Park Ji-sung's positioning puts Manchester United in control

Manchester United vs. Chelsea

Premiership - 2 years ago

Park Ji-sung's positioning puts Manchester United in control

The champions-to-be, driven forward by their South Korean midfielder, played with greater appetite to shake a laboured Chelsea

by David Pleat 2 years ago

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Red joy will lead to gleaming gold and blue is nowhere to be seen. Manchester United – 31 home games unbeaten – played with greater appetite and a superior speed of passing from the start. The early whirlwind shook a laboured Chelsea, who never recovered.

Often the early exchanges shape the pattern of a game and so it was here. Park Ji-sung created the opening goal and his habit of coming off the left, often interchanging with Ryan Giggs, helped his side gain midfield sway. Chelsea, with Michael Essien, Mikel John Obi and Frank Lampard, should have had an advantage in the centre over Giggs and Michael Carrick, but with Park cutting in and Wayne Rooney dropping back they were never comfortable.

United won the key individual battles. Antonio Valencia was too forceful for Ashley Cole; Carrick monitored Lampard's runs and Rooney's movement demoralised Mikel. With Park playing so narrow one would have expected Chelsea to exploit the width on their right, and it was no major surprise when Carlo Ancelotti brought on Ramires at half-time to do that. But United manned the spaces outside the box and defended confidently. Though Lampard touched in Ramires's cross the home side were comfortable, the ball appearing drawn towards the head of Nemanja Vidic. Perhaps if the Football Writers' Association voted for their player of the year by AV, the defender would have got the recognition he deserves.

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Epik151

(Manchester United)

2 years ago

park is getting better and better

[account-removed]

2 years ago

none of these comments are actually about park lol

ATTAII

(Tottenham Hotspur)

2 years ago

was thinking the same:)

Viano

(Manchester United)

2 years ago

because park is invicible!

S0113str3

(Barcelona)

2 years ago

i love barca but i feel man u are more pumped for the game then they are. it just seems barcelona might need to find some different tricks if they wanna win.

[account-removed]

2 years ago

This comment has been removed.

Tomthedon

(Arsenal)

2 years ago

Spam alert. Reported.

Jawn

(Liverpool)

2 years ago

Thank you, please don't hesitate to report any and all spam in the future. They seem to frequent the trending guardian articles.

Thanks
the footytube staff.

Midssi10

(Barcelona)

2 years ago

is it just me or david pleat always comes out with a poorly written article while obviously biased towards ManU? although ManU thoroughly deserved the win, it seems like david pleat was not watching the game, he just watched the highlight and randomly writes what he think...

Sanandasaps

(Manchester United)

2 years ago

Did you even watch the game? I cannot find anything wrong with article. Park was absolutely phenomenal. I always thought Nani would be of more value to the team than Park. Not anymore after last game.

Tomthedon

(Arsenal)

2 years ago

If Torres is 50m and Caroll 35m. Park must surely be 75m. Hes invaluable.

Midssi10

(Barcelona)

2 years ago

i watched the full game allrite, Sanandasps have you ever read his previous articles before? ManU totally dominated the game but look at this article, 3 paragraphs, like a summary of the highlight..

Viano

(Manchester United)

2 years ago

article writers have no time to watch full matches

MaverickDeville

(Manchester United)

2 years ago

although barca is stronger and SAF admit it himself, but it is no fun to support a team that every1 think is going to win CL.We Man Utd stil can give barca some challenge if we reproduce the performance 2day.I think most of the non-Barca and non-Man Utd fans will support Man Utd more than Barca

MacLumor

(Barcelona)

2 years ago

Kimcyy, why can't Messi sleep? Messi has always been the tormenter not the tormented. Barca just need 1 pt just like ManU to wrap up the league title. Get ready, England will cry.

[account-removed]

2 years ago

if Barcelonas Academy Award winners turn up then yeah we will cry and so will football

+13

Prawntheman

(Real Madrid)

2 years ago

Good comeback. After Barcelona's previous games I think more people would be supporting Man U than Barca.

Madridista174

(Real Madrid)

2 years ago

Well said Khalid7. Btw Barca... The game will be played at wembley, Not Hollywood... Dont get on the wrong plane.

Kimcyy

(Manchester United)

2 years ago

I bet messi can't sleep tonight!!!

Oddshot

(Newcastle United)

2 years ago

Why does a Manchester United supporter have a picture of Samir Nasri in an Arsenal shirt as his display pic?

Lampuiho

(Arsenal)

2 years ago

because they support other teams as well.

Oddshot

(Newcastle United)

2 years ago

I'm tempted to say so he's a glory hunter but i guess that doesnt apply here what with Nasri being an Arsenal player eh?

Dylee27

(Manchester United)

2 years ago

he's Korean. I suppose he supports United for Jisung Park, but I guess he's also a fan of Nasri.

Sanandasaps

(Manchester United)

2 years ago

Because, some of the people out there are just soccer fans. They don't follow particular team but like to watch soccer in general. My dad was one of them.

LeeChungYong

(Arsenal)

2 years ago

agree with Dylee27. I am korean as well and if you are, you automatically support man U cos of Park, he's a national treasure. but i like arsenal because of their teamwork and their way of playing.

0restes11

(Arsenal)

2 years ago

cant we just enjoy football like im an arsenal supporter but watching liverpool atm and the form that they are in is awesome and suarez is just a beast and i guess he thinks nasri is a beast? lol but yeah u know what i mean something along those lines