Manchester United's Headliners, Articles and Rumours

[imom]

Originally Posted by CibLover

Another interesting article by The Sun papers...

...Like his team, he had class and style when it counted. Crucially, he had a belief in his team Mourinho clearly never did.

...If things went wrong, it was rarely Mourinho’s fault.

...A few days earlier, he had held his hands up and admitted United were very much second-best after their 3-0 whipping by AC Milan. Here was another field in which Ferguson heavily outscored Mourinho. Class in adversity.

Mourinho, on the other hand, came up with the preposterous nonsense that the best side had lost the other Champions League semi-final.

...He saw conspiracies everywhere and responded with a scatter-gun attack on anyone who caught his eye.

Worst of all was his highly-personalised criticism of fellow countryman Ronaldo. A man who himself was brought up amid wealth and a certain opulence, had the temerity to refer to Ronaldo’s lack of intelligence and poor upbringing. Ferguson, ever the Govan-raised Socialist, nailed Mourinho with the words: “There are people from very poor backgrounds who have principles.

“Whereas there are others who are educated but have no principles at all. That, without question, is the case here.”

Ferguson, who watched the last 15 minutes on TV, admitted as much and congratulated Chelsea on making such a good fight of it. Mourinho, though, couldn’t bring himself to admit United had proved themselves the best. He said only the statistics said that — and went into another one of those self-justifying diatribes about how the fates had conspired against him and his team all season.

At times like this you need a bit of style. While his team went out like champions, Mourinho didn’t.

*Chuckle*

Very well-illustrated expansion of what was said last nite in the post-match round up. Mourinho has behaved like a spoilt brat all season. At least he remembers the guard-of-honour. But I'm betting he feels he has been cornered into giving the United lads the honour with all the publicity and given a choice, he would rather not do it.

Unlike SAF, who sportingly came up with the idea himself.

[CibLover]

Originally Posted by qbdp

Sigh...Why did he go so low to join LiverPOO's scums in spewing crap is sometimes beyond belief? ....

Bro,

You know I'm with you on supporting our beloved Red Devils.
But IMHO, it's rather unneccessary to start calling names for other clubs' fans. Dun need to stoop to their level.

I've seen how some so-called seniors/lao-chiaus in the Pool thread who referred to us as Man-ure. No need to retaliate. Let them join the Mourinho's class-act group.

Cheers, bro. Just my 2 cents.

[CibLover]

Originally Posted by imom

...Unlike SAF, who sportingly came up with the idea himself. .....

And what a shrewd motivating plan that was!! The players lining up that day will definitely feel gutted by being second best. And it has done well for us this season.

[yinyang]

Originally Posted by CibLover

..unneccessary to start calling names for other clubs' fans. Dun need to stoop to their level. I've seen how some so-called seniors/lao-chiaus in the Pool thread who referred to us as Man-ure. No need to retaliate. Let them join the Mourinho's class-act group.

Saw somewhere else AIG stands for unsavoury meaning (forget liao). For me now on a high.. it Always in Glory la.

Respect begets respect No cause for denigrating others

[CibLover]

Originally Posted by yinyang

Saw somewhere else AIG stands for unsavoury meaning (forget liao). For me now on a high.. it Always in Glory la. ...

Hahaha..... And I've read somewhere:

AIG stands for "Alex Is God!!!"

[imom]

Originally Posted by CibLover

...it's rather unneccessary to start calling names for other clubs' fans.

...I've seen how some so-called seniors/lao-chiaus in the Pool thread who referred to us as Man-ure. No need to retaliate. Let them join the Mourinho's class-act group....

Second that, Bro.

I just treat the ramblings of those so-called seniors as something stemming from being starved of consistent, sustained success for so long. Call us manure all they want cos whatever they call us, they would be something lesser. The one thing I like about our Devils' threads in SBF is the minimum of name-calling. I used to post in UK fan boards a long time back, but the bitching, name-calling and crazed-no-life-outside-football fans having a go at each other, really put me off and I stopped.

But, I gotta admit I do let slip sometimes... like when I called Ballack a 'nazi' after his dirty strong-arm tactics on the pitch...

[Castrol]

Originally Posted by CibLover

I've seen how some so-called seniors/lao-chiaus in the Pool thread who referred to us as Man-ure. No need to retaliate. Let them join the Mourinho's class-act group.

not referring to anybody, but i for one would like to see lesser use of these unnecessarily derived degrading names. as soccer fans, we should enjoy watching whichever club that play well and fair. as samsters, we should show respect for each other for the clubs we support.

but calling chelski is ok, becos it is harmless fun.

[yinyang]

Originally Posted by Castrol

..see lesser use of these unnecessarily derived names. ...as samsters, we should show respect for each other for the clubs we support. but calling chelski is ok, becos it is harmless fun.

Yo, draw the line with friendly rivalry. Chelski is now in thesaurus liao

Originally Posted by imom

..ramblings of those so-called seniors as something stemming from being starved of consistent, sustained success for so long

Your sarcasm's biting, hopefully not lost with them.. Oh, the (red) devil in us here.

[Castrol]

Originally Posted by yinyang

Yo, draw the line with friendly rivalry. Chelski is now in thesaurus liao

how do we find a sentence with chelski that is unrelated to soccer?

[machoman]

Originally Posted by yinyang

Saw somewhere else AIG stands for unsavoury meaning (forget liao). For me now on a high.. it Always in Glory la.

Respect begets respect No cause for denigrating others

I take the name-calling as harmless fun unless it degenerates in bringing into question one's integrity & ancestry as well as insulting his family members, like what was apparently uttered by the Italian defender ( sorry, I forgot his name) to incense Zidane so much that led to his infamous WC headbutt.

BTW, no offence to hardcore MU fans, but I saw 2 witty comments in another forum on the recently concluded CL semi-finals:

1. AIG stands for "Almost In Greece".

2. Do you know that there is a 3rd & 4th play-off for the losing CL semi-finalists?

It's called the FA Cup.

Just my opinion but I found the comments both witty & funny.

[Mafan]

Originally Posted by CibLover

Bro,

I've seen how some so-called seniors/lao-chiaus in the Pool thread who referred to us as Man-ure. No need to retaliate. Let them join the Mourinho's class-act group.

Cheers, bro. Just my 2 cents.

Bro dont take it too much in heart, they cant win the league champion. BUTTTTT we can and most of all we are grow up so dont challenge them in any way just let it be.

[epsilon]

Glazers aided title push - Gill

Manchester United chief executive David Gill believes the Glazer family's Old Trafford takeover helped the club to clinch another Premiership title.

The Glazers took control in the summer of 2005 and Gill told BBC Five Live: "Their ownership has brought stability and we are all benefiting from that.

"They have got involved in areas where they feel they can add value.

"But in other, football, areas they have allowed manager Sir Alex Ferguson and others to get on with it."

Interview: Man Utd chief executive David Gill Report: Man Utd secure Premiership title

After American tycoon Malcolm Glazer completed his takeover he appointed sons Joel, Avram and Bryan as non-executive directors - but some fans voiced fears over the future of United.

However, last October a Glazer spokesman told BBC Sport that the family were committed to making the club a success.

Gill said that he spoke to the Glazers on Sunday after United won the Premiership crown as a result of Chelsea's 1-1 draw at Arsenal.

He added: "They are delighted - and so they should be. They are sports fans and they know what running a sports club is all about.

"All the doomsayers who said we would be in trouble have been proved wrong."

And as well as hailing the Glazer's contribution to United's first title in four years, Gill heaped praise on boss Ferguson, who proved his decision not to retire in 2002 was the right one.

"Alex is a winner," said Gill. "He is very experienced and still has that motivation after many, many years.

"He has a great eye for spotting talent - he is second to none in that area.

"We have brought in 10 or 12 players since 2003, and Alex has done that very well - bringing in young payers who fit into the way Manchester United play.

"The team has changed a lot in the last three years. Winning the title is a fantastic achievement."

And Gill claimed that winning the title has also tempered the disappointment felt after United went out of the Champions League to AC Milan in the semi-finals.

"We were very disappointed after losing to Milan, but we've worked very hard to win the Premiership and for me that is the benchmark," he said.

"Everyone is delighted to have won it again having not won it for four years."

[epsilon]

How Man Utd ousted Chelsea
By Paul Fletcher

BBC Sport looks at how Manchester United prevented Chelsea from claiming a third successive Premiership title.

Sir Alex Ferguson's ninth league success at Old Trafford came without his side kicking a ball as Chelsea drew 1-1 at Arsenal on Sunday.

Chelsea finished eight points clear of United last season and 18 the season before - but following the Blues' draw, Ferguson's team have an unassailable seven-point lead with two games to go.

But how have United managed to overtake Jose Mourinho's team to land their first title since 2003?



SOLID AT THE BACK

Chelsea are a brilliantly organised team who remain extremely difficult to break down.

Even though they have lost their Premiership title they have kept more clean sheets than the champions, with 21 to United's 15.

However, unlike in the previous two seasons under Mourinho they have found themselves over-stretched defensively - particularly in the centre.

William Gallas and Robert Huth left the club last summer while John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho and Khalid Bouhlarouz have all missed games through injury.


Influential skipper Terry missed a crucial eight weeks of the season during December and January. And it is no coincidence that Chelsea conceded twice in each of the first four games Terry missed over the Christmas period.

The lack of numbers in the centre of defence was an issue that Mourinho wanted to address in the January transfer window but he was not given the funds to do so.

The knock-on effect was that Michael Essien often found himself drafted into defence and his all-action displays were sorely missed in the heart of the Chelsea midfield.


And Petr Cech, widely regarded as the world's best goalkeeper, missed several months with a fractured skull - further weakening Chelsea's defensive unit. Ashley Cole has also suffered from injury problems.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had struggled to fill the goalkeeping void left by Peter Schmeichel following his departure from the club in 1999.

A succession of keepers have been and gone but in Edwin van der Sar, Ferguson has finally found a suitable replacement.


Serbia defender Nemanja Vidic has also enjoyed a fine season in the centre of defence, with his no-nonsense defensive style complementing Rio Ferdinand's more cultured approach.

Patrice Evra has matured at left-back while Gabriel Heinze has proved versatile and effective when required.

United also suffered from injuries - but Ferguson's team already had a solid lead at the top of the Premiership by the time Gary Neville, Vidic and Ferdinand were sidelined in the latter stages of the season.


United's defence has often been regarded as error prone over recent seasons but it has had a more solid look this time around - and been excellently protected by summer signing Michael Carrick.

And although United have kept fewer clean sheets than the Londoners, they have only conceded one goal or more in a game five times compared to nine by the Blues.

THE ENGINE ROOM

One crucial difference between this season and last has been the return of Paul Scholes.

Scholes missed five months of the last campaign with an eye problem and his presence has restored craft and maturity to the United midfield.

His range and accuracy of passing has allowed United's myriad attacking talents to flourish and he has formed a superb combination alongside Carrick, whose form has gone a long way to silencing those who questioned the value of his £18.6m transfer fee.

One of Chelsea's big summer signings was Michael Ballack who joined on a free transfer from Bayern Munich.

The German has had a disappointing season, not gelling with Frank Lampard in the middle of the park and looking a shadow of the player who was so dynamic for Germany at last year's World Cup.

Nigerian Jon Obi Mikel has been impressive since Christmas and has started to justify the hype but injuries elsewhere have meant that all-too-often Essien has been played in defence.

WORKING OUT WIDE


Mourinho's first two seasons at Stamford Bridge saw him favour the use of three in midfield, with two wide players and a solitary striker in front of them.

The Chelsea boss had an impressive pool of wide players in Joe Cole, Arjen Robben, Damien Duff and, for his second season at the helm, Shaun Wright-Phillips.

But Cole, so impressive for Chelsea in recent years, has missed all but a handful of games this season, while Robben has also spent large spells on the sidelines.

With Duff sold to Newcastle last summer and Wright-Phillips often overlooked, Chelsea have not been as effective down the flanks.

United boss Ferguson also understands the importance of width and in the evergreen Ryan Giggs has a veteran winger who is both consistent and potent.

But the revelation has been Cristiano Ronaldo.

His Premiership future seemed in doubt when he was accused of playing a role in Wayne Rooney's dismissal against Portugal at the World Cup last summer.


But the Portuguese youngster has been the Premiership's best player this season.

The 22-year-old has learnt to refine his vast array of skills. Instead of constantly overplaying he has used his gifts to hurt the opposition - as his return of 17 Premiership goals testifies.

[epsilon]

FINDING THE NET

Didier Drogba's second season in English football has been an unqualified success.

The Ivorian is the Premiership's top scorer with 19 goals and his combination of physical power and finishing ability has proved too much for many defences.


Unfortunately for Chelsea their £30m summer signing last summer Andriy Shevchenko has endured a difficult first season in England.

The Ukraine star's return of four Premiership goals from 22 starts and eight substitute appearances tells its own story.

His inclusion in the side alongside Drogba required a change of formation, while rumours that his signing was instigated by owner Roman Abramovich cannot have helped.

United sold Ruud van Nistelrooy to Real Madrid last summer.

The Dutch striker was prolific for United, with 95 Premiership goals in 137 starts - but with his presence came a relatively fixed style of play.

United's forward line this season - with the likes of Louis Saha, Wayne Rooney, Henrik Larsson, Giggs and Ronaldo - has been fluid and inventive and have not relied on van Nistelrooy to apply the finishing touch.

HARMONY AND HEARSAY

The good times have rolled down the Kings Road in the past two seasons as Mourinho, financed by the millions of new owner Abramovich, delivered back-to-back Premierships to wrestle the balance of power from Manchester United and Arsenal.

This season, however, the relationship between Mourinho and Abramovich has been the subject of constant speculation.
Their relationship is reported to have soured, leading to repeated suggestions that the Portuguese will not be in charge of the club next season.

Abramovich is said to have favoured a more attacking style of play and wants to win the Champions League above all else.

Mourinho, on the other, was extremely candid in January, explaining that although he wanted to sign a defender, the board would not provide the necessary funds.


Chief executive Peter Kenyon made it clear in April that Mourinho would remain at the club - but the months of rumours may have unsettled a group of players trying to close the gap on United.

Recent seasons have seen unrest and uncertainty at Old Trafford - a situation that arose prior to, and following, the takeover of the club by Malcolm Glazer.


The American borrowed heavily to finance the purchase and many supporters feared it would necessitate radical and unwanted changes to their club.

Their worst fears have not materialised, while the Glazer family, with Malcolm's five sons and one daughter occupying six of United's seven boardroom seats, have maintained a low-key presence.

Ferguson does not seem to have been hamstrung in the transfer market and without the constant distraction from off-the-field issues the manager has been able to ensure everyone has been focused on what matters most - winning games.

WINNING WAYS

Both Chelsea and Manchester United have enjoyed lengthy periods of excellent form.

Crucially, though, it was United who made the best start, moving to the top of the Premiership and subjecting Mourinho's Chelsea to the role of pursuers for the first time.

United lost just one of their first 17 fixtures, drawing two and winning 14.

During the same period Chelsea lost two and drew three, winning 12 to give United a five-point lead.

Chelsea won nine straight games starting on 31 January - their longest winning streak of the season. United responded with seven consecutive victories of their own before losing to Portsmouth.

It seemed as though United might crack under the pressure of Chelsea's brilliant run but Mourinho's team lost crucial momentum with draws against Newcastle and Bolton.
In the end it seems Chelsea left themselves just too much ground to make up on their rivals.

Chelsea have won 29 games in each of their title seasons.

Last year they drew four and lost five on their way to the title, the season before drew eight and lost just once. This season Chelsea have drawn nine and lost three - with a maximum of 26 wins possible.

Chelsea won the title in 2005 with 95 points and the year after with 91. This year they can still reach 87 points.

It is not that Mourinho's team have suffered a dramatic lowering of standards, more that for the first time they have been seriously challenged.

United finished with 77 points in 2005 and 83 in 2006. This year they have played more consistently than in recent years and with a team that has a superb blend of experience and youth, United can finish the season with 94 points.

The coming together of the two clubs owes more to United's improvement than Chelsea's decline - and it has made for a brilliant title race.

[epsilon]

The Glazer family v Roman Abramovich
By John May

Manchester United have emerged triumphant from English football's own version of the Cold War.

American-owned Manchester United has fought with Russian-backed Chelsea in a conflict full of intrigue and ideological differences - in which there has been little détente.

But just as the original Cold War was a global battle for hearts and minds, so in the end, the victors were able to claim the moral high ground.

The American ideology of freedom, as practised by the Glazers, proved successful over the tighter control imposed by Roman Abramovich.

THE LAND OF THE FREE

For all the fears expressed by Manchester United fans on the takeover of the club by the Glazers, the Americans have been true to their flag.

They have backed United manager Sir Alex Ferguson with financial clout when he needed it and, more importantly, left him alone to manage.

The Glazers are experienced in owning sporting teams and know that the business will only succeed if there is success on the pitch.

When they bought the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL outfit, it was moribund. But they invested in players and new coaches - firstly Tony Dungy and then Jon Gruden, under whom they won the Superbowl.

In Manchester United, the Glazers were buying into a highly successful outfit, with arguably the best manager in the business. They would have been forewarned that Ferguson would have no truck with interference and to meddle would be to risk losing him.

THE YOKE OF ROMAN RULE

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has had to contend with a degree of interference, even if Abramovich's controlling reins may not have been as tight as Stalin's.

Abramovich owns the club, pumps the money in and reserves the right to stick his oar in if he sees the need.

Former Blues boss Claudio Ranieri had one season to prove himself to Abramovich before he was packed off - and Mourinho has not had a clear deck.

Abramovich insists Mourinho always has the last say in team matters but he also admitted in a recent interview in The Observer newspaper: "I cannot say I am completely not involved in buying players. But my role would be significantly lower than that of the manager's."

Mourinho also admitted there were "tensions" in his relationship with Abramovich.

But as they survey the ruins of their season, Chelsea fans will question the transfer policy that appears to be dictated more by their owner than by the man on the shop floor.

If Andriy Shevchenko's summer arrival disrupted Chelsea, Abramovich's apparent refusal to fund a January swoop for a central defender ultimately proved costly.

Chelsea's defensive resources were stretched to the snapping point at Anfield - where they went into a Champions League semi-final with no replacement for Ricardo Carvalho.

WORKING FOR THE YANKEE DOLLAR

Ferguson appears to enjoy a good relationship with the Glazers, although the old campaigner has played a canny game.

His demands have not been excessive and, consequently, whatever he has wanted he has received.

Since their arrivals, the Glazers have sanctioned the acquisition of Patrice Evra (£5.5m), Ji-Sung Park (£4m), Nemanja Vidic (£7m) and Michael Carrick (£18.6m).

When he has needed resources, Ferguson's paymasters have made them available and the Americans have proved they are not afraid to spend big.

'LIFE HAS IMPROVED, COMRADES. LIFE IS JOYOUS'

Few believed Stalin when he told them that and Chelsea fans, who had expected the Premiership title to become their property, will not be celebrating as it heads north.

Life certainly looked good in the summer when Chelsea signed Michael Ballack from Bayern Munich, and striker Shevchenko from AC Milan. The pieces looked in place to not only impose an iron rule on English football but to dominate Europe as well.

But, like Soviet rule, little cracks began to appear at Stamford Bridge as the season wore on.

And the blue wall that had descended on Chelsea in the past seasons was ultimately torn down.

THE LAND OF THE FREE

You could argue that it took Chelsea's iron grip on English football to make Manchester United popular among the masses, although for some neutrals it was like choosing between two 'evil empires'.

Chelsea's ruthless efficiency in assembling back-to-back Premiership titles was a joyless experience for many.

In contrast, Manchester United have played with an attacking abandon and freedom that has led to them winning the ideological battle for hearts and minds.

So, for now, English football's Cold War is over.

But do not bet against it flaring up again.