Sep 12
Some Waffle Ahead of Liverpool Game
Late post today, but better late than never.
Cristiano Ronaldo is inching closer to a return to the side and feels frustrated at not being involved in United’s current campaign. In fact, shockingly, Fergie says Ronaldo could even be part of the squad travelling to Villarreal.
“I hope I’ll be back to playing football soon. I already count the days to my return and the recovery process is going perfectly. Right now my plan is playing, scoring lots of goals and helping Manchester United and Portugal win titles this year. My dream is being the best footballer in the world but I haven’t made it yet. This is the first time I’ve been out for such a long time and it’s a tough experience. Watching the games from the stands hurts me a lot without being able to do anything to help my team-mates.”
Despite all the talk about how the international break takes the sting out of the season, it’s a good thing for us particularly. Since the start of the season, we’ve only played Pompey and Newcastle in the league; I can’t be too bothered about the Super Cup and the Community Shield. So we haven’t missed Ronaldo as much as we would have missed him if we were forced to play lot more games in the league without him.
Hopefully Berbatov settles in as quickly as Larsson did, the season before last.
Speaking of Berbatov he admits to being a little nervous ahead of the Liverpool game. Any footballer would be nervous to be making his debut for United and, of all the teams, against a rival as fierce as Liverpool. Here’s hoping he scores at least 5 goals. Anything less would spell disaster.
Sir Alex has spoken about Man City, and also Sparky’s nonsensical statement (that the City-Chelsea game this weekend is bigger than our game against Liverpool.):
“I had better check what Mark has had for his breakfast because something must be upsetting him. How many games did he play for United against Liverpool? Our game is the biggest. It is a great game.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself. There is a longish interview with Fergie in the official site where he talks about the fitness of Carrick and Hargo and the Liverpool game, among other things.
I’ll end this with a video of the pre-match conference clip where Fergie and Berba speak to the UK media.
EDIT: Here’s the 11 minute press conference with Fergie.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Blah, Blah, Blah… Waffle, Waffle, Waffle…
- United Sleepwalk to Defeat
- Reds’ New Signing | United Rich For Real? | Lyon Draw
- Monday Waffle
- Huntelaar Interest Returns | Gill On Club Finances | Manucho, Anderson and Ronaldo
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (541)
Stephen (485)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Craig Mc (345)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
@Red Ranter: It’s good to see you back too RR. Looks like you found a life while I was on my walkabout. Hopefully all is well with you.
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@Grognard: Grognard, don’t give me the big peace patter mate
, you LOVE the firestorms. Without the firestorms, all is boring, boring, boring, 
.
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@Craig Mc: I only like the firestorms I start.
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@Grognard: I know that Grog
.
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@Craig Mc: No it’s not added to the list of do’s and don’ts. But speculate as much as you like, you wouldn’t differentiate much from the media then. Be my guest.
And you don’t have to keep track of the dos and don’ts it’s already spelled out clearly here.
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@Grognard: I haven’t found a life. Just that my day job’s been lot more demanding now.
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I am looking for a big game from Rooney tomorrow as he looked outstanding playing of Heskey on Wednesday. Funny how old Groggy was always stating the obvious in regards to Rooney excelling just behind a traditional striker who would hold up the ball and create space for him. And that was Emile Heskey for crying out loud. Can you imagine what Berbatov will do for resurrecting Rooney’s offensive form? Give it some time though. I’m pumped. Rooney is coming into form, Berbatov is with United and Ronny is a week or two away along with Hargo and Carrick. And Essien is gone for months. Ballack will probably not be ready for the clash against us either. The time is ripe for us to knock Chelsea off at the Bridge next week. They are an injured shambles and we are getting healthy. Lets beat those Scouse bastards and build some much needed confidence and momentum.
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hey so i really have to get up at 6:30 am tomorrow? what a bummer
i live on the gulf coast of florida and the storm is kicking up mad surf so i have surfing buddys staying with me and they will want to party.
i know i will probably have a better chance staying up to watch the game than getting up for it.
ahh whell read you guys in the morning…
get em grogg
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@Red Ranter: I hear you mate. And here I thought you were balancing a couple ladies in your schedule.
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@gator: Count your blessings you aren’t living in Galviston mate. Otherwise your future posts would be coming from 20,000 leagues under the sea. I’m watching CNN right now and it looks very grim for Coastal Texas right now.
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@Grognard: I’m not even nearly quite the casanova you make me out to be.
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@Grognard: Hear you mate… coastal Texas is terrible right now. Thank heavens I’m well inside the mainland we’ll just have heavy rains.
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people here are scrambling for gas here. in anticipation the lines are crazy long.
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@Red Ranter: RR, so all the articles relating to media speculation on United blogs all over the net, is not something we should be doing?. Strange!. United fans discuss the feck out of all the press speculation. Forgive me, but I thought that was the fun of it.
I also read the HERE, like I said, difficult to keep track of. I do try, but it will never be enough for the fastidious I guess. Never heard of love us all WARTS and all. Something I am learning fast
.
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RR, your a Texan, well now, we have many Texan friends. My aunt lived on South Padre Island for 6 years. I visited, and spent time with lots of firends in Harlingen and San Benito too. Loved the Rio Grande valley and the Island.
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@Red Ranter: Yes but wouldn’t you like to be?
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@Red Ranter: I feel bad for Texas although this may be God punishing them for George W Bush.
Also, as bad as I feel for coastal Texas, I have to say I am relieved this one isn’t hitting New Orleans. This storm has proven for sure that New Orleans is still not prepared for waves that are 20 feet high. IKE would have decimated New Orleans beyond repair. And yet, many are predicting that IKE may end up costing more money (80 to 100 billion dollars) in damages than Katrina. Jeez! You would think the whole Gulf coast would have a 30 foot Great Wall of China built to withstand these constant seasonal nightmares. I mean why the Hell do people live there when this shit keeps on happening. Instead they are more concerned about building walls to keep Mexicans out. America really needs to get it’s priorities right. 
Global warming is the reason.
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I know this is off the subject but it has really been bugging me, why is it that every former united player when they put their best united 11 for every game it always as ryan giggs in the starting line-up, this is not disrespect to giggs but he offers nothing to the team what so ever only his reputation and his so called experience. as for Rooney I said for quiet a phew years why didn’t united sign Torres in the first place instead of tevez he would have come if fergie tried a little harder to get him, here is a phew reasons why united could have saved a fortune in money, 1 united would not have needed to buy berberov because the target man is already there, 2 united could have kept rossi instead of needing to folk out 30 million on tevez so united could have had rooney torres rossi manucho, rossi could have made the same impact as solkjaer his attitude and ability is so like OLE 20.
Another big mistake fergie made in the transfer market in the summer of 2007 was signing nani over ribery that for me could have been a gem of a signing and would have been ready to play week in week out. But it’s too late we won the double fergie cant have gone too wrong there, I am not too excited with berbertov he is no ronaldo and like I said before I don’t see him out muscling the greatest of defences in the air or going past players, if berbertov is the new cantona didn’t cantona play in the positions Rooney and tevez play off the main striker, lou macarri can be a great pundit at times but is opinion on Fernando Torres makes him look like a right idiot.
as for the lineup I would not play berbertov no matter if he knows the premiership on the back of the hand, we need warriors on the field and for me is no time for playing players that are unfit like giggs carrick and berbertov who as hardly played a game, Hargreaves I am a massive fan of his when fit he is for me the best DM on the planet miles better then mascherano its just he is always injured, if fit I would play his style of play he would be so hyped for the game look at his performance at man city last year, Anderson I would still play he is made for this type of game despite coming back late.
the 11 I would play would be even though there is a lake of natural width would be
vds
brown ferdinand vidic evra
fletcher hargreaves scholes anderson
rooney tevez
Bench
kuszszec g neville possebon carrick berbertov nani giggs/ronaldo
even though there is no natural width with the current options fergie have this maybe the best available lineup for the boss.
I would not be surprised if christiano ronaldo is on the bench tomorrow remember you saw this first on here.
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Good to have you back Grog! Whether i agree or disagree with your points, i appreciate your fervor.
) again and again and again ……………. 
As for the dippers, we should have them. I hope that Berba will start with Rooney, i completely agree with Grog that this will be the renaiscance of our fav scouser. Although i dont expect miracles overnight, i expect great things from this parnership especially. This is not to negate any other combos we’ll come up with, Teves, Slave, Manucho, Wellbeck. I really hope for another successful raid in anfield.
my team
VDS
Browne, Rio, Vidic, Evra
Hargo, Andi, Scholes, Nani
Rooney
Berba
as of now i’m not sure whose fit so this is my dream line up for this formation.Fletch def deserves a mention and could play a part tomorrow, aswell as Teves, and Carrick. Bring on the tea leafs, lets beat them in their own back yard(a north american phrase for garden
So RR, you’re a Texan, hope your Lone Star State doesn’t get too much of a battering, and we complain of the rain here in Ireland!!
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I live in Texas, studied here. Wouldn’t call myself a Texan because I’m not American. But it’s a great state despite the fact that characters like Bush came from here.
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@Craig Mc: There is a fine line between propagating lies and honest speculation. That’s all I’ll say.
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@phoenix red: “Here in Ireland?” And you call yourself phoenix red? Unless there is a phoenix in Ireland
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@Red Ranter:
Yeah…me too. Seems like we’ll be getting a whole lot of rain though.
And a hearty welcome back to Grog!
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ok so if Hargreaves is fit and Ando doubtful I think I’ll get the ball rolling on team predictions…wait I still don’t have a clue
there is 2 systems which we could play, 4-3-3 with Hargo scholes Ando/Carrick/Fletcher behind Rooney Tevez and Berba(still getting used to him as a United player, maybe seeing him in the shirt will help) or a 4-4-2 with Hargo/Ando/Fletch/Carrick(wow we really do have a lot of CMs 
) partnering Scholes in CM, with Nani and Tevez (I think he plays there for Argentina) or Fletcher out wide. Which leaves Rooney and Berba/Tevez(I still think Berba will start but to those who disagree I’ll include that option) I don’t envy Fergie having to make that decision.
Did anyone see Rafa on SSN earlier? Complete tosser was moaning that United spend too much (clearly ignoring that he has probably spent about as much since he joined Liverpool. He says United signing Berba shows that he can’t compete. Whereas I’m sure Keane (20m), Riera(probably 10-15m) Dossena(6m that’s more than Evra
) and all of those 3-5m signings he’s made clearly don’t come close to the 30m United spent 
honestly will somebody give this guy a reality check or at least a calculator.
Anyway I’m off to bed. I might make a visit in the morning before the pub calls.
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@Red Ranter: phoenix has nothing to do with Arizona to me, it embodies the great spirit of our club after Munich, thats what phoenix means to me.
Until quite recently i lived very close to the Phoenix Park in Dublin so i suppose that helped a bit but it really is a reference to Uniteds’ history. Follow, follow, We’re the Busby Boys
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Wait just saw SAF say everyone is fit, so bar Ronaldo we’ll have our strongest team on the field. We should steamroll these fucking ‘Dipper pricks!!
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@ Red Ranter Regarding Dan’s post #3 – Leave it out…
Pool supporters have no place here.
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@phoenix red: wow there’s a surprise, I always thought I was the sole Irish regular on here. I thought you were a yank. Oh well that’s 2 late night Irish commenters that I’m aware of now
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Damn I was meant to go to bed
oh well what can you do
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@Liam: there’s many more of us hiding in the shadows! I know a good few heads that read, but don’t comment. Hear this, fellow Irish Reds,
speak for fucks sake, lets tell the world what its like in Ireland on Derby Day, I’m not talking about horses here! This country gets devided into two warring factions, this is the closest thing we have today to civil war. Homes, pubs, workplaces, no place is spared from this great battle! Tomorrow is not just about sticking one on the scouse scum but also the ABU’s. You know what i mean, Liam
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actual quote from Beni: I was surprised when they spent 30m on a lot(???) of players and 20m on more. Also according to him Nani(14m) hargo(20m) and Tevez(5m loan but let’s humour him with 25m)=70m
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@phoenix red: Thanks for the kind words mate.
That goes for you to Kal.
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hello…
i was jus thinking…whether we can have post from RR weighin d possibilities and outcomes if OLE takes up THE POST after fergie…
may be later next week…as we wll be busy with match analysis in the weekend…
cheers
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My scouser friend told me that we the red devils are kind of annoying he said, told me that we’re just chasing their tail ends as the most successful english club. i slapped his arrogant scouser face and said, fuck mate, lately you scousers have been in our tail ends, and we’ve been winning lately, all you scousers bastards might be circling round in your rat infested flats and making a ritual and pray that the armagedon will come now so you will not have to lose your precious title as the most successful.
to all scousers: keep on praying for the world to end, coz there is no stopping manutd now. 
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@micheal: It’s hard for folks to forget what Giggsy has meant and contributed to the team for so many years. And every so often he has a great game which makes all of us feel he still has it. He doesn’t but he does have experience and he doesn’t make mental errors like Nani. Nani will get his day but we all must be patient because Fergie respects old warriors and prefers players with experience more often than not.
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Liam
I know but what baffles me about benitez is that 10 million he spent on kuyt he could have got berbertov who both came in the summer of 2006 the problem was benitez was too stupid to realise he got the worser of the two. Another thing that boggles the mind with benitez is he keeps signing these ridiculous unknown players and never plays them which means they are just useless second rate editions. benitez moans about united spending because united look for the best and when the money is spend its spend on the best talent available. Well when benitez spend 30 million on 3 to 4 players this summer united spend the 30 million on one top player. that’s the difference when united go out shopping for players they buy the best not a waste 30 million on players that are not going to take Liverpool 3 to 4 levels up to challenge for major honours, look at the united attack
Man utd
Schools Anderson ronaldo nani giggs park rooney tevez berbertov manucho
Liverpool
Gerrard Pennant babel bennayoun rierra kuyt torres keane
You compare the two attacking options and they are miles apart, Liverpool have weakened their attack with crouch gone, perhaps benitez should look again at the attacking options he has got and realise he has gone wrong yet again. Benitez should not forget if he was more wise instead of buying Lucas pennant kuyt keane rierra bennayoun hope any of those four does not score the winner tomorrow but what the hell I have put them in there sissoko and bellamy, add the other poor buys he has made he would have had over 70 million pounds to spend, he could have got ribery queresma and van der vaart all three would have cost benitez 35 million pounds between them and solved the wide positions, berbertov would have cost 10 million pounds at the time, keep peter crouch as a solkjaer type player for them and he still would have had money left over add the players he as sold.
If that had happened they would have had an impressive number of attacking options and this would not have been fantasy football they were available and were at the right prise too.
thank god it did not happen their attacking options could have been Gerrard queresma ribery van der vaart torres berbertov crouch babel. The players for benitez and the right prices were there but his lack of brains as seen him waste millions.
In the last five transfer summers between united and liverpool the signings for united have mostly improved the side like rooney heinze van der saar maybe foster if he gets into the first team vidic evra carrick hargreaves tevez nani anderson maybe berbertov. When fergie bought badly in 2001 and 2003 fergie knew he got it wrong and the second chance he got he took it with both hands, benitz has been giving enough chances but continues to waste them, I could not even compare united and Liverpool’s transfers in the last 5 seasons since benitez as been there, because benitez as bought so many players it would take me forever to find all the players he has bought and I don’t intend searching the net for them all. But what as showing since benitez as arrived is that the buys between ferguson and benitez since the Spaniards arrival is uniteds buys have improved the side and they have got their money’s worth, while benitez continues waste money and Liverpool have got little return from their buys but maybe keane and rierra will improve Liverpool.
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Grognard
in my first post on this article redrant wrote I thought we should have bought Franck ribery instead of nani, I think nani is a great talent and shows moments have shear genius but I do get annoyed when people say he is like ronaldo when the two are totally different types of players. for starters ronaldo is much bigger and more powerful then nani, ronaldo as a good 8 or 9 inches over nani, ronaldo is about 6 ft 2 while nani I say is about 5 ft 5, ronaldo is great in the air nani is not. ronaldo can play as a striker nani I dont think will ever be used as a front man. ronaldo for me even when he was learning his game between his arrival in the 03/04 season and the 05/06 season in the second half of that season he was getting better he was still running at opponents causing chaos and you were thinking if he can add that football brain to his extraordinary talent, making the right decisions more and being a more team player he will be the most effective brilliant and destructive player on the planet, nani I want to see running at defenders more making the right decisions getting in the box more and having a better attitude at times because he has that Wayne Rooney streak about him and can be sent off.
Grognard
another thing that as really bothered me is not just the idiot comments kaka as made but what many say that messi is the best player in the world and he should win world player of the year, forget for the moment what ronaldo as done in the summer because it’s about time idiots like pele kaka half of the football world realise that ronaldo is at the moment the best player in the world by a mile. They say Rooney is all hype for me messi is even more hyped up than any player in the world, maradona is not convinced with messi is well. Messi has done very little in the game only what he may do which may not even happen ronaldo lives up to his talents and is a far greater threat going forward then messi. while ronaldo just wipes up all the individual awards not going to name them all because he has won so much, I am sure hasn’t ronaldo won European player of the year just now, add all the major honours and in the last two years ronaldo has done even more then ronaldinho did for barcelona, what as messi done in the last two years nothing. Would united have won the double last year or the title in 2007 if messi was in the side instead of ronaldo. What more does ronaldo have to do to get the credit he deserves, he scores goals he can play either wing play as a striker, he is never injury prone he is great in the air. because at this moment in time messi should not be mentioned in the same breath as ronaldo.
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Just heard on ESPN sports that we have permanantly signed Tevez!!! Does anybody know if it is true???
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@micheal: Regarding Ribery, I totally agree. I religiously support two teams in my life. Man Utd and Bayern so I am satisfied that one of my teams has Ribery. Having said that, United would have been unbeatable with him and Ronaldo on the flanks. Just bloody unbeatable. And no Nani is not Ribery and he is not Ronaldo either. I have been down on Nani for a lot of boneheaded plays and stupid decisions like his end of season red card. However, there is no doubting the boy’s skill. He needs to combine his skill, along with a stronger desire and and better attitude and he will be great. He needs to realize that we play a very pass oriented team game and that he needs to show up with desire and pace every game. Yes he got a lot of assists for us last year and yet I feel he is often too selfish for my liking. But he is young and he will learn that when he breaks out on a counter with Rooney and it’s 2 on 1 that he should pass to the man in the better position rather than balloon the ball over the goal. Give him time because the skill is there. I just hope he can improve on his 10 cent head. I think he can.
As for what Kaka (means shit in many languages) and others say, who cares. We all know Ronaldo is king. I personally have a preference for Riquelme but even I have to admit that right now, Ronaldo is the best player hands down. Messi is great and he is also injury prone and easily muscled out of games. Kaka is for me an incredibly overrated player. Oh sure he is great but really, he has half the skill set and pace Ronaldo has. How in God’s name can anyone question or challenge 42 goals by a winger? Madness! Oh he pissed me off greatly over the summer and he is on Double Secret Probation before I truly open up my heart to him again, but that will not keep me from being fair. He is the man. Often imitated but never duplicated. Just watch how United’s offense explodes with both him and Berbatov in the lineup. It’s going to be sweet.
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Grognard
I have been bigging torres and ribery for years I find fergie missed a trick with both, yes tevez and nani can be great tevez is already great. But for me fergie should have signed these two kept rossi is well, that would have saved united a fortune on transfers is well. Van der vaart is another we could have signed instead of park who would have cost united 3 million pounds. tevez and berbertov would not needed signed is well because uniteds attacking options could have been ronaldo ribery van der vaart giggs rooney torres rossi manucho, if people say well ribery plays on the right you switch ronaldo to the left. yes people could have said that’s looking back but that was a real possibility that would have been our forward options, yes the attacking options look great now but for balance value for money that would have been a better option. Can you imagine a front four of ronaldo ribery rooney torres. torres would have benefited rooney much more then tevez and selection problems would not have been a worry and we propably would have beaten chelsea at half time is well because tevez just kept missing chances.
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@Grognard: Welcome Back Grog! Oh i missed the doom and the gloom! Well Folks Prepared to be Grognified!
But I will be always there! The carrier of light to fight the dark forces of the Grognard!
Oh anyway! 2-0 to United!
Lets PUNISH the scouse bastards!
And Rent Boys What you gonna do when we come in for you?
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@Red Ranter: RR, who the feck is propogating LIES. Like I said, accusing people incorrectly, or exaggerating is a form of lying – NO?. All we were doing is answering somebody’s post, AND in case you jumped in to correct, before reading my post carefully, I did say to the poster, ARE YOU SURE MATE?. This continuous knuckle rapping for every slight little thing is getting feckin boring. But if your accusing me of propogating lies, your WAY of the line RR. I don’t even think the original poster was seeking to propogate lies either. Like I said, exaggeration is a form of deception too. Anyway, I’ll leave it there, because I can’t be arsed any longer.
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@micheal: Errr its United Michael
. If we had gone in for the players you mentioned, the price would have trebled as usual. No way would we have got them for the price you stated, but I agree they would have been great acquisitions 
.
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@Grognard: NANI = LOVE!. Ronaldo = Love. Berbatov = Love, its a Love In Grog
.
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@jos: I do hope so Jos, but not heard anything over here yet. Tevez = Love!.
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@Red Ranter: right, so your not a Brit, and your not an American, what are you then?!?!?!?
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@micheal: Mate, you thoughts on Ronaldo – Music to my ears. He deserves Ballon d’or. It will be downright robbery if he doesn’t get it
.
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@Grognard: Mate, mental errors or not, Giggs didn’t get the amount of brilliant assists Nani did last season.
.
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@john freakin o’shea:
, you keep giving it to those scousers Bro.
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@Liam: “with NANI out wide.” Love that comment Bro
. In your other post, about the Irish. Fred the Red and JB are amongst the Irish contingent – couple great guys. Well most of the Irish are 
.
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