Feb 08
West Ham v Man Utd: Live
Sorry for the delay, there was some extremely important errand that I had to attend to. But here’s the second half:
Related items from Red Rants:
- Derby Man Utd: Live!
- Man Utd Blog 2007/2008 Home Kit
- Tevez Update: Is a Solution Finally In Sight?
- Rooney Out For A Month
- Man Utd 2010/11 Season Fixtures Announced
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (541)
Stephen (487)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Craig Mc (348)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
SCOLARI is gone!
Poor chap
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Okey, Ive got the stats for Ando assists/pass to assist. Here goes…
Assists:
Wigan- 4-0. Through ball to Tevez who rounds keeper and scores.
Sporting- 2-1. Wins free-kick for Ronaldo winner in last minute.
Derby- 4-1. Passes to Tevez who shoots in the air on first attempt, but scores on second.
Arsenal- 4-0. Wins header vs Fabregas to Rooney who heads over Lehmann.
Lyon- 1-0. Miss-hit shot falls to the feet of Ronaldo, who scores winner.
Bolton- 2-0. Fouled for Ronaldo free-kick.
Blackburn- 5-3. Plays one-two with Giggs and Tevez before serving Tevez with an open net.
Blackburn- 5-3. Plays threaded pass over Rovers defense to Tevez who hammers home.
Aalborg- 2-2. Through ball to Rooney who scores between keepers legs.
Derby- 4-2. Plays pass to Nani who cuts inside and scores from 25 yards.
10 assists
3rd last:
Wigan- 4-0. Wins ball in midfield and passes to Rooney, who passes to Ronaldo.
Dynamo Kiev- 4-2. Passes to Tevez who wins penalty kick. Ronaldo scores.
Boro- 4-1. Passes to Rooney who passes to Tevez. Apache scores
Fulham- 2-0. Passes to Oshea on left wing who crosses for Ronaldo header.
Derby- 4-1. Passes to Brown, who passes to Tevez. He hammers it in.
Villa- 2-0. Gives the ball to Giggs on left wing. He crosses for Ronaldo who scores.
Arsenal- 4-0. Plays the ball out to Nani on the left who crosses for Fletcher goal.
Arsenal- 4-0. Flicks the ball to Carrick. Carrick plays a brilliant ball to Nani, and he scores.
Roma- 1-0. Gives the ball to Hargo on the right hand side, he crosses for diving Tevez.
Pompey- 1-0. Gives the ball to Evra on the left who crosses it for a goalscoring Fletcher.
Liverpool- 1-2. Magnificent pass over Liverpool defense to a running Berba. He cuts it back for Tevez, who gives United the lead.
Boro- 3-1. Passes to Manucho, who passes to Nani.
West Ham- 2-0. Passes to Nani on the left, he passes to Ronaldo and goal.
West Ham- 2-0. Through pass to Berbatov, and he flicks it over the defenders leg and puts it on a plate for Ronaldo.
Hull- 4-3. Pass to Berbatov who passes to Carrick. He runs to the Hull box and scores off the post.
Aalborg- 2-2. Gives ball to Giggs, who chips it over Aalborg defense for Tevez goal.
3rd last: 16.
Sorry for saying 29 goals, it was actually only 26. When I saw through it again, there was 1 assist that he hadnt got and 2 third last that he didnt have. Cheers, and I hope this may open peoples eyes.
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@RedDevilEddy: Did he say offensive farce?
Just messing with you mate. Anderson has a lot of things going for him but offensive football is not his overall strength yet because he lacks finesse and finishing. You cannot be an offensive force with just a power game. Breaking down EPL defenses needs finesse and imagination as well as good old fashioned finishing. Andy does not possess these needed skills at high enough a grade. However, he may one day improve to a point where he is known for his offense. Take away his long through balls and really can you say he does have great offensive skills? Just being with my own assessment. 
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@RedDevilEddy: Eddy Eddy Eddy. You are honestly calling a miss hit shot and a winning a free kick an assist or offensive strength? Your pushing it a bit. And some of those passes he gave that led to goals were just ordinary safe passes that Nani and Ronald then used skill to turn into goals. It’s not like the pass made the goal.
I know you love Anderson mate but you can’tt keep building him up to be something he isn’t. You’re just going to have to sit back, be patient and wait to see if he improves the next couple of seasons enough to prove his doubters wrong. I’m optimistic, I think he will. He has pace, strength, aggressiveness and the great ability to shield the ball with his body. He has a lot going for him. Time will tell. But right now he is streaky, inconsistent and certainly not the offensive threat he was unfairly billed as at the time we signed him.
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Poor Gene Hackman (aka Big Phil). No respect and no patience on that club. That team is run by a clown and owned by a rich gypsy. If any manager is to have any success there, he has to have complete autonomy from the owner and must be allowed to gut the team and start over. There are at least six players right now who are a cancer to the team’s future and who still play Mourinho’s system which under other coaches has not worked. The players lack the motivation, the professionalism and the fewlxibility to change. Therefore, sell them all. But Roman will not do that because he now has more financial problems than he ever dreamed were possible and I would not be surprised to see Chelsea under new and much more meager ownership within 18 months.
Big Phil never got a fair chance and he stepped into a viper pit. Like Real Madrid, he stepped into a team that is run by Frank Lampard and John Terry and that is very cliquey. No team unity or team togetherness. A team made up entirely of mercenaries of which most had complete loyalty and allegiance to Mourinho. As long as you have cancers like Drogba, Anelka, Deco, Ashley Cole, and even Ballack, you will not win. Ballack was massive last year because Lampard was mostly injured and because Grant made him the leader of the team. Ballack is the captain of Germany and a great player who has been treated terribly by Mourinho and made to feel like a sideshow ever since he arrived. He is not part of the Terry Lampard Clique and things get even worse when you have Drogba there. A very destabilizing force. A whiner, a baby and very unprofessional player who has never been the same since his daddy Mourinho left. Manyplayers have never been the same since the departure of the Special One. Joe Cole is a shadow of himself, Malouda was playing great until Mourinho left. Now he is shit. Ashley Cole is a shitbag who just smells now that Mourinho is no longer around to stroke his fragile ego. Carvalho is half the player that he used to be. Cech is a shadow of the keeper he was before his injury. Anelka may be leading the EPL in goals but 11 of his 14 goals have been easy tap in in my opinion and can be credited to breakdowns of the opponents defense or nice plays by teammates. I give Anelka no credit because I personally think he is a lazy big stiff who along with Drogba have been a nightmare and have turned Chelsea into a “Zone of Separation”.
The only consistent thing that Chelsea have had going for them is that John Tery is still a cunt and gets under the skin of opponents and Frank Lampard is still a goal poacher and offensive center piece of their limited attack. Ballack when motivated and when used correctly can help but his form has been indifferent this season. The team’s bench is a joke. They have not been able to replace Makelele and Essien who was by far the most important and most valuable players during their successful run. Obi Mikel is a dirty slug with zero talent and Kalou is a joke in my books. Honestly, the pride of a few and their home crowd has kept them competitive the past two years. But things began to unravel badly when United kicked their asses 3-0. Their pride and sense of accomplishment was shattered fro good on that day. Their two home losses were not the beginning of the end. That was inevitable. It was going to to both OT and Anfield with high expectations and coming out of there with crushing losses that have demoralized the team.
It’s not Scolari’s fault. There are players who have continued to rebel ever since Mourinho was let go. The attitude on the pitch and in the dressing room is not condusive to success and no manager could have turned things around because the inmates have taken over the asylum. What team would have kept Drogba after his CL final fiasco of last year? Had he played for United that day, Fergie wouldn’t even have allowed him back on the same flight home. Yet the season started with that lingering cancer poisoning the well once again. In my not so humble opinion and speaking as one who is relishing this moment, the time has come for Roman to gut the nucleus of this squad come this summer and rebuild with a new core of players. Fresh from past biases and coming to the team with new loyalty. But I seriously doubt that will happen. Like I said earlier, his finances are severely stretched already. New ownership is what this team needs, than a fire sale. Get rid of the style of play this team is too tied into and get rid of the players who are malcontents, and disruptive forces.
It’s great watching this Muppet Show in full glory. 
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@Grognard:
Loving this! The scum just get shitter and shitter!
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@edwin: Couldn’t happen to a more deserving Rogues Gallery of misfits. Although nothing and I mean nothing would give me greater joy than to see the day Rafa gets the sack at Scouserville. I live for that day. I so hate that overrated fat waiter that I want his sacking more than our success. And trust me, I want are success a lot. But revenge and hate are powerful emotions to control. Christ, compared to Chelsea and Liverpool, my relationship with Wenger and Arsenal these days is virtually a love in. I respect and almost admire the Voyeur and the kind of football he has brought to the EPL. But Benitez and Chelsea are just scum of the Earth. I am happy for Big Phil. He’s a good man and was too nice a guy to be connected to such a sorry bunch of assholes. He ‘ll land back on his feet soon because he needs a more stable arena in which to do his thing. A national team out there will hire him within a month. Today, Roman did him a big favor. He probably feels relieved. What could be worse than managing Chelsea? Perhaps Pompey, Man City and Liverpool.
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@Grognard: totally agree mate!!….Skrtel’s not good enough to be mentioned in the same breath as Vida…
Also this season seems to be getting better and better Scolari sacked!!!. Chelski have lost it…fucking brilliant!!!!
Now all we need is City to get dragged into the relegation zone and Pool to fall by the way side and I think my season will be made…
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@Sidharth: The Skrtel thing has just got me laughing so hard because comparing him to a superior Vidic is like saying that Manucho is the equal of Gerd Mueller up front or Roy Carroll is as good a Iker Casillas. It’s ludicrous and yet it just goes to show how rampant mental illness has affected Liverpool fans and how badly they suffer from delusions of grandeur. I mean for God sakes, what have they accomplished since 1990. A fluky Champions League win which is entirely on AC Milan falling asleep at the wheel and an FA Cup they needed penalties and god-like performance by Gerrard in order to survive a humiliating defeat to the Hammers. Other than that it’s been a big goose egg for 20 years. They need to wake up and smell the scouse. Get a dose of reality and realize that at the end of the day they are and only will be a complete and utter mediocrity similar to what Salieri was in comparison to Mozart. And I don’t need to say who Mozart is in the footballing world. We are all so lucky to be United supporters. Can you imagine going through life supporting Chelsea or Liverpool or God forbid, Real Madrid? My stomach turns at the thought of such things. UNITED FOR LIFE!
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Right now a lot of people will be thinking that after half a season of Scolari, Chelsea were probably better off with AV Grant. Let me say right now NOT SO. Grant took over a great team and kept them together and semi-focused only because of one man. That man was Steve Clarke. Clarke gave Chelsea the familiarity and stability they needed to survive Mourinho’s sacking last year and his understanding of the players, their fragile ego’s and attitudes and the team’s system went a long way to securing their success and preventing a total collapse. Well, when he jumped ship and went to West Ham, many players just lost it and bottled it.
So who should take over at Chelsea. Hiddink is a good choice and if they really want to go radiacally in a different direction style wise, then Riijkaard is their man. But if they want stability, respect and would like to have the support of the fans and the players, I would shock the world and hire Zola and Steve Clarke from West Ham at the end of this season. Zola has really impressed me and he is loved by the Stamford Bridge faithful as is Clarke. His attitude and optimism and his general respect around the game as a good man and and an up and coming manager makes him a good risk. What’s the worst that can happen? It can’t get much worse for the blues than it did under the highly respected and successful Scolari. I like Zola a lot and so I hope he doesn’t take the job. But stranger things have happened. Who do you guys think should take over at one of our most hated rivals?
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@Grognard: We’re sure as hell lucky that as United supporters the club doesn’t take the fans for a ride with regards to unnecessary destabalsing bull shit that fans of Pool, the Chavs and the poor old folk from Madrid (god how i hate those bastards. Was watching Goal 2 the other day on the telly and every time I saw those fags win made my stomach sick) have to deal with.
With regards to ‘Pool I can’t believe all those idiots do is chime on about the 2 things they have over us i.e 18 leagues (which we should equal this year) and 5 European Cups. I feel so sorry that, that is all they can hold onto these days. Those idiots think Carragher is better than Vidic heck they think Carragher’s the best defender in the League…I mean c’mon!! give me a fucking break!!
I honestly hope that the fat waiter gets sacked which would be an absolute dream come true. His footballing philosophy makes me want to puke, and yet those deluded fans actually stick by him and think that Liverpool’s style of football is actually entertaining.
In any case lets rejoice that we are lucky to be fans of the best club in the world…and that Mr. Benitez is a fact!!!!!
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@Grognard: YEAH!!!!! And by the way……. I got a new mobile. Nokia 5320 Xpress Music!
RED ONE!
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@Grognard: Hey, I just wanted to prove that Anderson has a lot to do in our attacking play. Maybe some of them passes were side passes or support passes, but he also had some throughies. I never said he was anything like Ronaldinho, Kaka or Beckham, getting assist carving defenses open, I just said that he has been very much involved in our attacking play. Carrick is the only other centre midfielder with an involvement over 20 goals. And of cource, I always seize the opportunity if I can talk good about Andy.
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I just wonder, who else here on this site has started to like the white away kit? I think it looks great now, especially with the blue shorts. Is it just I who have started to like it, or have you too?
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@RedDevilEddy: What I would like to see is away kits that are consistent with the team colors. Today it’s seems like the away kit is used as nothing more than a cheap marketing ploy to sell shirts and make money. The away kit should be red, white and black. I would like to see a white shirt, black shorts and red socks. That would look very cool to me. At least we aren’t wearing those god awful green and yellow kits from the early 90′s. When I remember that kit my stomach starts to rumble. I thought I was a West Brom fan during away games. United need to stop experimenting with colors and styles and just go back to basics and stick to the team color code. Simple as that. There is fewer color groupings that are superior to red, black and white.
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@Grognard: NO! Rafa has to stay at Liverpool for as long as possible. God forbid they sack him and hire a competent manager. I mean if I had the resources that he’s had I could have built a PL team from the ground up. He has made something like 30-40 signings since he’s got there and what, 3 or 4 have been a success? KRAP – Keep Rafa At Pool
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It keeps getting better!!..Mijatovic to be sacked …Think this is gonna end Ronaldo saga!!…
What next…Liverpool signing Bramble and Djemba-Djemba (for injured Gerrard).. lol
as if they dont have enough crap already…!!
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Grognard comment 65, i gotta say the best home kit easily is the 1998/99 red home kit. I was too young to get it when it was the current kit but i got it off ebay a while ago for like a tenner just for show cos i really loved how that kit looked. I liked the collar on it and the umbro sign all the way up the sleeves. Just absolute class really, they dont design them like that anymore. As for the away kit, i liked the black and yellow kit from 95 i think. Shame i was too young to really be around them days cos the shirts then seemed to boss any shirt design now. Its true what u say about the colours tho, some shirts just pick any random colour and then thats their kit. I mean chelsea, when the hell did they ever have the greeny highlighter colour as their kit ever. They are just totally a club that will play in anything for money, i mean atleast we keep our colour tradition usually with the red, white and black and this year blue which we used in the 1968 final of europe. To be fair i think our black kit last year was quality. Thats 1 of the reasons why i started to like barcelona they are just so classy even from how their kit looks with not getting a sponsor and some of their nice kits from down the years. But really, nike needs to get some new designs, maybe bring the collar back i dunno, but for a billionaire company they sure are short of ideas, still better than adidas kits tho.
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@Liam: Rafa couldn’t manage an ant farm nor could he even have success playing Football Manager 09 or FIFA 09. I think he missed a career sitting with old Rusian men and playing chess all day over in Red Square. The man is too dispicable for words and I’m willing to risk Liverpool’s improvement just to see the end of him in the EPL. He has ruined and brought down the overall standard of play and class by managing in the EPL. I can’t wait until I say “good riddance to bad rubbish” Belivome, dats a fact.
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@Shyam: If one turd leaves Madrid, another takes over. They are in the business of electing total losers who promise insane things and rarely or ever deliver on their promises. Sounds like many politicians I know.
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@Matthew: I like their Champions League kit from 1999. I like the rich red color and I have always preferred the white socks over the black ones when they wear the home kit. I hate the present home kit because of the AIG on it but I also hate the white stripe on the back. Fortunately it’s not a yellow stripe because that signifies a coward. Get rid of that noise and also, bring back a collar. I’m in agreement with the 98/99 kit. My favorite away kit actually goes back to 1976. White shirt with black collar, black shorts and red socks. Now thats Manchester United.
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@Matthew: My all time favorite kits are Inter Milan (the black and white stripes with black socks and shorts is just class, AC Milan (same as Inter except you trade blue for red), Borussia Dortmund (because they make industrial colors like yellow and black were well together and Germany’s home kit. So simple but just so classy. My all time favorite kit is Ajax hone with that white kit and beautiful thick red stripe down the front and back. Just gorgeous in it’s simplicity.
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Latest rumours are that Steve McClaren will be the next Chelski boss.
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I miss watching Rio score…
I miss watching United play a game at Old Trafford in sunlight…
I miss watching United play 3 or 4 games in a row winning by more than one goal…
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I really liked the 2002-2004 kit. I really like combination and different variaties and forms for style. I really liked the strong red with the black side, and the black shape around the neck.
My favorite away kit is the blue of this season. I love tradition, and the kit means a lot to me. Probably my favorite kit Nike has produced these last years.
I also think the Barca home kit of this season is nice, along with the English away kit(red one), the Brasil home kit(yellow) and Chelsea home kit. i dont like Chelski, but the collar and colour combination on it is great. Had it been a United away kit, with the United mark instead of the Chelsea emblem, it would have been my favorite kit of all time.
But to be honest, I like every kit that has the Manchester United emblem on it. This seasons red, white and blue, last seasons black, and so on.
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RedDevilEddy, chelsea really are in a mess with sacking mangers, all down to abromovich, i reckon hiddink is the dead cert if not maybe sven. I remember thinking all along scolari was the wrong decision, i was actually thinking they should have paired up zola with say didier deschamps. Just goes to show you really have to research b4 you just appoint some1, even if they have achieved success elsewhere, i just hope when the days comes with us we take our time, and most importantly give the new man some time too. I would hate to see us turning out like chelsea and appointing some1 every year, pathetic really.
When it comes to us we really need to explore many things. I was 1 of those people a few months ago saying mourinho for next boss, but a few things thinking about it later put me off him. He wastes huge sums of money, plays negative footie (imagine us now all season every season), doesnt promote youth, and rarely buys young player for the future. I hear martin o’neills name banded around alot but he is nearly 60 dont forget, has little to no european experience and will he get the respect of say a mourinho, i dont know. I honestly see no stand out candidate if im honest, unless we take a chance on some1 unproven i dont know who we will appoint. I like spaletti of roma, hes not as defensive as other italians, indeed apparently the formations from last year were apparently taken from some of spalettis tactics, he is young, has good experience but you have to wonder how he will perform in this country. Unexperienced but maybe solskjaer should be considered. In his career no1 had a bad word to say about him, so taking control of the dressing room i dont see as a problem. It is also no coincidence he scored so many goals coming off the bench in his days he could read the game and see where he could exploit it, thats a managers brain. No experience would mean he would be a risk but if paired with a highly rated assistant like a quieroz he could be a big success. Barca took a chance with pepe guardialo (mis spelt) so he could be an option. Only other candidates i can see, maybe lesser standing would be pellegrini (villareal), steve bruce has done a great job at wigan, maybe the current barca boss if he ever left barca (unlikely tho), and maybe even some1 not even on the football radar at the minute.
Sorry didnt want to really turn this into some next manager thread but i guess i kind of have, so sorry but my main point was when the day comes and we have to replace ferguson we need to take our time and get the right man and give him time so we never end up like chelsea.
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I have a silly American question: do managers have final say in personnel matters in football, or is there a General Manager type that handles personnel?
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@Matthew: I feel that when Fergie retires(God forbid!), we will go for some former heroes. Somebody who can keep the legacy of Sir Alex Ferguson burning. We have Steve Bruce, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Roy Keane and possibly Ryan Giggs or Bryan Robson too. I think if we go for former players, we will not choose one but two. Weird as it may sound, I think Ferguson(who is said to be the one who chooses the next manager) will pair two different personalities. Maybe a combo of Keanos motivasional tecniques and Oles tactical eye. But my favorite is possibly David Moyes. I dunno how old he is, but I doubt he is more than 55. He has a good mentality, and he can make unknown players heroes. Just look at Cahill, Fellaini or Arteta. He also invests in youth and is not afraid to give them a chance(Rodwell and such). He may be a good choice.
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@Patrick: It depends on the team and the manager. If you hire a Redknapp or a Ferguson, you better be willing to let them have full control and to then delegate duties to others like the GM. There is no doubt that Redknapp is now running his own ship at Spurs and has demanded that Levy stay out of the day to day affairs. Just give him his yearly transfer kitty and leave him alone. Fergie is God and creator at United. On the other hand Rafa is constantly in turmoil of Rick Parry and his meddling and such. Wenger runs his own ship at Arsenal and has the blessings of the board but few others have that kind of control. It’s mostly about the reputation of the manager and the tenure he has had. It also has a lot to do with the owners and their ego’s and need to meddle. We are lucky at United because the glazer’s leave Fergie alone and let him run the club. Sure we might not have the transfer funds available that we once had due to the debt, but for the most part, Fergie has autonomy. And it shows on the pitch doesn’t it? We are continually successful and there is no lack of discipline, control or mutiny on this club. No Drogba’s allowed to sit on the bench and poison the team. PLayers like that (Beckham, Stam, Keane and especially RVN) are shipped off as soon as there is trouble. Nobody crosses the Boss, right or wrong. Fergie’s word is the law and even the GM abides by his rules. Yet another reason to be a content and satisfied United supporter. Hopefully his successor will be chosen and allowed to have the same amount of control and maintain discipline without meddling owners and GM’s making things difficult.
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@RedDevilEddy: We need a tough as nails disciplinarian who spits on egos and who knows how to handle players delicately enough yet, keep things loose and fun. Amazingly, Fergie does all these things despite running a tight ship and demanding a strong sense of dedication, loyalty and professionalism from his players and staff.
There are many managers I like but few that have the tactical, technical side of the game, are friendly and outgoing but who also know how to wield the hammer. I honestly like Zola but he is too inexperienced and to be honest, he comes across as too nice a guy and far too respectful to the opposition. Part of Fergie’s greatness is knowing how to play head games with opponents managers, players as well as his own. Nobody in the history of the game has ever done that better. Mourinho is pretty good at it but he lacks two must have traits to manage United. Loyalty and offensive attacking football philosophy. He is too cautious and lacks the confidence and the courage to let his teams play the way United have played historically. A must have trait.
How do we replace Fergie? it’s impossible to do. There isn’t a man on the planet that has the chops or the resume that compares with SAF. So we must prepare ourselves for the inevitable. A team that will struggle for a time in transition until the right man at the right time takes over United for all the right reason and with the right stuff. I hear Tony Adams is available.
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@RedDevilEddy: Moyes is only 45!
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@RedDevilEddy: Combos don’t work for a big club mate. Egos get in the way. You need to have a head man and a guy who knows his damned role and accepts the role of assistant. Queiroz was great at this because he never let his ego get out of hand. You cannot knock him for accepting two dream jobs as no promises were ever made to him from united for the future.
If I was to choose a man right now with everyone out there that is qualified to manage the team, I would rather stick my head in the sand. Honestly, who comes close to Fergie? I love Steve Bruce but i don’t know if he has the offensive tactical or technical knowledge and savvy to keep this team functioning in an attack oriented manner and still make them succeed in Europe. My favorite managers are successful taking poor sides and improving them and having them play way above their payroll. That does not make them qualified to manage a super club with a big payroll, multiple egos, depth and an attacking philosophy.
Bruce, Moyes, O’Neill, are my main guys. Mourinho wouldn’t be terrible choice but we would have to get used to winning in uglier ways than we have for a good part of this season. I like the work Juergen Klinsmann does but his methods are to new wave and radical for an old school team like United. I think Klinsmann could have done wonders with Chelsea or Spurs though. I give Bayern credit for deciding to venture into Klinsy New World Order with their old school and highly successful team. He’s done well but I think the best is yet to come. His changes and philosophy in tactics, training and motivation take time to start really paying off. United doesn’t have that kind of time. We demand success and awesomeness immediately.
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@Traverse: Youth is a great advantage. United are used to considering their manager as one who will take the job and stay for a long time. You can’t go selecting a guy who is 55 or older.
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@Grognard: maybe Fergie’s just let Queiroz out on unofficial “loan” for a few years to prep him for the TOP job?
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well, i finally got the privilege of watching my first united/english football game on sunday,
all i can say is it lived up to what i expected it to be.
the atmosphere is crazy! although it wasn’t at old trafford, I have to pay respect to the west ham fans, they sure make it hard for visiting teams.
but 2 things made the day special, giggsy’s goal and hearing the united away section singing away from the opposite side of the stadium loud and clear.
friggin brilliant,
and doesn’t compare to the footy games here in sydney
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The real problem with Chelsea is Sclerosis. Ferguson has always known the right time to break up a team and been successful in building a new team. Chelsea have had more or less the same personnel for six or seven years now and many of them are past their prime, have lost their ambition and are more interested in feuding and trying to get back together with Jose.
Fergie sells when a player is past his prime, unless he knows that player has the sort of character and quality to make a continued contribution and keep the United tradition alive. Guys like Giggs, Neville and Scholes who never lose their hunger or desire. But the core of our team has always been young players who want to achieve great things.
We sometimes forget how lucky we are to have a young squad that is so full of quality and for the most part is full of great characters who love United and love each other (in a non-gay way).
Of course we do have a certain Cristiano Ronaldo. But the guy is so good that it is difficult to let him go and this appeasement strategy is the worst of two evils. If we keep him till Fergie retires that will give Tosic/Nani the chance to develop so we at least have a threat on one of the flanks, and hopefully a young talented right winger will emerge in a couple of years and we’ll snap him up.
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@phoenix red: Well based on the way Portugal has played, he’s officially losing any chance of getting the job. He would have been better off staying put, don’t you think?
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@colver: It works for United because the management, GM, players, staff and local media respect and in some ways fear Fergie and understand the fact that it’s his way or the highway. It’s taken many years of hard work and success to get to that point in one’s career where you will get that from everyone around you. It’s unfair to others to even compare them with Fergie. He is one of a kind and they broke the mold when he was created. Hwe truly has what is called the midas touch.
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its been a while lads, how goes it? Everyone enjoying life in their respective corners of the world I hope.
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@Grognard: After hearing about Big Phil getting the sack, from Sportscenter no less, the second thought that popped into my head (the first being HAHAHAHA) was, Wow players are going to hit the door running this summer!! And, to that end, I would like to get your opinion on this. I just posted this over on ROM so I will copy and paste…
And, I’m being dead serious when I ask you lads this, what do you think about going in and saving Essien from that sinking ship?? I know he probably doesn’t deserve it because he followed the cash instead of signing for United, the team who he previously went out of his way to tell anyone who would listen that he was a huge fan of, and how Keano was hero growing up and how the Champs League game at OT with Lyon was so special to him etc etc, but I say we could forgive him for that. I mean hell, he was a 22 year old kid who I imagine came from poverty, maybe even poverty of the worst kind in Ghana, so it might be hard to turn it down when that kind of money is thrown at you. I just think he is an f’ing monster of a center midfielder that would add a strong center to any side in the world. And maybe he would feel like he needs to endure himself to the United fans for his past indiscretions so he would play even harder for us. And in my opinion he has never really done anything abhorrent at Chelski like the rest of his teammates. He is strong as an ox in the tackle, but he doesn’t come in late like Mikel. He doesn’t dive like Ballack. He doesn’t really bitch and moan to the ref like Tiny Tears, he just gets on the game.
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@Patrick: And to add to what Grognard said, this whole concept of having a General Manager/Sporting Director/Director of Footballing bollocks is more a trend in continental Europe. The purpose of that, as in American sport, is to have a guy that oversees and implements the vision of the club. He’ll get the players and the coach brings the best out of them. While it’s been successful in clubs like Barcelona and Madrid, more often than not, it’s always ended in tears. I’m personally not in favour of having someone to overrule what the coach wants. In football, like life, we always have our favourites and when disagreements and egos come into play the whole structure crumbles. Jose didn’t like the meddling of Arnesen and Grant (and Roman) at Chelsea. Juande Ramos had countless falling outs with del Nido (of Sevilla). Valencia are a joke as far as power struggles between managers and sporting directors go. And you are seeing it in Tottenham more recently.
Anyway, giving managers freedom to do their thing has essentially been a British thing historically. Most English managers have an aversion to the continental system and like to do their thing. Most successful managers in England were given free reign — be it Matt Busby or Bob Paisley. The problem right now is there is a lack of patience in most clubs because so much is at stake.
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@Drew Vader: If I got Essien, I’d sell Hargreaves and anyone else vying for that spot in a heart beat. He’s everything I need from a box to box central midfielder and is truly one of the most likable characters in the odious Chelsea dressing room.
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@Red Ranter: Hell yeah RR I’m glad you agree with me on it. I mean, he is 25 and could give us 6 to 7 years of an absolute rock in the middle of the pitch. I mean, CraigMC has been begging for some steel in CM this year and Essien could be perfect!!!!
I probably should have thought before asking Grognard however due to his loyalty to Hargo. Which, just to be clear, is a awesome that he will go to great lengths to defend a player he obviously holds in the highest regard. But, and again, just to be clear this isn’t meant as an insult to Hargo, I just think a fully fit Essien could be the fucking MAN for our Center Mid. We might even be able to get him on the cheap relatively speaking if he demands an exit. Although, to be honest I don’t really see that in his character. Just another reason to like him!
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@Drew Vader: Interesting perspective Drew. Personally I don’t see it happening for a couple of reasons. First off, Essien would cost more than what United would be willing to pay for that kind of player. If they have plans of buying Valencia from Wigan and possibly buying Tevez contract completely or getting totally delusional and going after Benzema, I just don’t see them going after Essien. Especially if they get a Healthy Hargreaves coming back. I also don’t think it will happen because I do not see a team like Chelsea ever selling to a major rival like United. It’s just not done unless it’s for a small fringe player like Silvestre. So although Essien would be a great pickup, I see a less than 5% chance of that ever happening. Sorry to burst your bubble.
It’s going to cost them 20 million to buy Valencia and then who knows what happens with Tevez? Those have to be the two main priorities for Fergie this off season as well as preventing Real Madrid from poisoning Ronaldo once again.
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@Drew Vader: Yes it’s true that I love Hargo but Hargo also comes with a big question mark.
Will he be fully recovered and will he regain his full ability and pace? If so, I will stick by him. Is he as good as Essien? Not even close. Michael Essien is the best two way midfielder in the world. I hate the fact he plays for Chelsea but the man scares me with his ability. I love Hargo and Hargo brings an awful lot to the table himself that’s positive, but he is no Essien. Essien is Makelele in his prime defensively and a young Scholes offensively. No better box to box player int eh game and a real world class talent. But as United, do you buy him when you already have a great DMF albeit not as great coming back? I don’t think you do. Fergie needs to figure out who his #3 striker is going to be, Tevez or somebody. Then he seems bent on getting Valencia. Knowing how we have struggled in the past two years to come up with mon ey to buy players like Berbatov and then Tosic and Ljajic, I wonder if we have a transfer kitty of over 60 million to allow us to also buy Essien. I don’t think we do. But like I said earlier, It’s all pointless because I do not see Chelsea ever selling him. If he was to become a free agent then possible, but unless I’m wrong, that isn’t the case.
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@Grognard: Yeah you’re probably spot on Grog. It was just wishful thinking on my part.
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@Drew Vader: Honestly, it’s one of those situations when I’d love to be proven wrong. Lets keep our fingers crossed and hope things unravel enough at Stanford Bridge where certain players will demand out. I see Italian clubs and Real or Madrid going after him too though. They are relentless and have more spending money.
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@Grognard: I wasn’t been too serious there
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Michael Essien is pure class, no doubt, there will be big demand for his services should he leave the rentboys, although any manager taking over would definitely want to keep him
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Chelsea won’t sell Essien. Besides amazing as he is, he does seem to be injury prone and the modern game is so perilous I prefer to avoid players with a track record of injuries. Drogba and Malouda will be first out of the door.
You make a good point though. Hargreaves may well never recover full fitness and will probably have to be limited to a game a fortnight or something. Giggs will run out of steam. Fletcher is mediocre at best. Anderson just isn’t developing and while a run in the first team will help I think he is a year or two away from being a fixture in the first team. So I think our priority is a quality central midfielder.
We should be grateful for the Glazer’s. Abramovitch may have outspent us during his early years but he’s pulled the plug on Chelsea and their squad has rotted without injections of fresh blood. The Glazer’s have given us more than any of our chairmans in the past and seem to be in it for the long term. I also take a certain pride that we buy hot young talent and develop it rather than just snapping up whichever big name is flavour of the month. We also rarely make a bad signing anymore (although the jury is still out on Anderson and Nani). Compare that to all the flops at Real Madriid.
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