Mar 10
Manchester United vs AC Milan:Preview
The Champions League rolls around once more and Manchester United will host an AC Milan side looking to overturn a 3-2 deficit from the first leg in the San Siro.
United should start with a very familiar back five. Edwin van der Sar will continue in goal after a steady performance against Wolves. He will be behind a back four of Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Rafael. The young Brazilian will get the nod ahead of Gary Neville as Wes Brown is out for six weeks with a broken foot.
Up against fellow countryman Ronaldinho, Rafael seems to be optimistic about his chances against the former World Player of the Year,
he said: ‘It was a great privilege for me. It made me feel that the manager really trusts me by giving me the opportunity to play in this type of match.”
He continued: “It’s a great feeling knowing that the manager believes in my ability to play at this level.
As Milan will be forced to attack, needing two goals to qualify, Sir Alex Ferguson may opt again for a five-man midfield. Antonio Valencia somewhat changed the first-leg with his direct running at Milan’s full-back Antonini, so he is shoe-in on the right side. Darren Fletcher and Paul Scholes will probably line up in midfield with Ferguson preferring Ji-Sung Park on the left for his hard-work, discipline and Nani’s terrible performance at the weekend. Michael Carrick is suspended for the fixture so Darron Gibson could well continue in the middle.
Question marks remain over whether or not Wayne Rooney will be fit enough to start the match.
Sir Alex in his press conference explained: “He is fit, I am glad to say that he is fit.
“He has showed a rapid improvement since Saturday morning. He was extremely doubtful, but he is OK.”
Rooney may only make the bench and we will see Dimitar Berbatov leading the front line as he did at the weekend.
Ferguson is confident of an entertaining match against Milan,
he stated: “It is certainly an open tie and I think what we are going to see tomorrow will be a very open game.
“We will hope to kill the tie with our own attacking abilities. There is no doubt that AC Milan have to score, which should make it a really open match.
He continued: “I don’t think we are very good at defending leads, so we will play our normal way. That means attacking, it always has. We will try and do it our normal way.
“I don’t think we should be confused by the score of 3-2 as passage into the next phase of this competition.
“We accept this is a very difficult game for us and one which we need to win. And that’s how I’m approaching it, to win the match.”
AC Milan will be forced to attack from the offset as they look to overturn the 3-2 first-leg defeat.
A similar situation to Rooney’s developed in Milan as Pato was an injury doubt, but he has travelled and will definitely play a part in proceedings, most likely from the bench. Clarence Seedorf his also shrugged off an injury and should also start from the sidelines.
David Beckham has spoken of his excitement about the upcoming tie,
he told Milan’s TV channel: “If I play on Wednesday I won’t be frightened but I will be excited because I played in that stadium for many years and I know what it means to be a Manchester United player.
“I know what it means for opponents to play there.”
Leonardo can either deploy him as a right-winger or in a three-man midfield.
After a good display away to Roma on Saturday evening Milan are unbeaten in seven Serie A matches. During this game Leonardo experimented with a narrower formation, having Huntelaar and Borriello up-front together with Ronaldinho behind, so it will be interesting to see if he continues with this tactic or revert to his tried and tested 4-3-3.
The Milan manager has taken an understandable positive approach, “My confidence in tomorrow’s game comes from our recent performances and how we already played in the first leg at San Siro. I don’t think Manchester United will change much from that tie.
“We need an important result at Old Trafford and so the psychological aspect will be crucial. It’s not easy to prepare a game like this, but we have different alternatives and will try to make the most of them.”
A tough game will be inevitable but three away goals put United firmly in the driving seat and they will look to kill off the tie with an early goal.
Prediction: 2-1 United
Probable Line Up: van der Sar, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Rafael; Valencia, Scholes, Gibson, Fletcher, Park; Berbatov
***
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I love David Beckham. Fantastic player and person, United fan to the bone.
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Hi, all. Been frequenting this site for quite some time just never posted anything yet. First of all, would like to apologize for any mistake in my posting because English is not my first language.
I just wish that Nani can make the left wing as his own sooner rather than later and for Valencia to learn to use his left feet quickly so that they can interchange their position during game. That would just be so sweet.
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Normally I side with players and support them when they face opposition from ignorant fans. I pride myself in having a near perfect vindication record-Rio,Scholes,Rooney,Nani,Anderson(not yet),Berbatov(almost),Valencia etc. But the one player that I criticise and can’t stand 2 see in the squad is proving me wrong. Park Ji Sung. Funny I was excited when we brought him to OT from PSV. He had a brilliant WC in 02 and a fantastic run in the CL in his final season with PSV,causing Milan endless problems and scoring a great solo goal. He started off promisingly with a good understanding with Rooney esp. But he kept falling on his bum and really looked lightweight but the clever play was evident. With SAF becoming more and more convinced that every player is a defender 1st,he experienced the old Fergie misfortune. Positioning and role. The 1st defensive winger in the history of football was born. Boring boring boring. For me that was it. I couldn’t stand the way he would be selected over Ronaldo. He kept falling on his butt. Not much creativity,just running all over the place and being a general nuisance. Wouldn’t mind that if he was playing in the middle as a DMF,but a winger.C’mon.
Then he started turning up on the team sheet in almost all the very important games. Especially in the Champions League. How frustrating to see youngsters like Nani being benched or watching the most boring formation and tactics of zero strikers and 100 midfielders and defenders. I blamed Fergie but I also put part of the blame on Park. I’d scream (literally sometimes) when I saw his name on the team sheet. The worst being CL semi in Barcelona.Frustrating beyond words. But one thing I never dared to appreciate is how he seems to nullify the best attackers in world football. But there’s much more to his game than that. He is great on the counter and in linking up play. He gets the big goals. Chelsea,Arsenal(many times),Milan. He was fantastic in the semis last year at the Emirates. He still has his weaknesses. He just can’t seem to strike an agreement with gravity. A Versailles treaty of appeasement if u will. He is seriously lightweight and sometimes just can’t seem to reach for the ball. But truth be told I’m beginning to really appreciate his contribution
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Since redranter is AWOL, let’s litter this site with odds and tidbits.
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@EduardoDaVinci4: I love you
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@Jay wire: Look if a player takes the X factor of the opposition out of the game,then he has done more of his duty for the team.Fergie wants this only for Park but he scores also and his positioning sense is best at our club.So he must get the praise.The problem arises with palyers like Carrick and Andy who are playmakers but they also start doing defensive duties and forget their basic roles.
Regarding Ronaldo and Rooney,Rooney is scoring goals only whereas Ronaldo means Real Madrid ,the club with greatest history.So no comparision.
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Where is Mr.Red Ranter.
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@EduardoDaVinci4: Great in bed too, just ask rebecca loos….
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Jaywire I think you’ll have to wait some time to be vindicated on Anderson and Berbatov and Nani is yet to show he can turn it on week in week out.
But Id agree with you on Park. He is a very strange player. Somehow whenever he plays he ends up getting lots of the ball, lots of the chances and seems at the centre of most of the counter attacks. But then he slips, fails to connect with a ball, or his final ball disappoints. Defensively there is no issue. He has incredibly work rate, never gets caught out of position, isn’t beaten for pace and really gets in players’ faces. There is also no doubting his experience.
He is a very useful squad player to have and I think playing him as an attacking midfielder would work wonderfully if we came up against Barcelona and wanted to mess up the fluency of their dangerous midfield. If anything I think his game is better suited for Europe.
Id like to see what would happen if we spent some time in training trying to bulk him up a bit and taught him how to stay on his feet and shoot.
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@CraigMc: Absolutely. The bias is terrible but I will say this, I think the bias is shown towards all the English teams, not just us. UEFA and FIFA have a bug up their collective asses when it comes to England and especially the top four teams. They especially hate us and Liverpool because we are performing under a massive debt. Most importantly, the brass over there has always promoted football in Spain and Italy and still shown fondness for Germany and France. They will always look there for names before they are forced to look over here.
Now you cannot ignore the kind of season Rooney is having ore even Drogba for that matter but believe me when I say, they would rather give the awards to Messi or Ronaldo because they are trying to promote the game in Spain and because those teams play what they consider a “more attractive game” that they can market worldwide. It’s such BS. The great advantage that Rooney has is that he is well loved and respected worldwide as every player and manager in the game thinks he is the cat’s meow. There isn’t a team on the planet that wouldn’t give it’s crown jewels for a crack at buying him. He is seen as the complete player and is actually more appreciated on the Continent than he is in England. You are actually a perfect example of the many in England that are not totally won over by his game. I know for a fact that he is considered beyond world class by the media in Spain and Italy and mostly by managers there.
As you know, I love Rooney and have gotten into some passionate debates with you over him, but let me say this right now, as much as i love him, I do not think he is as talented as Ronaldo or Messi but he is an overall more rounded and complete footballer than them. Managers and coaches see all his skills but they love his work ethic and ability to score goals yet track back and help defend as well as create for others. You see him as being a bit wasteful, which he sometimes can be but overall, he is truly a great talent and this respect and notoriety in Europe may just get him World Player of the Year. If he comes close to the 40 goal mark it will be hard to deny him this. If he wins the European Cup, I think he will win it unless Messi has an incredible World Cup. Seeing how Messi does not feature or play well under Maradona’s Argentina, I see Rooney as a real possibility.
What worries me most however is that if he has a great World Cup I can see Madrid breaking the bank yet again to get him. I worry because I see the Glazer’s possibly selling him if indeed they are in a situation where they will sell the club and leave Manchester for good. They could do it out of spite and out of the knowledge that before they leave, they could make an extra 100 million from a sale of Manchester’s golden boy. If they are about to sell, there is nothing really in place to stop them other than Fergie. Just a fear I have. What a better way to get back at the thousands of green and gold fans and the Red Knights than to sell United’s best player , take that money and leave along with the money they get from the sale? Just a worst case scenario that has been playing in my head of late.
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@colver: Parks has two major problems. Composure, and Vision. He gets in good positions, but doesn’t think when he’s in them. You can see Berbatov shouting at him the whole game and pointing where to put the ball and he doesn’t look up, and when he does he can’t pick out a pass. He’s infuriating.
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@CraigMc: Gill is a dead man walking, and he knows it. The Glazer’s will eventually have to sell. Right now it’s clear sailing for them simply because the club is doing well in Europe and domestically and this is still blinding many of the fans from joining the revolt. Lets see what happens in the summer when Fergie once again plays the no value in the transfer market card and he concludes transfer business by buying two unknown kids and Joe Cole on a free transfer. Lets see how badly the fans react to yet another off season where the club spends no money on talent and lets see how many players leave United. Lets see if the unthinkable happens and we lose Rooney to Madrid. I don’t think it will happen but nothing the Glazer’s do would surprise me at this point. What better way to get revenge on the millions that hate their guts than to totally gut us with a take the money and run sale of our prime asset?
Gill knows that if there is a regime change, he is a dead man. So it serves him no purpose to go against the Glazer’s. Fergie is doing the same thing but as he is a legend we all love him and stand by him regardless, as he is no jeopardy by not joining up. Gill will pay for his crimes one day, of that I am sure. But the question is will it be sooner or later?
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@ Grog – Even with the debt there is no way the Glazer’s will sell Fergie. I can almost guarantee that Fergie would quit if that happened, and that would be the end of their investment. Rooney doesn’t want to leave England, his family is settle up Norf and he’s happy at United. There’s just no reason why he’d leave. So personally, I don’t think it’s something we should worry about at all.
More worrying should be Fulham this weekend. They’ve had some really good results against us in recent times, and the game against them earlier this season was probably the worst performance (that or Leeds in the FA Cup) I’ve seen from us in the past decade. Hopefully pure pride and professionalism will get the players to raise their game, and Fulham should be marginally more tired than us having travelled back from Turin this morning. Their best strength (Fulham) is keeping good possession and using Zamora as a target man, so I hope we pack the midfield and stick Vida on him. That should negate the threat, dull as it may be. Would ideally be a good time to rest Pat, who has looked a bit off it the past few games, but alas, no back up = no chance.
As for the WPOTY debate – no point in talking about it until after July. I mean, Cannavaro won it a few years back for doing nothing for 11.5 months of the year. Just be happy with Rooney’s form and the opportunity to watch Messi and Ronaldo.
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@Man Utd Jaluo: I have always said that Park has his uses. He is a pest and if he wants to dig in, he really can make life miserable for a creative distributor of the ball. He sucked last year against Barca but overall, he does a good job playing the role of the shadow. My problem with him is that I have never been a fan of that kind of football player and the need for that kind of one dimensional football player. I like a player like Hargreaves because he can play numerous positions, be a shadow or a pest but still offer moments of skill, composure and imagination in attack. Park shows energy and passion but there isn’t an ounce of composure or skill with that boy.
I think back to two occasions in the game where Nani got him the ball in a very strong position for a shot at goal and his first touch betrayed him as well as his slow reaction to take a shot. Like Carrick, he has a slow reaction time from the time he controls a ball to the time he kicks it. He also has no imagintion or vision. On two occasions I remember that he got the ball and Berbatov made a break late in the game and all that was required was a back heel pass to free Berba like Berba does so often for others. Park never even knew he was alive and made the safe pass back to a defender. Valencia was also guilty of this exact same situation once when Berba broke to open space but Val never even sensed him.
I also recall the missed chances Park had vs Villa in the League Cup final. He completely fanned on a gift chance that Berba gave him on a beautiful 1,2. Then he hit the post on a chance he should have buried. But most of the time, my biggest problem with Park is that Park is where great offensive breaks and attacking situations go to die. He kills off more great breaks than he converts. His poor skills on the ball and his poor first touch are that of legend. His shooting is improving but still not what I expect from a player playing in an advanced attacking position. Yet so many love him because he has three lungs and because he runs and runs and runs. All admirable but like I have said before, I like football players, not track stars.
Park is an acquired taste and I for one just haven’t got the pallet for what he offers. He’s just not my cup of tea. I wish the lad well and cheer for him as loudly as any other player when he does well or scores a big goal, but if I was running the club, he’s have to struggle to find any playing time, simply because for me he is what I consider to be anti-football. I would much prefer a David Silva, an Angel Di Maria or Luis Nani on the pitch over him. But in a pinch, he’s not a bad role player to have. He’s be the first player in my team selection against a team with a skilled player who needs shadowing and who can easily be pestered out of a game.
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@Grognard: Rooney wouldn’t go. The Glazers can’t make him sign for Madrid, regardless of the money involved. He loves playing for United because he can play at the highest level in the toughest league and then drive to his mom’s house.
The thing that best sums up Rooney, and why nearly every manager in the world would take Rooney over Ronaldo or Messi is that he can do what they do upfront, but if needs be he’ll play left back, and he’d probably do it better than your left back!
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@Man Utd Jaluo:
Grognard would never be stupid enough to buy a Djemba Djemba because I would put my ability to judge talent up against anyone. How many players have I fought for and supported and hoped United would buy who have gone on to prove me right on other teams? Too many to mention. And I still don’t think I’m wrong about Huntelaar either. Yes his confidence right now is at an all time low and he has sucked of late but I still believe the lad has great talent. Nevertheless, I am generally very accurate in my appraisal of player’s talent and I take great pride in it. Now if only Fergie could see that and hire me, life would then be sublime. But then again, I would never work for the Glazer’s, so Red Knights, be on notice, Grognard is available. 
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@godzilla: You are right for all the reasons you gave but I still believe his attitude and positive feelings over the Glazer’s infuriates me while he shows indifference to the thousands of concerned and disenfranchised supporters who are getting a royally screw over by the Glazer’s. And lets not forget his blatant lies. He lis lying through his teeth about transfer money being available to him because nothing in his history has ever told us that he is that thrifty with other people’s money and he generally has loved to go out and overpay for talent he desperately wanted. So why all of a sudden a 180 degree shift in his attitude towards buying players? He has no money to spend and continues to support and protect a regime that has betrayed his club, his supporters and his ability to improve the club.
He has done an incredible job with the players he has but that should not take away or blind us from the fact that he has stabbed all us fans in the back yet again. Lets not forget how he turned his back on the FC United group that so counted on hi support when United was bought by the Glazer’s. He is not about the fans, because if he was, he would not tolerate what has been happening and he would challenge the owners to prove all of us wrong. He hasn’t. Instead he has hidden himself in this cocoon and avoided all the controversy in order to protect his players and staff because all he is really concerned with these days is his legacy. He wants more trophies and he knows rocking the boat will end his tenure as manager.
He reminds me of a woman who is in a bad marriage but stays around because she is too scared to live alone and without all the creature comforts her marriage offers here, even if respect and love is not part of the pact. He has sold his soul to the Devils that are the Glazer’s and one day there will be a reckoning. He has cast his trust and support with the wrong group and one day he will realize this. Regardless of the great job he is doing, he has betrayed all of us by not supporting our righteous and proper cause. He is part of the corporate and corrupt machine that is the Glazer’s ownership and for that, he has to answer for, just like Gill.
The Fergie I knew was a cutthroat when it came to buying and selling players to improve the club. No way would the pre Glazer Fergie hold on to Neville, Scholes and Giggs well into their 30′s. He does so now because he has no alternative.
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@Grognard: One day they have to sell, that i am on same verse with you. But regarding selling Rooney and the club and then run away, i think that would have a big effect on what the buyers would want to pay for the club. Which i think would be alot compared to what they would get from the sale of Rooney.
I well understand that the kind of playing staff that a team has also adds value to its market price, and keeping in mind that the money collected from Roos sale wont be entirely for the Glazers’. However Rooney’s sale would drastically reduce the possible sell fee. I dont think they (Glazers’) are that stupid to take that lane.
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@Grognard: You are stupid enough to buy Djema2 bcoz you have advocated a lot for Huntelaar and he is nothing different than Djemba2
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@godzilla: One more thing. You ask why would Fergie risk hurting his players and the team’s performance by getting vocal and negative with the Glazer’s? Well he wouldn’t simply because the team’s long term future it seems does not concern him. His present squad and winning with is all that concerns him. He is protecting them against all this anti-Glazer stuff because he simply wants to win trophies. Well I say to Hell with the winning and the trophies. Stop thinking like Field Marshall Montgomery and always playing it safe by not committing to a major battle that will kill many in order to win the war. Instead, he should think like Patton and live by the creedo that in order to make an omelet, you have to break some eggs.
My point is that in order to save United for the long run, we must sacrifice our success in the short term by rebelling against the regime that threatens to destroy Man Utd. He misses this and would rather shelter himself and his players so that he can win one more Champions League before he retires and also beat the record he now shares with the hated Liverpool for most titles. This more than United’s long term health and future is consuming him and he is wrong. He should have taken a stand against the owners and challenged the,. What would they do, sack him? They wouldn’t dare because they know doing that would cause everything to self destruct around them. He has all the power to perfect a coup from within and yet chooses to do nothing. And for that I will always be very disappointed and hurt by him.
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@Grognard: Milan were playing with 10 guys .Why???Bcoz Park had kept Pirlo in his pocket through out the match and Pirlo is the supply line for their attackers.He scored also.He scored against Arsenal and that was a great run with super finishing.So give the lad his deserved credit.
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@godzilla: The reason he ends up on his ass so much is because he has very poor technique and balance. Also, he has a very short lower body and a long upper one which doesn’t help. Basically, a low center of gravity. When you have very poor fundamental technique, you end up on your ass a lot. Not a great asset for a football player but great for anyone who likes to go to the water slides.
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@EduardoDaVinci4: Yes but just watch him shut up and run once the Red Knights approach him and ask him to support their cause against the Glazer’s. At times like that, most of our legends will forsake the fans so that they are not cast out of the club that is Man United alumni. The Glazer’s could put a ban on them ever being invited back for anything and they don’t want that. So they will stay neutral. At the end of the day, even our most beloved legends will forsake us and betray us because the fans are secondary to the club;s demands of them and the old boys network that is permanently linked to the club, and thus cannot betray the club. Fans mean nothing to players because we don’t directly pay them. We indirectly do. Most player if honest, would say they hate fans and are creeped out by them because they have no freedom in their lives and cannot enjoy their lives because of the fans adoration of them. They basically want their cake and eat it too. Cheer for me but then leave me the fuck alone. Players are after all, millionaires and only a small few really honor and care about the fans over the club and their selfish and personal needs.
Do you honestly think a player like Ronaldo gives a rats ass about the millions that adore him? How about Ronaldinho, Drogba, Terry, Lampard and others? They couldn’t care less. On our club I see a player like Evra, Neville, and a few more who actually seem to acknowledge and care about the fans. The rest just care about the game and the money they make, and they will not sacrifice that for the needs of the fans or for a cause that concerns the fans. Our one major hope is to get someone who is not afraid to commit and rock the boat, someone who is controversial and non conformist to join the revolution. We must get Cantona to commit to the cause. Get him on board and then maybe more will follow. Fail to convince him and that tactic will fail miserably.
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@Dash37: Welcome mate. I agree with your take on Valencia. Also, your English seems just fine to me. Hope to hear more from you as you join in our debates from now on. Don’t hide, reside.
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@Jay wire: Nothing Park ever does will make me feel we would not be better served with a truly great player being on the pitch instead of him. The game is about scoring goals and skill. He offers none of the above. I have spoken in the past about how the English have this thing for effort, running and general track and field qualities in players. I don’t. I love players who have skill, desire and above all, creative imagination. Park has only deire to fall back on and none of those other necessary attributes. S o for me he is a total waste of time and space. He is not a football player, but a pest. I don’t watch the game to see pests destroy the flow and beauty of the game. He doesn’t always ruin the flow and beauty of the opposition, but of our own attack. So for all of you fickle band wagon jumpers who think he is the greatest thing since Shanghai Noodles, I say you are wrong and he will once again begin to frustrate you and piss you off. Just give him time. Someone so talentless will always find ways to disappoint. He is however in the form of his life, but I do not expect this to last and his lack of skill does not endure me to him nor will it ever.
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@Traverse: Beautifully said. Totally agree. I’m glad you pointed out how frustrated Berbatov was in him because he lacks the common sense vision and it’s also hard to pick out a teammate when you always have your head down.
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@Beachryan: Mate I originally come from Edmonton. We all never believed back in 1988 that the owner of hockey’s Edmonton Oilers would ever contemplate selling the greatest player in the game and of all time. It was unthinkable and yet one summer day in 1988, we were all shocked into reality when he indeed did the unthinkable. You see, he didn’t think like a loyalist sports fan or lover of the team and city. He thought like a greedy businessman and was looking for ways to pay of debts and to make money on an asset which was still marketable and could maximize it’s potential in a sale before age and diminished skills made him less of an asset. So the owner sold him and never gave a damn what the fans in Edmonton and Canada for that matter thought.
The Glazer’s are not English mate, and they do not reside in Manchester. They have no allegiance or loyalty to the community. If an offer that was absurd and in the area of what they got for Ronaldo is offered to them, I can see them taking it and then also accepting the Red Knights improved offer soon after. Take the money and run is a tactic that I could see them employing in such a situation. The fans and citizens of Manchester and even England have made it perfectly clear to the Glazer’s that they are not liked, wanted or appreciated and that the sooner they are gone, the better for all concerned. So tell me then, why would you think they would never consider one last stab in all our collective backs? Sure, Rooney could possibly refuse to go and Fergie could threaten to quit, but in the game of professional football I have learned that managers and players do not always think like us fans. I would never rule out the impossible. I’ve seen the impossible happen too many times. Wayne Gretzky also loved Edmonton but he agreed to the trade that sent him to Los Angeles. Why? Because nobody wants to play for owners who do not respect or appreciate them.
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@Jay Jay: If the buyers are the Red Knights, the sale of Rooney would not affect the proposed sale. It’s about the team and it’s history, not just one player. If I was the Glazer’s and i was feeling stressed out and forced to sell, I would consider the offer but I would want to stick it those who hate me so and who are messing with my ability to extort from the club I legally own. I would accept the offer to buy but before I did that, I would work out a deal to sell Rooney just to spite the fans and offer my bit of revenge in return. Sure Rooney would have to agree, but never forget, no matter how loyal he is, he is a footballer and footballers are all mercenaries at heart and are also not the brightest bulbs in a dimly lit room. They are easily seduced and can be convinced of many things. I would never assume he wouldn’t go, especially with the knowledge that Fergie will not be his manager forever.
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@owen: You are welcome to your opinion but for my one Huntelaar fetish, I have dozens of other examples of players I predicted greatness from and who I wanted us to buy when they were not a household name, but who are now. Ronaldo, Arshavin, Torres, Ballack, Silva, Lahm, Messi, Aguero and many others. Occasionally one will end up a dud, and yet I still believe in Huntelaar like so many on here believe in lost causes like Anderson and Foster. So sue me.
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@owen: The number one and two reason we beat Milan so badly had nothing to do with Park watching Pirlo so closely. And for Christ’s sakes why do so many build up Pirlo to the point where he is Maradona? He’s good, but not the world beater he is being made out to be. He is well past his prime. Anyway, the reason for Milan’s demise was their lack of pace as a team and the inability and unwillingness of the front three to track back and support the defense. Ronaldinho especially never crossed the halfway line to assist his team defensively. You cannot win at this level if players are not fully committed or in shape to play box to box.
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@Grognard: Look a good team is not that which scores 5 each game but opposition scores 6 against you.Defence is key part and Fergie knows this better than us particularly in Europe.So he has specified a job for each player and Park has got that defensive one.So he does it.He is a good attacker and has proved it for Korea lot of times and particularly in world cup.He was the star and gave some great performances.
I have some sympathy for him bcoz he never gets games against Wolves or Bolton but against heavy weights.So it is not always easy to produce those performances.How can you expect someone to dominate against the likes of Xavi,Fabregas for the entire period in the match.Against the smaller teams Nani plays average and everone starts shouting what talent this guy has got.
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@Grognard: Come on Grognard… it’s dollars (pounds) and sense (pense). United is a product. If you sell Rooney the product is worth considerably less – the expected profits of the club would go down due to loss of Rooney would likely affect on-field success. Hence, if they indeed want to sell United (and make stupid money on the way) they would ensure that everyone was at their best on the day of the sale.
Rooney is probably worth 100-200 million pounds if he is on our team and Glazers will never make that much if they sell him. Soccernomics, anyone?
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@Grognard: I disagree. The fact that their attacking trio was so toothless was ONLY because Pirlo was taken out of the game by Park. I don’t know how you can disagree with that or say that if Ronaldinho/Hunter/Boriello had been the worlds greatest defenders + attackers, Milan would have won?
If you cover a tiger’s mouth, it wont bite you — Park covered Pirlo to death so that Milan never bit us.
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@owen: You must think you are replying to an idiot. I have watched and studied this game for forty frakken years mate. I think I am qualified enough as well as intelligent enough to understand the intricacies of the game and what is needed and what is not.
Just call me a student of the old school attacking ways of the game. I am not against defense but then again I have never been a proponent of the DMF or the idea of sacrificing one or two of my midfielders for just defensive purposes. I do not like a lot of the modern managers and chess players who have invented ways to prevent the game from offering goals as well as entertainment. There have been to negative scourges that have left a lasting but negative imprint on the game through it’s short history. Catenaccio and the invention of the Makelele-like defensive midfielder. Frankly the game was better without either. I am a firm believer that if a team has more than one quality midfielder with skill and imagination, no defensive scheme or specialized defensive midfielders can stop them. Barcelona have both Iniesta and Xavi and therefore, they are almost impossible to stop and highly entertaining and effective.
Players like park only offer a negative one dimensional approach to the game which for me is anti-football and mostly, anti-United. I much prefer a Roy Keane who can be both a defensive and physical menace but also have the skill and vision to create and score goals. I above all love the game for it’s attacking beauty and for goals, not preventing them with a stop at all costs mentality that zaps the lifeblood out of the game. There is a reason why FIFA and UEFA continually kiss the asses of Barcelona and Madrid. For all their evils the two teams play an attacking and attractive offensive game and do little to ruin their style by offering defense only players. Still, they have Toure, Keita, and the endless supply of fucking Diarra’s in the game who are there for those games where cowardice takes over ambition and courage.
If it was up to me, every talentless Diarra, Makelele, Palacios, Mascherano, Mikel, of the world would be banned from the game because they offer nothing attractive or substantial. I want two central midfielders who have skill and who can both play box to box. Or at least one who can play box to box. As for Park, what’s tragic about him is he isn’t even a defensive central midfielder. He is a winger. The greatest crime a manager can do is to take a creative or attacking position like winger or wide midfielder and turn that into a defensive position. Fergie has done that every time he includes Park into a game. He turns our attack into a one dimensional and predictable attack because if I was the opposing manager, I would concentrate on double teaming the winger on the opposite side of the pitch as Park will do nothing to hurt me in 9/10 games. Yet he has the occasional game like Wednesday where he is everybody’s favorite little Asian boy toy and the flavor of the moment. Well I’m not biting. For me he is now and always will be a waste of time and space and a player who forces our team to play like we are down to ten men every time we are on the attack.
Today’s game is so defensive minded with the use of the DMF or in some cases 2 DMF’S, that I wonder why some teams with great midfielder talent don’t put one out on the field and just attack in mass since the other team has not come to play with any attacking and threatening ambition. I appreciate defense but not extreme defense. As many know on here, I absolutely despise Italian football for it’s cowardice and for all the negative things they have brought to the game. Above all, I hate them for screwing with the mind of Sir Alex Ferguson so much so, that he has abandoned the United way of playing football for the Italian approach. For those who care only about results, I salute him and you, but for those who care about the beauty and esthetic of the game, I have nothing but pity and sympathy. The modern game sucks in comparison to the way it used to be played. Just watch the 1970 and 1974 World Cup to see how the game should be played. Skill, flair and determination, not cowardice, caution and park the bus thinking, with cynical fouling and cheating as the mantra for success.
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: You are missing my point. My point is that there is a building pressure on the Glazer’s to sell. They see that their long term future and hope of holding on to United may be very difficult. In that kind of scenario where the pressure to keep something that is not willing to be kept, one looks for an escape strategy where he can maximize his potential and run. If the Glazer’s are in a position where holding on to the team is not only impossible, but dangerous and untenable, then they might accept an offer to sell. But before they do that, I can see them trying to stick it to the Red Knights and especially to the legions of fans that have shown such hatred to them.
What better way to advertise your departure than to include a scorched earth policy? Burn the club before you go. Sell their most beloved and valuable asset and then take the proceeds from that sale with you along with the money you get from a sale and leave the team with the debt and no Rooney and Ronaldo. If I was them, that’s what I would do. And I’m generally a nice guy, where all they are is greedy cunts. It’s about sweet revenge and sticking it to those who forced you to leave and sell. If the Glazer’s were Mancunians born and bred or even just citizens of the UK, they would not contemplate such a betrayal. But they aren’t, they are Floridians and they could care less about what the fans think of them once they have raped and pillaged the club and fucked off back to the US. Think about it mate. If they were well liked and truly committed to stay because they loved the club and honored the fans, they would never do it. But they don’t so the gloves can come off and all is fair in love and war.
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: I didn’t say that. I gave you the two biggest reasons as to why Milan lost the game. It was not the only reasons and Park’s job on Pirlo was also a major contributing factor. But Park watching Pirlo is also not the sole reason for victory. Pirlo is no longer that good, nor has he ever been. Much ado about nothing. When you run up against a team that is quicker, faster and more hungry than you and your forwards do not make the effort to track back and assist a defensive under siege, then what exactly do you expect. Overall age, lack of pace and a poor work ethic is what mostly cost Milan mate, not JS Park marking one player out of a game. Hell I consider the job Neville did on Ronaldinho to be more vital to our victory than what Park did to Pirlo. And I am not even a die hard Neville fan. Milan had more than one tiger that could bite. The fact that the tigers were all fat old and toothless was the main reason.
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@Grognard: Nah. You never hear about companies being bought out but before the sale, they off-load their best workers and managers. Worst-case for the buyer: The seller takes the best workers with them to start a new company. However, the Glazers will not take United players to play for Tampa Bay Buccaneers or any MLS team.
Rooney will not be sold. EVER. And that’s a fact.
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Another Fergusonism:
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@[OPTI]Madschester United:
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That is the giggle-loop!
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@Grognard: When Makelele was sold by Madrid,Zidane told that you are selling the engine and buying the showpiece parts.Whem Chelsea bought the stats at their peak,then also Makelele was voted as their player of the season.Were they fool or had they no knowledge of the game.Iniesta and Xavi never looses possesion.So there the role of these type of players is less.What about our club.Everytime the midfield looses ball.There were no established defenders this season.Then the use of SUPER PARK comes.He covers each n every blade of grass.Berbatov shouts at him .Why???Bcoz he is humble and modest.Berba cant have the right to shout bcoz he is even more useless in sense of the input and the output he has given to the club.
So mate leave the past 40 years of experience.The time has changed.Even Fergie has changed mate.Now each player is defender unless he has the ball.Look at Spurs.The Russian cant play bcoz of this and he is far better than their whole strikers.
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warm and fuzzy Johnny Evans’ interview
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@Grognard: There’s one problem with that though Grog – the player has to be willing to go. You can’t just ship an unwilling player out the door without player agreement. Rooney has a contract, and he will renew it soon, then the Glazers cannot sell if the player refuses to go, and says he is willing to see out his contract (which is his right) until the bitter end – then Glazers will lose out big time. Because Fergie will stand by the Rooney contract I believe
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: Mmmmm not quite sure about that OPTI – because Milan did have their chances and missed 3 absolute sitters. Especially when Becks came on, two Milan players missed sitters. So attack was toothless, but not because Pirlo was marked out, but because their strikers were once again unable to capitalise on their chances on the night!
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@CraigMc:If the Glazers (B x3!) employ Viking style raiding and raping tactics on Rooney’s family, Rooney will leave United
Them Glazers are the devil!
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: Mate, you are really missing the point. The Glazer’s would not be selling to another investor/entrepreneur looking for a wise investment. They would be off loading a team to a bunch of committed United fans who would buy it no matter the condition. That is why I could see them doing it. I completely agree that if they were selling to some rich Middle Eastern group that they would not dare diminish the value of the club, but as far as the Red Knights go, there motto will be, “you want it bad enough, well here it is, minus Rooney”. Never underestimate the maliciousness of powerful people who are in a position to stick it to you. Red Knights would buy the club with or without Rooney. The Glazer’s would stand to benefit more by selling at a specific take it or leave it price but by also selling one or two key assets just before the takeover. And why? Because they can and because they would like nothing better than to stick it to all those fans who walk around in green and gold and who carry signs that say “Love United Hate Glazer”. I hate their guts but to be honest, if I was in their shoes, I’d love to stick it to those who forced me out and who showed hatred towards me.
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@owen: Because Makelele had become the figurehead of a symptom and disease that has taken over the game. Stop the other guy at all costs. It used to be beat the other guy by outscoring him. Today with all the money and the premium being put not at getting 3 points but avoiding zero points, the majority of teams play to avoid losing or getting embarrassed. When Catenaccio was introduced in Italy, it was designed to stop the big attacking clubs at the time like Inter and Juventus. It proved to be so successful that that Inter and Juventus started using it also. That was the big mistake and crime. Rich and large clubs do not need Makelele’s. They need Keane’s, Fabregas’ and Hargreaves’. Players with defensive ability but also skill and imagination to attack. I love box to box midfielders. Fletcher has become one. Carrick is one also. Ballack is probably one of the greatest ever. Players who can attack but also defend. Where I like attack only midfielders like Riquelme, Diego, Iniesta and Ribery, I absolutely loathe defense only midfielders.
Makalele was a luxury to Madrid because at the time of Zdane and Figo, Madrid could afford to have him sweep up and be one dimensional because they had so many attacking weapons. But most teams aren’t built with that much talent and to delegate defense only duties to one or two midfielders is a disgrace and a discredit to the great game. And nothing you or anyone else says can change my mind. The game was just fine before they invented that crappy DMF position and one day innovative managers will once again scrap it and move towards attacking football again because all these things are completely cyclical in nature.
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@owen: As for Berba, he is an artist. the football pitch for him is like canvas was to Da Vinci. For Park the canvas is a flat surface where he can take a bucket of paint and throw it at. For some people that is art. I won’t try to force you to understand the difference. Lets just say I much prefer the beauty of Berbatov with all his flaws, over the three lung hustle and lack of skill of one JS Park. To each his own.
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@CraigMc: I realize that but I have also seen in the past players who never wanted to leave but were bullied into leaving and who were sufficiently seduced and manipulated by the interested team into coming to play for them. Rooney might consider it if the Glazer’s insult him by not offering him a new contract and if it looks like the end is coming for Fergie. Don’t get me wrong, I agree with your statement. It’s just I have seen players leave teams that I never thought would ever happen. In this age of money and power, nothing surprises me anymore. If a team can unceremoniously discard it’s legends like Keane, Beckham, RVN without a hesitation, then why shouldn’t the odd legend stick it to United and Fergie in the same way. I think Madrid has a lot of power and sleazy skill in seducing players. Rooney would be a tough sell though.
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: Have you ever met Rooneys family mate – they are hard nosed scouse GITS who are not easily seduced by anybody trying to rape, seduce or pillage. We will have to see if Rooney himself can be bought, and IF he can, then some folk on here will have to eat their Rooney is a legend words. Rooney said he wants to stay at United for life, so we will see whether he is just a SHIT merchant, or he really does want to be a United legend like Becks. I think Fergie sees Rooney as a Cantona hard nosed character, and like Cantona he will say – I cant understand why Ronaldo or any footballer would willingly leave Man United. That statement itself revealed Cantona’s legendary status continues
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@Grognard: He’s an artist all right – a con-artist of the first order!!
The guy can’t even run the length of the pitch without a wheeze and a pant, but he’s got you all believing he’s the second coming.
This man can’t hold a candle to likes of Park, Scholes and Rooney.
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