Things aren't going too well for Manchester United both on and off the pitch. Ferguson's shadow squad have just completed the first-leg of the 2012 summer tour in South Africa, with two unconvincing performances.
Off the pitch, the Glazer family are in the process of making their third attempt to launch an IPO (Initial Public Offering), this time on the New York Stock Exchange. The previous two attempts to sell shares in the club in South East Asia failed miserably and if we are to believe reports from across the pond, the proposed NYSE IPO could also suffer the same fate due to lack of interest.
This latest IPO will not be helped by Ferguson's stinging attack on large sections of United's supporter base who oppose the Glazer family. For the record, United didn't have a penny of debt prior to the 2005 Glazer family takeover - since then over £500m has been drained out of club coffers to pay swinging interest payments. The Glazer family borrowed over £500m to fund their heavily leveraged acquisition of United - this debt has been transferred onto Manchester United. Despite paying out over £500m in interest payments and charges, after seven years, those debts are still in the region of £430m.
With concerns that Ferguson needed to add quality to his squad this summer in order to compete with Manchester City and that the manager is being hampered by the club's financial position, no wonder supporters have genuine concerns about the long-term well being of Manchester United.
It's also worth noting that even the Glazer family have now tacitly admitted that they want to reduce these mountainous debts - that is the stated intention behind this latest IPO. The NYSE IPO prospectus highlighted that debt could hinder the club if left unchecked. Let us also not forget what United CEO David Gill, famously said in 2004 - "Debt is the road to ruin".
Ferguson was ill advised to deliver what will be interpreted as an attack on many of the club's supporters; as far as market analysts are concerned, this verbal volley may well be viewed as yet another "red flag" and it could well be another reason not to buy into this latest IPO.
It's worth asking why Ferguson chose to deliver this stiff rebuke to the anti-Glazer movement: was it to deflect attention away from the fact that his squad needs strengthening, and because the manager doesn't have the funds at his disposal? Yet if we believe Ferguson, the Glazer family are "great owners" and they have always supported him in the transfer market.
No matter what Fergie says about the Glazer family - talk is cheap. It is now seven years since Roy Keane was sent on his way, despite continuing to win silverware, United haven't come close to finding a suitable long-term replacement.
Earlier this week, Ferguson suggested that Michael Carrick will be the key man for United this coming season. This blog takes no pleasure in putting down our own players, but Carrick isn't even an England regular. He has failed to cement a regular starting place in the England team. In the eyes of many observers, Carrick is a 'poor-man's' Pirlo. It wasn't that long ago that Carrick fell out of favour with Ferguson; he was in and out of the team amidst talk of a possible departure. Admittedly, Carrick played very well for United last season - but as we all too painfully saw against Barcelona in those one-sided Champions League Finals he desperately needs help in the engine room.
Ferguson may well have signed Japanese star Shinji Kagawa and Nick Powell, but both lack Premier League experience and it remains to be seen how well they will fit into the United squad and what part they will play, but neither are seasoned box-to-box midfield generals.
Over the weekend, Ferguson gave us a lamentable excuse for United's awful Champions League failings last season. According to the manager, he 'made too many changes'. Ferguson used to be known as "Tinkerbell" due to his continual tinkering with his team, but over the years his squad rotation system has paid dividends, most famously with the all conquering 1999 treble winning side. Ferguson' assertion that United's failings last season were down to too many changes will only fool the deluded and the blinkered.
United are in serious danger of being left behind by big spending Manchester City. Ferguson continues to paper over of the cracks by asking veterans Scholes and Giggs to carry the team. By his own admission, City are signing players who are in the right age bracket, the ones with experience aged between 25 and 27. Fergie says that City don't have any over 30 year-old's in their squad, he also questions their youth policy. In contrast, Fergie says that 31 year-old Michael Carrick will be United's 'key man' this season...
The United manager can point fingers at City when questioning their policy on signings, but it's beginning to sound like sour grapes. As Fergie well knows, and as Arsenal fans have found out to their cost, principles don't always win prizes...
This blog fully supports Ferguson the manager and his team - we don't support the man and there is a difference. We applaud the manager's stance on signing young players and turning them into superstars. We don't not support the Glazers' and like many fans' we want to see that huge debt mountain wiped out.
Ferguson has worked near miracles with a limited budget at his disposal and despite doing the job magnificently, albeit with one hand tied behind his back, you have to wonder how much longer United will continue to get away with it.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Pogba and Fryers gone: Who is to blame, agents or could United have done more?
Manchester United are smarting following the recent defections of Paul Pogba and Zeki Fryers. After making just seven appearances for the first-team last season, in so doing showing signs of real class, to the consternation of United supporters and surely Ferguson too, Pogba snubbed the club's overtures and instead opted to join Juventus - a move which has understandably upset United. As if that wasn't bad enough, talented defender Zeki Fryers then decided to quit United and join Spurs.
Young players come and go on an all too frequent basis at a club like United and so there's nothing particularly new about that, but this time it was different, because in the case of Pogba, he has the potential to be a huge star. Pogba could have saved United tens of millions in the transfer market - a fact that makes United's failure to agree a deal all the more baffling and frustrating. The former Le Havre youngster looks to be every inch the central midfield player Fergie's squad so badly needs. United's engine room is short on genuine quality and in Pogba the Scot knew he had someone who could well go on to be a very special player. Pogba's decision to leave is a bitter blow for everyone connected with United - especially in the current financial climate, in which Ferguson finds himself slugging it out with 'moneybags' Manchester City with one hand tied behind his back.
Until the last few weeks of last season, Ferguson had worked wonders and against all odds looked like securing another league title - only for his team to do a Devon Loch and falter in the final stages of the title race, as United gifted the Premier League trophy to Roberto Mancini and his players. The lapses which led to what was an alarming collapse were and still are unforgivable.
So as we headed into the summer to lick our collective wounds it was with the hope that Ferguson would bolster his squad with quality additions and come back ready for next season with the players who are capable of bringing the title back to Old Trafford. Pogba, could and SHOULD have been part of that squad.
The fact that both Pogba and Fryers chose to leave raises many questions. In the case of Pogba, should United have been willing to meet his demands? Perhaps they were, but we haven't been told the full story, save for a few barbed comments from Fergie about 'lack of respect' - but there's two sides to every story. In the final analysis the club failed to agree a deal and that's a fact, one of the few we the fans' can be sure of.
But did it have to end this way? Manchester United have always been willing to make 'exceptions' for 'special players'. Surely United's decision-makers could see what many observers could plainly see, that is Pogba is going to be twice the player the likes of Anderson will ever be.
In the aftermath of the departures, there has been much debate - the argument that the club had to keep within its pay structure for all of its youngsters has been touted. In the light of what happened, should United now be prepared to make exceptions for special cases like Pogba? The alternative is to risk losing the next really talented youngster - after all there's no shortage of suitors.
Pogba has been labelled as 'greedy' by some fans, but we could say that about many top-flight players, including Rio Ferdinand who it is claimed is worth £40m and yet according to reports, he's balking about signing that new deal.
If we accept the notion that most players are sadly more concerned about money than anything else, it's not that difficult to see why it was easy for Juventus to prize Pogba away from United.
If United needed a reality check, they've had one - if they don't meet the financial demands of the most talented players, as we found to our cost with Pogba, someone else will.
Young players come and go on an all too frequent basis at a club like United and so there's nothing particularly new about that, but this time it was different, because in the case of Pogba, he has the potential to be a huge star. Pogba could have saved United tens of millions in the transfer market - a fact that makes United's failure to agree a deal all the more baffling and frustrating. The former Le Havre youngster looks to be every inch the central midfield player Fergie's squad so badly needs. United's engine room is short on genuine quality and in Pogba the Scot knew he had someone who could well go on to be a very special player. Pogba's decision to leave is a bitter blow for everyone connected with United - especially in the current financial climate, in which Ferguson finds himself slugging it out with 'moneybags' Manchester City with one hand tied behind his back.
Until the last few weeks of last season, Ferguson had worked wonders and against all odds looked like securing another league title - only for his team to do a Devon Loch and falter in the final stages of the title race, as United gifted the Premier League trophy to Roberto Mancini and his players. The lapses which led to what was an alarming collapse were and still are unforgivable.
So as we headed into the summer to lick our collective wounds it was with the hope that Ferguson would bolster his squad with quality additions and come back ready for next season with the players who are capable of bringing the title back to Old Trafford. Pogba, could and SHOULD have been part of that squad.
The fact that both Pogba and Fryers chose to leave raises many questions. In the case of Pogba, should United have been willing to meet his demands? Perhaps they were, but we haven't been told the full story, save for a few barbed comments from Fergie about 'lack of respect' - but there's two sides to every story. In the final analysis the club failed to agree a deal and that's a fact, one of the few we the fans' can be sure of.
But did it have to end this way? Manchester United have always been willing to make 'exceptions' for 'special players'. Surely United's decision-makers could see what many observers could plainly see, that is Pogba is going to be twice the player the likes of Anderson will ever be.
In the aftermath of the departures, there has been much debate - the argument that the club had to keep within its pay structure for all of its youngsters has been touted. In the light of what happened, should United now be prepared to make exceptions for special cases like Pogba? The alternative is to risk losing the next really talented youngster - after all there's no shortage of suitors.
Pogba has been labelled as 'greedy' by some fans, but we could say that about many top-flight players, including Rio Ferdinand who it is claimed is worth £40m and yet according to reports, he's balking about signing that new deal.
If we accept the notion that most players are sadly more concerned about money than anything else, it's not that difficult to see why it was easy for Juventus to prize Pogba away from United.
If United needed a reality check, they've had one - if they don't meet the financial demands of the most talented players, as we found to our cost with Pogba, someone else will.
Monday, July 16, 2012
United 'fraud squad' set for summer tour as concerns grow over Fergie's transfer activity...
The dust may well have settled on the season that's just gone, but the disappointment and manner of the its conclusion will linger on for quite some time. In the intervening weeks, since United unforgivably handed back what just a few weeks earlier had looked to be league title number 20 to Manchester City, not an awful lot has happened to suggest Ferguson and his players will be capable of wrestling control of the Premier League trophy out of the grubby clutches of our 'noisy neighbours'.
To date, Ferguson has left many supporters' underwhelmed with his summer signings. The addition of Nick Powell from Crewe and Shinji Kagawa from Dortmund may well go on to prove to be excellent value, but neither has experienced the hurly burly Premier League.
Perhaps worryingly for United fans, Ferguson says, although Powell was used as a forward at his former club, it is his stated intention to use him as a central midfield player. Quite what Powell thinks about this would be good to know, but more importantly many observers will be left wondering if this is a sign of desperation on the part of the manager.
Manchester United's problems in central midfield are well documented, this area of the squad is widely accepted as its weakest - the one that needed the most attention this summer. Yet, Ferguson has signed a striker who we are told will eventually be transformed into a central midfield player and in Kagawa we have a potential long-term replacement for Paul Scholes.
There's likely to be a period of adjustment for Powell and Kagawa - who doesn't speak English, but hopefully, they will both settle quickly in the coming weeks and go on to prove their worth.
But, who else will Ferguson sign and who should he be targeting, those questions are a constant source of debate among the Red Army.
According to reports, (don't you just hate that phrase?) Ferguson is trying to sign Brazilian Lucas Moura; now here's the thing, Moura is yet another forward - and so it's worth asking if there's any truth in this rumour? Not only that, but the same reports claim Moura is wanted by (among others) Real Madrid. Question: so when was the last time United won a transfer battle with Madrid?
Seasoned followers of the club will no doubt concur that we've been down this road before; the pursuit of the unattainable is a well trodden and all too often fruitless path. Back in 2003, the media led us to believe that United had come close to signing Ronaldinho - only for the brilliant samba star to sign for Barcelona and to add insult, he made his debut against United on the Reds US summer tour (yours truly was there).
So, is it fair to ask if this story is just another piece of creative writing - or is it the case that United's spin doctors' have sent the media on another wild goose chase? Nothing can be ruled out. To those who say that is too far fetched, whoever would have thought Ferguson would have sanctioned the £7.5m transfer of Bebe and then to our consternation admit he'd never seen him kick a ball?
That leads us nicely on to United's latest summer tour. Hard to believe, but some fans are actually claiming to be 'excited' about the prospects of the squad which has been described as a 'mixture of youth and experience' - that's one way of describing them. The more cynical among us might describe the tourists as a mixture of 'hopefuls, experience, imposters and expensive failures' or even the 'fraud squad' as a time-served Red, jokingly put it.
There's little point in slamming Bebe (again), suffice to say, I wish I had a tenner for every Red who voiced their misguided belief and trust in a player who pretty much from his first kick was plainly never going to make it in a United shirt.
While, it was obvious from the start that Bebe hadn't any hope in hell, United fans, who to their generally great credit are extremely patient with new signings are now pretty much resigned to the view that Anderson isn't going to make it either.
Anderson was brought in as a potential goal-scoring replacement for Scholes. It's true to state that his progress has been hindered by injuries, but it's also true that he hasn't lived up to his transfer fee - an eye watering £25m. Having made 145 appearances in five seasons and having scored just seven goals, Anderson has proved to be poor value and worse still, he hasn't eased Ferguson's midfield woes. No surprise then that reports are linking Anderson with moves back to Portugal.
Having been up for sale for a lengthy period, and without securing a move, the supremely talented yet all too often frustrating Dimitar Berbatov will also be boarding the flight to South Africa along with the rest of the United squad.
The sad thing is, Berbatov could have gone on to be a United legend, but he has no stomach for the fight and lacks heart; the fans' love his skills, but despair at his lack of application. The Bulgarian made the big mistake of publicly stating "I'm not changing" and that was the final straw for the former steelworker from Govan - aka Ferguson.
So the message to Fergie is this: we are not expecting rave reviews from South Africa and Scandinavia, but we bloody well are expecting you to pull your finger out and bolster midfield, before the season starts.
To date, Ferguson has left many supporters' underwhelmed with his summer signings. The addition of Nick Powell from Crewe and Shinji Kagawa from Dortmund may well go on to prove to be excellent value, but neither has experienced the hurly burly Premier League.
Perhaps worryingly for United fans, Ferguson says, although Powell was used as a forward at his former club, it is his stated intention to use him as a central midfield player. Quite what Powell thinks about this would be good to know, but more importantly many observers will be left wondering if this is a sign of desperation on the part of the manager.
Manchester United's problems in central midfield are well documented, this area of the squad is widely accepted as its weakest - the one that needed the most attention this summer. Yet, Ferguson has signed a striker who we are told will eventually be transformed into a central midfield player and in Kagawa we have a potential long-term replacement for Paul Scholes.
There's likely to be a period of adjustment for Powell and Kagawa - who doesn't speak English, but hopefully, they will both settle quickly in the coming weeks and go on to prove their worth.
But, who else will Ferguson sign and who should he be targeting, those questions are a constant source of debate among the Red Army.
According to reports, (don't you just hate that phrase?) Ferguson is trying to sign Brazilian Lucas Moura; now here's the thing, Moura is yet another forward - and so it's worth asking if there's any truth in this rumour? Not only that, but the same reports claim Moura is wanted by (among others) Real Madrid. Question: so when was the last time United won a transfer battle with Madrid?
Seasoned followers of the club will no doubt concur that we've been down this road before; the pursuit of the unattainable is a well trodden and all too often fruitless path. Back in 2003, the media led us to believe that United had come close to signing Ronaldinho - only for the brilliant samba star to sign for Barcelona and to add insult, he made his debut against United on the Reds US summer tour (yours truly was there).
So, is it fair to ask if this story is just another piece of creative writing - or is it the case that United's spin doctors' have sent the media on another wild goose chase? Nothing can be ruled out. To those who say that is too far fetched, whoever would have thought Ferguson would have sanctioned the £7.5m transfer of Bebe and then to our consternation admit he'd never seen him kick a ball?
That leads us nicely on to United's latest summer tour. Hard to believe, but some fans are actually claiming to be 'excited' about the prospects of the squad which has been described as a 'mixture of youth and experience' - that's one way of describing them. The more cynical among us might describe the tourists as a mixture of 'hopefuls, experience, imposters and expensive failures' or even the 'fraud squad' as a time-served Red, jokingly put it.
There's little point in slamming Bebe (again), suffice to say, I wish I had a tenner for every Red who voiced their misguided belief and trust in a player who pretty much from his first kick was plainly never going to make it in a United shirt.
While, it was obvious from the start that Bebe hadn't any hope in hell, United fans, who to their generally great credit are extremely patient with new signings are now pretty much resigned to the view that Anderson isn't going to make it either.
Anderson was brought in as a potential goal-scoring replacement for Scholes. It's true to state that his progress has been hindered by injuries, but it's also true that he hasn't lived up to his transfer fee - an eye watering £25m. Having made 145 appearances in five seasons and having scored just seven goals, Anderson has proved to be poor value and worse still, he hasn't eased Ferguson's midfield woes. No surprise then that reports are linking Anderson with moves back to Portugal.
Having been up for sale for a lengthy period, and without securing a move, the supremely talented yet all too often frustrating Dimitar Berbatov will also be boarding the flight to South Africa along with the rest of the United squad.
The sad thing is, Berbatov could have gone on to be a United legend, but he has no stomach for the fight and lacks heart; the fans' love his skills, but despair at his lack of application. The Bulgarian made the big mistake of publicly stating "I'm not changing" and that was the final straw for the former steelworker from Govan - aka Ferguson.
So the message to Fergie is this: we are not expecting rave reviews from South Africa and Scandinavia, but we bloody well are expecting you to pull your finger out and bolster midfield, before the season starts.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
United on target to retain title, but doubts persist ....
Manchester United went back to the top of the Barclays Premier League on Monday night thanks to a late first-half goal by Wayne Rooney. This very important league fixture ended in controversy, when Fulham were denied what looked like a certain penalty in the dying moments, after referee Michael Oliver gave Michael Carrick the benefit of doubt following his clumsy challenge on Danny Murphy inside the box.
Understandably, and all too predictably, there has been plenty of media focus on "yet another penalty that wasn't given to a visiting team at Old Trafford".
Tommy Docherty added his twopenneth on Radio 5-live this week when claiming, "visiting teams do not get many penalties and it has pretty much always been like that". The former Manchester United manager isn't slow at coming forward with controversial views and so the Doc's comments will have surprised few, but at the same time no doubt agitated neutrals and City fans alike. In the hullabaloo that followed, the fact that United were denied what looked like a definite penalty in the first-half for handball has been quickly forgotten. It was ever thus. You win some, you lose some. As Ferguson rightly said "these things tend to even themselves out over a season". Quite.
While the win over Fulham meant that United leapfrogged Man City to open up a slender three point lead at the top of the table, there wasn't really much else to shout about following what was another dire Old Trafford performance by the champions.
Despite dominating possession for long spells, United were simply dreadful and couldn't open up a well organised Fulham defence. Those United fans hoping for a goal avalanche - one that could have wiped out City's goal difference advantage - will have been left disappointed at the fayre served by a United team, that not for the first time at home this season, lacked guile, know-how and any real sense of urgency in the final third.
Increasingly, one finds one-self questioning the quality of the Premier League, because over the last two seasons, United, Chelsea, Arsenal and yes, even Liverpool too, have all seen their performance levels drop and alarmingly so, especially where genuine quality is concerned. In contrast when we look at Barcelona, it's almost as if they are playing a different game - such is their superiority on pretty much every level. Athletic Bilboa gave United a torrid time in the Europa League, in so doing, giving many observers cause to review the generally accepted - but not entirely fair - assertion that there are only two quality teams in La Liga.
United have been rank bad awful in Europe this season, we cannot deny that fact, but so were Arsenal; Manchester City were in a much tougher looking Champions League group and so their elimination was not so difficult to accept for their followers; but like the champions, much less acceptable was the manner in which City were also knocked out of the Europa League - a competition that badly needs to be revamped if it is ever going to be taken *seriously* by Europe's leading clubs.
While we can ask questions, with real justification, about the quality of the Premier League, it's fair to state that Man City and Spurs have improved immensely this season and they've really shaken up the 'top four'. Spurs are currently in a real slump, but City are still fighting tooth and nail to wrest the title from United.
Hopefully, United will go on to retain the title, but there's no real signs that this latest Ferguson team will go on to seriously compete with Europe's elite clubs. If Ferguson is going to make United great again, he must address the glaring issues in midfield. Yes, it was the right decision to bring back Scholes, the United manager has far used his midfield general sparingly and sensibly; in total Scholes has so far played in 14 games, but six of those were from the bench.
There is hope in the form of Paul Pogba. The young French midfield star looks like a prodigious talent. Ferguson must use all of his powers of persuasion to convince Pogba to sign that new contract. Less convincing, is the hope that is Tom Cleverley who increasingly looks like a player whose career could be blighted by injuries, but time will tell. Even if Pogba signs that new deal, Ferguson MUST go out and sign another top quality midfield general.
The United manager also needs to sign another striker, because Welbeck, while being a good link man in certain situations, lacks that vital killer instinct inside the box. Hernandez is the complete opposite of Welbeck - deadly in the box, not so good in open play. United need to sign 'the next Didier Drogba', as much as we hate those comparisons - but that is the type of all round striker Ferguson must strive to find.
Finally, if United do go on the secure their 20th league title, contrary to the views of one well known journalist, the achievement most definitely will NOT surpass that historic, 1999 treble victory.
Understandably, and all too predictably, there has been plenty of media focus on "yet another penalty that wasn't given to a visiting team at Old Trafford".
Tommy Docherty added his twopenneth on Radio 5-live this week when claiming, "visiting teams do not get many penalties and it has pretty much always been like that". The former Manchester United manager isn't slow at coming forward with controversial views and so the Doc's comments will have surprised few, but at the same time no doubt agitated neutrals and City fans alike. In the hullabaloo that followed, the fact that United were denied what looked like a definite penalty in the first-half for handball has been quickly forgotten. It was ever thus. You win some, you lose some. As Ferguson rightly said "these things tend to even themselves out over a season". Quite.
While the win over Fulham meant that United leapfrogged Man City to open up a slender three point lead at the top of the table, there wasn't really much else to shout about following what was another dire Old Trafford performance by the champions.
Despite dominating possession for long spells, United were simply dreadful and couldn't open up a well organised Fulham defence. Those United fans hoping for a goal avalanche - one that could have wiped out City's goal difference advantage - will have been left disappointed at the fayre served by a United team, that not for the first time at home this season, lacked guile, know-how and any real sense of urgency in the final third.
Increasingly, one finds one-self questioning the quality of the Premier League, because over the last two seasons, United, Chelsea, Arsenal and yes, even Liverpool too, have all seen their performance levels drop and alarmingly so, especially where genuine quality is concerned. In contrast when we look at Barcelona, it's almost as if they are playing a different game - such is their superiority on pretty much every level. Athletic Bilboa gave United a torrid time in the Europa League, in so doing, giving many observers cause to review the generally accepted - but not entirely fair - assertion that there are only two quality teams in La Liga.
United have been rank bad awful in Europe this season, we cannot deny that fact, but so were Arsenal; Manchester City were in a much tougher looking Champions League group and so their elimination was not so difficult to accept for their followers; but like the champions, much less acceptable was the manner in which City were also knocked out of the Europa League - a competition that badly needs to be revamped if it is ever going to be taken *seriously* by Europe's leading clubs.
While we can ask questions, with real justification, about the quality of the Premier League, it's fair to state that Man City and Spurs have improved immensely this season and they've really shaken up the 'top four'. Spurs are currently in a real slump, but City are still fighting tooth and nail to wrest the title from United.
Hopefully, United will go on to retain the title, but there's no real signs that this latest Ferguson team will go on to seriously compete with Europe's elite clubs. If Ferguson is going to make United great again, he must address the glaring issues in midfield. Yes, it was the right decision to bring back Scholes, the United manager has far used his midfield general sparingly and sensibly; in total Scholes has so far played in 14 games, but six of those were from the bench.
There is hope in the form of Paul Pogba. The young French midfield star looks like a prodigious talent. Ferguson must use all of his powers of persuasion to convince Pogba to sign that new contract. Less convincing, is the hope that is Tom Cleverley who increasingly looks like a player whose career could be blighted by injuries, but time will tell. Even if Pogba signs that new deal, Ferguson MUST go out and sign another top quality midfield general.
The United manager also needs to sign another striker, because Welbeck, while being a good link man in certain situations, lacks that vital killer instinct inside the box. Hernandez is the complete opposite of Welbeck - deadly in the box, not so good in open play. United need to sign 'the next Didier Drogba', as much as we hate those comparisons - but that is the type of all round striker Ferguson must strive to find.
Finally, if United do go on the secure their 20th league title, contrary to the views of one well known journalist, the achievement most definitely will NOT surpass that historic, 1999 treble victory.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
United turn tables on City as Pogba set to give champs massive boost...
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There are just ten league games to go, the champions have somehow clawed their way back to the top of the Premier League, and with reports claiming Paul Pogba is set to give Ferguson a massive boost by committing himself to the club by signing a new contract, we cast a critical eye over United's recent performances and ask will the manager and his players make this a season to remember.
It was only a few weeks ago that the prospect of Manchester United knocking Manchester City's off top spot in the Barclays Premier League seemed, even in the eyes of many a die-hard red, improbable at best.
There's no disputing City have been *the team* of the season so far: they have scored the most goals, conceded the least and until the events of last weekend they were top of the table. But City's away form has been letting them down of late and on Sunday they deservedly lost to Swansea, at the Liberty Stadium. With the champions winning at home to West Brom, it meant that for the first time since October, Manchester United were back at the summit of the Premier League. Yet, just 48 hours earlier everyone connected with Manchester United was coming to terms with another deflating home defeat in the Europa League, following Athletic Bilbao's stunning 2-3 win.
Bilbao pretty much out-played United for 90 minutes on Thursday, and Ferguson's less than convincing post-match assertion that United would put matters right this week in the second-leg will not be shared by many supporters; there is an argument for NOT progressing any further in the deservedly maligned competition - the problem is not the quality of the participating teams, no, not a bit of it, it's the bloody ridiculous match schedule and early kick-off's. UEFA need to revisit the scheduling of Europa League fixtures; if they don't, the competition will continue to be a very poor second best to the Champions League.
United's participation and questionable performances in the Europa League will hopefully prove to be a wake-up call for Ferguson, his players, and most importantly, the Glazers', because while the current squad has done okay on the domestic front, the same squad has been lousy in Europe this season. Ferguson desperately needs to add a world-class central midfield playmaker - it is as clear as Fergie's big red nose. The manager's wish-list should also include a striker and another left-back.
As if it should be needed, the recent defeats at home to Ajax and Bilbao will hopefully have given Ferguson even more impetus to sign that world-class playmaker.
Bringing Scholes out of retirement was only a good idea because of the totally ridiculous situation the club finds itself in. Good damn it, Manchester United should NOT be relying on veteran stars like Giggs and Scholes. Scholes has without question fully justified his return and Giggs continues to amaze, but Ferguson is kidding no one: he has been and continues to, paper over the cracks.
The home defeats against Ajax and Bilbao (as good as the Basques undoubtedly were) will hopefully have given Ferguson and his backroom team, good reason to reflect on the current state of the squad. In order to do that, they must look at how the team has performed in Europe this season. United threw it away at home against Basel in the Champions League, and only managed a draw thanks to a dramatic late equaliser by Ashley Young. It was the same story against Benfica at Old Trafford, United were simply not good enough to beat opponents who in years gone by would have been considered as fodder.
Given how poorly England's top clubs have performed in Europe and especially United, many pundits (and this blog included) have concluded that the Premier League isn't currently worthy of its widely accepted status as one of Europe's top leagues: the fact that United, City and Arsenal are already out of the Champions League is testament to that.
We must never fall into the trap of confusing excitement with technical quality / genuine class. From a United perspective, despite the glaring weaknesses in the squad, no doubting to the collective annoyance of our noisy neighbours, Fergie's team somehow continues to grind out improbable results.
In a season littered with mistakes and too many setbacks, two recent results standout: United's away wins at Carrow Road and White Hart Lane. Who among us wouldn't have liked a Fiver for every City fan that found themselves cursing United and Giggsy after the Welshman slotted that winner 75 seconds into added time against Norwich? And then came that very tough looking away assignment at White Hart Lane.
The weekend prior to United's visit to North London, Arsenal had panned Spurs 5-2 at the Emirates. If that wasn't bad enough, Spurs had somehow managed to throw away a two-goal lead and then they lost Gareth Bale due to injury.
So going into the Spurs game and following the win at Carrow Road, United had every reason to be confident, but what followed once again left us breathless. Spurs pretty much played United off the park in the first-half, but remarkably, after 69 minutes the champions were 3-0 up. Defoe pulled a late goal back for Spurs but United ran out 1-3 winners.
Those two Premier League away wins could well turn out to be season defining, not least because many pundits and fans alike fully expected United to drop points. It didn't happen and what's more the wins at Carrow Road and White Hart Lane came in between the two home defeats in the Europa League - which again raises questions about the quality of the League as well as United's title credentials...
But with just 10 league games to go, no one can confidently predict the outcome. We can be sure the battle for the title will continue to provide us with excitement and many talking points.
While it is fair to ask questions about the squad, we cannot deny United have suffered more than most with injuries this season, but on that score, things are starting to look up. Tom Cleverley is fit again - for how long remains to be seen - but if he can win back his starting place, we could see him linking up with Rooney and Young to stunning effect.
Then there's Paul Pogba, who was reportedly set to spurn United in preference for Juventus. Putting it bluntly: Manchester United cannot afford to lose a player like Pogba who has bags of potential. If Pogba joined Juventus, it would have sent out an awful message about the current state of United and yes, it would have reflected badly on the player, but also on Ferguson too. Hopefully, Pogba will soon sign that new contract and he will go on cement a place in the heart of United's engine room over the next 12 months.
If United are going to continue to keep pace with City and go on to retain the title, every player in the squad will have to play close to their best when called upon.
Wayne Rooney is currently in a hot run of scoring form (five from the last three games), but in the eyes of many, he isn't playing even close to his best.
The spotlight has been firmly on David de Gea, and rightly so following some of his performances this season. The young Spanish goalkeeper was under the spotlight because he'd made some awful errors, but following a lengthy spell on the bench, to his eternal credit he has comeback all the stronger and he has started re-pay that huge transfer fee and as well as the manager's faith in him.
United have managed to turn the tables on City (for now), but there will be many more twists and turns before the end of what is turning into a fascinating season. Will the title be decided when United travel to Eastlands for the derby at the end of April, as Roberto Mancini claims? Don't be surprised if it goes to the last game of the season, is our verdict. Fasten your seat-belts, it is going to be a bumpy ride.
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There are just ten league games to go, the champions have somehow clawed their way back to the top of the Premier League, and with reports claiming Paul Pogba is set to give Ferguson a massive boost by committing himself to the club by signing a new contract, we cast a critical eye over United's recent performances and ask will the manager and his players make this a season to remember.
It was only a few weeks ago that the prospect of Manchester United knocking Manchester City's off top spot in the Barclays Premier League seemed, even in the eyes of many a die-hard red, improbable at best.
There's no disputing City have been *the team* of the season so far: they have scored the most goals, conceded the least and until the events of last weekend they were top of the table. But City's away form has been letting them down of late and on Sunday they deservedly lost to Swansea, at the Liberty Stadium. With the champions winning at home to West Brom, it meant that for the first time since October, Manchester United were back at the summit of the Premier League. Yet, just 48 hours earlier everyone connected with Manchester United was coming to terms with another deflating home defeat in the Europa League, following Athletic Bilbao's stunning 2-3 win.
Bilbao pretty much out-played United for 90 minutes on Thursday, and Ferguson's less than convincing post-match assertion that United would put matters right this week in the second-leg will not be shared by many supporters; there is an argument for NOT progressing any further in the deservedly maligned competition - the problem is not the quality of the participating teams, no, not a bit of it, it's the bloody ridiculous match schedule and early kick-off's. UEFA need to revisit the scheduling of Europa League fixtures; if they don't, the competition will continue to be a very poor second best to the Champions League.
United's participation and questionable performances in the Europa League will hopefully prove to be a wake-up call for Ferguson, his players, and most importantly, the Glazers', because while the current squad has done okay on the domestic front, the same squad has been lousy in Europe this season. Ferguson desperately needs to add a world-class central midfield playmaker - it is as clear as Fergie's big red nose. The manager's wish-list should also include a striker and another left-back.
As if it should be needed, the recent defeats at home to Ajax and Bilbao will hopefully have given Ferguson even more impetus to sign that world-class playmaker.
Bringing Scholes out of retirement was only a good idea because of the totally ridiculous situation the club finds itself in. Good damn it, Manchester United should NOT be relying on veteran stars like Giggs and Scholes. Scholes has without question fully justified his return and Giggs continues to amaze, but Ferguson is kidding no one: he has been and continues to, paper over the cracks.
The home defeats against Ajax and Bilbao (as good as the Basques undoubtedly were) will hopefully have given Ferguson and his backroom team, good reason to reflect on the current state of the squad. In order to do that, they must look at how the team has performed in Europe this season. United threw it away at home against Basel in the Champions League, and only managed a draw thanks to a dramatic late equaliser by Ashley Young. It was the same story against Benfica at Old Trafford, United were simply not good enough to beat opponents who in years gone by would have been considered as fodder.
Given how poorly England's top clubs have performed in Europe and especially United, many pundits (and this blog included) have concluded that the Premier League isn't currently worthy of its widely accepted status as one of Europe's top leagues: the fact that United, City and Arsenal are already out of the Champions League is testament to that.
We must never fall into the trap of confusing excitement with technical quality / genuine class. From a United perspective, despite the glaring weaknesses in the squad, no doubting to the collective annoyance of our noisy neighbours, Fergie's team somehow continues to grind out improbable results.
In a season littered with mistakes and too many setbacks, two recent results standout: United's away wins at Carrow Road and White Hart Lane. Who among us wouldn't have liked a Fiver for every City fan that found themselves cursing United and Giggsy after the Welshman slotted that winner 75 seconds into added time against Norwich? And then came that very tough looking away assignment at White Hart Lane.
The weekend prior to United's visit to North London, Arsenal had panned Spurs 5-2 at the Emirates. If that wasn't bad enough, Spurs had somehow managed to throw away a two-goal lead and then they lost Gareth Bale due to injury.
So going into the Spurs game and following the win at Carrow Road, United had every reason to be confident, but what followed once again left us breathless. Spurs pretty much played United off the park in the first-half, but remarkably, after 69 minutes the champions were 3-0 up. Defoe pulled a late goal back for Spurs but United ran out 1-3 winners.
Those two Premier League away wins could well turn out to be season defining, not least because many pundits and fans alike fully expected United to drop points. It didn't happen and what's more the wins at Carrow Road and White Hart Lane came in between the two home defeats in the Europa League - which again raises questions about the quality of the League as well as United's title credentials...
But with just 10 league games to go, no one can confidently predict the outcome. We can be sure the battle for the title will continue to provide us with excitement and many talking points.
While it is fair to ask questions about the squad, we cannot deny United have suffered more than most with injuries this season, but on that score, things are starting to look up. Tom Cleverley is fit again - for how long remains to be seen - but if he can win back his starting place, we could see him linking up with Rooney and Young to stunning effect.
Then there's Paul Pogba, who was reportedly set to spurn United in preference for Juventus. Putting it bluntly: Manchester United cannot afford to lose a player like Pogba who has bags of potential. If Pogba joined Juventus, it would have sent out an awful message about the current state of United and yes, it would have reflected badly on the player, but also on Ferguson too. Hopefully, Pogba will soon sign that new contract and he will go on cement a place in the heart of United's engine room over the next 12 months.
If United are going to continue to keep pace with City and go on to retain the title, every player in the squad will have to play close to their best when called upon.
Wayne Rooney is currently in a hot run of scoring form (five from the last three games), but in the eyes of many, he isn't playing even close to his best.
The spotlight has been firmly on David de Gea, and rightly so following some of his performances this season. The young Spanish goalkeeper was under the spotlight because he'd made some awful errors, but following a lengthy spell on the bench, to his eternal credit he has comeback all the stronger and he has started re-pay that huge transfer fee and as well as the manager's faith in him.
United have managed to turn the tables on City (for now), but there will be many more twists and turns before the end of what is turning into a fascinating season. Will the title be decided when United travel to Eastlands for the derby at the end of April, as Roberto Mancini claims? Don't be surprised if it goes to the last game of the season, is our verdict. Fasten your seat-belts, it is going to be a bumpy ride.
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Sunday, February 26, 2012
City piling on pressure on United: Can the champions keep pace with the league leaders?
Many United fans won't like to acknowledge it, but it is beginning to look like a case of WHEN and not IF Manchester City will be crowned champions. Truth be told, our 'noisy neighbours' have been playing like champions elect all season, and whisper this quietly, some of their football has been sublime at times. David Silva will justifiably win the Players' Player of the Year and the Football Writers' Player of the Year. Why, oh why didn't Manchester United ever make a bid to sign Silva? Only Ferguson can answer that question. We could ask the same question about Aguero too.
While giving our time-honoured bitter rivals credit, we know that City have become nothing more than a 'rich-man's play thing' and should their Arabian owners ever grow tired of throwing endless amounts of money at what was hitherto a hopeless lost cause, they will return to their previous 'also-ran' status in short order.
It's a totally different scenario where United and the Glazer family are concerned. United were a cash rich club before being taken over in 2005 by the loathsome Floridian family. It is one of the greatest ironies, that it was precisely because United were so strong financially, which in turn allowed the Glazers' to leverage a debt mountain onto the club.
In sharp contrast to the ownership regime at City, if the Glazers' ever sold out to someone who could actually afford the asking price without borrowing on a sickening scale, the said owner would make a fortune, because United, despite their debt concerns, are still a prodigious money making machine. In other words, in contrast to City, United would prosper should the Glazers' ever sell out: We will never say that about the prospect of City's owners walking away.
For now, even the most die-hard red cannot argue that Mancini has spent wisely and he's built a formidable squad. As far as the title race is concerned, with 13 games still to play, quite obviously, it isn't yet over - the Fat Lady hasn't sung, but for sure, she's been heard clearing her throat in anticipation.
Should Manchester United fail to win away at Norwich and Spurs the battle for the Premier League trophy will more than likely be all but lost; from that point onwards Ferguson and everyone connected with United will almost certainly start to mentally prepare to finish as runner-up (if indeed that isn't the case already - we have to believe that is NOT the case, nor should it be).
Realistically, City don't look like a team who are going to drop many points between now and the end of the season - that is the blunt truth of the matter.
United have put up a pretty good fight thus far: that is the champions have apart from a few notable exceptions; the shameful 6-1 derby reverse and losing at home to Blackburn.
The absolute doomsday scenario for United fans, is that City will be effectively crowned champions when the two teams meet in the derby at Eastlands at the end of April.
As ever, there is of course another more hopeful scenario: United could go on to win at Norwich and at Spurs, the champions then edge out City in a tightly fought derby and go on to retain the title. If that happens it will be among Ferguson's finest achievements and it will likely bring down the curtain on his glittering career, but will it happen?
While giving our time-honoured bitter rivals credit, we know that City have become nothing more than a 'rich-man's play thing' and should their Arabian owners ever grow tired of throwing endless amounts of money at what was hitherto a hopeless lost cause, they will return to their previous 'also-ran' status in short order.
It's a totally different scenario where United and the Glazer family are concerned. United were a cash rich club before being taken over in 2005 by the loathsome Floridian family. It is one of the greatest ironies, that it was precisely because United were so strong financially, which in turn allowed the Glazers' to leverage a debt mountain onto the club.
In sharp contrast to the ownership regime at City, if the Glazers' ever sold out to someone who could actually afford the asking price without borrowing on a sickening scale, the said owner would make a fortune, because United, despite their debt concerns, are still a prodigious money making machine. In other words, in contrast to City, United would prosper should the Glazers' ever sell out: We will never say that about the prospect of City's owners walking away.
For now, even the most die-hard red cannot argue that Mancini has spent wisely and he's built a formidable squad. As far as the title race is concerned, with 13 games still to play, quite obviously, it isn't yet over - the Fat Lady hasn't sung, but for sure, she's been heard clearing her throat in anticipation.
Should Manchester United fail to win away at Norwich and Spurs the battle for the Premier League trophy will more than likely be all but lost; from that point onwards Ferguson and everyone connected with United will almost certainly start to mentally prepare to finish as runner-up (if indeed that isn't the case already - we have to believe that is NOT the case, nor should it be).
Realistically, City don't look like a team who are going to drop many points between now and the end of the season - that is the blunt truth of the matter.
United have put up a pretty good fight thus far: that is the champions have apart from a few notable exceptions; the shameful 6-1 derby reverse and losing at home to Blackburn.
The absolute doomsday scenario for United fans, is that City will be effectively crowned champions when the two teams meet in the derby at Eastlands at the end of April.
As ever, there is of course another more hopeful scenario: United could go on to win at Norwich and at Spurs, the champions then edge out City in a tightly fought derby and go on to retain the title. If that happens it will be among Ferguson's finest achievements and it will likely bring down the curtain on his glittering career, but will it happen?
Sunday, February 05, 2012
Pressure on De Gea and Ferguson as United look to keep pace with leaders City at Chelsea...
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Manchester United are set to take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in what has become a very important Premier League fixture in recent seasons, largely thanks to the self-indulgence of Roman Abramovich. The champions are currently three points behind Manchester City, and Ferguson will want to keep the pressure on the league leaders.
Ahead of the game, the United team news is both good and bad; good because Tom Cleverley is reportedly fit again, as is Ashley Young, Wayne Rooney and Nani, but it's not so good where goalkeepers are concerned, because Anders Lindegaard, the club's new number one is out injured for up to six weeks.
Lindegaard had managed to dislodge David de Gea, following a string of high-profile errors by the former Athletico Madrid youngster. However, Lindegaard sustained a training ground injury which led to a recall for De Gea for last weekend's FA Cup tie at Anfield, but once again the young Spanish stopper was badly at fault for one of Liverpool's goals. United were eventually knocked out of the FA Cup. Not for the first time this season, United were dumped out of a cup competition, partly because of a goalkeeping error.
At one point during Sunday's FA Cup tie, it looked as though De Gea had a touch of 'Anfield flu'; it looked as though he wanted to be replaced...and for no obvious reason. Daniel Taylor of the Guardian later wrote that it was akin to Basil Fawlty complaining about his old shrapnel wound playing up...
But whatever we are to make of De Gea's Anfield antics, United's season has been blighted by injuries.
Both De Gea and Lindegaard subsequently missed the midweek win over Stoke City, in which United ran out 2-0 winners, thanks to two converted penalty kicks by Berbatov and Hernandez. Ben Amos was in goal for United against Stoke, but he will likely be on the bench at Stamford Bridge. Nonetheless, the no.1 goalkeeper position is a matter of serious concern for Ferguson, despite what he might say publicly...
Ferguson splashed out £18m on De Gea last summer and so it comes as no great surprise that he has been defending the Spaniard this week, he would, wouldn't he? The fact is, no amount of spin will deflect attention away from De Gea - the spotlight is very much on him today and it will be for the remainder of the campaign, but this is entirely a self-made situation.
Ferguson's judgement has to be questioned too, because, frankly, de Gea looks ill-equipped to succeed in the Premier League. It wouldn't matter if De Gea was playing for any other Premier League club - if rivals' see a perceived weakness they will make every attempt to exploit that weakness.
When he arrived at United, it was reported that De Gea had conceded the most goals from distance in La Liga last season. As if that wasn't bad enough, to put it bluntly, the former Athletico Madrid 'keeper has been found badly wanting when it comes to dealing with crosses into the United penalty area. Many supporters and pundits are now asking themselves what exactly did United see in De Gea? Sure, he makes the occasional eye-catching save, but that's no use if you continue to make basic errors.
Top-class goalkeepers' pride themselves on keeping clean sheets and not making too many mistakes. So far in his short United career, de Gea has spectacularly failed to live up to expectations.
De Gea's presence in between the sticks will not inspire confidence in the United back-four, quite the reverse, at least that is the big danger. Mutual trust and effective communication are vital elements in any strong defensive unit, and it is safe to assume that United's central defenders are less than 100% sure what de Gea will do when that ball is pumped into those danger areas.
No one, including Ferguson, needs to be reminded that all successful teams are built on solid foundations. It is hard to believe that it was presumably the same scouting network that identified a world-class goalkeeper to be like Peter Schmeichel. Signing Edwin van der Sar was an easy to decision to make; but those two apart, they have to a large degree been fabulous exceptions to the rule.
When we look back down the years, despite all of his wonderful success, Ferguson has really struggled at times to find reliable goalkeepers; Massimo Taibi aka the "Venetian Blind" and hapless Ben Foster are just two names from the list of many failures.
With the benefit of hindsight, clearly, Manchester United made a big mistake when allowing Tim Howard to leave the club to join Everton. Howard is a safer bet than any of Ferguson's current options, barring possibly Lindegaard, but the jury is very out on him too.
If de Gea is going to justify his hefty price tag and earn the right to be selected in the United first team and into the bargain silence his many critics, then today at Stamford Bridge would be a good place to start to prove his worth.
As if more spice were needed ahead of this important West London fixture, we have the prospect of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand facing-off following the unsavoury racism storm involving the now deposed England skipper and Rio's younger brother, Anton. Let us hope Monday's headlines focus on football (and no more mistakes) instead of alleged acts of racism.
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Manchester United are set to take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in what has become a very important Premier League fixture in recent seasons, largely thanks to the self-indulgence of Roman Abramovich. The champions are currently three points behind Manchester City, and Ferguson will want to keep the pressure on the league leaders.
Ahead of the game, the United team news is both good and bad; good because Tom Cleverley is reportedly fit again, as is Ashley Young, Wayne Rooney and Nani, but it's not so good where goalkeepers are concerned, because Anders Lindegaard, the club's new number one is out injured for up to six weeks.
Lindegaard had managed to dislodge David de Gea, following a string of high-profile errors by the former Athletico Madrid youngster. However, Lindegaard sustained a training ground injury which led to a recall for De Gea for last weekend's FA Cup tie at Anfield, but once again the young Spanish stopper was badly at fault for one of Liverpool's goals. United were eventually knocked out of the FA Cup. Not for the first time this season, United were dumped out of a cup competition, partly because of a goalkeeping error.
At one point during Sunday's FA Cup tie, it looked as though De Gea had a touch of 'Anfield flu'; it looked as though he wanted to be replaced...and for no obvious reason. Daniel Taylor of the Guardian later wrote that it was akin to Basil Fawlty complaining about his old shrapnel wound playing up...
But whatever we are to make of De Gea's Anfield antics, United's season has been blighted by injuries.
Both De Gea and Lindegaard subsequently missed the midweek win over Stoke City, in which United ran out 2-0 winners, thanks to two converted penalty kicks by Berbatov and Hernandez. Ben Amos was in goal for United against Stoke, but he will likely be on the bench at Stamford Bridge. Nonetheless, the no.1 goalkeeper position is a matter of serious concern for Ferguson, despite what he might say publicly...
Ferguson splashed out £18m on De Gea last summer and so it comes as no great surprise that he has been defending the Spaniard this week, he would, wouldn't he? The fact is, no amount of spin will deflect attention away from De Gea - the spotlight is very much on him today and it will be for the remainder of the campaign, but this is entirely a self-made situation.
Ferguson's judgement has to be questioned too, because, frankly, de Gea looks ill-equipped to succeed in the Premier League. It wouldn't matter if De Gea was playing for any other Premier League club - if rivals' see a perceived weakness they will make every attempt to exploit that weakness.
When he arrived at United, it was reported that De Gea had conceded the most goals from distance in La Liga last season. As if that wasn't bad enough, to put it bluntly, the former Athletico Madrid 'keeper has been found badly wanting when it comes to dealing with crosses into the United penalty area. Many supporters and pundits are now asking themselves what exactly did United see in De Gea? Sure, he makes the occasional eye-catching save, but that's no use if you continue to make basic errors.
Top-class goalkeepers' pride themselves on keeping clean sheets and not making too many mistakes. So far in his short United career, de Gea has spectacularly failed to live up to expectations.
De Gea's presence in between the sticks will not inspire confidence in the United back-four, quite the reverse, at least that is the big danger. Mutual trust and effective communication are vital elements in any strong defensive unit, and it is safe to assume that United's central defenders are less than 100% sure what de Gea will do when that ball is pumped into those danger areas.
No one, including Ferguson, needs to be reminded that all successful teams are built on solid foundations. It is hard to believe that it was presumably the same scouting network that identified a world-class goalkeeper to be like Peter Schmeichel. Signing Edwin van der Sar was an easy to decision to make; but those two apart, they have to a large degree been fabulous exceptions to the rule.
When we look back down the years, despite all of his wonderful success, Ferguson has really struggled at times to find reliable goalkeepers; Massimo Taibi aka the "Venetian Blind" and hapless Ben Foster are just two names from the list of many failures.
With the benefit of hindsight, clearly, Manchester United made a big mistake when allowing Tim Howard to leave the club to join Everton. Howard is a safer bet than any of Ferguson's current options, barring possibly Lindegaard, but the jury is very out on him too.
If de Gea is going to justify his hefty price tag and earn the right to be selected in the United first team and into the bargain silence his many critics, then today at Stamford Bridge would be a good place to start to prove his worth.
As if more spice were needed ahead of this important West London fixture, we have the prospect of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand facing-off following the unsavoury racism storm involving the now deposed England skipper and Rio's younger brother, Anton. Let us hope Monday's headlines focus on football (and no more mistakes) instead of alleged acts of racism.
Bet 365 - Click here for £200 of Free Bets now
Monday, January 30, 2012
Mourinho unlikely to choose cash-strapped Manchester United...
News that Jose Mourinho could be about to de-camp to yet another club will no doubt result in managers at some of Europe's top clubs looking over their shoulders. It was ever thus.
Mourinho is of course hugely successful; his wins to games ratio at 69% is astonishing, that's an incredible ll% higher than Ferguson's - though, it's true the United manager has been around for a lot longer.
Mourinho, may not be everyone's cup of tea, but in the eyes of many he is the finest club coach in the world. If we are to assume he could move on this summer, will he come to Manchester United and take over from Ferguson? The odds of Jose becoming to Old Trafford will be short, not because it is likely to happen, but because many United fans will back the current Real Manager. The bookies favourite doesn't always win...
When and if Jose moves on, he will have the pick of the top jobs - including the United job...but why would Mourinho take over a debt ridden, cash-strapped club when there's more attractive offers on the table? Mourinho is a winner, but wherever he's been since he left Porto, he has been backed to the hilt in the transfer market and that simply would NOT happen at Old Trafford.
Chelsea and Manchester City will be able to meet Mourinho's financial demands. In contrast, sadly, United have lost much of their clout in the transfer market since the Glazer family takeover in 2005. Ferguson can no longer compete effectively because of the financial constraints placed upon him.
Whoever takes over from Ferguson is on a hiding to nothing - after all his success who, apart from Mourinho could follow that? But, it's extremely doubtful that Jose would accept the United job, because it represents too much of a challenge.
Mourinho is of course hugely successful; his wins to games ratio at 69% is astonishing, that's an incredible ll% higher than Ferguson's - though, it's true the United manager has been around for a lot longer.
Mourinho, may not be everyone's cup of tea, but in the eyes of many he is the finest club coach in the world. If we are to assume he could move on this summer, will he come to Manchester United and take over from Ferguson? The odds of Jose becoming to Old Trafford will be short, not because it is likely to happen, but because many United fans will back the current Real Manager. The bookies favourite doesn't always win...
When and if Jose moves on, he will have the pick of the top jobs - including the United job...but why would Mourinho take over a debt ridden, cash-strapped club when there's more attractive offers on the table? Mourinho is a winner, but wherever he's been since he left Porto, he has been backed to the hilt in the transfer market and that simply would NOT happen at Old Trafford.
Chelsea and Manchester City will be able to meet Mourinho's financial demands. In contrast, sadly, United have lost much of their clout in the transfer market since the Glazer family takeover in 2005. Ferguson can no longer compete effectively because of the financial constraints placed upon him.
Whoever takes over from Ferguson is on a hiding to nothing - after all his success who, apart from Mourinho could follow that? But, it's extremely doubtful that Jose would accept the United job, because it represents too much of a challenge.
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