Jul 09
Fletch For Everton? Pako for a ‘Thrilled’ Queiroz?
… and pigs flying? Too many questions. So little time. Well there is plenty of time but, you see, I have to run off on an errand or two after this so I’ll get right into this straight away without much waffling.
There have been stories that Darren Fletcher has caught David Moyes’ fancy. I think Fletcher should not move because players like him is the reason why we are where we are.
It’s funny in a way because he was, along with O’Shea and Silly, among the most ridiculed players, not so long ago. But when it came to the crunch games — be it against Chelsea at Old Trafford in the 05/06 season, or against Arsenal in the FA Cup this year — he has always shown up. Enough reason for Fergie to call him a big game player.
But besides that it’s his readiness — much like O’Shea — to be able to come on whenever Fergie deemed it right to call him and do the job without any fuss that makes him so important to the squad balance. These players know they’ll never be first choice. But it is not a sign of resigned defeat. When called they give everything they can with their limited abilities and, more often than not, do what is required of them.
Fletcher’s early promise never materialised, and his inconsistency can be infuriating but he still has qualities that makes him guaranteed to play an important role for us next season. His tireless running and tenacity are the kind of attributes that may have impressed Moyes. I personally don’t want United to sell him.
Please Fletch, stay with us.
Meanwhile there are some rumours that United might line up Pako Ayesteran (the former assistant to Spanish waiter-cum-part-time football manager Rafa Benitez) as assistant manager if Queiroz. I don’t know how true that is, but I am fairly certain that Queiroz is indeed leaving. Losing him would be like losing a father figure for the likes of Ronaldo, Nani and Anderson. And I already mentioned why I thought he’s very important to us so I won’t expand on it further.
About Pako Ayesteran, I don’t know if it carries much weight. We’ve already had Blanc and Cantona linked to us.
Other than that not much else to talk about other than wishing Anderson best of luck for his involvement in the olympics.
Till tomorrow.
Related items from Red Rants:- Why Carlos Queiroz is More Important than Ronaldo
- Fletch Wants To Stay. Do You Want Him?
- Everton vs Reds: Appalling But Three Points
- The International Break Will Help United Significantly
- Brum 0-1 Reds: Another Scrappy One-Nil Win
Tags: Site News
July 9th, 2008 at 10:14
I hope Fletch stays with us too. Not quite sure what to make of the assistant role at United, though with Blanc I think that because he has only just finished his first season at the helm at Bordeaux he is unlikely to be leaving so soon.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:26
I have to say I was one those who ridiculed Fletcher, but that was when he was starting a lot of games. But he changed my opinion on him last season with some great performances so I’d like to see him stay.
John O’Shea on the other hand can go anywhere for all i care. But nobody wants him. Being “versatile” really means he is average at a lot of things and not very good at anything. £45,000 a week we are paying him, could that be why he is happy at United?
and not sure bout this Pako guy, don’t know much about him but I dont like his liverpool connections.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:33
Fletch was Phil Neville’s replacement in the squad. Would be a shame to see him leave but maybe it would give a younger midfielder a chance to step up and shine?
July 9th, 2008 at 10:47
I like Fletch a lot he is not the greatest player in our squad, but what he lacks in ablity he makes up in heart. Players like him win us leagues and cups, comming in an plying his bollox off.
I wouls prefer a player like him who cares and loves our club than some foreign twat who comes over for the money and moans every week that he is not getting a game, and the weather is shite ect. Fletch please stay!!
July 9th, 2008 at 12:02
The link with this Pako dude interests me. He might have strong Liverpool connections but we can use this to our advantage, as he’ll have inside knowledge of the Dippers e.g. what goes on behind the scenes there, what their training sessions are like, what their transfer tactics are etc., and we can use this to truly f**k them over. He might also be a Spanish version of Queiroz and help us to get the best Spanish talent too? Another guaranteed 6 points next season nevertheless methinks!!!
Re: Fletch. Never liked the guy until the last couple of seasons, when he put in sterling performances in the matches against Roma (the 7-1 game) and Arsenal in the FA Cup. My respect for him has gone up since then and it would be folly to sell him off to Everton. We could still do with players like P. Neville and Butt still playing for us, so we shouldn’t make the same mistake with the likes of Fletch and O’Shea.
July 9th, 2008 at 12:09
Fletcher should and hopefully will stay. He’s still relatively young, and gives us something different. Plus we’re going to be playing a ton of games this season, so under no conditions should he be allowd to leave. He should easily get 20+ games this year, which should suffice.
Quieroz is a tricky one. I can’t blame him for leaving at all, I mean, surely that’s a pinnacle of a coaching career in many ways. I think we just have to wish him luck.
Which brings me to my main question: do you think the reason that we’re all unhappy with the off season is just because we know we can’t do better than last year? Personally, I think we over achieved in Europe, and deserved the league, but even almost managed to throw that. And despite being ridiculed a lot (by me certainly) Scholes and Giggs still had important parts to play. Neither can still play 90 mins, that is clear, so we won’t have them next year. So in my mind:
Things to worry about:
1. How we will adapt without Carlos Quieroz
2. How we will cope with the Greasy one departing
3. How our players will stay motivated having achieved a pinnacle last year
4. Will we have our current forward line?
5. Will Giggs, Scholes, VDS and Gary actually be any good next year?
Reasons to be cheerful:
1. We still play awesome football, and still have the best manager on Earth.
2. We still have an immense squad, even without grease lightning.
3. Our back 4 can remained unchanged, or even get better if Gaz is up to it.
4. We have a great cast of youngsters, off the top of my head our under 25ers includes: Rooney, Foster, Nani, Tevez, Anderson, Fletcher, (Ronaldo), Wellbeck
5. Hargreaves and Carrick should continue to get better as they settle.
6. Our rivals look to be doing lots of reshuffling.
7. We might get a big name striker in.
July 9th, 2008 at 12:25
Was Paco the bald guy @ the dippers?
If we sell Fletch for £4m we are literally giving him away, swap deal involving Arteta would be nice!!
July 9th, 2008 at 13:19
I think us selling fletcher is a bad thing because he does run his heart out and he’ll get games on the basis scholesy is gonna be phased out over the next two years and to have him 4th choice behind carrick hargreaves and anderson i think he’s a valuable squad member but i think we can get rid of silly on the basis we have o shea who can play the odd game at left back. If neville is back next season then him simpson and wes can rotate for the right back as well as brown rotating for centre back and evans getting a few games in there as well as good old oshea. We’ve still got fletcher and hargo if we ever need another right back who both have played there before so i think we’ll be ok we need to get a move on if we’re gonna get this sole signing cos the player whoever it is gonna need some time to settle and would be good if he could gel with the team.
July 9th, 2008 at 13:30
I really hope Fletch stays, but realistically he is surplus goods to us. He’s too good to rot on the bench and deserves regular first team football, although he’s not quite good enough to crack into our first 11 often enough. He’s not getting any younger, so as much as i would like him to stay, I understand why he would like to move on.
July 9th, 2008 at 15:08
Theory: Robinho’s agent is apparently chatting with Chelski - it would make sense that Real might have to wait and see how much they get for him before actually bidding on CR7. If they can get a cool £20m (which is likely given its Roman we’re talking about) perhaps then they’ll put together their pennies and pink up the £70m we’d want. And then we can get on with our lives.
July 9th, 2008 at 15:08
Fletcher, O’Shea, Brown are guys that need to stay. They are the ones that give the team its team spirit, not twats that come to United for a quick million or two and then move on to their “dream” clubs.
I think that teams should have more players like Fletcher et al and less like Ronaldo.
July 9th, 2008 at 15:13
Also - given that he could probably be bought for a good price, is young and relatively proven in the prem, what do you guys think of Darren Bent? I know the skeptical view would be that he wasn’t good enough to displace Berba and Keane, but at the same time he was very good at a poor club before, is big, strong fast and used to our league. And would probably be happy enough as a 3rd choice striker. Could be worth an £8m bid or so IMO.
July 9th, 2008 at 15:42
fletch should stay fans would miss him as he is loyal and we should use keano as our assistant manager then when fergie retires be our manager as i think he has done brilliantly with sunderland he kept them up and is still improving and now we are keeping ronaldo we should buy
micah richards and huntelaar
July 9th, 2008 at 15:44
4million? didn’t we offload K.Richardson for a some of around 5 million? working on that i would expect no less than 9 million for fletch! if ginger sidwell can command a fee of 5million to move from a club who don’t even want him… come on 4 million, moyes is having a laugh… besides i don’t even want him to go.
the silence from fergie and david gill speaks volumes, and to me we are gonna declare something big… really big in the next few days.. what with carlos going.. ok a new replacement. and Huntelaars agent confirming no interest… its gonna be an interesting few days… what with the first pre-season match coming up pretty soon.
July 9th, 2008 at 16:21
@Nino: We don’t need any inside information on the Dippers as we beat them every time anyway. What we need is a communicator and motivator on the training pitch and in the dressing room and also someone who has a savvy and innovative tactical understanding of the game like Queiroz did. CQ has so much to do with our finally being able to overcome our problems in the Champions League. Tactically he helped Fergie overcome the Italians and the Spaniards and even though it wasn’t always pretty, it worked. I’m not sure anyone working under Benitez has any visionary or tactical genius as I think Benitez himself is a total muppet. He has done well in Europe despite himself but because he understands the way Spanish teams play and that usually translates to success in European competitions.
If we are searching for a man to replace Queiroz that will get along well and be able to communicate well with our Portuguese and Spanish speaking contingent, then I think we are in trouble. These players all need to learn English as well, the team has hired interpretors. If they need a Portuguese shoulder to cry on or talk girls with then I think we are missing the point. It may be time for United to go into a new direction culturally. With Queiroz we were relying to build through his connections in the Latin speaking world. Thanks to Ronaldo and Real Madrid that world has shown what a gamble and a risk that is. All those players who speak a Latin based language have dreams of playing either in Spain or in Italy. Signing a player like Blanc may start an influx of player signings who not only don’t have that Latin ambition, but may actually offer even more in terms of style and skill. French players (of which I not a big fan of) and French speaking African players have had great success playing in England and for the most part, seem to be content to do so. Some of course jump to Spain or Italy but not at the rate of a Spanish speaking player. We need to start a player campaign designed to build loyalty and tenure for Man Utd. Cantona, Evra, Henry, Saha and many other French speaking players have shown years of loyalty and stability when coming to England. For many of them, England IS the destination of choice and not just a stepping stone to Spain or Italy. Laurent Blanc could help the team benefit in the same way Arsenal have benefited over the years with players from France and Africa or French speaking countries. I feel it’s time for a change in player direction and less emphasis on players from cultures that don’t want to play in England long term. Is that really being so unreasonable or would it be smart recruiting policy for years to come.
July 9th, 2008 at 16:28
If we sell Fletcher for that pathetic sum of money, then we will be shouting to the World that we are indeed broke and hopeless. Moyes can keep his paltry 4 million and stick it up his Scottish backside. Fletcher is a very valuable player for us and that will never be more obvious than in the first 6 games of this season. His quality and versatility gives the team the depth and quality that is needed to overcome injuries and obstacles over a long campaign. He is the consummate role player and very very valuable. To let him go would be folly. Honestly, are the Glazer’s that desperate? We buy nobody but we just keep selling or literally give players away? I think not. I seriously doubt if the Boss allows this sale to go through.
July 9th, 2008 at 16:28
and many other French speaking players have shown years of loyalty and stability when coming to England
I think we may be getting carried away here. French speaking African players? El Hadji Diouf, Kanu, Adebayor, Drogba (who always keeps whining), Lassanna Diarra (”I have ambitions”) — all these players don’t strike me as loyal. We can’t really generalise here, I can list out as many loyal players as I can of disloyal players. It’s rather simplistic if we are going to sign players thinking he will stay for years — because the fact is, player power is much more these days for anyone to give any guarantees.
We can’t pass up on a good player just because we think he ‘may’ not stay after 5 years.
July 9th, 2008 at 17:31
@Red Ranter: agree RR.
What about Cantona as No. 2 to Fergie (with a view to take over once the big Scot retires finally). I just saw European beach footy competition where Cantona as a coach took an unheralded french team to the finals. He is man utd thru and thru and should be a great choice really. If Schuster can become real coach without any credentials or Guirdiola can become Barca coach without any experience(or even Klinsman as Bayern coach without any expereince at club level) than Cantona can also be given a chance at Utd.
July 9th, 2008 at 17:41
i just wish fletch stays..with the amount of games that we gonna play he could have a important role to play..just hope that he stays..and by the way 4 million is toooo less..may be somewhere around 8 million would be ok..but i DO NOT WANT HIM TO GO…I also would like to see Queiroz stay but if he wishes to leave, will be tough to replace.. Pako??? whoz dat?? never heard of tht guy!!!
July 9th, 2008 at 17:45
I think querioz going to portugal will be a blessing that means it will be like man utd having contacts in both ends no coach corrupting ronaldo, cant anyone see the benifits. he did a good job but for goodness sake you cant expect him to hang around for ever good luck to the guy.
it is rich from man utd fans who moaned at querioz look at them now and the media who when they had this campaign to see ferguson leave in 04 and especially in 2005 after united crashed out in december they blamed querioz for man utds formations in europe and blaming him for real madrids collapse in 2004 saying he was a poor manager for madrid, but if they actually at the time looked at the problems swallowing madrid they would know better. now they are hailing him has one of the main reasons why united are doing so well, like the old football saying goes the fickle world of football.
July 9th, 2008 at 18:09
@Red Ranter: totally agree.
@Grognard:
…i dont agree with you. Ronaldo may or may not be going to Madrid, but he has been a hell of a player for us regardless. He has scored shed loads of goals and if we sell him we will get a fortune. Where was the gamble? Nani and anderson look like they could become fantastic players whose contibution to the team and their inevitable increase in value are extremely beneficial to the team. Whats the risk here?
…really? ALL players who speak a Latin based language have dreams of playing either in Spain or in Italy? Waoh…i’m actually quite shocked…I mean, I would have thought that some of them might logically, but ALL of them? I did not know that, but thank you for the heads up. So where does Tevez really want to play then?
July 9th, 2008 at 18:21
Ronaldo might not win Ballon D’or
WTF???
July 9th, 2008 at 18:23
@jstar7: Tevez did say that he would like to return to Boca in four or five years’ time when he is still fit to play.
I think it is a big generalisation to say that all players that speak a latin based language have that dream to play in Spain/Italy, maybe some but not all.
July 9th, 2008 at 18:28
@Red Ranter: My argument is not iron clad and written in stone. There will always be exceptions but I really think signing Spanish or Portuguese players is playing with fire. Yes there will be French and African players who will always leave the EPL, but the motivation to leave is not nearly as strong and if a valued and respected Frenchman like Blanc is there to guide them and support them, they may think twice. Queiroz does not have the power to keep a Spaniard or Portuguese player from the seduction and power of the Madrid and Barcelona.
July 9th, 2008 at 18:31
@jos: Schuster has over ten years experience as a manager and did extremely well with talentless teams in the last few years before going to Madrid. Guardiola worked with the Barca reserves and youth and has a lot of experience coaching. Cantona doesn’t have any coaching experience or coaching credentials. I am all for United hiring him and giving him a coaching role with the youth or reserves but not as a head man and certainly not as Fergie’s #2. Bleed him the way they are doing with Solksjaer and he could be ready to make a statement in 4 or 5 years, but not now.
July 9th, 2008 at 18:31
Sorry if I has already been mentioned on here but what do you make of all this Adebayor buisness?
We have been linked with him a few times in the past and now that he looks set to leave Arsenal do you think Sir Alex may be planning a raid?? I got a funny feeling something may actually happen, not that we would pay over 25m or give him more than 80k a week.
So what do you guys think - would you be happy with Adebayor? Would he suit us?
I personally think he is a cock from what he has been saying in the press and would rather Berbs or the Hunter.
July 9th, 2008 at 18:38
@jstar7: When I say “ALL” I am generalizing. And whether you agree with me or not is not going to make me change my feelings on that. As you feel you are right, so do I. The only real chance of keeping players from those cultures is to have a head coach/manager who is also from the same culture. Examples of course are Rafa, Mourinho, and now Scolari. No assistant is going to have the weight to keep these lads from jumping ship once the tapping up and money is offered from the Madrid’s of the world. I give Wenger a lot of credit for managing to keep Fabregas at Arsenal, but then again, he hasn’t five years with them yet. Lets see what happens next year or the year after. Madrid or Barca will get him, mark my words. Oh and sarcasm is not necessary to make your point. Tevez will go as soon as a big Spanish club shows interest. The fact that they don’t show interest especially since he is only under loan, tells you what they think of him. Also, he has come out and said he would love to play in Spain one day.
July 9th, 2008 at 18:38
We don’t want anyone the Gooners are trying to sell. I can’t stand Arsene Wegner, but he knows what he’s doing. If they’re looking to sell Adebayor, then there’s something not right there. Look at Henry. I want no part of Adebayor. Plus he’s not even that good.
July 9th, 2008 at 18:40
I never thought I’d say this. But everything Grognard has been saying the past 2 weeks or so is starting to creep into my mind. Just what in the hell is going on down at Old Trafford? I think we have the money, but what’s Fergie doin? Can we hear something? Anything?
July 9th, 2008 at 18:43
@Piper: If that indeed happens the outcry over conspiracy will happen. It is possible that Real Madrid has the power and money to cause this to happen to further unsettle Ronaldo and definitely provoke him to leave United due to the lack of disrespect he would be receiving from not getting the award he has deserved the last two years. If this happens it would be an absolute disgrace and a terrible crime. Ronaldo may be dead to me right now but there is no denying he is the best player in the world currently.
July 9th, 2008 at 18:44
@ManUtd Fan: No, I honestly thinks it most but not some. Still, nothing wrong with some optimism I guess.
July 9th, 2008 at 18:50
@Brian Lomax: Jeez Brian, you make it sound like you are starting to agree with a mad man. Nevertheless, I am happy to have a new member to my asylum. Am I wrong or paranoid? Possibly but like you just said, “just what the Hell is going on down at Old Trafford.”
It’s really amazing that when somebody starts to agree with me they do so with a backhanded insult made up to look like a compliment.
July 9th, 2008 at 19:04
@Grognard: Lol, not so much an insult to you but just a capitulation on my part. I’m concerned. I’m not sure why we’re just kinda sitting around and waiting. Here’s something I’ve been wondering though…You think Fergie is sitting back and waiting on Saha? Seriously, if we can get him back it’ll be like a new signing almost. You figure you get him back, and hope Rooney and Tevez conribute more, or that Ronaldo scores another 40. Maybe Fergie looks at the market and says to himself…no thanks I’ll pass.. Thoughts?
July 9th, 2008 at 20:05
@Brian Lomax: Nah, don’t think so Brian. Fergie has been saying there will be one more signing (that’s been pretty much ONLY what he’s said so far) and it’s probably gonna be a striker. Even if Saha is fit, Fergie isn’t gonna take a risk. I think the delay is got to do more with “choosing” the right player at the right price than anything else, but I may be wrong.
July 9th, 2008 at 20:20
The twins are officially ours……
July 9th, 2008 at 20:21
@antsBoy: What do you mean Fergie isn’t going to take a risk? Thats all he does! We needed a striker in January of 2007 and we didn’t sign anyone. We took a big gamble and somehow it worked out with us winning the league, but I’d say SAF is a hell of a gambler. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was arrogant enough to think our current squad could do it all again without any significant signings, but that arogance is part of the reason I love Fergs. He’s sending a messgae to our boys that they are who he want’s to go to war with. Think about the message it sends to a team when year after year the boss is buying and selling everyone in sight (Like Rafa at the Scouse Factory). Fergie is sitting back laughing, he’ll snatch someone up if there is a good deal, but WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF EUROPE, as well as the EPL, maybe we should act like it. How much help do we REALLY need? A striker would be nice, another LB would be ok, but seriously most of the names linked to us make me sick to my stomach. They are not the type of players United sign and the prices are getting out of control. 30 million for Berbatov? Are you kidding me? I rate him highly but 30 million? I would rather support a club that at least buys young players (Ronaldo, Rooney, Anderson, Nani, etc) and builds them up than go out and hire an absolute mercenary like Berbatov. Its amazing to me how many of you question the guy who just led us to consecutive EPL titles and the European championship, all because you wan’t to act like Milan or Madrid fans for the summer.
July 9th, 2008 at 20:33
@Krishnan: link?
no, no, no, Fletch, believe it or not, is key to success, a team like united need players like fletch and o’shea, players who dont play all the time, except when needed, no fuss. We would need to promote a youngster to replace fletch, and saf needs to give him the same belief and confidence, he gave fletch.
July 9th, 2008 at 20:34
@Wheezy: You’re wrong, Fergie still didn’t take a risk last Jan 07, he went and got Larsson loaned over, which turned out to be brilliant for us. If Fergie wanted to take a risk at the end of last season (knowing that Giggs and Scholes were not getting any younger/faster) he could have..but did he? No! He went out and got Nani, Ando, Hargo and Tevez! Cos he knew these signings would be vital. I think it just proves that rather than being a gambler, he’s a wise fox, and he’ll only go in for someone if he deems it absolutely necessary. But he’s not the type who’s going to sit back and say “Well, lemme see if I can play a trick or two here..and win us another double by hoping Saha keeps fit.” Sorry, I just don’t think he’d do that.
July 9th, 2008 at 20:54
Last season Rossi was sold to make room for Tevez. If we are going to buy another striker it means we have to get rid of Saha either on loan or selling him to another club. The moment Saha leaves I will rest easy because it will mean that Ferguson has woken up and realised Saha is not our third striker because he cannot be relied on. That will create a gap that will be filled with a new signing.
So long as Saha remains on our payroll I worry that Ferguson is going to gamble on Louis finally overcoming his injury problems. Not going to happen.
July 9th, 2008 at 20:57
@Grognard: Respected Frenchman like Blanc? Again, I am pretty sure a respected Frenchman like Arsene doesn’t seem able to stop the likes of Flamini and Adebayor moving. Nor could he stop Anelka. Nor Viera (even though he was old, his heart was away from arsenal one entire season before he left). Anyway my point is mercenaries don’t have nationalities.
July 9th, 2008 at 20:58
@Wheezy: The only message he is sending out is that we are broke. Hell even Roy Keane was pissed off after the Treble in 1999 to see Fergie only by a few fringe players. This passiveness is risk taking alright. And it will come back to haunt him if he doesn’t buy a striker. That’s my take on his inaction. Champions never stand pat, they always push the envelope and try to improve and get better and deeper. Doing nothing send nothing positive to anybody. Players are even craving new blood more than us supporters. To do nothing for me is showing incredible weakness and signs of possible financial instability. For those of you who don’t buy in to this fine, only time will tell which of us is right.
July 9th, 2008 at 21:01
@colver: I have read that Saha’s knee problem is a chronic problem that will not go away. United tied up too much money in him to just let him go for nothing but they are finding no buyers willing to pay their unreasonable price. Therefore, he stays and causes me more pain and frustration. To quote Shakespeare with a twist, “When will I be rid of that cumbersome Frenchman?”
July 9th, 2008 at 21:06
@Red Ranter: Insrtead of pointing out the few mercenaries that have left, why not point out the many that have stayed and shown their loyalties. The list is too long and it brings home my argument I feel. Yes there will always be mercenaries. And those Spanish and Portuguese I speak of in general terms I don’t even categorize as mercenaries. Their ultimate destination is a big Spanish or Italian club. Once there, they will stay for good or for as long as they are wanted. When they come to play in England, trust me, it’s not for good. The culture, the weather and the language does nothing for them. And truthfully, that’s understandable. Therefore, bring in a #2 who may look for a different breed or cultural group of players who have a stronger chance of adapting to England and staying long term. Not an unreasonable request I think?
July 9th, 2008 at 21:40
@Grognard: Henning Berg fits the bill.. He’s been managing for a while in his home country I believe. It’s cold and crappy there, maybe England would be a step up climate wise!
July 9th, 2008 at 21:45
@Grognard: You mentioned French speaking Africans, I’ve seen very few of them who’ve stuck with one club. And trust me, that list is long and counterbalances your argument regarding french speaking africans or Africans in general. In my opinion they have always kept moving from one club to another. I see very few of them sticking. Maybe Essien might stay on in Chelsea, but other than that there are very few.
Of course, if you bring up other nationalities the list might be smaller, but when you mentioned Africans it was a very poor example really.
July 9th, 2008 at 21:46
@Grognard: Grognard when its your case you seem to be pointing out the positives (greater in number) and in other’s it’s the negatives. You are always ready to pounce on SAF for his failures in the transfer market yet you don’t seem to accept the fact that he has had more successes than failures and that he looks like he has realised his blunders and signs players only after careful scrutiny and only if they are needed.
And your argument that Latinos like to play in Italy and spain oneday. Ofcourse they would its like second home to them. But it is definitely not a gamble. You buy them and get good service from them and then if, a big if, they wanna leave then make good money outta the deal. It is equivalent to buying a good stock, knowing that its value would come down in a
few years, yet you are making good money out of it as you are holding on to it during its good years and selling it later. Its not an out and out gamble.
July 9th, 2008 at 21:47
@dan(u-ol): Mate I just read it in the daily mail.
July 9th, 2008 at 22:21
Its ultimate test for CQ to show how he will handle with some of the best players and some of the best egoos on the planet with portugal squad…I still doubt that CQ is capable to fill Ser Alex ferguson shoes and I personaly think that he will screw up with this new job and that will show us that he is not that good as we think after this glorius season(something like Steve Mclaren syndrome)… Yes he workerd with some of the best foodball players like figo early and now ronaldo but as coach with now presure on his bag picking only prizes but to managing MaN UTD “is Something Completely Different” so this is good positive thing for us even we will miss him as N.2
New N.2 should be continental “point of view” based tactician and if that is someone called Pako that is OK with me…Im not agree with your wishes to bring Eric and his big ego in this moment in Man Utd…Blanc neather…We defenatly need surprise on that matter…
July 9th, 2008 at 22:38
[Grognard]
And to clarify, my point once more: Whilst I agree with you that the latino players tend to prefer sunny Spain, we can’t pass up on the chance to sign a really top talent purely based on nationality. Even Ronaldo has given us 5 years [and I wouldn't have held any grudges had he made a move with dignity this season.]
July 9th, 2008 at 23:35
I was talking online today with a phew man utd fans about the great man utd sides under ferguson, and I said if you were giving the choice betweem the 1999 side and the current one which one would you choose. so people which man utd side would you choose I said I would choose the 1999 one, because there were many top players in their prime and they were more loyal and those players did not upset our summer.
July 9th, 2008 at 23:36
@Grognard: I’ve never really been a fan of buying too many African players due to the ANC being played every 2 years. However a few more players from France, Germany and Holland sure would be nice. We also used to get a lot of players from Scandinavia such as Ole, Berg Johnson and Schmeichel(not quite Scandinavia but didn’t want to leave him out)
, what happened to that as a place for getting players? I definately agree that our whole transfer strategy needs to be looked over because we only seem to be buying Latin or English atm.
July 9th, 2008 at 23:38
here is think for Brazilian-twins
Brazilian twins
July 9th, 2008 at 23:41
I think Fletcher’s one of those players who won’t leave until he’s pushed and since Fergie just said a few days back on goal that he’s our big game player and will have a role to play next season, i don’t see him going anywhere just yet. On transfers, it would be nice to get busy, but since Fergie said he only needs one player, the three players shortlisted for the striker position(Benzema, Huntelaar and Berbatov) aren’t really running anywhere and theres still a month and half left for the transfer season, i’d say we’re pretty good, we’re not having a massive exodus from the club so we don’t need to panic buy. Instead of counting down the days after the Euro’s, i prefer to use August 16th as a countdown till when we’ll sign someone, cus Fergie said he’ll sign before the season starts and i’ll hold him to that. I just simply refuse to believe we’re broke until i see concrete evidence.
July 10th, 2008 at 0:50
Fletch is no Phil Neville or Nicky Butt! Those two got lpenty of time to prove themselves but we all knew that they never had the ability to make them great players.
Fletch on the other hand has it, he has a skill set far superior to Phil Neville or Nicky Butt in the sense:
- He can run
- He can defend in midfield (without committing 10 fouls a game which was the trademark or Phil and Butty)
- He’s a good header of the ball, especially in attacking play
- He’s a decent passer (Butt was a horrible passer from what I recall)
- His technique is ok (not very good but just ok)
The first time I saw him play I also thought he had great teechnique, but I get the impression he never tried to develop this aspect of his game…
Its just a shame that he was not blooded early on in his career in the same way Anderson and Nani are, and was a bit unlucky with injuries, else i’m sure he would have turned out a great player, better than Carrick at any rate! But he has to stay!
Oh and Eagles is going? Good… As he always seemed to underperform when given the chance… Though I have the suspicion he plays better when not under the pressure o millions watching…
July 10th, 2008 at 0:52
@Traverse: The problem with Berg is he doesn’t speak the language of a country that’s known as a footballer factory. Blanc being French has the advantage of knowing the French talent pool which has lots of great young talent and as well, the African pool from French speaking regions. Although I don’t dismiss Norway, Denmark, Sweden and countries like that, their players are rarely world class caliber or with that kind of potential. It’s not just about coaching and training, it’s about contacts and influence these days.
July 10th, 2008 at 0:55
@Red Ranter: I’m more concerned with Frenchman than I am Africans to be honest. Look RR, nobody is going to bring 100% loyalty and commitment to one club. It just helps to go elsewhere in my opinion to better fight off the Spanish clubs that are clawing at our door like predators looking to pounce on a player who speaks their tongue and who understands what living there will bring them culturally as well as financially. French speaking players are not 100% immune to this but I think we stand a better chance than the others thats all.
July 10th, 2008 at 0:59
About Laurent Blanc:
From what I gather - (TV interviews) His style is that of being close with players , establishing a relationship and yet managing also at boardroom level. He has an assistant who does all the technical day-to-day aspect of the job, i.e. coaching, also tactics… Which makes me wonder whether he’ll be good as he looks more like in the Ferguson mould than the assistant one. However, there is no doubting his skills as a manager..
Anyone has any props about this guy René Meusterler (???)
I know he works at United at some coaching level and have heard good things about him. I think he might just be better than Choccy…
July 10th, 2008 at 1:15
redrants can you give me a responce please, what are your thoughts on the idiot sepp blatter and what he has said about saying man utd have kept ronaldo has a slave. did you lot know that sepp blatter is a member of real madrid I know it because I have seen it on tv.
here is the link
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1402718.ece
July 10th, 2008 at 1:30
@Red Ranter: It’s not a grudge about Ronaldo leaving after five years, it’s how he has gone about it. His arrogant and ignorant attitude is unforgivable but what gets me is his disrespect for Fergie and the team by not giving them a little time to find his replacement. Basically he doesn’t give a damn and that absolutely drives me into a mental rage. I’m sorry but I cannot appreciate his five years and play for us if he up and leaves in the middle of the night without a warning. No class at all. And I’m still one of the few who believe he has played his last game for United. Burned bridges take years to be rebuilt.
July 10th, 2008 at 1:35
@Krishnan: Sorry but I can’t agree with you. And if you have read my posts from day one you would know that I have commented many times on the successes of SAF, but like a few other here, you pounce on the isolated statements that I make that are not necessarily negative but show a concern over what he is or is not doing. I have stated that his inactivity is probably got more to do with the Glazer’s than with him. How is that putting down SAF? Honestly!
And I am a lot more old school when it comes to signing players. I expect commitment and dedication but most of all, I expect a desire to stay and loyalty to the club. I am sick and tired of the mercenaries in the game and I want us to sign good players who have Manchester United and the EPL in their hearts and minds. Not too much to ask. These Latin players have La Liga and Real Madrid or Barcelona on theirs.
July 10th, 2008 at 1:36
@Grognard: Huh?
That was precisely what I was saying — the exact same thing as you did.
July 10th, 2008 at 1:38
@Liam: I totally agree.
July 10th, 2008 at 1:46
@Red Ranter: No RR, you seem to be happy that he has given us five years and he can now leave and thanks a lot. I have no problem with the five good years and I am extremely grateful. I have no problem that he wants to leave for Spain. I have a problem with him dropping a bomb on us after we have just won the CL and still hasn’t clarified his stance two weeks after the Euros. He’s holding the team hostage and showing a great deal of disrespect and lack of appreciation. He needed to not sign a 5 year contract and he needed to meet with Fergie after the CL and tell him that his wish is to leave for Spain in one or two years and thus giving the Boss a reasonable amount of time to plan a strategy of style and player purchases that can ensure the team doesn’t skip a beat upon his departure. He has not done any of these respectful and classy things to better endure me to him and to better respect the five years he has given. What he has done is nothing different than being married for 5 years and coming home from work one day to find your wife has left you. It’s absolutely disgusting and I for one hate him for this.
July 10th, 2008 at 1:50
thats why I wish our squad was like the 99 side, got to say having the worlds best player at man utd does not work, its best to have underated down to earth players like neville irwin keane scholes butt giggs yorke cole solkjaer sheringham, even the likes of beckham may have been in the lime light but he never asked for a move away from united or even hinted it. its time to get our academy sorted because we benifited more from that.
July 10th, 2008 at 2:31
@Grognard: Are you kidding me? All I said was he has not handled the situation with any dignity. I said the same thing as you did. How can you ever think that I was happy with how Ronaldo has handled the situation this summer? It’s an insult to all that I’ve been harping about Ronaldo till now. God help me!
I am honestly surprised you seem to have no idea on my stance on Ronaldo. Let me make it clear to you: He has burned his bridges for me, and it will take a herculean effort from him to make me accept him again. Jeez! I wonder why I even made the effort to write my post on Ronaldo.
July 10th, 2008 at 2:37
And to make it clear to you because it looks like I haven’t been able to get this across to you — maybe my bad — let me break it down based on what you’ve written.
I have no problem with the five good years and I am extremely grateful. — same here.
I have no problem that he wants to leave for Spain. — same here
I have a problem with him dropping a bomb on us after we have just won the CL and still hasn’t clarified his stance two weeks after the Euros. — same here
He’s holding the team hostage and showing a great deal of disrespect and lack of appreciation — same here
Where I mildly disagree, that he is not accountable to anyone if he desires to leave. This is how I’d want it to happen: He goes to Fergie, tells him he wants to leave, Fergie talks to him and tells him his plans and then he decides accordingly.
And it’s not a bombshell. He’s always talked about moving to Spain. It’s Fergie’s fault if he didn’t see this coming and discern it after daily meetings with the lad.
And to be honest, if United stand firm we are going to have Ronaldo for another season.
July 10th, 2008 at 3:14
@Grognard: You don’t have to agree with me. All of us would expect loyalty from someone who we are paying in millions. But you are ignoring the fact that if you sign players only with a long term perspective then you are surely going to miss out on talent. It is like the investment strategy that I mentioned, for longterm growth you need to go for stocks with the potential and for short term success or money you need to go for stocks with a high growth rate( which means they are expensive but they would more or less assure you of money). Its the same with players. Utd being an English club the core of the team has to be British and is. But you also need the Ronaldos and the Nanis and the Tevezes to add flair and bring success in the short run which means that it would help the club in the long run.
In today’s world 95% footballers are mercenaries and I just want you to come out of the old school ideology and accept the reality.
July 10th, 2008 at 3:19
@Red Ranter: Sorry mate if I got you all hot under the collar. Your statement today I took for letting him a little off the hook for giving us five good years. I am more than aware on your stance regarding him but I thought you might have mellowed your stance a bit. So sorry I underestimated your anger towards him. Still, you do write the following “He has burned his bridges for me, and it will take a herculean effort from him to make me accept him again.” That’s fine and all but the difference between you and me is not Hercules nor any God could get me to like that prick ever again. I’m like an old dog and a scorned woman, I never forget and I never forgive when somebody does something terrible to me or to somebody I care about. As you know, I am stubborn as Hell and when you have done me wrong, I hold a grudge.
Ronaldo is most certainly 100% certifiably dead to me. And further more, the last thing I want to see is his candy ass playing for us at Old Trafford for another year. Not after the Hell he has put us through and the betrayal he has committed. Let him take his Spanish whore and get the fuck over to Real so we can meet him in the CL and have somebody take a Kean-like run at him to show him we hold no grudges.
Up until the CL final I don’t think there was anyone on this blog that showed the love and loyalty as well as appreciation and admiration for Ronaldo that I did. He was the Special One for me and I will always remember his contributions fondly. But as much as I love history and the past, I live for the future and he has no place in it. I honestly cannot understand how anybody can welcome him back to the club, even if it is for one year. Lets not forget he signed a contract for 5 bloody years. If he was so bent on going to Spain, why then did he sign that contract less than a year ago today? WHY? WHY? Because he was playing Fergie and United for fools. His arrogant little winks and vague statements just epitomize an arrogant self centered cunt who seems to have forgotten where the Hell he came from and what the Hell he had before Fergie showed an interest in him. He needs to be taught a lesson and not thrown into the starting lineup with all his treachery forgotten.
I have said this before, the only way I will forgive him is if he signs a personal commitment contract for at least five years which stipulates that he cannot breach it under any circumstances not agreed to by the team. A show of intent and commitment on his part that won’t be as easy as a standard contract to renege on. Sorry for the rant but I just get so hot thinking about Ronaldo. And sorry for reading something else entirely in your comments. I’m tired and sometimes my speed reading betrays me.
July 10th, 2008 at 3:28
Great, so it sounds like we can just all agree…to agree.
As much as I dislike all of the selfishness, I would still like to see him at OT for @ least 2 more years. If only to give SAF time to come up with a gameplan and secure proper replacements.
As an aside, I remember quite often towards the end of the season when all of the praises for the young man were flowing, how much he would talk of the team effort. And when Portugal come crashing out of the Euro’s, he talks about how it was everyone elses fault but his. Just an observation I (and I’m sure many others) had.
July 10th, 2008 at 3:29
@Krishnan: This is football, not the stock market. I really don’t care for banking and financial analogies when it comes to football. Because even with the millions that are being tossed around, this still is a people’s business. It’s about people (players) and the physical, emotional and professional quality they bring to a team. When you invest in a player, it should never be short term unless previously agreed upon (ex Henrick Larsson). When we sign a 18 year old Anderson, it is my hope that the lad grows and matures to be a great player and that through this growth and maturation process he builds a desire to win for the club, a love for the club and a commitment to establish himself in the club’s history. Not to use the club for a few seasons in order to get experience and then bolt for brighter and sunnier climbs. Loyalty and commitment are vital if one is to build a top flight team and maintain the team’s style and consistency. Always changing players because you keep losing players is not a good thing. The lesser clubs are the teams that young unproven players go to gain a little respect and experience and then when they make the jump to a team like Man Utd, it better be with the intention of staying for the long haul. Any other kind of attitude is unacceptable to me and I know that many managers think the way I do. We need to stop the revolving door policy that is beginning to really show it’s ugly head in the game today. Contracts need to be lived up to and honored and teams need to strictly penalize players for trying to breach them. We cannot let this mercenary tactic used by Ronaldo to become an epidemic with the club or with any club in the EPL for that matter. What happens in Italy or Spain doesn’t concern me in the least. Nothing bad that happens there will make my heart bleed.
July 10th, 2008 at 3:36
@ManUtd10Titles: Fergie is only going to be with us for another two or possibly three seasons. If Ronaldo goes, he goes now. For him to leave just before or just after Fergie could cause chaos. Fergie needs two or three years to rebuild the team that Ronaldo will break. Without Fergie and Ronaldo at the same time, we will be in dire straits. Get rid of him now and give Fegie to build a team his successor can work with and that won’t need a major overhaul. Putting off the inevitable is a recipe for disaster. Come on people! Don’t let Ronaldo get away with this scott free. United fans unite and show the fucking turd that we are better without him. We should all unite and tell the Portuguese cunt to just PISS OFF! Boo him like crazy at OT. Make him cry. He deserves worse.
July 10th, 2008 at 3:59
grognard we would all love our main flair to be British like what happened with scholes beckham and giggs but that is never going to happen, nani and anderson if they turn out to be world class I think will have different attitudes then ronaldo, for me ronaldo at times makes me sick the way he has treated the club who he has taking the sting out of our success and we have to hear guys like grognard moan, yet the media useless pundits some man utd fans who act like glory hunters give no credit to the real heroes the man utd defence. We hear rival fans say now you have seen the real face of ronaldo well it was not our fault he done so well for us, what we going to do boo him.
I never liked the ronaldo songs though they were rubbish and were almost designed to beg ronaldo to stay, do we hear past greats like schmeicheal irwin and gems like giggsy and the ginger genius scholes get their names chanted countless times not a chance, only on a phew occasions and the songs are not even that creative about them anyway which is a disgrace in itself, who have done far more then ronaldo will ever do.
can someone explain this to me how did man utd act the same has madrid buying players, what does everyone use to justify the opinion that ronaldo going to madrid would be a step up, all we hear is the hot weather ronaldo’s image and awards he will win how he can expande the ronaldo brand and real madrids history thats all they use, not what is going on the pitch which has been the downfall of most players thinking going to madrid will be great, their two la liga titles papers over the cracks that they are a poor and tactically inept side with poor defenders a rubbish midfield and an ageing front line, they may have a youngish side but the three area’s of the field are largely poor with players they dont even need. how did real madrid do against roma out classed, yet we beat roma countless times even almost beat them with our back up side.
one last thing if ronaldo is that good why didnt Portugal bring home euro 2008 explain that one ppl, no one man team can win the double that is impossible there is other qualities to the side that won them the trophies, rival fans need any crumb of comfort because they know they cant beat man utd at the moment.
July 10th, 2008 at 4:43
@Grognard: “The fact that they don’t show interest especially since he is only under loan, tells you what they think of him” so according to you, if no clubs show public interest in a player then he must be rubbish?
July 10th, 2008 at 5:04
Hello everyone. I just wanted to introduce myself to Red Rants and say how lucky I am that I stumbled upon this site. I’m a college student in the US who has supported Manchester United ever since I lived in England for some time about ten years ago. I would like to improve my writing and critical thinking skills so I will be posting my thoughts from time to time. Please don’t hesitate to provide criticism for my posts, as I would like to get better at making clear and definitive points. I enjoy the articles and many of the comments on the site, including many from Grognard, who is one of the most passionate United fans I’ve come across. I also must thank Red Ranter for putting together such a terrific site, a place where I can get real news instead of the tiresome newspapers. Anyway, here is my first thought:
I come from a town near Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland is a mid-size city that has regressed in size and stature since the days of steel. As a result, our sports teams are classified as “small-market” and often cannot afford to pay for star players. Although the NBA and NFL have put together some kind of salary cap system, many players do not want to come to Cleveland due to its lack of prestige. Manchester United is the one team I support that has the prestige and financial power to draw some of the world’s best players. Sometimes I feel almost embarrassed at the tradition of success and spending power that United has. Due to this fact, I really do appreciate being able to watch and support some of the best footballers on the planet. It is also why, although I’m disappointed at how he has handled himself, I’m having a hard time getting upset with Cristiano Ronaldo. I remember after United sold Beckham they were on the hunt for Ronaldinho, and we all know how that worked out. Instead we signed the young prodigy Ronaldo. From the first match he played, I became entranced with his game. He provided such energy to the team, and I cherished his flair style of play. I hoped he would blossom into a superstar.
Success has its price however; the traits that make a footballer great often lead to character issues. Ronaldo’s ego has grown enormous, and some of his mannerisms on the pitch have become hard to watch. As a Cleveland fan, I rarely get to watch true superstars operate on daily basis, and Ronaldo’s example hasn’t been the best. The constant complaining to the ref, the diving (although he has improved), and look of entitlement on his face is hard to watch and I often find myself wishing he would just get on with it. But then he scores. Or he makes a man miss. Or he scores a goal like the one against Roma away that screams passion and dedication to the game. I cannot fault Ronaldo for effort on the pitch, which is something you can’t say about every superstar.
But he has changed. When he scored a goal in that first campaign that look of joy on his face was truly wondrous. Now when he scores (and so often!) he has the look of expectation and aggressiveness. He has become a monster of sorts; so talented but perhaps enjoying himself less. Maybe it’s the price one has to pay for success. This is why I feel his time at United is over. The progression from the bolt of energy we saw against Bolton five years ago to his tears at the halfway line in Moscow has been a joy. I’ve seen a player evolve from a boy to a man, and to me he will always be a United player in my heart. It does hurt to see that he doesn’t love United as we all do, but few footballers do these days. Unfortunately due to my Cleveland experiences, I can’t say that I’m not used to it.
So, I’ve decided to remember Ronaldo at a certain moment in time. The scene was Highbury, and he had just scored a wondrous goal with his left foot to give United the impetus in the match. His simple gesture was poignant; a solitary finger to his lips to quiet the Arsenal horde behind the goal. At that moment, I remember dreaming about the player he would become. Hope turned to reality, and I for one can’t say that the reality is all that better. Whether he becomes a success or failure in his future years is out of my hands, all I can control are the memories. To me, Cristiano Ronaldo will always be that wide-eyed youngster with his finger to his lips; a moment in time where his progression was limitless and hope sprung eternal. I wish I had that moment back, but the Ronaldo that was is now only a memory.
July 10th, 2008 at 5:35
End of Euros +10 and all is quiet.
July 10th, 2008 at 5:44
@steve: Steve, where did I say they had to be British? I just want them to be loyal and devoted to the team. I don’t care where they come from. They can come from Mars for all I care. Just show the devotion to the team like you would your family. And Ronaldo going to Madrid will be a major step down for him. He may be culturally, sexually and spiritually more happy, but he will never win championships like he did with us. Madrid is a show pony team with little substance or spine. They will not do well in the Champions League and they will be dethroned in La Liga as well. I am not a Barca fan but I am pulling for them to give them a right good bollocking this season.
Finally, to be fair to him, he did not bring Portugal Euro 08 because it is a team game and one player is not capable of doing that on his own. The rest of the squad was not up to snuff and Scolari insisted on playing players like Petit, Simao and others over much better talent like Nani, Quaresma and Veloso. Ronaldo often had 2 men on him and nobody was able to pick up the slack and carry the team when he was double covered. No