The Official Football Thread 2005/2006 (2 Viewers)

[A2RAYA]

"I think Wenger has a real problem with us. I think he is one of those - how do you call it in English - voyeurs."
"He is someone who likes to watch other people."
"I don't know what is happening to him, but I think he is in love with Chelsea, he loves us. Maybe he wants to leave Arsenal and come here and take my job."
"There are some guys who, when they are at home they have this big telescope to see what happens in other families. He must be one of them. He is always speaking about other families."
"It is a sickness. Being a voyeur is a sickness."

bahaha it's almost as good as this quote from the man himself : "We have nothing to argue with, we have no defence because our performance in the first half was so bad,"

Am I going crazy, or did he just admit to losing fairly and squarelyfor the first time ever?

 

[Benny_]

Sorry, I should've been clearer.. I was referring to his hair. You'll see on SBS tonight.

 

[johnny_87]

Benny and Crazy Horse - I know she/you have been here a long time (your join date is right there in your avatar! )

You can't knock Keane for what he did. Like BJ_Bhoy said, Irish management (mismanagement) was a joke

 

[bJ_Bhoy 87]

Oh yeah, seen him on TWG site just then. Fair call.

In much, much happier news, Stilian wants to stay on

 

[johnny_87]

Let me guess, no-one here does Japan as a national study do they?

 

[braad]

Zenden wasn't at left back, I just thought it'd be interesting to give him a go, seeing as how he has exceled there before. Riise has been good over the last couple of games.

You stick Zenden in LB over Risse? That impressive? Ok my hearts screaming out to watch a game. OMG we're changing so many things and I havn't watched anything. :'(

And thanks for the points on the game Luis played really well aye? And the goal - Better than his Juve one?

zenden is good but wouldnt fit the teams style (i.e. we do need a left back) and Riise does well and contributes, zenden seems almost like a play-maker, and having him at LB would seem such a waste

and garcia? he scores some good goals but doesnt do that much otherwise :s i dont get it...he seems not with it half the time then pulls out a stunning header from nowhere then sucks his hand o_0

and kewell looked shitttttttt...such crappy hair...lol, i dont know why im bitching about him. He is back after all

 

[Paragon]

* Kewell looked shit .. but he was very promising again. He needs to lose the hair bun though.

Mourinho was absolutely hilarious. I hate Chelsea, but it's really hard not to like Jose. The Premiership would be poorer without him.

Gotta be one of the most ridiculous looks going around in the EPL this season. He's in good company with Cisse and Abel Xavier.

His eccentricity is not for the faint-hearted. Definitely the funniest, most candid manager in the Sport at the moment. If only I was there at the press conf. when he passed his 'voyeur' comments, would've laughed myself so hard. So unexpected, so refreshing.

and garcia? he scores some good goals but doesnt do that much otherwise :s i dont get it...he seems not with it half the time then pulls out a stunning header from nowhere then sucks his hand o_0

Yeah I agree. His contribution to the team is pretty minimal, maybe because Rafa plays him on the right so much. Gerrard could be the solution to the RM berth for the time being. BTW, I rather have Riise on the park than on the bench. Definitely one of the most underrated players in the League.

 

[johnny_87]

Why is it Liverpool can't play in the EPL? You'd think Rafa and their players would have adapted after at least a year (more for some).

Liverpool fans should hope:

1) they learn to play in the EPL

OR

2) They retain the CL

Otherwise they won't be in the CL next year, as their spot will be taken by Spurs.

 

[Benny_]

I disagree about Garcia. Playmakers tend to have a habit of losing possession doing something crazy. Ronaldinho does it too, for every one of those flicks that finds a teammate, another 4 or 5 go nowhere. The important thing is that they have a creative spark about them that can change the game in a way a less prolifgate, but less creative player cannot. Not to say Garcia's close to the same level as Ronaldinho, but it is the same idea.

 

[Paragon]

Manchester United Squad v. Lille:

GK: Van der Sar, Howard, Steele,
D: Bardsley, Silvestre, Ferdinand, Brown, Pique, Evans, O’Shea,
M: Richardson, Fletcher, Smith, Miller, Park, Ronaldo,
F: Rooney, Van Nistelrooy, Rossi.

Just a glance and there's about 9/19 players who are roughly aged 22 or less. This is exactly why we needed to hang on to utility players like Phil Neville.

Plus, Ruud as Captain just doesn't cut it for me, but then again we obviously don't have too many options going around. We're definitely struggling for players with leadership capabilities and I'd say the Gunners are too. Keano is the only natural leader at Old Trafford right now, and he won't be on the park for a fair while. Giggs and Scholesy are definitely not leadership material. Wouldn't have minded to see Rio or Edwin given the armband earlier on in the season, but given the defensive performances of late, especially at The Riverside, they need to get their form back on track as a matter of priority.

 

[johnny_87]

And also why we need to sign Ballack on a free transfer. Furthermore, if we sign him, it will attract other quality players.

Also, by keeping Phil Neville, not only do we have an experienced player to clam things down when in trouble, but he could be filling in at left-back with Heinze out (O'Shea could play on the right).

 

[LMF^^]

Let Park be captain, like he did last time against Lille.

 

[Paragon]

Let Park be captain, like he did last time against Lille.

From what I read, Park has been 'edged out' by Ronaldo, meaning if a 4-man MF is employed, it'd be Smith; Ronaldo; Fletcher (Fergie adores him) for sure. That leaves Richardson + Miller. So hopefully Fergie doesn't pull any stunts and sticks with the conventional, sticking in Park. Unless if he deploys 5 backs or 3 forwards, but given the squad we're taking along, we're not really at liberty to do that, and should stick with 442.

 

[Paragon]

And also why we need to sign Ballack on a free transfer. Furthermore, if we sign him, it will attract other quality players.

Also, by keeping Phil Neville, not only do we have an experienced player to clam things down when in trouble, but he could be filling in at left-back with Heinze out (O'Shea could play on the right).

Signing Ballack is an option since we'd definitely get some much needed experience in MF with Keane, Giggs, and Scholes hardly managing to string 2 matches together. But at the same time, signing him would probably go against our 'unofficial policy' of bringing in youngsters. Not to mention, depending on a good hit-out at next year's WC in his native Germany, his price tag could soar. But then again he could potentially be out of contract at that point.

Phil Neville could have played a number of positions: RB, LB, RM, LM, CDM. Seems ridiculous that we blooded him all this while and then ended up selling him for no apparent reason.

 

[LMF^^]

From what I read, Park has been 'edged out' by Ronaldo, meaning if a 4-man MF is employed, it'd be Smith; Ronaldo; Fletcher (Fergie adores him) for sure. That leaves Richardson + Miller. So hopefully Fergie doesn't pull any stunts and sticks with the conventional, sticking in Park. Unless if he deploys 5 backs or 3 forwards, but given the squad we're taking along, we're not really at liberty to do that, and should stick with 442.

Well just let Ronaldo play on the right and Park on the left. Although he haven't done anythin really spectacular, hez been consistent throughout the campaign so far. He deservez to be in the startin line-up.

If Ballack comez then Fletcher will be left out of the squad, he suckz ballz. One reason why I would love to see Ballack come to Old Trafford.

 

[Jimmy_B]

there's been a lot of united in decline/ fergie lost plot articles going around but this one is excellent

from the guardian


Keane was right - but he should've taken down Fergie too

There was just one thing wrong with Roy Keane's brilliant MUTV rant, argues Rob Smyth - it didn't take Sir Alex Ferguson to task for what he's doing to Manchester United

As usual, it took Roy Keane to cut through the crap and deliver a damning and entirely valid verdict on the dramatic demise of Manchester United. In fact, there was only one problem with Keane's MUTV rant - it didn't go far enough. If Keane was truly uncensored, it would be fascinating to get his views on the influence of failure specialist Carlos Queiroz, who has neutered United's attacking elan. And what would really boost MUTV's dismal ratings would be Keane's views on his manager.

Article continues
Keane has been his master's voice for the past decade, and now he is barking against Ferguson. The United manager, under fire from all corners, will feel the harsh bite of his captain's critcism more than the rest combined. When United won the Premiership in 1999, the first part of the Treble, Ferguson charged giddily onto the pitch and went straight to embrace one man: Keane. When, a few weeks earlier, Keane and Paul Scholes received yellow cards in Turin that would rule them out of the European Cup final, Ferguson spoke of Keane's "tragedy" and his desire to appeal the decision. He didn't even mention Scholes's name. This was love as its most unconditional.

Ferguson and Keane have had as close a relationship as any between manager and player in football history. They saw in each other a mirror image of themselves. Ferguson cut Keane slack for his misdemeanours; Keane gave Ferguson the most influential and talismanic footballer since Maradona, a man without whose iron will a team of superstars just could not function. Now, as then, Keane was at the centre of all that is going on Old Trafford: it is he for whom Ferguson changed his system to the hated 4-3-2-1 last season; it is he who United look so rudderless without; and it is he who, after months of everything being brushed assiduously and patronisingly under the carpet, has finally told it like it is. United are an absolute shambles at the moment, and nobody else at the club seems willing or able to face that fact.

Unsurprisingly, Keane's comments were vetoed by Ferguson. It is not the first time they have fallen out (there was a much-publicised contretemps in Portugal this summer) and the thawing of their relationship is symbolic of Ferguson's demise. Keane's values - the remorseless pursuit of excellence at all costs; the bristling intolerance of the bullshit and excuses of modern sport - have not changed. Ferguson's have. He has become resigned to and tolerant of a mediocrity that Keane cannot countenance.

Ferguson, of course, has always been sensitive to criticism. The BBC are currently being ignored, and if he had his way he wouldn't do any press conferences. He has even taken to saying "Well done" at the end of pre- and post-match TV interviews to the startled interviewer, presumably for not asking any difficult questions. Why did you sell Jaap Stam, Sir Alex? No, really, Sir Alex - why did you sell Jaap Stam? What does Liam Miller do to earn more per week than most of your supporters earn per annum? Why are you earning £4m per year if, as Ryan Giggs says, you have given Queiroz "the responsibility to train us, prepare us for games, organise the team and decide the things we need to work on"?

The culture of fear duly created, Ferguson has been able to get away with doing as he pleases. The consequence is that only in the underground world of fanzines and pub talk is the truth that dare not speak its name being spoken: Sir Alex Ferguson has demonstrably, irrefutably lost the plot.

Most United fans have had enough. They have had enough of 4-3-2-1; of an abuse of the heritage of the club that has not occurred since the Sexton years; of the moronic twitter of the man they lovelessly call Carlos Queirozzzz; of the fact that only a Scouser, a sub-standard Leeds fan and a Portuguese pretty boy show the requisite desire; of a gaping chasm where once there was the best midfield in Europe; of the apathy of Lord Chav Rio Ferdinand; of Sir Alex Ferguson.

This should not be confused, as it has by Arsène Wenger among others, with a lack of respect for Ferguson, or gratitude for what unprecedented happiness he has brought to the club. "Every single one of us loves Alex Ferguson," is a song that will be heard around Old Trafford for years to come, and the joy Ferguson has brought imbues the failure of an essentially decent man with a brutal poignancy. But if you love someone you have to set them free and, based on the unforgiving demands of modern football, and his performance over the last five years, Ferguson does not deserve to be manager of Manchester United. Reputation and gratitude are not enough.

In United's glory years, Ferguson told of a trick he would use at the start of each season to keep his players on their toes. He would assemble the squad and show them an envelope, in which, he said, were two or three names of players he felt had taken their eye off the ball, and who he was keeping an eye on. In reality, the envelope was empty (although Paul Ince and David Beckham were sold for precisely that reason). But if Ferguson opened it now, he might get a seriously nasty surprise.

The problems go back to the summer of 2001, when he sold Stam, paid £28.1m for the curse known as Juan Sebastian Veron and killed a golden goose that was delivering a Premiership every year in pursuit of a farewell European Cup at Hampden Park. Since then, he has made some desperate mistakes. These are not borderline errors of judgement; they are decisions that fly in the face of all rhyme and reason.

There is his record in the transfer market, with at least three Klebersons for every Gabriel Heinze and the shocking failure to address the decline of a once-majestic midfield; the delegation of significant power to the ruinous and incessantly negative Queiroz, which has made United neither successful nor entertaining, despite Queiroz's belief-beggaring proclamation that: "We are producing the most exciting, attacking football in the league".

Then there is the inexplicable persistence with a phalanx of incompetents. Like John O'Shea; once referred to as looking like a thin Peter Kay, now he just looks like Peter Kay. Like Alan Smith who, for all his admirable endeavour, has more chance of being the new Eminem than the new Roy Keane. Like Scholes, who has been rewarded for a season of sleepwalking with the captaincy. Like Ruud van Nistelrooy, who surrenders possession time after time after time and then falls over. Like Darren Fletcher, a teacher's pet in the McClair mould who is, at this stage of his career, simply not good enough.

Then there is the incessant tinkering - Fletcher ahead of Ronaldo for the last two, must-win league games; dropping Ronaldo, Scholes and Wayne Rooney to derail United's title charge at Crystal Palace last season. In the summer, with that match in mind, Stubborn of Govan said he would no longer rest players in league matches. That lasted about a month.

Nor is it the only strange comment Ferguson has made of late. Previously he has always related to the fans; now he seems to have contracted Queiroz's contempt for the people who pay him £4m a year. Take his recent declaration that United only know how to attack, or his pathetic, hair-splitting assertion that United were playing 4-4-1-1 and not 4-4-2 after they scored three whole goals in one half at Fulham last month. Most insulting of all was his suggestion that disgruntled United fans could go and watch Chelsea.

Now, if reports are to be believed, Ferguson is ready to bite off his purple nose to spite his face and let Keane go. If he does, it will be the final proof: Sir Alex Ferguson has demonstrably, irrefutably lost the plot.

 

[johnny_87]

Paragon - Ballack's contract with Bayern ends once the Bundesliga finishes next year I think (before the WC). If Bayern realise that he wants to go (or if he realises by then), I'd say they may try and sell him in the January transfer window so that he doesn't go for free. Expect Man Utd and Barca to be the leading contenders.

 

[johnny_87]

Jimmy - interesting story. Carlos Quieroz is a twat. Back to Real. Oops, he's not wanted there either! Bring in GUUS!

 

[bJ_Bhoy 87]

Great article. Where to start?

...of the fact that only a Scouser, a sub-standard Leeds fan and a Portuguese pretty boy show the requisite desire;

Gold.

Then there is the inexplicable persistence with a phalanx of incompetents. Like John O'Shea; once referred to as looking like a thin Peter Kay, now he just looks like Peter Kay. Like Alan Smith who, for all his admirable endeavour, has more chance of being the new Eminem than the new Roy Keane. Like Scholes, who has been rewarded for a season of sleepwalking with the captaincy. Like Ruud van Nistelrooy, who surrenders possession time after time after time and then falls over. Like Darren Fletcher, a teacher's pet in the McClair mould who is, at this stage of his career, simply not good enough.

Maybe a bit harsh on Ruud, but he gets it right.

Now, if reports are to be believed, Ferguson is ready to bite off his purple nose to spite his face and let Keane go. If he does, it will be the final proof: Sir Alex Ferguson has demonstrably, irrefutably lost the plot.

Im sure I could find a great new home for Keano...



There are too many truths in this article for anyone to ignore, even our MU fans could recognise this. And I was just going to write off the loss to Boro down on the colour of their strip (remember St Mary's)

 

[bazookajoe]

Ruud is overrated. Last time I heard he hadn't scored outside the box for United