FA Community Shield 2004!

[PastyHusty]

Once again, the first trophy of the season will be contested between Arsenal and Manchester United. The match is due to take place this Sunday afternoon, at 15:00 in the Millenium Stadium. In previous years, the team that wins the Community Shield doesn't often go onto win the league, so for once I don't mind Arsenal winning.

Arsenal are likely to start with a weaker line-up than usual. Players who featured heavily in Euro 2004 - Pires, Henry, Ljungberg, Vieira - probably won't start. Campbell is definitely out due to injury. I think Wenger will start with quite a few youngsters in place of the regular team players.

Manchester United might not use their Euro 2004 stars, but seeing as a few of them haven't played a game before today (I'm counting out the Vodaphone Cup atm, as I'm not too sure what's happening ) .. then maybe we'll see a fairly full strength line-up. Personally, I'd like to see Smith and Miller given a match and for Van Nistelrooy to get in a good match before the Premiership starts.

My Prediction: Manchester United 2-1 Arsenal

[ForeverInLoveWithJus]

I dont think Ruud will play, he isnt really match fit. I think Arsenal will win 3-1.

[ForeverInLoveWithJus]

Another article I found:

The two current giants of English football lock horns in the Community (previously Charity) Shield for the sixth time on Sunday. Arsenal go into the game as champions, United as FA Cup winners – the reverse of the situation twelve months ago.
Then, United won 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. It was the second time United had beaten the Gunners on penalties in this competition. But Arsenal have achieved three victories over United in regulation 90 minutes’ play.

A measure of the dominance these two clubs have enjoyed over English football in recent years is the fact that one or both have contested all but one of the last 11 Shields. This will be Arsenal’s fifth appearance in the last seven years. Overall, the Londoners have made 17 appearances and won 10 times. United have won 11 times out of 22, but have shared the shield on four further occasions when they drew and the result was not determined by a penalty shoot-out.

Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger still leads the head-to-head battle with his managerial rival Sir Alex Ferguson. Despite drawing both Premiership contests last season and losing in the FA Cup, Wenger has ten wins to his name, Ferguson eight with six draws (including last season’s Community Shield as a United win).

Last May, Arsenal won the Premiership for the third time in its 12 seasons. They were unbeaten over the 38-match campaign to claim their 13th championship in their 100th season of League football. Their last defeat in any competition was 1-2 at home to Chelsea in the Champions League QF second leg on 6 April. They are now unbeaten in 40 consecutive Premiership games - only two short of Nottingham Forest’s all-time record sequence of 42 in the old League - Division One between November 1977 and December 1978. The Gunners are also unbeaten in pre-season with four wins and four draws.

Eleven of the 12 Premiership titles have been won by either Arsenal or Manchester United, and there has not been a Premier League season yet when one or both have failed to make the top two.

United finished third in the Premiership last season but beat Millwall 3-0 in the FA Cup final. That gave them a record 11th FA Cup success. They returned from an injury-disrupted pre season tour of the USA without a win, losing on penalties to Bayern Munch and AC Milan either side of a 2-1 defeat by Celtic. They then beat PSV Eindhoven 1-0 at Old Trafford with a Mikael Silvestre header, but their final home friendly against Urawa Red Diamonds was postponed because of a ferocious electrical storm.

For Sunday’s showdown, Arsenal are without Patrick Vieira (thigh) and Sol Campbell (Achilles), though Thierry Henry could be on the bench after an Achilles problem. Mathieu Flamini is ineligible, Freddie Ljungberg may be rested and Ashley Cole (calf) faces a fitness test.

Manchester United are missing Ruud van Nistelrooy (hernia), Kleberson (Knee), Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (knee), while Gabriel Heinze and Cristiano Ronaldo are on Olympic duty and Rio Ferdinand is suspended. However, Paul Scholes and Darren Fletcher will play in Cardiff.

Squads:
Arsenal: Lehmann, Almunia, Taylor, Lauren, Toure, Cygan, Senderos, Cole, Clichy, Gilberto Silva, Pires, Ljungberg, Pennant, van Persie, Reyes, Bergkamp, Henry, Aliadiere, Jeffers.

Man Utd: Howard, Carroll, G Neville, Brown, Silvestre, O’Shea, P Neville, Keane, Djemba-Djemba, Giggs, Smith, Saha, Bardsley, Tierney, Richardson, Forlan, Fletcher, Scholes, Spector, Bellion, Fortune.

[PastyHusty]

Both teams are without key players then. It's definitely going to be a good chance for the younger players to get a chance to play, whether it be from the start, or as a substitute.

[ForeverInLoveWithJus]

Yes, that should be the case but I fear Arsenals youngsters are better than United's.

[ForeverInLoveWithJus]

Imagine that, I got the match prediction score right lol. Arsenal deserved it, Uniteds defending.... what defending or were there any defenders playing? O'Shea was pure rubbish.

[Riapanonias]

I hate to do this but I'v got a feeling that manu will win.. its not a big important game though

[PastyHusty]

Well done for getting that scoreline right Emma! We were outclassed by Arsenal today for most of the game, but it's only an over-glorified friendly in the end. Most of the players got a good workout ahead of Wednesday's clash with Bucharest .. and that's what is most important. Smith's goal was a good one. I hope he provides many more throughout the season.

Here are the thoughts of Alex Ferguson after the match:

"It was the right pace of game for us ahead of Wednesday's Champions League qualifier and there was an edge and some intelligent play. Arsenal were the better team, particularly in the second half. When we got to 1-1, I thought we would take control but their second goal came at the right time and killed us off when we were making substitutions."

"We had to take off Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs - players that need to come off in view of Wednesday. It was about making changes at the right time. But I should maybe have taken Quinton Fortune off at half-time. It was his first 45 minutes in six months. He did very well but he maybe just lacked that bit of edge at the start of the second half. We're just glad to get through the game with no more injuries."

Originally posted by Monrapias
I hate to do this but I'v got a feeling that manu will win.. its not a big important game though

LMAO!

Do you read the thread? Did you see the kick-off time in my first post?

[Riapanonias]

No actually I didnt read the kick off time

[ForeverInLoveWithJus]

I really think that Ferguson has to look at the players he has and the youngsters he has. I think Richardson will never succeed at the club.