Red Rants

Most of you might have heard about the Premier League’s plan to increase the number of games to 39 and play the extra game abroad. I am not sure what many of you think, but to me this is one of the most arrogant decisions ever made by the Premier League. Now I am not saying that it is a bad business decision. The potential at overseas markets are huge, especially for clubs like United. In fact, if a mid table side played a ‘big four’ team abroad, they will attract fans because of the presence of the big four club. Due to the neutral nature of the venue, I would assume that the gate receipts will be split equally — which is only fair. The clubs will stand to make more money — which is all there is to it, really.

But all that is besides my point.

Continue reading “The Most Insanely Arrogant Plan”

This is to enlighten readers of this site that Soccerlens has launched it’s first Blogging Awards.

I would also like to mention that this site was not nominated for any of the categories. But then, as you may have seen, I don’t write for awards. They are incidental, you know — actually pointless. And of course, I certainly have more class than these lowly awards. I mean, who cares?

Oh, and a fox cried “Sour Grapes!”.

Anyway, honestly though, I would recommend you all to head over to Soccerlens and vote for the various categories — and trust me, there are quite a few excellent blogs out there; some of which you may have never heard of before. Personally, I was pleased to see top notch ones like 200Percent and Pitch Invasion get nominated, among others.

More than the voting, such awards serve to bring into focus a lot of quality content on the web that one may not have stumbled upon earlier, and this is a good chance for readers to find more such blogs to waste time.

Happy voting.

As reported elsewhere, Manchester United have signed 19-year old Brazilian Rodrigo Possebon from Internacional. The management rate him highly (quotes from Brian McClair below):

Continue reading “What Will Sir Alex Do With Rodrigo Possebon?”

One cold and bitter Thursday in Munich, Germany,
Seven great football stalwarts conceded victory,
Seven men will never play again who met destruction there,
The flowers of English football, the flowers of Manchester

Matt Busby’s boys were flying, returning from Belgrade,
This great United family, all masters of their trade,
The pilot of the aircraft and the skipper Captain Thain,
Three times they tried to take her up and twice turned back again.

The third time down the runaway disaster followed close,
There was ice upon the wings and the aircraft never rose,
It ran upon the marshy ground, it broke, it overturned.
And seven of the team were killed when the battered aircraft burned.

Roger Byrne and Tommy Taylor who were capped for England’s side.
And Ireland’s Billy Whelan and England’s Geoff Bent died,
Mark Jones and Eddie Colman, and David Pegg also,
Before the blazing wreckage went ploughing through the snow.

The trainer, coach and secretary, and a member of the crew,
Also eight sporting journalists who with United flew,
and one of them was Big Swifty, we never will forget,
the greatest English ‘keeper who ever graced a net.

They said that Duncan Edwards had an injury to his brain,
They said that Jackie Blanchflower would never play again,
Matt Busby he was lying there, the father of the team
Six months or more did pass before he saw another game

Oh, England’s finest football team its record truly great,
its proud successes mocked by a cruel turn of fate.
Seven men will never play again, who met destruction there,
the flowers of English football, the flowers of Manchester

- The Flowers of Manchester

The official Manchester United site has an outstanding tribute lined up for everyone throughout the day. I think they have done a great job at the end of it all — AIG or no AIG — and everyone involved must be lauded for the efforts. I am sure I cannot write a post to do justice to the tragedy as it is not easy for me to write about something that happened many years before I was even born and expect to appropriately give it’s due. It’s not just United’s loss but that of English football as a whole and it is a shame that not many so-called English fans get that. Anyway, today is not a day to complain, therefore I would advise everyone to head over to Manutd.com and read the huge material on offer as well as documentaries available online for the whole day.

Here’s hoping that some idiots don’t spoil the one minute silence that is to be observed when England take on Switzerland today.

Amen.

If I can start off by clarifying one thing from my previous column. In no way did I mean to suggest that we should never sign young, unproven players - I’ve seen Anderson play this season, and I’ve seen how Ronaldo developed. If our opposing bidders are top-flight European clubs, there is no second bite of the cherry so you have to take the first. But when our competition is a lesser club…that’s when we can stand back and play the long game. Aaaaaanyway, onwards to today’s article.

You might say that this is a great season to be a United fan, and that we have a strong chance of winning either the League, the Champions League or both. You might also reflect that we have a young squad, with plenty of strength in depth and room for improvement, and that the squad is better than last year’s equivalent. You might then add, as the icing on the cake, that we have two once-in-a-generation talents playing for us. And I would agree with everything you said.

Continue reading “The Doomsday Scenario”

It hasn’t been a good weekend, has it? Not only did United drop points, but when I briefly shifted my attention to NFL and the New England Patriots, they choked against the New York Giants — so much for going unbeaten all season. A really bad weekend, I tell you.

Anyway, after a brief hiatus from the customary daily roundups we return to it once again. Sit back, pick up your coffee (if it’s morning in your timezone) and read on.

Continue reading “A Return to Roundups”

Thanks for all your responses to my first column, and thanks once again to RR for allowing me to inflict my views on you. Without further ado, here’s number two.

It was so uneventful that it may have passed you by (it nearly did me), but the transfer window closed on Thursday night. And totally underwhelming it was for a United fan, too. We signed Manucho, and then loaned him out.

That’s it.

The arguments about the merits of the January transfer window are well rehearsed, and its dangers illustrated vividly by the lukewarm reception given to (and worse performances given by) Evra and Vidic when they arrived this time two years ago. But I read the rumours, and the quotes, and I’d like to divine some meaning out of events and put them into context.

Continue reading “Fergie Happy to Take Second Bite”

Let’s get this straight: United didn’t deserve the point.

One may argue about United throwing everything at Spurs, towards the end, but then it is only natural to do that when you are behind by a goal.

Continue reading “Tottenham 1-1 Man Utd: Tevez Rescues Point”

This post was written yesterday but for some reason didn’t show up on the blog. Oh well, read it for your own amusement. Match report will follow…

SAF has admitted ahead of today’s game against Spurs that he has a major headache in picking the right combination of players in his central midfield position.

That was a problem I was expecting once Scholes returned from injury. It is a happy headache, no doubt, but the boss will have to summon his greatest powers of man management, while simultaneously making sure he doesn’t go the Rafa “the tinkerer” Benitez way.

Continue reading “Tottenham 1-1 Man Utd: Preview”

I don’t know how many of you watched our FA Cup game against Spurs on the BBC. I did, and in between the usual inane banter in the studio and the consistently good commentary of Jonathan Pearce (please retire, Motty, and take Lawrenson with you), was a strong theme. The excellence of Dimitar Berbatov was constantly referred to, with all the usual cliches, and with many a mention of how he is United’s “number one target for the summer”.

This is not the place to debate that move. It’s been done lots, and I don’t have a lot new to say on him at the moment. However, it put me back in mind of a long term strategy which has been in place at United for some time now. It is simultaneously the reason why we will look to buy someone like Berbatov, and the way we will fit that player into our side. It is the Super-Galactico strategy, and its importance is underestimated by nearly all the journalists, pundits and fans who give their views on our beloved club.

Continue reading “Fergie’s Super-Galactico Dream”