix anyways. it'd mean too(Assuming JOS starts), we'd have two Irish fella's in the game:);):pac:

ShaneU

D.S. wrote: »

Fabio did travel..taken from Manutd.com

Travelling squad
Goalkeepers: Van der Sar, Foster, Kuszczak.
Defenders: Ferdinand, Evra, O'Shea, Evans, Fabio, Eckersley.
Midfielders: Giggs, Park, Carrick, Nani, Scholes, Possebon, Gibson, Fletcher, Ronaldo.
Forwards: Rooney, Berbatov, Tevez, Welbeck.

I'd say the chances will be high enough we'll be seeing Eckersley/Fabio make a European debut one way or the other on the night even if JOS makes it.

Is Possebon any good? He's hardly played at all

Zonda999

ShaneU wrote: »

Is Possebon any good? He's hardly played at all

He's never even started a first team match. He came on once back in August and again against Derby last week. Warming the bench me reckons

Headshot

Possebon is going to be a great player imo

but he's gone backwards since the sorry excuse for a defender Pogatetz tackled him

ill never forget that tackle,one of the worse iv ever seen
actually i wouldnt even call it a tackle more like assault

Zonda999

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kMjHSBQPyY

Appalling alright. That one on Eduardo was still worse IMO, and Nolan's tackle yesterday was shocking too

Headshot

Zonda999 wrote: »

That one on Eduardo was still worse IMO,

yap ill give you that

savage is like a saint compared to Pogatetz
(thats saying alot)

D.S.

Headshot wrote: »

Possebon is going to be a great player imo

but he's gone backwards since the sorry excuse for a defender Pogatetz tackled him

ill never forget that tackle,one of the worse iv ever seen
actually i wouldnt even call it a tackle more like assault

I'd expect it to next season before he's back to the form he showed. He's def got some potential tho, really hope he can get it back.

Frisbee

Mgoraf wrote: »

Stankovic will be LW for Inter? Don't know much about him...would he really trouble Fabio if he played RB?

He would eat him for breakfast.
I think Stankovic is a fantastic player

Mgoraf

Frisbee wrote: »

He would eat him for breakfast.
I think Stankovic is a fantastic player

Ah bollix

ShoulderChip

deise59 wrote: »

Ibrahimovic is the definition of a youtube footballer

He is responsible directly for 60% of inters goals this year, via goals or assists.

He is Mourinho's favourite player at inter,

enough said.

eZe^

Stankovic, arguably the most underrated player in Italy by people outside of Italy. Fantastic player, I remember him tearing Milan to shreds in 2006-2007.

ShoulderChip

Zlatan Ibrahimovic did not take long to form his opinion of Jose Mourinho. "With him I have learned a lot, perhaps more than I had in the last five years," reflected the striker a few months after Mourinho had taken charge at Internazionale. "He is the most complete coach I have ever had. He knows everything and has even taught me how to speak with the journalists."

Cynics might question the wisdom of taking media-handling lessons from a man who has stormed out of more than one interview since arriving in Milan, but either way this was no faint praise. In the five seasons before this one Ibrahimovic had been coached by Ronald Koeman, Fabio Capello and Roberto Mancini at Ajax, Juventus and Inter respectively. His teams won the title in every one of those seasons, albeit that the 2005–06 triumph with Juventus was revoked because of the calciopoli match-fixing scandal.

The feeling is mutual. By December Mourinho was regularly referring to Ibrahimovic as "the best player in the world" and blaming the press, whom he accused of failing to back Serie A players, for the *striker's failure to win the Ballon d'Or for the European Footballer of the Year. Pressed on the matter ahead of tonight's game with Manchester United, *Mourinho insisted once again that his player was *better than Cristiano Ronaldo.

Jazzy

wat rooney can do with a football ibrahimovic can do with an orange :pac:

jesus_thats_gre

I am really looking forward to this match

redout

It could be a bore I feel like the first leg away to Roma a couple of years back. That said I couldnt care less once we score as we should have too much for this lot at old trafford. One thing people need to remember is that this team is not Chelsea and Mourinho has done nothing to improve them in europe going on this seasons group stage. They drew with Anorthosis and Bremen and were beaten by Panathinaikos and Bremen. So if they cant beat a first time entrant from Cyprus ffs then I cant see them having much chance against the champions of England, the champions of Europe and the champions of the World

redout

From official Man Utd Blog:

19:11 Just got back to the hotel and into the warmth! The players were put through an hour-long session at the San Siro and they looked very sharp. Everyone trained, except Jonny Evans who watched from the side. O'Shea did some work on his own.



John O’Shea and Jonny Evans face late fitness tests ahead of United’s Champions League last 16 tie against Inter Milan on Tuesday.

O’Shea (heel) seems the likelier of the two to make the match, while and Evans (ankle) is a major doubt for the match. If neither were passed fit, Sir Alex would be left with only four fit defenders; two of them, Fabio and Richard Eckersley, still only teenagers and yet to appear in the Champions League.

Darren Fletcher could be asked to play at right-back alongside Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra, the other defenders in an otherwise fully fit squad.

“We won’t know until tomorrow on the fitness of O’Shea and Evans,” Sir Alex said at his San Siro press conference before the team trained on the pitch. “O’Shea is doing a light session on his own, but Jonny is unable to train.”

It’s a testing scenario, but Sir Alex feels that the occasion will help lift his players. “The challenge of playing in this stadium in front of a big crowd will help my players,” he said.



Sir Alex press conference http://www.skysports.com/video/clips/0,23791,12606_4965609,00.html

Highsider

Can't see anything but an Inter Milan win here. Mourinho always gets the better of Mr. Ferguson and don't think it will be any different over the two legs. Also can see Rooney getting singled out for some rough treatment and losing his head.3-1 to Inter

Mitch Connor

Yeah, Mourinho always gets the better of ferguson, apart from when he doesn't.

Boggles

Really looking forward to this now, it's today we miss Hargreaves would be such a comfort to have him fit for at least the away leg, especially with Uniteds defensive problems.

Tonights match will be a hard one to call, God knows what team or formation Ferguson will play, I have a feeling it could be a bore fest, 0-0 or 1-1 will be the most likely outcome IMO.

I think over the 2 legs the gulf in class will show, United to go through with 2-3 goals to spare. The only thing that scares me in that Inter team is José.

Mitch Connor

Boggles wrote: »

Really looking forward to this now, it's today we miss Hargreaves would be such a comfort to have him fit for at least the away leg, especially with Uniteds defensive problems.

Tonights match will be a hard one to call, God knows what team or formation Ferguson will play, I have a feeling it could be a bore fest, 0-0 or 1-1 will be the most likely outcome IMO.

I think over the 2 legs the gulf in class will show, United to go through with 2-3 goals to spare. The only thing that scares me in that Inter team is José.

i think we are going to lose tonight, but i'm hoping that if we do we can at least score, and keep the deficit to just the 1 goal. 2-1 or 3-2, i'd be happy enough with, given the injury problems. Going to be our toughest game of the season by far. Very nervous.

SteM

Highsider wrote: »

Can't see anything but an Inter Milan win here. Mourinho always gets the better of Mr. Ferguson and don't think it will be any different over the two legs. Also can see Rooney getting singled out for some rough treatment and losing his head.3-1 to Inter

Is 3-1 what you think or what you wish? United aren't shipping goals at the moment and even though they are down to the bare bones at the back I can't see them conceding 3.

Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Boggles

Mitch Connor wrote: »

i think we are going to lose tonight, but i'm hoping that if we do we can at least score, and keep the deficit to just the 1 goal. 2-1 or 3-2, i'd be happy enough with, given the injury problems. Going to be our toughest game of the season by far. Very nervous.

Our tough games were at the start of the season when we where playing like a bag of shíté, we just got 2 of our best players back in Rooney and Evra, I'd actually be quite confident of winning well tonight if Ferguson deployed the right tactics. But god knows what the Scot will do.

Spud83

I cant see more than one goal tonight regardless of Uniteds defense. If our defense is down to the bare bones we will be setting up the midfield to provide as much cover and protection as possible and hope to get something on the break.

We lost Vidic last year for both legs against Barca and still managed to keep them at bay. I know this is a different story due to the replacements but hopefully Evans or O'Shea can make it and put in a great performance in the middle as for right back well that is a worry but we will be set up with either Park or Rooney there to offer protection.

As for Hargreaves is he was fit he would be playing at right back tonight, just like last year, and we still had to set up to give him protection. So please don't go on about how we need him in midfield.

Headshot

Boggles wrote: »

Our tough games were at the start of the season when we where playing like a bag of shíté, we just got 2 of our best players back in Rooney and Evra, I'd actually be quite confident of winning well tonight if Ferguson deployed the right tactics. But god knows what the Scot will do.

Fergie says he's only going to change one position

but he could be bluffing

im confident utd can do the business,its great to have Rooney back thou


my prediction for tonight is a 1-0 win for utd and Rooney to score

Boggles

alanmurphy83 wrote: »

So please don't go on about how we need him in midfield.

Who said that Alan?

Mitch Connor

Headshot wrote: »

Fergie says he's only going to change one position

but he could be bluffing

im confident utd can do the business,its great to have Rooney back thou


my prediction for tonight is a 1-0 win for utd and Rooney to score

Depends what he ment - i took it that he is considering a change of position within the usual formation, so we are going for a different formation tonight to cover the issues in defence.