Manchester United Vs Newcastle United Liveblog!

By: Rob | August 17th, 2008

So we’ve seen Chelsea get off to a brilliant start against Pompy, how can Manchester United do against Newcastle? You can follow the game here with me in this Liveblog. Kevin Keegan has said that this will be a good opening game for his side, you can see exactly how they get on, after the jump.

Manchester United 1 – 1 Newcastle United

Fletcher 24 Martins 22

Full Time – United then start slowly as ever, not anywhere near as impressive as Chelsea. Newcastle by contrast, looked good especially defensively which is a massive improvement. Good game, particuarly the first half, plenty of stuff to talk about.

93 – Rooney takes the FK and he puts it wide, that should be it.

92 – Tackle on the edge of the box – Mike Riley did well to call that outside he could easily have given a Pen.

91 – Rooney tries to play in Scholes, but it falls to Evra, goes wide.

90 – 3 minutes of added time.

89 – Rooney booked for having a go at the ref there.

85 – Martins played in by Butt, but Ferdinand stands his ground again. At the other end, Milner tracks back Man United’s counter, and tackles Scholes.

83 – Cute little chip from Rooney from a tricky angle, but it sails over Given’s crossbar

81 – Milner blazes a FK over the bar, VDS is very happy with the sun in his eyes that he didn’t have to save that
80 – Rafael is one of a pair of twins, which Man United have. He has the hair to match Coloccini.

79 – Sub for Man United, Rafael on, Campbell off.

77 – Frasier Campbell is booked for a silly challenge on Coloccini. Stupid tackle. Wayne Rooney can have a go at the ref all he likes, but thats a yellow all day long.

76 – N’Zogbia breaks but Ferdinand is more than a match for him.

75 – N’Zogbia gives away a needless FK and Vidic is back on. Rooney will take it. He crosses to O’Shea. Do I need to tell you that it didn’t work out great for them?

72 – Good corner from Fletcher, lands right on Vidic’s head, hits the crossbar. Vidic is down after that

71 – Whats impressive is Newcastle’s defending. They were awful at the back last season, but they’ve held thier own today albeit against a weakend Man United.

70 – Fletcher puts in a poor cross which the only man in the middle – Evra oddly – can’t get to it.

66 – Poor corner from Fletcher is cleared to Scholes, who’s shot is only just over the bar.

65 – Misplaced pass from Scholes, Gutierrez runs through in on goal, but a great tackle from Vidic conceeds only a corner

63 – Good cross from Evra, finds Campbell, who dives to it and floats the header into Given. Campbell seems to have picked up a knock in the header, but it might just be cramp

62 – Sub for Man United Possebon on for Giggs, who seemed to have a slight knock.

61 – Good play from Newcastle, Milner hits it over the crossbar, but apparently Scholes got a touch. Corner to Newcastle. Martins found himself unmarked in the middle again, but it catches even him out and wide
59 – Rooney shoots from deep in a bit of space but its blocked

58 – Giggs twists and turns and twists and turns and then looses the ball as he tries to beat his man

57 – Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand is arguing about something or other.

56 – Good save from Given. Frasier Campbell with a decent strike from a decent distance

54 – Ryan Giggs is gesturing that he might have a bit of a problem. Trouble is United don’t have a great bench today.

52 -Gutierrez tracking back again, and making a good challenge on Campbell

51 – Giggs does N’Zogbia, brings it forward, plays a neat one two with Rooney, before sending a cross in, but its headed away

49 – Martins lashes one toward goal, but it was obvious he was making room for the shot and VDS could get behind it easily.

48 – Good passing from United. Looking a bit calmer and in control so far this half

47 – Man united throwing the ball around, Giggs crosses, Taylor clears. Corner is cleared at the near post like most Giggs corners

Second Half is underway.

Gabby Agbonlahor has got the season’s first hat trick for Villa against Manchester City. Evidently he was listening to me

Half Time – 1-1. Injury hit Man United not looking as good as Chelsea did earlier, but Newcastle have looked more confident and lively than Portsmouth did. Good exciting game so far, plenty of stuff to think about at the interval

45 – Brown puts in a cross and Given punches it clear.

44 – Fletcher just called the linesman a bad word as he didn’t get a corner.

43 – Gutierrez does his defensive duty there, helping out at the back. He’s having a good game so far.

41 – Campbell runs into Coloccini and wins a FK on the edge of the box, lots of asking questions of the ref, by Newcastle. Giggs bends in the FK and its cleared straight away

40 – Campbell is stuggling strength wise, but he looks lively. Just been pushed off the ball by the Newcastle defence

38 – Rooney is arguing with the ref, but he doesn’t look too angry. Thats respect for you.

36 – Good chance for United, Cross in gets a deflection, bounces out to Scholes, a bit wayward and Rooney tries to deflect it on target, Given saves

33 – Good cross from Scholes, Fletcher was offside, but he headed wide anyway

31 – Man United Break but Coloccini makes a great tackle on Rooney, finally finding his feet the Argentine.
29 – Gutierrez puts in a cross, after skipping past Brown, but it comes to nothing

26 – Giggs kicks Milner, bit of a battle going on there. FK from newcastle from Duff goes towardBlack and white shirts, but noone gets on the end

25 – Carrick got injured in amongst that and has come off, didn’t see who came on – Matt tells me in the comments it was John O’Shea
24 – GOAL! Immediate response from United, Great cross from Giggs, Fletcher runs onto it and immediately levels the score! Game on!

22 GOAL – from the corner, Martins is six yards out, middle of the goal, heads in with venom and flies past Scholes who was on the line. 1-0 Newcastle!

21 – Good bit of play from Newcastle, Van der Saar punches and it comes out and is vollyed back to Van der Saar, who pushes over
19 – Great cross from Fletcher, Giggs doesn’t rise as he looses his feet. Wants a pen, no chance.

18 – Coloccini is now forward, put in a cross for Taylor, but its snuffed out

16 – Struck from Scholes in his area, but Given gets hold easy

13 – Great string of saves from Given. Butt gives the ball away, missed by everyone untill Rooney struck, Given saved, and the rebounds from Scholes.

8 – Newcastle could have a penalty there. Gutierrez was through and Vidic stuck his shoulder into him. Not given.

7 – Great cross in, and Shay Given has to make a great save from Frasier Campbell! – Rooney put the ball in, diving header from Campbell and it smaked Given in the face!

6 – More nervous moments from Coloccini who eventually finds his backpass to Given.
5 – Martins keeps past a few tackles, and blazes his shot wide. Villa are 1-0 at Man City thanks to John Carew to the delight of the United fans.

4 – Scholes mistimes a tackle on Nicky Butt. Some things never, ever change.

3 – Giggs has another Fk, Given clears. Scholes knocks it down to Fletcher, who puts it wide.

1 – Frasier Campbell does Colloccini, who gives away a FK 25 yards out. Giggs hits it in the wall, Giggs claims handball, not given.

Kick Off – Here we go then.Newcastle kicking off from right to left.

5 Mins to KO – Players are coming out. The first round of fixtures is soon to be completed, will the Champions get off to a winning start?

20 Mins to KO – Line ups are in and Tevez has had a family breavement so is unavaliable. Frasier Campbell starts. For Newcastle, Coloccini starts. Be interesting to see if he’s as good as he is on Football Manager.
Man Utd: Van der Sar, Brown, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, Fletcher, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Campbell, Rooney

Newcastle: Given, Beye, Taylor, Coloccini, N’Zogbia, Milner, Butt, Guthrie, Gutierrez, Duff, Martins