Is He or Isn't He?

I have to say that the transfer periods that occur in January and the summer are the most annoying things about footy.  The constant "inside stories" batted around by the press, claiming to know the boardroom dealings of billion-dollar clubs (like United) is laughable.
Cesc Fabregas, the Spanish midfielder at Arsenal, has been leaving, staying, leaving, staying, leaving, staying for more than two seasons now.  Schooled in la Masia (Barcelona's academy), he was plucked at a young age to play for the Gunners.  Their dearth of trophies has made the 23-yr-old pine to play for Barcelona.  His Spanish National Team mates (some of whom play for Barca) have spoken in the press ad nauseam that he belongs at Barca and he can't wait to leave Arsenal, blah blah blah.  Well OF COURSE he does.  Arsenal hasn't won anything and the club's tight-fisted manager promises the fans that youth is the key (although they win nothing) and they should hold out...the fans are tired of holding out and the empty promises of big signings every summer have the Gunner faithful up in arms!
Barcelona has been very successful in recent years and I'm sure Cesc thinks he will walk on to the team and they'll win gobs of trophies...but the interesting thing that most people fail to mention is...CESC ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH TO PLAY FOR BARCELONA!!!!  He doesn't start for the Spanish NT (who won the World Cup and Euro 2008)...in fact he barely plays for the NT.  Why does Cesc think he will go to Barcelona and automatically have a starting position with a team that is already successful?  He will be warming the bench for when Xavi or Iniesta get tired and want to be subbed off. 
Arsenal is asking a ludicrous price for a player who has done nothing since being at Arsenal.  When Cristiano Ronaldo was sold to Real Madrid from United, his 80mil price was warranted because he was the league's leading player, the reigning World Player of the Year, and a player ANYONE would want for their starting XI.  Cesc?  Constantly crocked, ineffective in big matches, loses the ball more than anyone on the team....need I say more?
Well, Arsene Wenger has finally relented and agreed (according to the papers) to let Cesc go...FINALLY!!!!!!!!  So sick of hearing about it.
Samir Nasri seems to be heading out of the Emirates as well...ironically Nasri is a better player than Cesc, but to his detriment was not a member of the Spanish NT...and seems bound for Man Poo...not exactly a step up in my estimation...

United's own transfer saga involves one Wesley Sneijder...formerly of Real Madrid (until he was unceremoniously dumped two season ago and sold to Inter Milan...where he won the Champions League the following season with Inter AT MADRID!), and a member of the Dutch National Team, who were the runners up to Spain in last year's World Cup.  Wesley's Inter of last year was horrible and lost out to AC Milan for the prized Scudetto of the Serie A...or Serie Blahhh as I call it.
The rumors have been rampant about Sneijder's impending arrival at United, supposedly in line to take the retiring Paul Scholes' place in midfield.  He is a good player and the pulse of United fans has been mostly positive...but...he's 27.  SAF and the board at United have a rule about not paying top dollar for anyone over 26.  Why?  Because a 4-yr or longer contract would find the player in their early 30s at the end of the contract and not worth much in the resale market.
Dimitar Berbatov was a one-off in that category and was purchased at age 27 a few years ago...but he was also the league's leading scorer last year (tying an unmentionable troll for that title). 
Wesley has had an off year with Inter and many think he wants to move on and United have the money to purchase him so he had his agent toss United's name in to the whirlpool that is the public transfer market.
But...United never do business in the press so I was skeptical when I heard that "it was a done deal."  Many are still saying that today, but now The Guardian, a UK newspaper is reporting that a "boardroom-level source" has told them that the deal is dead and Sneijder will not be joining United by the end of this month.  The supposed reason is Sneijder's outlandish wage demand.
.........big sigh........
So Is He or Isn't He?  I have no idea.

Marouane Chamakh laughs with wantaway Cesc Fabregas earlier this week

"YES!!! I could be playing for United!"--Wesley Sneijder

A New Season Awaits

Since United's victorious run last season, a record-breaking 19th title, much has happened.  I have been out of town most of the summer and unable to update the blog.
Our Reds managed a disappointing second place to our arch-nemesis in the Champions League, Barcelona, at Wembley Stadium at the end of May.  But unlike RM, our Reds didn't lose 5-0... :))

In the transfer market Sir Alex has been his usual wily self.  Picking up Ashley Young from Aston Villa, Phil Jones from Blackburn, and David de Gea from Atletico Madrid.
Ashley Young, who now wears the 18 of newly-retired legend Paul Scholes, has impressed the Reds faithful already in the pre-season.  His quickness and ability to read the defense has lifted the pall settling in over fans who didn't want to see Scholes retire (or think about Giggsy leaving in the near future).  The calm, quiet precision in which Scholesy worked can be seen in Young's quick runs on the wing.  He also has a rocket (which the former number 18 was known for), and isn't intimidated by anyone.  Perhaps having experience playing next to United's English players for the National Team helped him to acclimatize quickly.  He is keen to improve his skills and earn his keep!

Jones, a young defender, has featured a bit in pre-season as well, and after a few matches seemed to feel more comfortable in his position.  He has big shoes to fill.  Last year's signing, Chris Smalling, was called into action early on when Rio Ferdinand was injured.  He didn't have time to contemplate a First Team start like many recruits who start out in the Reserves.  Hopefully that won't happen to Jones, who will probably just add to the depth this year in case of injury.

David de Gea's transfer or possible transfer has been in the papers since Edwin Van der Sar announced last year that the 2010-11 season would be his last.  The 40-yr-old, who has won many trophies with the Reds, decided it was time to pass the baton to a younger keeper.  Many were batted around in the press as his successor, but de Gea got the call and joined the Reds while on their US Tour after playing in the Under-21 World Cup for Spain.  Despite his tender age, he was the starter for Atletico Madrid last year.  Anders Lindegaard, purchased last year by United, has also featured in the pre-season and did very well.  It's a nice thing for a manager to have two steady keepers in case of injury.  Ben Amos also played in the pre-season and did fine, but de Gea has already been assigned the number 1 kit.  His only weakness at this point is his language...he is learning English!!!  Eric Steele, the United keeper coach, has had to learn some Spanish to converse with his new recruit.  I suppose he just has to point to the players and tell them which way the wall needs to move!!!

Speaking of the Pre-season.  United went on tour to the United States and won all 5 of its games (some by 7!) against MLS teams and the MLS All-Stars, but the last match of the tour was perhaps the most-anticipated: a rematch with Barcelona.  Barca didn't have a few of its stars (Messi, Puyol, etc.) but United didn't start it's usual XI either...in fact, the match was won by United's youth, with an average age of just under 23!!  Barca has always relied on it's "la Masia" (youth academy) to keep the fires burning, but it wasn't enough against United youngsters like Danny Welbeck, Tom Cleverley, and Mame Diouf, who all three were loaned out last year to give them more senior experience.  Obviously it worked, because after the match the United fans who've been pining for a CM like Wesley Sneijder to join the Reds were singing the praises of Cleverley, who along with Ashley Young and Anderson, ran riot over the Barca midfield. 
All these kids need is a bit of confidence and they will be unstoppable...the future of United.

After returning from the US, United faced it's "noisy neighbors," Man Poo for the Community Shield at Wembley.  The Reds were down two goals at the half despite dominating the match.  Sir Alex knew the goals would come, as did the TV announcers, and it took just a few minutes after the half for Chris Smalling to put the Reds back in it.  A clever dink from an Ashley Young cross broke the seal and a few minutes later, Nani scored a brilliant goal that was set up by just about everyone wearing a Red kit.  Ping-pong, first-touch ball had Man Poo running in circles and Nani received a brilliant ball from Cleverley and slotted home from 6-yds out.  2-2.  At that point there was no doubt that United were on a roll and Man Poo, as usual, were dumbstruck with no guidance from the touchline.  At 90 + 4' Nani dispossessed a clueless Kompany (receiving a lobbing backpass from a teammate) and faked the keeper...BANG!!!  2-3, game over. 
United came from behind in too many matches last season, and gave Man Poo and others the same old lesson...never count out United.  David Beckham said it best when he confided that "even when United are down with a few minutes to go everyone still believes they can win it."
Indeed. 
How thrilling to see our newbies jumping up and down with their first trophy as a Red!
GGMU!!!!!

Tom Cleverley marshals the midfield

New defender Phil Jones

Ashley Young, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, and Tom Cleverley proudly display the 2011 Community Shield...let's hope they get to do this much more this season!!!!

The Run-In...BEL19VE

I realize it's been 3 months since my last post, but a project at work and computer problems had me hog-tied.  It's now over and I can focus more on my footy addiction.

The EPL run-in is only 5 games from completion.  Manchester United are still atop the table with a 6-point margin on Chelski and Arsenal (who have fallen to third based on goal differential).  The Gunners have stuttered down the stretch (as is usual for them this time of year) and Chelscummers have seen fit to win their games in recent weeks after stuttering for most of the season.

United are also still vying for the Champions League crown after seeing off Chelski in the quarterfinals.  Next up is Schalke 04, who's remarkable staying power in the CL masks their poor performance in the Bundesliga (10th in the table, 29 pts out of 1st).  The German side has one power forward in Raul, the former legend and fan-favorite of Real Madrid.  Failing to make an impact on Los Merengues in recent years, the 33-yr-old made a move to Gelsenkirchen to rejuvenate his career.  It has worked for him, but if Die Konigsblauen fail to advance against United, then their season will be a disappointment.
Also known as Die Knappen (the miners), Schalke has seen off some good teams during the CL Group Stage and Knockouts.  Most notably the holders of the trophy, Inter Milan.  But the Inter of last year and this year (now without blowhard manager Jose Mourinho) are two completely different animals.  So that leaves us United fans with a *shrugs shoulders* not-too-sure idea of Schalke's abilities.

The Champions League title is very important.  Barcelona and Real Madrid (who have played each other 3 times this year and still have 2 more matches to go in the next few weeks) will meet in the semis, with the winner taking on the United/Schalke winner.  The Final will be played in Wembley Stadium, London, so United supporters are hoping for a home advantage, should they see off the Miners.  Here's hoping we give them the shaft... :)

As I said above, the CL title is important, but my main focus is always the EPL crown.  The record-breaking 19th title is within grasp so our Reds just need to focus in the last 5 and bring that trophy back to Old Trafford.  Seeing it adorned with blue ribbons last year was....WRONG.  Let's hope Sir Alex's men can carry it through the streets of Manchester with its proper accoutrement...RED RIBBONS.

United Has Most Supporters

Manchester United is the best-supported team in Europe!

Click here to see the article and statistics.

Gobbledygook Part II

For those of you still interested in "David Beckham Takes England Part II" then here is an hilarious video put out by the Sun.

Here is the address...then click play on the video. 

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3352103/David-Beckhams-texts-to-Harry-Redknapp-leaked.html

A Gobbledygook

So much to talk about:

DAVID BECKHAM IS A SPUR (SORT OF)
Yes, the man who said "I will never play for another team in the Premier League out of respect for Manchester United," is now playing for another team, Tottenham Hotspur.
The aging wonderboy still fancies himself as an England NT player and wants to play/train over the MLS break but decided against going back to AC Milan.  I'm sure that AC's table-topping status more than likely prevented him from joining the Italian side.
But...in a curious turnabout, 'Arry Redknapp, the ebullient manager of Tottenham came out to say that he would not be playing with the side, but merely training with them.  The reason was insurance.  After David was injured last year while playing with AC (achilles tear), he only managed 7 games with the LA Galaxy, the club who pay his exhorbitant wages.  So it would make sense that insurance was a sticky factor.  And the footy world took note in a five-alarm-fire way this week when DB was seen limping out of the Spurs training facility.  OMG...was he already injured?  Haha..it was revealed later that he had....drumroll please...a blister.

After the insurance angle was revealed, several footy insiders took note of the situation and delved even further.  It seems that the LA Galaxy owner is also the man behind AEG, a company who are bidding in tandem with Tottenham for the Olympic stadium when the Olympics are finished.  Others in London are also bidding for it, and the insiders suggested that David's "loan" was merely a PR ploy to bring credibility to Tottenham's bid. 
They continued to suggest that the loan was never intended to be for playing time.
Both sides have been dragging their feet and one would wonder why, since David's loan was only meant to last until February 10, when he is due back in LA for training with the Galaxy.  Why would they be dragging?  One word...United.
The Spurs are due to play United at White Hart Lane on Sunday.  Of course if they drag their feet enough, then David would not have to face his former club, something which would put his status as a hero at the club in jeopardy.  It was one thing to play for Milan last year, a team which doesn't compete regularly against United (although DB did play at OT when Milan met United in the CL...and lost).  But playing against United with a team who are in the top 5 of the Prem League could cause harm to United's title chances...David Beckham would forever be a pariah at Old Trafford, something which he is kean to avoid (being a diehard fan of his former team).
Whewwww!
Redknapp confirmed the suspicions of the footy insiders by revealing yesterday that David would only be training with the club (he thinks) and wouldn't be featuring against United.  I found this curious.
If it's just about training, then why wouldn't David train with United?  Yes, he left on a sour note with Sir Alex when the circus that is David and Victoria, Posh and Becks, started to interfere with his playing level.  So maybe SAF was thinking at this time in the season United didn't need any other distractions.  Smart thinking.
But I'm sure if DB had his druthers, he would be training at Carrington with Giggsy, Scholesy, and company.
I do think it will be interesting when the Tottenham faithful look through the crowd and find their new "signee" cheering for the opposition on Sunday.  David can't hid his true colors.

MANCHESTER UNITED V LIVERPOOL...FA CUP 3RD ROUND
Manchester United hosted the other Reds at Old Trafford on Sunday for the right to move on in the FA Cup.  In the 3' Dimitar Berbatov was brought down (a soft penalty), Howard Webb issued a penalty and Ryan Giggs slotted home to score the only goal of the match.  United were close many times, but indeed the score was 1-0 at Full Time.
Liverpool were utterly useless, including their stars.  I'm a pseudo-fan of Fernando Torres because he's a Spaniard who really wants to play in the EPL and has turned down several offers to leave (may not happen now), but he has been an inconsistent performer for the Liverpudlians and his constant crocked status has not helped his team in the slightest.
He couldn't contend with Rafael da Silva on Sunday, who was given the task of marking "el Nin~o" when Vidic was unable to play.  The young Brasileiro did a superb job and kept "Nando" in the "Nada" category. Their "star" was subbed off after the hour mark.

The captain of the Merseysiders is Steven Gerrard.  A one-time captain of the English National Team, and diehard member of the 'Pool Reds, Gerrard did little to deserve his title when he went in two-footed on Michael Carrick in the 32'.  Webb made no mistake of sending off Gerrard, thus leaving his limp side to contend with the leaders of the Prem League with only 10 men.
After Ryan's goal in the 3' you could see the looks on the faces of the opposition, "game over."  Their place in the table, which was at one time in history always at the top, is an embarrassing four points from relegation. 
With all that said, I don't feel a bit sorry for them.  After they purposefully lost the match against Chelscum last year, I lost what little respect I had for them.  If Chelscum had lost that match, United would have been the champions.  Of course they denied throwing the game vehemently, but since they had no way of making it into the top four and a Champions League spot, they were content to sit in 7th, thus denying a record-breaking 19th Prem League title for the Reds of Manchester.  Currently the Red Devils of Manchester and the Reds of Liverpool are tied at 18 wins apiece.
Daniel Taylor of the Guardian newspaper had an interesting take on that, which you can read here.

If a Ryan was the hero of the winning side, another Ryan was the idiot for the other.
Ryan Babel, who rarely sees action for Liverpool, found it necessary to mock the official, Howard Webb, for his awarding of the penalty in the first part of the match.  Criticism of an official in public by anyone associated with a club is big no-no on the FA's part.  But Ryan, who should have taken heed of his surname, which mirrors the Tower that crumbled to the ground, saw fit to post on his Twitter account a doctored photo of Howard Webb wearing a Manchester United kit.
The Twitter world went tweet-crazy and some United supporters (whom I follow on Twitter) retweeted his post to the FA's account.  One tweeter responded with, "I would tweet a pic of @RyanBabel in a Liverpool shirt, but I can't find one." (referring to Babel's inability to feature in the first team)
Within hours the FA had charged Babel with Improper Conduct.  I'm sure the dolts at the FA will give him a slap on the wrist, but it served as a warning to footballers who tweet that someone is listening.  Also within hours, Twitter newbie Tom Cleverley, the former United Reserves star, who is sitting out on injury after a stint on loan, opened and closed his account within two days, "after the club and his agent advised him to shut it down."
Rio Ferdinand, whose tweeting skills I've blogged about, still remains.  I'm sure the club realize that Tom, being a very young man, might run the risk of saying something out of sorts like Babel.  (I doubt that, but I understand the club's position). Rio, on the other hand, strays away from controversy, and even batted away the hate-tweets of Scouser fools after the match.
One such Scouser Scum sent a tweet to @rioferdy5 accusing him and United of being cheating, dirty scumbags.  He then wrote, "MUNICH, Manchester United Never Intended Coming Home."  The daft and cruel reference to the Munich aircrash, which cost several United lives, only underscored the insanity tap tap tapped into PDAs around the world after a match.  Pathetic.

SCOUSER IDIOTS
I reserve the term "scouser" not for regular, diehard Liverpool fans, but for the hooligans who make assclowns out of themselves while "supporting" their club.
The Scouser Assclowns last Sunday (9,000 strong) and their ridiculous behavior harkened back to the days of hooliganism that was rampant in the Premier League.  With added security and rules (of which breaking them will get you banned for life from matches), one would think that we've moved on from the images that have stained the reputation and growth of footy worldwide.
So...when you have 9,000 angry fans, whose once-great team is quite possibly the worst in the Prem League, add in alcohol and a complete lack of sense, and you have the nobheads who destroyed property at Old Trafford.
Yes, they ripped up seats in the visiting end, throwing them over the balcony into the lower stands (on to their own supporters...brilliant), and then destroyed bathrooms in the same area.  Many (real Liverpool supporters in the vicinity suggest 70%) were chanting "Munich." (which was seen on TV by everyone watching)
Their rebellion didn't end inside the grounds, but also spilled into the outside area, where 15 were arrested for their dissent.
If they want to vent their anger then they should rip out the seats at Anfield and throw them on to the pitch.  Their team's pathetic season is what they should be mad about.  They are responsible for their own place in the table, not children attending a match at Old Trafford.  Their idiocy could have injured or killed people in the lower decks, children included.  All over a game. SMH.

THE SILLY SEASON
Yes, it is January, and with that comes the winter silly season, where clubs trade and buy and sell and loan out their players.
United have stayed out of the buyer's market, as have other clubs.  Kiko Macheda (the adorable Italian) was loaned out to Sampdoria last week and impressed on his first runout in Serie A.
Arsenal have shunned the market like United (although they desperately need a sound keeper), but of course you could count on Man Poo to BUY BUY BUY like it's going out of style.
This last week Eden Dzeko, formerly of Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, made his move to the Blue Boo Hoo side of Manchester.
His arrival sparked a curious quote from the Bosnian, when he was formally presented at a Man Poo press conference.  His verbal hilarity is my Quote of the Week:

"I've been told that most of Manchester are City fans..."

Oh dear...

But he didn't stop there.  He also added,

"I saw something in Man City that I didn't see at any other club."

One hilarious post on Twitter interpreted Dzeko's quote by reminding us that it's been 35 years since Man Poo has won anything:
"A trophy room with f*** all in it?"

I'll end on that.

Okay...Now It's Just Ridiculous

Ugghhh...as if those of us following this closely didn't know it would turn out to be a farce...

The derelict braintrust that is FIFA awarded the 2022 World Cup to the tiny Gulf nation of Qatar.  Dripping in oil money, yet lacking in any football prowess whatsoever, nevertheless the Qataris topped the voting over second-place USA, Japan, etc.

The fallout that ensued, especially after England was dumped out of the 2018 voting in the first round WITH ONLY ONE VOTE, was monumental.  Nobody could understand why Qatar had been given the vote...130 degrees in the summer, no place to put enough stadia for the event, out-of-touch religious codes, and a relationship with terrorist nations unchecked in the region.
But...FIFA DID vote for Qatar.

So a week ago when Septic Bladder (the scheming moron who runs the world's authority on football) sauntered over to the Asian Cup (no doubt on a private plane, staying in five-star accomodations), HRH saw fit to comment on Qatar.

He suggested that WC 2022 should be held in the winter! *crickets*

The proposal, no doubt, left all of UEFA's clubs in a quandary...meaning the WC would appear smack dab in the middle of their seasons.
Yes, the Asian Cup and African Nations Cup do run during the same time, but that assures only limited disruption in UEFA's leagues, and doesn't involve 2/3 of a club side.

Bladder's suggestion was to change the leagues' schedules around to fit the WC. *crickets*

Why is he suggesting the winter change?  Because it's obvious that FIFA did not answer the most pertinent of questions when listening to the Qatari contingent present their bid...What, praytell, are you going to do about the oppressive heat?
In Qatar's bid, they PROMISED that they would air-condition all of the stadia (a technology which does not exist in 2010/11) so the players and fans would not be uncomfortable.
Really?
So I suppose they were also proposing to follow around the fans attending with a personal air-conditioning device to keep them cool when they WEREN'T at the stadia... 

The schedules are already a quagmire, what with extra matches (domestic cups, Champions League, Int'l friendlies and qualifiers) to contend with.  Now the Supreme Ruler of All Things Footy wants them to just "change the season around."
Well, what he isn't considering is that the seasons in footy run during certain months to avoid the heat of the summer, which is exactly what FIFA should have done when NOT awarding the 2022 WC to Qatar.

As if Bladder's consistent idiocy isn't hard enough to swallow, now we have another supposed know-it-all chiming in on the WC issue.
The Court Jester of UEFA, Michel Platini, let loose with a whopper today when he also suggested that the World Cup 2022 could be held in all of the Gulf States and that a change in schedules would not be out of the question.  How convenient for him.  Of course he's not worried about the scheduling because he isn't the one in charge of trying to meld the schedules of the EPL, La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Turkish League, Portuguese League, et al.  His words, though, have only underscored the malfeasance and underhandedness involved in awarding the world's largest sporting event.  He and his twin goon at FIFA merely brush aside real questions about infrastructure and reason with an indignant edict of "if you're not towing the line then you are not a real fan of footy, a closet xenophobe, and most assuredly a whining fool who knows nothing about the business of sports."
 
Here is a snippet of his words:

"I hope it will be a World Cup of the Gulf. It could be the World Cup of Qatar but played in the Gulf. I think we need political people (for this to happen), but I think so.''

Asked why such drastic changes could be considered when they were never mentioned during the bidding campaign, Platini added: "Who will remember the words in 12 years? In 12 years everybody will be happy to have a very well-organised World Cup and not remember what's happened before.
"When I organised the World Cup in France we did (things) differently from what we proposed in the bid.''
Platini did not speak about playing the 2022 World Cup in January but raised the prospect of a major change to the football calendar.
He added: "When I came in 1998 as advisor to Sepp Blatter I worked on the international calendar and my proposal to Blatter was to play from February to December. FIFA was close to accepting that, then Italy and Spain said no because they wanted to play in winter. Finish.
"It is necessary to think what could be the future. I don't say to play in winter or not to play in winter but to think about what could be the calendar in the future.''

When Michel PlasticNobHead suggests that nobody will remember what was discussed now when 2022 rolls around, what he REALLY means is, when the 2022 WC becomes a monumental disaster, "I won't be in office so I won't have to deal with the ramifications."


I was under the impression that when a bid is made (at great expense of a bidding nation) that said bid is the final option of that country.  That the infrastructure, financing, and logistics have been thought out to the nth degree, raked over with a fine-toothed comb by those schooled in organizing these types of events, and then presented to the bid committee as a "take it or leave it."
Boy was I wrong.
Now that we're just one month out of the vote, two changes have already been proposed for Qatar:
1)  Hold it in winter because the Qataris did not really think through the heat issue...and...
2)  Have the entire footy world rearrange their schedules so a football non-entity can host what will go down as the worst WC in history.

Why haven't the organizing committees of the USA, Australia, and Japan cried foul?  To be fair, FIFA should hold the vote again, and allow those committees to rebid, if the criteria have changed.

The comments from fora around the world have echoed my sentiments, aghast at what FIFA have been allowed to do....change the rules AFTER the vote has been taken.  And to those voices, I will add my own...until the financial backers of the WC... Nike, Budweiser, Adidas, VISA, et al combine to change the business dealings of Septic Bladder and his cronies, he will continue to run amok and take football down with him.

"Oye, oye, I am the Supreme Ruler of Idiocy!"