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Newcastle United 3-0 Manchester United | Statistics & Post-Match Quotes

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - JANUARY 04:  Newcastle forward Demba Ba (l) scores past Man United keeper Anders Lindegaard during the Barclays Premier league game between Newcastle United and Manchester United at St James' Park on January 4, 2012 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.  (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

TEAM STATISTICS

The Busby Babe

NUFC

MUFC

Shots (on target)

10 (5) 6 (3)

Total Passes

234 419

Passing Accuracy

64% 77%

Ball Possession

40% 60%

Tackles won

19 33

Interceptions

16 15

Fouls

17 15

Corners

4 4

Offsides

1 5

MUFC PLAYER STATISTICS

* Anders Lindegaard (goalkeeper): 21/35 passing (60%), 3 saves, 3 goals conceded

* Rio Ferdinand (right-center-back): 32/47 passing (68%), 4/7 long balls, 5 tackles, 2 interceptions, 4 clearances, 0 shots blocked, 0 fouls, 2/3 aerial duels (67%)

* Phil Jones (left-center-back): 26/29 passing (90%), 3/4 long balls, 7 tackles, 2 interceptions, 7 clearances, 1 shot blocked, 1 foul, 5/12 aerial duels (42%)

* Antonio Valencia (right-back): 52/67 passing (78%), 1/4 long balls, 0/4 crosses, 0 key passes, 1 successful dribble, 1 foul won, 5 tackles, 3 interceptions, 3 clearances, 0 shots blocked, 8 foul, 3/6 aerial duels (50%)

* Patrice Evra (left-back): 48/58 passing (83%), 3/4 long balls, 1/3 crosses, 3 key passes, 1 successful dribble, 2 fouls won, 3 tackles, 0 interceptions, 4 clearances, 0 shots blocked, 0 fouls, 3/4 aerial duels (75%)

Star-divide

* Michael Carrick (central-midfield): 69/80 passing (86%), 5/8 long balls, 0/0 crosses, 0/0 through balls, 0 key passes, 0 successful dribbles, 2 fouls won, 1 tackle, 4 interceptions, 1 shot (on target)

* Ryan Giggs (central-midfield): 49/69 passing (71%), 1/2 long balls, 1/7 crosses, 1/2 through balls, 0 key passes, 2 successful dribbles, 2 fouls won, 1 tackle, 1 interception, 0 shots

* Nani (right-winger): 31/48 passing (65%), 1/1 long balls, 1/8 crosses, 0/1 through balls, 0 key passes, 2 successful dribbles, 1 foul won, 5 tackles, 0 interceptions, 2 shots (2 on target)

* Park Ji-sung (left-winger): 22/29 passing (76%), 0/0 long balls, 0/3 crosses, 0/0 through balls, 0 key passes, 0 successful dribbles, 3 fouls won, 2 tackles, 0 interceptions, 0 shots

* Wayne Rooney (striker): 34/42 passing (81%), 2/3 long balls, 0/0 crosses, 0/0 through balls, 0 key passes, 0 successful dribbles, 2 fouls won, 2 shots (1 on target)

* Dimitar Berbatov (striker): 18/20 passing (90%), 0/0 long balls, 0/0 crosses, 0/0 through balls, 0 key passes, 0 successful dribbles, 0 fouls won, 1 shot (0 on target)

* Danny Welbeck (striker | substitute 57'): 5/8 passing (63%), 0/0 long balls, 0/0 crosses, 0/0 through balls, 1 key pass, 0 successful dribbles, 0 fouls won, 0 shots

* Javier Hernandez (striker | substitute 66'): 2/2 passing (100%), 0/0 long balls, 0/0 crosses, 0/0 through balls, 0 key passes, 0 successful dribbles, 1 foul won, 0 shots

* Anderson (central-midfield | substitute 75'): 10/13 passing (77%), 2/3 long balls, 0/0 crosses, 0/0 through balls, 0 key passes, 0 successful dribbles, 0 fouls won, 1 tackle, 1 interception, 0 shots

POST-MATCH QUOTES

Sir Alex Ferguson | MUFC manager (courtesy of MUTV)

(On the title race...) "It's advantage to them of course. We were playing tonight, they played last night. They won, we lost. It's not a time to panic. We’ve got the patience and experience to cope. But we need to get the show on the road for the run-in, particularly March and April."

(On his squad's recovery from their numerous injuries...) "The plus is that we had two or three players back tonight and hopefully we have one or two on the road back, that will make a difference."

(On the flow of the match...) "We started reasonably well. The goalkeeper made a good save from Nani and we had a good chance when Wayne Rooney was through and the ball ran under his foot. That was a great opportunity and if we'd taken it, we could have gone on to win the game. Newcastle scored not long after that. It was a fantastic goal and it really got their fans up. They became aggressive, they got stuck right into us and made it difficult for us. It (Ba's goal) was a great hit on the volley and the second one just after half-time - a marvellous free-kick, you have to give the boy credit - was a killer for us. That really put them in the driving position, they were very difficult to beat after that. We didn’t make enough of our possession with the ball. We had some chances after that [Newcastle's second goal] and a shot knocked off the line. You've got to take your chances away from home. We didn't play well enough to win the game."

(On Phil Jones' own goal at the end...) "The own goal just summed up the whole night to be honest. But take nothing away from Newcastle, they fought hard and deserved their victory, no question."

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Valencia's 8 fouls... Yikes

Hard to fault him too much for his 8 fouls as a right-back though…. you know, since he’s not a right-back.

All of the fitness and form issues in defense has forced us to move one of our better attackers — one that is in tremendous form as a winger — away from the attack. Ugh.

Editor-in-Chief for The Busby Babe | SB Nation Soccer Contributor

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by Gene Um on Jan 5, 2012 2:36 AM GMT reply actions  

You know who we need, and who Rooney would partner brilliantly with?

Wesley Sneijder

/quietly leaves the room

"Can Manchester United score? They always score... Peter Schmeichel is forward... Beckham, in towards Schmeichel- it's come for Dwight Yorke. Cleared... Giggs with a shot- SHERINGHAM!"

by Useful_Idiot on Jan 5, 2012 3:04 AM GMT reply actions  

Here's a recent quote from Sneijder himself...

“I don’t like playing in central midfield at all. I am an attacking player, not a central midfielder, better a second striker than a central midfielder.”

Same space as Rooney.

Not to mention the fact that he hasn’t been very good for over a year now.

Editor-in-Chief for The Busby Babe | SB Nation Soccer Contributor

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by Gene Um on Jan 5, 2012 7:26 PM GMT up reply actions  

Rooney will play anywhere

Wazza plays anywhere he needs to for the win. you could play the man at RB instead of Valencia and he’s probably be successful.

Twitter: @DevilsLegend10

by jabogyo on Jan 5, 2012 10:49 PM GMT up reply actions  

He's arguably best in the role he currently plays...

and tactically, United have become extremely dependent on him in this role. He has said himself it’s the role he enjoys best as well. If Wazza wasn’t so industrious in this role — where he’s essentially a third CM when we’re out of possession — then that Carrick/Giggs midfield likely wouldn’t have worked for the run-in. But yeah, his versatility is a tremendous quality, I agree.

More than anything, I simply don’t want to spend £20m+ on a player who just hasn’t been very good for extended period of time. I don’t mind breaking the wage scale for someone like Wazza, but I do mind for Sneijder. And he’s not exactly young anymore either.

Editor-in-Chief for The Busby Babe | SB Nation Soccer Contributor

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by Gene Um on Jan 5, 2012 11:54 PM GMT up reply actions  

I’d be thrilled if we got Sneijder now while his value is at it’s lowest, knowing full well that he is still a great player.

Also, Rooney was god awful for a good chunk of 2010, but nobody questioned his abilities because of it- his struggles just came at a bad time because of the world cup. Players go through droughts.

"Can Manchester United score? They always score... Peter Schmeichel is forward... Beckham, in towards Schmeichel- it's come for Dwight Yorke. Cleared... Giggs with a shot- SHERINGHAM!"

by Useful_Idiot on Jan 6, 2012 4:54 PM GMT up reply actions  

Put Rooney up front with Sneijder right behind him, in the role Rooney has been playing. We need Wayne to get at least back in the vicinity of his 09/10 performance, and allowing him to be the lone striker with Sneijder as an attacking midfielder could help. That’s pretty much where he was most successful with Holland and Inter in 09/10.

I realize he hasn’t been great recently but his entire team has played like crap. He’s still a great player, but he needs to be in the right system.

"Can Manchester United score? They always score... Peter Schmeichel is forward... Beckham, in towards Schmeichel- it's come for Dwight Yorke. Cleared... Giggs with a shot- SHERINGHAM!"

by Useful_Idiot on Jan 6, 2012 4:49 PM GMT up reply actions  

Totally agree.

It’s a shame that Valencia was taken out of his winger role right after he hit quite possibly the best run of form he’s had with us. We do need Sneijder and I was pulling for it really hard this offseason. We should have used the De Gea money as extra funds in a possible Sneijder transfer. Oh well. There’s no doubting Ferguson’s track record but he’s been making some bad decisions lately. In pictures on manutd.com he and Giggs wore looks of guys who are completely shellshocked and looking for answers. Very troubling. We need a win on Sunday desperately,

by mpeters10 on Jan 5, 2012 3:45 AM GMT reply actions  

Not really

there was nothing he could have done about the shot from Demba Ba, it was a true striker’s goal, beautifully taken. and Cabaye’s free kick hit his hand but also another beautiful shot into the left corner. the own goal, obviously not Lindegaard’s fault.

Twitter: @DevilsLegend10

by jabogyo on Jan 5, 2012 10:51 PM GMT up reply actions  

I don't think you can fault him for any of the goals

Perhaps there was a communication issue on the 3rd one but only the players on the pitch and the coaching staff would know that. Unless I missed it, it wasn’t discussed publicly in the post-match comments by Fergie nor any of the players.

Editor-in-Chief for The Busby Babe | SB Nation Soccer Contributor

http://twitter.com/#!/GeneUmTBB

by Gene Um on Jan 6, 2012 12:00 AM GMT up reply actions  

I just want to forget about this travesty of a match

I don’t think I can remember us being so outplayed against a team not title contenders.

I mean, even against City we played quite well first half. We were abysimal yesterday

by Sweet science on Jan 6, 2012 12:18 AM GMT reply actions  

I thought we played really well until Balotelli's goal...

which came against the run of play

Editor-in-Chief for The Busby Babe | SB Nation Soccer Contributor

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by Gene Um on Jan 6, 2012 1:59 AM GMT via Android app up reply actions  

Not sure if you guys have read this

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/jan/05/manchester-united-midfield-tactics

Credits to ZonalMarking for posting this link on his own website.

Good news is that top teams in Europe don’t play direct and physical. The bad news though, is that we have a dozen of clubs playing this way in the Premier League.

by brandding on Jan 6, 2012 8:43 AM GMT reply actions  

Good news is that top teams in Europe don’t play direct and physical.

Bad news. We got knocked out of the champions league

by Sweet science on Jan 6, 2012 5:16 PM GMT up reply actions  

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