Lille - Courageous or Pathetic?

Lille. Up 'n' Coming stars of European football I've been led to believe. A "team with no stars" according to their manager, Claude Puel. Certainly none of them shone particularly brightly last night.

In an uneventful match, played out on a shocking pitch, both sides were closely matched and had periods of dominance over the other, but failed to convert their chances. That is, until the Puel changed formation to 4-4-2. Lille went on the attack and appeared to have scored through Odemwingie with a close range header. However, this was ruled out by the referee for a push that could be regarded as minimal. However, the goal did not stand, and the players moved on.

In the 83rd minute however, Saha earned a free-kick after being pulled back and having his shirt tugged. The Lille defence were still organising their wall when Giggs asked to take the free-kick. The referee walked away and Giggs guided the ball into the far right hand corner as a surprised Sylva attempted to reach the ball.

In the vigorous appeals that followed, Sylva was booked. Lille then proceeded to kick the ball to their coach from the kick-off, and a mass argument ensued. It looked as if Lille might be considering abandoning the tie, but after a couple of minutes they returned to the field. Manchester United returned to dodge missiles from the crowd, stirred up by Giggs' goal. The last ten minutes were played out to a chorus of boos. It was an embarrassing episode for all concerned.

But were Lille right to complain? Had they been 'cheated' out of, if not a win, then a draw? Were they just showing their displeasure with the way the referee had conducted himself throughout the game, which was, in both fans opinions, poor? This is, apparently, the way teams register a complain in France, waiting until the ball goes out of play to dispute a decision, perhaps giving themselves time to calm down and see the offending action again. Was this just Lille showing the referee what they thought, with no plans to walk off at all?

In my humble opinion - no, no, no. I feel that both decisions, technically, were correct by the referee. The push on Vidic was perhaps minimal, although it is hard to maintain balance in the position that he was in, and it certainly helped Odemwinge get to the ball. Considering the view that referee Eric Braamhaar had, it is very understandable decision that he took, and it is one that could go either way. There is nothing in the rulebook to say that the referee must blow the whistle when a free-kick is taken, and you see quick free-kicks and corners taken all the time. Professionals are told to stand in front of the ball to prevent quick free-kicks, so it could be attributed to a mistake by Lille.

What wasn't understandable was their reaction, acting like petulant schoolchildren because the big boys had done something naughty. They endangered the United players as the crowd began to throw missiles at them, and embarrassed French football, European football and World football. It is a sad chapter in Lille's history, and perhaps looking back, they will realise the pathetic actions that they undertook. It was certainly "intimidating the referee", and lets hope that the return leg is far more enjoyable.

The Rise and Rise of Utd

Rewind. Back in August 2006 Manchester United appeared to be fading. There had been only one addition to the squad that had been beaten 3-0 and finished 8 points behind Chelsea. Ronaldo was rumoured to be leaving due to the lack of support from United, and Ruud van Nistelrooy had left the club, a man with an astonishing strike record. Arsenal had kept Captain Fantastic, Thierry Henry and signed Tomas Rosicky, a man who had produced some brilliant performances in the World Cup. Chelsea had signed Shevchenko, Europe's highest goalscorer and Ballack, who had driven Germany to 3rd place at the World Cup. Liverpool had improved their squad with Bellamy, Pennant and Agger, with Kuyt strongly rumoured to be following. Most pundits predicted that Manchester United, the 8 time Premiership champions, would be left behind by the other 3 and be left to fight it out with Tottenham for the final Champions League spot.

So why are United sitting 6 points clear? Is it a failing by the other 3 teams? Have they massively underperformed? No. There is an argument that Chelsea have, but the other two have kept up the same levels of performance throughout the season. Liverpool appeared to have come into their true form at one point, but this was just Liverpool doing what they should - beating Bottom Ten teams well. Arsenal may play beautiful football, but they play it in front of defences, leaving defenders across the land to watch, enjoy and take the ball off them when they've had enough.

The truth is that Fergie won't - can't - accept failure. His team is one that he slowly built over last season, with Vidic and Evra coming in halfway through and Gary Neville becoming Utd's captain after the Keane debacle, as well as Saha coming into his best form as the season ended, this was the perfect chance to make a fresh start, free of the ghosts that Keane and Nistelrooy threatened to leave hanging over the club. The team were focused and dedicated. Rooney and Ronaldo had forgiven each other and there were no egos straining to impose themselves. The dressing room was calm.

The next move was to make the team play good football. With what is essentially a 4-2-4 formation, Fergie has struck a balance within the team, giving Ronaldo and Giggs (or Park these days) the licence to attack, in the safe knowledge that there were two excellent full backs behind them in Gary Neville and Patrice Evra. Both of the full backs have also got forward, increasing the potency of United's wing play. Carrick and Scholes have an excellent partnership, both possessing top class passing ability and attacking ability in Scholes. Carrick's defensive skills ensure that United keep most of the possession, which is useful when you want to win games. The defence is the best in the land. Ferdinand and Vidic, the Silk and the Steel, are yet another of United's great partnerships. They dominate attacks and quickly pass the ball out in order to start a counter attack when needed. Rooney had struggled with form, but is now flying, although it is the other way round for Saha. He has struggled ever since missing that penalty against Celtic, but he will pull through. With Solskjaer adding goals and Larsson arriving to create and add more, United are a potent attacking threat.

United's consistent brilliance, allied with an inconsistent Chelsea and disappointing performances from Arsenal and Liverpool has contributed to their current position. The question remains though - Can they stay there? The trip to Anfield will help us answer that particular question...