May 10
Grant talks nonsense, Excellent Brian McClair interview, SAF on Bolton
One more day to go before D-day while you notice everything near you getting whipped into a frenzy; the people at Sky will scream themselves hoarse with their ‘Super Duper Ultimate Blockbuster Sunday’.
And in the lead up to that you will have players, managers and anyone with a half-arsed opinion — that includes yours truly — say something about the title race. But for some strange reason everyone’s been harping in unison about Wigan Athletic rolling over for United. Wigan’s, and more importantly Steve Bruce’s, integrity has been questioned by almost everyone. And the Chelsea machine itself has left no stone unturned to make this clear to everyone that there is some major conspiracy in the making — that Wigan will just bend over for United.
Now that they’ve said enough about Wigan, they’ve shifted their attention to another mode of desperation — which is to request the Premier League to have a playoff if teams are level on points. Brilliant innit? Tomorrow we’ll have suggestions from the scouse and the Arse to have semi finals for the top four teams followed by a winner takes all final. It’s a league system silly! A team that’s consistent over a season deserves the title. Even head to head we lead Chelsea 3-2 this season.
Thankfully SAF has a word or two questioning the lack of attention on Bolton compared to Wigan. However he’s not over the top like the entire Chelsea team has been, using just the right set of words to balance all the nonsense we’ve been hearing about Wigan over the past week.
“All you wonderful people in the press have been talking about the integrity of Wigan; all we have seen is Wigan players saying how they will beat Manchester United. Fine. I have no problem with that but then you hear about Bolton players being out all week celebrating. Both teams are safe but one is all keyed up to play Manchester United while the other is out celebrating.”
In fact almost everyone from United who has spoken to the media have only talked about the job at hand, which is beating Wigan. No one’s even talking about Bolton beating or drawing Chelsea. Which is good for us, because, at the end of the day, we need our players to be focused 100% on beating Wigan without thinking much about what happens at the Bridge.
Finally, the Independent has run a very good interview of Brian McClair. It’s an excellent read because he talks about our youth system as well as that of England and why we haven’t really been able to repeat the Scholes, Butts and Nevilles at our academy.
When McClair is asked when the next Scholes or Giggs or Beckham is coming, he answers thus. If the current academy system had been in place in the late 1980s United would not have signed Beckham, who grew up in Essex. McClair does not believe they would have signed the Nevilles either, as they would have been snapped up by Bury at an early age and a prohibitive price put upon them. Scholes, he says, would have been at Oldham Athletic’s academy. Giggs would not have had the chance to leave Manchester City for the club he supported. United might have got Butt; they might not.
Read the whole thing.
Right, I am off to bed now because it’s Saturday and I deserve a longer rest.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Interview with Phillippe Auclair
- What Will Sir Alex Do With Rodrigo Possebon?
- On Sepptic Bladder’s 6-5 Plan
- Is Manchester United’s Youth System Redundant?
- Roundup: Vidic, Evans, Tevez, Heinze
Tags: Daily Roundup
May 10th, 2008 at 10:23
I think it will be fitting for us to win the League on goal difference! That will show everyone that attacking football is the way the game should be played. If we win with 4 goals against Wigan our goal difference will be 60 plus! Wouldnt that be something? Today Im in the middle of heaven and hell. Hopefully I will be in heaven tomorrow…
May 10th, 2008 at 10:31
lets get himmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!
http://sport.setanta.com/en/Sport/News/Football/2008/05/10/Eredivisie-Huntelaar-agent-on-Man-Utd/
May 10th, 2008 at 10:53
Some of these English pundits are totally retarded (I’m English), seriously, I often wonder if I’m watching the same match as them sometimes, their biased opinions are ridiculously unprofessional…the last one I can think of was Brown handling the ball in the box after being pushed in the back…the worst are these so-called hard guy ex players when they talk about Ronaldo, “they hardly touched him, he should’ve stayed on his feet, we don’t like to see that over here”.
Grant has suddenly become all tough, it doesn’t suit him…he’s said too much though…he should never have said Chelsea have been playing the better football, you’re supposed to say the opposite, make the other team feel comfortable
And now this nonsense about goal difference…it’s cheap, and it makes him look desperate…Chelsea are not a good advert for football, they are very strong right now because they have incredible squad depth, not because they are so valiant…
I don’t think the United players will be annoyed or angry, pumped up yes
May 10th, 2008 at 11:25
Bed, at this time RR?
i’ve finally come around to the idea of another striker, as long as welbeck gets loaned out to a championship/ lower premier league club.
May 10th, 2008 at 11:32
According to a portuguese newspaper, Chelski have signed Jose Bosingwa for a € 20M fee.
http://www.ojogo.pt
(it´s in portuguese, but you can get the idea)
May 10th, 2008 at 11:36
What Grant talks is bullshit. I’m a blue fan but that wouldn’t prevent me from saying United played good football throughout the season. Chelsea have began playing well recently but did well to keep United in sight even during the bad times. But that doesn’t mean we should forget the work United have done throughout the season, and how closely United chased Arsenal. Grant had his chances, like the match against Wigan but didn’t take it. So instead of asking FA to change the rules (Grant’s way of pressurizing opposition?), he should prepare the team for tomorrow’s match rather.
May 10th, 2008 at 11:56
Bosingwa will be the player from Chelsea next season. O acordo foi selado ontem, ao fim da tarde, com a administração da sociedade desportiva do FC Porto, que garantiu um encaixe financeiro de 20 milhões de euros. The agreement was sealed yesterday, in the evening, with the administration of sports society of FC Porto, which secured a financial fit of 20 million. O negócio deverá ser oficializado segunda-feira e os seus termos comunicados por ambos os emblemas às autoridades da Bolsa. The deal should be formalised Monday and their terms reported by both the authorities emblems of the exchange.
could we not use the money and buy a quality cover at left back, and stick with thet right backs we have? i think emanuelson would be the perfect cover for evra. Or we could buy lahm/alves…
May 10th, 2008 at 12:25
Great article, especially the first bit about Chelsea’s moaning ; enjoyed the Scouse n Arse comment in particular!
May 10th, 2008 at 12:37
After the Wigan game I will put up my shopping list for United this summer. There mught be a surprise there…
May 10th, 2008 at 13:40
The ‘jewish’ special one:
Sometimes teams score more goals against the weaker sides and that is why their goal difference is better. When you miss as many as players as we did [through injury and the African Cup of Nations] the first target is just to win games.
“I must say that United have played very good football this season and Alex Ferguson has said that he thinks this is his best season since he went there but in the end, if you end up with the same points, you are at the same level. We knew about the goal difference. I remember after the game against Derby County, which we won 6-1, saying to one of my players that I was disappointed because I wanted us to score more goals. He said: ‘Why do you say that? We’ve scored six.’ But I said it might be important at the end of the season. He came up to me last week and said: ‘How did you know?’”
What a hypocrite! First he infers that United only walloped poor teams and then admits to doing the same and not being able to do more of that himself.
He’s slowly becoming as intolerable as Maureen used to be.
How about settling it on head to head? We’d still win. And the only reason they got the win was we rested 6 first teamers at gayford bridge.
We have the most points by faaar in the big 4 mini league. They should make us champions just for that…
Needed a rant…
May 10th, 2008 at 13:42
i just read that a minute ago on SS, he’s a bit of a dumb shit ain’t he, he is probably the only person in the world that thinks chelsea deserve the title for playing attractive football. dipshit.
May 10th, 2008 at 14:05
yeah, i cant believe what a hypocrite he is… about the complaining about the wigan players rolling over, and then complaining when fergie raised the issue about partying bolton players…
the playoffs in the premeir league… the goal difference crap… another reason why i hate chelsea…. no heritage, just a collage of players in their prime, they chew up and spit out good players at a faster rate than real marid ever could with managers….. now they have a stupid manager to go with the shit team….
May 10th, 2008 at 15:29
RR, where will the title be on sunday? if we win it we wont be getting it straight away?:S
May 10th, 2008 at 15:57
I don’t think I have ever wanted a weekend to go by so fast in my life.
May 10th, 2008 at 15:59
i wont be surprised if the bosignwa news turns out to be true….chelsea are known for snatching players touted by us, le Arse, scouse, tottenham by paying higher wages and outbidding other clubs…essien,mikel,ballack… just goes to show nothing much has changed at that club..the russian pretty much wants ‘all’ good to come to his club…
other news coming up is ben arfa has agreed to join arsenal, 16m pounds…similar to what they paid for eduardo..
as for the game, i think we will manage to beat wigan pretty calmly…3-0 for me…CHAMPIONES
May 10th, 2008 at 16:18
Haydar, the trophy will be in Wigan tomorrow, and a replica is at the Bridge,
May 10th, 2008 at 16:51
Haydar: They’re taking the real trophy to Wigan and a replica to Stamford Bridge. Can’t remember where I read that but I’m fairly certain it’s true.
May 10th, 2008 at 17:33
According to wikipedia, manucho has made another appearance, and scored another goal, bringing his season stats to 7 apps and 4 goals. Well he was a success in Africa, a success in the ACON, and a success in greece, lets see if he will be a success in the premier league next season…
May 10th, 2008 at 20:17
Well, he scored a penaltoy kick. He is not a “Manchester quality” player. He can play short role the next year for M.U. and only if he takes a work permit. Let’s give him a chance but I honestly don’t think he is what we need. I’ve seen all the games he played but he is not that good
May 10th, 2008 at 20:39
I’m not really into speculation but whoever comes in must be a team player, not some starstruck egotist who’s gonna sulk if he’s on the bench.
Arrogance/confidence is fine by me, if your great you’ll probably have a bit of that in your make up, you know you are good…
…but the way I see it is the forward line needs a different weapon in its armoury, but not one that will supersede what they’ve already got…
Keeping the balance in growth isn’t easy
May 10th, 2008 at 21:24
I ‘m watching the TREBLE DVD … Happy memories . Even though I didn’t understand football then , cause I was toooo young , well I think this team was THE GREATEST . Their determination to win , their passion , theri famous 2nd post header – 1st post header combiantion (what a beauty was this) , the great Roy Keane …
Hope we play our older players cause without them we are finished….. COME ON RIO !!! COME ON REDS!!!!!!!!!!!
May 10th, 2008 at 21:52
I’m already shaking. Rooney’s not gonna play and I am just scared.
May 10th, 2008 at 22:00
In 24 hours we wil be celebrating another title! Good night
May 11th, 2008 at 1:07
boys dont be worried with bosingwa there are better RB’s then him alves springs to mi or even snap up ramos if madrid wont give him the wages he wants
May 11th, 2008 at 5:53
Andrei: Me too, I’ve been up all night wriing an essay and now all I can think about is the game. I’m confident, but fucking nervous. Wigan are unbeaten at home since January. That said, if we can’t beat Wigan on the final day to win the trophy, do we deserve the trophy?
Steve: Agreed about Bosingwa, he’s never impressed me too much. But both Alves and Ramos are hardly Fergie’s cup of tea. A bit too sulky. Although Alves did stick by Sevilla when Puerta died.
May 11th, 2008 at 7:51
my 1st eleven for wigan..
EVDS
Hargreaves Ferdinand Vidic Evra
Park Carrick Scholes Giggs
Ronaldo Tevez
we can use rooney and ando in 2nd half..