Feb 11
Home Grown Quota Could Temporarily Shut Platini Up
Now let me not completely rubbish the Frenchman; he’s got a semblance of sense when he talks about the disproportionate spending of Citeh with respect to its revenue. But beyond that, most of his rants reveal a sense of hatred for the ascendancy of the English Premier League.
Now on to the main item, which is the proposed home grown players rule that could be imposed as early as the next season. We already know that European competitions like the UEFA Cup ensure clubs field 8 homegrown players in their matchday squads.
The idea of homegrown covers either local players that come through the academy or players who’ve spent three years at the club before the age of 21. This would of course not be a problem for the likes of Ronaldo, who signed while he was 17. Arsenal would be relieved because of the amount of French/Non-English talent brewing in their academy.
But more importantly, this rule I think is absolutely brilliant in that it’s not too difficult for clubs to fit 4 home grown players in a squad of 11+7 and simultaneously gives the Premier League the ammunition to convince the other governing bodies in the continent that they are doing their bit to nurture talent.
The league will be as it is. Squads will have the odd token academy graduate to fill in numbers — after all we now have 7 subs as against the previous five. But most clubs do already have four homegrown players in their ranks. Even Man City, criticised world over for their cash splashing exercise, have their share of youngsters in Micah Richards, Joe Hart and Ireland who’ve come through the ranks. If anything, it would give Mark Hughes more breathing space (assuming he’s still around next season). The same can be said of West Ham, Boro and Everton. With O’Shea, Fletcher, Scholes, Giggs, Ronaldo and so on, we have little to worry about on that count.
The rule does absolutely nothing to change the landscape of the English Premier League, yet does a lot to give a solid reason to Platini and his cronies to believe that the League is not as evil as is being made out to be.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Gill on City and Ronaldo
- Sepptic Blabbermouth Opens Gob + Roundup
- Wenger Speaks Sense As Platini Loses his Mind
- Real Cough Up Money for Wheinze | Benitez Moans and Whines
- Pique, Platini, Ronaldo and Moscow Rumblings
Tags: Daily Roundup · Discussions
February 11th, 2009 at 10:24
Does this mean Rafael and Fabio also are eligble to play? Cause they will be great for us in the future, and if we lose Evra we might have some difficulties… I dont want Oshea there in every game! So our team may look like:
Amos
Rafael Evans Rio Fabio
Ronaldo Carrick Fletcher Tosic
Rooney Berba/Campbell
Im not quite sure if I understand this rule, although I like the idea of using home-grown talent.
February 11th, 2009 at 10:28
Good article, But i still thinking that he is more worried with financial part of the debate than anything else, He is already in talks with financial consultants in formalizing some rules being accepted to all, but its gonna be real difficult task for him to do the same.
So whats the prediction for tonight guys?
February 11th, 2009 at 10:29
Also the article missed people like, Campbell, Welbeck, brown, gibson etc, we will never have the problem in that.
February 11th, 2009 at 11:50
This is a pretty stupid rule. Rich clubs will manipulate this in their favour by rolling up at the youth internationals and poaching all the talent. Young kids will get taken away from their home country and their family and will get discarded if they fail to make the grade.
If you are going to have any sort of quota do a non-EU quota. Because the UK is in the EU and that means free mobility of labour so any restrictions on labour movement WITHIN the EU are completely unacceptable.
February 11th, 2009 at 15:49
Goose Hiding is now confirmed as Chelski boss for the reminder of the season. He said he did it because “Abramovic is his friend”.
February 11th, 2009 at 17:39
Gotta say Guus is a prett good choice for boss and as i think grognard said yesterday, i feel they will persuade him to stay on for the long term in the summer. Why oh why chelsea didnt go for a young coach and give him time to create his team and put his stamp down is all because of abrmovich. I said from the beginning they should have appointed say zola and didier deschamps together and give them time together and i feel they could be set for years. I hope when it comes to us bringing in our next manager we plan sensibly and bring in a youngish coach so we dont have to replace him again a few years later like chelsea. Lets get a young manager in and as long as results go well keep him for 10 years. I actually like the idea of having an old player as an assistant and seeing if after a couple of years he can gain the skills of the manager and then him take over. This is sort of what barca do and i really like the idea of that. I feel that who ever takes over next as manager for us, whether british, foreign or a former player needs to have say solskjaer as his assistant or coach, cos he is so well liked and will give the manager a talking to telling them what this club is all about. If he then can take some tips from the manager then you are set and do not need to search for a new manager cos you already have him in the making. I remember hearing a few years ago when we were in our bad spell of bringing in an experienced lippi for a few years with roy keane as his assistant, whilst it would only be say 5 years in the job for lippi, he would pass down his skills to keane and he would then take charge long term. Another good idea and an idea i truly hope we adopt when we need it. This is why i was surprised fergie didnt appoint some1 he had in mind for his eventual successor as his assistant. Thinking about it maybe he did, god i hope he doesnt have phelan in mind to take over from him lol.
February 11th, 2009 at 19:06
@Matthew: An assistant can stay with a manager for ten years and then take over and there is still no guarantee of success. Personalities are different and every man wants to have the freedom to be themselves and not mimic everything the previous boss did. That said, there is never a guarantee that the student will ever be able to fill the teacher’s role.
Look how many ex United players and assist ants have gone on to become managers in the Prem and abroad. None of them look to me to be the kind that are capable of even coming close to copying the style, temperament and especially raw ability and instinct that Fergie has. You see, the elements or traits that make Fergie or other legendary managers great isn’t always something you can teach. It’s something you are born with or that you have subconsciously inherited over years of life and practical experience.
Fergie’s judgment, evaluation of a situation and of a player, his handing out of rules and discipline, his ability to separate himself from getting too close to his players yet not too far away is all something special and unique to him. Keane, Bruce, Robson, Hughes, Queiroz, Strachan, Ince and all the rest have learned managing from the elements of Fergie’s approach that he unveiled to them in his dealings with those men and the team in general. But there is so much more that is never seen by all. His ability to talk to players one on one, to motivate them, to win their trust and faith, to manipulate the media or to play head games with opponent players and managers, to delegate duties to others properly, to dish out just the right amount of fury, criticism, humor, warmth, caring and fatherly advice to players, staff etc and still maintain control and demand respect and discipline from everyone is a massive job that only a few have legendary status in doing.
In the past year I have been a vocal critic at times of Fergie’s on field tactics and some of his off field duties. At times his patience and laze fair approach to things in talks with the media has had me question whether he has begun to lose it a bit or if his advancing age is starting to make him mellow too much or make him care a touch less than in the past. No longer do we hear about the hairdryer treatment, the boot kicking and the screaming sessions or the extra training sessions immediately after a loss etc. Yes Fergie has mellowed. It’s very understandable. No man can continue to wield the kind of emotion, energy and power he has for twenty years and not expect it to wear him down over time. But make no mistake, Fergie’s mind and his cunning is still rapier sharp and his wit and ability to motivate and prepare his team is still top notch.
Will I end my occasional criticism of his performance or decision making in the future? Not on your life. Just as his job is to field a successful team, mine is to be a loyal but questioning fan. Much in the way I believe in God, I believe in Fergie. I do not believe or fall into the trap of blind loyalty towards anyone or anything. Bind loyalty is for the blind in my opinion. I was given a brain and personality to use to the best of my human ability and that is what I will do. If United plays like crap and Fergie looks to have made poor decisions in tactics and subbed in the wrong player at the wrong time and in the wrong position, then he will hear about it. But, never ever think that I am not a loyal follower or admirer of the man, because I am.
Sir Alex Ferguson is not just the greatest football manager of all time anywhere, he is an institution to all of us who bow to him. He is “DA MAN” and he deserves mine and everyone’s respect, even if we criticize him from time to time. He has earned our respect and praise and his greatness is so immense, that anything but greatness from his team, has us concerned and questioning things out of panic and out of being spoilt rotten. Frankly, I and many others are just Fergie’s over indulged children who have been treated far to well by our father protector Fergie and who just don’t like it when we don’t get our way.
I honestly dread the day when Sir Alex decides to finally retire. I think it will kill something in me and to be honest, I think it will kill a big part of him. I think this job has kept him fresh, young and motivated. There’s a skip in his walk which is that of a man 20 years his junior. When he retires, that will start to go and his age will take over. United keeps him young and alive as much as he has kept United alive and kicking for his entire tenure.
What will we do? Who will take over for him is anyone’s guess but I am sure of one thing, whoever inherits the unenviable position of replacing a living legend, will fail. Yes he will fail. Because in my opinion, Fergie’s shoes cannot be filled immediately. The pressure to emulate his accomplishments will be too high because all of us out there who care and love this team will demand the status quo. Look around everyone, do any of you honestly see anyone who has what it takes to emulate the great Sir Alex Ferguson? Nothing short of a clone of him will do.
We are all used to immense success as supporters and frankly we are all spoilt rotten and have been for twenty years as well as adding the Busby years. Look how long it took to replace Sir Matt. Will we end up like the poor miserable and pathetically diluted Scousers of Liverpool? A group of supporters who sound and look so pathetic because they are supporting their present incarnation of a club but living in the distant past and hoping through some kind of osmosis that the two eventually emerge to bring back the glory that was once Liverpool FC. Sad and pathetic they are and yet at one time they were the best team in England and in Europe for a period of 20 years. They have their two legends in Shankly and Paisley and now they are dealing with a fat, dislikable and complete sociopath in Rafa Benitez who has turned their football into a mess of confusion and ultimately, disappointment. I just thank the lord he gave me a brain to differentiate between cream and excrement because I’m so thankful I chose the cream to support in Manchester United over some other sad sack operation that dreams but never or rarely ever conquers. Hail United and Hail Sir Alex Ferguson. May they both live on forever in our hearts and minds. For what this team and that manager have created is truly great and truly immortal.
February 11th, 2009 at 19:17
PLatini is a an ass clown and even an idea that comes out of his office that looks good on paper is going to be filled with self serving antidotes for destroying English football. It’s only the beginning. You implement a rule like this, and then over the next ten years you keep making modifications to it until all we are left with is three foreigners allowed per team and a spending cap to boot. This plan I’m sure has the backing of Septic Blatter over at FIFA and I’m sure it can do no good for the EPL long term. It will force English clubs to rarely spend big bucks on foreign players and to concentrate on scouting and buying them young. Problem is, once everyone starts playing by that rule and strategy, it will become incredibly hard to find the Ronaldo’s, Fabio’s Rafael’s, Anderson’s etc because 50 other clubs will be working at it just as hard.
This plan will create a feeding frenzy for every prospect between the age of 15 to 19 in the world. Many clubs today still scout sparingly and most keep it a local practice. Only the big clubs have the resources to go global in their searches and only they will succeed. No longer will we see big clubs battling like crazy for Kaka’s signature. Instead they will be fighting for the signature of a Danny Welbeck or Rafael Da Silva. And those teams with deep pockets will win and all of a sudden it will cost 20 million to sign up a kid who has done nothing. Because lets not forget one thing about this game. Football is mentally unstable and fiscally irresponsible.
I’ve got a bad feeling about this.
February 11th, 2009 at 19:43
Where the Hell is everybody?
This blog has gone silent over the past week like never before. Wake up people and come back to Red Rants. I miss all of you. RR is back and posting regular threads so there is no reason to not be back here and offering your take on all things United. 
February 11th, 2009 at 19:54
CraigMC CraigMC Calling CraigMC. Listen mate, I realize that you have been forced to make the ultimate sacrifice and move to Geordieville, but last time I heard they had electricity, running water and cable and Internet. Now I personally think you have sacrificed quite a bit for the GF by leaving Football Shangrila for Putridcastle, but there is no reason you should be kept from participating on a blog that honors you, respects, you and basically loves you. Grognard and all the rest of us have missed you mate because you are the heart, soul and much needed comic relief of this blog when it comes to members (excluding of course the true heart and soul and creator RR) and the blog needs you for your take on all things to do with United as well as your injection of humor and the lighter side of life.
So I am hoping you read this and you tell yourself enough is enough, I’m bucking the GF this time and I am returning to my roots at Red Rants to partake in some football talk and some good old fashioned bull shitting.
Me thinks you have sacrificed enough by moving to a Hell hole for her. The least she can do is allow you to participate on this blog where you are family to most of us.
We miss you mate and we are waiting for your return. Luv ya BRO!
February 11th, 2009 at 20:29
@Grognard: International break innnit. In united related news, Park scored for Korea, Carrick starts for England, and word on the street is that Roy Keane is to be the new Portsmouth manager with Brian Kidd as his assistant.
February 11th, 2009 at 20:35
I know this is off the theme, but come on you Boys in Green!
@colver: dead right there, it would contravine those rights!
February 11th, 2009 at 21:19
@Traverse: |Couldnt give a shit about England. All will be fine if Rio and Carrick return unscathed. Id rather concern myself with my country Ghana’s performance this evening.
February 11th, 2009 at 21:25
Ireland 1-0 down to Georgia, and i wonder why international football seems like penance!
February 11th, 2009 at 21:32
Our boy Carrick is playing in midfield with Barry against Spain! I really want to see him make the step up to international level so Ill be watching closely. The team is:
James
Johnson
Jagielka
Terry
A.Cole
SWP
Barry
Carrick
Downing
Agbonlahor
Heskey
God knows why Ashley Young isn’t playing and Id have gone for Lennon or Milner ahead of SWP. As Spain are playing:
Casillas, Ramos, Capdevila, Pique, Albiol, Senna, Alonso, Iniesta, Xavi, Torres, Villa.
I cannot really see England winning this one
February 11th, 2009 at 22:08
@Traverse: Interesting about Keano and it’s about time Carrick got the England respect he deserves. I’m watching the Germany vs Norway match as O write this and am totally disgusted by my Germans. They SUCK! No pace, no motivation, no desire. Meanwhile joachim Lowe just sits on the sidelines like a drama coach watching his actors perform like clowns. Norway lead 1-0 and that should make RedDevilEddy very happy. They deserve to be in front because they have shown hunger and heart. Germany seems to be in a funk and depression since losing to Spain in the final. Where the Hell is Klinsy to inject some fire and steam into them when they need it? I’m depressed.
February 11th, 2009 at 22:12
@colver: That is an absolutely useless English lineup. They will get their asses handed to them on a silver platter. Notice how the EURO Champs are starting their “A” team. What the Hell is Capello thinking fielding players like SWP, Jagielka, Downing and Heskey over much better and more deserving players? Then again, Rooney, Gerrard, Owen and others are injured. Doesn’t say much for England’s depth other than in the center of midfield.
February 11th, 2009 at 22:21
1-1 Keane scores penalty, very dodgy decision!
February 11th, 2009 at 22:25
Yes!! 2-1 Keane’s shoulder puts it past Georgia!
February 11th, 2009 at 22:49
Yeah I agree with you Grognard. Of course friendlies are absolutely pointless and we should be glad that United’s English players are getting a good rest. But it sickens me that my country is being represented by the likes of Downing, Wright Philips, Jagielka and Johnson. Heskey is a good foil for Rooney but offers nothing individually.
Surprise surprise Villa scored while Im typing this.
February 11th, 2009 at 23:20
@Grognard: Norway fucking won!!!
We got our old legendary coach back, the one who cares more about honest performances than fame. He is a legend in this country, and I am delighted Drillo got a win on his return. And against Germany as well! Away! And with Carew, Riise and other senior players absent! Dream stuff!!!
All in all, this is my reply to you. Enjoy…
February 11th, 2009 at 23:29
Damn if I have to watch another English backpass……
February 11th, 2009 at 23:56
@phoenix red: Very dodgy decision is an understatement. Did that ref even know the rules of the game? My god that was probably the worst decision I’ve ever seen and I used to see Graham Poll every week!
February 12th, 2009 at 0:08
@edwin: I don’t give a shit about Ghana either
February 12th, 2009 at 0:12
@Grognard: No pace, no motivation, no desire?
Sounds like you were watching the England game! It was only a friendly, and we had a teams worth missing against Spains full side, but we were pretty useless.
February 12th, 2009 at 1:23
@Liam: i know Bro! Georgia will feel like they’ve been robbed, and anyone Irish is feeling blessed, thank fuck for Aiden Mc Geady!!Duff and Doyle played well too. Quite a chore to watch! i thought. But i suppose its 3 dubious pts in the bag on the road to South Africa. I would like to see Andy Reid back, we’re badly lacking in central midfield, what did you reckon?
February 12th, 2009 at 1:37
@phoenix red: we could do with Roy Keane back
I mean what the fuck is Glen Whelan doing starting for us?
February 12th, 2009 at 4:02
@RedDevilEddy: Nice tune. Too bad it wasn’t German. Germany were a disgrace and lowe should get the sack for not being able to motivate or spark any life into this deadbeat bunch. And take Mario Gomez and flush him down a toilet. I have no idea what has happened to him but he has become totally useless. The only player that did anything for us was Lahm. The rest were a joke.
February 12th, 2009 at 4:04
@Traverse: You know what I think of England? NOTHING. I don’t even know the score because they interest me in the least with a lineup like that. It would be like watching Middlesbrough or Villa play. Talk about boring.
February 12th, 2009 at 8:36
fuck me! i thought the english officials were bad! those guys last night arnt worthy of the sunday league! mike dean>>>>>>>>>>who ever that ref was last night!
we were kicked out the game last night by fucking spain! we lack desire and determination, and the officials just didnt help.
we needed rooney. At least carrick showed why hes the best passer of the ball in england.
February 12th, 2009 at 8:37
@Grognard: villa? you dont watch villa play much do you
February 12th, 2009 at 9:14
@Dan: Yes I do mate but they bore me. I just don’t care for their players even though I think they are a good team. Once again you don’t understand personal preference. What is one person’s paradise maybe another’s Hell. We’re not all the same and we don’t all get excited about the same things. At least we have our love for United.
February 12th, 2009 at 9:44
@Grognard: People say its the most know Norwegian song after the national anthem. It meens: “We are the peasants from North!” Peasants can be translated to warriors here, for some reason…
I thought the germans were terrible. Even Lahm. Mario Gomes is honestly a worse finisher than Anderson at international level. I remember him missing a sitter in EURO, and now he just keeps mising chances still. I do not watch him over the cource of teh season, but he has missed more chances than Andderson! There, I found the player.
Norway got our old coach back. He is a legend in this country, because he was the trainer when we beat Brasil and Italy in the world cup once. It was HUUUUUGEEEEE!!!! Its like having Fergie retire, and then return with a win against Barca. Away. With Ronaldo, Berbatov, Vidic and Carrick out. Feels sweet…
February 12th, 2009 at 9:48
Ronaldo scored the winning goal for Portugal last night. No-one got injured. So our players got a confidence boost(except for Carrick
) and we got through without anyone getting injured. Im happy, but of cource it could be better. Carrick could have broken Torres` leg without any consequense. The red card would have counted in the Prem, and it was only a friendly. If I was Carrick I would have broken Fernandos leg. NOT! Or maybe… 
February 12th, 2009 at 10:28
@ RDE – If it happened accidentally that’s one thing, but professionals should never try to injure each other, it’s like an unofficial code. Quality win for Norway though
!
Watched porto/finland highlights – Nani was quality, but missed a serious sitter from about 3 yards. Ronaldo looked dangeours, but was (is) trying too hard. But the two of them were bright spots, which can only be encouraging for us. Quieroz seemed to be on real edge…wonder how secure he is in his job…
February 12th, 2009 at 11:35
@Beachryan: Of cource Carrick was not gonna break anyones leg. They are proffesionals who dont do such stupid things. But as a fan I hope fir Torres or such to get injured.
February 12th, 2009 at 11:55
Giggs has signed a new contract extenshion!!!
He has been brilliant lately, and Im delighted “Mr. Manchester United” is staying for one more year. Well done Ryan! 
February 12th, 2009 at 12:30
Yeah Im delighted Giggs got a contract extension. That sort of loyalty just doesn’t exist in the modern game….to only have one club for your entire career AND spend most of that time in the first team.
February 12th, 2009 at 14:24
@RedDevilEddy: I’m glad Giggs got the extension he wanted.
However, I have my reservations on how good an idea it is for him to continue playing. I think he is harming his legendary status a bit more every time he is on the pitch. For years now Giggs was my most favourite player (until Anderson…and Tevez showed up), and it hurts me to pieces to see the type of performances from him that we have started to become accustomed to.
To put it another way, if Giggs retired before last season, he would have been my ultimate United hero…perhaps even more revered than Cantona.
February 12th, 2009 at 14:25
Ditto for Scholes
February 12th, 2009 at 16:05
gigs is very important for us right now becouse he,P.S and G.N *old guard) controls our dresing room now, creating positive atmosphere and is/are ready to step in when the presure comes up to our younger players(just look how is he is hendling with ronaldo`s ego on the pitch and you will understand what im talking about…. and how old guard transform entire matches when we were lost and they step in with their unique spark of creation from P.S or R.G with calmness which comes from their age, i guess
)
when fans speak about milan/real/roma/inter/juventus/they speak for maldini/raul/totti/zaneti/del piero-living legends… although right now they are shadow of the players they were, there is still that energy in thouse tired legs which creates identity of the clubs and large numbers of new fans from all over the world…and in our club local heroes from manchester represent what this club is all about…why we love this club…maybe their legs are not as fast anymore but their aura is still Lighting around O.T.
February 12th, 2009 at 16:31
Yay!
February 12th, 2009 at 16:38
Really quality article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/feb/12/rio-ferdinand-manchester-united-defence
February 12th, 2009 at 18:07
Of all the “oldies” Giggs is the one that is currently playing at the highest level. I think he deserves the extension not just because of his personal influence on younger players but because of the level of his perfomances this year.
February 12th, 2009 at 18:59
frankie, yes over the last few weeks his form has improved alot and he has looked excellent. Hope he keeps it up though, cos earlier on in the season and most of last year he was extremely poor, hopefully he will keep up some of his recent excellent performances. Also hope fergie doesnt play him on the wing any more but through the middle as he said he would. On the wing he doesnt have the pace any more so apart from the middle i dont like seeing giggs play there. We have players who offer much more on the wing now, but giggs does look good in the middle.
Your right about the other oldies not playing at their highest level. Scholes has looked very poor recently, hope he picks up whilst neville for me is now a backup as i gotta say i prefer brown and in some games rafael to our experienced right back. But you gotta say overall its a credit to them that they are still involved at our great club despite being in their mid 30s. There aint many clubs that would still honour their legends, this is what makes us special, we never forget our own. Really just shows what great players they are to still be playing now. Just hope they stay on for too long and hamper their status though, i doubt they will though.
February 12th, 2009 at 19:39
How things have changed, a few weeks back, lots of people thought Giggs and Scholes should never play for United again.
February 12th, 2009 at 19:47
@RedDevilEddy: Except for the factt hat Gomez still has around 10 goals in the Bundesliga this season. How many does Anderson have?
Gomez has sucked but in terms of goal scoring prowess, Anderson cannot be compared to a man who is still a pretty good striker, but who just doesn’t do it for his country.
February 12th, 2009 at 19:50
@Karl: Yes Karl, he sure harmed his legend status on Saturday with that ugly as Heck goal he scored eh?
February 12th, 2009 at 19:52
@Rd: Spot on.
I have just got back from Singapore and bumped into Giggsy, G Red and Scholesy at the airport on Sunday walking through the terminal, honestly!!!!!!, nearly had a heart attack!!
February 12th, 2009 at 20:05
@Grognard: I do not know how many goals Anderson has in the Bundesliga.
But Im pretty sure his scoring rate is better than Gomess. 
You know Im only kidding Grog! Getting better by the minute, so I feel more comfortable making jokes and my mind feels fresh. Maybe its also just because of the win last night. 
February 12th, 2009 at 20:05
@Stephen: and after the medics picked you up off the ground did you muster up the courage to talk to them? I’ve always thought about what I’d do if I saw one of my heros or anyone famous for that matter, but I think I’d be too shy to ask them for autographs or the like. For instance, Gary Cooke, a popular Irish comedian (après match, Macbecks and I keano fame- the one who does the Dunphy voice) sometimes comes into the supermarket that I work in and I haven’t talked to him. I hear he doesn’t like people asking him to do the voice anyway so better I don’t talk to him I suppose
February 12th, 2009 at 20:14
@Liam: I followed them to their gate, I was at Heathrow and they were flying back and er did nothing!! I had my camerea in my bag my Blackberry, Mobile and pen and paper with me and just phoned my mates!
February 12th, 2009 at 20:31
Is anyone else tired of hearing pundits cream over barcelona?Yes they score goals and look magnifacent, but they are in the spanish league where defense is a unheard of concept. I for one am hoping we draw them next round if we get past inter. I think our defensive record this season is just as impressive as their offensive record. Looking at last years tie, Barca had real trouble getting quality shots on goal and the first half at barca we were unlucky not to score 2 or 3 against their shaky CB’s.
So call me a bias United fan which I am, but I just think people are severely underestimating our team this year which i suppose could be a good thing.
February 12th, 2009 at 20:58
@Man Utd fan/Macedonia: You’re right. They do offer a lot in terms of dressing room and morale.
Don’t get me wrong, for the club’s sake, I’m kinda glad they have the extension(s). But, for their sake, I think its doing their reputation harm the longer they linger on.
@Grognard: That’s exactly what I mean actually. Saturday was a highlight. An exception. As Rd: stated, a few weeks back, everyone wanted to get rid of them… After Sunday, Giggs is a hero again…for how long? He used to do that Saturday shit for breakfast…on a regular basis. Nowadays, its once a year. A lot of the youngsters (supporters) don’t even reallise that Giggs was once the most feared player in Europe (no exageration). Opposition players feared him more than any other players. Not even Beckham instilled that type of fear.
I still love him to bits, and that is why it pains me to see him ’suffer’ like he has.
PS, guys was it just me being silly, or did anyone else feel strange when Giggs scored that goal on Sunday? I found myself not shouting in jubilation (as one usually celebrate a goal), but smiling in astonishment. Kinda saying to myself “look at Giggsy boy”. To me, that was kind of a ‘magic moment’. Almost like the FA Cup semi against Arsenal.
February 12th, 2009 at 21:25
@Karl: Newcastle at home, Boro in the CC, Aalborg away, Everton away, West Brom at home, Chelsea at home, West Brom away and top of our assist charts. Giggs has been playing to a consistently good standard so far this season. Granted he had a stinker for most of last season but you could see a few signs of his form starting to come back towards the tail end of 2007/08 and he has carried that form into this season. He may have had a few poor games this season but amongst our forwards and midfielders who hasn’t? The calls to get rid of him just reinforce my belief on the short termism prevalent amongst fans these days.
Is he damaging his legacy? It depends I suppose, if you think solely of Giggs as the dashing young winger who used to cut defences to shreds, then maybe. However for me he is enhancing his reputation this season. I take great pride in watching how he has evolved his game from a dribbling, exuberant, young winger to the wily, experienced central midfielder. More than any of his peers, Giggs main strengths were going to be eroded by the passage of time. Yet he has proved to be more adaptable and versatile than any of the Fergie’s fledglings. That at 35 he could come into the team against Chelsea and dominate the game speaks volumes for his professionalism and hunger. For me he should have a contract here until he (or SAF) feels he can no longer contribute at the highest level.
February 12th, 2009 at 21:38
@johnsom33: I think that pundits have every right to ‘cream’ over them. I believe the stat quoted in the last round of Spanish league games was that they score every 23 minutes on average! For a team in a top level league that is nigh unheard of. Even at our most dominant we fell well short of a scoring rate like that.
I am in agreement that in many respects our defensive record is just as impressive. However I would not take the performance of Barca against us last season as any guide to their current team. They are a completely revitalised club under Guardiola. Puyol and Marquez seem to have rediscovered their 2005-06 form and they have the one man wrecking crew, Daniel Alves at RB. Iniesta, Xavi and Toure are having excellent seasons, Henry has started to find some of his Arsenal form again whilst Eto’o is scoring goals for fun. To top it all off they have the best player in the world at the minute spearheading the whole operation.
How will they fair in the CL, I don’t know. There has been concern raised that Guardiola has not managed his resources as well as he should and that fatigue could creep in the later parts of the campaign. In addition his lack of experience at the top level might be exposed later in the competition. But regardless of the concerns they look the best team in Europe at the minute. We have been ruthlessly efficient this season whilst they have been dazzlingly brilliant. The trophies aren’t handed out in February but Barcelona are worthy of whatever praise has been heaped upon.
February 12th, 2009 at 21:45
@Beachryan: Funny I was reading that one earlier today. It is a really top notch article, a cut above 99% of the stuff you read in the press these days. If you go into the authors archive he has a few other good articles on the death of the old fashioned goal poacher, the prevailing movement from 4-4-2 to 4-2-3-1 and the disappearance of the 3-5-2.
I haven’t read it myself but I have heard a lot of good things about his book on the history of football tactics ‘Inverting the Pyramid’.
February 12th, 2009 at 22:09
@Karl: When he scored that goal I automatically shouted out loud and my first thought was the goal against Arsenal in 1999.
He has been a great servant for the club and even though he isn’t the same player he once was, he is valuable for his leadership, intelligence and overall presence to the team. Whether he plays good or bad, I love Giggsy to death.
February 13th, 2009 at 1:55
You cannot really compare Barcelona and us. I hate to say it but we are a much more defensive team. The article is pretty spot on, we have slowly morphed into a team full of players who are primarily defensive. Sure our full backs like to bomb forward, but that is balanced by having Carrick, Fletcher and Park in midfield with heavy defensive responsibilities. Rooney and Tevez have always pulled their weight defensively leaving only Berbatov and Ronaldo as players allowed to concentrate solely on attacking duties (although even Berbatov was tracking back against West Ham!).
In the league this defensive approach has resulted in endless clean sheets but very slim winning margins. You could argue that there is no real need to be so defensive against teams inferior to ours.
But there is no doubt that this defensive approach is going to pay huge dividends in Europe although the likes of Inter and whoever follows (and I hope we’ll get the chance to play Barcelona again) are going to be tougher tests than the fare we get in the Premier League.
Arsenal were the last decent attacking team we’ve played and they beat us quite convincingly. We’ve improved since then, but Id be interested to see how we cope with Inter before I feel comfortable speculating about our chances against Barca
February 13th, 2009 at 2:03
@colver: We lost to arsenal because at the time they were on the ropes and fergie went for the knock out punch. Like most haymakers, we missed and arsenal countered and connected. Chelsea fell into the same trap as well when they played arsenal. We both smelled blood and went for it. Mark my words, that fergie is going to be way more cautious next time we play arsenal and they will struggle to break us down. Remember that we havent been scored on since that game in the PL, so its safe to say it was a valuable lesson learned.
February 13th, 2009 at 2:10
@JB: Puyol and Marquez havent been tested this year, because Barca is always attacking. And same team or not, last years semifinal was a clinic in soaking up pressure. I remember Rijkaard complaining after the tie saying we “out catenaccioed the italians” or something like that.
Is barca the best team in europe right now? prolly Im not arguing that, my point is I dont think they have been tested yet. The premier league is so tough this year that I think we are stronger for it.
As for Alves? yes he is a scary talent. but how adventurous will he be going foward when he has Ronaldo(Reigning WPOTY last time I checked) and Evra to deal with?
February 13th, 2009 at 2:11
@Grognard: Im dying to hear your take, on a Barca-United 2 legged tie.
February 13th, 2009 at 4:15
@johnsom33: Truthfully, I’d be terrified because Barca has great players and is in great attacking form but you know something, I’ve seen them show weakness defensively at times this year. They can be scored on whereas United have the best defensive record in Europe and play in a defensively superior league. My big concern is that as a team we have just as much talent as they do if not more, but what we don’t do is attack all out and we do not create enough scoring chances on the road. Take away the Giggs goal against West Ham, did we really create any chances that were worthy of a goal? Well if we are to go to Barca and play them in the Nou Camp, I seriously doubt we can come out of there with another 0-0 draw. As good as our defense is, we have not faced anything like Barcelona all season.
Much is made of Barca’s record and the supposed weakness of La Liga. Don’t believe it. La Liga is as strong as ever and Barca is just making it look too easy because of their overall quality. They possess the one thing that I have bitched about that United is in short supply. They have killer instinct. When they get up 2-0, they want to score 4 or 5. We score one goal and we call off the dogs. I love Fergie but he needs to install a little killer instinct in the team. We showed it against Chelsea but too often we have scored a goal or two and then sat back and soaked up pressure. Barca could kill us doing that. The quality of their fullbacks overlapping, their central midfielders probing forward and their great front line is nothing to take lightly. I predicted them to win the Champions League months ago and I stand by it. I love United but unless we get into a real groove offensively, I see our 1-0 bubble eventually bursting in our face. Everybody is talking about our defense and yes we have been good, but we have never faced anything like this Barcelona juggernaut. They are doing everything that I thought we would be able to do once we got either Huntelaar or Berbatov. Yet with Berba, we have had our moments but we are way down in our scoring and we do not scare anyone with our attack. Our defense will eventually be breached and when it happens, it could cause more goals to be given up afterwards because things like that come in bunches. The Boston Celtics won 20 games in a row and then when they finally lost a game, it caused them to go into a slump where they lost 5 out 7 games. These things are cyclical.
I do think we can beat Barca but right now I’m more concerned about Inter. Not because they are better but because they are well managed. Mourinho knows how to beat Fergie, Guardiola doesn’t. And lets not assume that Barca is unbeatable. I believe that Bayern, Juve and Roma are capable of beating them too on the right night. If we were to play them, I would hope the first leg is at Barca like last year. Historically we play better with the second leg at OT. We’ll have to wait and see.
February 13th, 2009 at 6:51
I think for a United vs Barca draw, we will come out tops. As senile as I might think Fergie’s tactics are sometimes, one thing is for sure…he sure knows how to neutralise a team. The game will not be a pretty sight (like previous “we’ll score more than you” United/Barca games, but we will definitely win the tie. Overall, I honestly believe we have a better team than Barca. This is something that Guardiola will be cautious about. I think he will show us ‘respect’, which IMO will ultimately be their downfall.
February 13th, 2009 at 6:56
I’m also very concerned about Inter. I don’t trust Mourinho. He has proved, even with Porto, he knows how to beat Fergie. Hopefully Fergie’s new defensive strategy “we’ll bore you more than what you can bore us” will throw him off guard. This is the one tie I really don’t mind if its defensive or boring, as long as we win. I just hope Evans stand strong with Rio. Wonder if Fergie will go for Brown or Neville on the right?
February 13th, 2009 at 10:07
@johnsom33: To be honest, given the way we set up to play Barcelona last year, what makes you think we will offer Puyol and Marquez more of a test than anyone else? And again on Alves, given that Messi is on the same wing, I would expect a Park (or possibly Rooney) and Evra combo with strict instructions to remain disciplined. So I would imagine that Alves will have the freedom to bomb forward as he normally does.
And I would be inclinded to agree with Grognard about Barcelone being tested. People are saying they haven’t been but that is because they have been so dominant. How tested are we in the EPL this season? We have barely got out of second gear in an attacking sense all season yet we are still two points clear with a game in hand. Arsenal and Chelsea are shadows of the sides from last year while Liverpool have been made to look better by the deficienencis of the rest of the top four. Sure some of the mid table teams have picked up (Villa, Everton, Wigan etc) but the standard of the big four has dropped. Difference is that Barcelona have fully exploited the absence of any serious competitor.
P.S. At the half season mark they set a new record in La Liga in terms of points and goals scored.
February 13th, 2009 at 10:09
On an unrelated side note, Foster had a clean sheet last night in the reserves, who beat Bolton 2-0. Our reserve team was playing with great enthusiasm and skill, really looked solid. Macheda looks a good prospect, though Petrucci didn’t see the ball too much when he came on. Never heard of him before but King was a pretty solid striking option too, and looks a bit fella. Fabio scored a penalty, bit random he was taking it!
February 13th, 2009 at 10:45
hargo was magnificent last year in UCL and we will miss him, especially against creative sides like Barca and Milan(Uefa cup this year)=remember Kaka`
.Somehow I feel that we shouldn`t talk about Barca becouse we are going to have plenty of job to do with Murinho`s defensive tricks and tactics on San Siro`s ground.Barca vs United is overhyped subject created by media cozz both teams breaking records right now and (dont get me wrong, in this moment that will be beutifull final in Rome) but there is always danger from other teams who are only focused on UCL, not on 3 or 4 fronts like uneted/barca that will use M.U./Barca bad day and ruin this *fantasy final* ……but on the other hand…… we are United….we are the best team in the world and we should not fear anyone…
February 13th, 2009 at 11:48
I think we’ll lose to Inter, but that will mean we win the league. I’m alright with that personally.
Mourinho has some kind of charm over us. I mean, the Porto second leg was just a travesty of footballing justice, but what can we do. He’s a smart cookie, and playing in the San Siro is never easy. They’ll score there, we won’t. Second leg we’ll probably be too open and get taken on the counter. I just don’t see us clicking well enough to beat a Mourinoh motivated team. sad but true.
February 13th, 2009 at 12:12
Also, watching the highlights of the reserves last ngiht – Fabio took his penalty with his right foot. Is he actually right footed? Bizarre for a left back!
February 13th, 2009 at 12:43
@Beachryan: inter is over rated, no other team can match them in poor serie A, only Barca can stop us.
February 13th, 2009 at 14:04
I see we are talking about Barca! Goodie!
To be honest, if we face Barca in the Champions League we will get beaten. They will win that/those game/s. They used the loss at Old Trafford last season as a lesson. They have now got a new dimension in the team. They have found the way to score on teams that shut-up-shop. The whole club was bitter for the loss, because they had the most possesion over the two games but didnt create enough chances. They lost on a long range shot. It pissed them off! During the summer they found a new tactic. Most used in Messi than in Xavi, Etoo or Alves, but they did found a new tactic. How to score on teams that park the bus like Sunderland did. They felt that was what we did. Sunderland style. 
So now they are a bigger force than you would expect. Dont anybody fucking say Spain is a wimpy League, wou should see what crap Messi and Etoo has to live with every fucking game! Its not an easy League, its just that Barca makes it look like it. They are that good. I dunno how they break up teams like a warm knife in butter. Its a mystery even for the fans. 
My theory is that they do not only play keep ball anymore, but go for 1-touch passing and crossing more than before. They use Alves, Abidal, Henry and Messi very often, and they go around instead of always cutting inside. Etoo has worked on his leap, and he has got some headed goals this season. Messi seems to have gotten better stamina, and runs all over the field like Tevez. But of cource most of the time he is in the opposition part of the field. However, the speed that Barca plays with is even superior to the Arsenal style some years back, when they were in their peak. They have a tough midfielder in Toure, two pass masters in Xavi and Iniesta, speedy backs in Alves and Abidal, magical wingers in Messi and Henry, and who is probably the best striker in the world right now, Samuel Etoo. Their team is complete, and they spent the summer finding ways to play on the guys best assets. They do keep possesion, but they attack with more determination and vision now. Its a joy to watch, and I honestly hope that we dont play them. If we set up with the tactic of last season, we will get hammered. Big time! If we are gonna beat Barca, its with dominating possesion, frustrating them or just going at them in 150% from the kick off. Puyol and Pique suck, and Marques has done nothing to impress me this season. Alves can easily be expesoed when going forward, because his tracking back is not much more superior to Ronaldo. And, to be honest, playing Berbatov against Barcelona would be stupid. Yeah, he is a brilliant player. But against Barcelona we will need Tevez, Rooney, Anderson, Hargreaves, Rafael, Park kind of players. People with aggresion and the stamina to run after oppositions in 90+ minutes. If we do meet Barca this season, it is gonna be the most entertaining game of the century. They will score, but so will United. Barca will never keep a clean sheet against us! Its a tough call, so Im just gonna wish we dont face them.
February 13th, 2009 at 14:11
http://therepublikofmancunia.com/guaranteed-to-make-your-friday-even-better/
watch this guys, fuckin class! Glory ManUnited!
February 13th, 2009 at 14:34
@john freakin’ o’shea: Saw it, Im fucking crying.
February 13th, 2009 at 16:06
@Beachryan: yes he is right footed, although he is more and good enough with his left foot, unlike his brother who is almost entirely right footed. Right footed left backs aren’t as uncommon as you’d expect
February 13th, 2009 at 16:24
@john freakin’ o’shea: that, as you said, was fucking class! it makes you have that true happiness feeling inside you, the happiness that can make you cry (but i dont lol)
February 13th, 2009 at 18:07
@Beachryan: Too bad Fergie disagrees with you. Yesterday he came out and said if forced too, he would easily give up on the other trophies if it ensured him another Champions League Final. Champions of Europe is all that matters to him right now because he has 10 EPL trophies but only 2 European Cups. What he wants is zero comparison between him and Bob Paisley. He should already know there is no comparison despite the fact that Paisley has one a few more Euro Cups.
February 13th, 2009 at 18:19
@RedDevilEddy: They are not better than us mate, they just play a different style and in a different league. Frankly, if we stop Messi, we stop them. Messi is the real catalyst on their side and Guardiola hasn’t got the CL experience that Fergie has. Can they beat us? Of course they can, but we are more than capable of beating them. We have the best defense on the planet and we have this despite the fact that we are known for being one of the best attacking sides in the world. Perhaps we aren’t playing like that this season but we still have the players to do it. Just place park on the left wing and have him mark Messi out of the game with help from Evra. Easier said than done but that’s basically all that needs to be done. I’ve watched Barca a lot this year and trust me, as good as they are, they are only human. Messi has bailed them out of some sticky situations late in games. Nobody else seems to be able to raise his game in a tight situation like he does for them. Frustrate him, irritate him and even bruise him a little and you will beat them. Their defense is good but it is not as water tight as ours and they can be beaten on the counter.
This is all very academic however because we still need to figure out a way to dispose of Inter. The Special One I’m sure has figured something out. He’s had two months to construct a game plan to combat us. I would have preferred him in the next round so that he would have had two weeks only to prepare for us. Two months and I can just envision those two little mice in his brain running around in that wheel and fueling his brainstorming ways for boring us out of the Champions League. He’s Special, special at boring teams into submission. BE CHAMPIONS!
February 13th, 2009 at 18:25
@RedDevilEddy: Sorry but I’m a little like Fergie in this. Snap out of it. That was then, Inter is now. Lets all get focused on the game at hand and forget the past for now. We have the summer to think back to good times. During the winter, we have opponents to concern ourselves with because the reason United is as great as it is, is because of Fergie’s ability to refocus and forget past wins and key on future ones. Moscow is past, San Siro is what concerns me now.
February 13th, 2009 at 19:14
Cannot wait for the Inter games. Inter have been, powerful, but not emphatic in their seemingly inevitable charge to the championship. I don’t rate their defence much at all. They have some very strong attacking players but i can’t see them beating us over two legs. Me might loss at the San Siro, but we’re practically unbeatable at Old Trafford.
February 13th, 2009 at 19:24
mock exams are over, all i have now is valentines day, after that i am locking myself in my room, practising nothing but fifa and driving until i am perfect and ready for 18th when i have my theory exam
MrMuhozi.- my ps3 name if anyone wants to add me (without the .)
i’ll be the guy passing the ball around like a bong at a rap concert, then when it comes to finishing, my accuracy is like a man on ganja
February 13th, 2009 at 19:29
reports says maicon is injured.. dont know if sure
February 13th, 2009 at 19:37
@john freakin’ o’shea: cheers mate, that put me in a good mood, fantastic video, and i just love fergies reaction
February 13th, 2009 at 19:48
Mr Muhozi, yeah im doing my driving tests too mate, need to revise for my theory test, i think i will do my actual driving practice 1st and then go for my theory after cos im a total newbie when it comes to driving but hopefully i will be all passed and ready to go by the summer. Dont know how im gonna afford a car though with the crippling insurance prices, absolutely extortionate.
February 13th, 2009 at 19:54
@Matthew: ive done 2 hours worth of driving already, i booked my theory test for the 18th and i’ve been revising for it quite hard, but am going to revise harder, best advice i can give you right now is get the official DSA driving DVD, it covers everything, from the theory to hazard perception, to the practical, highway code just everything to do with learning to drive, i got it and its helped a lot.
What i found helps, is my years of playing gran turismo, i know it is a game, but i’ve grown to learn how to listen to engine sounds, etc and how they turn and all that, it takes a while to learn but once you get there its worth it
When it comes to buying your first car, think small, REALLY SMALL, do your pass plus it cuts your insurance down by a 1/3 last time i checked, it is £70 after you get your full licence and it cuts your insurance down by hundreds, so it is worth it
February 13th, 2009 at 20:05
Mr Muhozi, you live in croydon dont you, so you will probably be doing your theory test where i will end up doing mine. I dont know if i am thinking of the right place, but there is some place you can take your theory test next to the abbey bank i think in croydon, just next to the bus stop near the gamestation store. Dont know if you know where im talking about, but im pretty sure thats where it is, and i could have sworn you said u live in croydon so maybe this is the place.
I know what you mean though about these games helping. I have never driven b4, but thanks to playing hours of gta games, gran turismo games, and generally many driving games, i feel like i could just get in a car now and drive well, maybe im just being stupid though so i dont know. The only thing im afraid of is driving around roundabouts and the dreaded reverse parking, these freak me out.
February 13th, 2009 at 20:50
@Nick: Inter and Mourinho define the term “winning ugly”. Mourinho is kind of like US football legend Al Davis who also coined the phrase “Just win baby”. I could see Mourinho being happy with two 0-0 games and then winning by penalties. His patience for boredom is second to none, except maybe Rafa.
February 13th, 2009 at 20:53
@john freakin’ o’shea: I never wish an injury on anyone other than Drogba, Terry and Ashley Cole but this could be a real blessing for us if true. Maicon is their best player by leaps and bounds (Sorry IbrahimoBitch fans). Losing him would be a big blow for Inter. I’m also hoping AC Milan takes a lot out of them on Sunday. Go Becks!
February 13th, 2009 at 21:08
@Matthew: have you been stalking me, i live just near there, and that is exactly where i am doing my test,
Be careful not to get too over confident, as that is what will lead examiners to fail you, over confidence, they are looking for a good driver who values safety first, so unfortunately, driving on the pavement whilst running over chelsea and arsenal fans is off the list
I wish you luck to learning, my goal is to get my licence before my 18th birthday on june 21st
February 13th, 2009 at 22:27
Rooney getting owned by a kid!
February 13th, 2009 at 22:30
@Grognard: Barcelona are not unbeatable. And if there is one team capable of beating them, its United. I just dont hope we face Barca, because it may bring more trouble than we can hope for. But as you said, we will have enough trouble beating Inter! There is far too early to talk about beating Barca, when we are gonna play Italys best team in two weeks time. Im looking forward to that tie, as we will see two “Catenaccio” sides at their best.
No, I lok forward to playing Inter. Bet Fergie is loking forward to some fine Italian wine too. 
February 13th, 2009 at 23:11
Mr Muhozi, thanks for the tip mate about not being too over confident, its just that i physch myself up to be like that cos i would rather be over confident than being nervous and shaking if u get my drift.
Good luck on your test by the way, i need to hit the books and revise for whenever i set a date for my test.
Saying you live near the place, i guess you go croydon college, cos i go there mate. Small world huh.
February 14th, 2009 at 0:00
@Grognard: In response to your poetic ode to SAF, I would think that while Man Utd has certainly kept him fresh, I retiring shouldn’t accelerate his aging. There no doubt will be sideeffects of withdrawal and bouts nostalgia and occasionl depression, but his was a life richly lived and a career of unparalleled and inimitable success. Temperament and perspective as well as the process of transition play an important role in retiring. Given his unique experiences and his depth as a person, manager and icon he will replace whatever part of him dies from leaving the club by embracing the time he will finally get to spend with his family – particularly his wife. He recognizes that he needs to reward her sacrifice and loyalty because at the end of the day, she is more important (or at least should) than Manchester United.
Using Erik Erikson’s development model, Fergie will review his life accomplishments and deal with his loss with intergrity. He is secure in the knowledge that he was the veritable manager, a fascinating human being and as much an institution as the empire he helped restore and refine.
February 14th, 2009 at 0:08
@RedDevilEddy: I didn’t say they were unbeatable and I am the one who said that we should be more worried right now about Inter.
February 14th, 2009 at 0:14
@Roge: Managing a club like United and having such success for such a long time can only be a form of addiction which is never going to be easy to leave and walk away from. Regardless of all the other things he has to look forward to or that he has going for him, losing United will kill a little bit of him. A great job is like an injection of adrenaline. No rest and escape from it is ever going to give him the lift and that spark walking on to that OT pitch has given him. It’s in his blood and in his system.
I hope he handles retirement well, but I must be honest and say that I have serious doubts. God love him, he is the lifeblood of this team and all it’s supporters. When he retires I feel we will all feel like castaways on the tv series “Lost”.
February 14th, 2009 at 0:40
Grognard, it is very true what you are saying about ferguson. When he quits what the hell is he gonna do, the fact that he has stayed on so long with us, how is he just gonna walk away from it, god only knows. He will go from being like the don of the most powerful team in the world to quietly resting at home, doing nothing but relaxing. Now yes, thats nice and at his age and after what he has done for us he more than deserves it, but i dont know how he will ever cope or know what to do when he has left us. How it must feel to be at the same place, most hours of the day for longer than i have been alive must be amazing. Its like school, when i finished secondary school, i had been there for 5 years and i gotta say after getting into a habit of being there every day for those years, when i left i really missed the place and the people (weird to some maybe, its school afterall), so when fergie retires 20 plus years he is just gonna be with his head in a spin im guessing. I think he really is addicted to being a manager and he cannot imagine doing anything else but, maybe he says to himself he cannot carry on after next year, then he gets to that year and decides to stay on another year and so on. He just cannot quit, its like a drug to him.
Hopefully though he will continue for a number of years yet tho, cos it will be so weird not seeing him as manager, he has been in charge of them all my life, its like there can be no other man in charge. I dont want to think about it to be honest, but when the day comes it will be a sad day for all of us. He is an absolute legend.
February 14th, 2009 at 1:33
We should take some comfort in the fact that Mourinho’s Inter is considerably weaker than Mourinho’s Chelsea in their heyday. Sure he will get the tactics right but I think we are too strong for them over two legs. The tie is ours to lose……by making defensive slips or more likely failing to finish the chances we create.
February 14th, 2009 at 1:57
@Grognard: I know you hate Zlatan, but how can you honestly say Maicon is leaps and bounds. Where would Inter be this year with out Zlatan? I heard that he accounts for something like 60% of the their goals this season. That stat could be a complete fabrication(seeing how I didnt fact check at all) but everytime I see them play it seems he scores one or 2 goals and rescues them.
Regarding the special one, I think his record against Fergie is slightly misleading. the bulk of those wins came when chelsea were at the height of their powers and we were rebuilding. Too be honest I didnt watch the porto tie, so I cant speak on that one. But all this talk about Mourinho having Fergie’s number… I have my doubts.
Finally, I agree with you completely about Barca. nobody is unbeatable, even though they are very strong. I know you arent a big fan of the champions league, and I agree with you on some of your gripes about it. But the one thing I absolutely love about it, is that it shuts up rival fans for 180 minutes as the 2 sides battle it out in real life and not on forum boards around the world. Im sure we can debate for hours on who is the stronger team United or Inter, but thankfully we will know soon enough. Like my father always said when he was tired of debating with me and my brother “Well… we shall see”
February 14th, 2009 at 3:44
I must admit that I was bored to death of coming onto this blog during January and not seeing any new updates, so I committed the (unforgivable?) sin of completely abandoning Red Rants for the last 2-3 weeks….but I am real glad to see RR is back and posting regularly now!
February 14th, 2009 at 4:54
Fergie wants to win the Champions League this year. To win the Champions League two years running would really cement his reputation and that of this particular crop of players and Ferguson would be able to retire a happy man knowing that he finally achieved the sort of domination in Europe that was lacking for much of his management. He can prove that last year wasn’t a fluke and he can leave secure in the knowledge that he made United into the best team in the entire world.
Fergie is only just starting to understand what it takes to win the Champions League. 1999 was a bit of a fluke. But 2008 was the result of a calculated defensive approach combined with faith in the qualities of the triumvirate of Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez to score the goals.
I cannot imagine him wanting to retire so long as he is physically and mentally fit simply because I think he has a hunger for more European Cups.
Of course what would help his longevity the most would be an assistant manager he trusts implicitly which would free Fergie to be a bit less hands-on and have more time to spend with his family, while retaining executive control and make the decisions on matchday. Sadly Phelan doesn’t strike me as that guy.
February 14th, 2009 at 5:30
@colver: We were supposed to be much stronger than Mourinho’s Porto too but they beat us. Mourinho is the master of putting you to sleep and then beating you. I refer to him as “the Sandman”.
February 14th, 2009 at 5:36
@johnsom33: Zlatan who?
IbrahimoBitch is so inconsequential it’s absurd to talk about him. Like he has ever shown up for a big game. If Mourinho starts him against us it will be like we are playing against ten. The guy will go hide somewhere and cower for the entire game. He’s a gutless wimp who like Anelka only scores after a game is already won or against weak opponents. I spit on his insignificant presence. Maicon’s left testicle has more presence than all of the Bitch. I guess that should tell you that no attempt at trying to convince me is ever going to turn my feelings around about that dumb assed lazy and moody Swede. If United ever bought him or Drogba, I’d change my allegiance. Some players just rub me the wrong way. Sorry, I can’t help myself. 
February 14th, 2009 at 5:57
@johnsom33: My biggest wish for the game of football and especially competitions like the Champions League or the World Cup would be for managers and players to finally man up and just go for it. Too much gamesmanship, ugly politics and basic cowardice has destroyed the game at this level. The money has made it impossible for players to go out and just let it all hang out. They are pressured by the economics of the thing and by the political pressure to make sure they do not lose. So teams play to not lose as opposed to win. To many that means the same thing but their is a major difference. Cowardice and greed has tainted the game and thus the tactics and strategies being use today have destroyed what should be a spectacle.
Ask yourself one key question. Why is it when two great teams meet in a must win game, that it always ends up being a 0-0 or 1-0? 95% of the time a classic confrontation ends up being a classic bore and a battle of attrition by two teams that give nothing. Why is it always the defenses that seem to raise their game in matches like that and not the attackers?
The game really sucks the more you get closer to the trophy. I’m so tired of 0-0 and 1-0 matches that it makes me sick to even think of it.
The two games between Barcelona last season was a pure example of what Im talkinf about. Two teams with great players and the two best attackers in the world played to goalless stalemates and only an act of brilliance by Paul Scholes made the difference. Why is it in games like those, you never get Messi or a Ronaldo score two or three goals? Why does the offensive cream never ever rise to the top? The answer is politics and tactics that have so destroyed the game and have so crippled the initiative of players that it sickens me.
The rules have to change and the emphasis in the game has got to become the idea of scoring more goals than your opponent, not who gives up the most. Again two sides of the same coin but the meanings are different in philosophy. The Champions League has become to big financially and means too much for the teams competing that teams just can’t go out there and play football. They play battle chess and trench warfare. I’m sick and tired of it. Above all, I am sick and tired of great players never manning up and showing their class in big games. When was the last time you saw a great player really put on a show in a final? I mean a real great performance? Another reason why I hate the creation of the DMF. Why do teams waste their time and ruin their game by having a talentless defensive midfielder waste time and space in a game instead of adding another attacking midfielder or forward. Fo rthe last ten years we haven’t been watching 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 or 4-1-3-2 etc. What we have watched all along is the reinvention of the sweeper position. Instead of playing behind the rest of the back 3 and sweeping, somebody invented a way to make most teams play with not four defenders but five. A sweeper in front of the back four. And it has ruined the game. We have been watching teams play 5-3-2 and 5-4-1 for years but we don’t call it that way. But what else does a Claude Maklele or the infinite number of Diaara clones do but sweep up and act as a fifth defender. Chicken shit football and the scourge of the game. Get rid of that position and turn it into an offensive position and watch the game rock. Sorry for the long rant.
February 14th, 2009 at 5:58
@Nino: And we’re glad to have you back mate.
February 14th, 2009 at 6:54
@Grognard: If I’m not mistaken, didn’t replays show Scholesy’s would-be-equalizer was incorrectly flagged offside- second leg vs Porto?
February 14th, 2009 at 7:42
i really dont get the fuss about inter fucking milan. They suck. wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy oooooooovvvvvvveeerrrrrratttted!!!! tell me a decent challenger in serie A, none! juve=inconsistent/out of luck. milan=cup team. that leaves inter with a clear path to the scudetto. it kills me whenever people are praising mourinho, boring one-nil’s, crappy plays. Mourinho is the luckiest bastard in the world to win the CL, a shit decision by the linesman cost us that CL, then they faced deportivo then monaco. Monaco-Porto? sounds like a UEFA cup match up not a CL matchup. in short, Mourinho is a lucky bastard who gets too much credit to what he truly deserve. Inter will bow down to us, stop ibra you kill their game.
February 14th, 2009 at 7:45
@Roge: scholes was clearly onside.
February 14th, 2009 at 7:48
@Grognard: grog, ibra is like our berba, same style of play but world apart in attitude, ibra is an arrogant little prick, while the count is a sophisticated, classy, reserved type of fellow.
February 14th, 2009 at 7:52
the only thing that worries me is that Nemanja is suspended in the first leg, i hope Rio or Evans are fit and get back on form.
February 14th, 2009 at 8:06
@Roge: God mate, it’s been so long ago I can’t even remember the games. All I know is we lost. Sure we may have been robbed but a loss is a loss nonetheless.
February 14th, 2009 at 8:09
@john freakin’ o’shea: I love it when they call Berba lazy. They should watch IbraBitch more often. Next to the words lazy and slug are pictures of IbraBitch. And he does it in big games.
February 14th, 2009 at 11:35
Does anyone know tomorrows team news.
February 14th, 2009 at 12:27
Anderson on his way to recovery.
Flattering picture, innit?
Bet it was intended for me… 
February 14th, 2009 at 12:36
@Grognard: Porto were a really good team then. They had Deco, Carvalho, McCarthy, Costinha, Ferreira, Bosingwa and Maniche in their team. Most of them were/are full Internationals. We were playing without Rio, but with Fortune, Phil Neville, Howard, Oshea, Djemba Djemba, Butt and Fletcher. 5 of those 7 players are gone now because they werent United quality. And Fletch and Oshea are still not starters(I dont consider any midfield player except for Carrick a firm starter). We werent good that year, and we sucked defensivly. Ronaldo was still more inconsistent than Nani, Scholes was a striker and that was the first year I noticed Giggs losing his speed. And we would have gone through had it not been for a blind linesman and Tim fucking Howards mistake. Oh well, I hope luck is on our side against Inter. It will need to be…
February 14th, 2009 at 13:14
@RedDevilEddy: Plus cheats!
February 14th, 2009 at 13:36
Grognard you do make a good point about the Porto side but they did end up winning the Champions League. Also our team is vastly improved from the one that lost to Porto. Eddy makes good points about some of the players representing us back then. We were only favourites back then because people didn’t know about Porto and the quality they had a team.
We know everything about the Inter team and we surmise correctly that their only good players are Maicon and Ibramovitch. Ferdinand can do a job on Ibramovitch and IM sure we’ll find a way to shut Maicon out. For example putting Ronaldo one on one against him will scare Maicon off bombing forward.
Mourinho can pull off miracles but the gap between the two teams is so large that we’d have to screw up seriously to lose the tie. If our defence maintains the high standards of the last two seasons and our strikers take their chances….we have the tie sown up.
February 14th, 2009 at 14:37
@Grognard: Well said mate, spot on! Although I do recall agreeing with you previously, on this very concept of encouraging more attacking football, a month or two ago as well. Sadly, I reckon the 1st leg will mirror the Barcelona tie from last year and end up as a 0-0 war of attrition at the Giuseppe Meazza, before that man SCHOLES (who else?!) settles it at Old Trafford. Anyone care to disagree with me?
February 14th, 2009 at 14:50
@colver: Now now colver, let’s not underestimate Inter mate. They might be thinking along the same lines about us for all we know: ‘eliminate Ronaldo from proceedings and that’s half of Utd’s attacking threat snuffed out right there.’ Then they go and nick a lucky goal on the counter and defend for their lives. Vidic, the key component and constant during the amazing 13-game (and countng) shut-out run will be missing. Rio is just back from injury…Evans is still kind of inexperienced at the highest level. Berbatov still hasn’t started firing on all cylinders in Europe yet, so I will be interested to see how it pans out for him when the business end of the CL starts. Rooney will just be back from injury, and we all know he needs a few games to get into his stride and hit a purple patch…will the Inter games be too soon for this though? I presume Tevez will be used as an impact sub if Rooney is fit. I assume these things will be what might be running through Mourinho’s mind at present and he will be quietly (did I just use that word in the same sentence as ‘Mourinho’?? lol) confident of putting one over SAF once again.
February 14th, 2009 at 15:40
@colver: well considering Phelan used to be a defender and we are currently the best defensive team in the world I would regard him as doing a very good job so far. He must be the only assistant manager in the world who would receive criticism when his team are top of the league, final of a cup competition, second round of CL and 5th round of FA cup. All in his first season no less. I mean, give the guy a break!
February 14th, 2009 at 15:42
@Nino: eh Europe is the one place where Berba has been firing on all cylinders so I’m not really understanding that
February 14th, 2009 at 15:57
@Liam: What I meant by that was that any decent striker worth his salt can score a couple of goals against Celtic at home and at Aalborg away; I wasn’t that impressed by his effectiveness in the group stages otherwise. Can he step it up a notch in the knockout rounds and turn it on against the bigger teams? I’m not saying he’s not capable of it, but he hasn’t shown otherwise in my humble opinion lol
February 14th, 2009 at 16:13
I think it is fairer to say that Berbatov is unproven in Europe because you cannot read a lot into the group stages. Tevez showed his quality last season in Europe with some fantastic performances.
At least Id hope we go with Tevez in the away games and Berbatov in the home games where there is going to be more onus on breaking teams down than defending.
February 14th, 2009 at 16:45
What’s the most amazing thing you’ve ever seen in training? Dominic Monaghan, actor (Lost, Lord of the Rings)
The most amazing thing is Paul Scholes, in the morning, when a player goes to have a pee at the side of the training pitch and he fires balls from 40 yards right on top of their head! He’s unbelievable. He got John O’Shea about two weeks ago, right on the shoulder, while he was having a pee. He got Gary Neville right in the head and Neville chased him across the pitch!
Got from the Interview with Sir Alec on Manutd.com…. i thought this bit was hilarious, might be old, but thought i would share it anyway..
30 year old boys
February 14th, 2009 at 17:49
Pete Kenyon mustv really fucked up, how the hell would he organize a manager’s contract with such huge payouts, and has the guts to say that they have to sell to buy, wow. if that cash is used to buy players then chelsea would not have been in this mess. hahahaha kenyon,.
February 14th, 2009 at 20:23
@colver: “We know everything about the Inter team and we surmise correctly that their only good players are Maicon and Ibramovitch.”
I suggest you do a little more research on Inter, if you think those are there only 2 good players. You would have to be incredibly naive to think we are just gonna walk all over them.
February 14th, 2009 at 22:02
@RedDevilEddy: Ronaldo was never more inconsistent than Nani. Ronaldo has been great since day one but each year up until this year he got better and better. I do not remember any period in Ronaldo’s game that he ever got the kind of criticism for his play that Nani has received. Nani is a stiff in comparison to Ronaldo’s early years. Now if that doesn’t bring Craig out of hiding, nothing will.
February 14th, 2009 at 22:07
@colver: Inter have a lot of great players other than Maicon and IbrahimoBitch. Talent wise they are just as good as that Porto side and have more lethal finishers. What we have going for us is that we are so much better than that United side that lost to Porto and that we have so much success and experience. We’ve been there before and succeeded. So has Mourinho but his team hasn’t. Either way. this tie will be a drag it out defensive battle. I’d be shocked if any of the two games had more than one, maybe two goals scored in them.
February 15th, 2009 at 0:01
Against Porto our team was shit.
Here are the two line-ups we fielded:
First leg:
Howard, P Neville, Fortune, Butt, Brown, G Neville, Scholes, Keane, RVN, Saha, Giggs
Second Leg:
Howard, P Neville, O’Shea, Butt, Brown, G Neville, Fletcher, Djemba Djemba, Scholes, RVN, Giggs
I mean bloody hell. It really tells us how far we have come in five years. With those line-ups is it really that much of a surprise we lost to Porto?
Compare us and Inter. The only player who would get into our team is Maicon and perhaps Cambiasso.
We play in a domestic league where Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool have all reached finals in the Champions League in recent years. And we have finished top the last two years and are on course for another. Inter play in a shit league and are not markedly different from the team that got nowhere in Europe the past couple of seasons.
It won’t be a walk in the park as there are no easy games in Europe and in the cup luck has a big part to play but I think we can be very confident about our chances. Mourinho is a good coach and tactically savvy. But as I pointed out when he beat us with Porto we had a shit team and when he beat us with Chelsea we were still rebuilding and Chelsea with Roman’s billions were buying up all the talent in Europe.
Roma are about the same level as Inter. We own Roma. Therefore even with the Mourinho factor I fully expect us to own Roma. Of course it will only be decided by a goal-because that is our style these days: to win 1-0 at home and draw or win 1-0 away. But while the score won’t be flattering, we’ll get through comfortably.
February 15th, 2009 at 0:45
@colver: Inter>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Roma
February 15th, 2009 at 1:09
Btw new post was up
February 15th, 2009 at 1:11
Liam….look at the last couple of seasons in the Champions League. Inter made a real mess out of qualifying. Roma finished ahead of Chelsea.
Inter may do well in Serie A but Champions League is another ballgame.