All Glazed over --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Glazed over Fans forget takeover hatred as Ruud keeps United on course By James Fletcher August 21st 2005 THEY CAME. They saw. And they might just about end up conquering. For all the demonstrations, burned effigies and ripped up season tickets, the Glazer family witnessed their first Premiership game yesterday without so much as whimper. Joel and Bryan Glazer jetted in to watch Ruud van Nistelrooy secure Manchester United's first home win of the season and then the pair dashed back across the Atlantic to cheer on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' friendly with Jacksonville. Quite a day out for most sports fans. Tampa to Manchester and back again. An 8,000-mile trip to watch both codes of football at two grounds you own. While the American version of the game may well remain their favoured choice, there is no doubting the infectious nature of our version might yet win them over. Certainly conversation aboard their privately-hired Lear jet will have been of the passion and pride of the Premiership rather than the pre-season clash at the Raymond James Stadium starting at midnight last night our time. Reaction More important than their love or even understanding of our national pastime, they will have been delighted by the lack of adverse reaction to their very presence at Old Trafford. Only a few weeks ago, United fans were threatening to boycott the club, abandon the team and frankly do anything and everything they could to stop the Glazer takeover of United. The fans' fight should not be belittled. Far from it. Their cause was an honourable one and the principal in keeping the club in the hands of the fans should be applauded. It is just, as a plc, their plight was always doomed. And so for all the threats and heated words, the truth has been a wait-and-see policy. United supporters might not like it but they cannot fail to notice that the Glazer family are trying. Trying to show they are doing the right thing and trying to demonstrate they are keen to learn. Success or failure of the Glazer reign will be judged by results. Silverware, trophies, titles. That is what the average football fan cares about. Providing Manchester United win and, manage to do so in a style that is befitting of their magnificent history, the Stretford End will remain happy. And the early signs this season are good, probably slightly better than most realistically expected at this stage. United fans could have demanded a more generous score against an Aston Villa side that travelled here with only defending on their mind. But it is encouraging to see that Sir Alex Ferguson's new style of play is slowly beginning to reap dividends with the excellent Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo operating behind Van Nistelrooy. Ronaldo started on the bench yesterday, he is short of match fitness, but he changed the face of the game once he arrived on 59 minutes. Until then, United had prompted and probed but struggled to break down a resolute Villa five-man midfield and back-line, marshalled by the brilliant keeper Thomas Sorensen. Just as he frustrated England in midweek, the great Dane did for United with a stunning finger-tip save to touch a fierce drive from Park Ji-Sung over the bar on 27 minutes. Van Nistelrooy had him beaten on the half-hour mark after a Paul Scholes corner was volleyed from the edge of the area by Rooney. But Peter Whittingham blocked on the line. Scholes almost broke the deadlock just before the break with a 35-yard drive but it just inched wide. United were patient, always in control, never reckless going forward but you could sense a slight frustration for the likes of Rooney and Van Nistelrooy. New signing Park Ji-Sung and Rooney combined for United's best piece of play after 52 minutes. Gary Neville slid the ball in from the right for the Korean midfielder. He played a one-two with Rooney that took him into the box but his slide-rule pass for Van Nistelrooy was just too strong. Fergie made a double switch, bringing off the impressive Park and John O'Shea for Ronaldo and Gabriel Heinze. And this turned the game. Picked Almost instantly, the Portuguese playmaker picked out Van Nistelrooy from a free kick but his header was saved. Then he headed on from a Darren Fletcher cross for Van Nistelrooy but again Sorensen saved. It was only a matter of time and Gary Neville's run down the right wing created the opening. His curling near post cross was headed on by Olof Mellberg and there was Van Nistelrooy to prod the ball home at the far post on 66 minutes. Scholes saw a header from point-blank range and then a volley brilliantly saved by Sorensen. But that single strike was to prove enough. A good day at the office and a happy flight back to Tampa. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/GtUolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Please use [email protected] for general discussion. To unsubscribe send a blank message (from the email account in question) to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Join as a full member of IMUSA today: http://www.imusa.org/join.htm Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/imusa/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
