Mar 06
For Your Reading Pleasure…
It’s Friday, and I am looking to spread link love (link blog for the uninitiated) so here are some United related links worthy of, well, linking.
The Taylor-Ronaldo tussle was about the most remarkable incident to have come out of the Newcastle game. While there were reports on what transpired in the tunnel, Taylor came out and denied the stories that were circulating around. So Chris Toy, who runs the rather brilliant daily footy related comic strip, Studs Up, came up with his version of the story.
Kiss and make up, as they say.
Meanwhile Arsene Wenger has theorized why Ronaldo gets fouled often. He’s arrogant, and it’s costing him, he says.
Quite.
Footballers, while lunging full stretch at a tricky winger, have all the time in that split second to visualize said tricky winger’s character certificate and ascertain if he has to pull out of his full blooded challenge or not. Always trust the Frenchman to belch words of wisdom. From his arse.
The next link is more for your listening pleasure. Those of you who don’t listen to podcasts, well, if you love football, I’d recommend Guardian’s Football Weekly podcast. Yesterday’s was another good episode. They are usually quite witty, and irreverent. Click here to listen. You could also subscribe to them on itunes or your RSS reader.
Fernando Torres says he’s not the cause of Liverpool’s slump. This after Benitez said his injury was the chief reason for their stuttering season. A slight difference of opinion?
And finally, here’s a link on how to stop a penalty. Brought to you by Ben Foster.
Will add more links during the day.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Preparing to beat Reading
- Reading 0-2 United: Rooney, Ronaldo Keep United Top
- United win easy, questions on Evans and Rossi
- West Brom vs Manchester United: Match Preview
- Great Things Brewing In This Reds Site
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (541)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Stephen (454)
Craig Mc (344)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
Grognard, i dont see hardly any german footie so i havent seen much of bayern this year so as such i havent seen what klinsman is all about. I did of course see him with germany in 06 and i have to say i was impressed. Germany looked like a team possessed to win the tournament a bit like the way tevez plays, and they damn well nearly did win it as well, they just fell a little short. Apart from that though i havent seen much of jurgen but from what you say he does sound pretty good.
On the other managers you stated im not sure about them. Moyes is a lot like fergie in mnay ways but with people like him and even bruce it could be a case like sam allardyce. Performs well at smaller teams on small budgets but when it comes to taking a big team on their signings and running of the club is poor. As for oneill well age must be considered, he is nearly 60 and as stephen says his football isnt exactly amazing.
Im not sure if any1 else rates him but i quite like luciano spaletti. He did wonders for udinese getting them 4th place and then went on to roma. He has done a very good job there taking a poor team to champions league quarter finalists in successive years. He also has an eye for talent like mario vucinic for less than a million. Indeed i remember reading that fergie based his tactics from last seasons all conquering team on the tactics deployed by spalleti. Only problem i see with him is making the transition from italian footie to england. I dont consider his style a problem cos roma are a rather attacking side, i just wonder if he would be a success here like he is in italy.
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It makes me madder than a rabid dog, that the semi finals are now played at Wembley. The FA can change history and tradition when it suits them, but WE fans are the feckin losers. Also, it takes the shine of the FINAL. The Northern and other far based fans, are financially raped by this lot. Ist we have to pay to travel all the feckin way to Wembley for the semis, and then all over again within a short time for the finals. How is this fair. They changed tradition for one reason, line the pockets of the money guzzling FA, to pay for Wembley stadium, which came in almost 10 times over the budget.
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@Craig Mc: Money, money mate simple as that, no,no,no,no,no,no to Mourinho
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The manager’s job at United will be one of the most difficult jobs to take over in football under normal circumstances. However the man who gets it next will be under intense pressure from the media, supporters and possibly the owners. I would imagine the slightest blip will be quickly claimed as the end of the Empire. Not only that, but the next manager will be working under the shadow and legacy of one of the greatest managers in the history of the game. The job has poisoned chalice written all over it.
I find myself agreeing with Martin Samuel’s take on the situation. In my opinion Mourinho is the best suited of the usually mooted candidates to handle the huge pressure in the immediate aftermath of SAF’s departure. I consider all other priorities and criteria for a manager as secondary to this. Mourinho’s arrogance, self confidence, ability to handle the media and cockiness would serve him well in dealing with the position.
Even if Mourinho did only stay for two or three years, he would still serve a useful purpose. The most important thing will be successfully breaking the clubs link with SAF which will allow the long term successor time to build (be it Mourinho or someone else). If Mourinho came in and kept the club ticking over for two seasons then he would have done his job.
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@Dan: How come a talent like Evans was always going to suceed no matter who the number two was whilst talents like Nani, Anderson and Tevez have gone backwards?
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@Stephen: People seem to forget that McClaren was one of the most highly rated coaches within English football in the late 90s. There are plenty of good managers and coaches who struggled once put into the spotlight of the English national job.
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@Craig Mc: Yes I agree with you except would he play the kind of football we have become used to and that we expect out of a Man Utd football team? The answer for me is no. On the other hand, is he a guarantee to be a winner, the answer is yes. For some, that is all that matters but forgive me if I say that I want my cake and eat it too.
I am also resigned to the fact that the true heir to Ferguson may not show himself for years. We may have to put up with some caretakers and endure some hardship until the right man with the right stuff is found. This is why I urge Fergie to tell the wife to stuff it and he stays on until he’s 80.
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@Matt: Klinsmann did wonders with Germany but it took time to turn the mentality and habits of old around. He’s experiencing a bit of that with Bayern because there are players there who are part of the old guard who don’t like radical changes in training and thinking and who naturally rebel. Bayern’s problem this year has been a leaky defense but seriously, I attribute it more to a week keeper in Rensing and some key injuries. Klinsmann has the personality to succeed and in many ways has the motivation and dedication to win like Mourinho. He’s a nice guy and his players will like him but he also knows how to bring the hammer down. I wasa huge fan of his when he was a player and I am a big fan of his now no matter how things end up in Bayern. Bayern is still run old school and has a hierarchy of former player legends that oversee everything like the heads of the Vatican. A very difficult place to manage because expectations are great and they are expected immediately. I am impressed with the fact they were bold enough to take a risk with Klinsy but his Germany 06 triumph spoke for itself. I honestly think Klinsmann would have greater success outside of Germany where he doesn’t feel such nationalistic pressure. England is ideal for him.
As for Spaletti or Spaghetti or any other Italian coaching United. When Hell freezes over. I hate the whole works of them
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@Craig Mc: And people tell me that there is no room for reform. I say scrap the FA and start a new association that is run by people and not Neanderthal chimps.
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@JB: I definitely agree with that. He is not what I want but he would be the necessary bridge that would allow time for the true successor to be found. Mourinho is the man short term because we would need a manager who honestly believes in his head that he is superior to Ferguson.
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Well it’s Everton for us boys in the semi. The best of all the possible scenarios. Moyes may be a good manager but that team hasn’t got what it takes to beat us on the day, I’m convinced of that.
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@JB: I think the one thing that could be learned from SAF’s reign is that longevity will work well as long as the manager has a solid knowledge of his players and the backing of the board.
I can see a very low-key appointment when he hangs it up. Someone who cares more about United than his own career and with an ego that will be built on success and not how well he gabs in front of the cameras.
The idea of Maureen absolutely repulses me. He’s actually the “anti-United”, and his agenda of doing the right thing for Jose would shock us all and make Matt Busby and his babes quiver in their graves!!
United will be careful here, and the man will be chosen by the club’s criteria and not by selecting from a lottery of high profile individuals!!
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man, i’m looking forward to the ‘pool game this saturday,
can’t wait for our boys to give ‘em a good hard kick as they fall of the prem ladder as usual
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@Natzca: Kicking their scouse arses is always a feel good experience and if we do it this time around their scouse-arse is grass!!
Mind you, the very big game is Inter. Success here will put us in pole position for the CL and keep our dream of a clean sweep alive.
Dare we ever talk about that yet.
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@Redrich: you’re right, we have 2 friggin good games this week, I was getting ahead of myself a little there.
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Ok this is wishful thinking on my part but upon feeling repulsed by mention of Mourinho’s name — for no reason other than just hating him — and the lack of real alternatives I’ve forced to hope that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer becomes our new manager, ala Guardiola, and becomes the find of the millennium. I mean, I hope he grows in respect in the club with some stellar work with the youth, and somehow Fergie puts him in charge.
Of course, this is nothing more than wishful thinking on my part. I’m sure he looks far too nice to be a manager (I can’t see him bollocking a player), but if at all he gets it and is successful, one can guarantee he will be at United till his day of retirement.
At the moment one can only wish he’s that good.
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Wednesday: Man United – Inter Milan
Saturday: Man United – Liverpool
Two wins here and my month is made… Exciting week ahead!
I will be watching CL game during my Non-linear Systems Dynamics course!
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@Red Ranter: Well Ole certainly fits the bill in more ways than just one, but I worry that the timing here could be all wrong. Ole needs some seasoning over a period of years and I’m not sure SAF has that amount of time left to give!!
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@Redrich: What criteria do you use when you say that Ole fits the bill? I love him but for me he is completely unqualified and to place him in a position like that would be complete folly. This isn’t a vote for class valedictorian or most popular student. This is for a position which would be replacing a legend. Picking Solksjaer would be similar to my Math and Physics teacher in high school dying and me taking over as the teacher. It’s laughable really. And stranger things have happened.
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@Grognard: For me he’s not the ideal choice and if you had read my post you’d now the reasons why.
However Ole is United through and through, he has a level head, and was a popular member of a successful team. He is respected by many at the club and has done many charitable things for the community. These are attributes that, on their own will not get him that job (even if he wants it!), but it would certainly get him a second interview in anything that I ran
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@Redrich: Well, with the great foresight of SAF in picking future stars on the field, we’d like to think he might do the same for his role, when he departs, and is already grooming someone to take the reigns when he steps down.
I don’t reckon we need to worry bout mourinho, the way he’s trash talking the other teams in italy, it’s only a matter of time the italian mafia take him out
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@Madschester United: non-linear systems huh? what’s your major, systems engineering?
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An interesting article from Telegraph:
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@Redrich: I did read your post mate and that’s why I was confused. In part you say he is not ready for the job but you start by saying he fits the bill. Please explain how he can fit the bill if he isn’t ready for the job? Seriously, I’m confused over this.
None of his attributes define a success as a manager as much as they do a public relations person.
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Shortlist (in no particular order)
Mourinho
Klinsman
Lippi
OGS
O’Neil
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Not sure why Ole is on anyones list, what has he done?, great player, United legend but no track record what so ever.
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@Red Ranter: i want Ole Gunnar Solskjaer too.We will need someone fresh and young.I cant think of any better candidate to carry on after SAF retires.He has the capability to be a legend as a manager if given time and chance
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer:
positives:
1.he loves the club
2.he has a great tactical brain
3.he will keep the “beautiful attacking football” of United as it is now
4.he is young
5.he knows the club inside out
6.he will bring stability and stability brings success
negatives:
1.has no experience
2.won anything yet
3.hasnt managed a club yet
But he has learned from the very best,from SAF,both as a player and coach.
To succesfully pass the transition period,patience is the key.
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Stability and Stability bring success, it didn’t at Liverpool, also great tactical brain how do we know that?
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Liverpool dont have the same ethics as United,thats why they are shite.SAF said,Ole used to watch the match very intensely when on the bench and had a good idea of oppositions tactics,thats how he got so many goals as a sub
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@sunny: So whats that got to do with him being a great manager?, there is more to management than good tactics.
Persnally I think we need a manager with a proven track record, Ole maybe a great number 2, but too much of a nice guy to be in charge of such a big club.
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@Stephen: So what do you prefer? would you like a great manager to come in and have a successful spell of 3 years and then change again? Or do you want someone good enough to come in and become great? personally i feel one cant achieve greatness in a short time.Thats why i want a fresh and young blood.For me,to be able to keep the class and culture of Manchester United will be regarded as success,not the trophies.SAF will leave a great squad anyway
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@Stephen: re: Ole’s tactical nous. Can’t remember who said this. may have been SAF or Teddy. But I do recall someone saying that the reason Ole was such a great impact sub was that he would study the game so that when he came on he would be able to exploit the other team’s tactical weaknesses. Not sure if that equals a tactical brain but there you have it.
EDIT: Sunny beat me to it
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@Stephen: I do agree though that he needs to be number 2 for a while (perhaps LONG while) before he’d be ready for the big job.
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@Stephen: who do you think should be our next manager? i cant find anyone really.we are talking about a post that has not been vaccant for 20+ years. I hate mourniho and i dont want our club to become a circus like real madrid or chelsea.
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Ole is a nice guy,right.But this isnt a job for hot headed persons a.k.a Roy keane.You need a calm mind to handle the pressure,Ole seems to have that,unlike mad Rafa FSW
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@sunny: We demand trophies mate, if we don’t win any whats the point??
Fergie isn’t the calmest mate, managing our club isn’t easy and maybe a stern man who is his own man is important, it is not the job not the weak, and Ole is as I say too nice.
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I say we bring in cantona, train him, and make him and 20legend coach and assistant coach. They both would demand respect and will be united through and though. they are top of my list, followed by o’neil.
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@Dan: Not sure about Cantona mate, no managerial experience and you can’t train someone to run a club like ours, and a bit of a loose cannon!!!
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@Grognard: I guess it’s Ole’s character that appeals to me the most. We really have no way of knowing what kind of manager he would make and because of that I have my reservations.
If there was another 5 years to nurture and blood him under the tutelage of SAF he could well fit the bill. But I don’t think SAF has that amount of time left to give and because of that I would have to say that an appointment now would be risky to say the least.
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@sunny: Well then how about my friend’s sister. She’s fresh and only 19 and her looks will guarantee success because as far as coaching football is concerned, she has 6 months less experience the OLE.
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@sunny: Sorry for going at you mate but your reasonings for placing Solksjaer in the most pressure packed and vital position in world club football has me baffled and perplexed. Why don’t I place a number next your positives out of ten that signifies the importance that criteria holds in the selection and we’ll check out the difference.
1.he loves the club 4/10
2.he has a great tactical brain 1/10 (the point is he doesn’t. Based on what?)
3.he will keep the “beautiful attacking football” of United 8/10
4.he is young 2/10 So Capello and Fergie should actually get the sack due to their lack of youth I suppose. Youth is nice but rarely does it come with experience.
5.he knows the club inside out 3/10 I fail to see why that is vital
6.he will bring stability and stability brings success 2/10 How is an inexperienced clueless young manager that has never managed a top flight club supposed to bring stability?
negatives:
1.has no experience
2.won anything yet
3.hasnt managed a club yet
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@sunny: Sorry for going at you mate but your reasonings for placing Solksjaer in the most pressure packed and vital position in world club football has me baffled and perplexed. Why don’t I place a number next your positives out of ten that signifies the importance that criteria holds in the selection and we’ll check out the difference.
1.he loves the club 4/10
2.he has a great tactical brain 1/10 (the point is he doesn’t. Based on what?)
3.he will keep the “beautiful attacking football” of United 8/10
4.he is young 2/10 So Capello and Fergie should actually get the sack due to their lack of youth I suppose. Youth is nice but rarely does it come with experience.
5.he knows the club inside out 3/10 I fail to see why that is vital
6.he will bring stability and stability brings success 2/10 How is an inexperienced clueless young manager that has never managed a top flight club supposed to bring stability?
negatives:
1.has no experience 9/10 It seems to me that to take over for this team, that would be a major selling point.
2.won anything yet 10/10 Exactly, He has won absolutely ZERO
3.hasnt managed a club yet 10/10 Kind of makes you think now doesn’t it?
Sorry but your six criteria to hire him don’t even come close to adding up to the three main reasons to not hire him.
Now a word of encouragement. I was playing Devil’s Advocate here and so please forgive my negative analysis. My favorite is Jeurgen Klinsmann who in 2005 took over the German National Team with the same lack of qualifications that Ole now has. He did quite well and Bayern under him aren’t exactly sucking eggs either. So it’s not a deal breaker at all, just very improbable. Players with no experience have been known to have some success with National teams. Club sides and especially elite club sides are a totally different matter. I would consider Ole as an assistant but that’s as far as it goes I’m afraid.
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It depends on how much influence Fergie has on who the club has as his replacement. If Fergie is on the selection commitee then CQ and Mourinho will be very high up there, personally I wouldn’t have either.
Maybe an outsider from the club would not be a bad idea, see the club with new eyes as know one else is Fergie and would be difficult to copy him.
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@Grognard: yeah,only if she could play football or could understand what a ‘Offside’ really is
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I don’t really know what happened above. #443 is the one that should be read and forget about #442
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@sunny: Her definition of offside is ugly men coming onto her in bars.
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@Stephen: He’s got just as much experience as OLE. And I think he was coaching a girls beach volleyball team or something like that.
It’s true.
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@Grognard: You dont know if he does or doesnt ave a tactical mind, it is better having a young manager over an older one because they can grow old at our club, just like fergie. It is better knowing the club inside out because you’ll know how to get the best out of your players immediately, compared to someone who doesnt know the club who will take time to learn our players best positions and how to get the best out of them, its man management. He’ll bring stability in the sense that we know who is running our club and know how they’ll play. But i understand your reasoning on that one.
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@Dan: Fergie was 35 when he took over at OT and had a proven trck record, the only thing with having someone already at the club is the comfort level, maybe a fresh manager could be for the best, but who knows?!
@Grognard: Lucky bastard!!
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