If Chelsea win this weekend, then they are mathematically unable to win the title I think 
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*Except Michael, who died. -
17 points behind us.
"Its not about the long ball or the short ball, its about the right ball." Bob PaisleyComment
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Moyes goes full Hodge. Again.
"I have lost plenty of football matches. I was at Everton for 11 years. I was at Preston before that. I lost lots of games and had difficult times. It happened to me at my old clubs and it's happening here. I hoped it wouldn't, but it has."Thanks very much for being ‘This Mornings’ Farmer’Comment
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Fellaini insists he did not hit Zabelata intentionally and that the Argentine defender ran into his elbow.
Asked if he was lucky to only pick up a yellow card for the clash, Fellaini is quoted as saying in the Daily Mail: "I don't know, but I certainly didn't do it on purpose.
"I put my arm up to try and protect possession of the ball, and Zabaleta bounced (his jaw) against it. He was unlucky to make contact.
"The movement by me was not in an aggressive manner. It was a defensive move to protect the ball."Comment
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I hope he didn't have a straight face when he said that. Couldn't be more blatant.Originally posted by Bender View PostComment
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Thought this was an interesting read on Scholes' sudden and no-holds barred appearance on Sky the other night...
Paul Scholes lends credence to whispers of imminent Manchester United revolt
The appearance on Sky Sports by one of United's most respected and publicity-shy players sent another grenade rolling into a dressing room rumoured to be on the brink of mutiny
Football fans everywhere love a good conspiracy theory, so here are the beginnings of one over which to chew (warning: may be half-baked). The reclusive Paul Scholes, a good friend of Ryan Giggs who appears to have been marginalised as both a player and coach by David Moyes, makes a surprise appearance on Sky Sports to help analyse a Manchester derby. With the kind of ruthless no-frills precision that marked out his passing as a player, he takes a scalpel to his former team's many shortcomings under the post-Ferguson regime: lack of pace and penetration, questionable selections, underperforming big-name purchases, a manager that still doesn't know his best side.
In mitigation, Scholes cites extenuating circumstances and says the club has "got to stand by" Moyes, but the tacit criticism is clear. Another grenade sent rolling into a dressing room rumoured to be approaching the brink of mutiny, perfectly weighted by one of United's respected players, not only of recent years but all time. Considering how reluctantly and infrequently Scholes airs his views in public, it's only natural to question the timing of Tuesday night's TV appearance and headline-making comments. Marouane Fellaini? "You'd expect better to be honest". Last night's starting 11? "Toothless". Juan Mata? "Quality ... in his right position." Cited in Sir Alex Ferguson's latest autobiography as "a man of excellent opinions", Scholes was always going to cause a stir.
Scholes' most high-profile recent and equally revelatory screen excursion was in the excellent Class of '92 documentary last year, alongside Gary and Phil Neville, and other club stalwarts who learned at Sir Alex Ferguson's knee. Now a respected pundit and Manchester United coach respectively, some insight into the two brothers' private, possibly contrasting ruminations on Tuesday night's man of the match performance from their good friend and former team-mate would be interesting to glean. With the Old Trafford natives growing increasingly restless with their manager's apparent haplessness, Scholes' comments will do little to silence whispers of an imminent Machiavellian revolt masterminded by some of the club's most faithful servants.
Of course, as unlikely as it seems, there is every chance that the famously publicity-shy Scholes simply fancied an evening of green room hospitality, pampering by makeup and a seat in front of sweltering TV lights offering forthright opinions to the Sky anchor Ed Chamberlin along with his fellow analyst Graeme Souness.
It's also far from inconceivable that he's so stereotypically "northern" that mouthing the kind of bland, obvious and uncontroversial opinions for which so many more experienced analysts are renowned is simply beyond him.
What is hard to countenance is that such a shrewd and intelligent man can be unaware of the media hubbub his influential comments would generate, which once again leads to the question: why would somebody so obviously averse to courting publicity bother pouring petrol on the flames of dissatisfaction already threatening to engulf Old Trafford?
On an evening of derby day humiliation when a section of United fans publicly turned on the watching Sir Alex Ferguson for his choice of successor, it was reported that Moyes couldn't get out of the press room fast enough when the subject of Scholes' criticism of Juan Mata was raised in his post-match media briefing. He replied that he thought Mata had played well in defeat and promptly walked out of the door. Quite what he'll make of the rest of the Old Trafford hero's blunt and astute appraisal of the shortcomings he so often seems at a loss to rectify is anyone's guess, although he may at least gain a sliver of much-needed consolation and amusement from the encore of punditry's new star-turn. Scholes' assault on Arsenal was predictably two-footed, but it's his softly spoken criticism of United that will leave the scars.Thanks very much for being ‘This Mornings’ Farmer’Comment
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David Moyes' job at Manchester United is safe – for now
The club are not impervious to the views and mood of fans. They will be taken into account
The catastrophic manner of Manchester United's defeat to Manchester City has brought no immediate review of David Moyes' position and the security of his job for now remains unchanged.
A number of Sir Alex Ferguson's retired former players are understood to have reached the view that the club needs to act swiftly to change manager and that United would be wrong to give Moyes the £150m summer investment intended to deliver the club – on course to miss out even on Europa League qualification for next season – back into the Champions League the season after. Paul Scholes' decision to make a first appearance as a Sky Sports pundit on Tuesday – for a game which his former club seemed likely to lose – was made in the full knowledge that he might have to deliver heavy criticism of Moyes' team. He did not hold back.
Scholes' willingness to work with United's Under-19s team in this season's Uefa Youth League, travelling to Real Sociedad and Shakhtar Donetsk as Nicky Butt's assistant, revealed a desire to renew his involvement. But after United's elimination at the group stage that came to an abrupt end.
The level of abuse directed at Moyes and his predecessor Ferguson by United fans was substantially greater during the 3-0 defeat to City than in the dismal loss to Liverpool by the same scoreline. The chant of "20 times, 20 times Manchester United" – an allusion to the club's number of domestic titles – was accompanied by ironic cheers on Tuesday, while after the Liverpool loss it was sung in defiance, for fully 20 minutes. The club are by no means impervious to the views and mood of the fans. They will be taken into account this summer, despite the club's official stance that Moyes will be leading the effort to rebuild for next season.
The determination to stick to the course and the manager United have decided upon suggests that the elevation of Ryan Giggs from coach to interim manager, with Ferguson assuming an advisory role, is unlikely. Giggs' appointment would, in turn, be likely to restore Scholes to the hub of the club. For many supporters, the idea of Gary Neville also returning after this summer's World Cup, completing a Class of '92 managerial takeover, would be appealing.
But handing the future to Giggs, when a second season's absence from the Champions League could consign United to the wilderness, would constitute a huge gamble. The Borussia Dortmund manager, Jürgen Klopp, would not be such a risk. Though sources in Germany suggest he would be unwilling to break his contract, his loss of striker Robert Lewandowski to newly crowned champions Bayern Munich this summer raises profound questions about how much more he can achieve with Dortmund.
United, who are guaranteed their lowest points total in the Premier League era, are now dependent on a collapse in form from Tottenham Hotspur if they are to achieve the sixth-place finish they require to qualify for the Europa League. It is understood that they will undertake this summer's US tour regardless of any Europa League commitments, dividing up the squad between the two in order to meet footballing demands and commercial commitments.
United will train in Los Angeles and play LA Galaxy before moving to Denver, Colorado, for their first game in the International Champions Cup, in July. Though they may have to play a Europa League third qualifiying round, or play-off, United will travel to Washington DC, Detroit and possibly Miami, where the Champions Cup final is to be held.
But to reach the Europa League – which brings the new attraction of automatic Champions League qualification for next season's winners – United must make up a five-point deficit on Tottenham or the six-point advantage established by fifth-placed Everton. Assuming the top four will be Chelsea, City, Liverpool and Arsenal, a fifth place would deliver United straight into the Europa League group stage and sixth would send them into a play-off game. If Arsenal do not win the FA Cup, fifth would mean a Europa League play-off game and sixth would mean an additional third qualifying round game.
Victory at home to Aston Villa on Saturday could help, with Spurs facing a tough trip to Liverpool on Sunday. Defeat to Villa would put United under immense pressure to review the manager's position.Thanks very much for being ‘This Mornings’ Farmer’Comment
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Cracking edit on the Scholes article
*Except Michael, who died.Comment
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No edits at all in the Scholes article.Thanks very much for being ‘This Mornings’ Farmer’Comment
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Ian Watson @IanWatson1
#MUFC fans planning "Wrong One - Moyes Out" fly-over on Sat. MEN have a 'Moyes excuses generator'. There's no going back from all this.Thanks very much for being ‘This Mornings’ Farmer’Comment
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This wasnt an edit?
It's also far from inconceivable that he's so stereotypically "northern" that mouthing the kind of bland, obvious and uncontroversial opinions for which so many more experienced analysts are renowned is simply beyond him.*Except Michael, who died.Comment
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NopeThanks very much for being ‘This Mornings’ Farmer’Comment
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Manchester Evening News @MENnewsdesk
Anti-Moyes protest songs at Saturday's Villa game to be led by Mick Hucknall and Eamonn Holmes outside Bishop's Blaize pub.Thanks very much for being ‘This Mornings’ Farmer’Comment
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