Were we watching Man Utd's thrashing by Barcelona?

[Woobus]

Joking aside, the point about the media asking Rafa to congratulate Ferguson, but not asking Ferguson to congratulate Guardiola, is a fair one.

Why is this the case? Is it really a case of the media disliking Rafa? And if so, why?
It certainly does look that way, but i cant fathom why they'd bother to target Rafa.

Genuinely interested in this issue.

They hate foreigners if you ask me, they seem to always be having a go at one of them even when English managers are doing worse. Pretty much every manager they have targeted in recent years has been foreign while useless ****s like fat Sam can get away with anything.

[Neil Young]

I suspect part of the reason they tend to take against foreign managers is that they don't have the relationship with them. As a result they tend to be on the outside.

Look at how Balague has created a career in the UK basically on the back of the fact he knew Rafa before he joined us.

As an aside, there was an interesting snippet I heard about how the workings of political journalism affects election results. Young political reporters tend to strike up relationships with Opposition politicians because the senior reporters have got the Government ones sewn up. Over the years those junior journos rise up through the ranks yet their best sources are out of power. They then play a part in creating momentum for a change of government because it helps their careers.

It makes sense if the same forces are at work in sports journalism too.

[Guest]

I suspect part of the reason they tend to take against foreign managers is that they don't have the relationship with them. As a result they tend to be on the outside.

Look at how Balague has created a career in the UK basically on the back of the fact he knew Rafa before he joined us.

As an aside, there was an interesting snippet I heard about how the workings of political journalism affects election results. Young political reporters tend to strike up relationships with Opposition politicians because the senior reporters have got the Government ones sewn up. Over the years those junior journos rise up through the ranks yet their best sources are out of power. They then play a part in creating momentum for a change of government because it helps their careers.

It makes sense if the same forces are at work in sports journalism too.

Great insight that and it makes sense. Still, I find it hard to lose any sleep on Fergie's shenanigans with the media. He'll be gone in a couple of years down the line.

[bobbyfallon]

And what was your reply?

i thought it was funny anyways

[Reece]

i thought it was funny anyways

Thank you my good man

[bobbyfallon]

Thank you my good man

she didnt get it id say

[Reece]

she didnt get it id say

Nah she probably just didn't notice - too busy talking to herself.

[Neil Young]

Nah she probably just didn't notice - too busy talking to herself.

Show some respect. Apparently she's dying.

[Craig_H]

I saw one of those shows at Liverpool TV and there where a few journalists there, one of them Barrett, and they said that there where simply many people in the press who had an agenda against Liverpool FC mostly because of success and the European ban.

That's an obvious possibility, but it's been 20 odd years now, surely there has to be more to it.

[Craig_H]

They hate foreigners if you ask me, they seem to always be having a go at one of them even when English managers are doing worse. Pretty much every manager they have targeted in recent years has been foreign while useless ****s like fat Sam can get away with anything.

If it was that, Scolari would've been slaughtered, and he wasnt. Same with Wenger. We'll see if Ancelotti gets it.

[Reece]

Maybe it's because Rafa refuses to take any bull**** from them, and in fact sues them if he sees fit.

[Neil Young]

Also, all new managers get a grace period when journalists are trying to build relationships and work out what they're like. I'd imagine their frustrations, sense of being insultingly marginalised and petty jealousies and rivalries build over time.

Scolari didn't last long enough for that to happen.

[Marky]

**** Man United and their fans.

I was just thinking yesterday, that team that started for them on weds was hardly full of quality. O'Shea, Carrick, Anderson and Park, i wouldn't be overjoyed with them starting for us in a European Cup final. Then there's the ageing Giggs and Van Der Sar, again they wouldn't fill me with confidence.

[Shaggy]

Maybe it's because Rafa refuses to take any bull**** from them, and in fact sues them if he sees fit.

Yeah I think so. Rafa straight bats everything and it pisses them off. Geoff Shreeves has often said what a delightful man Rafa is off camera, sort of implying that on-camera he's a pain in the arse - which, to them, he is because he gives them nothing. I think to a degree Rafa treats them like fools, which of course most of them are.

On the other hand, Scolari and others usually give the journos what they want.

[Joe King]

Yeah I think so. Rafa straight bats everything and it pisses them off. Geoff Shreeves has often said what a delightful man Rafa is off camera, sort of implying that on-camera he's a pain in the arse - which, to them, he is because he gives them nothing. I think to a degree Rafa treats them like fools, which of course most of them are.

On the other hand, Scolari and others usually give the journos what they want.

Simply put, Benitez is quite sceptical about the media. He doesn't trust them and rightly so.