Manchester United - Page 2

Shaggy · 08-01-12, 12:04 PM

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2...ted?CMP=twt_gu

Quote:

Sir Alex Ferguson powerless to stop Manchester United empire crumbling

Manchester United may go on to win the Double, but there can be no happy ending for a decaying club

Rob Smyth

guardian.co.uk, Saturday 7 January 2012 22.55 GMT

It did not take a couple of spineless defeats to Blackburn and Newcastle, or a reminder of the apparently inexorable breakdown in the relationship between Sir Alex Ferguson and Wayne Rooney, to confirm that Manchester United are on their knees ahead of Sunday's FA Cup tie at Manchester City. The defeats and the latest Rooney story barely registered. After a while, you stop noticing the nails going in the coffin.

There is a perception, born of ignorance or sandyheadedness, that United fans complaining about the state of the club are just spoilt brats who can't handle the odd bad result. Poppycock. You would be surprised how many fans welcome defeats, even humiliations, on some level, because they hasten an industrial cleansing of the club that has been necessary since United embarked on the road to ruin with the Glazers on 12 May 2005. The sooner United hit rock bottom, the sooner the club can regain its identity.

Every significant aspect of the club is decaying. The squad is riddled with uncertainty. The star player, Rooney, has gone from having a sulk every football season to a sulk every calendrical season and seems certain to have one fallout too many with Ferguson sooner rather than later. The fans have been replaced by consumers, people who see no contradiction in draping a green-and-gold scarf over a replica shirt and who seem to take their attitude from Nirvana: here we are now, entertain us. The wall of silence against Blackburn was a shocking nadir.

The Glazers are siphoning money in such staggering quantities that, in the past three years, United's net spend is lower than that of Hull City, Blackpool and Burnley. There are now rumours of a move for Frank Lampard and a return for Paul Scholes. Lampard, Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Michael Owen and Rio Ferdinand. All hail the geriátricos.

Then there is the manager. In terms of results, Ferguson has arguably never been better than in the past few years, manipulating limited resources and imposing his obscene will to stunning effect. Last season's title was almost entirely down to him. Ferguson is a miracle of longevity who has emerged triumphantly from deeper holes than this in the past, and may do so again. Yet all genius is finite. It is not just all political lives that end in failure.

Ferguson has looked weary in the past two games, slumped passively in his chair when before he would have prowled the touchline, liberally applying the fear of God. His often eccentric selections have started to verge on the wilfully perverse. He is also picking more fights than usual, almost bringing to mind the last days of Tony Montana and Tony Soprano as they burned bridges with humanity.

Ferguson often says nobody is bigger than the club, yet there are signs that he has started to believe in his own omnipotence. His greatest strength – the absolute conviction that no challenge is too great – may become his defining weakness. It's a textbook tragedy: a genius unwittingly presiding over the excruciatingly slow ruin of the empire he created. United may beat City on Sunday and go on to do the Double; it does not matter. There can be no happy ending here.

dom9 · 08-01-12, 12:19 PM

Would you rather be a Liverpool fan or a united fan, if you were new to this and had to choose between the two for the first time?

wavydavy · 08-01-12, 12:55 PM

It's ironic how it's us LFC fans,who all got our PHDs in Economics in the H&G thread,who seem to know most about their precarious situation and have done for two or three years. Their fans seem oblivious to what's going on at their club IMO and seem to think it's all going to last forever.

Fivex · 08-01-12, 12:56 PM

Right now? Bearing in mind recent trophies and recent negativity towards our club, I'd guess at the scum.

spud_gun · 08-01-12, 01:07 PM

The Scholes move smacks of desperation

RedAndWhite · 08-01-12, 01:34 PM

I know a fairly intelligent (both footballing and acedemicly) Utd fan (they do exist -I swear) and he is dreading Whiskey Nose leaving as he can see the club imploding - his biggest fear is the power that Ferguson currently has in football as a whole will be gone and UTD will have to pay for his past deeds. Personally I hope he is right.

lucas · 08-01-12, 01:49 PM

I hope the referees remember what scholes said about his bad fouls during his career. How they were premeditated & were done to get revenge. He wasn't just a bad tackler just a dirty bastard.

Buzzo · 08-01-12, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spud_gun

The Scholes move smacks of desperation

Yep - they are obviously skint. Who is next, Bobby Charlton?

Exiled_red · 08-01-12, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lucas

I hope the referees remember what scholes said about his bad fouls during his career. How they were premeditated & were done to get revenge. He wasn't just a bad tackler just a dirty bastard.

peekay · 08-01-12, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lackyboy

I think your right there Peekay, teams who acually attack utd and don't sit back, often come out with better results - especially at the moment with their makeshift defence. They do have quality throughout without question, but if some of the lesser teams had the mentality to go 35/65 instead of 20/80 in terms of attack, I think they may struggle. Utd seeem to enjoy teams parking the bus (as opposed to us!)

Neil Young · 08-01-12, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lackyboy

I think your right there Peekay...

Quote:

Originally Posted by peekay

peekay · 08-01-12, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neil Young

BigChief · 08-01-12, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buzzo

Yep - they are obviously skint. Who is next, Bobby Charlton?

Chris Foy...on a free...salary paid by FA.

Phoenix07 · 06-02-12, 12:00 PM

Munich 1958. RIP to those lost in the tragedy and peace to those affected to this very day.

Maxiedge · 06-02-12, 12:18 PM

yep it was a terrible thing to happen. RIP

Shaggy · 06-02-12, 12:20 PM

Wonder if there'll be a silence at Anfield tonight? It's a shame but I imagine there won't be for fear of it being wrecked.

RIP the 23.

Mattshark · 06-02-12, 12:21 PM

RIP

I hope we can show respect for those who died tonight.

Nick77 · 06-02-12, 03:36 PM

On another note - does anyone know the name of the commentator who refers to them as Manchunited? It's hilarious!!

Exiled_red · 06-02-12, 11:38 PM

Rest In Peace

Liverpel · 07-02-12, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaggy

Wonder if there'll be a silence at Anfield tonight? It's a shame but I imagine there won't be for fear of it being wrecked.

RIP the 23.

There isn't usually a silence at any ground except Old Trafford, is there?

Kenneth · 07-02-12, 01:04 AM

But they make up for it by doing it for most of every game.

Shanks · 07-02-12, 09:15 AM

I dont think it's ever happened has it?

Could you imagine a minutes silence at OT for Hillsborough..

Shanks · 07-02-12, 09:21 AM

I'm sure something similar happened when Utd fans failed to observe the silence..
Anyone confirm?

Sunderland fans singing You'll Never Walk Alone - YouTube

Muddled · 29-03-12, 07:35 PM

Lucky breaks even themselves out - Sir Alex Ferguson

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists contentious refereeing decisions even themselves out over the course of a season.

Fulham were denied a late penalty in the 1-0 loss at Old Trafford as United moved three points clear of Manchester City at the Premier League summit.

"It evens itself out over a season and that will never change," said Ferguson, whose club have won 19 league titles.

"You get breaks here and there. Every club gets good breaks, bad breaks."

Fulham wanted a spot-kick in the 87th minute on Monday when Michael Carrick appeared to trip Danny Murphy in the box.

“City could have had a penalty kick against them at Stoke as everyone saw. We had a terrible decision at Old Trafford when Newcastle got a penalty kick”

But referee Michael Oliver rejected their appeals, as he did when United felt Stephen Kelly handled Patrice Evra's cross before half-time.

City executive Patrick Vieira said on Wednesday that he believed United and other big clubs "get some advantage" from officials at home, though his club later released a statement to say his views had been taken out of context.

"From the referee's position, I can see why he didn't give a penalty kick when Danny Murphy was brought down because the ball has moved to the angle as Michael Carrick has challenged him," Ferguson argued.

"From that position it wasn't clear. It was a good claim.

"We could have had a penalty but you don't often get these ones when a wide player's crossing the ball.

"He almost caught the ball between his arm and his body. We could have got a penalty but I wouldn't have expected one for that, to be honest."

Ferguson suggested Manchester City were fortunate not to concede a penalty when Gareth Barry challenged Stoke's Glenn Whelan in Saturday's 1-1 draw at the Britannia Stadium

He also mentioned the controversial penalty Newcastle were awarded in their 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in November and an apparent stamp on Scott Parker by Mario Balotelli - who went on the score the winning goal - in Manchester City's 3-2 victory over Tottenham in January.

"City could have had a penalty kick against them at Stoke as everyone saw," Ferguson commented.

"We had a terrible decision this season at Old Trafford when Newcastle got a penalty kick. Tottenham could claim the same when Balotelli wasn't sent off and then ended up scoring the winning goal.

"You could go through millions of things like that but I think maybe we've a point that the smaller clubs feel that way.

"Someone said some years ago United always get penalty kicks at Old Trafford but when you go back through the 25 years I've been here it's only averaged about three a year, or something like that.

"It has some mileage in terms of press and things like that but most managers believe that the breaks even themselves out."

The hyporicsy, irony, bullshit and undeserved moral high-ground can be found here: BBC Sport

ChesterDave · 02-10-12, 08:17 AM

Alex Ferguson, you know what you are?

Once again Ferguson singles out foreigners as cheats more than the brave English lions.

FA Charge for racism? Doubt it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19797114

Captain Stu · 02-10-12, 08:32 AM

Decisions even themselves out over the course of a season? How about the number they've amassed over 20 fucking years?!

Assassin · 02-10-12, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Stu

Decisions even themselves out over the course of a season? How about the number they've amassed over 20 fucking years?!

By this, DBF means in their favour

Alex · 02-10-12, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Decisions even themselves out over the course of a season

Thats one of the worst Cliches in football. Are decisions conscious then? Do mistakes realise what they have done and then put it right 6 months later. Come off it you senile old cunt.

yamiedo · 02-10-12, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChesterDave

Alex Ferguson, you know what you are?

Once again Ferguson singles out foreigners as cheats more than the brave English lions.

FA Charge for racism? Doubt it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19797114

Fergie is a foreigner though. He is Scottish like me.

Vermilion · 02-10-12, 08:02 PM

Are losing 1-0 to Kluge.

Kenneth · 02-10-12, 08:02 PM

They're losing to clunge.

Kenneth · 02-10-12, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vermilion

Are losing 1-0 to Gomel.

especially poor as they're not even playing them.

baitman · 02-10-12, 08:05 PM

ahwooga!

Assassin · 02-10-12, 08:05 PM

Great to see but hardly surprising, they are at best average.......

Vermilion · 02-10-12, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenneth

especially poor as they're not even playing them.

Why have you edited my post.

CJ · 02-10-12, 08:06 PM

Are this clunge lot tasty

Buzzo · 02-10-12, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex

Thats one of the worst Cliches in football. Are decisions conscious then? Do mistakes realise what they have done and then put it right 6 months later. Come off it you senile old cunt.

That'd be awesome if they could do that (not just in football).

Kenneth · 03-10-12, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vermilion

Why have you edited my post.

You were third time lucky

RichC · 03-10-12, 11:11 AM

I see Roberto Martinez has been fined by the FA for his outburst after them losing to United

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19729114

Interestingly Fergie hasn't been given the same punishment after his rant about Foy

Shaggy · 03-10-12, 02:11 PM

LOL

(click the link to see the video)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...uHgG2h-oq9oaTT

Quote:

Sir Alex Ferguson has been known to give his Manchester United players the hairdryer treatment when they fall short of his expectations, and one Sky Sports News reporter now knows what it feels like to get on the wrong side of him.

He asked the Manchester United manager, who is a keen golfer, for his reaction to Europe's Ryder Cup victory, and got a less than enthusiastic response.

“Listen, listen. This is a press conference about a bloody football match,” said a clearly irritated Sir Alex.

“You’ve got to go way over the top with your programme. I’m not answering that. We’re here to talk about football. Christ.”