A great couple of updates. Keep it up!
Manchester United - The Dutchman's Devils
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@Jason: Thank you.
@Walt: Haha yeah, I have a feeling he's gonna have a great season!
@Joshie: Thank you very much man!
@James: Thanks pal!
@Paddy: Thanks for the praise dude!
@Walt: Haha yeah, I have a feeling he's gonna have a great season!
@Joshie: Thank you very much man!
@James: Thanks pal!
@Paddy: Thanks for the praise dude!
PREVIEW: Chelsea vs Manchester United
As the Barclays Premier League kicks off tomorrow, we look ahead to the first game of the season, a blockbuster clash between Chelsea and Manchester United.
Both clubs head into this fixture with many new faces amongst the ranks, from Diego Costa and Angel Di Maria, it all sets up to be a very exciting and end-to-end game. It also sees new Manchester United manager not only manage his debut game in the Premier League, but also go head-to-head with his former assistant manager Jose Mourinho for the first time in many years, making the occasion even more special for the recently hired Dutch manager.
Both teams had a fairly average pre-season, with Mourinho's Chelsea winning two of their four pre-season games, whereas United won one of just two pre-season games, making for a relatively decent start to the season. New Chelsea signing Diego Costa had a great pre-season however, scoring in all four of the pre-season games, whereas Angel Di Maria scored one goal and got one assist in the two pre-season games that Manchester United played.
Chelsea are the favourites to win the game, however Louis van Gaal could mark his Premier League debut with a famous win at the Bridge which would really kickstart Manchester United's Premier League season. We expect that Mourinho will stick with his 4-2-3-1 formation that worked so well for him during Chelsea's pre-season, whereas Louis van Gaal will most likely use his favoured 4-1-2-1-2 formation when his new Manchester United head over to London in Saturday's lunchtime kick-off.
Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho worked together at Barcelona many years ago, with the managers finally meeting again tomorrow after a few years.
Manchester United's most recent signing, Radamel Falcao, has a very good record against Chelsea, scoring a hat-trick last time the teams met in the UEFA Super Cup. He spoke highly of Louis van Gaal and Manchester United pre-match, telling Sky Sports News that he is 'excited to be playing for the biggest club in England'. He also mentioned that he'd like to start against Chelsea to show his new manager what he is capable of, however he understands if van Gaal decides not to play him after he recently recovered from a knee injury.
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has also praised Louis van Gaal heading into tomorrows game as the former United defender expressed his delight at some of the signings the Dutchman has made, but he warns van Gaal that going to Stamford Bridge is a big challenge, especially for players making their debut and he cannot expect the whole team to click straight away after a short pre-season. He also believes that Di Maria will have a positive impact at the club and he cannot wait to see him put on a Manchester United shirt for the first time.
It has been highly anticipated match and we are less than a day away from the opening of the new Barclays Premier League season, with Louis van Gaal's Manchester United side taking on Mourinho's Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, with a fully packed stadium expected, it is going to be the best way to kick off the new season and with all the drama that has happened over the summer, can Louis van Gaal revive Manchester United or will the suffering continue for Manchester United?
Fantastic preview Josh, should be a great game!
It will be really interesting to see if you can better than United did IRL. A brilliant update but expected nothing less.
Terrific Chelsea hit six past Louis van Gaal's Manchester United
Jose Mourinho's Chelsea hit six past Manchester United to open the new Barclays Premier League season, with Diego Costa scoring a brace.
The match kickstarted the new season and with both team's strengthening over the Summer, it made for a feisty and intense affair between two clubs challenging for the title this season. Mourinho gave new signings Diego Costa, Felipe Luis and Cesc Fabregas their debut for the club whereas Louis van Gaal handed seven Premier League debuts to Danilo, Dede, Inigo Martinez, Alex Sandro, Ander Herrera, Angel Di Maria and Falcao, showing just how different the team has become since last season.
The game kicked off infront over a packed Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea having the most possession within the first 15 minutes of the game, with the biggest chance going to Willian, whose shot was expertly saved by the fingertips of Manchester United's Player of the Season last year, David de Gea, who sprung to his left to divert Willian's low drive away from the bottom corner and out for a corner kick, which the United defence easily dealt with.
However a few minutes later, Hazard went on his trademark run, easing past Herrera to find Costa, who played it forward towards Fabregas, who dinked the ball over to the opposite wing where Willian was in some space. The Brazilian then curled the ball towards the far post where Hazard ran towards and using the outside of his boot, directed the ball under the dive of David de Gea to make it 1-0 Chelsea within 21 minutes of the game. It was poor defending from Dede to allow Hazard that much space at the far post.
United did their best to level the game before half time, with Herrera finding himself some space to work the ball towards Rooney, who took a couple of touches before firing the ball towards the top right hand corner, which forced Courtois into a terrific diving save which even the United fans applauded. That save allowed Chelsea to go into the break leading by one goal to nil, with Hazard causing the most damage to the new Manchester United defence with his acute finish into the bottom corner. Not the best of starts for Louis van Gaal.
United kicked off the second half and looked more attacking, with Di Maria now going onto the wings and Herrera pushing more forward. United won a free-kick outside the box and up stepped new captain Wayne Rooney, who measured his angles to perfection as he hit the ball up and over the wall, curling into the top right hand corner, leaving Courtois hopeless as it struck the inside of the crossbar and into the back of the net. United were back on level terms just 7 minutes since the restart, showing that van Gaal's team talk obviously worked.
Wayne Rooney's free-kick was struck sweetly enough to beat Courtois and put United back on level terms at 1-1.
United looked revitalised after Rooney's strike and pushed more men forward to try and take the lead for the first time in the match, however Chelsea were able to regain possession and Cahill played a long ball up to Hazard, who went past Dede with ease and found Willian waiting in the six yard box who wrapped his foot around the ball and left de Gea stranded as it smashed the roof of the net to put Chelsea back in-front. Dede was the man at fault again which wasn't the best way to make his Premier League debut.
However, United didn't give up and just two minutes later, they were on the attack with Fellaini, who played the ball down the right to Danilo, the new full-back then passed it to Mata who took the ball around the challenge of Fabregas and found Di Maria, who put the ball on his preferred left foot and struck it with power and accuracy towards Courtois, who wasn't strong enough to beat it away as it went through his arms and into the back of the net. United has equalised once again with a lucky but well worked goal.
And just before you knew it, they were on the attack again after breaking down a Chelsea attack, with Herrera finding Rooney, who played it towards his left where Mata had found some free space, and the former Chelsea playmaker hit the ball on the half-volley, taking it away from the fingertips of Courtois and into the back of the net. It was a truly fantastic goal which put United in-front for the first time in the match, and with just over 25 minutes left to play, it would make for a grand stand finish.
Louis van Gaal's men were hanging on by a thread, with all the pressure coming from Chelsea approaching the final fifth-teen minutes of the game, and a lazy challenge from Fellaini gave Chelsea a free-kick on the edge of the area. Hazard was the man to take the responsibility and the Belgian used the same technique as Rooney as he guided the ball up and over the wall and into the top corner, beating de Gea and levelling the game up at 3-3 with both teams still trying to win the game.
Eden Hazard's free-kick was expertly taken as he guided it past de Gea to level the game at 3-3 going into the final 15 minutes.
In big games like these, you need big players, and up stepped new signing Diego Costa, who within a space of four minutes, managed to find himself two goals to put Chelsea all but over the finish line. Hazard was able to find some space to make the killer pass to Costa who chipped it over de Gea to put Chelsea ahead at 4-3. Then just four minutes later, the tall centre-forward was put through by Fabregas and took the ball around de Gea to make it 5-3 Chelsea with the game all but over. The United defence was getting tired and that led to the goal.
And to rub salt in the wounds, Loic Remy made it six as Dede failed to deal with a simple pass which allowed Remy the freedom of the final third as he advanced past de Gea and calmly placed the ball into the bottom of the net making it finish at Stamford Bridge 6-3 to Chelsea, with both Eden Hazard and Diego Costa getting their brace and really kickstarting Chelsea's season. As for United, more work is needed in the defence after a poor performance from new signing Dede.
United have Aston Villa next at Old Trafford with the club needing to win that game comfortably to register some points of the table. It was a great win for Chelsea and a real advertisement for Premier League football. It was a very end-to-end game, with some stand out performers in both teams. Hazard undoubtedly won the man of the match award for his sublime attacking performance which led to most of the Chelsea goals.
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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's post-match comments
"It was a great perform by my team as we showed some great attacking play. We dominated the opposition and our training for this has paid off. Louis' team played well also, they got past our defenders numerous times. Overall, I am very pleased with the game and it is a real advert to what this league offers almost every week."
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal's post-match comments
"I am content with the performance of the team. We played some good football out there and we played well over the course of the game. It is not the ideal start for me but I am sure we will bounce back next week at Old Trafford. Chelsea played very well and are a dangerous team on the break, which is why we lost today. Our defenders weren't able to cope with the pace and that's something we need to learn from."
ouch! tough one to take there Josh, but you should bounce back from it
I'm loving the graphics, as always!
I'm loving the graphics, as always!
If the result matched the update, well - we would've been in for a treat. Exemplary detail as usual Josh but unfortunately the result didn't go your way. I look forward to more!
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