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:
- Free tickets for United v Villa final
- It’s only half-time and we’re one down – will you back United to win?
- Manchester United poker tournament – win a signed shirt, free tickets and more
- Betting Tip: United to roar back to form against Wolves
- Flashback Friday: Steve Bruce’s Finest Manchester United Moment
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (541)
Stephen (487)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Craig Mc (348)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
@Grognard: I’d bite their hands off for Essien.
Like?
0 
0
@Dan: A combination.
Foster
Brown
Rio
Vidic
Evra
Carrick
Hargreaves/Some other quality midfielder
Ronaldo
Anderson/Berbatov
Nani
Rooney
Like?
0 
0
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?
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@Matt: Thought so, they paid about the same as Chelsea did for Essien, we were very keen on him if I remember.
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: Ha ha Alou, Abdoulaye, Boubacar, Lamine, Drissa ect a theme there I suppose.
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@Johnsom33: Anderson is skill-less but not a thug, to a degree I wish he was more of one.
Like?
0 
0
thug was a bad worse choice, more like midfield enforcer.
Like?
0 
0
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
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@Grognard: i was just imagining, i know thats not something that can realistically happen, it was just imagination, am i not allowed to dream?
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
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/
Like?
0 
0
@Stephen: I hate puffy names. I don’t care where they are from, if they have gay names, they are on my crap list.
Like?
0 
0
@Stephen: Fair enough.
Like?
0 
0
@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?
Like?
0 
0
@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! 
Like?
0 
0
@Dan: It’s summer mate and the heat must already be getting to him. Forgive him for he knows not what he does.
Like?
0 
0
@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. 
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@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. 
Like?
0 
0
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*
Like?
0 
0
I dont believe this tabloid crap, dont believe all you read lads, esp in silly season.
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@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!!
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@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!!
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@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!!
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@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!!
Like?
0 
0
@Red Ranter: All I can say is:
All this suff is so confusing!
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@Fred The Red: Name me one center back in football that can keep up with Torres? There aren’t any mate.
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0
@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.
Like?
0 
0