When it comes to winding up the opposition, there's no better exponent of the art than Sir Alex Ferguson. The United manager famously cranked up the pressure on Kevin Keegan, manager of Newcastle, who at one point in 1996 had a 12 point advantage over the Red Devils in the title race, but following the Magpies manager's rant at Fergie they squandered their lead as United eventually ran out champions again. During Keegan's hilarious outburst which was seen by millions of viewers on SKY TV he coined the phrase "Love it" which entered the football lexicon.
Over the years Fergie has used the media to get his point across, he's managed to use the press largely to his advantage especially where winding-up rivals are concerned.
The latest victim to be taken for a ride in Fergie's wind-up car is Real Madrid present, Ramon Calderon, over his failed pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo. Ferguson has reminded the Spanish club of their links to their infamous former backer General Franco. Fergie says that Real Madrid are well used to getting what they want - a tradition started by the dictator in the 1950s. It's a fair comment really, even though this is a history lesson that Real Madrid would no doubt prefer to be brushed under the carpet.
Fergie has been winding-up Real Madrid over the last few weeks, he first made the Franco analogy in the summer months, but repeated it recently when baiting former United star Gabriel Heinze, when stating that the Spanish club had only signed the Argentine as a pawn with view to prizing his mate Ronaldo away from Old Trafford.
In response, Ramon Calderon, has resorted to calling Ferguson senile. Real Madrid's lapdogs at Marca have somewhat predictably waded-in when comparing the United manager to a dictator when morphing an image of Fergie's head into that of General Franco.
No doubting that Calderon and Madrid are hoping that Fergie will soon retire, but I wouldn't rule out them being taken for another spin or two in Fergie's wind-up car before that happens.
Showing posts with label Alex Ferguson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alex Ferguson. Show all posts
Friday, October 31, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
United Go Top as Derby Restore Some Pride
It was a good day for United in the Premiership on Saturday as Fergie's men ground out an important 1-0 victory over bottom of the table Derby which springboarded the Reds to the summit of the league table. Even better news was to occur later in the day as Arsenal's league form continued to capitulate with a 1-1 home drawn against Middlesboro - leaving the Red Devils at the top of the shop on goal difference, but with a crucial game in hand.
The win over Paul Jewell's Rams should have been business as usual for Fergie's boys, however this win was far from routine. Derby were coming into this one after a 6-1 spanking at Stamford Bridge in midweek and for the first twenty minutes it seemed inevitable that they would have their collective asses handed to them once again as United, and Ronaldo in particular, carved open some excellent chances.
However United spurned chances and as Derby weathered the storm it was they who nearly took the lead before the break, with United debutant Ben Foster twice denying Scotsman Kenny Miller.
Indeed it was fairly lively debut for Foster, who had a good game despite leaving some question marks over his kicking. Interestingly, his opposite number was former United goalie Roy Carroll, who probably had a better game in this one than many he had when representing the Red Devils.
Thankfully for United, the Irishman's goal was eventually breached with Wayne Rooney crossing in for the unstoppable Ronaldo to put away his 31st goal of the season in the 74th minute. After the Portuguese had broken the deadlock the result was never in doubt, with Carroll again having to deny his former team mates on more than one occasion.
The importance of this result was compounded by the news that Arsenal were later held to their fourth league draw on the trot with Middlesboro grabbing a share of the spoils at the Emirates. Ironically for the Gunners it was Arsenal old boy Jerome Aliadiere who did for them with a goal for the Smoggies on his return to North London. Kolo Toure bagged a late leveler for the Gunners but it wasn't enough to return Wenger's team to pole position.
This could be a crucial weekend in the title race with Arsenal gearing up to face Chelsea, Liverpool and United in three out of their next four league fixtures. Not to mention the added distraction of what could be two energy sapping games against Liverpool in the Champions League during this spell.
Only a fool would count Chelsea out of the race and despite some poor cup results, Avram Grant's flat track bullies are stalking the top two with brutal efficiency. Another league game and another win saw Chelsea's impressive league form continue at Sunderland as John Terry popped up with a crucial goal to put Roy Keane's Blackcats to the sword. This leaves Grant's men within just 3 points of both United and Arsenal, and like United, they have a game in hand on the Gunners.
Those games in hand will happen this Wednesday night as United entertain local rivals Bolton Wanderers and Chelsea travel to their Carling Cup conquerors Tottenham Hotspur. United have eminently the more winnable fixture and while Bolton will be looking to inflict an unlikely double over the Champions, Ferguson has enough aces in his pack to get a measure of revenge over Megson's men. Make no mistake, if United fail to put a bit of daylight between themselves and Arsenal on Wednesday night, then it can be considered an outright disaster by anyone's standards.
Chelsea will also have revenge on their minds as they go into the first of two consecutive clashes against North London opposition. Spurs made Chelsea look ordinary in the Carling Cup Final and the Ramos Revolutionaries will be more than confident of taking some points off their bitter local rivals on Wednesday night. The match may also be a true litmus test of Chelsea's title aspirations, the team from the Kings Road have bulldozed inferior opponents all season (Barnsley aside), but have come up short in the big league matches and in two recent cup ties. If they are going to keep pace with the leaders then the Stamford Bridge outfit really need to take something at White Hart Lane and while their outstanding record on this ground shouldn't be ignored, Ramos's team may have a psychological advantage following their Wembley victory.
In the cold light of day, even a Chelsea loss won't knock them out of the race this Wednesday, chiefly because both United and Arsenal need to visit the Blues before the end of the season and Chelsea's home record is second to none. However, failure to take the points against Spurs will leave Grant with a bloody nose, and the media, possibly along with Chelsea honcho Roman Abramovich, will start to sharpen those knives once again.
The win over Paul Jewell's Rams should have been business as usual for Fergie's boys, however this win was far from routine. Derby were coming into this one after a 6-1 spanking at Stamford Bridge in midweek and for the first twenty minutes it seemed inevitable that they would have their collective asses handed to them once again as United, and Ronaldo in particular, carved open some excellent chances.
However United spurned chances and as Derby weathered the storm it was they who nearly took the lead before the break, with United debutant Ben Foster twice denying Scotsman Kenny Miller.
Indeed it was fairly lively debut for Foster, who had a good game despite leaving some question marks over his kicking. Interestingly, his opposite number was former United goalie Roy Carroll, who probably had a better game in this one than many he had when representing the Red Devils.
Thankfully for United, the Irishman's goal was eventually breached with Wayne Rooney crossing in for the unstoppable Ronaldo to put away his 31st goal of the season in the 74th minute. After the Portuguese had broken the deadlock the result was never in doubt, with Carroll again having to deny his former team mates on more than one occasion.
The importance of this result was compounded by the news that Arsenal were later held to their fourth league draw on the trot with Middlesboro grabbing a share of the spoils at the Emirates. Ironically for the Gunners it was Arsenal old boy Jerome Aliadiere who did for them with a goal for the Smoggies on his return to North London. Kolo Toure bagged a late leveler for the Gunners but it wasn't enough to return Wenger's team to pole position.
This could be a crucial weekend in the title race with Arsenal gearing up to face Chelsea, Liverpool and United in three out of their next four league fixtures. Not to mention the added distraction of what could be two energy sapping games against Liverpool in the Champions League during this spell.
Only a fool would count Chelsea out of the race and despite some poor cup results, Avram Grant's flat track bullies are stalking the top two with brutal efficiency. Another league game and another win saw Chelsea's impressive league form continue at Sunderland as John Terry popped up with a crucial goal to put Roy Keane's Blackcats to the sword. This leaves Grant's men within just 3 points of both United and Arsenal, and like United, they have a game in hand on the Gunners.
Those games in hand will happen this Wednesday night as United entertain local rivals Bolton Wanderers and Chelsea travel to their Carling Cup conquerors Tottenham Hotspur. United have eminently the more winnable fixture and while Bolton will be looking to inflict an unlikely double over the Champions, Ferguson has enough aces in his pack to get a measure of revenge over Megson's men. Make no mistake, if United fail to put a bit of daylight between themselves and Arsenal on Wednesday night, then it can be considered an outright disaster by anyone's standards.
Chelsea will also have revenge on their minds as they go into the first of two consecutive clashes against North London opposition. Spurs made Chelsea look ordinary in the Carling Cup Final and the Ramos Revolutionaries will be more than confident of taking some points off their bitter local rivals on Wednesday night. The match may also be a true litmus test of Chelsea's title aspirations, the team from the Kings Road have bulldozed inferior opponents all season (Barnsley aside), but have come up short in the big league matches and in two recent cup ties. If they are going to keep pace with the leaders then the Stamford Bridge outfit really need to take something at White Hart Lane and while their outstanding record on this ground shouldn't be ignored, Ramos's team may have a psychological advantage following their Wembley victory.
In the cold light of day, even a Chelsea loss won't knock them out of the race this Wednesday, chiefly because both United and Arsenal need to visit the Blues before the end of the season and Chelsea's home record is second to none. However, failure to take the points against Spurs will leave Grant with a bloody nose, and the media, possibly along with Chelsea honcho Roman Abramovich, will start to sharpen those knives once again.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Mourinho to United anyone?
The other day I posted an article on Jose Mourinho about him being linked to the vacant England manager's position, there's been plenty of speculation suggesting that former Chelsea boss wants the job. As ever though, the truth of the matter is that the media hasn't got a clue as to what Mourinho's true intentions are. Some reports claim that the 'special one' is using his fawning friends in the press and the gullible FA to flush out interest from Italy's top clubs. This is a plausible suggestion in my view as Mourinho surely isn't daft enough to be tempted into the taking the poisoned chalice that is the England job.
Mourinho we are led to believe cannot coach in England for a couple of years, which would rule him out of taking over from Fergie should he suddenly throw in the towel after United lift the Champions League next May. It could happen. If it did happen, those who are charged with replacing Fergie, namely the Glazers - who by the way were subjected to a ketchup sauce attack in Manchester by disgruntled fans this week - would have the massive task of finding the right man to replace him.
If he's not already in harness at a big Italian club, then surely Mourinho would have to be in the frame. But would United and the fans want him? I have my doubts personally. Sure Jose is a winner, but his philosophy doesn't match United's best traditions of playing attacking football. Jose's teams win, but often it can be ugly, which is still in evidence at his former club when the Blues revert to route one football lumping the ball onto the granite forehead of Didier Drogba as they did against West Ham at the weekend.
A more likely destination if Mourinho does return to manage in England is Liverpool, which is a move that has been mooted in the press of late. My personal view is that Mark Hughes will become the Reds next manager.
Mourinho we are led to believe cannot coach in England for a couple of years, which would rule him out of taking over from Fergie should he suddenly throw in the towel after United lift the Champions League next May. It could happen. If it did happen, those who are charged with replacing Fergie, namely the Glazers - who by the way were subjected to a ketchup sauce attack in Manchester by disgruntled fans this week - would have the massive task of finding the right man to replace him.
If he's not already in harness at a big Italian club, then surely Mourinho would have to be in the frame. But would United and the fans want him? I have my doubts personally. Sure Jose is a winner, but his philosophy doesn't match United's best traditions of playing attacking football. Jose's teams win, but often it can be ugly, which is still in evidence at his former club when the Blues revert to route one football lumping the ball onto the granite forehead of Didier Drogba as they did against West Ham at the weekend.
A more likely destination if Mourinho does return to manage in England is Liverpool, which is a move that has been mooted in the press of late. My personal view is that Mark Hughes will become the Reds next manager.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Ferguson's top 21 clangers...
Fergie celebrated 21 years in charge of United on November 6th and earlier this week we highlighted our top 21 moments under his stewardship.
Here we present our top 21 Fergie clangers.
This assignment has been quite tough, largely because of the manager's superb record during this lengthy spell.
All lists are subjective and fellow United fans will have their opinions together your own version of the list. You might not agree with some of the players listed here, so as ever, send us your comments, together with your own views..
21 Signing David Bellion - He might be scoring goals now in France, but he
was never going to be a United player. An appalling error of judgement
20 Signing Djemba Djemba - So bad they named him twice
19 Sacking the club doctor. Mike Stone was well liked by everyone at United,
he even helped Fergie out of a tight spot in court over a possible driving
conviction by giving evidence in support of the manager, but he was shown
the door - many say that the fall-out was over the injury to Wayne Rooney and the speculation surrounding England and the striker's return date
18 Signing Kleberson - He probably wasn't given enough time at the club, but
he didn't do enough when chances came his way
17 Karel Poborský - Another one who didn't do enough to justify the faith shown in him by the manager
16 Signing Ralph Milne - Many Reds say that Ralph was United's worst ever player. Harsh?
15 Signing Masimo Taibi - He started badly and got worse
14 Signing Veron - An undoubted talent, but the player let himself down during much of his time at United. He has to be included in the list because ultimately he turned out to be a bad buy with United losing a fortune on the player.
13 Appointing his brother Martin as a scout
12 In 1995 Fergie publicly blasted fans group IMUSA who were campaigning for lower ticket prices. This was the first time Fergie would score an PR own goal with the United fans, but it wasn't to be his last
11 Publicly threatening to retire in 2001 which eventually affected the players performance on the pitch
10 Falling out with McManus and Magnier over a horse
9 The grey kit fiasco at Southampton when the manager said that the players
couldn't see other because of the colour of the strip and promptly made them
change at half time. The Reds still lost the game 3-1
8 Playing 4-5-1 at home in the Premier League against also-rans
7 Continually falling out with the BBC. All managers should face the cameras and speak to the fans. Fergie has had several run-ins with the corporation. The latest ban on the BBC concerns a documentary about football agents and one of Fergie's sons. The manager previously sued Match of The Day magazine after they'd published an article in which he was described as a bully. There was another ridiculous argument with the BBC when he stormed out of an interview after he had TOLD them not to ask questions about the sending-off of Roy Keane, John Motson received the famous hairdryer treatment that day and the interview came to an abrupt end after he'd enquired about the Irishman's record, it was the third time he'd been red carded at United
6 Losing to Porto in the Champions League quarter final and in doing so
leaving out Ronaldo of the first leg
5 Publicly supporting the Glazer family and then saying fans shouldn't expect
to have a say in the running of their club - which contradicted his earlier
support for fans group Shareholders United
4 Losing to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League semi-final
3 Putting down Brian Kidd in his autobiography - this was an act of betrayal
to a loyal servant of the club and a friend
2 Selling Jaap Stam and replacing him with Lauren Blanc
1 Consistently failing in Europe
Here we present our top 21 Fergie clangers.
This assignment has been quite tough, largely because of the manager's superb record during this lengthy spell.
All lists are subjective and fellow United fans will have their opinions together your own version of the list. You might not agree with some of the players listed here, so as ever, send us your comments, together with your own views..
21 Signing David Bellion - He might be scoring goals now in France, but he
was never going to be a United player. An appalling error of judgement
20 Signing Djemba Djemba - So bad they named him twice
19 Sacking the club doctor. Mike Stone was well liked by everyone at United,
he even helped Fergie out of a tight spot in court over a possible driving
conviction by giving evidence in support of the manager, but he was shown
the door - many say that the fall-out was over the injury to Wayne Rooney and the speculation surrounding England and the striker's return date
18 Signing Kleberson - He probably wasn't given enough time at the club, but
he didn't do enough when chances came his way
17 Karel Poborský - Another one who didn't do enough to justify the faith shown in him by the manager
16 Signing Ralph Milne - Many Reds say that Ralph was United's worst ever player. Harsh?
15 Signing Masimo Taibi - He started badly and got worse
14 Signing Veron - An undoubted talent, but the player let himself down during much of his time at United. He has to be included in the list because ultimately he turned out to be a bad buy with United losing a fortune on the player.
13 Appointing his brother Martin as a scout
12 In 1995 Fergie publicly blasted fans group IMUSA who were campaigning for lower ticket prices. This was the first time Fergie would score an PR own goal with the United fans, but it wasn't to be his last
11 Publicly threatening to retire in 2001 which eventually affected the players performance on the pitch
10 Falling out with McManus and Magnier over a horse
9 The grey kit fiasco at Southampton when the manager said that the players
couldn't see other because of the colour of the strip and promptly made them
change at half time. The Reds still lost the game 3-1
8 Playing 4-5-1 at home in the Premier League against also-rans
7 Continually falling out with the BBC. All managers should face the cameras and speak to the fans. Fergie has had several run-ins with the corporation. The latest ban on the BBC concerns a documentary about football agents and one of Fergie's sons. The manager previously sued Match of The Day magazine after they'd published an article in which he was described as a bully. There was another ridiculous argument with the BBC when he stormed out of an interview after he had TOLD them not to ask questions about the sending-off of Roy Keane, John Motson received the famous hairdryer treatment that day and the interview came to an abrupt end after he'd enquired about the Irishman's record, it was the third time he'd been red carded at United
6 Losing to Porto in the Champions League quarter final and in doing so
leaving out Ronaldo of the first leg
5 Publicly supporting the Glazer family and then saying fans shouldn't expect
to have a say in the running of their club - which contradicted his earlier
support for fans group Shareholders United
4 Losing to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League semi-final
3 Putting down Brian Kidd in his autobiography - this was an act of betrayal
to a loyal servant of the club and a friend
2 Selling Jaap Stam and replacing him with Lauren Blanc
1 Consistently failing in Europe
Thursday, October 11, 2007
When the sun goes down on our Empire...
Sir Alex Ferguson arguably the greatest football manager in the history of the game. He has brought consistently good football to the club, he has made legends and ultimately brought lots of silverware.
If you think about how short careers are in football and compared them to dog years, his time at Old Trafford has probably been around 80 years, a long time in the beautiful game. However, we all know that nothing lasts forever not even Sir Alex’s glorious reign and at some point it will end. I suspect that another Champions league trophy will bring a rather more abrupt end to his time as manager. This leads me to hope that someone with a shrewd eye is giving careful thought to his, hopefully, successful successor.
There have been calls for Fergie to go in the past, admittedly quiet calls from isolated corners. I for one have not been one of them. My opinion is based on loyalty and appreciation. For he has earned my respect, I will wait until he decides to go. It is not for me to turn against someone who has done so much to make me happy and frustrated.
Never the less plans must be made in preparation for that sad day. Who will be the successor to the throne? Well off the top of my head I can think of four possible runners.
I think the fans choice would have to be Roy Keane. However, Keano is a relative baby in the managerial world and although he has had a fantastic start to his career still needs to prove himself in the top flight.
I would like to see him stay in the premiership for a couple of seasons with Sunderland avoiding any relegation battles and preferably end up in the top half of the table. There is no doubt that he has some talent, how many could have took over the mantle at a struggling Sunderland with a points handicap and still gone on to get promotion in their first season as manager? He is definitely a vote from the heart.
Next on my list is probably the favourite and sensible choice, Mark Hughes. Another former legend at United but with a more experienced managerial pedigree than Keano. He has had a glittering and experienced football career to date both at home and abroad. He has experience at managing his country Wales and whilst doing so brought them right up through the football rankings.
The most important point to note is that he is doing a good job at Rovers and appears prepared to stay with the club and work at it. I want success at United to come from the foundations, from team building, over a period of time, so that it will last. I do not wish to see a quick fix solution like at Chelsea which is just a house of cards. So with this in mind Hughes has to be the thinking fans choice and is surely ahead in the polls.
My next choice and indeed my personal preference is probably a little controversial for some die-hard Reds however if Ferguson was to go unexpectedly tomorrow I think that there is one man who could fill the void immediately and with great success. The problem lies in the fact that he would probably never come. Nonetheless I think he deserves a mention.
Arsene Wenger. A man with a proven track record and with many of the desired characteristics mentioned so far. Loyal to his club, successful, his teams play great football, which is something that we at United expect and most importantly he has a fantastic eye for talent. Talent spotting is an area where I think he tops Fergy. Wenger in my opinion could walk into the Old Trafford job tomorrow and our success would continue unbroken.
The fourth candidate is a bit of a wild card and is only mentioned really due to the current state of play in club football. Jose Mourinho. Currently available and if I am honest I would enjoy the “up yours” to Chelsea his arrival would bring. But that is just the child in me and if I’m honest I have reservations about his longevity. As discussed we need someone who we can rely on through thick and thin. Someone who can guide us through bad times as well as good. I have no doubt that “the special one” has special talent but is he too temperamental for United? His style of football would be another concern, the fans at United expect football with flare. Would Jose just turn United into a Chelsea in Red? I also never quite forgave him for the way he talked about taking the Chelsea job just after the champions league final with Porto. Still in place at Chelsea was the manager at the time Ranieri, a good manager and a gentleman who deserved to be treated with more respect by both Chelsea and Mourinho.
One things for sure whoever the “heir apparent” is will depend as much on timing as anything. I would expect whoever lands the job to be around for a few years so not leaving opportunity for a queue to form. So will Keanos career just be ripening nicely say in two years if Sir Alex decides to go or will Hughes be having a bit of a relegation nightmare at Rovers?
Whoever it may be I hope that we the fans will be able to look forward to many more sunrises at the Theatre of Dreams. Long live the King!
If you think about how short careers are in football and compared them to dog years, his time at Old Trafford has probably been around 80 years, a long time in the beautiful game. However, we all know that nothing lasts forever not even Sir Alex’s glorious reign and at some point it will end. I suspect that another Champions league trophy will bring a rather more abrupt end to his time as manager. This leads me to hope that someone with a shrewd eye is giving careful thought to his, hopefully, successful successor.
There have been calls for Fergie to go in the past, admittedly quiet calls from isolated corners. I for one have not been one of them. My opinion is based on loyalty and appreciation. For he has earned my respect, I will wait until he decides to go. It is not for me to turn against someone who has done so much to make me happy and frustrated.
Never the less plans must be made in preparation for that sad day. Who will be the successor to the throne? Well off the top of my head I can think of four possible runners.
I think the fans choice would have to be Roy Keane. However, Keano is a relative baby in the managerial world and although he has had a fantastic start to his career still needs to prove himself in the top flight.
I would like to see him stay in the premiership for a couple of seasons with Sunderland avoiding any relegation battles and preferably end up in the top half of the table. There is no doubt that he has some talent, how many could have took over the mantle at a struggling Sunderland with a points handicap and still gone on to get promotion in their first season as manager? He is definitely a vote from the heart.
Next on my list is probably the favourite and sensible choice, Mark Hughes. Another former legend at United but with a more experienced managerial pedigree than Keano. He has had a glittering and experienced football career to date both at home and abroad. He has experience at managing his country Wales and whilst doing so brought them right up through the football rankings.
The most important point to note is that he is doing a good job at Rovers and appears prepared to stay with the club and work at it. I want success at United to come from the foundations, from team building, over a period of time, so that it will last. I do not wish to see a quick fix solution like at Chelsea which is just a house of cards. So with this in mind Hughes has to be the thinking fans choice and is surely ahead in the polls.
My next choice and indeed my personal preference is probably a little controversial for some die-hard Reds however if Ferguson was to go unexpectedly tomorrow I think that there is one man who could fill the void immediately and with great success. The problem lies in the fact that he would probably never come. Nonetheless I think he deserves a mention.
Arsene Wenger. A man with a proven track record and with many of the desired characteristics mentioned so far. Loyal to his club, successful, his teams play great football, which is something that we at United expect and most importantly he has a fantastic eye for talent. Talent spotting is an area where I think he tops Fergy. Wenger in my opinion could walk into the Old Trafford job tomorrow and our success would continue unbroken.
The fourth candidate is a bit of a wild card and is only mentioned really due to the current state of play in club football. Jose Mourinho. Currently available and if I am honest I would enjoy the “up yours” to Chelsea his arrival would bring. But that is just the child in me and if I’m honest I have reservations about his longevity. As discussed we need someone who we can rely on through thick and thin. Someone who can guide us through bad times as well as good. I have no doubt that “the special one” has special talent but is he too temperamental for United? His style of football would be another concern, the fans at United expect football with flare. Would Jose just turn United into a Chelsea in Red? I also never quite forgave him for the way he talked about taking the Chelsea job just after the champions league final with Porto. Still in place at Chelsea was the manager at the time Ranieri, a good manager and a gentleman who deserved to be treated with more respect by both Chelsea and Mourinho.
One things for sure whoever the “heir apparent” is will depend as much on timing as anything. I would expect whoever lands the job to be around for a few years so not leaving opportunity for a queue to form. So will Keanos career just be ripening nicely say in two years if Sir Alex decides to go or will Hughes be having a bit of a relegation nightmare at Rovers?
Whoever it may be I hope that we the fans will be able to look forward to many more sunrises at the Theatre of Dreams. Long live the King!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Queiroz hints about quitting United...
United's assistant manager Carlos Queiroz had dropped a rather large hint that this coming December he's going to consider his future. As you'd expect, the likes of The Sun newspaper has translated this into 'Queiroz: I'll quit United'...
However, Queiroz is doing what everyone seems to do in football these days, that is, he is using the media to announce his apparent willingness to move to another club and with United taking on Sporting Lisbon in Portugal tonight, what better time to make an announcement about your future?
Queiroz has talked about Fergie's hints about him possibly being the next Manchester United manager. I for one seriously doubt that will happen, what's more, I believe that the former Real Madrid manager sees it that way too, hence his announcement. More likely a return to a Portuguese or Spanish club beckons for the man from Mozambique.
It might well be the case that Queiroz has got wind of changes afoot regarding Fergie's own future. Ferguson like his assistant, is on a rolling contract, partly to stop speculation about his own future, but if United do go on to win the Champions League this season then maybe he too might well bring down the curtain on his glittering United career. We shall have to wait until May to find out on that score - that's assuming that the Reds go all the way to Moscow for this season's Champions League final.
However, Queiroz is doing what everyone seems to do in football these days, that is, he is using the media to announce his apparent willingness to move to another club and with United taking on Sporting Lisbon in Portugal tonight, what better time to make an announcement about your future?
Queiroz has talked about Fergie's hints about him possibly being the next Manchester United manager. I for one seriously doubt that will happen, what's more, I believe that the former Real Madrid manager sees it that way too, hence his announcement. More likely a return to a Portuguese or Spanish club beckons for the man from Mozambique.
It might well be the case that Queiroz has got wind of changes afoot regarding Fergie's own future. Ferguson like his assistant, is on a rolling contract, partly to stop speculation about his own future, but if United do go on to win the Champions League this season then maybe he too might well bring down the curtain on his glittering United career. We shall have to wait until May to find out on that score - that's assuming that the Reds go all the way to Moscow for this season's Champions League final.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Have United screwed up again on talent spotting?
What do the following have in common: Dimitar Berbatov, Arron Lennon, Michael Carrick and Jermain Defoe? Yes, that's right they all were signed by Spurs, and the three Englishmen were signed relatively inexpensively, which belies the often used argument that top quality young players from this country cannot be bought cheaply...
Carrick as we know was eventually signed by United for a ridiculous £18.6m - once the signing was complete sources close to Spurs let the media know that they'd have accepted a lot less for a player that they'd signed for only £2.75m. So United had their collective trousers pulled down again over the fee by paying a hefty price for not spotting / acting on Carrick's potential earlier...
Move forward to the events of the last seven days and Spurs have signed yet another young British player in Gareth Bale, the transfer fee could eventually go up to £10m. Ok this time the fee isn't cheap, but have Spurs once again put up the cash to sign a player who may well prove to be good value. In signing Bale Tottenham have backed their manager who in turn has had the nerve to back his own judgement on a very good young Welsh player.
I'd actually argue that Spurs did the same with Michael Dawson - who by the way is another player like Bale who was linked strongly to United before eventually signing for the North London club.
With question marks hanging over the future of Heinze, who is tipped to leave this summer, it raises further question marks about United's ability to act decisively in the transfer market when such obvious young talents like Bale become available, because if indeed Heinze does go this summer then it leaves the Red's with only Patrice Evra and maybe Silvestre for the left back slot, but Silvestre is tipped to leave too.
Has Fergie cocked it up again by not signing Bale? Time will tell, but there has been suggestions coming out of Old Trafford that Fergie believes Bale will be a winger - this has all the hallmarks of an excuse actually.
Smoke and mirrors aside, Ferguson also needs to sign two strikers, as Saha is expected to be turfed out and of course there's the long-winded transfer of Hargreaves to complete - which has gone strangely quiet.... perhaps there's issues over cash being avialable to the manager, and perhaps that is the real reason United didn't try to sign Bale?
Will the Glazers back Ferguson in the summer transfer window or not?
Carrick as we know was eventually signed by United for a ridiculous £18.6m - once the signing was complete sources close to Spurs let the media know that they'd have accepted a lot less for a player that they'd signed for only £2.75m. So United had their collective trousers pulled down again over the fee by paying a hefty price for not spotting / acting on Carrick's potential earlier...
Move forward to the events of the last seven days and Spurs have signed yet another young British player in Gareth Bale, the transfer fee could eventually go up to £10m. Ok this time the fee isn't cheap, but have Spurs once again put up the cash to sign a player who may well prove to be good value. In signing Bale Tottenham have backed their manager who in turn has had the nerve to back his own judgement on a very good young Welsh player.
I'd actually argue that Spurs did the same with Michael Dawson - who by the way is another player like Bale who was linked strongly to United before eventually signing for the North London club.
With question marks hanging over the future of Heinze, who is tipped to leave this summer, it raises further question marks about United's ability to act decisively in the transfer market when such obvious young talents like Bale become available, because if indeed Heinze does go this summer then it leaves the Red's with only Patrice Evra and maybe Silvestre for the left back slot, but Silvestre is tipped to leave too.
Has Fergie cocked it up again by not signing Bale? Time will tell, but there has been suggestions coming out of Old Trafford that Fergie believes Bale will be a winger - this has all the hallmarks of an excuse actually.
Smoke and mirrors aside, Ferguson also needs to sign two strikers, as Saha is expected to be turfed out and of course there's the long-winded transfer of Hargreaves to complete - which has gone strangely quiet.... perhaps there's issues over cash being avialable to the manager, and perhaps that is the real reason United didn't try to sign Bale?
Will the Glazers back Ferguson in the summer transfer window or not?
Monday, May 07, 2007
United's proliferation of Premiership managers...
Try saying that when you're pissed... Next season, United will have four old boys managing clubs in the Premiership: Keane at Sunderland, Bruce at Birmingham, Hughes at Blackburn and Coppell at Reading. They were all great players in their own right and all were winners with lion sized hearts.
However, the thorny issue of who exactly will eventually replace Fergie was brought up again yesterday as Sir Alex was asked when he's likely to retire. The manager says he's invigorated when he sees Giggs, Scholes and the young players coming in to work every day, but he doesn't know how much longer he will be around. I suspect if the Red's had won the Champions League again, he might have gone this summer. He could still retire this summer, as he'd go out as a winner like Cantona did a few seasons ago.
Of the United old boys Hughes or Keane would be most fans tips to replace Fergie and the latter will now be the bookies favourite. For me however, Keane is still unproven in the Premiership as a manager. There's been countless managers who've been able to get clubs promoted out of the old first division, but not many who've been deemed good enough to cut the mustard at the very biggest clubs. I'm thinking of the likes of Harry Bassett and Joe Royle.
Keane will keep Sunderland up next season, how he deals with the inevitable defeats along the way will form apart of his managerial learning experience. His recent comment that Sunderland would have beaten Chelsea was either tongue in cheek or naive. On a different tack, I seriously doubt Mourinho will be taking liberties with the Irishman on the touchline next season, if nothing else as far as the Black Cats are concerned, that is something we can all look forward to next season should Jose still be in charge at the Bridge.
Back to Fergie and his future, I think the big clubs are fearful of appointing a manager who lacks European managerial experience, this would rule out all of the United old boys. But who would back against Keane pulling it off given the chance?
However, the thorny issue of who exactly will eventually replace Fergie was brought up again yesterday as Sir Alex was asked when he's likely to retire. The manager says he's invigorated when he sees Giggs, Scholes and the young players coming in to work every day, but he doesn't know how much longer he will be around. I suspect if the Red's had won the Champions League again, he might have gone this summer. He could still retire this summer, as he'd go out as a winner like Cantona did a few seasons ago.
Of the United old boys Hughes or Keane would be most fans tips to replace Fergie and the latter will now be the bookies favourite. For me however, Keane is still unproven in the Premiership as a manager. There's been countless managers who've been able to get clubs promoted out of the old first division, but not many who've been deemed good enough to cut the mustard at the very biggest clubs. I'm thinking of the likes of Harry Bassett and Joe Royle.
Keane will keep Sunderland up next season, how he deals with the inevitable defeats along the way will form apart of his managerial learning experience. His recent comment that Sunderland would have beaten Chelsea was either tongue in cheek or naive. On a different tack, I seriously doubt Mourinho will be taking liberties with the Irishman on the touchline next season, if nothing else as far as the Black Cats are concerned, that is something we can all look forward to next season should Jose still be in charge at the Bridge.
Back to Fergie and his future, I think the big clubs are fearful of appointing a manager who lacks European managerial experience, this would rule out all of the United old boys. But who would back against Keane pulling it off given the chance?
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sam Allardyce to takeover from Fergie?
So then Big Sam Allardyce has resigned sooner than he'd liked to have done, he has stated that in an ideal world he'd have gone at the seasons end, which is just a couple games away.
However, Sam was pushed into going early, largely because The Sun and the Daily Mirror published that he was going to quit on the morning of the Chelsea v Bolton game. As I posted on Saturday morning, the story was printed as much as anything else to unsettle Bolton ahead of the crucial game for Chelsea, it was almost perfect timing for both newspapers. Allardyce was going anyway, but clearly not in the manner of his own choosing timing wise.
Listening to the reaction of Bolton fans on local radio, many feel that something is wrong and that the fans haven't been given the full story. Allardyce is being linked to Newcastle and Man City, but I'm wondering if Big Sam is being lined up to replace Ferguson at United this summer. Could a secret deal have already been agreed by the Bolton manager and the Red Devils?
If Bolton had got wind of this news and it appears that the Bolton chairman has been aware for some weeks that his manager was going at the end of the season, then maybe my theory might hold water, as nothing will upset the Bolton fans more than Sam joining United and this would certainly be a good enough reason for Sam to be told to go now rather than in two weeks time.
Watch this space.
However, Sam was pushed into going early, largely because The Sun and the Daily Mirror published that he was going to quit on the morning of the Chelsea v Bolton game. As I posted on Saturday morning, the story was printed as much as anything else to unsettle Bolton ahead of the crucial game for Chelsea, it was almost perfect timing for both newspapers. Allardyce was going anyway, but clearly not in the manner of his own choosing timing wise.
Listening to the reaction of Bolton fans on local radio, many feel that something is wrong and that the fans haven't been given the full story. Allardyce is being linked to Newcastle and Man City, but I'm wondering if Big Sam is being lined up to replace Ferguson at United this summer. Could a secret deal have already been agreed by the Bolton manager and the Red Devils?
If Bolton had got wind of this news and it appears that the Bolton chairman has been aware for some weeks that his manager was going at the end of the season, then maybe my theory might hold water, as nothing will upset the Bolton fans more than Sam joining United and this would certainly be a good enough reason for Sam to be told to go now rather than in two weeks time.
Watch this space.
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