Jun 10
Edwin’s Dutch Delight, King Cantona and The Ronaldo Daily
Let me first say that I’ve always loved watching Cantona speak. So, yesterday, I was watching his interview to the BBC and, true to type, he didn’t disappoint. [Those who've missed it, you can still watch it here.] He’s been a showman [and now literally, because of his involvement in films], but when he speaks of United you still see the glint in his eyes. You know how much he cares for the club.
Whilst his opinion on Ronaldo wasn’t new — that he wanted him to stay although United could do well even without him — what was revealing was when he let slip that he would like to manage United some day. “Management is like an art” is what he had to say. Of course, one mustn’t get too carried away by this because he said he’ll take up management only when he loses passion for what he’s currently doing — which, of course, is why he retired in the first place.
His shadow over United’s history is considerable, but if he has aspirations to manage United some day, he’ll have to earn it. Just like how Keane and Sparky are having to prove themselves.
United have reported Real Madrid to FIFA. Sepp Blatter, I suspect, would use the blank side of the sheet — that contains said complaint — to scribble out how much he owes Platini, as they play a game of poker with Calderon for company.
Deco, meanwhile, says Cristiano is calm and unfazed by the ‘circus’ around him. Indeed. Why would he be worried, in the first place? A bumper contract would either way be round the corner.
And since it’s my responsibility to report as much United news as I can, I’ll give you one more link to read on the Ronaldo soap opera; literally because it’s about his family involvement. Read it for your own pleasure.
Moving on to footballers who are almost incomparable in their loyalty and attitude toward the game, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be at the ticket booth helping staff sell tickets for his testimonial game against Espanyol. So if you are a season ticket holder you could very well be served at the counter by none other than 2OLegend himself. For details click here.
According to his advisers, Mr Crock intends to stay on at United. You see, despite what people might say or think, very few players really want to leave Manchester United. It’s sad that some players think they’ll be better off at Real Madrid.
Then there’s an article that’s a mixture of conjecture and journalistic instinct (which again, is another word for conjecture) which says that Arsenal are favourites to land Aaron Ramsey. Funny, considering United were proclaimed favourites to sign him when he went to OT to have a word with the manager, and now Arsenal emerge favourites because the kid had lunch with Arsene. I think I’d rather wait for the transfer to go through before making any assumptions. Both are equally plausible destinations.
Update: Arsenal are said to have signed Ramsey, according to the BBC.
Moving to the Euros, I won’t get drawn into the snooze fest that the France-Romania game was. I’ve heard singularly pathetic reviews of the game, and having missed it there’s no point for me to go into this. Also Eric Abidal was preferred to Evra [seriously though, does no one rate good performances in the Premiership anymore?] shocking, considering Abidal had a stinker of a season for Barca.
I happened to watch parts of the Holland-Italy game though, and I must say it’s been the most entertaining matches of the tournament so far. I don’t know about you, but I was delighted to see the Italians outplayed at their own game. Edwin van der Sar had an outstanding game making a few big saves. I feel happy for him. The Dutch seem a bit vulnerable at the back which is why I am not entirely sold on them, despite having an attack (and midfield) to die for.
Right. That’s all for the day. Euro opinions, transfer rumours, fantasy league predictions welcome. Take it away…
Related items from Red Rants:- Who Is Your Choice For United’s Number 2?
- Totti Mouths Off Prior to Hammering | Happy Tevez | Happy Ron | Happy Vidic
- Don’t Hate Daniel Levy
- It’s Still All About Ronaldo, Love
- United are on vacation, you should be too
Tags: Daily Roundup
June 10th, 2008 at 10:31
bump
Bugger, am shocked l’arse have pulled a fast one over us, an English player going there instead of United!? it might be for personal reasons though, no offense to those of you residing in Manchester, but seriously, London living is probably attractive.
Last night’s match was fantastic, defo the best so far. Thought the scoreline flattered the dutch a little bit, but they’re nothing if not entertaining! That group is on a knife edge now, every match is a final. If the dutch beat Romania, they’re through comfortably, and the head to head with Italy/France becomes the breaker. Awesome stuff, I love these 3 match groups.
What I thought was quite interesting about hte way the Dutch broke was that it tended not to involve Ruud (btw, Van Persie was brought on for pace, something Klaas doesn’t have in abundance). Ruud would tend to get overtaken by hte flanking midfielders during counters, which is exactly how are system would work if we got an ‘out and out’ striker that lacked a step. It just shows how, potentially, we could work with a big front man - let 3/4 midfielders use their pace to burn by him, and he can provide a bit of cover. Then when we’re not countering, we stil have hte big presence in the box. Watching Ruud’s runs last night (keep in mind he was through on goal twice wihtout the offisde, but seems to have watched Rooney’s finishing classes) made me really miss a ‘real’ number 10. It forces the defense to be so wary of their line, something Rooney only does very occasionally. Anyway, rambling, apologies.
See that Eto’o turned down Spurs, is there a reason no one has mentioned him…? Fast, proven goal scorer, smart, plays on the last man…hrm…
June 10th, 2008 at 10:32
I think the Ramsey joining Arsenal thing is true. I just heard Peter Ridsdale on the radio saying it was.
June 10th, 2008 at 10:36
First of all,don’t kill me for the name I use.
Secondly,I agree with you about how Ronaldo is not making his decision on where he wants to stay.His family makes matters worse too.His mother says he will stay at OT and his other two hundred thousand family members think he is moving to Spain because of an environment just like in Portugal and with the weather crap too.
I can’t even believe the fat pay cheque he is going to receive if he comes to Madrid.And the worst part is he has only played great one season,not for a long time but a single season!Agreed he’s a great prospect for the future but that doesn’t mean you’re going to offer that much money.
The dutch were great in the back too with Ooijer.He was absolutely amazing.Great performance by Oranje.
June 10th, 2008 at 10:53
Yeah good point about Ruud. It is no surprise that now that Ruud is gone more of United’s goals are from counter-attacks. Ruud’s strength is putting the finishing touch in a crowded box of players.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:00
I think the lack of interest in Eto’o from us has more to do with his attitude than anything else…I mean he did just recently headbutt a journalist. And he’s been known to sulk with Barca. I just feel like he doesn’t fit in our squad.
June 10th, 2008 at 11:47
Why Evra doesn’t start is beyond me. Abidal didn’t play well, and he offers nothing going forward. You would think that playing Romania would be a game of breaking them down, and is there a left back better at that than Evra - don’t think so. I think Domenech is a piss-poor coach, and that’s why they struggle so much with their game. They practically produced nothing in the entire game, which is quite shocking.
For us who watch Evra on weekly basis, we know how much he’s improved defensively. And when he can take out pretty much anyone in the EPL, I doubt Romania would have a player that could challenge him. Crap managing, and I hope he gets it right next game, even though fewer games for Evra in the Euros would mean a fresher player coming back, so I’m torn a little on that. I just love watching him play, so Domenech - get your act together man!!
June 10th, 2008 at 12:02
Bugger, i missed out putting my squad on the euro fantasy football site by a day and now i have to sit back and watch as you lot race up the RR league without me, + thers the disapointment of knowing that id be on 51 points and in ninth had i been a little quicker to sign up. Ah well im sure itll still turn out to be a fun little league, kudos to Red ranter and his choice XI for taking up top spot just like were used to from the red army
June 10th, 2008 at 12:56
Now that United have lodged an official complaint against Madrid, its only obvious that there is no way United will do business with them now. That has pretty much sealed the situation IMO.
June 10th, 2008 at 13:01
Does anybody know who takes the penalties for Sweden?
I was very amused with the late game yesterday.I’m sure this team has potential.In fact,when I was watching the World Cup 2006,I was sure that Germany and Holland will make the best appearences in Euro 2008.
June 10th, 2008 at 13:02
Ramesy set for for le arse!
He wants to be the next Theo walcott and spend all his days on the bench by the look of things!
The holland match last night was indeed a great game, their counter attacking was a delight to watch, but i must agree that the defence may struggle against a team with more to offer in attack than the Italians last night. Would have liked to take a look at Huntelar in action last night cos ive never had the chance to see him play. I was of the belief he was a first team starter, but i guess not then?
June 10th, 2008 at 13:23
I must say that the Ronaldo saga and the Ramsey news are giving a bad taste to the early summmer. Oh well, at least Saha is staying!!
June 10th, 2008 at 13:38
Supposedly, Wenger offered Ramsey a guarantee of first team football, which Ferguson could not match. I hate to say “liar liar, pants on fire”, but let’s just see about that, shall we?
June 10th, 2008 at 13:52
I like most Utd fans think we are too involved with the CR7 situation, personally i want him to stay but generally I think we can re-build without him. I just feel we are wasted all are efforts complaining to the football governing body, which consists of revolutionaries rather than leaders(platini and Blatter are jokes). This I believe could hamper are pre-season build up and may have even played a part in Ramsey choosing Le’Arse.
Although I’m frustrated that all Utd transfer talk is negative I was reminded today about the season we brought the portuguese winger over here.
In May 2003 Utd had reclaimed the title and with that they entered the summer looking to build on a team stacked with potential. As you know before any transfer dealings could be made Utd had the future of a certain David Beckham to sort out. At the end of June it became apparent Becks had decided to move on and despite Becks being the worlds most profitable player only 1 team enquired about him……Barcelona. However despite Barca boasting they had signed the No7 Real Madrid appeared from nowhere and at the 11th hour signed him.
This left Utd without a fan favourite and a winger many believed to be at the top of his game but Barca were also without a winger. Throughout July Utd were linked to Ronaldinho who the previous year shined for Brazil but had fallen out with his parent club PSG. This lead EVERY newspaper declaring that Utd had agreed a fee and terms with the Brazilian and were awaiting him to return from his holidays. Then by a freak occurence Barca seemed to have snatched him, with the Brazilian declaring Barca his dream club!! This left Utd fans bemused and worried that Utd had missed the boat, but in August they signed a 17 year old kid who was impressed by Utds set-up and though unknown sealed a 12m deal. The ‘kid’ now five years on is the best player in the world, a fan favourite, the most profitable player in world the question is does he favour the sun and fame more than are great club….we wait to see.
In conclusion the summer isn’t over SAF will surprise us no end on who he signs, but we hope Ronny knows where he should be.
June 10th, 2008 at 14:21
What the Fuck arsenal lost everything and Ramse ends up with them::WTF nobody wants man utd??????poor fergie must be scratchin his head..what he must do to get layers attracted to man utd….guess
its the boring lifestyle in manchester that everyone wants a move elsewhere..
June 10th, 2008 at 14:48
Is bluesq safe to bid?
June 10th, 2008 at 15:05
Blue who???
June 10th, 2008 at 15:15
Gill said there would be transfers after Euro 2008….I’m guessing deals have been made, so lets see what we have afterwards.
June 10th, 2008 at 15:31
manutd.com confirns ramsey news
damn
maroon 14 i share the same feeling bro
On the side note if anybody here find a torrent of donwload links for the Season Review DVD feel free to post it up in the comments
cheers
June 10th, 2008 at 15:32
i think ramsey will prefer arsenal becoz he s goin to get first team chances there,also wengr has a reputation of plyin yngsters in team ,cmparin midfld of united and arsenal its clear that ramsey will get first team opportunities at emratess
June 10th, 2008 at 15:40
Ramsey makes the move to Arsenal, because he’s been promised first team footie. Well, that’s nice Wenger, but it won’t happen. He’ll play in the Carling Cup, and they’ll call it first team football, because it’s a tournament for the first team. Fact is Arsenal always play the reserves in that competition, and so Ramsey would be way better off playing another season in Cardiff.
But he’s ambitious, and I won’t blame him. I just don’t think it’s the best move for him right now at such a young age. But if I had to choose a different club to Man. Utd. for a youngster, it’d have to be Arsenal, so he’s probably in good hands either way.
June 10th, 2008 at 15:56
ramsey will do well under wenger and he will get more games so you cant blame him although we could have done with a young centre mid to replace carrick and hargreaves for when they get old als he did say that giggs is his idol
June 10th, 2008 at 16:09
we can still get him, fergie needs to give him an improved deal, and have giggs tell him, he’s making a mistake and he should join us, nothing has been signed, we can still get him.
June 10th, 2008 at 16:14
The other way of looking at is that it probably means Wenger is resigned to Hleb leaving. A midfield with both Cesc and Ramsey in it won’t be able to play against ’strong’ teams. I find it interesting. Without a doubt you need to pair Cesc with a combative, strong and physical presence, so I find the Ramsey thing strange if he’s really centrally based. If he’s on the left, then fair play to him.
June 10th, 2008 at 16:18
nah ramsey will playing on the left for them, or right, nasri will be paired with cesc next season. thats if he signs.
June 10th, 2008 at 16:34
Hmmm, intresting.
link.
who would you prefer, ramsey or kaka?
June 10th, 2008 at 16:56
Can someone explain it to me…where do all of these Kaka stories keep coming from? They have to be made up, no major site is reporting any of this. It just seems wrong to get excited about this. Granted, I’ll be very excited if this is true…but for now, just doesn’t seem worth it.
June 10th, 2008 at 17:08
Yeah word has it that redcafe.net made it up to see how high up in the media it would get. Clearly not true, so lets move on.
If our RW leaves, what do you think our best formation will be next year, even if we don’t get anyone in?
———-VDS————
-Gary–Rio—Vidic–Evra-
——-Carrick———–
—Hargo—–Ando/Scholes-
–Nani———Tevez——
——–Rooney————
Bench: Foster, O’Shea, Park, Giggs, Fletcher
Not exactly poor…
June 10th, 2008 at 17:16
frankie; What’s this about Saha staying?
God I hope not!!!!!!
RR; I too am complete shocked and disgruntled by that idiot Domenech and his decision to play the far inferior YabbaDabbidal over Evra. It’s not just disrespecting performances in the Prem but Evra was consistently one of the best players on the pitch throughout the Champions League too. It’s a bloody disgrace. But then Domenech is a disgrace because the man is incapable of managing a vegetable stand. Yesterday he did nothing to adapt to Romania’s style of play. Just the same old long ball attack over and over and over. No tactical finesse or comprehension of tactical differences that could have swung the pendulum in France’s favor. Although Makalele was the best player on the pitch, he is too afraid to experiment and go with youth. The club looked slow and out of gas 30 minutes in to the game. And why he insists on using that useless overrated ass clown Anelka is beyond my comprehension. France have at least half a dozen strikers better than him. Hell, I’d pick a healthy Saha over Sulk any day. Did I just say that?
Ramsey choosing the bright lights of London and immediate first team football reminds me so much of the time GAZA verbally agreed to be a Manchester United player only to travel to London and get seduced by the bright lights and night life of London. The rest we know and although I am not claiming that Ramsey will turn in to a temperamental and eccentric drunk and addict, he has made a mistake due to his youth and eagerness to play in the Prem immediately. Aaron, watch when you end up playing for the Arsenal reserves after a few weeks on the Arsenal bench where you will spend the majority of your time trying to understand French. I believe he will rue the day he made this decision and I have to question the people close to him who were offering advice. What parent would select London and Wenger over a fatherly figure like Fergie and a more stable and secure environment in Manchester learning and living with players like Giggs, Cantona, Rio and Rooney? One more year at Cardiff at the age of 17 or 18 would not have been the end of the world. The kid is delusional if he thinks he can break in to Arsenal’s starting 11 this year. I just don’t see it. I’m especially upset as i do fear this stupid 6-5 rule by FIFA being phased in. We need as many homegrown potential world class British players as possible.
Dan; Do you honestly believe we are going to get Kaka? The only chance I see and it’s very very remote is that Ronaldo agrees to move to AC MIlan and they accept to send us Kaka and some money. Not going to happen. But you never know I guess.
June 10th, 2008 at 17:26
The kaka stories come from the red cafe site. Some guy named spoonov on there started this and it seemed to have caught on.
June 10th, 2008 at 17:30
Ramsey going to Arsenal is not a big hoo-haa. At 17, signing him base on his potential alone for 5 million quid is kind of overpriced. Goes with the fact that with the 6+5 rubbish coming in, English players however mediocre will inflate in their prices. To me, Ramsey for 5 million is rather risky. His alright but not impressive. YET. Who knows he might become a next Ryan Giggs. He won’t be a big miss for now though but I’m getting worried on the lack of news of players coming in. If other clubs buy the only way to counter it would be to buy too. All the same I trust SAF’s tradition of using the big international competitions to scout for the next big thing to hit Manchester.
June 10th, 2008 at 17:35
Ramsey has made up his mind, as long as it wasn’t us not putting the effort in I say fair enough. Time will tell if we’ll regret it, but for now he’s still very young, so let’s see how he gets on.
If Saha stays I’ll be surprised, despite his comments, but a healthy Saha is still a potent weapon. Of course, even a full summer off doesn’t seem to help the guy stay fit, so who knows. I actually pity him, must be a nightmare.
Does anyone else think Fletcher deserves more games this coming season? I agree two years ago he blew hot and cold, but every single time he was on the pitch this season (which was limited) he put in a really, really solid showing. No stepovers, back heels or 30 yard thunder bolts, but quality tackling, passing and even a few goals. I think if he were at another mid table club playing week in week out everyone would be screaming for us to sign him. And he’s still very young. For me he needs to be on the pitch more often.
June 10th, 2008 at 17:48
Kaka Stories Original Post
heres the redcafe link which started it all but i guess its all BS at the moment
lets wait for this euro to get over and see what happens
June 10th, 2008 at 17:49
WOW! Spain look pretty damned good and what incredible pace on their counters. Villa and Torres look unstoppable as a partnership.
June 10th, 2008 at 17:51
david villa, world class srtiker i say
June 10th, 2008 at 18:04
Im just watching the spain-russia match and one thing is villa must not sign for pool because him and torrres make a lethal partnership.Villa looks very very good.Only 17 mil??
June 10th, 2008 at 18:06
Thank God u guys now know it was a waste of time and effort building a team on such an ingrate of a person (Ronaldo). Yes, We should have concentrated more efforts on Building the team around Rooney or Carrick. Now we are busy kissing his ar*******s . What a waste!!!!!!!!. Loyalty should be a watchword in building players not the jersey number 7. I hope we have finally learnt our lesson. Now lets build a real team. ONE UNITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 10th, 2008 at 18:33
I have been saying this for sometime now… Get Villa
June 10th, 2008 at 18:35
dam 3 goals for villa!he cant sign for pool…
June 10th, 2008 at 19:06
D Game; Gee! We are EPL Champions two years in a row and we just won the European Cup and you tell us we need to build a real team. The mind warbles!
Now we are going to have to endure dozens of posts claiming we must get Villa. This is going to be frustrating because the truth of the matter is he proved to today that he is perfectly suited for our style and pace. With that said I doubt we will go after him and I seriously doubt he has any ambitions to play for United. This guy is headed for Barca or even Real. If he comes to England it will be fore Liverpool because of Torres and Rafa or Chelsea for a a pile of cash. You are hearing it now. United have ZERO chance of getting Villa. Especially since his price virtually doubled in a period of two hours.
As for Spain, what can I say? They looked absolutely breathtaking. They didn’t demolish an Austria or some other minnow. Russia is a very good side with very good coaching. To be fair, the Russians also looked very dangerous but Spains speed and pace on the counter coupled with solid runs and finesse passes totally dissected this good team and made them look slow and very ordinary. I actually think they could rebound because they are a quality outfit but Spain look like the class of the tournament, even more so than Holland or Germany.
If they make the final against Germany (I believe), I think that they have a very good chance to beat the Germans because as good as the Germans are and as efficient and well positioned as they are, I don’t think they can handle that pace unless they play with just one forward up front. And that’s not the German way. But then again I thought they would lose to Argentina in 2006 and they won that match.
The only other team other than Germany who has a chance of making the final out of Groups A and B are Portugal. And I personally think that Spain would kill them because of their overall quality. I am not a Spain fan and even after they were 2-0 ahead I remained unconvinced but they really showed their class and sophistication in the second half. That kind of finesse and pace is hard to beat. Just ask all the teams that had to face United in the CL.
June 10th, 2008 at 19:16
[D Game]
Wise words indeed. What did they say about hindsight?
[Grognard]
But Villa is an effing midget like all our strikers. The prospect of him dove tailing with Torres scares me though.
I wouldn’t buy the idea of Spain going the distance though — often they’ve come with dream squads only to squander it with some surprisingly insipid play. Their biggest enemies are themselves (and Luis Aragones). I always have a soft corner and I’d like to back them to win the tournament but I fear jinxing them.
June 10th, 2008 at 19:20
Grognard: Villa has always claimed he wants to continue in Spain so id consider Real as favorites since they almost had him for 25 million.
As far as Spain, I though apart from Torres and Villa, they were quite crap. In the first half they had no midfield. And their defence stunk throughout.
But they are still good enough to atleast make the semis…
June 10th, 2008 at 19:22
Pool don’t have the money to buy Villa. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him at OT after the Euros. He’ll surely be sold, and if the big spanish outfits don’t pick him up, we must be next in line for a guy like him. He’s in his mid 20’s and has a hunger for trophies like few probably.
To those frustrated, worried or otherwise unsettled by our lack of signing new players… look at what’s happened so far:
No big players have been signed yet. Liverpool have signed a second choice right back Swiss international and an italian left back not worthy of their national squad.
Chelsea did sign Bosingwa, and he looks solid, but let’s see, how he fairs.
Our lack of activity doesn’t show me that we’re slow. It shows me that we’re waiting for the right player(s), which won’t be available until after the Euros, because they’re playing (Villa anyone?).
We know, we’re after a striker, and I’m sure we’re in it with big money. That leaves only players like: Benzema, Huntelaar, Villa, Podolski, Gomez and Ibrahimovich - expect one of these players to join us… preferably Benzema, Villa, the Hunter or Ibra. Lethal I say.
As for what other transfers we’ll pull, I have absolutely no idea.
June 10th, 2008 at 19:35
David villa reminds me of michael owen when he was young, making diagonal runs in behind defenders
we don’t need a 6ft something target man just an outlet to hit the ball to
i think villa would give us this any thoughts?
June 10th, 2008 at 19:48
i think right, that if fergie was willing to buy ramsey, would it not be logical to buy moutinho? i mean, they’re more or less, the same type of player, could/should we make a bid for him? But i still believe that if fergie, stops playing the prat and fight for his signature, we could still snatch him under l’arses nose.
June 10th, 2008 at 19:53
Utsav; Spain were far from rubbish. Iniesta was very good and I thought Capdevila was very good coming up the left side. They soaked pressure up fairly well but their breaks were astonishing. Like I said before, keep in mind that Russia is a very good team. They too deserved better luck and could have had two or three goals but Spain easily could have had six or seven.. That was a lightning pace they played with and very tough to defend while still trying to attack.
RR; Villa being a Hobbit is exactly why I don’t fancy him for United. But there is no doubting his quality thats for sure. Him and Torres together at Liverpool is a frightening thought to be sure.
Tomas; I don’t think Villa wants to come to OT. If he did he would have been a top priority on Fergie’s want list. I f neither of the two Spanish giants get him, Liverpool or Chelsea will get him. Liverpool will find a way to buy him by selling players or something. Rafa and Torres will be crying for him. Selling Xabi Alonsi, Crouch and a few others will go a long way. Mind you the purchase of Barry may hinder that possibility. Chelsea have more money and financial clout than anybody. If they get Scolari I could see villa possibly being interested, even if they sign Et’oo too. Chelsea is also dumping a lot of heavy contracts and positions so they are going to be buying big.
Duffstuff; Actually David Villa reminds me more of Wayne Rooney circa 2004/5, before he got so many foot injuries and before Fergie positioning of him messed up his priorities, as well Ronaldo’s influence so changed his game. I remember Rooney making those great diagonal runs and finishing like a precision striker. Remember EURO 04 before he was hurt? The Owen comparison is also a very fair one too. And does everyone remember how the Rooney/Owen partnership was so potentially awesome and England was feeling what Spain is experiencing now. Too bad both player had injuries that derailed the potential of that linkup.
June 10th, 2008 at 20:02
Why are most you guys saying we should buy almost every player that have scored in the Euro 2008 so far?
June 10th, 2008 at 20:20
err no, we are discussing possible transfer targets, and the ones that score come into that category. well atleast the strikers that score.
June 10th, 2008 at 20:42
Grognard - unfortunately, I think you’re right. I was just daydreaming as a consequence of his hattrick today
Liverpool, yeah if they end up with him, it’ll be because they have sold every other player at their disposal. They’ll ship out Alonso and buy Barry for that money, then who are they going to sell to finance buying Villa? I think you’re right when saying that the Barry purchase might hinder them signing Villa, and I’m pretty confident, they’ll get Barry.
They’d have to part with Riise, Crouch and 2 more to get Villa - I say, let them. Their squad will be squat.
June 10th, 2008 at 20:49
Villa just might want to go to Liverpool, did you see how chum, chum, he was with Torres. I always though Torres looked a little feminine. They will literally be strike partners. HAHA
June 10th, 2008 at 21:03
ramsey prolly isn’t that good. Otherwise fergie would have made more of an effort.
June 10th, 2008 at 21:10
I think we should by Ibrahimovic, no reason really, just think we should buy him.
June 10th, 2008 at 21:21
Cmon How the hell did greece win euro 2004…They’ll feckin kill the sport..ZZZZZ.God they are so
boring..This is the land of Hercules and Zeus, how the fuck can these people be so bloody booriing….I wish that they god’s woke up and smack the hell out of these greek players..feckin retards..
June 10th, 2008 at 21:24
Stop this thing you guys…Moments back you wanted villa now you want Zlatan…Grow up people.
June 10th, 2008 at 21:25
Good how about this we put in a bid for every feckin player who scores a goal in this tournament…
Would’nt that be fun????///Wake up people,just don’t be like those feckin
wannabe scousers
June 10th, 2008 at 21:50
Maroon 14 - it’s not completely new that Villa and Zlatan are pretty good players, and since we’re debating a lot in here who to buy, it’s natural they come up. They would be very interesting, even if they didn’t score.
Yes, them scoring may be the reason they’re brought up on occasion, but it doesn’t really matter.
June 10th, 2008 at 22:05
umm, who are you to tell us who and who not to discuss.
June 10th, 2008 at 22:33
maroon…dude Villa has been around for ages…not just today.
June 10th, 2008 at 22:33
[maroon14]
You do understand it is not one person that’s commenting here. Different people will have different options that they want to discuss. And during the summer typically this is what we can all talk about. At least it’s a relief from talking about Ronaldo.
June 10th, 2008 at 22:38
Grognard- I suppose both of our “motherland” national teams are in the same situation in their respective groups: Lost 2-0 from late goals in the second half. That said, both can still get out of their groups.
Anyway, Villa and Torres were frighteningly good! would really hate to see that combo for the entire 08-09 BPL season.
June 10th, 2008 at 22:41
Dan(u-o.l):
You were suggesting above Ramsey and Moutinho are similar players, but I don’t think that’s true. I don’t know that much about Ramsey, but from comments here at Redrants it seems he’s more of a winger. Moutinho, on the other hand, is closer to a Gareth Barry or Lampard. He’s quite versatile, but he plays through the middle of the park, a kind of cross between a DM, a playmaker and an AM. He’s extremely hard-working defensively and tactically astute, but also appears often up front, at the edge of the area. And he’s a good outside shooter. I think he’ll be a great player, but I’m not so sure we need him right now. I think we’re covered for that sort of position/role.
June 10th, 2008 at 22:42
Dude, I was being sarcastic. Ibrahimovic please. Would have thought that was quite obvious, but I will more blatant for you next time.
June 10th, 2008 at 22:43
After a good week and a half of saying we should get Villa he comes out and scores a hatrick for Spain. Grog, sure he will probably go to Real or Barca, but that would be like Gerrard coming to Man Utd no? Plus, he has stated that he would like to play in the EPL.
June 10th, 2008 at 22:49
Tomas: “Benzema, Huntelaar, Villa, Podolski, Gomez and Ibrahimovic” That is one hell of a list. Hope you’re right that we’ll get one of them. It seems to me that it will be the easiest to get one of the first 2 or 3 on that list. Then again, you never know, fergie might buy someone who we were totally not expecting.
So far though, I never expected that we would even sign someone in June, so it’s going smoothly. Some people were really buying into the hype that some paper was touting (SAF would buy his players in the 2 weeks after the UCL final).
Look at last year, we didn’t get any players until Nani, Ando, Hargo in July (i think) and then Tevez in August.
June 10th, 2008 at 23:02
Hahaha - panic, panic, panic. So we lost Ramsey, and people think that’s a big thing. He is no Giggs, he doesn’t have great pace, and his dribbling is not the same as Giggs was at Ramsey’s age. Who says he is going to be good anyway, promise is not meaning he will fullfil it. His two welsh footballing friends went to London, Bale at Spurs, and another lad. And Bale is Ramsey’s best mate, so maybe that’s why he opted for London. He will be able to settle in better with his friends there. Walcott has proved nothing yet at Arsenal, he is still a bit part player, so Ramsey might not even get that far. I think Wenger is being pushed to take on young british talent now, because Platini said that Arsenal are disgusting, fielding teams which have no British players, and should be kicked out of Europe.
As for signings, Fergie said he is only bringing in a striker, and a defender, and I do not think that will change. I personally think we need another COMMANDING, holding midfielder, and I have said that all season. Our midfield apart from Hargo are lightweight against the big teams with strong midfields.
June 10th, 2008 at 23:03
[Turkish Red]
Nani’s and Anderson’s deals were sealed in end May. I know this because I wrote an article last year, bursting with excitement. The deal was sealed then but the transfer took place in the first week of July.
June 10th, 2008 at 23:05
And it’s surprising that many of you are slagging off Ramsey and writing him off already. True he’s gone to Arsenal, but is that why he’s crap? Sounds like sour grapes to me.
June 10th, 2008 at 23:11
Just to point out an interesting article by Martin Jol in the Times,Picking out 10 talking points for the Euro 2008.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/euro_2008/article4087739.ece
I mention it partly because Jol talks a bit about Moutinho (and choses Veloso as one to watch, although I don’t think he’ll have that many chances this tournament). You’ll have to forgive me my Portuguese bias - I’m Portuguese and a Sporting Lisbon supporter (as well as a ManU supporter, of course)- which is understandably looked at with some suspicion given you know what. And I can also understand the doubts many of you have about having too large a contingent of Portuguese and Latin American players, but I can assure you that Moutinho is nothing like Ronaldo. He’s a team player, he’s extremely humble and loyal and has both feet on the ground. Finally, although I’m a great admirer of Veloso as a footballer, I wouldn’t say the same thing about him - even among Sporting Lisbon fans he’s known as being a bit vain and may prove to have a large ego (unlike his dad, a Benfica and Portugal fullback). Ok, I’ll shut up about Portuguese players now and add once more that, despite my comments, I have serious doubts as to whether Moutinho is the player we need right now. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what Ferguson comes up with - he’ll know better than anyone.
June 10th, 2008 at 23:16
Err RR, why sour grapes?. What basis you got for saying that. I wasn’t impressed with Ramsey from hearing we were after him, and you won’t find a post on here from me saying otherwise. Just because some of us are not fussed about having him at United, doesn’t mean we are bitter because the Arses got him. I would have given the same assessment even if we had got him. So don’t be giving those who have not been impressed with Ramsey thus far a hard time!!!!!!.
June 10th, 2008 at 23:16
Ronaldo steps on eggs and thinks he is touching the air
June 10th, 2008 at 23:21
I personally really don’t think the idea of waiting till after the Euro’s to sign a player isn’t a very good one, considering if the player has a good run in the tourney, his price will get ridiculously hiked and Ramsey going to Arsenal really bothers me, i’d preferred of he had gone to Everton, but hey he hasn’t signed yet, talks are still ongoing so maybe theres a slight glimmer of hope(though i don’t see it). And realistically i don’t see us getting any of the players turkish red listed. I must admit i’m a bit worried about the transfer madness thats gonna happen after the Euro’s and i really hope we won’t have another Bosignwa case on our hands cus this year a lot of clubs seem to be ready to splash money.
June 10th, 2008 at 23:28
Craig MC
In terms of a commanding holding midfielder, what about Micah Richards? This is a genuine question rather than a suggestion, given that I’ve never seen him play in that position, but I keep hearing that he can play there. Has anyone seen him play in the midfield? Physically, he’d be a match for anyone. And then there’s Orlando Engelaar, the big holding midfielder for Holland. I’ve only seen him play this week, but Ruud Gullit has good things to say about him:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/06/08/sfngui108.xml
The problem, though, is that he’s only recently moved. And he’s already 28.
June 10th, 2008 at 23:29
Owl-of-Minerva, I think Veloso is a fantastic player. Cantona was a proud, arrogant type of player, but Old Trafford was the place where these characteristics made him a great acquisition to our team. He was a major strutter alright, so not always a bad thing. But then we have Paul Scholes, who was a quiet type with humility, so Motinhou does sound a bit like Scholesy. I would love Veloso at Old Trafford though, he is a real combatant, and I cannot for the life of me understand why he isn’t in the Portugal team.
June 10th, 2008 at 23:29
[Craig]
You’re not the only one here, are you? If you didn’t say that then you wouldn’t have any reason to think I told you. Those who’ve done so, on the other hand, will know so in their hearts.
June 10th, 2008 at 23:35
TinManUnited; What do you mean Torres looks a little bit feminine? Didn’t he win the award last year in some paper as the world’s best female footballer?
I forget where I read that but I just howled it was so funny because the truth is he is a pretty boy type isn’t he?
And Ibrahimovich is so bloody overrated it’s pathetic. The guy sleeps on the pitch for most of the games and then occasionally wakes up to seduce some with some rare magic. He’s lazy.
Johnsom33; It’s pretty hard for Fergie to give more of an effort when he sunbathing in France. I’m not saying don’t go on vacation but take care of your transfer and signing business before you do.
Maroon; Watch it mate. there are a few Greeks on this blog that might not appreciate that. I’m one of them. I referred to the Italians as wops yesterday in jest and it was not really appropriate. What you say is not in jest and I find it a little insulting as I am of Greek heritage and I am proud of it as well as the team that shocked Europe in 2004. Greeks don’t like their brothers being referred to as “feckin retards”
And how about trying to complete a sentence without the word feckin in it. Just a suggestion….
Turkish Red; Yes both out motherland’s are in a bit of trouble but i think Turkey has a decent chance because their big test is over. They can win the next two games and easily go through. Greece is done like a nice beef souvlaki cooked over the spit to perfection. They are finished. Their problem was that they actually have a cocky attitude now that they are capable of mounting some offense. If they had played their style from 2004 they could have come out with a scoreless tie. The formation is the same but the approach is much more adventurous. This is why I never fancied them to get out of their group from the beginning. Turkey is in much better shape, believe me, so keep the faith. I’m still happy though because my German machine is efficiently moving forward with no problems in sight. Before the tournament I was afraid of Croatia but not after what I saw against Austria. Germany should take them 2-0 or 3-1.
As for Torres and Villa, if Liverpool was to sign Villa I could see Rafa rotating them so much that they hardly play together and when they do, he will be using his static defensive style which will neutralize them. Rafa is an idiot who out coaches himself.
Ralphie; Villa going to Real or Barca is nothing like Gerrard coming to United. Not even close. In the past many players have left Valencia to sign for either of the big two. Alves did last week. Valencia is in big financial trouble. They can’t afford to be choosy. And if Villa has ever said he would go to the EPL it was for either Arsenal or Liverpool.
June 10th, 2008 at 23:36
I agree with craig mc, I dont think its sour grapes at all. I was just never really excited about ramsey. And judging fgom the fact that fergie couldnt be bothered to cut short his vacation, let’s me know he wasn’t high on the list. I’ll admit I’ve never seem him play, but I just have very little faith in young British players. Except for a few (bale,Richards, abonglahor, barry)
June 10th, 2008 at 23:39
Owl-of-Minerva, I think Micah Richard best position is centre back. Mark Hughes wants to become the King and His team the kings of Manchester now, so I don’t think he will be letting any of his players move across the City to us. I’ll be amazed if he does. The dutch guy I haven’t seen enough of to give a sound opinion, so I’ll have to hold back on that one.
June 10th, 2008 at 23:51
What is sour grapes is putting down the player by saying he isn’t that good or he’s slow etc. None of that crap would have been uttered had we signed him. What isn’t sour grapes is showing dissatisfaction with the lad’s decision making and why we never worked harder and better to convince him to sign with us. The idea of that arrogant Frenchman seducing the mind of of British lad instead of Fergie is really hard pill to swallow. Regardless of my bias, I think the boy made a major mistake signing for any London team over the best team in the world and the most stable learning and playing environment in all of football.
June 10th, 2008 at 23:55
[Grognard]
Well put, and in much clearer terms than I would have.
June 10th, 2008 at 23:58
Unless we want a repeat of the Ronaldo situation we had better avoid Benzema like the plague -
http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_3672773,00.html
June 11th, 2008 at 0:13
RR: I just knew that I had the dates for nani, andy and hargo all wrong… As for the august bit, I was a bit ambiguous and only meant Tevez. Anyway, it’s been a long time since then, and felt sooner…
June 11th, 2008 at 0:51
Owl; I wouldn’t take anything Ruud Gullit has to say with any seriousness. He was a great player but he is and idiot as a manager and as an evaluator of talent. Just look where he has ended up for all his smarts. The LA Galaxy. I think that says it all.
June 11th, 2008 at 1:39
I’ll say this one last time, ramsey choose arsenal because that was host best shot at first team football. Knowing that I have never seem him play I am asking a serious question, is he as talented as a welbeck, Simpson, eagles or Campbell? I’m not trying to make a point, I honestly want to know where he would stack up against those mentioned or am I way off and he is better then them.
June 11th, 2008 at 2:32
[johnsom33]
To be honest, I have very little video evidence to form any opinion on the lad.
June 11th, 2008 at 3:24
johnsom33; Ask yourself this question. Was their a dog fight of teams trying to get at Welbeck, Simpson, Eagles and Simpson so they would sign for them? No there wasn’t. They were local talent which made the grade. Ramsey was from Wales and so every English team could pursue him. That alone doesn’t make him better but the video evidence as well as all the scouting reports tell us that he is way better than those United players of which Welbeck may only have a the smallest of chances of ever making it on the Manchester United main team. Ramsey was good enough that he could have fought for a starting position on the team in a year or two.
June 11th, 2008 at 3:51
A reason for Ramsey opting for L’arse instead of us could be the fact that Fergie has already announced his retirement in next 2 years! Ramsey would only be 19 by that time and would have spent 1 or 2 seasons with Cardiff or other clubs on loans and by the time he comes back to the squad there will be an another manager at the helm of things. there will be uncertainty about who will play and all (as the new man might want to play his system/team/players). Probably this will be in the minds of all the players we might want to sign! I think it could be tough this year to get players at OT. L’Arse was the next top team for Ramsey to choose and he wisely is going there. If foreign quota rules come then he would have much more of a chance playing there as well. They hardly have any British players!!!
June 11th, 2008 at 4:47
Wow, good going Red Ranter in the fantasy league. You’re no:1 for the 3rd day running…
A good day for Spain ensured I’ve jumped quite a few places to 2nd.
How’s everyone else doing?
June 11th, 2008 at 9:53
Ryan: Two PL titles, one CL, a League Cup, an FA Cup, two POTY awards, a probable WPOTY award this year, 100 goals and assists in two years, the English and European Golden Boot and if he goes a profit in the region of anywhere between £40-90m. I would take a repeat of the Ronaldo situation any day of the week.
On Ramsey, put yourself in his shoes. What success have we had in bringing through young talent recently? Unless we have paid a whopping great transfer fee for them, very little. The likes of Jones, Pique, Simpson, Rossi, even Richardson have all failed to make significant breakthroughs in recent years. Criticize Arsenal all you want but they do promote more young talent from their youth teams into the first team than we do.
June 11th, 2008 at 15:38
This has been said may times before, but I think I could enjoy United treble without any mixed emotions fo