Jun 03
Wednesday Portrait: On Girly Men
...
via the keen-eyed men (non-girly ones, presumably) at Dirty Tackle.
Meanwhile, Chris Toy at the excellent Studs Up has a caption (and a comic) for it: The Iberian Lesbian, apparently. Heh!
On that note, enjoy your Wednesday.
Related items from Red Rants:
- It’s only half-time and we’re one down – will you back United to win?
- Betting Tip: United to roar back to form against Wolves
- Manchester United poker tournament – win a signed shirt, free tickets and more
- Did Fergie Bottle It?
- Rants Returns to Regular Service
Tags: Fun/Off the Record
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:07
Whats the story behind that flower??
Wasn’t he supposed to prepare for the world cup qualifiers??
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:08
Whats the story behind that flower??
Wasn’t he supposed to prepare for the world cup qualifiers??
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:18
That’s just too gay for words.
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:20
On another note, looks like Madrid have landed one of their big fish as news is all around about Kaka having signed. I would have laughed my head of and cried all in one if Chelsea had signed him. Like they needed another attacking midfielder. Madrid still say they want Ronaldo but I don’t see that happening.
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:03
@Grognard: Not according to Milan he isn’t http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11854_5360508,00.html
Probably will happen tho. As long as its not Chelsea that’s fine by me.
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:11
OH! MY! GOD!!!
That is just… just… GAY!!! Fucks sake Ronny, what were you thinking?! 
June 3rd, 2009 at 10:14
Am I in the right site, is this Real Rants or Red Rants??
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:02
Where there’s smoke there’s fire? Or more baseless ‘journalism’:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/8078750.stm
Either way, it’d be nice for the player/club to at least address these rumours! Wouldn’t do any harm!
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:13
@Beachryan: It is up to the club to come out, but they probably have no idea themselves, but it certainly doesn’t look good for him.
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:42
Looking through a list of the midfielders Fergie has signed during his tenure, it’s no wonder our problem is here, and that we’ll struggle to sign a quality midfielder this summer!
Our greatest midfield 4 was Giggs, Scholes, Keane and Beckham. The only one he bought was Keane, and the rest were through the youth team (although yes they were acquired during his tenure).
Carrick and Hargreaves were quality purchases, but these buck the trend a little.
Poborsky, Miller, Djemba-Dejmba, Kleberson, Darren Ferguson, Richardson, Luke Chadwick, Saba Veron and Neil Webb are just some of the quality midfielders he has signed throughout the years! And I’m sure there are a few who would like to add Anderson to the list….
Unfortunately I think we are again much more likely to sign a Miller than a Keane this season.
June 3rd, 2009 at 12:56
@Traverse: To be fair he has also signed Ince, Ronaldo, Kanchelskis, Sharpe also Butt came through the youth system. Darren Ferguson, Chadwick and Richardson were not signings they came through the youth so you can add Beckham and Scholes to that and and we received a decent fee for Richardson.
The issue with Fergie his signing are quite predictable the last time he surprised me was with Sheringham, he would never buy a Gourcuff or Flamini he sticks to what he knows.
June 3rd, 2009 at 13:19
@Stephen: I just find it strange that there have been so many awful midfielders.
We still haven’t replaced Keane. I think Carrick would be a provider in the Iniest/Xavi mould if he had someone next to him doing the Keane role. Anderson is an attacker, Fletcher is the closest we have to it (who can stay fit) and when he plays with Scholes, Carrck takes the back seat.
Hargreaves is the kind of player we need in there with him, but he is made of glass. I struggle to think of players out there who could do it, let alone players Fergie would actually sign. Our scouts seem to all be in South America (not a bad job if you can get it). Not an area of the world known for its DMF’s….
June 3rd, 2009 at 13:31
@Traverse: Well Mascherano would have been a better signing than Anderson who is from that part of the world and would love to see Cambiasso at our club mate.
I think Hargo was the replacement in the end but it took us a while to get there, also when he was still at the club Keane’s better years were behind him latterly.
In Fergies defence he has been at the club for a long time and you are going to make mistakes but I do get your drift, Bellion, Djemba x2, Pleb-erson were bad buysbut he had Butt, Keane, Ince, Scholes at the club for so long his eye was probably out for midfielders!!
I would love someone like De Rossi, Flamini ect type at the club coupled with Wesley Sneijder who is still only 24. With R**l trying to purchase the who’s who of football they probably would want to recoupe some cash and maybe do a deal (ideally with Huntelaar) but who knows, but we will probably end up with Veloso
June 3rd, 2009 at 13:46
Apparantley Aon Corporation will be our next kit sponsor… They will give us £20 million for each year and they will begin at the start of the 2010/2011 season.
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/manchester_united/s/1118654_reds_set_for_sponsorship_deal__report
June 3rd, 2009 at 15:20
There seems to be a differencial with some people with regards to the R**l loving bad attituded Frenchman, Benzema and the United loving Dutchman Huntelaar.
Benzema has scored 43 times in 112 games for Lyon in total Hentelaar 76 in 92.
For France the Frenchman has scored a lowly 5 in 23 games the Dutchman 13 in 31.
in 07/08 Benzema netted 31 in 52, the Hunter 36 in 45.
This season Benzema scored a total of 23 in 47, Huntelaar scored 14 in 30 games with a breakdown of 8 in 20 for Real after moving in the window which is tough and with 6 in 10 for Ajax.
This to me is a no brainer if we have to sign a striker with T**ez seemingly going to sign for Shitty then Huntelaar is the only option. His record is incredible, a good attiude and at 25 he has still his best years in front of him, with a fee of between £15m to £17m he is a steal. He has always been open about his feeling for our club and his attitude is superb, plus he has the R**l issue out of his system.
Benzema has a poor attitude and has said “I have said it several times. Since childhood, Madrid was the team that I wanted to play for.”
Surely Huntelaar it is?
June 3rd, 2009 at 16:01
@Stephen, hows it going Bro? Do you think that Grog could have been right about the Hunter all along? Surely not
lol
June 3rd, 2009 at 16:12
@Stephen: If Fergie goes for Benzema, I will commit feckin Hari Kari
. We have enough LIMP DICKS in our team, without recruiting one of the worst in Benzema. We have had enough of the cry babies ‘you all don’t respect me’ numptees – so feck em all I say 
.
June 3rd, 2009 at 16:13
@Stephen, i’d still take Marcos Senna, i know he’s getting on, but he’d be a good stop gap while Hargo recovers, although Flamini would be a better buy.
June 3rd, 2009 at 16:13
@phoenix red: Phoenix Bro, you recovered from the limp arsed display of our lads in the CL yet?
June 3rd, 2009 at 16:22
@Craig Mc: limp arsed indeed! It was so disappointing Bro, i couldn’t believe my eyes, no fuckin fight from the boys in white. Yes, i’m over it. I’ve lived through many united defeats, i’m really hoping Fergie learns alot from it. As Grog said “it was a defeat for united but a victory for football”. Hard to stomach though. On to new pastures now, next season without the world club championship, can we bear the ignominy?
June 3rd, 2009 at 16:28
Aon Corporation are officially our new sponsor after AIG. To be honest, I dont know much about them…
June 3rd, 2009 at 16:32
@RedDevilEddy: yeah just saw that on Sky. Here’s there website http://www.aon.com/default.jsp logo looks OK, might look better with ‘insurance’ under it but better than AIG
June 3rd, 2009 at 16:34
and if you look here, we are referred to as ‘walking billboards’
http://www.aon.com/unitedin2010/about/key-facts.htm
June 3rd, 2009 at 16:38
@phoenix red:
, yeah ‘No fucking FIGHT Bro’, but abundance of ‘Fucking FRIGHT’ for the United faithful who spent a years wages for them, only to suffer the shittest performance in a CL final 
. Least when opposing fans star chanting Barcelona at us next season, we can chant back, ” Barcelona, where we won the treble, THE REAL ONE 
.
June 3rd, 2009 at 16:44
@Liam:
, that’s what ALL advertisers/sponsors of ALL PL teams refer to fans with shirt logos as. So same for everybody 
.
June 3rd, 2009 at 16:48
@Craig Mc: those opposing fans whose only chance to see any silverware is in our trophy cabinet?
June 3rd, 2009 at 17:35
@phoenix red: Well we just lost two pieces of silverware Phoenix, and one was the biggest of them all
.
June 3rd, 2009 at 17:41
@phoenix red: What gets me though mate, is where is the high testosterone performances from our lot, the ‘bite your legs aggression’, the “If I do not come of the pitch bleeding’, from the warfare, I aint done my job kind of insanity
. Where is the ‘Vinny Jones sneaky grabbing of the Gazza balls’ mentality. No fire, no passion, I mean did our lot get neuted or what 
. Have any of them still got hairs in their groins, or has baldness stepped in where it matters. 
.
June 3rd, 2009 at 17:42
@Liam: At base level that’s what the fans are from the sponsors perspective… £6.6million people will be walking around with your brand name on their shirt, and how else can you achieve that? £25million a year well spent from a marketing point of view. At least it gets AIG off the shirts.
June 3rd, 2009 at 17:45
So Chelsea have bid £73million for Kaka. He hasn’t been great for Milan this season or most of last. Good luck at Premiership pace with Titus Bramble coming through the back of you!
June 3rd, 2009 at 18:00
@Traverse: I hope they get him because then it makes it even more difficult to afford the price tag on Ronaldo. And I don’t think they will get Ribery unless they break the bank because Bayern is being pretty stubborn and demanding, which I applaud them for. With van Gall as their new manager and the purchase of Gomez, Olic, Tymoschuk and more to come, Bayern are looking to become a real force again.
I said that at the beginning of last year when Klinsmann took over but Klinsy’s style and methods were bound to fail on a team that is so used to doing it old school. Klinsmann is a very good manager but his new wave methods are so unique that they literally take teams a couple of years to really get it and start playing his fast paced attacking football. It took Germany almost two years before they finally bought into the plan. Bayern has too many ego’s above him to allow for two years of tinkering as they were defending champions.
Now as for United, all is quiet on the United front. Nothing is happening and I expect nothing to happen this entire month. It’s sun bathing and wine drinking time in the south of France for Mr and Mrs Fergie and so we can all forget about seeing anything major happening either with players coming or leaving. It’s times like this that my North American roots get the better of me as over here, the off season is the best of times because that is when the “Hot Stove League” starts up.
The “Hot Stove League” is a term for all the rumors and deals that go down with players coming and going from teams in big free agent deals or trades in North American sports. The HSL has already started in Europe with the Kaka move, Gomez going to Bayern, Barry to Man City and Zhirkov supposedly going to Chelsea, although I am hearing that this may now not be the case. Either way, this type of activity usually starts up immediately in in the US when certain leagues schedule their annual General Managers and owners meetings shortly after the end of a season. Many deals go down at these events, especially in baseball and it is a time for lots of speculation and fun for the media and fans.
Man United however seem to have found a different method in which they now do their business. There is no longer any urgency in their chase for players. It seems that if they are to sign anyone, it happens just before or after the season ends and just before the transfer deadline. They may think that this tactic allows them to play hardball with teams trying to sell but in fact it just forces United to pay top dollar for players due to their need and deadline looming closer. Berbatov was a player we paid far too much because Spurs knew how desperate we were to get him so United tried to play it very close to the fatal deadline and were lucky to win simply because of three factors. Berbatov had definitely burned his bridges at Spurs and was not returning, Berbatov had made up his own mind that it was United he wanted to play for (I’ll always respect and admire him for that) and finally, Fergie pulled a fast one on Man Shitty by driving out and picking up the Bulgarian from the airport thus destroying any chance Shitty might have had of seducing him.
My point is if we continue to try to do business like this, we are going to be handed out a lot of disappointment. United have lost their aggressive edge in player purchasing because of our financial situation. The Glazer’s are not offering Fergie and Gill a large enough transfer kitty befitting a team of our size and reputation. And that is basically chopping our plans at the knees. Our debt is getting in the way of our doing business in the off season in a manner that we could if we wanted to, scuttle any plans Real or Chelsea had with a player like Kaka. But lets face it, even if Fergie badly wanted Kaka, he could never afford him unless he sold Ronaldo or four or five players. Yes it’s come to this. We are now running our team like Arsenal, under a strict budget and looking for the cheap and easy way to build our team which is by going after young prospects or players like Valencia who have yet to elevate their game to the level that would make other big clubs take as much interest.
Am I wrong? Perhaps, but I seriously doubt it. The proof is in the pudding. Just look at how we have bought the Anderson’s, Nani’s, Berba’s, Hargo’s of the world and just look at what we were forced to do for two seasons to get Carlos Tevez to play for us. When United are forced to get players by loan, that tells you we are not the same team we used to be in terms of money. The sooner those uselss Glazer’s sell to serious financial players that are worthy enough to own a team like this, the sooner we can go out and buy the kind of players Real, Chelsea and Barca have been able to buy without much hassle over the last few years. I am not advocating a fire sale or going on a spending spree and buying a lot of players. I am saying that Kaka, would have solved one of our key needs on this team but we never even considered him because we never had half the money it would take to buy him. It’s come to that and that alone has forced Fergie to take it easy and show no urgency in the market. And I for one am disturbed and frustrated by this because our team is in serious need of a few good men.
June 3rd, 2009 at 18:02
@Stephen: Based on the thread cover photo, I actually would ask if it’s REAL PANTS?
June 3rd, 2009 at 18:13
@Beachryan: Mate, all I can say is that this is just another attempt by the tabloid sports journalism of England to get a rise out of it’s readership and in this case, Manchester United supporters. Not an ounce of credibility or professionalism is indicated in any of these reports. Not one viable sources is credited or quoted and all it is for the most part is a dare by papers to get a reaction or rise out of United. United on the other hand rarely ever come back and have a heated debate or do they ever really come out and confirm or deny these stories or rumors because they cannot be bothered.
I for one do not believe a word of this nonsense. I fully expect to see Hargo with United come August or September. If I am wrong, I’ll live with it but what I will not do this summer like I did last summer is buy into the tabloid media’s mountain of bullshit. European football and European laws on journalism have nothing but shame to offer by their continual allowance of irresponsible, unethical and sleazy tabloid journalism having overtaken something a pure as sports. The US is no better when it comes to sleazy tabloid journalism, but they do not do not offer this kind of disgraceful journalistic ass wipe in sports. Sports are left alone and what is reported are just facts and views on the specific sports and players. An entity like Marca or the Sun would not be tolerated over here. Not for their sports reporting anyway. So people, stop buying into the BS. Hargo is probably fine, Ronaldo is probably going to be with us again in 2009/10 and 99% of the rumors we read and the stories that come out in English and Spanish papers have no use but to line a cats litter box.
June 3rd, 2009 at 18:14
@Craig Mc: you’re talking about the hole Keano left! No doubt, that wouldn’t have happened if Roy was on the pitch. Our players would have been too scared shitless to pass to a Barca player, and we wouldn’t have witnessed the Barca waltz through our midfield!
June 3rd, 2009 at 18:14
@Stephen: I don’t believe a word of it until the club comes out and says something. And the fact they don’t is a sign that they don’t care what the media says which is consistent with the way they react to most stories of this nature.
June 3rd, 2009 at 18:22
@Traverse: You just can’t replace a Keane. He is a player that comes around perhaps once in a generation. The only player in Keane’s class is unavailable and that is Michael Essien. What I would try for if I were United is to buy one of two CDM’s from Barcelona. With the emergence of Busquets I think they have a surplus and would be willing to sell either Keita or Yaya Toure. These are quality terriers to have running down players in the midfield and either would be great insurance should Hargo not come back. I personally think Keita is very good and worth going after. No he is not Roy Keane but like I said earlier, looking for Roy is a forlorn hope.
June 3rd, 2009 at 18:27
@Stephen: The problem in mentioning names like De Rossi and especially Essien and Mascherano is that they are allplayers that are not available because they are so important to their teams and they are all happy with their teams. In the case of Mascherano,he is a Liverpool player and they would never sell to us as we would not sell Heinze to them.
De Rossi comes across as a very loyal player to Roma but he is also culturally insecure and I seriously doubt he would ever leave Italy. Essien? Well it would take 80 million to get Chelsea to sell him and when his contract expires, I don’t see him betraying his former employers by going to Liverpool or United or Arsenal. If he ever leaves Chelsea, it’ will be for Spain or Italy. So lets talk about players that are possibilities because they are willing to play for us and because they are within our budget. Nicky Butt anyone?
June 3rd, 2009 at 18:27
Dont worry abt our boy looks like he is bagging Juliano belletti’s sis.here
June 3rd, 2009 at 18:42
@Grognard: Agreed, not many realistic world class players around at the minute. Only ones i would consider would be:
Senna- class player, yes hes a bit old but hes still class, would add great experience in the middle and would add steel in the absence of hargo. Only problem is villareal seem reluctant to sell and could cost up to £15 million which for a 31 y/o just isnt worth it.
2- Flamini- Great little player, would be my first choice personally. Could be available as milan seem to hate playing the younger players so maybe a return to england and us would appeal to him. Anywhere from 10 to 15 million would be a great deal for us and personally i think milan might just take it. Bet fergie doesnt even consider him tho.
3- Gattuso- Im sure not many people will be keen on him, the old man he may be referred to but to me hes not past it, hes an experienced old school midfielder in the keane mould. Have to admit i havent watched him much as of late so i cant say anything past his form last season but when i last saw him he still looked the business. 31 y/o may be a tad old for some but its whether he wants to join thats the problem imo. I cant see him leaving milan tbh which is a shame but we should still consider him.
4- One of keita or yaya toure- thanks grognard you mentioned this and you have a good point. These 2 along with the young guy basquetes or whatever hes called means barca have 3 DMs in 1 position. I cant see them letting yaya go as he can fill in at CB but i definitely reckon they would consider selling keita. Ive watched him a few times and hes looked a real talent. A little terrier like a fletcher but with a bit more aggression. Hes also extremely quick and for a bid of say £10 million he could be possible.
So there you go guys thats about it for DMs at the minute. Thing is with all of these, these are players that are very much unlikely to be even considered by ferguson but honeslty there really aint any others around that could be attainable. Ok so alot of these players i named may be unrealistic but im sure if we put in a solid bid for a say flamini or keita they would definitely consider it. Thing is though ferguson never goes for players like this and i cant see him going any different. They will probably give hargreaves another year or two and persist with scholes before they bring another DM in which is depressing.
June 3rd, 2009 at 18:42
@Stephen: What’s important to realize about Huntelaar is that when he got his chance to start for Madrid he actually averaged almost a goal a game. I do not count his games as a substitute because it makes it sound like he was less prolific than he was. Ramos was a total ass clown when it comes to using him because when he decided to finally start him and give him a run, Real responded as a team along with the Hunter and went on a big winning streak. Then all of a sudden for no reason Hunter was benched and Real sunk and lost any chance they had to catch Barca, and the coup de grace in their downfall was the humiliating 6-2 loss in which Huntelaar did not start.
If you buy a world class goal scorer heres a suggestion, USE HIM. Ramos succumbed to the power politics and clique power of the Real dressing room. This is all run and operated by the antichrist of all footballers, Raul. This little pissant has run and managed Real from his locker space for over a decade. There is a reason why the last couple of managers for Spain refused to have him on the team despite the fact he was still scoring goals. It’s because he cause fractures within a team. He separates the desireables from the undesirables because he acts like a gang leader and continually invokes his own preferences and power play on the team. Many great players never lived up to his demands for attention or respect and wer subsequently benched and sold.
It’s no doubt that Raul prefers Higauin over Huntelaar and even van Nistelrooy. He preferred others to Michael Owen too. I have read and heard horror stories about this players influence and power on the team and his connection to the top brass at the club. I just can’t wait for the day I see how Raul turns on Ronaldo and makes his life a living Hell there. As for Huntelaar, the player needs to leave that club to fullfill his great potential and to further continue his prolific goal scoring exploits. If Fergie still had an ounce of common sense, he would forget the attitude and Zidane loving baggage of Benzema and buy a player that has always called himself a fan of United. But I won’t expect it or even be mildly optimistic over such a thing happening. And frankly, United is too timid to demand Huntelaar and either Sneijder or van der Vart in a deal for Ronaldo. They want the money so that most of it goes towards the Glazer’s massive debt.
June 3rd, 2009 at 18:46
@phoenix red: Marco Senna is a good player but far too old and he is also lacking the pace to make a difference. The English league would eat him up because he’s slow. And lets face it, a CDM has to have pace to chase down threats. And at 32, his best days are over by a long shot. It would be tantamount to going after Patrick Vieira or Gattuso. Just too old and over the hill.
June 3rd, 2009 at 18:50
@RedDevilEddy: They are an American insurance company that deals in re insuring companies. They are basically insurance for insurance companies, if that makes any sense. For me the are small potatoes compared to some of the others out there we could have gone for and would have received more money for. I’m not really sure why we settled for them. I’m sure some of the Arab ones would have paid more money.
June 3rd, 2009 at 18:55
@Traverse: Kaka is a worthless overrated piece of crapola. And I said this when he was voted world player of the year based on his performances in a handful of Champions league games alone. He has never ever been that great and I for one don’t get what the big deal is? Even Fergie himself has come out and said the player doesn’t excite him. Kaka is another term referring to shit in many languages. I think that says it all.
June 3rd, 2009 at 19:03
@Matt: I’d be interested to see what Chelsea do. Until Real actually has the press conference to introduce Kaka, I still feel there is a chance Ancelotti could convince him to go to Chelsea. If that’s the case, you have a team with Lampard, Kaka, Deco, Ballack, Essien and Mikel. Six players for probably three spots. Ballack just signed a contract and Deco looks certain to go. Mikel is young and used to be ours. I personally hate him and think he is a dirty little prick but he is a damned good defensive midfielder. Because of his age though, would ther possibly be a chance of us buying Essien. I hate discussing such fantasies especially since players from big rivals never sell to us, but as his contract is ending soon, is there a possibility to buck that trend? Essien is truly the missing link. The one player who can issue the return of a Roy Keane presence in our midfield. With Chelsea having a surplus of midfielders and with Ancelotti’s dream to also bring over Andre Pirlo, I think it is crazy for us not to be as bold and adventurous as Real Madrid and ask about either Essien or Mikel.
June 3rd, 2009 at 19:13
@Grognard: Mikel is a scumbag, and Chelsea will never sell Essien.
June 3rd, 2009 at 19:15
@Grognard: i did say “stop gap”. He embodies the “they shall not pass” attitude we need in centre midfield. But Michael Essian, now there is the proper replacement for Keano, Essian is class, but i cant see chelscum selling him. I’d love it, but i cant see it.
June 3rd, 2009 at 19:23
@phoenix red: Hello mate, Senna would be a decent option for at least season and sensible, Villareal have lost their manager and thr timimg would be right plus gives us time to see how Hargo’s injury clears up bro.
June 3rd, 2009 at 19:29
@Grognard: I am a Shevchenko oh sorry Kaka sceptic, although he took us apart all be it with a 20% fit Vida, he is very overated in my book and would struggle in the Premiership.
June 3rd, 2009 at 19:33
@Grognard: yaya tore is the closest thing to keane in the world of football today in my opinion, i would much, much rather we bought him and not a striker if im honest.
June 3rd, 2009 at 19:42
thinking of it now, £70mil+huntelaar and sneijder/van der vaart would be awesome!!!!! after that world record transfer bid for him, we can break the record our selves and buy ribery for how much bayern ask for. The team would be:
Foster
rafael/brown
ferdinand
vidic
evra
carrick
sneijder
ribery
rooney
nani
huntelaar/welbeck/macheda
In my opinion, thats a lot, lot better then:
Vds
o’shea
ferdinand
vidic
evra
ronaldo
carrick
fletcher/giggs
park
berbatov/tevez
rooney.
Seriously, what team would you pick?
June 3rd, 2009 at 19:55
@Grognard: I’d bite their hands off for Essien.
June 3rd, 2009 at 19:57
@Dan: A combination.
Foster
Brown
Rio
Vidic
Evra
Carrick
Hargreaves/Some other quality midfielder
Ronaldo
Anderson/Berbatov
Nani
Rooney
June 3rd, 2009 at 20:56
What ever happened to Mahamadou Diarra, I know he got injured and I have seen Lassana Diarra where his shirt, has he retired or shrunk and changed his first name?
June 3rd, 2009 at 21:14
@Stephen: God mahamadodu diarra, remember when we were linked with him in the summer of 06. Apparently he was much more highly rated than essien when the two were at lyon. Was a great player back then but must have played about 30 odd games in 3 seasons, imo he will is finished now, real have seen to that.
June 3rd, 2009 at 21:19
@Matt: Thought so, they paid about the same as Chelsea did for Essien, we were very keen on him if I remember.
June 3rd, 2009 at 21:28
@Stephen: Read what I said mate. I agree but I just put out some small possibility if indeed Ancelotti is planning on buying Pirlo. Mikel is a scumbag but would you hate him as much if he was your scumbag? And Essien is coming to the end of his contract so…..you never know.
June 3rd, 2009 at 21:30
@Dan: Yaya Toure isn’t even close to Essien. How then can he be so close to Keane. Outrageous statement their mate. Toure is good, he’s not a God.
June 3rd, 2009 at 21:31
@Grognard: Essien is a fantastic player and would roll out the red carpet for him, but Mikel has turned his back and lied about meetings and agreements with our club already, he is unreliable as has a reputation of turning up late to training, a constant red card waiting to happen he has no class and I personally would never want him to darken our doors again.
June 3rd, 2009 at 21:32
@Dan: You’re dreaming. They have no intention of offering Huntelaar and Sneijder who together are worth close to 40 million and then also pay 70 million for Ronaldo. It’s more like 35 or 40 million and those two. Use some business sense when you come up with this stuff Dan my boy.
June 3rd, 2009 at 21:34
@Stephen: The problem with football is there seems to be too many frakken Diarra’s out there and they are all woefully overrated and over hyped. They’re bums.
June 3rd, 2009 at 21:36
@Stephen: I don’t like Mikel either mate and I for one would not be happy about him coming here but you cannot discount the fact that he is an intimidating defensive presence. He’s dirty and he gets red cards and jeez, but doesn’t that remind me a little of Keano. We need an intimidating presence. A no nonsense physical force in the middle that will make puffders like Iniesta and Xavi quake in their blue and red dresses. I may not like him but I think we need him.
June 3rd, 2009 at 21:39
@Grognard: Ha ha Alou, Abdoulaye, Boubacar, Lamine, Drissa ect a theme there I suppose.
June 3rd, 2009 at 21:42
@Grognard: He is a hot head rather than a physical presence, he kicks out mouths off I would rather someone who gets stuck in, a leader of men not a dirty faggot who believes too much in his own hype.
June 3rd, 2009 at 21:47
@Grognard: I think mikel is chelseas version of Anderson. A once promising attacking talent who was converted to a dm in the epl. Now they both seem like skill-less thugs in the middle of the park.
June 3rd, 2009 at 21:48
@Johnsom33: Anderson is skill-less but not a thug, to a degree I wish he was more of one.
June 3rd, 2009 at 22:10
thug was a bad worse choice, more like midfield enforcer.
June 3rd, 2009 at 22:53
If this is true then in my opinion its a good piece of buisness, he has weaknesses that have been exposed this season, just my opinion.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/real-madrid-aim-to-land-manchester-united-star-vidic-1695810.html
June 3rd, 2009 at 23:02
@Fred The Red: you are completely bonkers mate, his weaknesses been exposed? this has been the best season in his career to date, and he’ll only get better.
you tell name 3, just 3 better CB in the world. the only centre back even worth being mentioned in the same breathe plays for united.
June 3rd, 2009 at 23:05
@Grognard: 2 different types of players, essien Box to Box, toure, strong CDM. Player wise, essien is the better player, but i would prefer toure to essien for united in my opinion.
June 3rd, 2009 at 23:06
@Grognard: i was just imagining, i know thats not something that can realistically happen, it was just imagination, am i not allowed to dream?
June 3rd, 2009 at 23:34
@Fred The Red: Even if madrid did offer us the £30 million i wouldnt accept it, as Dan says, we would struggle to mention anyone else who is better than him so how the hell would we find a replacement for him. If your getting at evans taking his place well i gotta say mate your being a bit optimistic there.
Evans is an excellent player but hes not ready to be 1st team yet and even from what ive seen of him hes not uptp vidics standard yet and may never be. If he even gets close to his standard in the next 3 years hes done well. Forget the £30 million, they can stick that offer up their ass, we wouldnt even blink at that offer.
The fact of the matter in the end is there are some players that are easily replaceable and there are others that arent. We havent replaced keane in nearly 4 years and i reckon if we waited for evans to fully mature or buy another world class CB your talking about waiting a few years to find his replacement. Vidic for me is in the top 3 of players that cannot ever be sold in the foreseeable future and thats a fact.
June 3rd, 2009 at 23:36
@Grognard: I suppose Diarra among some african country is the equivalent of Taylor or Smith in England.
Alou Diarra is not too bad. Offensively does not bring much, but does the DM job for Bordeaux I think.
June 4th, 2009 at 0:11
Well it appears that the house cleaning has begun and shockingly, Darron Gibson is one of the first to be told he has no future with the club. Personally, I think this is a mistake by Fergie. Anybody who strikes the ball as wickedly and as sweetly as he does, should not be sold.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2009/06/04/manchester-united-put-yuongsters-frazier-campbell-danny-simpson-and-darron-gibson-on-transfer-list-115875-21413092/
June 4th, 2009 at 0:13
@Stephen: I hate puffy names. I don’t care where they are from, if they have gay names, they are on my crap list.
June 4th, 2009 at 0:14
@Stephen: Fair enough.
June 4th, 2009 at 0:17
@Johnsom33: Actually Mikel is a very physical defensive player. Like Stephen said, he’s a thug and a total prick but he gets under the skin of players and does a good job defensively, when he isn’t being banned for three games that is. Anderson on the other hand is nothing more than a decent dribbler who can protect the ball by swinging his big booty ass around like a hockey stick. Mikel offers something to Chelsea. What exactly does Anderson offer other than frustration and every so often a tease of suspected potential?
June 4th, 2009 at 0:21
@Fred The Red: Are you frakken serious mate? God have mercy!
Vidic was by far our best player this year as well as most consistently brilliant game in and game out. He had two bad games all year. The 4-1 loss to Liverpool and the Champions League final. Big games but I would look towards others also not doiong their job and putting him in a pickle of a situation on some of those goals. Other than two bloody games he played over 50 fantastic games and was the man of the match for me on at least ten occasions. I wouldn’t sell Vidic for 50 million. I’d sell Rio and Ronaldo before I ever sold Vidic. JEEZ! 
June 4th, 2009 at 0:22
@Dan: It’s summer mate and the heat must already be getting to him. Forgive him for he knows not what he does.
June 4th, 2009 at 0:25
@Dan: Why? Because you feel we need no box to box midfielder? The one thing we have lacked since Roy Keane left is a box to box midfielder. All our present midfielders stay back and defend and play the ball conservatively and you are telling me we need yet another one?
Christ all mighty I sometimes wonder if some of you are watching the same bloody games and the same bloody team I am watching. Sorry Dan but you are WRONG! Also, Essien is arguably in the top ten footballers on the planet. I wouldn’t rank a Diarra in the top 100. To compare them is like comparing Nemanja Vidic to Titus Bramble. 
June 4th, 2009 at 0:27
@Dan: Yes you are allowed a dream. Just one. Now you are out of dreams and in order to have one more, you have to write a beautiful paragraph on why United must buy Klaas Jan Huntelaar for the betterment of the team. Do that and I will allow you to have two more dreams of which none can be used to get rid of Klass Jan Huntelaar.
June 4th, 2009 at 0:30
@Matt: It’s not like CB’s never make mistakes. It’s a high pressure position where most good CB’s make at least a couple dozen major mistakes a season. I can count on one hand the number of mistakes Vidic made this season. The man was frakken Superman. Coming from Fred I find it almost unbelievable that he said something as ridiculous as that. He’s generally very intelligent in regards to the game and about players. I just don’t get where he is coming from on this one. Like I said earlier, it might be hot where he is and heat stroke can make people say an do silly things.
June 4th, 2009 at 0:59
@Grognard:
That combination of smileys makes no sense. It’s like, I think you’re saying the most fucking ridiculous thing in the world, but, hey, here’s a smile to make you happy. No, Grog I can’t fall for that 
Roll your eyes or smile. I can’t picture a combination of those emotions from someone in real life. 
June 4th, 2009 at 1:09
Interesting that we put Campbell, Gibson and Simpson up for sale the day after the make or break Tevez meeting. I reckon we might have signed him and need to find some extra cash pronto.
That or we’re letting him go, and bringing in someone expensive. *Clutching at Ribery shaped straws*
June 4th, 2009 at 1:57
I dont believe this tabloid crap, dont believe all you read lads, esp in silly season.
June 4th, 2009 at 2:27
@Grognard: Thirty million for a defender mate is serious money, and Dan I have not gone bonkers, He is a great player who is strong in every department except one , he is ponderous on the turn when he is attacked with pace which is why he holds on so often when he gets turned. Against Liverpool twice he looked vulnerable, Eto beat him far too easily last week and I can remember as far back as the first match against Newcastle when the opposition had strong penalty claims turned down against him when he was holding players who were burning him for pace.
June 4th, 2009 at 2:36
@Fred The Red: Good peek here, Fred. I agree that he can be turned – it’s because of his very decisive, first attack. A little trick here or there makes him vulnerable!!
Something to work on Vida!!
June 4th, 2009 at 2:42
@Dan: @Matt: @Grognard: I knew before I posted the Vidic post that some,if not most people would not agree.
I also understand why and would not wish to make a big deal over it coz he is a good player, but if Im honest with you, I always thought that he lacked pace and could be got at, which is why he very rarely defends high up the pitch, which is not good for a defender.
Its just my opinion that if we got 30 million for him it would be good buisness coz those types of sums are usually commanded by midfielders and forwards.
June 4th, 2009 at 2:51
@Redrich: what I will say in his defense is that the work of a proper defensive midfielder might have prevented from some of the situations were he was exposed.
June 4th, 2009 at 3:09
@Fred The Red: Can’t disagree with that, although his most glaring gaffs were one on one, and so unless the DMF was holding his hand, this defender has to hold the baby.
Like grog said, he had a massive season, and a true savior in our barren scoring patches. We can all forgive and forget, but he could have chosen his moments better!!
June 4th, 2009 at 3:16
@Redrich: Im probably nick picking a little coz in most games he was solid, I guess I was spoiled by Jaap Stam, what a complete defender he was, next to Maldini he was the best Ive ever seen.
June 4th, 2009 at 3:25
@Fred The Red: How much did Rio cost us in 2002, that 30m figure seems quite familiar!
The idea of performing good business within with PL would have to be predicated on buying better, and for a lesser cost, than than the price you receive for your top players. It would be poor business to sell for a profit and then struggle to maintain some form of status-quo within the squad.
Unless, of course, you are to sell the club, and spend the rest of your life laying on a beach somewhere in the South Pacific!!
June 4th, 2009 at 3:33
@Redrich: the big fella Hangeland at fulham was a rock this season, but your right, if you cant replace him with someone at least as good then its better to keep the status quo.
June 4th, 2009 at 3:53
@Fred The Red: I cant say I saw Hangeland that much, but at OT, you’re really under the spotlight, and unless he was immaculate, or close to it, he would be burnt toast by Guy Folkes night!!
June 4th, 2009 at 4:14
@Red Ranter: All I can say is:
All this suff is so confusing!
June 4th, 2009 at 5:22
@Red Ranter: I roll my eyes in a what can say expression and then I smile and say what the heck. Hope that helps you out mate. Truthfully, I wished their were more smileys because quite often the emotion or expression I want to evoke isn’t available from the smiley list we have. What can I say, I am a complex guy.
June 4th, 2009 at 5:23
@Traverse: Bottom line is we have more good prospects than there will ever be openings with the big club. Still, I was surprised when they let Gibson go.
June 4th, 2009 at 5:29
@Fred The Red: He’s ponderous on the turn? Samuel Etoo and Fernando Torres embarrassed him a total of two times this year and you blow those tow times up into giant sized overreaction balloons. Those two aren’t exactly bums you know. Vidic is a rock who gets the job done 99% of the time. Oh yes, and he’s actually human too. Perhaps you would prefer the CB’s from Arsenal or City?
They can take their 30 million and stuff where the sun don’t shine. Like I said, he shouldn’t be avaialable for 50 million. Consider this, our offense wasn’t great this season. Our defense was. Who was the Ronaldo of our defense? Vidic. We won a treble with Vidic having an excellent season. So as far as I am concerned he’s worth twice what they are asking. And I wouldn’t sell to Real Madrid if they were the only club on the planet. And trust me, if Fergie unloads anyone, he will never sell them to those pricks.
June 4th, 2009 at 5:31
@Fred The Red: Name me one center back in football that can keep up with Torres? There aren’t any mate.
June 4th, 2009 at 5:38
@Fred The Red: Just remember how difficult it was to find a good CB to partner Stam. Also, when Stam left it took a while to find a replacement in Rio and Rio never had a good partner until Vidic showed up. Players of the quality of Vidic do not grow on trees and this crap about pace is so ridiculous because no CB can keep up with world class forwards with pace. It’s their positioning that makes it possible to defeat those players. But every once in a while a great forward will have his way. God knows Rio has had his few gaffs too. They are only human and the measurement stick for these kinds of players is how often they do get the job done over the few times they don’t. Anyone who couldn’t see just how massive a year Vidic had is just blind and to pick on a few moments of poor play over the thousands of minutes of stellar world class defending is unfair and a complete injustice to a player who finished in the top four for voting for PFA player of the year. He didn’t get acknowledged for that because Torres and Etoo skinned him once. Come on mate.
Your argument has absolutely no basis. Like I said earlier, give me two names of world class CB’s who are faster? Certainly Chelsea doesn’t have them, nor does Barca, how about Real, Milan, Inter, Roma, Bayern or Arsenal. They don’t exist. If there are two players I would never sell it is the twin towers. NEVER EVER EVER. To Hell with the money. It’s bad business if it causes us to lose more.
June 4th, 2009 at 5:43
@Redrich: He had a lot of extra work to do all year covering up for that inept little French skinned sausage Evra. Quite often he had to race to the side to cover for that useless bag of crap. And yes, he never got support on that side and quite often he saved Rio’s ass too when Rio made a blunder. I can’t count the number of times he bailed somebody else out but when he made a mistake, rarely was there anyone to bail him out. Why? Because he was always the last dependable line of defense. Christ this argument about Vidic sounds as ridiculous as saying Pele was an average forward.
June 4th, 2009 at 5:44
@Fred The Red: More like grasping for a needle in a haystack that is the size of Old Trafford.
June 4th, 2009 at 5:46
@Redrich: The two best CB’s in world football are Rio and Vidic. I’d rate Puyol, Mertesacker, and a few others below them in the second tier. Who else can come close to those two? WHO?
June 4th, 2009 at 6:15
looks like we got a 50m to buy players its not that bad
http://www.imscouting.com/global_news_item.aspx?id=2198
June 4th, 2009 at 8:12
SAF selling Gibson, but persuading Scholesy and Nev to stick around and keep drawing their millions – WHY? I mean fucking why? Surely United will save 4 times the amount they hope to get for Gibson, if they retire these two veterans. I am losing faith in this kind of Fergie thinking
.
June 4th, 2009 at 9:03
@Craig Mc: I am with you on that mate. It makes no sense at all. Fergie needs to be fair and do what’s best for the club long term. Not just until he retires.
June 4th, 2009 at 9:28
@Craig Mc: Why sell him?? Ok put him out on loan would be a sensible option but to sell him would be stupid, unless he has to.
June 4th, 2009 at 17:47
@Grognard: Yeah I figured out of all of our reserve midfielders, Gibson was the one that was likely to get near our first team regularly. He’s got one hell of a shot on him, and the positional awareness and passing vision only really come from regular football.