Jul 31
So How Does One Define Tapping Up?
This comes fresh off the Madrid press. Well not fresh exactly but outrageous nonetheless. Ramon Calderon has again, not surprisingly, opened his mouth. Consider this from the Telegraph:
“[United and Ronaldo] will talk next week and if, after this conversation, United decide to sell him, then of course Madrid will be there. This is a problem that wasn’t created by Real Madrid. Madrid are just spectators in this soap opera. At the moment Manchester United and the player are in an argument and Madrid are waiting. Obviously, it’s clear that we want Cristiano with the quality that he has, but there is a contractual problem that United and the player have to resolve, not us.”
First of all Calderon seems to be able to tell whether United and Ronaldo will have another talk about his future despite Ferguson confirming a few weeks ago that he’s had a chat with Ronaldo. Another statement that he throws around as if it were fact is that United and Ronaldo are ‘having an argument’. Argument? I don’t know how that would go but I can take a shot.
Ronaldo: I would like to make my decision in a few weeks.
David Gill and Ferguson: Son, you are going nowhere.
Ronaldo: But I am yet to make a decision. Tomorrow you never know.
David Gill: Wrong. We know what will happen tomorrow. If you are alive tomorrow, you are a Manchester United player. If not, then well, you are dead and hence, a free agent. Your ghost would then blend well with the whites of Madrid.
Ronaldo: But er… God… my future… up to Him?
SAF: Save the God card for your player of the year awards, son. I am God here. And I say you’re staying. We are not having this discussion anymore. You can leave the hair dryer with the secretary on your way out and collect your hair gel from there — you could use some right now. [Slams door on way out of the room]
So I don’t see where the argument part comes from.
But all that is the least of what we should be concerned about. What we really need to ask is why, despite all the shenanigans, haven’t Real Madrid launched any bid and yet feel the need — like it was their divine right — to talk about Ronaldo all season?
And they compare this two faced twat to Alex Ferguson. The nerve!
But that’s not all, Mr. Two-Face goes on with this gem:
“Will he [Ronaldo] persuade the club to let him go? I can’t say that. That question is for the player, who has publicly said his dream is to play for Madrid. We hear those words with pride and satisfaction but his departure doesn’t only depend on Cristiano. United are the ones that have to sort it out and it will either happen or not.“
Well, thank you sir for giving us this privilege. Thanks for allowing us to have a say in sorting this out with Ronaldo. We shall be ever so grateful. As a mark of our gratitude, we’ll offer you Louis Saha for a cut-price £3m deal. Take it, he’s worth it. Every single balsa fragment.
Of course, all this will be done before you, sir, answer our simple question: How do you define tapping up? [Please answer without looking it up in your dictionary]
Meanwhile, the physio, who’s been giving the apple of everyone’s eye a nice gentle foot massage, has just managed to get his 15 seconds of fame, when he said Ronaldo is working real hard on his fitness to be back in two months.
Well, we can live with that.
And basically I can feel satisfied and end my rant for the day. I will keep you posted if something interesting shows up worth talking about. Till then, I shall leave the stage to you. Don’t forget that the fantasy league is still open for people interested to join. Details and prizes, click here.
Related items from Red Rants:
- How to Buy a Player From Spurs: A Primer
- United beat Posh + Media Froth As Ronaldo Returns (Apparently)
- Some NOTW Nonsense + Community Shield Preview
- Spurs, Levy, Ferguson and Berbatov
- On Premier League’s new media rules
Tags: Daily Roundup
July 31st, 2008 at 9:58
Ha ha ha. A Fu*ing brilliant piece.
July 31st, 2008 at 10:00
And its not just calderon that’s a classless and tastelesss pice of shit. Everyone from the top of that club to the bottom is the same. just take a look at the most popular RM english blog on oleole: http://www.oleole.com/blogs/realmadridtalk. You will laugh you head off, it’s that childish and arrogant.
July 31st, 2008 at 10:02
“You know what I am, Harvey? I’m a dog chasing cars. I wouldn’t know what to do if I caught one. I just DO things.”
Yeah, that reminds me of Calderon alright…
July 31st, 2008 at 10:04
lol. what a f*ggot this Calderon guy is. I never liked Real Madrid before and this ronaldo saga is making me dislike them even more! I hope they lose again the CL this year. They might win the spanish championiship though as Barca and competition do not seem to be strong enough for Real. But come CL, hope they get kicked out like last year!
July 31st, 2008 at 10:04
Fecking brilliant!
Awsome!
“Ronaldo: But er… God… my future… up to Him?
SAF: Save the God card for your player of the year awards, son. I am God here. And I say you’re staying. We are not having this discussion anymore. You can leave the hair dryer with the secretary on your way out and collect your hair gel from there” The best part.
July 31st, 2008 at 10:07
I hope we beat Real in the CL final next season. That will make my day. I hate Real soo much!
Oh, and Calderon is a twat.
July 31st, 2008 at 10:08
Tapping up in my opinion is when a club has contact with another clubs player without permission…how does Calderon know that Ronaldo wil have “talks” with United next week? or that there is some kind of argument…?Maybe he has contact? the fuck is just full of shit and now he says Madrid are spectators??wtf?Imagine the things someone like Cantona(if he were manager) would reply to all this bullshit…?I wish Fergie could hit back a bit more
July 31st, 2008 at 10:25
Real have been disgraceful thoughout this episode, trying to create a problem between us and Ronaldo in order to bring this players price tag down. This is surely obvious as they have failed to make a bid for the player. What do UEFA do nothing, except say that two English clubs in the CL final is bad for football and a player on £4m a year is a slave.
We did the right thing standing up to Real, but the whole business from the player, UEFA and Real does leave a very bitter taste.
July 31st, 2008 at 10:27
I’m gonna make another comment on the article in a little while, but I was just setting up my team in Fantasy League and came across Arsenal’s team (my bad, but they play West Brom at home in the first match). Is it just me, or do their midfield look awfully weakened? They have lost all the steel from last season and now only have flair and creativity – Fabregas, Rosicky, Nasri, are their main players, and they have Diaby and Denilson taking over from Flamini and Gilberto. I think, they’ll need to add someone who can break play down, if they want to be succesful. But I still think, they’ll beat WB at home
July 31st, 2008 at 10:28
@RedDevil: Hell no!!! I do not want to see Real anywhere near the CL final!!!
Lets kick their asses twice in the group stages and ensure that they do not even qualify for the knock out stages!!!
July 31st, 2008 at 10:30
@Tomas: I don’t care about Arsenal mate!!!
July 31st, 2008 at 10:33
I live in Spain and saw Schuster on every news channel last night. He was having a real strop about not knowing who will be bought or sold ‘cos he’s the last to know and nobody asks his opinion. Real Madrid is a joke of a club. How they manage to win anything is beyond me.
July 31st, 2008 at 10:33
Lmfao! Very funny RR, just what we needed, a bit of humour. But seriously, thats about the gist of it. Red or Dead!
July 31st, 2008 at 10:57
@Stephen: Well I don’t either. You could also have chosen to see my comment about them as if I’m pleased that our chances are even better. I’m not concerned about Arsenal, but I do like the look of things for us. I have now made my team, and the team name reflects this article a bit, because I find it good reading.
I love the conversation bit… that’s just hillarious.
About how to tap up players. Every sinlge comment from Calderon this summer have been made to unsettle Ronaldo. He’s smart enough to make even his defensive remarks come out in a manner that can only be interpreted in one way. Unfortunately you can’t be punished for things said between the lines.
A real man with the least shred of dignity would never stoop to Calderon’s level. He’s down on his knees and sucking the portuguese stuff, because he knows, his presidency hangs in a thin thread. He acts out of panic and is there anything sader than seeing a man begging someone for anything… even if it is between the lines? Not in my world. He’s become Ronaldo’s little bitch, and I love it.
Schuster’s recent remarks confirm this, because Calderon has completely lost it. He’s now deap throating our player, and that decreases the oxygen reaching his brain. Hence his statements about what goes on in our club. Fortunately SAF and Gill don’t comment on these matters, because they would be misinterpreted immediately and turned into Calderon’s favour, making his efforts look fair.
I hope that we set the standards of how to (not) do business with Real Madrid, and I hope that every other club learns from this, so that Real will get even more desperate and fall below mediocrity (both as a club and team). Calderon knows their team is no where near the best in the world right now, and hence he’s on the way out of the club (and all the money that come through “donations” from sponsors aso).
Unfortunately for Sepp Blatter, this means a serious decrease in his allowance from Real Madrid as well. Fucking wanker.
Love this article RR. Good fun.
July 31st, 2008 at 11:01
Oh and btw. Weren’t there a time, when we could change formations in Fantasy? Can’t seem to do it anymore…
July 31st, 2008 at 11:02
@Tomas: I was only joking mate, I agree with your point all style no substance.
July 31st, 2008 at 11:04
Great rant RR, really enjoyed it.
July 31st, 2008 at 11:05
@Stephen: I kind of knew that. I was mostly doing therapeutical work on myself, because I’ve actually chosen players from both Arsenal and Liverscum
July 31st, 2008 at 11:07
@Tomas: Judas!!!
July 31st, 2008 at 11:11
@Stephen: LOL – yeah I know, but I have on my cilice belt, when I make these decisions, so it’s ok
July 31st, 2008 at 11:12
So, the grease lightning will be returning this year, which raises an interesting question for me: what do we do in that year to change his mind?
Make no mistake, I believe his actions this summer have tarnished him, and I am loathe to now stand up for him like I did before. However. He is still a United player, and probably the best one at our club (assuming he heals completely). Therefore I would say that over the next 9 months we need to do everything we can to make him want to stay, now that he’s had his flirt with Madrid, hopefully for a very long time.
If we can somehow convince him to pledge his allegiance to our club, we would have a complete squad the likes of which should put fear into any other team in the world. If we nail down Tevez and Berba, we’ll have a simply superb squad:
CF: Berba, Rooney, Tevez, Saha/Manucho
Wide Players: Ronaldo, Nani, Park
CMF: Fletcher, Hargreaves, Anderson, Carrick
FB: Evra, Brown, Silvestre, O’Shea, Twins
CB: Rio, Vidic, Evans
GK: Foster, Kusczak, Amos/Heaton
That’s a great squad, adn I’ve deliberately omitted Gary, Scholsey and Giggs as they’re a bit of a short term view. With Fergie holding us together and the great team spirit we’ve shown the last 2 years, it’s time to be really excited
July 31st, 2008 at 11:19
@Beachryan: We should not have to change hos mind mate, also I think he has already made his mind up, physically he is our player, but mentally probably not. You also forgot Possebon, I think he will be quite good.
July 31st, 2008 at 11:24
Classic.
July 31st, 2008 at 11:26
@NorwegianDevil: In the quarter final then. We cant meet them in the group stage you know.
July 31st, 2008 at 11:31
@RR: Brilliant article! The ‘interview’ actually made me spit out my coffee. When I first read Calderon’s quote I was curious as to how he knows the inner workings at OT. Really? You know that CR is going to Manchester to talk about his contract status? Funny that – I just thought he was coming back to continue his recovery from injury.
@Tomas: You can change formations in Fantasy league b/c I did, but I don’t recall how. I think you just omit a player from one tier and add one in to another (e.g., take out a midfielder and sub in a forward).
Cheers!
July 31st, 2008 at 11:39
Does anybody really believe this?! Everything to sell newspapers….
July 31st, 2008 at 11:52
@ RedDevil – That quote and the one from Fergie in Marca about quitting – I really wish our player/manager would sue the papers for misquoting them. And just keep doing it, until the paper had either no money or no crediblity left with which to make sh*t up. I also do not understand how those journalists justify their actions to themselves. It’s just not a decent life.
July 31st, 2008 at 12:11
@Beachryan: But how do we know, Ronaldo didn’t say this?
July 31st, 2008 at 12:13
@Eric the Red: You’re right about the subs in Fantasy, thanks
July 31st, 2008 at 12:20
@phoenix red: You stole by Display Avatar!
July 31st, 2008 at 12:25
Brilliant Article! Really Hilarious! Specially
Ronaldo: But I am yet to make a decision. Tomorrow you never know.
David Gill: Wrong. We know what will happen tomorrow. If you are alive tomorrow, you are a Manchester United player. If not, then well, you are dead and hence, a free agent. Your ghost would then blend well with the whites of Madrid.
Ronaldo: But er… God… my future… up to Him?
Anyway I got good news! Spurs seem to sign either Paulevchenko or Arshavin! Or even both of them! Anyway as soon as they sign even one of them! I guess the way is clear for BERBA!
I joined the fantasy as well! 
July 31st, 2008 at 13:15
I read the Goal.com article a few minutes ago. What a load of CRAP. I just hope Ronnie has enough integrity to realise that AS & Marca are using quotes attributed to him and will eventually call them the liars that they are.
Calderon is real ass hole and Blabbermouth Blatter is one sick son of a bitch Real Madrid stooge.
RedBri1
July 31st, 2008 at 13:46
I was going to ask a similar question because on SS it says that squeaky clean Spurs have agreed personal terms with Arshavin but haven’t agreed a fee with Zenit. I’m pretty sure that is quite close to the definition
July 31st, 2008 at 14:10
In my book tapping up is talking to a player before approaching his club with a solid offer. As far as I know only Chelsea have done that in recent years.
The problem these days is the media. Declaring interest in a player achieves the same result. If a player wants to join your club he’ll tell the media and his club is in a difficult position because the player is now unsettled and wants to move and its difficult to keep a player like that.
Of course a lot of the time the press makes up rumours and the player thinks the rumour is real and comments on it saying he wants to move. So it is a grey area. Really i think the press needs to be more responsible and certainly making up quotes is unacceptable.
July 31st, 2008 at 14:38
AS and more Ronaldo bullshit
http://www.goal.com/en/articolo.aspx?contenutoid=798845
July 31st, 2008 at 14:40
oops sorry. see it’s been posted already
July 31st, 2008 at 15:10
All clubs tap up it is part and parcel of football, I can understand why clubs do it, there is no point entering a long winded transfer saga if the player is not interested in the first place.
July 31st, 2008 at 15:40
As a Barca fan,(FCB is my 2nd team),i have failed 2 find a close to home motive 2 justify my insane dislike for Real Maggots. I thank Christian Dior Ronaldo the Eternal Idiot and Calderon 4 helping me to find justification. I have not seen such classless and infuriating behaviour in football in a decade. RR, what a masterpiece dialogue. Yes,Ronaldo would blend in with the soulless ghost- white regime of the Real Maggots. Personally i hope he goes. Not that it helps us,but never in my life have i seen such a cold-hearted,selfish egotistical,self obsessed glory hunter. He doesnt rep what we stand 4. Denying the whole club,players,manager and close 2 half a billion fans a chance 2 celebrate a HISTORIC, emotional double with sentiments dating back 2 half a century ago. Had he ever heard of the Munich annivesary when he initiated the Maggot flirting festival barely 24 hrs after our CL triumph. Apologies 4 the out of line rant. Had 2 get it off my chest
July 31st, 2008 at 15:47
As a Barca fan,(FCB is my 2nd team),i have failed 2 find a close to home motive 2 justify my insane dislike for Real Maggots
Really? I thought Luis Figo’s move to Madrid would have made you fume.
July 31st, 2008 at 16:00
RR- it actually did and im sure Sir Luis is happy not to set foot in the Camp. However, at that time the real problem was the leadership of the club. He wanted a raise which he honestly deserved. The president disregarded his request and the club was on a downward spiral. The Maggots were just shrewd enough 2 snap arguably the world’s best player at that time without 2 much flirtation as is the case with the new Portugal number 7.
July 31st, 2008 at 16:05
Other cases like Becks or Heinze or Ruud may be brought in but none of them actually initiated their respective Maggots moves. And Madrid were just mainly passive beneficiaries. Hope that explains
July 31st, 2008 at 16:13
Tapping up would be talking to a player about a possible move before agreeing on a transfer with his club; the sole means of tapping up is to unsettle the player.
I am just wondering why does Calderon need to say that “he is just a spectator” if you are a fucking spactator, just sit a look you bloody twat!!
I have a little fantasy about Ronaldo, Man Utd and Real Madrid. See, in this dream of mine, Ronaldo goes to RM and we get a replacement (a pretty good one like Robinho). Then both teams are doing well a meet each other in the Champions League final where the game finished 4-4 and goes to penalties (Ronaldo scores a hat-trick, by the way). Then, everybody scored their penalty it is 5-4 for United in penalties and Ronaldo needs to score to keep his team alive. That is when he slips, shoots a mile over; that ball is then caught by a fan and sold on eBay for a shitload of money. Then Ronaldo would be so embarrassed, he will move to some team in the MLS and no real football fan will ever hear of him again.
July 31st, 2008 at 16:40
@Andrei: Not Robinho, too lightweight from the prem.
July 31st, 2008 at 17:00
The Sun claim they know Ronaldo will stay at United… because he’s apparently ordered two new hot tubs for his Manchester home.
Gotta love The Sun eh?
Btw, my brother who is an Arsenal fan (you can imagine the battles in our household) was telling me how good Carlos Vela, Wiltshire (some 16 yr old, not sure i got that name right, bro reckons he is a David Silva clone), Denilson and Aaron Ramsey are going to be great this season. Ramsey (this pinches
) is a massive revelation.
Although I would just disregard this as just another Arsenal fan blabbering on about how good their kids are, Wenger does have an eye for attacking talent, no doubt.
Anyway, bring em on this season, and I will be ranting about Andy and Nani and Hargo to my dear brother
July 31st, 2008 at 17:09
the name was actually jack wilshere…in fact, (sarah) wiltshire is a 15 yr old girl who incidentally, also plays for Arsenal!
July 31st, 2008 at 17:43
Truly a great rant RR. I loved it so much so that it almost felt and sounded like I wrote it on one of my more humorous days. Truly, a classic.
Now lets put some things in proper perspective, the article from the Spanish news service called AS (Should actually be called ASS) is to be taken seriously? I don’t think so. I want to hear those words come out of Ronaldo’s mouth before I further bury him deeper than I already have. Secondly, I picked this little rumor diddy out of the BBC’s Rumor and Transfer section last night (as quoted from the Daily Star), and as I trust their journalistic integrity just a little bit more than the others, it makes me go HMMMM! Here is the quote;
“Cristiano Ronaldo looks set to stay at Manchester United after arranging for two giant whirlpool hot tubs to be installed in his house in Cheshire. (Daily Star)”
Well not shockingly great news but still, trivial enough and insignificant enough to be true and to make one question what Ronaldo’s true motives are. I personally have conceded that he will stay with us for at least this year. I think he realizes that he has no choice. Now regarding Real Madrid and their clown prince of crime Razor Ramon Calderon. When will the brass who call themselves the Board at Real finally clip this foul bird’s wings and end both ours and their misery? How long must this soap opera endure? How must Fergie and Gill translate the words NO or NOT FOR SALE to them before the idiots finally get it? And as RR pointed out in his extreme wisdom, how long can they continue to fake their interest towards Ronalado without even having put a bid forward? Do they think they know how the game works more than Fergie and Gill? Sorry you Spanish cunts but this time I think you may have finally met you match. Let the proverbial battle of wills begin hey! The Irresistable Force vs the Immovable object. The battle of the titans. Well Razor Ramon and you stupid Spanish clowns that feel compelled to do his dirty work for him, it’s all a forlorn hope. You have come up against the ultimate force, the Ferginator. Must the Ferginator bring out his industrial strength hair dryer and his shoe grenades and pummel you until the Santiago Bernebau Rat House is reduced to rubble? Must you meet your judgment day?
I have been on a long two month tirade against Ronaldo and I have been one of the loudest advocates who has asked for his sale with the hope that we would go out and replace him with an Aguero, Arshavin etc. That’s not going to happen but initially one must remember, that I was so incensed with Madrid for their unmitigated nerve, that I hoped and prayed the Fergie would react and prepare the fortifications for a battle. Then Ronaldo opened his bloody traitorous mouth and started saying numerous ass clown comments and I just wanted him gone yesterday. Well no more. Ronaldo may be dead to me but as for Real Madrid, I want their blood and guts strewn all over the battle field. I want Fergie to take no prisoners and show no mercy. OOPS! Correction. I want him to take one prisoner (Ronaldo) and show no mercy. As for Calderon and the rest of the dogs from Madrid, I hope the birds pick away at you dismembered corpses until they are bone dry. It’s what conceded, arrogant and domineering cunts like them deserve. Come on Fergie. Let them feel like Napoleon and hand them their very own Waterloo.
July 31st, 2008 at 17:51
@Beachryan: I see what you are saying but the problem will not go away. Real Madrid will continue to tapp up the player and use the media to eventually get their man, if not this season, or the season after. I see this mess continuing and starting up again in full swing mode at the end of the upcoming season. Real Madrid don’t know how to concede defeat and are terribly poor losers. Add to that the fact that they have FIFA and UEFA in their back pockets and there is nothing United can do to finally shut them up. This battle will go on senselessly very much like the battle for Iraq. It will be the never ending story.
July 31st, 2008 at 17:53
He will end up in Madrid @ some point, so why not sell him when his stock is @ its peak?, seems logical, plus I don’t like him.
July 31st, 2008 at 17:58
@Tomas: Tomas, Arsenal hasn’t had any steel in their midfield since they lost Vieira. But yes, they did loose some quality although I think Nasri will help them forget Hleb. They need to replace Flamini. Remember, last season he was nothing before the season started. Denilson could end up being this year’s Flamini. Always fear Arsenal because they have the second best manager in the business in my opinion. I may hate the bastard but I respect him tremendously. He also knows how to mold young players and turn them into stars very quickly. The rumors of Arsenal imminent demise I feel are grossly exaggerated. Still, you never know. He may have also run out of miracles. Lets not forget one main factor though. Last year he took a very young club and almost won the title before faltering in the last month of the campaign. all those players are a year older now and a year wiser. Expect them to be better. I for one am expecting big improvements from Bendtner and even more from Fabregas.
July 31st, 2008 at 18:08
@Stephen: I share your feelings on him but I also understand that Fergie needs to make a stand for the good of the team and for the good of the game as a whole. Someone needs to put Real Madrid in their place and show them that they will not always get their way. That they cannot continue to break rules and disregard ethical standards of conduct in pursuit of players. They can’t continue to hide behind their partners in crime the Spanish media and FIFA. For the EPL to remain the dominant power in football, we need to make sure that Spanish clubs do not usurp us and continually rape and pillage our product. They are not better or more worthy than us and we as a team and as a league need to stand up to them and even prove to them that they are OUR BITCHES, and not the other way around. And as for Ronaldo, who the fuck cares what he wants. He signed a five year contract in which he still owes the club four years of his service. If he chooses to take that time and do so on the field, great, fantastic. If not, I’m sure Fergie can find him a very comfortable seat in the stands for him to watch his career disappear in front of him. It’s up to him. And fuck his childhood dreams. It’s time to grow up.
July 31st, 2008 at 18:22
@Mihir: Mate you should have seen Vela’s goal and Wilshere’s goal.. Both of them are great finishes.. They’ll play attacking football. No question about that. But the problem would be against teams with who come only to defend and also against teams with attacking potential (since they have a crappy defence and no quality holding MF… If United don’t win the league I’d want only Arsenal to win it not Chelsea or Liverpool…
What do you guys feel?
July 31st, 2008 at 18:31
Nice post. I’m glad to see (or at least hear) Ronaldo is doing everything he can to be back ASAP. Although I wouldn’t want him to return too early and then get injured again.
I wish that FIFA and UEFA had the balls to do something to Real Madrid for how they’ve conducted themselves this summer.
July 31st, 2008 at 18:53
Hmm.. Those were against Stuttgart BTW…
July 31st, 2008 at 18:55
@MUFC Fan in America: UEFA and FIFA would never do anuthing to stop Real Madrid from owning the world of football. That is for two reasons, methinks:
1. Blatter and Platini hate England/English football. That is plain to see.
2. Blatter is an ‘honorary member’ of Real Madird, remember?
Krishnan, Stuttgart have Lehmann in net…
July 31st, 2008 at 19:22
Guys! Forget Slave boy! No concerns over him! Lets just concentrate on Berba right now!
July 31st, 2008 at 19:41
@Red Diablo: Sorry but Slave Boy is the straw that stirs United’s drink. We are a much weaker team without him. He’s the best player on the planet for crying out loud. How can we be expected to forget him and what he means to this team’s future fortunes?
July 31st, 2008 at 19:53
@Grognard: The things you are saying are true! But hey when we we get Berba, i dont think that we would miss ronaldo for the first month! and umm what can you do about him? He is a selfish and obsessed brat! You cant change that!
July 31st, 2008 at 20:10
@Red Diablo: If we get Berbatov, I do think we need a plan B, to scare Spurs into doing a deal, they know he wants to go and will also bring the price down a bit, hopefully.
July 31st, 2008 at 20:11
@Red Diablo: True true.. if we get that striker, it will ease my fears!! cuz without ronnie, we are a bit weaker. I expect Berba to sign tmz before Ole’s testimonial!! Apparently, we’re also in for sebastian Giovonco(goal.com), but i wouldn’t trust that source.
July 31st, 2008 at 20:17
What do you guys think. we have four recognised wingers at the mo (Nani, Ronaldo, Giggs, Park), of whch two might be leaving nxt summer (giggs, Ronnie). Don’t y’all think we shuld purchase a young prodigy – who plays on the wings – to play understudy to these wingers like Nani did last season? I mean, why wait till nxt yr, when we can get ‘em now and ease them into the team, so there’ll be no over-expectations to weigh them down. There’s Menez, Silva and a whole lot more, besides, they could provide backup for the wingers during the course of the season.
July 31st, 2008 at 20:31
@Gabriel: Park is a squad player, Giggsy is a legend but obviously his best years are behind him, great pen in the final I must say, Ronaldo, good but a twat,we could do with pos another winger, but noe Silva personally I think he is a triflr overrated, personally we should have made a bid for Van Der Vaart.
July 31st, 2008 at 20:33
@Gabriel: I hope that we do get Berba before Ole’s testimonial! But mate be a little realistic i dont think that it will happen before next week atleast! Also if you have got eyes on Silva dont forget that he is also a spanish brat! You never know with these foreigners! Specially these Portuguese and Spanish! I mean these two nations i will never trust! When you can see loyalty e.g. Tevez, Vidic and even Evra you can recogize it! These are down to earth lads! Also my best winger for united would be Ribery after the Slave finally leaves! BUT LETS NOT THINK ABOUT THAT NOW! LETS GET BERBA AND I would BE PRETTY optimistic about our chances of a TREBLE this year!
July 31st, 2008 at 20:36
@Stephen: True mate but you are forgetting that there is no one interested for Berba at the moment! And i get the impression that Spurs do not want Berba for much longer! So when they look at the window, the only one lining up for Berba that they would see would only be UNITED!
July 31st, 2008 at 20:41
@Red Diablo: There are rumours of Barca but that could be a smoke screen, but they seem more interested in selling Eto’o.
July 31st, 2008 at 20:45
@Stephen: yeah, I like Van der vaart too but the problem with these established guys is that they’ll want and expect first team football as soon as they come, while we already have our first-teamers decided. This might result in them sulking. I would prefer a young wonderkid (Sanchez, Menez etc) who will come here and would accept being an understudy while he adapts to the English style at his pace (without the added pressure).
July 31st, 2008 at 20:46
@Stephen: So? where does this involve Berba?
July 31st, 2008 at 20:51
@Red Diablo: Sorry mate don’t understand, Barc pos interested in Berba, you said know one else interested.
@Gabriel: I agree plus not 100% convinced on Nani
July 31st, 2008 at 20:55
@Red Diablo: Yeah, some of these overrated lads seem to think they can do whatever they want!!! It just winds me up! I just wish we had a wonderkid winger in our academy/reserves, at least then u culd expect a degree of loyalty!!
Regarding our strikeforce, this is what I see; Rooney(SS/CF), Tevez(SS/CF), Berba (CF/SS), Saha(CF). The first three would interchange frequently, while Saha will feature from time to time; still see Fergie giving him one more season, cuz u can’t deny, a fit Saha is devastating(was United’s 4th highest scorer last season despite injuries). Forget Campbell, he’s not yet ready and might spend time at Hull or the reserves.
July 31st, 2008 at 20:56
@Stephen: I am saying that right now they are not interested! Their interest had gone toward aerbayour!
July 31st, 2008 at 21:00
@Stephen: Nani’s gonna be the bomb this season, just watch. He was trying to hard to be like ronaldo last season and now with Ronaldo out injured, he’ll come into his own. The boy can dribble, plus has pace and now that responsibility of him having to deliver during ronnie’s absence would spur him on!!! remember the arsenal FA cup 4-0 victory? that’s the Nani we’ll see this season.
July 31st, 2008 at 21:04
@Gabriel: I do remember the Arsenal game, but I was at Stamford Bridge and he was awful, but he is still young and needs to mature, hopefully he will learn from his red card against West Ham, that could have been costly.
July 31st, 2008 at 21:04
@Gabriel: That was only one game! Did you forget how he often wasted the ball? Was too selfish and gave away the ball too often? But yeah! I hope that he does do something!
July 31st, 2008 at 21:11
stephen and Diablo, y’all forget this lad just turned 21 late last yr. how good was ronnie at that age? besides, that was his first season!! he is gonna be really gud, most united wingers are, it’s the way we play that encourages their growth!!!
July 31st, 2008 at 21:17
@Gabriel: He scored 12 goals, he is only 23 now! pos @ 21 season b4 last he scored 23!I do agree though he does need to understand our league, he and Anderson will hopefully adapt more next season.
We really do need more than one high profile signing this summer, we need more flesh on the bones.
July 31st, 2008 at 21:42
@Stephen: van der Vaart’s not a winger.
July 31st, 2008 at 21:47
@Red Diablo: If there is one player who is perfectly suited fro our style of play it is Ribery. But he’s not going anywhere for at least this year and probably next year. Bayern are not going to give him away for a small sum either. And had I made those comments about Spanish and Portuguese players I would have had a rain storm of critics trying to nail me to the cross. Nevertheless, I do agree.
July 31st, 2008 at 21:52
@Grognard: I never said he was mate, I said we should have made a bid, because I was watching Sky Sports and thet were saying Real were going to bid for him. Ribery would be great, but Bayern would never sell, especially to us!
July 31st, 2008 at 21:57
So, who do y’all think is the best winger-prospect out there that fits uniteds’ style?
July 31st, 2008 at 22:11
@Grognard: Ok, Arsenal may not have had any real steel since Viera’s departure, but Flamini and Gilberto surely are harder than Denilson, who now could be their preferred player in that position.
I think, they’ll struggle, even though I agree that their young players will be better. Unfortunately for them, they have lost quite a few years of experience in Hleb, Flamini and Gilberto. Plus they haven’t bolstered their fragile defense, and 2 of their attacking players (Rosicky and van Persie) are injury prone.
For all: And I don’t care about Ramsey, Vela, Wilshire and other players that young, not even when they play in Arsenal. 16-18 yos won’t make a difference in a title race.
They have a good starting 11, but their backups are either too young or to fragile, so I see them slip to 4th spot this year.
July 31st, 2008 at 22:15
@Tomas: Arsenal are not our main competion, Chelsea are and last season will spur them on more, next season for Liverpool is make or break, hopefully break. but Keane and Torres could be good.
July 31st, 2008 at 22:16
@Stephen: Oh if Bayern were interested in selling, they would have no problem selling to us. Despite what some might think happened during the Hargreaves negotiations, the team’s executives have a friendly relationship with each other and a strong respect. He would be a sweet addition to United though wouldn’t he?
July 31st, 2008 at 22:18
@Tomas: You know how the smart men would never bet against Fergie. Well the same goes for Wenger. His squad may not be strong enough to win it, but they should be a top 4 team if they avoid serious injuries. I actually think they are better and deeper than Liverpool. But Spurs are looking potentially lethal too.
July 31st, 2008 at 22:19
@Grognard: He would be ideal, I think personally he is one of the best players in the world. Pace, skill, he carried France in the Euro’s he would settle in the Prem as he is quite physical and oh yes can score to boot!
July 31st, 2008 at 22:23
@Grognard: Not sure about Spurs, Bentley, Modric, Dos Santos, pos Arharvin ah! pains me that they not us could get him, good players, but defence is light and Woodgate and King tad injury prone!
July 31st, 2008 at 22:29
@Gabriel: I would say Gareth Bale even though he is a LWB like Evra and probably Jesus Navas…..
July 31st, 2008 at 22:30
@Grognard: I don’t bet against Wenger, but sometimes the squad just isn’t strong enough. and right now I don’t see them as serious contenders. Of course, if van Persie and Rosicky are fit, and if da Silva returns to full strength, they might have something, but I still believe, their midfield and defense look a little weak in the backups.
But you’re right, they have a fantastic manager.
July 31st, 2008 at 22:33
@Grognard: But I don’t consider Spurs to be a threat. They have some interesting players, but I doubt Arshavin, Pavlyuchenko and Dos Santos can replace the partnership og Berbatov and Keane, and their defense is messed up. King and Woodgate are good players, but they are injured all the time, and their backups are useless.
July 31st, 2008 at 22:38
Do you remember how Berbatov chose Spurs over us when he joined them. I don’t really think he deserves to play for us after that, especially for DOUBLE the price. I would prefer Eto’o as I think he could be a revelation for us. I just don’t think Berba should be our one and only transfer target. Don’t get me wrong he could be good for us but I feel he would break up our counter attacks by holding on to the ball for to long and won’t score as much as other players who we could buy for that money. We have a forward line full of people who are providers and no great goalscorers and I feel Berba is the same. Everyone is going to tell me how I’m wrong but that’s how I feel
July 31st, 2008 at 22:39
@Tomas: He does sign a few shockers though!
Nelson Vivas.
Junichi Inamoto
Gio Van Bronkhurst
Alexander Song
Slyvain Wiltord
Igor Stepanovs
Richard Wright
Pascal Cygan
Jose Antonio Reyes
Francis Jeffers
Stefan Maltz
Kaba Diawara
Letting Diarra go last season was also a bog mistake too.
July 31st, 2008 at 22:43
@Krishnan: bale’s a LB, besides he chose to wash down his career at tottenham, instaed of prospering at United. Jesus navas has chronic homesickness (weird, huh) and he’s also a gypsie (swear, honest) lol
July 31st, 2008 at 22:49
@Liam: In fairness he was loyal to Spurs as they were tracking him for a season and he had an injury, so he felt obliged to sign for them. Eto’o is the most arrogant man alive, er well the second, bet you can guess is number one!
Bale can play left mid too.
July 31st, 2008 at 22:53
@Stephen: see, that’s the problem with Arsene, his old signings suck or usually want to leave not after too long!! I personally think he’s too scared to sign Older players, as he is afraid they will fail, that’s why he signs all these youngsters, so when they do fail, he can blame it on their lack of experience or maturity(like he’s done for three seasons now)
July 31st, 2008 at 22:58
@Gabriel: Sounds a little like us!!
July 31st, 2008 at 22:59
@Liam: good point, Berba is more of a goal provider, but he can score goals too. He’s in the same mould as rooney and tevez in my opinion, but he’s taller and can hold up play (No.9) unlke those two.
On the other hand, a player like huntelaar is more of a goal-poacher and cannot bring people into the game as much as berba would. So, I think berba’s a bit more versatile, and Fergie would prefer that versatility and fluid football (which ManUtd excel at) to the typical English ‘knock it into the penalty area’ style.
July 31st, 2008 at 23:00
… zzzz …
I am really tired of “Ronaldo´s transfer saga”… We´ve been talking about this, since Nicolas Anelka made us the favour of missing his penalty in Moscow. Did we really win the Campions League? Cause everything seems so far away, just like in a dream, and no one seems to care or remember that night…
I say… SELL Ronaldo to Madrid (€ 80 M) and bring António Valencia and a striker (Gomez, Huntelaar, Santa Cruz, wathever)and move on… Maybe we won´t win anything next season, but i also can´t imagine us winning with Ronaldo in our team… So, just move on…
July 31st, 2008 at 23:01
@Stephen: at least our youngsters win something
July 31st, 2008 at 23:45
@Red Diablo: i think you’ll find you stole it from me!
July 31st, 2008 at 23:59
[Red Diablo]
Phoenix red is right about the avatar.
August 1st, 2008 at 0:54
@Stephen: I agree. Great offensive midfielders but where is the steel? Where is that Hargo, Vieira, or Makelele who will win the ball for them and keep teams from countering? Also, I think Woodgate is quality but his injury history is always a concern and along with King’s problems they do have a major weakness in depth and quality at CB.
August 1st, 2008 at 0:59
@Tomas: I don’t know Tomas, but if you ask me, I’d take Pavlyuchenko and Arshavin over Berbatov and Keane any day. Call me crazy but I think that those two are dynamic in every sense of the word. I think Pavlyuchenko is one of the best kept secrets in all of football. Arshavin is just a magician. I love Berbatov but I’ve always felt that Robbie Keane was billed as being better than he really is. What he is for sure is versatile, and he will have to be with the way Rafa rotates. I agree 100% about Woodgate and King. I honestly thought Ramos first bit of business this off season was to sign a major CB, but it never happened.
August 1st, 2008 at 1:03
@Liam: I can’t fault Berbatov for that. Fact is Fergie wasn’t aggressive enough and Berbatov went where he felt he was most welcome as well as most needed. It’s like taking that job where they really sell you on the potential of the company and the benefits, only for you to find that they were selling you a snow job instead and the job just sucked. I can forgive him for that. At least he knows his priorities now and he has never said anything negative about United unlike Henry.
August 1st, 2008 at 1:04
@Stephen: So does Fergie. Do you want the list? Lets just say it starts with Djemba Djemba.
August 1st, 2008 at 1:08
@Grognard:
Arsenal will be odds on to finish trophyless this coming season, and with good reason. They may play good football, and I have respect for Wenger for his philosophy, but they must have one of the most inefficient football styles in world football.
If I was comparing Arsenal to a bird I would compare them to a peacock. A peacock uses up so much of its energy creating a pretty tail to win admirers. As a peacock devotes so much time and energy to its pretty tail, everything else is a little neglected. The worst thing is, the tail is completely useless other than as a cue of attractiveness, in fact it only serves as a hindrance to the bird. This is rather like Arsenal and their devotion to pretty football. It may win some admirers, but ultimately it hinders them.
Manchester United are a bit more like the eagle. They don’t obsess with pretty football, but have a natural grace and elegance about what they do. They attack with devastating power and precision and sit proudly at the top of the food chain.
Eagle vs. Peacock. No contest.
August 1st, 2008 at 2:00
Lets hope we all wake up tomorrow to the signing of berbatov
August 1st, 2008 at 4:39
@Traverse: I wouldn’t bet my last pennies on it.
August 1st, 2008 at 4:47
@Grognard: funny thing about this berba deal, the more time passes by, the more doubts I have over his suitability in regards to our teams’ requirements. I’m tipping towards the younger boys, like huntelaar and benzema. Don’t know why, but I think Fergie’s got a trick up his sleeve, and he’s waiting for the right time to unveil it!!!
August 1st, 2008 at 4:53
@RedAddict: amazing analogy it really put it into perspective but similar noise was made about Arsenal last season and they came very close in the league and if it wasn’t for some dodgy refereeing could have come close in the CL. Nasri will be an amazing signing and I wouldn’t bet against Wenger filling the CM void either with a young player or with a new signing. Write them off at your peril.
@Stephen: I honestly couldn’t give a shit about a player’s personality as long as he produced on the pitch. All of the best players in the world (bar Kaka maybe) have big egos and its something people are going to have to learn to accept.
August 1st, 2008 at 5:28
I just read the stupid ronaldo story on Goal.com about him going to Manchester and announcing he will be leaving to Real Madrid next week. Does he or anyone else in the media fail to realize that he’s under contract and simply annoucing his departure means shite. He can say all he wants but he’s not going anywhere. Being an American and a United fan I find it frustrating that footballers dont honor their contract as they do in US sports.
In Major League Baseball for example…a player is under contract for 5 years and that means 5 years. Contracts are not tools used by players to earn a bigger weekly check. If Ronaldo or any player signs a contract that means they are with that club for that amount of time. It seems like the contracts that players sign are not very solid in keeping that player at the club. If he signed a 5 year deal then it really adds up to only 3 years with the way modern football is going. I’d like to see the clubs crack down on the players trying to opt out of their contracts early because its just rediculous. How can any football club expect players to follow through on the entire contract when there’s nothing really holding that player back from demanding a transfer half-way through?
August 1st, 2008 at 7:17
@Grognard: I’m uncertain on these Russians. They looked great in the Euros, and despite everyone going crazy over Arshavin, I actually thought, Pavlyuchenko’s tournament was better. It’s just that going from one of the best partnerships in the EPL (Berba and Keane) and to an uncertainty of these two guys… well, I guess, I’d pick the B + K version.
However, I’m sure, the Russians can be a hit.
But I think it speaks volumes of Berba’s talents that he’s made a little more than ordinary striker like Keane be one of the best in the league… hopefully he can elevate Rooney to another level as well. Keane won’t have the same conditions to work with in Liverpool, so I don’t think, he’s what they are looking for. I’d be a tad worried if I was a fan of the scouse scum, if I read that Rafa (among other things) like Keane’s workrate and his versatility (centre and on the right aso).
Btw. Thanks for your reply in the previous post. I knew, what it’d be, but sometimes I think it’s good to let people evaluate their own responses
August 1st, 2008 at 8:24
2 cups already in the bag, hopefully a third after today. A treble by august 1. Not a bad way to start.
August 1st, 2008 at 9:03
@Gabriel: I would prefer the younger lads too. Still, Berbatov is a great player and his style will fit in nicely with United’s. I just don’t understand why there are no takers for Huntelaar? Benzema I understand. He’s way over priced.
August 1st, 2008 at 9:31
@Grognard: and over rated in my honest opinion.
on a totally unrelated subject:
yesterday i watched the Dark knight, about 13 days after its release, the cinema was packed(the third time this has happend to me) and people where actually sitting in the front row(in england, the best seats are in the back, the front seats are the worst) but onto the movie. Now that, hands down, is one of, if not the best movie i have ever seen, it was just so perfectly written, i loved it though but i dont know if it was a thriller or a comedy because that joker just made laugh throughout the film.
August 1st, 2008 at 9:52
@Gabriel: Agree mate, for the past few days I’ve been wondering if SAF is gonna reveal a surprise signing rather than Berba. If it means it would be Huntelaar, I would be very happy.
August 1st, 2008 at 10:03
@Grognard: Join the Club mate!
But i think that we can get Ribery when the time comes! 
August 1st, 2008 at 10:17
@dan(u-ol): That Movie is THE BOMB!
August 1st, 2008 at 10:18
I suggest you all go and read the interview with Gary Neville on manutd.com – it’s absolutely brilliant.
Btw. I’m going to the movies tonight – Batman’s up
August 1st, 2008 at 10:18
Guys Ribery seriously would be No.1 target after the slave finally goes! and i think he would be spurred by King Cantona’s history at the club!
August 1st, 2008 at 10:21
@Grognard: Life is chance! and the only thing unbiased is chance! a fifty fifty! That was spoken by harvey two face!
August 1st, 2008 at 10:25
@Red Ranter: Evidence???
August 1st, 2008 at 10:42
@Red Diablo: You really don’t want to be challenging me for evidence with stuff that goes on in this site. I actually do have evidence and wouldn’t want to embarrass you.
August 1st, 2008 at 10:58
@Red Ranter: Really? Ok OK! Have a drink! But still i would not prefer to call it stealing! I would rather call it BORROWING!
August 1st, 2008 at 11:00
@Red Diablo: Fair enough. You do realise all this came up because you brought it up first
August 1st, 2008 at 11:01
Folks, new post up.
August 1st, 2008 at 12:27
@Red Ranter: Yeah? Well people get misconceptions! Anyway actually i kinada like my avatar! So dont start a fight with me!
August 1st, 2008 at 17:09
@dan(u-ol): Yes the Dark Knight sure is a classic. I’m happy you enjoyed as much as I and RR did. Theaters are still full here during the evenings and weekends but they are OK during weekday matinées. It’s already made near 400 million dollars in North America alone and it’s only been two weeks. I feel sorry for the third film to come out in two to three years time as it may also be very good but how how do you compare with this one and especially Heath Ledger’s epic performance? No other villain in the Batman mythos even compares to the Joker.
By the way, did you see the movie in an IMAX theater? If not, you really missed something. IMAX makes it quite the experience.
August 1st, 2008 at 18:30
@Grognard: Hey! I saw it in IMAX!
and it ROCKED!!!!!!
August 1st, 2008 at 19:45
@Red Diablo: What I would give for a mini IMAX in my sitting room. WOW! We can dream can’t we. Actually the best thing I have ever seen on IMAX was only 40 minutes long and in 3D. It was Tom Hanks brilliant walk on the moon simulation called Magnificent Desolation. I honestly felt I had walked on the moon when I finished seeing that. It was truly a wonder to the senses. Unfortunately it didn’t have the same effect on my 56 inch tv with no 3D.
August 1st, 2008 at 20:44
@Grognard: HAHA! Showing off? 52 inch TV! Also say that it is an LCD!
August 2nd, 2008 at 17:24
@Red Diablo: It’s 56 inches and size matters.
Actually no, it’s not LCD, it’s rear projection but I still am quite happy with it. Until the cable tv providers here in Vancouver offer a High Definition package that is worthy and that offers all analog channels in digital I won’t by an LCD. They are beautiful, especially for HD DVD’s but I’ quite happy with mine in it’s HD settings. Also, I couldn’t afford 56 inched in LCD. I’d halve to go down to 42 inches for it to fall in my price range. That’s shrinkage. God forbid! 
August 3rd, 2008 at 8:28
@Grognard: HAHA! I have a 40 inch rear projection! But LCD still rules!