I despise mid-week games. One, work schedules (and time difference on this side of the pond) make it difficult to catch the action on a work day. Two, it gives about three days from the weekend prior, to regroup and play. But a player pocketing about 90k a week shouldn’t complain these days and that’s how it should be.
Before talking about today’s game against West Ham, let’s talk briefly about the whole Heinze-Fergie science fiction story arc that’s grabbed column inches lately. These were Fergie’s comments:
“When we sold Gabriel Heinze to Real Madrid we knew it was going to happen, because Ronaldo was very close to Heinze. I knew what they were doing. I don’t believe they were interested in Heinze – good player though he is. The end-game was to get Ronaldo. What made it really obscene was that Madrid, as General Franco’s club, had a history of being able to get whoever and whatever they wanted, before democracy came to Spain.”
Now, whilst the manager may be right about the sense of entitlement that engulfs everything about Real Madrid, the club, it seems a bit far fetched to consider that Heinze was a pawn used as a bait to lure the star man, Ronaldo.
It was obvious we were looking to flog the Argentine to any club but Liverpool and Madrid came in for him. Considering Roberto Carlos wasn’t getting any younger, Heinze looked like an able deputy. It is possible that Fergie may have gotten carried away as well as fed up with the way Real Madrid have behaved and thought of adding some spice of his own in his assessment of the club. I really don’t buy his reasoning regarding Heinze, and I honestly think it is a load of bollocks — although a calculated one at that.
Back to the game, there has been talk of easing Carrick into the fold and it would be a sign of relief to see the midfielder make his come back from injury.
Today’s XI though should contain EVDS, Rio, Vidic, Evra, Neville, Giggs, Fletcher, Ronaldo, Nani. Rooney and Berbatov up front. I do, however, hope Fergie starts Tevez instead of either Rooney or Berba.
As I said, I don’t like midweek games and hence don’t enjoy writing previews either. So I predict a 2-1 and sign off for now.
See you after the game… cheerio!
