Wolverhampton Wanderers" Karl Henry and Manchester United"s Antonio Valencia. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA
Preamble Hello. So can Manchester United lapse to the list by finale their 28-year dry weather but a joining feat at Molineux? In that time they have unsuccessful to win dual total games, and on their last revisit were the victims of one of the biggest top-flight shocks given football began in 1992.
Kenny Miller scored the usually thought in a deserved 1-0 win that utterly derailed United"s season: tip going in to the diversion with 50 points, they took usually twenty-two points from the subsequent sixteen matches as Arsenal ran off in to the distance.
It"s not at all over the realms that United will destroy to win today. There is precedent, not usually in that 2003-04 diversion but additionally in their pull at Crystal Palace a year after – when United, with one eye on the second leg of a European Cup last-16 strife opposite Milan in the week, complacent a bucket of players (Ronaldo, Rooney, Scholes, Bellion) and were hold to a 0-0 pull that all but accomplished their pretension challenge. Long prior to Claudio Ranieri arrived on these shores, Sir Alex Ferguson was well known as Tinkerbell; we competence well see given when the teams are announced.
In the lapse tie in in in between the sides this season, Mick McCarthy infamously chose to name eleven players he had enclosed in the patrol that was submitted to the Premier League at the begin of the deteriorate in suitability with Premier League rules.
That Wolves were fined for this was, of course, a nonsense, an additional e.g. of a ruling physique that lost the thread so prolonged ago that all they can right afar do is smirk at a integrate of PowerPoint presentations and curtsy their buffet-fattened heads, and I unequivocally thought McCarthy flicks the jauntiest of V-signs at them currently by picking the following side: George Berry, Robert Plant, Beverley Knight, Kenny Hibbert, George Berry"s afro, Eric Idle, Robbie Dennison, Mick McCarthy, Nana McCarthy, Andy Mutch, Roy Race and me.
Team headlines Having altered all eleven players at Old Trafford, Wolves are unvaried today. I"m certain the FA will find a small reason to glorious them. For Manchester United, Wayne Rooney isn"t in the squad. However he is, according to publication reports, in the doghouse after exacerbating a knee damage whilst risking life, prong and 3 points at Wolves by personification for England on the Wembley deathfield the alternative night. Ferguson says Rooney is a "big doubt" for the Milan diversion on Wednesday.
Rooney did not begin the Carling Cup final, so he is not one of the five changes from the side that flog Aston Villa 6 days ago. It"s the 112th uninterrupted diversion in that Sir Alex Ferguson has altered his side. Darren Fletcher is riskily placed on the bench, that equates to United are but their majority appropriate assailant and their majority appropriate midfielder. They do have their once-formidable central-defensive twin of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic together for the initial time given they lost at Anfield in October.
Wolverhampton (4-1-4-1) Hahnemann; Zubar, Craddock, Berra, Ward; Henry; Foley, Guedioura, David Jones, Jarvis; Doyle.Subs: Hennessey, Elokobi, Ebanks-Blake, Keogh, Vokes, Milijas, Mancienne.
Man Utd (4-1-4-1) Van der Sar, Brown, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra; Scholes; Valencia, Carrick, Gibson, Nani; Berbatov.Subs: Foster, Neville, Park, Rafael Da Silva, Fletcher, Obertan, Diouf.
Referee Peter Walton (Northamptonshire)
5.18pm "Hospital reports indicate that Rooney is recuperating after healing staff successfully private a hairdryer," says Ian Copestake, who competence or competence not be an consultant on the insertion of doubtful objects in to the human body.
5.23pm "I think that to majority people the causality in in in between CR7"s depart and WR10"s stream run of form lies as well resolutely in the area of the draining viewable to aver a discussion," says Phil Podolsky. "Not from this following viewpoint it isn"t: cruise the incriminating romantic muddle that comes with nursing a impotent vanquish on somebody some-more achieved or successful than yourself in a travel of hold up that binds abdominal significance to the both of you. That maddeningly untouched hipster chicky at uni who is essentially a higher bent at evolutionary biology - usually how assured would you feel station at the house expounding on fitness landscapes underneath the quizzing gawk of those beautiful eyes? Y"know wha I"m saying?..."
5.26pm "It should be an afar win but you can take zero for postulated in the Premier League, distinct a small alternative European leagues," says the Setanta writer Jon Champion, peddling everyone"s prime jingoistic parable in anxiety to a joining that has had the same tip 4 given 2005.
5.27pm If you wish to follow the FA Cup quarter-final in in in between Fulham and Spurs, you can do so with the alternative Serotonin Twin, Scott Murray, by clicking this small thing.
1 min Here we go then: the old bullion and opposite the immature and gold. In a predictably rough atmosphere, Wolves flog off from left to right. There"s a unequivocally clever green-and-gold participation in the United end, nonetheless assumingly a series of anti-Glazer banners have been removed.
2 min "Homoeroticism in reserve (Podolsky"s email), Rooney has benefited from the depart of Ronaldo, given right afar he essentially gets peculiarity crosses from the wings," says Joe Pearson. Don"t you meant "he essentially plays with wingers"? Ronaldo played as a far-reaching brazen majority of the time.
3 min Nothing has happened. Wolves are permitting United to have the turn until they cranky the median line; if United don"t measure early this could be a unequivocally vapid game.
4 min A "debt is the highway to ruin" banner, that was private earlier, has reappeared in the Newton Heath end. Why was it criminialized in the initial place? What usually is wrong with that banner?
5 min A précis of the diversion so far:
6 min A great mangle from Wolves ends when Matt Jarvis – once of Gillingham, unofficially the majority halcyon place in the finish universe – passes the turn at the at the behind of of to Kevin Doyle, in a bit of space on the left side of the box, and he drags a left-footed cross-shot well far-reaching of the far post.
8 min Valencia, using infield from the right at the shaken Ward, waits until he reaches the dilemma of the area and afterwards cuts opposite a flattering great bid that swerves not far far-reaching of the nearby post.
9 min "Saw the Twitter feed with a integrate to Explosions in the Sky," says Ian McCourt, "but certainly Mogwai are the majority appropriate post-rock exponents out there, no?" What you said.
10 min The Wolves fans are in glorious voice. I can usually have out one word of the stream strain – "shit" – but it is being sung with liking and feeling.
11 min Nani shoots high and far-reaching from the dilemma of the box. What United haven"t accomplished so far – and this is mostly a complaint when at slightest one of Fletcher, Anderson and Hargreaves don"t dope around in a three-man midfield – is get the executive midfielders up to one side Berbatov. I wouldn"t be at all astounded if this accomplished 0-0, or 94-0 to Wolves.
12 min "According to BBC Radio 5, the ensign was private for "blocking promotion hoardings" not given of the content," says Gareth Evans. "Hmmm." What a risible nation this is. If you"re going to remove the banner, well fine, but be honest about it. Not even Tim Lovejoy would hold that reasoning*.
* On reflection...
14 min Foley is penalised for respirating in the closeness of a Manchester United player, a ridiculous preference that gives United a free-kick 40 yards from goal. Nani places the turn unequivocally delicately so that the valve is where he wants it, a procession that"s as unnoticed in the confidence me putting on aftershave prior to a Saturday night out at on Rochester High Street: he strikes it dismally in to a physique of players, and the turn runs lax to Gibson, who stabs it far-reaching from the penaltyu spot. Gibson was off change given he was being pulled by Karl Henry. Technically that was a transparent chastisement but, as we know, they are frequency given. Certainly it was some-more of a yank than that for that the strange free-kick was given.
17 min "Darron Gibson," says Ifti Khan. "Can you think of any one else who has so majority deficiencies in midfield dope around (poor mobility, no great passer, can"t tackle) masked by carrying such a enormous shot?" No. Never. (The initial chairman to contend Frank Lampard gets it.) He"s a dilettante goalscoring midfielder. A visionary.
19 min Nani kicks Zubar in the head, notwithstanding utterly by accident. Nani stranded his feet out a prolonged approach to carry out the ball, and he simply didn"t know that Zubar was at the at the behind of of him. As a effect he studded him right in the face. Peter Walton gives usually a free-kick but that wasn"t generally separate to the situation for that Middlesbrough"s Mido was sent off at Highbury in 2007-08. It was, I should stress, a finish accident.
20 min United mangle neatly and Berbatov gets free on the right. He has 3 in await and opts to boyant it over the far post for Gibson, whose right-footed bombardment on the run from fifteen yards is in to the belligerent and positively saved by Hahnemann as it bounces up.
21 min "As we are at the at the behind of of to strain riffs can I revisit a new one as I used to identical to Death in Vegas alot and enjoyed conference their strain open the probably extremist and patronising (but still unequivocally good) Lost in Translation. I additionally favourite conference Caught by the Fuzz at the finish of Hot Fuzz." That Death In Vegas song, Girls, is one of the majority appropriate songs ever, man. Melancholy yawn for thirtysomethings.
23 min Wolves are personification unequivocally well here, at slightest in the clarity of keeping United at arms" length. This, have no mistake, will not be an easy win for United.
25 min "Mogwai have been treading H2O given about 2001, majority as I love them," says Niall Harden. "Give Tracer Amc a listen, identical but worlds better! (full disclosure: I did conduct them once, and they rught afar went on unfixed hiatus. Oops) Currently listening to Errors" new album, on Mogwai"s tag Rock Action. It"s unequivocally great." Ha, by fluke I downloaded that last night, and would have listened on the approach in were my iPod not buggered.
27 min Wes Brown overhits a cranky by we estimate 90 miles. United are struggling here.
28 min "Lampard," says Michael Bracken. "Yes this man obviously has no flitting ability."
So cling to on, you"re derisive me even though you utterly determine with my point? That"s an achievement, even for me.
29 min Thanks for all the post-rock suggestions; I will do a small robust downloading tomorrow afternoon. Please send any others. I identical to post-rocking.
30 min "I have a great thought for an English take on the Zidane mural film," says Ian Copestake. "Ninety minutes" catchy camera work following the movements and ponderings of Jimmy Bullard. It would be hilarious."
No. It would be a Benny Hill film.
31 min "Re: 17th min, midfielders who are usually there given they measure goals," says Chris Goater. "I contention the name of Gus Poyet."
Now that"s harsh.
32 min A poetic conflict from Wolves roughly brings the opening goal. Doyle roared past initial Scholes and afterwards the hulking Vidic prior to shifting it to Jarvis on the left side of the box. He faced Ferdinand, teased him a bit and afterwards played it at the at the behind of of invitingly to the dilemma of the box for the former Manchester United midfielder David Jones, whose shot was deflected off Carrick and true in to the arms of Van der Sar. That was glorious covering from Carrick given differently Jones would have had a free shot from fifteen yards.
34 min There"s a great e.g. of United"s tactical problems in this game. Berbatov goes far-reaching to pick up a prolonged punt and feed Nani. That equates to that, when Nani drills in an admittedly bad cross, there is usually Valencia in the box.
36 min Stephen Ward misses a great possibility to give Wolves the lead. That was the possibility of the half. A lovely, liquid move involving 4 players ends with Jarvis down the left. He drills over a poetic cranky to the far post, where the left-back Ward arrives late and utterly left alone to head at thought from 7 yards. But his header is as well close to Van der Sar, who leaps to his left to catch with both hands. He had the total thought to target at. Still, the left-back 6 yards out in open play; it"s Total Bloody Football!
38 min "Phil Brown, a dedicated sax player, probably soundtracks his own hold up in his head," offers Alex Netherton.
40 min "Teams and players that instantiate the theories of Jonathan Wilson aside, given would it be a bad thing to be a midfielder who is usually there given he scores goals?" asks David Wall. "Everyone prizes the midfielder who is usually there for his defensive abilities. Why wouldn"t a goal-scoring midfielder be similarly (perhaps more) valuable?"
Well I think a goalscoring midfielder does his thing only, what, one time each dual or 3 games, given a defensive midfielder does his around 20-30 times a game.
41 min English Premier - KO 12:30Wolves 1 (0) - 0(0) Man UtdMiller 67 At Molineux on 17-01-2004
42 min United don"t see identical to scoring at all, notwithstanding carrying oodles of possession. The majority appropriate player on the representation has been Doyle who, notwithstanding personification up front alone, has been a genuine menace.
44 min Is this post-rock? Whatever, it rocks. Or post-rocks.
45 min Ian Copestake has a new representation for his due film, Bullard. ""Sometimes I suppose I can listen to people in the crowd, shuffling in their seats. One whispers in to the ear of the chairman sitting subsequent to him. Another farts loudly. It cracks me up when that happens as I still find farting unequivocally funny" - Jimmy Bullard."
Half time: Wolves 0-0 Man Utd A scabby and forgettable half, that is unequivocally majority to Wolves" credit. That have shielded perfectly and should be forward by Stephen Ward"s header. United, with no unequivocally integrate of applicable aggressive options on the bench, are struggling here. If they get one they"ll get plenty, but removing the one will not be easy. See you in 10 minutes.
Recommendations from the members of Guardian Post-Rock Club For Winners Who Are Indoors On A Saturday Evening Or Whatever Time/Day It Is Where You Are
Sonic Youth"s Sonic Nurse, Exhaust, Oceansize (particularly Frames), Mogwai"s Zidane, Do Make Say Think, Thee Silver Mount Zion commemorative Orchestra, Yellow Swans, Talk Talk"s Spirit of Eden, Spiderland by Slint, Jesu, Mono, Godspeed You Black Emperor and Red Sparowes" At the Soundless Dawn"
Half-time chit-chat
"Put Doyle in to Man utd"s group for a season, would he not get a hatful of goals?" asks Ethan Dean-Richards. "He"d be ten times cheaper than contend a Benzema, who"s never played in the Premier League and is thus unproven..." Being in the the tip moody of English football does not have you proven for the singular charge of personification up front for Manchester United, as Birtles and others have shown down the years.
46 min Manchester United flog off from left to right. Gary Neville, who was being abused by the Wolves for majority of the initial half* even though he wasn"t on the field, has transposed the harmed Wes Brown.
* Witty ditties they were, too: Gary Neville is a wanker and Gary Neville shags his Mum
47 min The left-back Ward slips and that gives Berbatov oceans of space by the right touchline. He comes in to the area and pulls it at the at the behind of of for Valencia, whose first-time shot is shut off desperately. United have proposed the second half at a quicker dash and moments after an artistic crack from Berbatov puts Scholes in to the box, but afterwards he falls over.
48 min There are unconfirmed reports of the mom of all hairdryers being seen in the Wolverhampton area about fifteen mins ago. United see unequivocally pointy now; Wolves have frequency overwhelmed the turn given half-time.
50 min Carrick"s grand prolonged pass spins in at the at the behind of of the counterclaim to find Berbatov, unequivocally onside and usually eight yards out. His initial hold is artistic and kills the turn dead, but afterwards Craddock gets turn to retard the ensuing shot. For all the debates about Berbatov, and I can see both sides, I"d not certain I"ve ever seen a player in English football with a higher initial touch.
51 min Wolves cranky the median line and Henry, twenty yards out, shoots twenty yards wide.
53 min A possibility for Evra. He done a poetic pointed run inside Foley onto an glorious by pass from Gibson and afterwards stabbed a shot towards thought from fifteen yards. It took a slight deflection and was bundled afar by Hahnemann. Evra attempted to follow up but was shut off off by a integrate of defenders.
55 min "Re: Berba"s initial touch," says Phil Podolsky. "Gudjohnsen?" Gudjohnsen is a poetic player but, when it comes to initial touches, Berbatov"s personification a opposite sport.
56 min Sumptuous ability from Berbatov, who twists Craddock"s red blood inside the box and afterwards floats a poetic turn to the far post, but Nani couldn"t get on the finish of it.
57 min Jarvis skins the wheezing Neville and cuts the turn at the at the behind of of to Foley, usually 10 yards out and in line with the nearby post. He takes a hold and shoots towards goal, but Scholes blocks.
58 min A fine, devious run from Guedioura ends when he is spotless out on the dilemma of the box by Vidic, who is deservedly booked. It"s twenty yards out, usually left of centre, and Jones hammers it in to the leaping wall. United mangle true afar and, when dope around in the future stops, Craddock is requisitioned for cynically fouling Nani out off the ball.
60 min "First touch? Steve Bull?" says Robert Hextall. "Oh no, it was his second that was lethal." Especially when the initial hold is off his back.
61 min David Jones is requisitioned for withdrawal a feet in on Carrick.
62 min A second United substitution: Mame Biram Diouf replaces Darron Gibson, so that"ll be a switch to 4-4-2. Gibson played one glorious pass to Evra but he is punching hopelessly on tip of his weight personification for Manchester United. He"s not the first, and he won"t be the last.
64 min The glorious Jarvis beats Neville with ease once again prior to essay a right-footed cranky to the far post, where Foley utterly shanks his bombardment from about twelve yards.
65 min I"m unequivocally astounded that Darren Fletcher hasn"t come on; United usually can"t means to dump points today. United do miss his drive.
66 min "You"re as well fat to run the line" intone the Wolves fans, all of whom are presumably despotic and svelte specimens of masculinity.
67 min Jarvis is creation a dope of Gary Neville. He plays a discerning one-two with Doyle and races to the byline, from where his low cranky is shut off at the responsibility of a corner. It comes to nothing. On the touchline, Fergie is in a critical funk.
70 min It seems in accord with to think that, come May, the events of the subsequent twenty mins will have had a wilful stroke on at slightest one of these clubs. At the moment, Wolves are still fortifying flattering comfortably. Hahnemann has not had to have any fantastic saves in this match.
GOAL! Wolves 0-1 Manchester United (Scholes 72) A poetic finish from Paul Scholes. Pure class. It"s his 100th Premier League thought as well, sixteen years after the initial at Portman Road. Nani"s low cranky was half-cleared and came to Scholes, twelve yards out. He kept his head splendidly, dummying dual defenders by moulding to fire prior to in the future rifling it opposite Hahnemann and in to the corner. That is such a grand goal, the sort that usually the brainiest footballers score. It was, for those who stop the game, unequivocally identical to the one he scored opposite Blackburn in the 4-1 win in Mar 2007.
73 min Park came on for Nani true after the goal. "I appear to recollect majority pundits betimes essay off one Darren "United Do Miss His Drive" Fletcher not so majority moons ago," says Ciaran Murray. "Darron Gibson is twenty-two and obviously not a world-beater, but it"s a bit shortly to be essay a child off."
Well it"s positively a satisfactory patrolman with courtesy to Darren Fletcher, who I shockingly once described as "a wimp" (it takes one to think they know one), but I"ll be unequivocally astounded if Gibson is at the club at the commencement of the 2011-12 season.
75 min Jarvis"s inswinging cranky from the left is so overhit that it roughly sneaks it at the far post.
76 min The surrogate Park plays a one-two with Berbatov on the dilemma of the box but afterwards gets his common penalty-area nosebleed and fails to possibly fire or find a teammate, with his low cranky punted afar for a corner.
78 min Diouf misses a sitter. Valencia played a short dilemma on the right to Neville, who winding a smashing cranky to the far post. Diouf was 6 yards out, unmarked, but for a small reason he motionless to burst at it with his legs and arms splayed everywhere, and his header went well over the bar. There was no need to burst at it at all, never mind identical to a dipsomaniac diving in to a pool.
81 min Van der Sar"s throw finds Diouf in his own half, and he runs 50 yards in to the Wolves area prior to screwing a flattering bad bid opposite thought and far-reaching with his left effort. He showed critical pace, mind.
82 min "So, Gary Neville," says Ben Dunn. "What happened there? Physical decline? An incapacity to regulate his diversion to a diminution in speed? I regularly have the thought that were he taller, he would right afar be an despotic centre half. He"s turn a bit rubbish, hasn"t he?"
Oh he"s a finish joke. I usually think he never entirely recovered from the prolonged damage he had in 2007 and 2008 – suffered, from memory, in that same Blackburn diversion when Scholes scored. It"s unequivocally tough to come at the at the behind of of in your thirties after some-more than year out. I thought that, and his occasional doltishness, don"t have us dont think about what a unequivocally glorious right-back he was for so long.
83 min Berbatov, certainly the Man of the Match, does so well to free Valencia on the right. He skins Ward and afterwards blasts a low cranky along the face of the six-yard box, but Diouf can"t carry out it. In his defence, it took a scrape of Craddock a split-second earlier, so it was no sort of possibility really.
84 min A stand in Wolves substitution: Ebanks-Blake and Keogh reinstate Ward and Guedioura. So Wolves are right afar personification 4-3-3, I think.
85 min "Neville"s damage was essentially suffered in a late plunge into by Gary Speed in Mar 2007," says Paul Keane. Ah, great point, thanks. I was treacherous my 4-1 wins at home to internal rivals commencement with "B" in Mar 2007. I need to up my diversion and no mistake.
88 min Wolves have their last substitution: the glorious Matt Jarvis is transposed by Sam Vokes.
90 min Wolves see tired. There will be a smallest of 4 mins of combined time.
90+1 min Vokes has longed for an unimaginable chance! In a swarming area, Carrick put United in difficulty with a bad clearance, and after a bit of pinball it came to Vokes, eight yards out and utterly unmarked. He leant at the at the behind of of and sidefooted it high over the bar. That is a intolerable miss.
90+2 min Another possibility for Vokes, who runs opposite the counterclaim to get himself a free header from twelve yards, usually to plant it far-reaching of the nearby post.
90+3 min ESPN"s Jon Champion says that Berbatov has been "effective" today, that is a bit identical to observant that Scarlett Johansson cleans up okay. He has been exquisite.
Full time: Wolves 0-1 Manchester United United go at the at the behind of of to the tip of the list after the sort of groundless feat that wins titles. Wolves had the improved chances and deserved a draw, but Paul Scholes scored a tasty thought with eighteen mins to go to give United the points.
A week ago, in the News of the World, Rob Shepherd took iconoclasm to new levels in a dismally ill-informed square by asking what Paul Scholes would be remembered for.
Unlike Rob Shepherd, Paul Scholes will be remembered as one of the classiest midfielders England has ever produced, for an enviable bullshit-detector, for being the unqualified professional, for eschewing the temptations of booze bars and WAGs, and for a small appalling tackles.
Most of all he will be remembered for the quick mind and category and nervelessness of goals identical to today"s, and for that elementary "GET IN!" celebration. It was his 100th in the Premier League; it competence be his last. We should value it and value him, given we won"t see his identical to again for a long, prolonged time.
Thanks for your emails; night.
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