Jul 12
Who Is Your Choice For United’s Number 2?
Carlos Queiroz’s second stint at United ended yesterday officially as he took up the top job as Portugal’s coach.
It remains to be seen, however, if United are looking to get a replacement manager from abroad or just looking to promote personnel from within the club’s coaching hierarchy. So let’s spend a little while talking on who you think to be ideally suited to the assistant manager job.
Before we pick out names let’s decide what we want from our number two. An assistant:
- should be technically and tactically astute. He is the one that runs the daily training sessions as the manager looks on from a distance. Fergie has tended to be less hands on than he used to be in his early days, so a willingness to oversee daily training is a must.
- should be a guidance counsellor — someone the players can look to fall back on during the toughest of times — a friend, a father figure.
- should be conversant in a number of languages, typically reflective of the composition of our side. So a Portuguese/Spanish tilt would be ideal. He is basically the one that listens to players almost daily, so communication is vital.
- should be of a certain pedigree; after all this is Manchester United we’re talking about.
- could, as an optional attribute, be well connected all over the place so that upcoming talent can be scouted.
- should be able to deal with the media, because Fergie won’t talk to the BBC.
I’ll throw four candidates and give a two pennies worth on each. And I’d like some ideas from you all too.
Laurent Blanc — Has had a successful start to his managerial career with Bordeaux. But I haven’t seen enough to really judge him, although he has been touted as being a possible candidate. However I think he lacks experience.
Michael Laudrup — Very impressive with Getafe, although he may lack experience. Fluent in different languages, and will command respect from players. Wouldn’t mind seeing him at United.
Eric Cantona — has charisma but little experience. Can’t say much although it would get lot of fans excited. And we’ll get to see colourful interviews on MoTD
Frank Rijkaard — Has European pedigree and experience at top clubs. Can speak English, Spanish, Dutch and Italian. Must have learned some Portuguese considering the large Portuguese contingent he managed at Barca. However, not sure of his tactical nous because it was widely thought that Ten Cate was the tactical man.
Manuel Pelligrini — I’d love this guy to come over to United because he seems to get so much out of rejects and potentially good players. I know there is little chance of that happening, plus I’m not sure if he speaks English. This Villarreal coach has got the best out of players like Riquelme (although he did fallout later on) and an ageing Robert Pires — not to mention, Diego Forlan and Rossi. He also seems to have excellent contacts as he seems to have an eye on the bargain buys.
There, those were some of my candidates. Now your turn…
* * *
The entire press corps are running with the story that United have lodged a £20 million bid for Dimitar Berbatov. Not entirely sure if Spurs would be interested to sell for that much. But there are reports that the lily whites might settle for something in that region because they may need to raise some cash for buying Espanyol’s Luis Garcia. So two and two add up to umm… something. I don’t know, and I don’t care. I’d stick with: show me the money (or rather, show me a transfer) before I even begin to care. At the moment though, the press can wet themselves wild with speculation. I’ll read them for my own err, reading pleasure. There may be some merit to the story, but let’s wait and watch.
Back to the topic, assistant managers… I want assistant managers! Go on, give us a shout.
Related items from Red Rants:- United’s £100k+ Christmas party, useless Shorey, Arsenal will stumble and of course, Rooney is better than Kaka
- Should United keep Brown?
- Manchester United’s Munich tribute on 6 Feb 2008
- Interview with Aon - Manchester United’s future sponsors
- Who is your Manchester United’s Player Of The Month for November?
Tags: Discussions
July 12th, 2008 at 10:21
What about some of our other old boys, possibly Keano he has done well with Sunderland granted his tactic has been buying our old players. I think we could be able to pry Brucey from Wigan with a big enough offer, the only problem with that is that the Wigan owner loves Bruce.
July 12th, 2008 at 10:22
The people you suggested are Managers, why would they move down to be Assistants? Even if any of them were appointed they would leave at the earliest opportunity of a top level management job… (apart from Cantona that is) I think we should get the Swansea dude
July 12th, 2008 at 10:49
no one ca equal cq.period.we need someone from within.rene?the portuguese or spanish will come later coz at the moment we need continuity.and fuck ronaldo
July 12th, 2008 at 11:00
July 12th, 2008 at 11:20
what a summer. Im kinda concerned bout carlos leaving…..surely its a terrible thing?
Cant see anyone being able to swoop in and do his job straight away?
what a fuck up. OH yeah……FUCK RONALDO.CUNT
July 12th, 2008 at 11:35
Personally, i wouldn’t like to see an outsider come in as a No.2 or even when SAF leaves. The reason we have such a great team sprit is cuz of that continuity and I would like to see CQ coach ManUtd when SAF leaves. I believe this Portugal job would provide him with that experience of managing at the top-tier and he’ll return to take the helm when SAF leaves. For now, if there is an insider worthy of takin that No.2 role for a lenghty period(even after SAF is gone)then fine. However, if there isn’t then I reckon we get an outsider that is approved by both SAF and CQ and has those qualities you mentioned. He can get to know the workings of the club while SAF does most of the work and also preps him for CQ’s return.
July 12th, 2008 at 11:36
1)Martinez
2)Pako Ayesteran
3)Michael Laudrup
4)Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s
5)Roy Keane
6) and for fun Hiddik
July 12th, 2008 at 11:52
Zinedine Zidane
July 12th, 2008 at 11:55
The qualities you mentioned are the ones that only carlos has.i cant think of anyone else.so there may be a surprise waiting for us.but i do think someone inside the club will get the job for now.
July 12th, 2008 at 12:00
zinedine zidane…
July 12th, 2008 at 12:09
Franck Rijkaard is an interesting option. He could be brought in as an assistant manager and pushed into the manager role when Fergie leaves. He’s got plenty of experience, with great teams and great players. Has had success in many competitions including the Champions’ League. He is also a very attacking minded manager. He seems to me to be very tactically astute. And also, he must have good connections in Holland as well as in other countries where he has managed. Now, maybe he wouldn’t accept an assistant role, but if promised a managing role in the future he might be tempted. But of course my first choice for assistant manager is Grognard!
July 12th, 2008 at 12:16
realistically: mclair
probably: Ayesteran
hopefully: blanc
long shot: mclaren
fantasy: king eric
Irony: darren fergie
July 12th, 2008 at 12:18
Beeing from Denmark I have been following Michael Laudrup in Getafe, and he did a good job. But I don’t think he has the man management qualities required for a job as ass. in MU. He is a very quiet and withdrawn man, and had other hired to do the nursing of the players.
Pako Ayesteran is my first choice, even though he is former Liverpool.. I read that one of the reason he left was because Rafa didn’t like the fact that he was friend with Mourinho. Which of course is no advantage for him. I cant really tell why I like him, but I just think he has the skills for the job.
July 12th, 2008 at 12:20
..what a strange season!
i think this is a chance for Roy keane to come in.
July 12th, 2008 at 12:43
I’ll put myself forward…
I’m a tactical genius according to my sunday football team.
I have lots of experience in playing and coaching…(not at pro level tho)
well I couldn’t be a father figure(bit young for that) but how an older brother figure?
I know a fair number of languages… Gujarati, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, English, Swahili, French, Spanish…learning italian at the moment…been told that portugese shouldn’t be a problem to learn as I know spanish and a bit of italian. I want to learn German as well at some point. also know bits and pieces of arabic.so it shouldn’t be a problem keeping the portubrazil contingent happy or for that matter any other player as I have experienced various cultures.
I feel I have the right quality for manchester united.
Connections
now we talking…I have connections all over the place…India, south america, Italy and the very untouched east african region which has some really good raw football talent.(I want to start a football academy in Kenya but thats some way off..some day :))
dealing with the media? I wouldn’t mind dealing with the famously notorious british press. hmm…I guess I could try and sort them out.
another bonus would be that as I’m a united fan I would be one your own.
oooh and this ones for redranter…I mention your website address in every one of my press interviews.
so how about me?
July 12th, 2008 at 12:54
Think about it lads, Zidane can speak spanish, french, Italian and I think English, he was one of the most admired and respected players of his generation and would probably be a good attraction for young players who I imagine would love to work under him and the fact that he has been linked with a few vacant managerial posts would indicate to me that he must have thoughts of getting into management, what better place to start than at United under the best manager of all time.
July 12th, 2008 at 13:12
Great resume Sagar! Looks like you its between you and Zidane/Rijkaard(both my preferences) Question is though, will Rijkaard be willing to be assistant manager after all those glory years at Barcelona? Doesnt matter that that tenure ended in shite, but he will still think that he has been at the helm at one of the biggest clubs in the world, he will probably think its a step down or something. He would be a fool to think so, however. CQ went on to become the Portugal boss only because he grew working with the one and the only SAF
July 12th, 2008 at 13:30
God Bless Pele!
Finally someone speaks sense and supports us! link
July 12th, 2008 at 13:30
Roy Keane!
Reasons: United legend. Experienced with Sunderland(2 good seasons). He is a winner. A good motivator. A leader. Young enogh to become Fergies replacement when he retires. Knows Fergie. Can get the best out of players(Miller, Jones and Yorke). Ronaldo would be afraid to talk about his future with Keano there!
July 12th, 2008 at 13:40
Pele- You speak sence! Finally a known person in football talks sense about the Ronaldo mess. Blatter is against us, Platini and Maradona too. I have always admired Pele, a true legend in football. If Ronaldo wants to be a known legend in football like Pele, LEARN HOW TO BE LOYAL!
July 12th, 2008 at 13:41
Most of these guys already have managerial positions and I doubt they’d want to step down even if it was to join United and work with Fergie. I am guessing it will be an internal appointment or Pako.
July 12th, 2008 at 14:08
While Roy Keane would be my first choice, he seems content and happy at Sunderland. I also hope he can stay and help the club grow and possible replace Fergie. He has done a fantastic job getting quality players at a club who can’t afford much. With a big purse, an entire fan base behind him from the start, I think he could be a great replacement for Fergie. But I wouldn’t mind Mulestine (sorry if i butchered the spelling) he is a quality coach who has been at the club for years and has been running training sessions for a long time. One thing is for sure, someone who can earn the respect of the players.
July 12th, 2008 at 14:18
What about Jose Peckermann?
July 12th, 2008 at 14:32
my choice, would be a foreigner for sure, a confident person, has to have a tactical mind but plays attacking football. i think we will promote from our ranks as a temporary replacement. i doubt fergie will retire in a few years now.
check this video out, it shocked me. http://play1.wm.manutd.servecast.net/manutd/video/178682.wmv
July 12th, 2008 at 14:40
wats shocking dan???
July 12th, 2008 at 14:41
Finally United are back platin football. It deels like Moscow was yesterday, but I have been longin to see United play. United team vs Aberdeen:
Amos
Neville(finally!)
Brown
Vidic
Silvestre
Fletcher
Carrick
Scholes
Martin
Giggs
Rooney
United to win 2-0 with 2 Rooney goals. COME ON YOU REDS!
July 12th, 2008 at 14:44
@Peterson: the fact that they put the terry slip at no.1, i wouldnt expect that from a club like united.
July 12th, 2008 at 14:50
Fergie said: “Rio has got a back injury, nothing serious, but its not worth risking him.”
July 12th, 2008 at 14:51
@dan(u-ol): Ha-ha, thats funny! Saw it some time ago, and it shockied me…. but in a good way.
July 12th, 2008 at 15:22
Wow, I forgot how joyous it was watching Paul Scholes. I know the opposition aren’t phenomenal, but his touch is simply sublime.
Oh and Rooney has been through on goal twice and fluffed them both. Good to see nothing changes
July 12th, 2008 at 15:46
Carrick pen…1-0 half time
July 12th, 2008 at 15:47
Not very high tempo stuff, but gorgeous pass from Carrick. Probably a penalty to Rooney though he looked like botching another 1 on 1.
Wonder what odds on Carrick being first scorer of the year were
July 12th, 2008 at 15:47
Rooney looks faaaatt…he was brought down
July 12th, 2008 at 15:47
Aberdeen 0-1 United, Carrick penalty; 45.
Well, well Carrick scores another pen! Two penalty shootout goals, and now another penalty right into the bottom rigth-hand corner. Uncatchable! If Ronaldo leaves, then Carrick might be our penalty taker.
July 12th, 2008 at 15:52
Hope Rooney plays well after his holiday stuff…
July 12th, 2008 at 16:15
Any links guys?
July 12th, 2008 at 16:19
http://www.justin.tv/widgets/jtv_live.r7790.swf?channel=pehtv
July 12th, 2008 at 16:19
any place where we can watch the game on the net guys? thanks
July 12th, 2008 at 16:20
try this Kal - works for me.
link
July 12th, 2008 at 16:53
so…2 from Carrick then?
July 12th, 2008 at 16:58
N rooney
July 12th, 2008 at 16:58
eagles, just looks lost, we didnt give him a chance earlier on(in his career) and now it shows, he hasnt developed as a footballer and its time for him to be sold.
campbell, if campbell gets sold, i think thats it, not a chance of a star coming out our academy, no point at all. he was that damn good for the few minutes he came on.
hewson, looks like a more aggressive version of carrick which is goo, we should keep an eye on him.
gibson did ok, not bad but not eye opening either.
and simpson was great also.
amos looked very cal and assured in the box, we should keep an eye on him also.
all in all, a good match, best thing of summer so far.
July 12th, 2008 at 17:00
Score?
July 12th, 2008 at 17:01
@Fred The Red: The same Zinedine zidane who was assisting Real Madrid to tapp up Ronaldo and who went to the Spanish press and said that Ronaldo should leave United and come to Barcelona because they are a superior organization and family. That Zinedine Zidane?
July 12th, 2008 at 17:02
0-2 united.
July 12th, 2008 at 17:10
@Daniel: We are in a situation where we are presently at war with FIFA and Real Madrid over their tampering with our best player who we have under contract for 4 years. Now you suggest that we go after managers who themselves are under contract with their clubs. Just how hypocritical are we supposed to get and how bad do you want United to look to the media , the EPL and the rest of the World. Keane and Bruce are under contract as is Ronaldo. All Fergie can do in that situation is ask the owners of the team’s if they would be willing to sell their manager. If they say no, as I am 100% sure they would, that’s it. United cannot be looked at as hypocrites at this time. They are trying to make a statement to the entire footballing world that tapping up players or managers is wrong and that players as well as managers need to live up to the contracts they sign. This kind of business practice must not be condoned so please, forget about Keane and Bruce no matter how great a candidates they may seem.
July 12th, 2008 at 17:33
@Kurt: How can one argue with logic like that? Your first choice to be #2 is truly an inspired one and I for one certainly concur. That bloke has vision, passion, tactical and strategic savvy and can swear in four different languages. He also has the balls, ego and stubbornness to challenge Fergie and stand up for his beliefs. This would ensure that the Boss stay alert and keep on his toes. Above all, he is a master with the media and can throw back the insults and easily make BBC hate him as well. His dislike for Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and especially Real Madrid is now legendary and very few I feel, can question his love and loyalty for United. Above all he is able to instill loyalty to the club by using a polo mallet and a long sock filled with manure and a loud obnoxious voice that can scream instructions as well as pound out discipline. And finally, he enjoys a glass or two or three of fine wine so Fergie will have a drinking buddy. He is very schooled at using the Internet and especially NewsNow to scour the globe for possible player signings and has totally mastered the art of player evaluation having had well over 1000 hours on FIFA 08. Who better than the Grognard to be #2? Hell, need I even say he would be a top candidate for the #1 chair in 2 or 3 years too. Great selection there Kurt. He won’t forget your support should he get the job and he needs a #3.
July 12th, 2008 at 17:47
Haha, one small comment and a huge response like that. Quite an impressive resume you’ve got there. Over 1000 hours of FIFA 08 is automatic qualification for a managerial position in any league.
Sadly, I’ve probably got over 2000 hours of FIFA 08 myself.. 
July 12th, 2008 at 17:50
@Riisboll (DK): A coach does not have to be loud and animated to get his message across. In fact, Carlos Queiroz was also a very quiet and under assuming fellow. The advantages of Laudrup far outweigh the disadvantages myself. For me he ticks all the boxes and what is most important of all is his tactical and technical ability coupled with his ability to speak many languages. Having played in Spain, Germany and Italy, he is able to communicate with players from the top leagues in Europe as well as young players who speak Spanish. He helps open up United’s window to other opportunities which have up to now been ignored. Germany, Denmark and other northern European countries who remember him and respect him well. Speaking their language gives us an advantage in signing players from there as well. And lets not forget that he did a fantastic job with Getafe. A team with no budget to buy quality players yet a team that played a technically savvy brand of football and was never unprepared or incapable of adapting on the fly. For me,he is our man.
My list of preferences is small and to the point.
1. Laudrup
2. Blanc
3. Solksjaer
4. Gus Poyet (if available)
5. Ayesteran
And my guilty pleasure but probably the most qualified for the job is of course the Grognard.
July 12th, 2008 at 17:54
@Kurt: Yes but the other 1000 hours I spend ranting on this blog and building the reputation and CV that is required for the job, not to mention the thousands of hours watching games and the other 1000 hours playing Football Manager 08. Did I mention the fact I also look very good in a trench coat and scarf.
And your 1000 hours on FIFA 08 has just guaranteed you the job as my personal assistant coach. FIFA 08 players need to stick together now don’t we?
July 12th, 2008 at 17:59
@Fred The Red: Zidane is also a bleeding heart 100% Real Madrid supporter and alumni. He is loyal and faithful to them and has no interest in insulting them by moving over to what has now become their number one enemy in the game. His allegiance lyes elsewhere. And have you ever heard him speak English? It’s terrible.
July 12th, 2008 at 18:05
@Grognard: Just wondering, but I’m supposing you’ve played some FIFA 08 as United. What formation and line-up do you prefer in the game? I’ve gone through so many formations looking for a great one. And also, do you find that custom formation kind of suck compared to the built-in game formations? Sorry if this is really out of place guys.
July 12th, 2008 at 18:11
@RedDevil: Roy Keane is not worldly enough. He cannot speak any language but English and like Fergie, sometimes that’s even debatable. He does not nor has he shown to have the technical and tactical genius or ability to cope with the European game or with the game our top opponents play. Remember, playing under a genius does not automatically qualify you as one yourself. I personally do not think that Bruce, Keane or Hughes are strong enough technically to handle the trials and tribulations of the continental game like Queiroz was. Fergie could not have done it without Queiroz. His stamp on this team should never be underestimated and his relationship with all the foreign players was a key component. Keane is very aloof and he does not get close to players and cannot command their attention or their respect if he cannot speak their language. I certainly cannot see Tevez, Anderson, Nani and the twins feeling any sense of comfort or understanding with him. He’s also a hot head and his temper is more suited for being the boss, not a #2. I could see him exploding and causing Fergie to sack him. Don’t get me wrong, I love the man and he is one of my all time favorites. And if this team wanted to go in a totally different direction where they never looked for Latin players or played such a European/Brazilian hybrid style, then I would consider him. The thing is, he would have been a perfect #2 during the years he was actually playing. Back then we were still rooted in British style of football. Things have changed big time since then. He needs to get more experience and broaden his horizons before I’d even consider him on my list. Believe it or not, right now Eric Cantona probably ticks more of the boxes than Keane does and Cantona has no coaching experience. It’s a changing game and environment and old school British ideas are for the birds I’m afraid.
July 12th, 2008 at 18:29
Gus poyet would be great…Cantona…err, not so sure about that, lack of experience as an asst. for coaching maybe great
Keano is one we should talk about
how bout Ronald Koeman ? or Eusebio ?
July 12th, 2008 at 18:39
@Kurt: The formation I find best suits United with their current squad is 4-2-2-2 or 4-1-4-1. This team’s best asset is the speed and skill they have on their wings. It’s very obvious on FIFA 08 and I try to play without a central midfield emphasis up front. Scholes and Carrick are total lead foots in the game and trying to get any movement from them up front is difficult. I constantly cut in with Nani and Ronaldo and I supply more crosses if I use Giggs, Park or Fletcher. Everything starts with Evra and Ronaldo on the left side and I like to use a lot of 1-2’s and overlaps. When I get Evra or Ronaldo to cross it’s usually a low cross as we have nobody other than Ronaldo who is a good header of the ball in the game. Hargreaves is my lone CDM in 4-1-4-1 and he is partnered with Carrick most times in 4-2-2-2. Unfortunately for Scholes fans, he is usually alternates with Carrick in games and poor Fletcher and Anderson hardly gets a chance to start as I am unwilling to ever sit Hargo down. Hargo’s range and ability to win the ball in FIFA is legendary. The other reason I find it absolutely necessary to work the ball up using my fullbacks and wingers is that FIFA’s game design is poor when it comes to through balls up the middle or lofted finesse passes through the middle. Just to rigid and player’s true abilities never seem to come in to play here.
As for custom formations, I have to disagree a bit there. I personally never play without customizing my formation as well as the individual player instructions. I feel it makes a world of difference in how the team and the individuals react. If for example you don’t set arrows directing a striker to attack the goal, he is capable of being all over the place and never being where he is supposed to be when a ball is sent into the box. I think Fergie has not done this because both Tevez and Rooney are all over the place but rarely where they are supposed to be.
I also like moving liking moving Evra up to a more traditional LWB role and I find that by doing this, he is much more involved in the attacking end of things and only if you do this while setting up his positional arrows to go forward will you get him to resemble his real life play. Individual direction arrows for layers is more key than the custom formations. My fullbacks never have an arrow point backwards or in a defensive position. They are given a MEDIUM defensive responsibility and are free to move forward. It’s my Center Backs who have HIGH defensive responsibility and who have arrow pointing backwards towards the keeper. As for Ronaldo, his arrows move towards the middle of the field and towards the opposing keeper. I do not position his arrows towards the corner flag as he is not there to cross balls in. I do however allow one arrow for Nani to go towards the corner flag as he is better at crossing.
One last thing. I quite often tinker with squads and will bring on board players who I like to see how they play in A United lineup and scheme. By playing Rooney just outside the box and in a CF position I have had great success with Klaas Jan Huntelaar. His aggressiveness in the box and his power is awesome but his presence does truly allow more freedom and room for Rooney to prowl. When Tevez is in there, things are far more tight and never seem to cause as many shots or as much problems for the opponents in the box. Also, when I have played Berbatov, I use him in the CF position and Rooney more up front because of Berbatovs fantastic skill with the ball, his passing and finesse. Still, I find he moves around a little slow and like in real life he just disappears for long stretches. Then out of nowhere he gets the ball and BAM, GOAL. Itis a problem though for players like Riquelme and Berbatov to use their extensive finesse passes and through balls in this game as the game’s analog design is just to rigid and the players individual abilities cannot seem to overcome this weakness in game design. A power game always works best and therefore Ronaldo for me as well as Huntelaar, Ballack, Klose and Toni are Gods in FIFA 08. Another favorite of mine Arshavin seems slow and his response time not good enough in this game. Things that make you go HMMMM? Sorry for the long rant.
July 12th, 2008 at 18:43
@Wisena: Ronald Koeman is an interesting choice. Never thought about him but he might do well as he has a great influence with Spanish football and of course his Dutch roots. I also believe he speaks German and his English I believe is good. As for Cantona, hire him as a coach and let him get his experience with the reserves and perhaps in a few years he can be something more. The man is a genius and he has great love and passion for the team and the game. His attitude is that of a winner and he is tactically and technically well versed with experience playing in both the continent and in England. But he is not #2 material yet.
July 12th, 2008 at 19:17
@Grognard: Love the FIFA comments mate. I’ve recently been trying a 4-2-3-1 with the original squad, this is to compensate for our short strikers on crosses and to play more through the middle. Although you are absolutely right, wing play is so much easier than through balls in the game it’s ridiculous. Thanks for the pointers on arrow usage in custom formations.
July 12th, 2008 at 20:33
My FIFA 08: I play a 4-2-3-1 with Cassillas in goal. I use Evra and Brown as wing-backs cause I like to overlap. My Centre back partnership is af cource Rio and Vidic. No one gets a chance at goal with that back four. Carrick and Hargreaves are Defensive mids, Carrick just a little in front of Owen. Anderson is not good defensivly in the game so I use hi in the middle next to Nani/Ronaldo and Tevez/Rooney. I use either Rooney or Villa up front.
My play is based on speed and tecnique. Most of my goals come from low crosses from Nani/Ronaldo and Evra, Tevez or Rooney coming in from the left to score with a far post header or volley. I agree with Groggy that Owen is a master getting the ball and making things happen. Carrick is a pass master that often scores form long range. Nani takes corners and hits the ball like a rocket, so hard crosses for him are deadly. Evra is fast and a good crosser of the ball, Brown is mainly defensive, but he gets many assists for me. Anderson can shoot, pass and take on players to open room and make an amazing thruogh pass. Rooney can do almost everything so he is my main attacking weapon. If I use him up front, then Tevez is on the right. If I use him on the right, he can cut inside, make a placed shot into the far corner from 25 yards or cross for Villa to finish.
Nani and Carrick takes corners, Hargreaves and Tevez takes short free kicks, Nani and Hargreaves when I cross. Anderson and Carrick takes penalties. Anderson is my main man to create goals, but Rooney works well. In the game Anderson gets tired quikly, so I must sub him a lot. Scholes and Giggs play instead of him when he is injured, suspended or tired. I am yet to lose a game on legendary(682 games unbeaten!) and I am on top of the league in my 6th season. Won every possible trophy every season. Rooney is top scorer with 32 goals after 21 games, Villa behind with 23.
Anyone thinks they can beat me?
July 12th, 2008 at 20:48
RUBBISH…4-4-2.End of!The best formation by far.Ronaldo and Nani on the flanks.Rooney and Tevez upfront and Andi and Hargo in the middle,and I must say contrary to real life evidence Andi has a superb long range shot in the game.Hope to see a bit of it next season.
July 12th, 2008 at 21:31
@Kurt: One thing that I would add that I do to give my players a little bit of a bite. In the edit mode I go to the goalkeeper section and I make every players skill attributes go to 0. Then I take those extra points and distribute them where I think the player needs them most and where I feel the game has incorrectly graded the player. This will add either a point or two to player’s skill level and for me it’s not cheating because I’m sorry but all these players will never play goal and goalkeepers never seem to get injured. Yes a red card is possible but I always leave a defender or two with those goalkeeper rating as is just in case. The best one for this is John O’Shea. His goalkeeping rating are better than many keepers in the Coca Cola League.
I also reduce Anderson’s finishing and long shot ratings because lets face it, the lad has a terrible shot and he has a hard time even getting on goal yet alone scoring. A rating of 72 for finishing is just ridiculous. I reduced it to 60 and used those extra points for his defensive skills as well as his dribbling which is strong.
I have played the FIFA series of games for years and I consider myself an excellent player in Semi-Pro and Professional settings but the one thing I have not been able to master over the last three versions of the game is the free kicks. I rarely score and the only time I ever really threaten or do score is if I press the LB button and drive the ball. With Ronaldo it’s not bad or with Gerrard or Ballack because they have velocity. But the finesse free kick artists like Roquelme, Beckham, Ribery, Diego really struggle to even get the ball over the wall. I have tried everything but nothing seems to work. I cannot seem to control the bend, the height of the ball. The only thing I am good at is not over hitting it. Very poor and very frustrating feature in the game. But of course the AI on the computer is half decent at hitting them even if it’s a total tosser taking the shot. I also think the game has very weak goalkeeping AI. EVDS just sucks in this game as do most of the keepers in the game except for three. Buffon, Cassilas and Cech seem to do well whether you are playing with them or against them. If any of you have any suggestions on how to do better on free kicks, by all means please let me know. I could use that help as I find it very frustrating that I can master a game so well, yet that one element seems to constantly betray my efforts I remember about 4 or 5 years ago the free kick tool was fun and perhaps too easy to score with. Now it’s like Pro Evolution’s version, impossible and poor mechanics.
July 12th, 2008 at 21:44
@RedDevil: You sound like you know what you are doing and I agree 100% about low hard crosses coming in from the left side. And Carrick does surprisingly score quite a few long range specials. In fact he scored a 30 yard knuckler yesterday for me as he caught the keeper slightly off the line. I like to play Rooney slightly left of the goal so that he can move slightly to his right in using his right foot to score. But nobody rules in this game the way Ronaldo does. All his skills are there to use and his heading and aggressiveness is dead on. I deleted him from my new league season and drafted Berbatov Ramos and Robinho. I’m using the theory that Ronaldo goes to Real and those two players are what we get in return. So far Ramos impresses in the game but I am not that happy or used to playing with Robinho and he is sucking a bit. Berbatov is classy but the game really limits him as the through ball techniques and finesse tools are blocky an inaccurate. As a scorer of beautiful and classy goals, he is up there. And as to whether I can beat you, I probably could give you a good go but it’s hard to tell. Consider this, I probably own around 30 XBOX 360 games yet FIFA 08 is the game I play all the time. The hours I have put into all the versions is in the thousands and I have fried four systems in the process. The game is designed here in Vancouver and I know one of the developers who works there for EA Canada. Two years ago I gave him a two page list of things they need to do to improve the game and he took it and promised to discuss it with the design team. I have to say that this year’s game has incorporated many improvements and added a few features that I know were on my list. Still, there are things I would like changed that have not been followed up on. I’ll keep my fingers crossed and keep nagging my friend. God I need to get a life.
July 12th, 2008 at 21:46
@Ishaq(South Africa): Why do you call our thoughts and playing styles “RUBBISH”? That’s pretty rude if you ask me.
July 12th, 2008 at 21:54
@Grognard: You sound just like me!
I spend too much tme playin FIFA 08, but lets face it, its a really cool game! I found a way to edit Ronaldo to 99 on XBOX 360. Listen up. Every time you go to edit Ronaldo he has a low consentration maras yes. Make it no and super sub and leadership come up. Mark them as no and you get 1000 experince points. Continue to do that till you make every attacking, skill, movement and so on 99. Then sell him for £101,000,000! Buy Villa(92), Casillas and Anotehr player that is awsome and you have replaced Ronaldo. Simple as that. It will take some time to make ROnaldo stats 99, but its worth it.
BTW, I edited Anderson stats to make finsihing and long range shots both 65. I made all passing and vision 99 And I made him better defensivly. Anotehr things that works is not only the goalkeeper stats, but the players that you dont use to take free-kicks, make free kicks 1. It wokspretty damn well!
Hope this helped some of you.
July 12th, 2008 at 22:06
my formation in fifa is basically a 4-1-1-4/4-2-4/4-1-5. my line up is as follows:
)
adler(sorry grognard
cadibler/ramos-RB
negueme-CB
torres/ramos CB
lahm-CB
kobhishavinal-CM(best cm in the game i would say at the tender age of 17)
nasri-CAM
ronaldo/fortune-RW
fortune/messi/ronaldo-LW
messi/bojan-CF
gomez/tsoulkas-ST
half of my team is unknown because im like 12 seasons into the game. Honestly, i could by ANY player i wanted now, i think the lowest rating in my squad is 81, and he’s out on loan
. i love my squad, because i could sell my entire first team, and still have enough and good enough players in my ranks to win the league.
Get thte gamertags out lads, we should start a league to see who’s best
July 12th, 2008 at 22:08
What happened to Rooney Dan?
July 12th, 2008 at 22:25
how do you think i got all that cash RD
for the second half of my second season(when i took over united from spurs) bojan and rooney where my preferred striker partnership instead of messi and rooney, i lacked height and a clinical finisher so for quite a few sasons i was signing and selling strikers unitl i found the right one, i signed tsoulkas, who was a tall lanky guy who was only about 18 at the time, he was my star striker for that season, but he couldnt head the ball for shit, so i signed gomez(who happend to be a free agent) and he has been the striker ive wanted for the last couple of seasons, i still have tsoulkas, but he plays like once every 3 months to be honest.
July 12th, 2008 at 22:59
Michael Laudrup
July 12th, 2008 at 23:18
@RedDevil: Very interesting regarding Ronaldo of FIFA 08. But since I now hate him I will not do anything to make him better thanks. I already have done what you say regarding players who don’t take free kicks. I don’t go down to 1 but I bring it down quite a bit. But I don’t do it to penalty taking because you never know when you may be in a penalty shootout. You don’t want 7 or 8 guys with 1’s at that point. Free kicks are the only area where I really would like a tip or two.
I just played Man Utd vs Aston Villa with my new look United which included Berbatov, Ramos and Robinho. Just awesome. 5-0 on the road. Berbatov scored to absolute stunners and set up Rooney for one of his two while Robinho who was quiet all game had one great moment where he scored. And who does the game pick as the player of the game? Hargreaves. He was his usual stellar ball winning self and graded an 8 but Berbatov was just magic in this game. Rooney’s second goal was actually a one time effort from a Carrick through ball that worked. It was lovely. Villa had a few chances but against my defense, they lack the quality up front to make a difference. A case of art imitating life. Hey we’re all bored as Hell, might as well talk FIFA 08 right?
July 12th, 2008 at 23:39
@Grognard: Yeah ur right! When the biggest news is that United are interseted i in Berbatov then FIFA 08 is not a bad talking point. If you want to learn how to take great free kicks then I can really help you. I score on 75% of the free kicks I get that are 35 or less yards from goal. Now, what player do you use to take free kicks? Its kinda important…
July 12th, 2008 at 23:42
Well, if you use Juninho then “The Curler” is best.
If you use Ronaldo then “The Dip” is the best option.
Roberto Carlos, Scholes, Ballack and Riquelme are exellent on “Power-kicks”
And Beckham does everything exellent!
July 12th, 2008 at 23:43
all this fifa talk is bull. Pro Evolution 2008 is currently the best football game in the market. excellent game and if you ask me fifa 08 cannot compare
July 12th, 2008 at 23:48
“The curler”
The player that takes the free kick must a) if right foot look 3 fingers to the right of where you want to get the ball. b) if left foot, the player must look 3 fingers to the left of where you want the ball to go. When press B, the left stick must be turned to the left if right foot, and right if left foot. You should do some practice before you start games.
When should use: When the wall is outside the box, you should hit it. But if the wall is to the right of the keeper of your watch,then you can use it everywhere.
July 12th, 2008 at 23:48
@dan(u-ol): Sounds like you have quite the organization there Dan my boy. And no need to apologize over Adler. He’s a fine keeper but for me Neuer is better and if we are looking past German’s Boruc is King. Of all the players I have played on FIFA 08 Ronaldo is king but if I went beyond him and picked an all star 11 at each position based on their abilities in the game and in a standard 4-4-2 formation they would be as follows;
GK; CECH/CASSILAS tie (Most of the time I play against them and they make some absolutely mind numbing saves and their reflexes?
RWB; LAHM (Play him left or right he is a great dribbler and passer and has great pace to overlap)
CB; VIDIC (His usual self but with even more tackling ability)
CB; DEMICHELIS (A surprise but he is always a great tackler and passer of the ball)
LWB; ABIDAL (Sorry Evra fans, this one bugs me too but he is awesome in FIFA 08)
RMF; RONALDO (It doesn’t matter where you play and what kind of tactics you use, the motherfucker is awesome)
CDM; HARGREAVES (Plays as advertised. He is a rock and the fastest and most awesome ball winner in the game. Good skills too)
CAM; LAMPARD (I hate his guts but he is a goal scoring machine. I’d like to say Ballack or Riquelme as they are good too but Frank wins)
LMF; RIBERY/RONALDINHO (Ribery is fast and clever and delivers great balls. Ronaldinho is on the international box and his stats are skewed to make him look better than he is. If you like tricks and moves, he’s your man. If you like pace and passes, Ribery’s your boy.)
ST; KLOSE (Unlike real life where he can totally evaporate from a game, I find him very skillfull and a lethal finisher. Great header.)
ST; ROONEY (No home bias here. His work rate and hustle rewards you in this game and he is a much more lethal finisher here than in real life. He’s also very good a winning the ball stealing a goal as well as a good short passer.
A few players that I find incredibly disappointing to play are Tevez, Messi, Aguero, Ibrahimovich, van der Sar (just sucks) and Kaka who although skillful, is way to slow and his reaction time is awful. Riquleme is still great although I can’t always take advantage of his passing and I suck at free kicks. Arshavin also suffers from lack of pace and reaction time which is funny because his rating in these areas is good. Remember that these ratings are based on many many hours but in truth, I don’t play every team and I do have teams and players I favor regardless of the game. Other great players I haven’t graded are because they are decent, or I have not played them enough to get a feeling for them.
July 12th, 2008 at 23:52
“The dip”
This is my favorite! This is best suited for right footed players. Hargreaves, Tevez, Sneijder and Ronaldo are best for this use. Look directly at where you want the ball to go. Then press just a little to the right, not too much. Then whenyou shoot, press theleft stick up and the ball will “Ronaldo dip” over the wall and into the top corner. Also exellent for corners and free kick crosses.
When to use: When the wall is outside the box. It wont work if the wall is too far out, so you need to try this lots of times.
July 12th, 2008 at 23:52
Oh and if you are looking for a master at corner kicks provided you are pretty good at setting them up, Riquelme is the man. He once got 4 assists for me from corners. He just knows how to find his targets despite my best effort s to screw up.
July 12th, 2008 at 23:55
@RedDevil: I am ost interested in Ronaldo (although I now wonder why I bother), Riquelme, Ribery and Ballack. Depending on the teams I play, these players are usually on them. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
July 13th, 2008 at 0:03
“Power kicks”
A shot that can curl with the outside of the foot, inside or just blast it hard! I scored one with Scholes from 45 yards once against Chelski, it was too far out for the keeper to put a wall up. I shot with the inside of his boot and the shot flew into the top corner. Cech was left hanging in thin air. Such a great goal… Errm, ho
This type can be used to many things. Players need good curve on their shots when they shoot, so the ball can curl rounf the wall. You cant hit it over, but under you can! This works like Ronaldos first vs Newcastle inn January, but you cant do it often. You have to shoot 6 high free kciks before you do this unless the wall wont jump. This only works 20 yards or less.
When you have free kicks near the corner flag, then try to hit it very weak to the 18 yard box. If you use a CM, then it will wait for it so he can shoot on the first touch. Carrick, Sneijder and Essien are masters of this!
When you have free kicks on the wings, hit for the area between the players waiting and the keeper. Hit it weak and low so the players can run to it and the keeper cant. I can promise you, you get at least a corner every time.
To do this “Power shot”, press the RB when you shoot.
When to use: All over the oppositions field, it can be used in various ways, just need time and patience.
July 13th, 2008 at 0:05
Ronaldo: “The Dip”
This is my favorite! This is best suited for right footed players. Hargreaves, Tevez, Sneijder and Ronaldo are best for this use. Look directly at where you want the ball to go. Then press just a little to the right, not too much. Then whenyou shoot, press theleft stick up and the ball will “Ronaldo dip” over the wall and into the top corner. Also exellent for corners and free kick crosses.
When to use: When the wall is outside the box. It wont work if the wall is too far out, so you need to try this lots of times.
This might help anyway! Good luck!
July 13th, 2008 at 0:09
@Mike: Pro Evolution blows chunks larger than the country it originates from. I used to be the greatest advocate of that game three or four years ago but the last two version have been just crap. Everything that made that game great has been gutted and it’s turned into an analog nightmare with the same old look and mechanics and nothing good about. It plays like a bloody kids arcade game. I want way more from my footy fix and that game just stinks. You should see my version for the game on the old XBOX. Back when it had a fantastic editing tool. I have recreated many fantastic leagues or competitions form the 70’s and 80′ like very authentic and realistic versions of the 1979 and 1980 Bundesliga, the 1974, 78 World Cups and 1996 European Championships as well as the 1999 EPL. I spent hundreds of man hours creating these teams from information gathered on database files, yearbooks (ex; KICKER and Rothman’s) video reference, and personal memory and knowledge etc. To be honest, it is a pretty impressive piece of work. When I see how my versions of Rummenigge, Muller, Beckenbauer, Netzer, Beckham, Gasgoigne, Klinsmann etc perform and look, I honestly applaud myself and feel that I should be running the show over at Konami rather than idiot presently in charge, SeaBass. Man the way that game has gone down hill while FIFA has steadily improved really pisses me off. I guess it really comes down to what a person is looking for. I’m looking for player and statistical accuracy and atmosphere, not a button masher arcade game that belongs in the bargain bin at EB for kids to grab. I also hate the cover. An arrogant picture of Ronaldo. YUK!
July 13th, 2008 at 0:13
I used to liek PES before…But FIFA 07 made me realise that it was better. It had atmosphere and realyplaying. It was more realistic. FIFA 4EVA!!
July 13th, 2008 at 0:17
@RedDevil: Thanks for the tips but I’m still a little confused. I do a lot of the things you are mentioning but I never get the result. I especially can’t seem to get the ball to bend over a wall. When I hit a long one, I press the LB and aim for a corner but the ball always seems to be a fairly easy save for the keeper unless its really close and I give it a whack. You say press the RB too? You mean press the LB and RB at the same time as you press B? If I could figure a way to just clear a wall and bend the ball, I’d be ecstatic, even if the ball went wide. Everything I hit seems as straight as arrow with no dip or anything. And I constantly play with the left analog button.
July 13th, 2008 at 0:22
@RedDevil: I totally agree. Once FIFA 07 came out, the only thing I was going to miss about PES was the editing aspect. And they even screwed that up famously. My biggest pet peeve in gaming is when you have a great game on you XBOX and then you upgrade to the XBOX 360 and the next generation of the game sucks and has most of the meat and extras deleted. Even FIFA was guilty of that in 06. PES has never gotten it right for the 360. Hell their PC version of the game back in 06 didn’t even have a mouse interface. Those programmers they have in Japan are either too bloody lazy, lack any common sense or they have been belting down the saki too much.
July 13th, 2008 at 0:28
@Grognard: Sorry, what I meant was press LB for driven shot. I am a little tired at the moment so..
If you want a player ot hit a good free kick, it needs good curve and free kicks stats. Remove any unecassary stats and pt iit on the free kciks and curve stat. I removed some finsihing stats from Hargreaves and his weak foot ability, and but them on free kcik and curve. ThI f you want to hit a perfect free kcik, then the free kick taker must have both curve and FK stats 95 or more. Shot power should be arounf 80 or more for the curler and the dip. 90 or more for the driven shot.
July 13th, 2008 at 0:32
@Grognard: Grog, do you have to controls? If you do, then play against Chelski using bot controls. Chelski are a htall team, so if u manage to score some free kick against them it should work quite often. Use, in this case a Unted player. Make it stand still on 25 yards. Now control the Chelski player and walk behind the United player. Press A or slide takcle and practice FK.
P.S. When do you turn the Left stick. You must hold oit while you shoot, and when you have shot. It takes time, but pRACTICE MAKES PERFECT.
July 13th, 2008 at 0:35
I wonder if RedRanter plays FIFA 08…
Good night!
July 13th, 2008 at 0:36
@Grognard: sorry for taking so long to get back to you regarding your Zinedine Zidane points which may have some merit, but bear in mind Grog that the man who who built the philosophy and dynasty that is now our Great club Sir Matt Busby, actually played for our biggest rivals and only took the United job after he walked away from the managerial job at those rivals when the Liverpool board refused to let him take complete control of the footballing side of the club.
Im sure Zidane still holds Madrid in high esteem and if you were him, you would probably feel the same, but I honestly dont think that it would translate into a dislike for United and if he is harbouring thoughts of going into coaching then a blind man on a galloping hourse couldnt fail to see that the assistants job at United would be right at the top of the tree coz lets get real about this, what manager in history has a CV like our gaffers, and to work under him while cutting your teeth doesnt get much better.
Im not dogmatic about Zidane, he just popped into my head today when I saw the title of this article, hes definately one that could someday have a big role at some club in the future ,if he really wants to.
July 13th, 2008 at 1:23
I play a 4-3-3 with;
GK:VDS
RB:Brown
CB:Rio
CB:Vidic
LB:Evra
RCM:Carrick
CM:Rooney
LCM:Anderson
RW:Nani
ST:Ronaldo
LW:Tevez
July 13th, 2008 at 1:27
@Fred The Red: Fair enough Fred but that doesn’t excuse him coming out in the press telling Ronaldo that he should leave United for Madrid. That alone disqualifies him from any consideration. If he was like Figo who has kept his mouth shut then fine, but he made the big mistake of assisting Calderon on his tapping up strategy. Now with that out of the way, what makes you feel he is a good candidate to be a strong #2 for the best team on the planet? His CV looks pretty darn empty to me when it comes to coaching or managing. All he is is a superstar player that is feeling the managing bug but has neither the qualifications nor the experience to do the job. And finally, his English is terrible. Nobody can match the Gaffers resume except for maybe Hitzfeld and Capello but that doesn’t excuse having no experience whatsoever. Have you ever listened to that guy try to speak English? A joke. Cantona at least can speak English and he has a loyalty and connection to the team not to mention a motivational tone and passion to his personality that Zidane doesn’t. I’ll say this much though, when our players need to get head butting lessons, he’d be first on my list to contact.
July 13th, 2008 at 1:29
———— Foster ————
Vidic - Ferdinand - Jansen
— Hargreaves - Carrick —
Ronaldo ———– Robinho
———- Anderson ———–
— Rooney - Agbonlahor —
.
This what I rock on FIFA08. Agbonlahor is seriously faster than hell. Hargo and carrick are so good defensively, you can get away with only playign 3 at the back
My bench is usually Takahara (gk) Evra Muntari Nani Bojan…..
my gamer tag is oneoutofnone
x
July 13th, 2008 at 1:30
@Chris: Why not? Ronaldo plays like a mobile striker and Rooney hasall the skill in the game to be a great AMF or CMF.
July 13th, 2008 at 2:53
@Grognard: fair enough points there Grog, like I said earlier I just threw his name out to see the reaction, but as regards to having no experience or qaulifications let me say this, and this applies to anybody, not just Zinedine Zidane, just because your a top player, it does not automatically make you a top coach, but you can get a feel for the players when they give interviews and talk about football who are the ones who have it in them to make good coaches.
It amazes me sometimes when I listen to some of the TV pundits who were brilliant players in thier day but havent a clue about football and the tactical dide of the game and it comes as no surprise to me that the three most successful managers in the EPL during the last 10 years werent the greatest of players in thier day, but they understand the game at a deeper level than the rest and in certaian current and ex pros, it can be spotted by the dicserning eye and ear before they retire.
July 13th, 2008 at 4:05
@Traverse: Interesting lineup. I agree with you on Agbondalahor’s speed and teaming up Carrick and Hargo as twin killers. I also like the pick of Jansen as your LB. I know that whenever I play Bayern or Germany, he is very solid and very mobile but I find him to be a poor passer. Also, how do you find playing Robinho on the wrong side and Anderson as an AMF? I can’t see it but if it works for you, who am I to criticize?
July 13th, 2008 at 4:52
@Fred The Red: No one is quite certain the ingredients required to make a top manager or coach. But having been a coach in both basketball and US football (lets call it throwball) as well as a tennis and golf instructor in my day, I do have a few ideas and theories. A coach needs to fully understand the tactical and technical nuances of a game. I f he constantly refers to old textbooks and ideas that were thrown around years ago, he will fail, but he has to understand the those technical aspects before he can formulate his plan of attack and defense. Secondly he needs to know how to blend specific strategies and tactics so that they properly fit perfectly with the talent on his team, and not the other way around. That is probably the number one mistake made by most managers today is that they are so set in their tactical and technical mind sets, that they don’t realize that it doesn’t work with the talent they have available to them. Too often you see some of these British hacks they call coaches wasting a great player in the midfield because they only understand playing the long ball and never allowing the player to have the kinds of touches and influence in a game that will bring out his talent. That is why some managers like David Moyes and Marty O’Neill are excellent. They do not have a deep talent pool but they understand that you cannot play at grinding, defensive long ball style when you have a Michael Arteta in midfield, or if you have Gareth Barry or Ashley Young. And yet others are complete Nimrods because they waste the talents of players like Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard, (MaClaren for England) and Anelka, Malouda, Cole and Essien (Grant for Chelsea) by not knowing how to play them and what formation or style allows them to fit into the game and team like a glove. Thank God Fergie has always been very good at this. Just look at how he changed things up to better utilize the incredible talent of Ronaldo. Never be stiff and unwilling to change team formations and tactics to accommodate talent. Although even I have to ask myself what in Gods name he has been doing with Rooney the past couple of seasons. Signing a Berbatov should finally put an end to his experimenting with our boy Wayne.
The other major traits a manager must have is tremendous people skills and a strict disciplinary demeanor that doesn’t allow players to get to close to him as well as not allowing players to get away with things on and off the field. Gaining respect through discipline and hard work will never fail. Fergie has always kept his players at a comfortable distance. Even after they have retired. He is friendly and polite but he never really lets them in and lets them get a full understanding of what he is about. That intentional creation of distance and aloofness he learned from the legend Jock Stein and is vital tactic for managers to succeed. Players will respect and fear you as long as they don’t know you to well and as long as they don’t have a way of getting to you or manipulating you. I love Juergen Klinsmann and I even like Mourinho to a point but I think they have one major flaw in the way they manage which means they will never last long in one place. Other than an inflated ego (in the case of Mourinho), they let players get to close to them. They get chummy with players and this kind of environment creates fractures within the team as a whole. those players who are buddies clique, and those players who are not clique. Definitely not what you need on a team where everybody needs to be treated equal.
A coach needs to be a shouter and a motivator. All the pep talks, presidential style debate-like lectures and above all the use of of all the hairdryers and shoe kicking fits that money can buy. Show your joy, show your rage and above all, show your authority. I can’t tell you how much respect I gained for a lot of the Chelsea players last year because they were able to play and win despite not having a manager with any technical or strategic aptitude, and a man who was dead emotionally. Can you imagine a halftime pep talk with AV Grant? It would be like trying to get motivation and clarification from Mr. Bean.
Finally, a good manager has to be able to manage personalities, ethnic and language differences as well as being able to manage a squad selection and rotation over a large schedule of both domestic and European competitions. As silly as that may sound, FIFA 08 and especially Football Manager are exceptional ways for a novice to learn the importance of resting players and utilizing them according to a cramped fixture lists and specific numbers of days off. Managing the practices and different session is all a part of this. And after he has done all of the above, he still needs to make the game fun and he needs to make the game as stress free as possible. Knowing when to reward the team or players with compliments, showing players who perform the loyalty they deserve as well as giving the lads time off or throwing parties etc. as well, he needs to be smart enough to name a captain that all the players respect and who is the closest thing in the dressing room to himself in personality. That’s managing and leadership. Sounds like a biography of one Sir Alex Ferguson now doesn’t it?
Well that’s the Grognard’s coaching and Managerial litmus test version 1.0. For what it’s worth, I hope I didn’t bore you all. I’m sure many of you have your own theories and I’d be welcome to hear from you.
July 13th, 2008 at 5:04
Are any of you reading the rumors that Fergie is putting in a 5 million bid fro Micahel Owen? Before some of you scream let me say that I think it’s a great idea. Owen gives us that 4th striker and aan ability to play a 4 man rotation (thus keeping everyone fresh) or three strikers in a Ronaldolo less side. I can see the possibilities already. Berbatov playing just behind Rooney and Owen who weave in and out causing all sort of panic and with Berby laying off beautiful finesse balls or taking the odd crack just like Cantona used to do. This would allow us to play a 4-1-2-1-2 diamond or a 4-3-3 or 4-3-1-2. I know that many of you may panic over the injury history of Owen but listen up. Owen went through most of last year injury free. Secondly, in a 4 man setup similar to 1999, he will get lots of rest and really will be the 4th wheel thus limiting his chances of getting hurt, and increasing his potential and also allowing him to stay fresh. His speed and influence would allow him to become the ultimate role player and super sub on occasions as well. And why not? 5 million is peanuts for the potential he brings. And if he ends up like Saha, insurance will protect us and we will still be three deep in strikers provided we also sign Berbatov. I don’t about all of you, but I like it.
July 13th, 2008 at 5:07
WOW! Another weekend without Red Ranter around. He’s either got a life or he’s got a woman or both. Go get em RR! Go play some of that Southern Fried Cricket.
July 13th, 2008 at 5:55
@Grognard: I wouldnt disagree with the majority of the qualities that you stated are needed in a manger, but I would say this, not all those qualities are needed in a number two, and if they were all present, then that person would not be a no2 for long.
July 13th, 2008 at 6:52
@Fred The Red: That’s the tricky part. You need to find a coach that has all those traits but also has patience to advance his career and his ambitions in tactical steps. Man Utd #2 has got more prestige and clout than most #1 jobs out there. Also, unlike many of his predecessors, the new #2 has the great opportunity to be considered for and possibly even recommended by Fergie as his successor. Unless I was managing Real, Barcelona, Bayern, the two Milan’s, Juventus, Roma and the other big three in the EPL, no job out there has more to offer and more potential than United’s #2. This is why Fergie is going to take his time to find the man he wants. He isn’t just looking for a coach to help him out. He’s looking for a possible successor he can mentor and ease into the head job. All the more reason why I would consider Laudrup as I think he has a lot of the qualities I mentioned but he is still green enough that Fergie can teach him a few things and being around the Boss will allow positive things to rub off on him.
July 13th, 2008 at 7:35
Highlights from Aberdeen vs United.
They forgot the Giggs header that hit the bar…
July 13th, 2008 at 7:46
@RedDevil: From those highlights it seems that Michael Carrick looked in top form. That’s very encouraging because he rarely shows up for a meaningless game or a bottom of the league type of opponent. His passes looked great and he took that penalty very calmly. Still, the player I prefer to take penalties for the club would be Rooney or Hargreaves or even Berbatov if we get him.
Rooney also looked good but Chris Eagles just looked horrible on those two misses. Not the way to impress the boss and prevent being sold or loaned out.
July 13th, 2008 at 12:14
@Grognard: In fairness, the second miss was deflected. The first was awful.
July 13th, 2008 at 12:17
Grognard- I have a tip for you on FIFA 08. You said you wont make penalty stats to 1 cause you never know when a pen shootout comes. But if you place the ball with RB high to the left your penalties will never be saved. Even if your penalty taker has 1 in penalty stats, it will score if you hit RB when you shoot to the left. High! Not to close to the keeper, but high to the left. Do this everytime you have a pen and you score. But if you want variety when you have oenalties, then you should have some that have 75 or more. Just a tip.
July 13th, 2008 at 12:35
If possible can someone link up the reserve game highlights. I’m not sure if it was behind closed doors but it was Ole’ fisrt game and I think they won 3-1 with Rodrigo hitting a thunderbolt!
On Rodrigo I watched him against City, Newcastle and in the Senior cup final and he looks to have great potential. Some fine tuning and he could be the most complete he reminds me of a carrick with all of hargreaves enthusiasm thrown in.
My shortlist for assistant manager would be>>
Choccy McClair
Micheal Laudrup
Lauren Blanc -won’t leave bordeaux though
Remi Garde -at lyon and played for le’Arse so maybe not
Matthias Sammer
Martinez and King Eric i don’t feel are ready yet!
Huntelaar
Berba 
July 13th, 2008 at 13:36
United have apparantly bid for Sergio “Kun” Aguero…
July 13th, 2008 at 13:56
Hey, i am a regular reader but this is my first comment on red rants. Latest talk courtesy of footylatest is that manchester united are going to place a bid for sergio aguero in the region of 35million pounds.
This in my opinion would be a great signingif it is accompanied by the signing of a tall striker ala Berbatov. Sergio is only 20 years old and would add to Manchester Uniteds strong youth presence in the squad. The downside is that he wud also add to the short strikers of Tevez nd Rooney as he is only 172cm. By signing Berbatov nd Aguero manchester united wud be sendin a message to the rest of england and europe that they mean business in the comin season. Cmon United
July 13th, 2008 at 14:29
Not the best source in the world but it’s got quotes. Sergio Aguero’s agent says that a top English side are about to make a bid for his client, and it is not Chelsea.
Segui said yesterday: “I have had interest from a leading English team and they have asked me to approach Atletico with a bid. I cannot say more until i have spoken to the club about the offer. All i can tell you is that it is one of the best teams in Europe and it’s not Chelsea.”
The scousers are strapped for cash, Arsenal are a selling club now to fund their stadium, so it only really leaves us. However, his agent may be just playing games to get a better contract from Atletico or something.
http://footylatest.com/news/news.php?extend.1167
July 13th, 2008 at 15:53
According to NOTW, United have agreed a 24 Million Pound fee for Berbatov. SAF is not going to meet Ronaldo in Lisbon and instead he is staying back to complete the Berba deal this week.
Also, this Aguero business sounds great. Im a big fan of this kid but it’ll happen only if we sell Ronnie coz Aguero will be around 30 mill. But he is a perfect replacement. More the Messi kind but with alot of goals in him
July 13th, 2008 at 15:56
I would snatch Aguero anyday!
In my opinion he is better than Messi. One of the few players I think who could replace ronaldo.
Imagine Berba + Aguero
That’s stuff of dreams…
July 13th, 2008 at 16:00
@RedDevil: I’ll give that a try, thanks.
July 13th, 2008 at 16:07
I’d second Owen as a possible signing but only if he accepts a substantial wage cut commensurate with the squad player status he would have. It would be a gamble given his injury history but there is no question of his ability.
Aguero seems unlikely. His club always seems to quote 30 million which seems ridiculous. I don’t know much about the player. Anyone on here able to rate him for me?
July 13th, 2008 at 16:10
colver
Absolute superstar.
Dribbling
Finishing is average
Has 2 good feet
Messi+ Tevez but less skill than Messi.
Bit lightweight
July 13th, 2008 at 16:21
@Grognard: Robinho doesn’t loose more than 2 on his stats by playing him there… he’s speedy and has a good first time cross + short passing, and in the game I tend to rotate him and Agbonlahor in that position if I feel I need a little more pace on the wing or a lock picking pass upfront. That or swap him out for Nani.
Anderson fires rockets from long range and by playing him there he gets commanding positions for headers from corners. Also as his standing tackling is quite good so he breaks down a lot of attacks before they start and releases Rooney and Agbonlahor through the channels.
Maybe I should be united’s new number 2. Unfortunately tho Elvish and Klingon aren’t languages likely to be spoken in training….
July 13th, 2008 at 16:25
@RedDevil: The agent is hinting it could be us because he says it’s not Chelsea. I doubt it’s Liverpool because if they say they cannot afford Villa, then there is no doubt they cannot afford Aguero. Arsenal are to cheap and Spurs don’t have that kind of money even with a Berbatov sale. Question is, where is United finding that kind of money? Sounds to me like they may be resolving themselves to the fact that public opinion is such they need to get rid of Ronaldo, as he has made staying an untenable option. Money from that sale could do the trick. That is of course the Glazer’s don’t use that money to pay of some of their huge debt.
Now does the Grognard want Aguero? I would absolutely be over the moon if we got this kid. He is a super talent and unlike Messi, he isn’t brittle and injury prone. He’s not Ronaldo, but then again who is? He is the kind of player we need to be able to call a direct replacement for Ronaldo. He’s dynamic, full of skill and has so much to learn and offer because he is so young. I watched all the Argentina Under 21 games at last year’s Under 21 World Cup held here in Canada and I was blown away by him. He was the player of the tournament. Up to now I never even considered him a possibility because Atletico would have to be loony to let him go for anything less than 50 million pounds. The other good thing is that when you join Atletico, the culture there teaches you quickly to hate and despise anything to do with Real Madrid. Therefore, the only threat that would be out there in regards to us eventually losing him to losing him in the future would be to Barcelona. And they don’t use such gangster tactics as the Galactiwhores. Buying Aguero would surely place a nice big sock full of manure right in the Grognard’s mouth after all my negativity over United’s financial state and their unwillingness to spend to buy big names other than one striker. And I’d welcome that big sock of cow poop if it would get that deal done. God I hope the rumors are true and if so, they must get a deal done with Atletico.
July 13th, 2008 at 16:27
@Farny: Truer words have never been spoken. Great point made and also your first too. Welcome aboard mate. You are no longer a virgin.
July 13th, 2008 at 16:37
@Traverse: Hey you can’t apply for the #@ job because I already pout my name out there. Be fair.
I have actually done the same using Robinho and I find him more than useful on the right wing cutting in. I now have to consider trying to play a season with Aguero in the lineup instead of Robinho. Whatever United do regarding Real, I’m pretty sure Ramos will be part of the deal. I don’t think Ronaldo and Ramos can function together on the same team having both experienced Ronaldo’s steady whore of a girlfriend. What a groupie slut she is. From what I’ve read, Ronaldo would kill Ramos if they were in the same room together. Like he has ownership of the girl before she met him. Jeez!
Somethings not right with that boy.
July 13th, 2008 at 16:46
We have rooney + tevez and maybe we will buy berbatov….Its not fair for rooney and tevez to brong this young player ….yes… he is great player but what we need is hell of a winger like ronaldo…. if he goes to madrid…maybe robben + money from Real and that is the case….Nothing Less Nothing More….
July 13th, 2008 at 16:47
Simple question all:
What is Aguero’s position on the field? Does he have a best playing postion among a number of positions?
And how would he play if he came in the United lineup.
Would he act as the RW-RF mould that Ronaldo seemed to take at United?
Does he play centrally or on wings?
Does he dribble down the line and cross/low pass or does he cut inside a la fucker from Madeira?
Or is he actually a RM?
And how do you think Rooney would link with him? Somehow I don’t fancy another midget forward. But on the other hand if he’s AM that’s anither matter entirely…
July 13th, 2008 at 17:02
@Tomas:
Yes, Tomas the 2nd one was deflected, but, the 1st one was shot at with out in mid air. Only players with superior technique would be sure to convert that opportunity by 1.hitting the ball squarely in midair and 2. managing to get it on target… In our current squad there’s only one player I’m sure would convert that and that’s probably because he’s so happy to play without his restraining shackles.
Not that I’m an Eagles supproter, I too think he should be offloaded.
July 13th, 2008 at 17:57
@man utd - Aleksandar: He’s very capable of playing the winger role in much the same way as Ronaldo, who hardly looked like a winger the last two seasons. Aguero is an ideal RF or RW and he can play on the left side if needed two. It’s not about fainress, it’s about fielding the best team possible. I can see a 4-2-3-1 formation of the near future that looks something like this;
EVDS
BROWN/RAMOS RIO VIDIC EVRA
CARRICK/ANDERSON HARGREAVES/ANDERSON
AGUERO/NANI ROONEY/AGUERO NANI/TEVEZ/AGUERO
BERBATOV/TEVEZ
July 13th, 2008 at 18:01
After posting that I realized it was hard to make out. So here it goes again.
GK EVDS
RB RAMOS/BROWN
CB RIO
CB VIDIC
LB EVRA
CDM CARRICK/ANDERSON
CDM HARGREAVES/ANDERSON
LF NANI/TEVEZ/AGUERO
RF AGUERO/NANI
CF ROONEY/AGUERO
ST BERBATOV/TEVEZ
July 13th, 2008 at 18:11
@Nico QB: Exactly. He would ideally suit the role of Ronaldo by really being given a free reign from a RW/RF position. With a player of such vast skill, the possibilities are endless. One thing he isn’t though is an old style striker. No height or aerial ability at all. Cut in the Rooney/Messi mold. Kind of a combination of the two. He would link well with Rooney and Tevez as long as Berbatov is the striker or CF up front and in the middle of the box.
July 13th, 2008 at 18:35
@Nico QB: I really think that being able to hit the target o such a chance is a requirement for playing at this level, and I’d expect pretty much every player at United to do that. It isn’t really that difficult.
Eagles would probably slam that one home on most occaasions, and therefore him missing this one isn’t a reason for me to offload him. He should be sold, because we have no use for him, and for his own development and future, he needs to change clubs.
July 13th, 2008 at 19:07
@Tomas: I agree about the part that he should definitely leave for his own development.
But just about that opportuity, just because it was close to goal does not mean it was easy to score. Tha ball was coming with pace which makes it hard for any player to hit it cleanly and precisely, at least with the foot. A diving header would have yielded better results IMHO. Minor technicality but hey its not like we’ve got anything else to discuss…
Oh!
Anyone who saw the complete mtch would care to post their views and ratings a la Grog please.. thnx
July 13th, 2008 at 19:08
Yeah I suspected he was in the Messi/Tevez mould. Not a bad thing but really if we are losing Ronaldo Id prefer we go back to an orthodox 4-4-2 with wingers. Aguero seems more like a forward.
July 13th, 2008 at 19:18
@Grognard: In any case that means we definitely need height next season. Ronaldo was our most important aerial threat, so if he leaves that only leaves us with … virtually nobody. Except Vida on set pieces and even last season he didnt score as the year before last… Hopefully Manucho will turn out ok. In any case we’re defenitely going to get either Berba or Huntelaar.
and I just cant picture Roo, Tev and Aguero playing up front together… And I’m for pace and mobility but that would just be ridiculous. Imagine those three playing against the (tries to think of a towering defensive back 4 of the EPL)…
.
.
.
.
Thank god those three will not play against our own defense!!! They would get absolutely battered!!
July 13th, 2008 at 19:22
Do you seriously think Frank Rijkaard will accept a job as an assistant coach?
July 13th, 2008 at 19:55
@Grognard: I agree with you on the poor game design. The only time I play the ball in the middle of the park is when I’m bored and trying to score the “perfect” goal with a lot of passes. But when ever I need a goal I simply just play it to the wings and let Nani or Ronaldo use their pace to beat the full back then cut in toward goal. Then about 5 steps before reaching the central defenders I tap back on analog stick twice and do the “ronaldo chop”. this beats them everytime. But it does get boring scoring the same way everytime so I often find myself making unnecesary passes and trying to walk the ball into the goal.
I didnt know we had so many Fifa 08 players on here. Most football elitist Hate Fifa and swear by Pro Evo(I personally cant stand it)
July 13th, 2008 at 20:01
Finally it appears that our transfer season is beginning to take shape. I like Grognard would be over the moon if we got Kun, but I have my doubts. I also think that if we bought Kun, Fergie doesnt plan on making the Tevez deal permanent.
I think the more likely deal would be berbatov. He would be perfect for United. Berbatov is a proven premeirship player who oozes class.
and dont worry about the money, if Fergie needs money Uncle Malcolm will break out the checkbook.
July 13th, 2008 at 20:36
pro evo is for students….
July 13th, 2008 at 20:49
Lets think about it… If Aguero really is on Uniteds radar then we might do the transfer of the year. There is no secret that I follow Atletico Madrid and that is a big reason that I hate Real. To be honest, I started watching Atletico because of Torres. But when he was sold to the dippers then I had already began to like the Atletico play. They reminded me so much of United, just that they werent so clinical or have the solid defense. But last season Aguero made Torres forgotten. He was a joy ot watch, a magican with teh abll at his feet, he made Barca look like kindergarden kids with his skill, pace and power. He might look small and weak but belive me, he is strong like an oks! He thinks quick and is very creative. He can cross, finish, take five men on and still get through them, make Scholes-esque passes and he is simply a big-game player. He is already better than Tevez and might become better than Maradona in 5 years time. He is worth £35 million, I would not care if United even offered 45 cause I know he is worth more than his own weight in gold! Another good thing is that he hates Real and is a boyhood United fan!
Good things:
Quick, both physical and mental.
Stong.
Young.
Good crosser.
Good finisher.
Amazing skills and passes.
Find room.
United fan.
Real Madrid hater!
Knows Tevez.
Can play many places on the pitch.
Bad things:
Not proven in England or the CL.
Inexperienced.
His price tag might affect him.
He might want to move in the future.
Atletico doesnt want to sell forunder £35 mill.
Does he have the mental strenght to become Uniteds most expensive buy?
He can play as an AMF, RW/RF, CF, ST, LF/LW and RM/LM.
For me, the best replacement for Ronaldo that is possible.
If United nuy him, they might play with my FIFA 08 formation.
VDS/Foster
Neville/Brown–Rio–Vidic–Evra
Carrick/Anderson–Hargreaves/Scholes
Aguero–Rooney–Tevez
Berbatov/Huntelaar/Saha?
Would be a draem come true…
July 13th, 2008 at 21:02
Sergio Kun Aguero
July 13th, 2008 at 21:04
Fifa sucks…pro is for real gamers…even footballers prefer it.
July 13th, 2008 at 21:25
Peterson i disagree
i think fifa is the better game in terms of graphics and playability
i own copies of both games pro evo is great if you enjoy defenders letting you through on goal every time u put a through ball in, which is quite frankly ridiculous
also fifa is more authentic and the variety of mode options are vastly superior (eg. be a pro), online gaming is much more competitive.
July 13th, 2008 at 21:26
PES was a really cool game until the the PES 7 came out. That game was shite! Now FIFA is better and becomes better everytime a new one comes out. FIFA RULES!
July 13th, 2008 at 21:42
Seriously, where is RedRanter?
July 13th, 2008 at 21:45
@RedDevil: You just gotta love these small Argentinian dribblers.
Their touch, bursts of speed and strength is unmatched by any other nation’s players.
Buying Aguero could be the smartest thing, SAF has done in a long time, but I think the price tag is a little crazy.
Knowing that Chelsea isn’t the bidder, there can be only Arsenal besides United, because Liverpool certainly don’t have the cash, and there are no other teams that qualify as being among the best in Europe.
Arsenal would only be interested (and ich enough) if they were to sell Adebayor, so we’ll see what happens. But I think that people can forget about us signing both Berbatov and Aguero, unless Ronaldo is sold.
July 13th, 2008 at 21:47
As much as i would love to have aguero or berbatov i can only see us getting 1 for 2 reasons firstly the money secondly they would both command a starting role which would mean dropping nani and giggs fergie has already promised nani first team football next year and we would only have 2 cm’s that means dropping 3 of hargreaves, scholes anderson carrick and fletcher. for me one signing us fine. There can be too much of a good thing
July 13th, 2008 at 21:55
@RedDevil: I too am a Atletico fan because of torres. I would encourage you guys to watch them play next season, they are a very fun team to watch.
July 13th, 2008 at 21:57
Manchester United v Aberdeen links
Full Match - live stream video so not going to be the best quality wise. Follow no.2 the download with FileFactory Basic service(Grey Box)Download
July 13th, 2008 at 21:58
Match highlights download from MUTV Rapidshare
July 13th, 2008 at 22:25
is it just me or did rooney look like he has been eating pies all thru the euros?
July 13th, 2008 at 22:41
well, we will definitely be signing more then 1 player, i think about 3, now that it official that ronaldo will be back in october at the earliest, i think we will sign nevez, berbatov(or huntelaar), and another player maybe a stiker, maybe a winger, possibly a player who can play both(sergio…).
neves looks as if he has the skills of ronaldo, and i think he would cost us £8mil, then berbatov for the goals, but to be honest, huntelaar would be a better option, berbatov isnt as good as he(and the media) thinks he is. i would say he’s slightly above average to be honest. Rooney could easily equal or excel the number of goals berbatov scores if he stayed on form for just half of a season in my opinion.
July 13th, 2008 at 22:41
Maybe he got too much cake in the wedding…Remember he had two weddings!
July 13th, 2008 at 22:47
Just a thought… If you guys could buy any player you want for free to make an amazing team, what would it be?
My team:
Casillas
Richards–Rio–Vida–Evra
Anderson–Fabregas
Messi–Rooney–Aguero
Torres
subs: Adler, Ramos, Hargreaves, Podolski, Villa.
July 13th, 2008 at 22:53
WOW!
Papers really know how to make a small story sound big!
July 13th, 2008 at 22:56
@RedDevil: No offense, i’m not doubting you or anything, but did he actually say he’s a boyhood United fan(that would be awesome btw)? Anyway on Aguero, i still stick to my Fergie will buy only one player theory and that player won’t be Aguero cus with Ronaldo still present, Aguero isn’t the type of player we need right now, unless if Fergie has finally resolved to losing Ronaldo and is already looking for a replacement. Looking forward to this week, i think our transfer season will get more exciting.
July 13th, 2008 at 23:02
@Nico QB: I think it’s pretty certain that we are going to get Berbatov. Apparently United have agreed to 24 million so there is our height. It’s not so much about height as it is about aerial ability. Gerd Mueller was 5′7″ yet he was a terror in the air. Berbatov is a decent height but he’s just good at getting to a ball and he is also good at finesse heading flicking the ball on too. Either way, if we go out and get Aguero, Berbatov will already be in place. We needed Berbatov with or without Ronaldo. Aguero is straight swap for Ronaldo and can do many of the same things without the annoying pony tricks and predictable as Hell step overs. Much more in the Messi mold, which for me is a good thing.
July 13th, 2008 at 23:13
@johnsom33: Pro Evolution has gone to the dogs I’m afraid. It used to be the best game period. Player dynamics and animation were never perfect but game play was nice and the editing tool was large and advanced enough for one to create their own teams players and leagues if they wanted to spend so much time doing so. The pitch and the stadiums and crowds as well as the sound, music and commentary were always amateur hour but the game still rocked. It just went south and needs a whole new development team to reinvent the series. That fat Nippon Seabass (game developer) has just gotten so lazy and the 360 version has been cut down to bare bones stuff and the game play feels so arcade like and lacks the feel and realism of real football. Every pitch and stadium looks the same and every player looks like he is super thin and 6′6″ tall. And the editing tool is an absolute lazy mess of a design. It offers 15% of what the old XBOX tool did and the improvements are few and far between. The game is a disgrace and any player gamer who likes i has got to be under the age of 15 with thumb bashers desease and ADD. On a scale of 1-10 with ten being excellent PES rates a 2 and FIFA 08 rates a 7.
PES for the XBOX back in 2005-06 rates an 8.5. If I was the head of Konami, I’d fire Seabass and that whole group of incompetent idiots who are now making the game.
July 13th, 2008 at 23:15
@Traverse: What kind of students, grade 1’s or preschoolers?
July 13th, 2008 at 23:17
I’ve been reading more on Aguero and he does seem to fit the bill. Scored a fair number of goals for Atletico and can slot right into the position Ronaldo played. Of course since we are losing Ronaldo’s aerial ability it is essential we get hold of Berbatov or Huntelaar so we always have an aerial target. I can see our two teams next season being:
EVDS
Brown Vidic Ferdinand Evra
Carrick Hargreaves Scholes
Aguero Berbatov Rooney
and for less important games or where we have to win:
EVDS
Brown Vidic Ferdinand Evra
Aguero Scholes Carrick Nani
Rooney
Berbatov
July 13th, 2008 at 23:22
@RedDevil: Good sales pitch RedDevil. Hope Fergie is reading this.
Totally agree with you although nobody will ever come close to Maradona. I personally hated the little fuck but the man was God and only Pele and perhaps Beckenbauer and Cruyff can be compared to him.
How do you know that he is a United fan? I know he hated Real but I was not aware of his love for United. Very interesting indeed!
One thing that I should bring up to depress you all is that Arsenal have dropped their asking price for YabbaDabbaDo to have of the original 70 million pounds they were asking. Could this be because Wenger wants cash quickly to go after Aguero? You never know.
July 13th, 2008 at 23:22
@Rd: He said it in 2005 when he played in Argentina. He said it after a game when he wore a United shirt. Kinda like Tevez eh?
July 13th, 2008 at 23:27
@Peterson: PRO is for misfits and juvenile delinquents who suffer from ADD and irritable bowel syndrome. The game and its lovers all blow chunks and they can all piss off too. Now on the other hand, if one is referring to PES for the XBOX 2005/2006 version, then I am in agreement. Otherwise save the praise for a game only a group of Neanderthals who enjoy looking at bright and shIny objects while they hang in a tree an drool over a bunch of bananas can appreciate. Lord give me strength. That game is so God damned easy to play I can tie one hand behind my back and use one hand and my big toe and win. “Even footballers prefer it?” You mean even footballs prefer it? CHILDISH!
July 13th, 2008 at 23:34
@Tomas: This possible deal to get Aguero is totally contingent on selling Ronaldo. It’s Fergie’s backup plan. We will be getting Berbatov anyway and the money we get from the Ronaldo sale will buy Aguero. But I still worry about Arsenal after this Yabbadabbado sale as well, this could be nothing more than mega media manipulation by Aguero’s agent to get a better contract for Aguero from Atletico. But I’ll remain positive for a change. WEEEE! Look at meeeee. I’m being positive Yeah!
Stop the presses EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT! Grognard has been take over by aliens and is acting positive. Film at 11:00.
July 13th, 2008 at 23:37
@Duffstuff: Dropping Giggs? Are you kidding me mate? Giggs should have been dropped last year. And Nani still has a role to play. By the way, when did Fergie guarantee Nani a starting role? Wherever you read that it’s BS. Fergie doesn’t guarantee anything to anybody. It’s not his style. Secondly we can get both Aguero and Berbatov as Aguero will be paid for by the money that comes from the Ronaldo sale. Berbatov is being paid for by the yearly transfer kitty that has been allotted to Fergie.
July 13th, 2008 at 23:54
@RedDevil: First of all,I don’t worry about buying players if I want to just play with what I consider a dream team. I just go get the player and place them on the team before I enter a competition. Now if you want my all time team and the team of my dreams it’s as follows; This also is the team I would choose before Ronaldo broke my heart. 4-4-2
First Team
GK BORUC
RWB LAHM
CB RIO
CB VIDIC
LWB EVRA
RMF RONALDO
CMF BALLACK
CMF HARGREAVES
LMF RIQUELME
ST MESSI
ST HUNTELAAR
2nd Team
GK NEUER
RWB RAMOS
CB MERTESACKER
CB DEMICHELIS
LWB ZHIRKOV
RMF SNEIJDER
CM ARSHAVIN
CM ESSIEN
LMF RIBERY
ST TONI
ST AGUERO
July 13th, 2008 at 23:57
@Rd: With Ronaldo present? Trust me mate, Ronaldo is history. He yesterday’s news, he’s out of here. Don’t cling to that fantasy because you will be sadly disappointed.
July 13th, 2008 at 23:59
@colver: Interesting that you don’t include Tevez in any of your starting teams. I would have thought he would start in the non important games at least.
July 14th, 2008 at 0:15
@RedDevil: Too Sweeeeet! And just for that great reason alone…….Fergie won’t go after him. He wants to go after players who couldn’t care less about United. Huntelaar and Aguero want to play for United therefore, they have no chance. It’s like the tv show Star Trek Many famous actors wanted to be cast for the many versions of the show but they always cast people who hated or were indifferent to the show. I for one don’t get that kind of mentality.
July 14th, 2008 at 0:19
You got to wonder if the team is cursed or if some kind of conspiracy is a foot because it just gets worse by the day. Read below;
From that bastian of professional journalism and flagship of London fainess and objectivity THE SUN;
RIO FERDINAND’S moment of madness at Stamford Bridge last season could cost him the England captaincy. Ferdinand, 30, faces a possible four-game ban and £200,000 fine for kicking a female Chelsea steward after the Battle of the Bridge in April. SunSport can reveal FA chiefs have requested photos and witness statements from Blues staff about the incident, when the Manchester United defender kicked tunnel steward Tracy Wray. She needed hospital treatment for severe bruising to her left thigh and belatedly received some flowers from him by way of an apology. Disciplinary chiefs are due to examine the evidence and the United star could miss the start of the season with a ban.
He faces being charged with gross misconduct and bringing the game into disrepute, while United could also face charges of failing to control their players. The scandal may also count against his candidacy for the England skipper’s job.
God give me mercy and end this misery once and for all.
July 14th, 2008 at 0:28
@Grognard: Eeehhh I don’t know if Wenger would be looking towards Aguero…
I watched the Euros in French with commentary from him and he was gushing all over…
Arshavin!
So for me the Adabayor money would be used to buy Arshavin, with the player already making ccomments as to how he’d love to play at the Emirates too…
July 14th, 2008 at 0:32
@Nico QB: This is true and I hope for our sake it is plus, he is apparently trying to hijack Barry from Liverpool too. I just hope this Aguero news is true and it is us who are after him. I also read that Ronaldo will now be out for three months.
July 14th, 2008 at 0:57
I would never worry about wenger in a transfer battle. Yeah he got ramsey, but thats only because Fergie didnt want him as badly as wenger. When push comes to shove, Wenger will back out when the price starts to rise.
July 14th, 2008 at 1:01
@Grognard: You read what his agent said right??? Top English and European team…I don’t think Arsenal qualifies as a top European team cus they’ve never won any trophy and even though pool has the highest number of league trophies, they haven’t been top English team for a while. I still think its us plus where’s Arsenal getting the £35m to buy Aguero? I still think its between us and more of Liverpool than Arsenal, Arsenal is totally out of it.
July 14th, 2008 at 1:08
I live on the west coast of the US, so naturally I dont make it to a lot of the games. In reality I havent been to any games. I was planning on making a trip around april or march to Manchester. I was wondering if any of you guys not living in the UK have had made the journey to old trafford and could give me any tips or suggestions. most likely I will be travelling by my damn self.
July 14th, 2008 at 1:09
@Grognard: Call me crazy, but i’m still one of those people who think he’s here for the 2008/2009 season and then he’ll be off after that.
@Grognard: Really now, lets put things into perspective before we start believing them. Except if Le Arse suddenly struck oil under the Emirates, where are they actually getting the money for the people they’re linked to: Veloso, Arshavin, Barry, Aguero, Huntelaar, thats almost £100m, even if they sell the players that are looking likely to leave, theres no way in hell the stingy git would spend that much on transfers. Arsenal is definitely not getting Barry nor Aguero. Probably Arshavin plus some cheap £5-11m signing he can get his hands on.
July 14th, 2008 at 1:27
@Rd: Don’t fool yourself. In the real world of European football both Arsenal and Liverpool are members of the G14. They are bigger than Chelsea because both have won way more trophies than Chelsea historically. They are footballing giants with great pedigree and Liverpool arguably have a greater pedigree in European competition, albeit not in the past 20 years. Historymeans everything in Europe.
July 14th, 2008 at 1:35
@Rd: OK, you’re crazy!
Arsenal are playing a game of oneupmanship. They are linking themselves with a number of player so that they can see what kind of interest they generate and then they will pounce on the one they feel most comfortable with. They also want to create stress and paranoia amongst their competitors. This is also the London Media who constantly do Arsenal’s bidding for them whether the Gooners want them to or not.
Of all the players they are linked with, they will buy one. I expect it to be either Arshavin or Huntelaar. Veloso is way overpriced, Barry wants to go to Liverpool and Aguero is too expensive and a United fan. Huntelaar is second choice to Berbatov in Fergie’s eyes and Arshavin is priced to high for an Eastern European and thus there are no other takers. The only way to get Aguero is to sell Adebayor and then throw another 15 to 20 million on top of that. I just can’t see Wenger doing that. His MO would be to take that money and buy 5 young players and breast feed them and diaper change them until they are ready and they want to go to Spain or Italy. Poor French Bugger!
July 14th, 2008 at 2:24
@Grognard: Grognard can you please stop being a hypocrite mate. “The game and its lovers all blow chunks and they can all piss off too”.. how about you piss off for a change if someone else had made that comment all hell would break loose with throwing a whole bunch of absurd comments about being rude and the freedom of speech or whatever. i personally love pro evo and i do not liek to be told to blow chunks or piss off. dont say things you wouldnt like being said to you please.
July 14th, 2008 at 2:31
Hello everyone, I’m back — sorry to be off all day, will read these comments later, but on the outset you lot have behaved for most part. So thanks for that.
Put up a new post for now. Got some errands to run — so will be back later.
July 14th, 2008 at 3:45
@Mike: I was joking and it was said with humorous intent the way somebody would stick up for their car over somebody else’s. So relax mate. I do believe the game sucks and I gave my reasons why but the rest was all intended as friendly banter.
Sorry you took it so badly. Maybe I should have used a few more smilies. And I too love the older version of the game on XBOX. So I am not totally opposed to the franchise. In fact, I’d take the older versions of the game over any FIFA 08 game. My apologies mate.
July 14th, 2008 at 17:03
@Peterson: Sticks and stones fellas….sticks and stones. Actually I’m impressed. A couple of PES players who can form a sentence and spell too. WOW! Impressive!
July 14th, 2008 at 17:23
wow funny….
July 14th, 2008 at 18:35
@Peterson: Not as funny as you mate.