Jul 22
United scrape past Philly, but Fergie’s comments on Vidic grab headlines
Or should we say his lack of comment? His economy of phrasing ought to get tongues wagging.
When quizzed about speculation regarding Vidic leaving OT, he said, “I can’t clarify it at all.” Journalists pressed further and asked if he was going to play at United this season and he replied, “I believe so.”
By not saying much, he’s not only cast a lot of doubt, he’s essentially confirmed what was till now routine speculation doing the rounds in hushed whispers. It is different if Vidic was vague about his future. Ferguson is usually protective about his players. He was vehement in denial about Ronaldo till the day news of his transfer popped-up as a terse statement on the official website.
Perhaps he’s had enough of his or his agent’s machinations behind the scenes? I can’t say. To the optimists, he’s going to play for us this coming season. At least they’ll believe so.
In the event of his transfer without adequate replacement, it would mean a reliance on an injury-ravaged Ferdinand, a young upcoming Jonny Evans, Wes Brown who has his own injury history to deal with, a stop-gap like O’Shea, and a debutant in Chris Smalling. Not the worst defensive line-up, but the strength of a successful side is in a settled defence.
* * *
Meanwhile, United got another pre-season friendly under its belt. I think this pre-season tour to North America has been pretty good, insofar as the competitive levels of the matches. Both Celtic and Philadelphia Union gave us a good game. And it’s upto us to make good use of it. I’m not reading too much into pre-season though, but I had a few thoughts on it anyway. Rafael when he came on was impressive; Evans looked alright. The midfield seemed to be run over at times, although I felt Cleverley seemed to have an eye for a pass whenever he got the chance. We should see a lot of him this time during the Carling Cup. Maybe even a few appearances in the league. Obertan was frustrating nearly throughout the game despite his goal. Welbeck ran around a lot, put in a good shift, but his first touch was dreadful, finishing poor, and generally happened to make the wrong decision while making a pass. Maybe this is my personal opinion on Welbeck in general—that I don’t think he’ll become a United regular—but he wasn’t all that great yesterday. Macheda seemed to have lost a touch of pace and was out of sorts.
This is one thing we should accept about our strikers—Welbeck and Macheda—in terms of their pecking order: they are going to be below Rooney, Berbatov, Owen, Hernandez and Diouf. Our formation last season favoured more of a single striker (with Rooney up front). At any rate, we are still going to see fierce competition for striker berths at the Carling Cup level. One of Macheda or Welbeck will have to go out on loan. And Ferguson will probably decide which one after this pre-season gets over.
Berbatov was a calming influence and actually led to a more fluid attack when he came on.
And that’s all I have to say about the match.
Your thoughts in the comments welcome.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Fergie’s Wind Up Act, Levy and Not Much Else
- Fergie’s Cleverley About-Face
- Teams Start Talking Big As Champions’ League Clash Looms
- Commenting Policy
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (541)
Stephen (485)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Craig Mc (348)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
Personally I think we should sell Macheda and Welbeck. We could get £10-15 million for the pair which could fund the midfield purchase we need.
Both players are way below the standard required to make the first team and are only going to develop with regular first team games, a luxury we cannot afford to give them. Sending them out on loan doesn’t help.
Do we really need seven strikers in our squad? Especially when we usually only play with one striker.
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I agree, sell Welbeck and Macheda. Berbatov is a great link player and makes things happen. I’ve always thought we should use him as the playmaker and play Rooney, Hernandez, Owen or Diouf up front as required. Spend the cash on a replacement for Hargreaves.
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@colver: I beg to disagree about Wellbeck. I think he has huge potential. Whether he will fulfill it or not we still don’t know. As happens with many young players he could be inconsitent and frustrating at times and excellent at others. But he has pace, strength, skills and a good eye for the goal. I ony saw highlights of yesterday’s game but he was much better than suggested by Red Ranter. For me he is one of the most promising youngsters and needs to be played more regularly to become more consitent.
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Are you barking mad? Sell two of our brightest prospect?
Some fans never cease to amaze me! Now I’m not saying your one of them Colver (thought that comment makes me wonder) but sometimes it looks like some fans just want us to buy, buy, buy just to buy.
The history of Manchester United is about bringing youth through the ranks and I for one would easily let a few trophies go to see a few youths step up! Fact is that we are not a buying team, we have never been. Not under Fergie at least. Please name one season aside from 96/97, 2001/2002 and 2007/2008 where you haven been satisfied with our transfer dealings? No? Didn’t think so.
Personally I want Fergie to give even more youth through and if Feries refusal to spend means young Cleverly gets a chance to shine I’m a happy camper. Having said that I also think that we need to sign a midfielder, and I would be happy if Özil came. But not if it meant that we had to sell our best prospects!
Fact is that what Fergie is doing now is nothing new. He has refused to spend big money several times in the past. When he says that there is no value in the market I believe that is exactly what he thinks. I don’t agree with him. value can be found it you look close enough.
I also think that we do lack money but not so much that it wouldn’t be available if Fergie said he needed it.
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And RR: Welbeck was man of the match last night even if his first touch let him down at times.
Based on this preseason I can’t understand why Macheda is rated highest of the two, because Macheda has been dire in both games while Welbeck has shown some potential especially last night.
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@NorwegianDevil: I think there is a fine line between loyalty and blind faith, I have no belief that Welbeck will make it a first team regular, he looks like Paulo Wanchope, no touch and is very fragile but will be happy to be proven wrong.
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After hearing they are available and in form players, Man City have put in £40mil bids for Robinho and Craig Bellamy
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I see both sides of the argument, 7 strikers is a waste of time. The only way the young players will improve is by playing on a regular basis. Unlike when the class of 92 came through we do not have the quality to support bringing a lot of youngsters through at once. It is a tough one. As for Vidic if he goes he goes, this has been doing the rounds for a long time. If he does go we need to spend to fill the gap especialy with Rio beeing (as I view it now) a 20 games a season player. (Once your back goes it is the beginging of the end you get all sort of nasty little injuries, he could become the new Mr 3 weeks)
Smalling as a regular at our level is a no, no for the next year or two (crazy signing if you ask me) Brown in the middle and O’Shea please no. That leaves Evans.
If Vidic goes we need 2 or 3 (dependant on Hargreaves) quality proven players bringing in to keep our heads above water and as of the 1st of August I will consider the clock to be ticking to bed any new players in for the start of the season especialy when you consider the world cup players on extended leave. This season i think we have to have a strong start to be in contention for the league.
Just a side note on Vidic. The players are at united every day so know more than we do. Do the rats sense a sinking ship. After all many many little cut backs are being made around Old Trafford and Carrington in order to facilitate our massive debts.
Also to many players going in to the season with big fitness question marks hanging over them
Hargreaves
Rio
Anderson
Owen
Neville
The twins are injury prone and i think Rooney needs the presure taking of him and more rest or we will see the same as last season from him ( a player not at his best when we need him)
All in all problems 80 million of investment would not cure. Shame that cool 80 million we bagged went to the banks (by all accounts)
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Da Silva twins were a right handful last night- always going forwards, i said it b4 and i say it again Cleverley is the nxt big thing in the epl, Danny again shown us what he is about and deserved a gl 2 go with assist. Gabby caused alot probs for union and took his gl nicely 2 cap good game, Jonny, Corry and Smalling were solid and the ever-excellent Kuszczak made 2 fantastic saves to keep us in game. Berba and Kiko had good run outs especially Berba who unfortunate hit bar, hard fought win good see.
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We have a fantastic blend of youth and experience, Fergis is a genius- he knows by bleeding the kids in2 the 1st-team step by step he is creating a bunch of warriors hungry for success. Danny, Kiko, Fabs, Rafa, Gabby, Cleverley, Gibbo, Jonny, Corry, Diouf and Javier r just a few of an ever dominate utd future.
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@Stephen: I’ve got my doubts about Welbeck as well, same as I have with all youngsters before they prove me either right or wrong.
Truth is that he hasn’t had a decent run of games yet and that’s why the jury is still out on him. He’s got the potential but needs games to prove himself.
This isn’t about Welbeck though, nor any other youngsters in our squad. It isn’t about blind loyalty to Fergie either because if you read my post carefully you would have noted that I made it perfectly clear that I did not agree with Fergie that there is no value in the market. I believe that value can be found if you look hard enough.
I’m not saying what I’m saying because I’m blindly loyal to SAF, because I’m not. I’m saying what I’m saying because thats the way I want our club to be run. I don’t want us to be a City or a Real Madrid buying every Tom, Dick and Harry for extortionate prizes.
I want us to be Manchester United. I want us to be true to our own history. A history that’s all about giving young players a chance to shine.
It irritates the hell out of me that Pique needed to go back to Barcelona to realize his potential! It bugs me that Tosic and Rossi never got a decent chance to prove that they were good enough. I also hate the fact that Evans is our only home grown talent that has made it since Fletcher several years ago. Thats not our way. Contrary to what people often believe, we have never bought our way to success. Our way is a mix of home grown talent and astute bargain signings. After all, how often have supersignings proved a success for us? I can name only two: Ferdinand and Rooney. Even Van Nistelrooy was unproven before he came to us.
@RedTanRedTan: You say that the reserves today, unlike the class of 92, don’t have the quality to make it? Well I beg to differ. I believe that we today have the best crop of youngsters we’ve had since the Beckhams and Giggs in days of yore. We got a lot of potential stars like Welbeck, Cleverly, Macheda, Corry Evans, Josh King, Morrison, Pogba, Eikrem just to name a few. All with the potential to make it big in the next few years if they are given a chance. If only 2 or 3 of these make it to the big stage we would have saved millions on the market. Not that I care if we save or spend money, but I do care about youth and want us to be more successfull and get at least one youth through the system each year.
It may be that none of the mentioned will make it, but I would hate that we let them go without giving them a chance to prove themselves!
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I agr@NorwegianDevil:
totally agree…people forget these guys are like 18 and 19 years old! I think Welbeck’s issue (first touch and all) is more of a fitness thing…he is not quite as fit as some of the others with the extra bulk…he almost looks like he’s not quite used to his body and often stumbles around and looks awkward…Macheda is very bright on the ball and is quick but maybe not fast…his biggest weakness is mentally he is not always there..he tends to run offside and make some suspect decisions…I was very impressed with Cleverly..he has an eye for a pass and very busy..box to box all over the place…I think if he can stay healthy this will be his breakout year…as for strikers..we have an overload of young strikers…King and Keane are pushing fromthe reserves…times like this i would like to see people like Miki Owen moved on..but I suspect Fergie keeps them around to show the young guys the ropes which totally makes sense…I think our reserves and youth teams are totally stacked with very good talent…I would hate to be a midfilder in the youth team at United because there are so many good ones! Strikers as well….the future is brigt but it can’ get here soon enough!
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@NorwegianDevil: I dont say the youngsters do not have the quality. I say we do not have the quality in other departments to support bringing 4 or 5 youngsters through at the same time. Certainly not with the fitness doubts of several (what would be) key first team players
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Seems like Milner is on the market now (BBC). Since City have bought Silva and Chelsea are after Ramires/Morales, are we the team to get him? For around 20 million I would like Milner as a central midfielder and option on the wing. Anyone
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: City are still after Milner. Forget about him.
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The saying goes if you are good enough you are old enough. Unfortunately none of the youngsters we have are good enough!
Beckham, Scholes and Giggs displaced Kanchelskis, Ince and Sharpe.
Our current midfield is nowhere as good as that and players like Gibson cannot even oust an out-of-form Carrick.
We do not have the luxury of giving players extended runs in the team. No top team in the world does except Arsenal and look how many trophies they’ve won lately.
How it works is that you have to take your first team chances and do well enough to retain your place. Nani is a prime example of how to do that. Also players like Rooney and Ronaldo joined the club and from day one they were a cut above the rest. Yes they were frustrating at times but they also had enough quality to justify continued inclusion.
Unfortunately the loan system does not work and we don’t have a B team like the Spanish leagues. So if a player needs an extended run of games to develop into a good player he is not going to make it at Old Trafford or any other top club.
Instead he will have to drop a level and develop his game in a weaker team.
Also in the 90s the Premiership was much less competitive. Nowadays you have seven or eight teams capable of finishing in the top four. So we cannot afford to carry players who aren’t good enough NOW just because they MAY develop into a good player in a season or two’s time.
If Fergie had that much faith in Welbeck and Macheda why did he buy Berbatov, Diouf and Hernandez for a total outlay of £40 million or so?
Welbeck has a poor touch, lacks confidence and is too gangly and selfish on the ball. He also was on loan last season in a lower league and did very little of note. Frazier Campbell at least banged them in for Wolves but we haven’t regretted selling him as he has done nothing in the Premier League.
Macheda is just average and now that clubs know about him he is unable to get into goalscoring positions so cannot make use of his best attribute-his finishing ability.
These players are young but they have not improving the way things are now. It is sad but the fairest thing would be to let them go.
Rooney, Berbatov and Hernandez are all ahead of them in the pecking order and also Owen when fit. They aren’t going to get regular games unless they make an immediate impact when they do get a start. And they’ve failed to do that yet. Pre-season and reserves games do not count by the way.
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So fergie is planning to send Cleverly and Welbeck on loan!
I can understand Welbeck decision as we alredy have 6 other strikers.
But, why Cleverly?
LINK
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@AndyCR7: only sane reasoning behind this is, some one is coming in to add to the midfield…
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@t_reason: I hope so mate. But, I highly doubt it…
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@Red Ranter: I cannot see him go to city… their midfield:
Yaya Toure, Silva, De Jong, Barry, A Johnson, SWP, Ireland, Kompany, and Viera
Even when they sell SWP and Ireland, he has to compete with Silva, Johnson for wing-play and there is 0% chance he will make it in center midfield against Toure, Viera, and Barry.
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@AndyCR7: Welbeck should go on loan. Cleverly should stay and fight for a place unless we are seeking one more midfielder in the transfer market- miiiiilneeeer?
With Hargo out, our central midfield is:
Scholes, Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson, and Giggs. Any youngster, and especially a player as good as Cleverly, would think they have a chance of breaking through to a semi-regular starting spot…. unless we are bringing in 1 superstar.
Scholes and Giggs are old and will only feature every other week. Fletcher is a starter. Carrick’s and Anderson’s forms are suspect. We need Cleverly to break through or move on and this is his best chance, I reckon.
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Fergie’s new formation
:
EVDS
Rafael-Vidic-Ferdinand-Evra
Vally – Fletcher – Nani
Chicharito-Berba-Rooney.
I like it and I just made it up
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@RedTanRedTan: “Just a side note on Vidic. The players are at united every day so know more than we do. Do the rats sense a sinking ship.”
his wife has been the excuse for leaving for a couple seasons now so… no.
and do you have a source for this?… “After all many many little cut backs are being made around Old Trafford and Carrington in order to facilitate our massive debts.”
i haven’t seen any story’s suggesting cutbacks?
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: thats the beauty of it
let them spend on all the wrong players when they go trophyless for the 48yr in a row is it now? the sultan of swing will find a new hobby.
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@[OPTI]Madschester United: dig it now we just need someone to catch vidas wife cheating on him so he can stay in england.
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I want no part of Milner, he isn’t worth a dime over 10m. Just another overrated and overhyped Englishman. I would rather give cleverly or Anderson a half season to cement their place.
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@gator: have been in the local media and storys coming out of Carrington for example any one out side of the imidiate playing staff no longer gets a breakfast at carrington. Old players and some hospitality speakers no longer get free match day tickets. there have been a few more doing the rounds the press have picked up on a few. We all know about Vidics wife, not to mention his agent will be stiring things up a bit. United are a long way away from being a top wage payer in European football. The ecenomics at united are pretty straight forward these days. Spend as little as possible and gove the banks and uncle malc as much as we can
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I think Milner should stay at Villa for another season. All this hype and talk of huge fees after one good season in the middle of the park and a dodgy world cup
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@gator: I hope shitty miss out on the top 4 again next year amd then spend another 100 million and get 4th the year after, fail in champions leaguqualifying and come 5th that year. the sultun say fuk it and goes leaving them the largest wage bill in Europe and those ridiculace big spot lights they use during evening games
They have the big spot lights in all the land cos city are a massive club
They have the biggest wage bill in all the land cos city are a massive club
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@RedTan: I hope so too mate….
But we might as well face the facts, on paper, they are stronger now than us.
Only for the first 89 minutes!
But seriously, we could do with some juice now.
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The thing about Fergie that bothers me the most is the way he treats us fans with contempt and talking down to us like we are blind ignorant sheep. He has forgotten the reality of who actually pays him and who he really has to answer to at the end of the day. And that day is coming.
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@RedTan: they just seem to be buying players according to rumors of who other teams are going after and are not trying to build a team. I cant help but think they will end up like that.
but i still think we may pick up more help in mid if cleverly is going out and welly then that is cover in mid and on the wing that we will lack.
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@Grognard: I think you ,iss read the situation with fergie. he hates the media and treates all journo and media out lets with contempt and speaks to them like the idiots they are. When we were a PLC he had to becareful of what he said. The wrong word would effect our share price in an instant. With the Glazer ownership he has to be even more care full. As I keep saying, if Fergie said we are skint they are shit. He would have a que of players agents at his door trying to get the players they represent out of umited as soon as possible. bash Glazer not fergie. The man who runs the club is Glazer fergie is an employee and we are better of with him IMHO
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wish I could edit must check rushed posts before pressing send
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@NorwegianDevil: Im not going to say our youngsters are great, and im not going to say they are total shit, because tbh i have nothing to base it on for most of them because all i have seen of them is reserve football which means nothing.
But for the record i actually think we do have a few good kids who could make the grade. I personally like evans, rafael, fabio, and pogba who ive watched a bit and looks a class above the rest in his age group, and strangely enough de laet who has impressed me a lot. These are the only kids i would say will make it for us.
Then there are a lot of the kids in the ifs and maybes category. I would say cleverley, macheda, smalling, hernandez, joshua king, diouf, welbeck, go here. Some of them may make it, but i would bet most of them wont.
But at the end of the day though this is the important bit. If they arent given a chance then it doesnt matter if potentially we have the next lionel messi or the next liam miller on our hands, they will not progress the way they should and wont make it.
This is why i think all this “believe in the kids” stuff coming from fergie is just plain old shit. He said the same last year and yet most of the kids barely got a game.
Last year when we had our defensive crisis, we went with carrick and fletcher at the back rather than having faith with the impressive de laet. I know he played against fulham in the 3-0 defeat but that was a bad day at the office for every player, not just him.
Then theres rafael. I really like him and think right now it should be him or brown at RB all the time (i really dont rate oshea).
Brown though it seems isnt fancied there any more, so rafael should be given a run there. But fergie goes back to his old tested favourites in neville and gives him a new contract. All that does is block rafaels progress while at the same time giving a new contract to a player who got one because of his name and not his ability.
You see fergie can go on about the kids all he likes, but he doesnt fool me, because i can see it all now that as soon as the season starts he will go back to his old tried and tested and start neville, scholes and giggs every game. Now not only do i feel they are past it but they are also blocking the youngsters fergie is prasing 24/7 progress. This is why when he says he likes welbeck, macheda, gibson etc he is talking bull, because as soon as the season starts it will be the return of the oldies yet again. And i would put every penny that they will be given new contracts next season once again.
That is reason 1 why people like myself are crying out for next signings. Because i do not believe he will start to faze out the oldies and try to bring through the new batch who can go on and have good careers for us. Im not even going into whether they are good enough here, just that i doubt they will be even given a chance and this is what pisses me off when fergie uses the kids as an excuse to not buying.
Truth be told i dont want us to go out and throw £50m on one player because thats not what united are about. But in the past we did not hold onto players who were way past their best, and replace them with kids who are either not good enough or not ready yet, and wont be until they are given a good run of games.
Fact is a team like this is crying out for some new blood. A player that if at the very least just lifts the fans morale which is at an all time low right now. I cant tell you what a difference i believe an ozil would do for this team.
Just 1 player like ozil or one of his calibre would raise my spirits and believe we could actually mount a good title challenge, compared to right now where i just dont know what we will do.
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@RedTan: That may be all well and true mate but why do we have to hear time and time again with a big smile on his face as he says it “the glazers are great owners” and “the ronaldo money is there to spend”.
Regardless of whether he decides to speak out against them or not, its comments like that which have annoyed me and the likes of grognard and others, simply because it makes him sound like hes fully behind them which i believe he is, rather than just smiling for the cameras and putting on a show he will tolerate them.
The way i see it, everything right now comes down to fergie. He could change everything in an instant. One rant out to the world about what they are really like, the stadium would be empty and the glazers would be out of here within a few weeks, simply because no matter how much they want to treat us like shit, without us fans the glazers are up shit creek.
I just dont see how anybody can say the glazers are bastards while totally letting fergie off the hook. Does fergie know the real state the club is in?
Of course he bloody does. So how does he think keeping quiet, and sucking up to the glazers and smiling and saying everything is fine is going to help the club. Because the way i see it it is a combination of a few things.
1. Short term all he is thinking about is getting his hands on our 19th prem title and walking into the sunset as the man who toppled liverpool and made us the most successful team in the country.
2. He knows he will retire soon so isnt concerned in getting into a battle so late in his career.
3. He sided with the glazers from day 1 and never understood the normal fans concerns. The statement he made when they first took over, the day after rioting by fans who had seen their beloved club being taken over by the devil, the man comes out to the world and says “anybody who doesnt like it can go and support chelsea”.
That comment just sickens me to the stomach, and if i had been one of the loyal fans who had been protesting for hours outside OT, trying to make a stand against the glazers, all to hear our own manager say that i would have ripped my season ticket in half.
The bloody idiotic senile twat never saw us normal working class fans concerns from day 1, and deserves no let up from the fans in our attempt to reclaim our club.
If the day comes and i truly pray to god it does, when the glazers leave us i will be in the front of the line outside OT asking for answers from old man fergie. Answers as to why he sided with bastards we all saw from day 1 wanted to tear us apart. Bastards that took the club for every penny we had, whilst our old manager, the working class boy from Govan decided to side with the suits and piss in us fans faces.
Im sorry, most people will say im going a little extreme here but its my opinion and i think im right. Truth be told i really cannot stand the man right now, and if it was up to me i hope when the glazers go we have a clear out and fergie is the first one out to pay for his crimes.
I really feel like writing his name out of the history books for his siding with the devil. The devil that would have no problem tearing us down and reducing us to nothing.
Well fergie if you want to side with cunts who will do that then on your head be it, because quite frankly i have just had a fucking nough.
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@RedTan: Fergie has been with the club for 25 years mate. He built the club that is now considered the richest team in the world (what a laugh). Therefore he is responsible for not allowing these owners to systematically destroy everything this team was before he took over and everything it has become since he took over. His is a position of rare power. The man has been knighted by the Queen and is considered a legend in the game. If he was to turn on his employers and start a coup, the whole of Mncunia including the government would be on his side and in his corner. He could with his influence and power force the Glazer’s to sell even if they sacked him. The Red Knights cause would grow greater in strength and investment if they had a man of Fergie’s influence backing them and there isn’t a fan alive who would take the side of Glazer in this standoff. So you tell me then who has made the errors in judgment here, me or Fergie. From where I stand it sure looks to me that Fergie has made the classic mistake of getting into bed with the enemy and then conforming to that enemies rule and rations. I cannot ever respect him or like him again for this act of treason.
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@tonymontanna4united: You under-estimate SAF’s level of professional commitment. He has always, throughout his managerial career, been the ultimate professional at his job (which, like or not is being a servant to the people that write his paycheck).
He has always been unimpressed by issues that try to detract from a course that he has set, and has always offhandedly dismissed the rantings of those that think they know better.
None of what is going on with him now, is newsworthy, it’s all old hat, mate, and unlikely to change for what ever longevity he may have left!!
You should be thankful that we have such a steady hand on the rudder as the club obviously negotiates rough waters. His skill and experience is second to none (including Mourinho) and I am convinced that he will put winning above all other considerations for this season and any more that he might want to endure.
As far as lying, stretching the truth, misleading the general public – I guess an angelic, honest man wouldn’t do any of that – but then those types are usually not successful football managers!!
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@Grognard: I think you saying that because SAF has had great success building team after team, he has a responsibility to take on the ownership about their finances, is a huge leap of logic, mate.
Ferguson is a football manager and not a financial guru, he is sticking to what he knows and keeping his nose out of other things.
Where he may slip up, though, is if he fails to succeed on the field, then the onus of what may of, or what could have been done to avert failure, could fall on his shoulders. In this respect I think he walks a perilously thin wire.
If there was ever a group of people that could have spoke up against the Galzers, it could have been ex-United greats such as Charlton, Crerand, Cantona. Their influence could have caused a caused a massive fan rebellion that whould make MUST seem like pip-squeaks.
Of course, the man in the middle, with a tough enough job already, has to take on the ownership and be all things to all men.
What will it take for this whining to end. I guess another Championship, or another CL title, or another FA Cup, or another Carling Cup – wait, have I forgotten something.
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@tonymontanna4united: Well said mate, well said.
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@Redrich: I have absolutely no problem with what he does on the pitch mate, afterall he is the best manager ever in the game and i dont think many will dispute that.
Every negative point i made against him is because of his actions or should i say inactions off the pitch.
Now i realise that what goes on on the pitch is what he will get judged for and in most cases it is on the pitch that matters most.
But this is not a normal everyday thing we are seeing off the pitch at our club. I understand that he wants to keep this team moving and winning, and i understand that. Hell the guy nearly took one of the worst united teams i have seen in over 15 years to a fourth title in a row, and that was down to him, as to any other manager that same team would have struggled to get top 4.
So i can understand in some ways, his job is what he does on the pitch, its results and trophies he is paid for and i understand that, but the key thing here to me is that long term this club is in trouble, and at a time when the manager is nearing retirement, it is the club that is going to suffer from his lack of fight against the glazers. Maybe not now, but certainly when he retires, within the next few years.
I mean put it this way, if the glazers manage to take liberties with the greatest manager of all time, the godfather of football, then what hope does the next poor sap of when he comes in. The glazers are going to tear the bloody club apart with a moyes or o’neill in charge (lets face it mourinho wont join with the club in its current state).
Now maybe just maybe if fergie was say in his 50s and had a good 10 years left in the game then i wouldnt be as worried. Afterall as long as we have him the team will always be successful and long term maybe we wouldnt be in the shits. The glazers might take our money, but fergie would always keep the ship steady, even if the ship wasnt sailing as steadily as we wanted.
But that is the big problem, fergie is 68. He doesnt have long left, and if we think its bad now whats it going to be like when he leaves.
This is my biggest gripe about fergie, surely he can see what they glazers are doing to this club, surely he doesnt want to see the club he took 25 years to get to the top get raped and pilledged until it falls to the lowest depths it possibly can.
The manager knows bloody well the ronaldo money isnt there. He knows they have stolen it from him, yet he thinks its ok, ill act like everything is fine and just concentrate on the pitch and try and keep the ship steady.
What he fails to realise however is that everything they are doing off the pitch directly affects everything he does on the pitch, as weve seen with the lack of transfer funds these last 2 seasons.
So maybe he thinks he can keep winning, win the premiership next season, and hey who knows if hes gets very lucky he might win the champions league again.
But what about in 2/3 years time when fergie leaves. What then. A moyes or o’neill will get bloody well eaten alive by the glazers. And why not. They took on the daddy of football and won so what hope do they have.
This is why i have such a problem with ferguson. All he seems to be thinking about is the present and not long term like he always has done. This current squad is pretty ordinary but if were lucky we might win a few trophies. But so what, what about in 3 years time. In 5 or 10 years time, what then.
Those bastards are raping this club and taking us down shit creek and the one man who could make a difference sits there, and treats us like shit by openly supporting them, and calling them great owners.
He just fails to see the bigger picture and for that i will bloody will tell it as i see it because i am sick and fucking tired of the man trying to treat us fans like were brain dead morons who believe whatever comes out of his or the other little puppet gills mouth.
There is a very real real threat this club could go into administration or worse liquidation in the future. We are all putting too much hope into the idea some sugar daddy would come and bail us out in that event. But what if owning football clubs arent the craze in 10 years time. What then?
There is the very real threat this club can go under with the glazers in charge. They dont care about the club, they would gladly strip this club from top to bottom and leave us fans losing a part of our life.
And if that day ever happens, the glazers would be dead men walking. But fergie would be dead to me too, as he would have played just as big a part as the glazers in slowly killing our club.
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@Redrich: Mate cantona has spoken many times of his disgust at what the glazers have done to this club. I remember reading an article not long ago with quotes from him saying if MUST ever wanted someone to spearhead their campaign he would gladly help.
I dont know if he made those quotes recently or in 2005 when the glazers first came in but i remember reading him say them.
But at the end of the day though its hard for them to do anything whilst ferguson so openly supports them.
Hows it going to look if cantona comes out and says “the glazers need to leave” if at the same time fergie comes out with his usual crap like “they are great owners”.
Are the optimistic idiots going to take cantonas word over fergies, especially when cantona is not involved with the club whilst fergie is.
And at the end of the day as long as fergie is happy to them, and publically says he is then they arent going to say a thing, he was their manager for many years afterall.
Its tough though, i do wish we had someone maybe from a pre fergie era who has no real loyalty to him, who would come out and tell it like it is, because we need someone to get the non believers and ever optimists to see the real shit that is happening at the club.
Sadly though with some fans the glazers could do whatever they like and some fans will still pretend everything is ok and its the press and unloyal reds who are just over hyping a story.
God the glazers have got fergie, most of the staff and a good deal of the fans right in their pockets, i bet they never thought it would have been this easy when they bought the club 5 years ago.
They must be literally laughing all the way to the bank.
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@tonymontanna4united: Mate, I agree with that 100%, plus some more about the Glazers.
It’s very clear that they are vampiring United for all their worth. We are the object of the money desire – it sucks big time, and in a fairer world justice would be served.
I just don’t see where Ferguson arrives in this equation. He’s a fucking, football manager, and not a finance broker. The idea that he could twist the arms of his employers, and make hay to the idea that he can spend and do as he wishes, is far from realistic – I for one do not believe SAF has the desire or capability to do such a thing.
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@Redrich: Mate i agree with you to an extent, because as a manager in a normal situation matters off the pitch would have nothing to do with the manager. At the end of the day a manager is judged by what they do on the pitch.
However our situation with the glazers is not your average everyday thing.
I really dont think im over exagerating if i say the glazers are the worst thing that has happened to this club since the munich air disaster.
They are a cancer on this club, and because of bloody loopholes in the system some how the bastards are getting away with raping us and stealing from us.
But what can we do about it? Well theres only really boycotting, and tbh united is such a global brand and so widely supported that unfortunately even if 30,000 fans give up their season tickets, there will be another 30k to fill it. In my opinion those fans are helping to destroy this club and piss in the faces of those who had the balls to give up something they loved.
This to me means boycotting will never work. Its sad but we have to be realistic.
The only way boycotting would ever ever work would be if our manager did what i and most people want him to do, and that is speak out and tell the world exactly what these cunts are doing to our team.
This is where fergie is needed. We are not talking about a normal manager here. Ferguson has more power in his little finger than the rest of the managers in the league do (barring maybe wenger who is possibly on the same level as him).
If he spoke out, people would take notice, there is no mistake about that.
But this is where i cannot understand ferguson. How does he think keeping quiet and praising the glazers will help our club. There is nothing postive about it.
Which leads me to believe that fergie really does think they are good owners. Maybe short sightedness, his fixation on winning title number 19 clouding anything else, or maybe because as i believe he just isnt that clever away from football and probably thinks they arent so bad.
To me it seems obvious he should speak out. I just dont see how he thinks keeping quiet will help anything. As i said before if the glazers can take liberties with fergie and get away with it, what hope does the next manager have? Hes going to get torn apart.
Sadly i just think fergie has no interest in off the pitch battles, and would rather concentrate on on the pitch matters. Short term this doesnt do much. We will still be competing for the honours, probably falling short though in the end.
But this isnt the big picture. Do i care if we win 3 premier league titles and 3 champions league titles in a row (as unlikely as that is with the current squad).
No i dont, because it doesnt take away from the fact that long term this club is in the shits while the glazers were in charge.
Sadly i just thought that our outspoken scot, the man who would take no shit from anyone, would do the right thing and stand up for the common fan, instead of becoming a sell out. Unfortunately looks like im wrong.
Looks though like we dont agree on fergies lack of actions. I personally think he has a duty to safeguard the future of this club and do the right thing and tell the world what these bastards are doing while you dont. I can see your reasons for that, i really can. I realise that short term if fergie spoke out our club would be in the shits for a while but i have always said i will take short term pain for long term gain.
Still i respect your opinion mate, maybe im going a bit over board wanting war and anarchy to get the glazers out, who knows. Atleast we are in agreement that the glazers are the cause of all evil and fergies praise for them is just wrong wrong wrong.
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@tonymontanna4united: You are so right about the Galzers, they have no interest in the future of our club – only the interest of their own pocket book! (remember, they are businessmen).
Whoever the onus of kicking their greedy arse out of here, it’s not on Fergusons shoulders.
He is a huge influence on the club, and he has been a talisman for the United faithful too. But in this respect, he’s gonna keep his nose out of the fire (you should know this by now) and not dabble with stuff he can’t control.
I will be happy to agree with you, but probably it will be with stuff we just don’t agree on.
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@Redrich: It’s not about finances. Fergie needs to step up and be this team’s Lech Walesa and lead a revolt of players, fans, local media and government that will heap such incredible social pressure on the Glazer’s they will have no choice but sell. He alone has the power to band all season ticket holders together and to get them all to boycott the team. There isn’t another manager currently in world football who has the power to do this other than him. This about striking back at the snakes mate by using their pawn. If nobody shows up for their games you don’t think they will sell? I guarantee it. One public statement condemning them and allying himself with the Red Knights or MUST and you will see the Glazer regime crack like a two minute egg. I kid you not. He may be a football manager but he is also a community leader.
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@Redrich: See that’s where we differ Red. It is on Ferguson’s shoulders. He is a strong voice in world football and British hero and icon. He is SIR Alex and he has a voice and presence that will get attention and create action to be taken that will defeat the Glazer’s. But first he has to split from them. He needs to come cean and tell the world what they are up to and then band the whole of Mancunia against them. It can be done but only if he leads it. It is he who has build this team to what it is now, and it is he who can let it crash and burn or save it. It’s up to him. All I know is there will not be one United supporter that will not muster to his call and ready themselves for a mighty revolt against the Glazer vampires. I hope and pray the old man eventually comes to his senses and stops selfishly thinking about padding his legacy and his own bank account with the blood of millions of United supporters who right now either feel confused or like me, betrayed. “Keep his nose out of the fire”? Hell no, he needs to fall on his sword and be a martyr for all to rebel on his behalf.
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@Grognard: If Ferguson is Lech Walensa, they you are Che Guavara, and Malcolm Glazer is Stalin.
If that’s the case, then Walensa comes out trumps. I believe his still alive too.
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@Grognard: I’m not sure who the the Prime Minister of Canada is right now, but tell me why he doesn’t tell his noisy neighbors to the south to go FTS’s??
Life is just full of interesting questions!!
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@Redrich: It’s because he’s to busy being in bed with them.
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