Manchester United beat Manchester City in a thrilling Manchester derby with a stoppage time goal from Michael Owen. In one of the best matches of the Premier League history, the champions saw their lead equalled thrice but not to be denied scored a fourth deep into injury time to send the stadium into raptures. Watch the epic battle play out below...
Manchester United host cross town rivals Manchester City in the most highly anticipated Manchester derby in recent memory
And thus it is here. Ever since Manchester City were turned into the richest club in the world overnight and then systematically started to buy a team which could get them success of the magnitude that their more illustrious cross town rivals, Manchester United were used to, there has been a sense of heightened anticipation for this season's Manchester derby. Of course, throw in the fact that Citeh have not lost any of their four encounters so far in the league and then the small matter of a certain diminutive Argentine who decided to chase dollars and ended up on the other side leaving the land of Mancunia and the tie attains high intensity status. Add in the then systematic media insult of SAF by Tevez, the revelry and idiotic boast of City fans and management and you know what this tie's importance is now.
This is not just about three points anymore. It never is against City but it's been farthest from just three points this time round. This is about being the Kings of Manchester, this is about putting the blue overzealous brigade back in place and of course, it's about mounting pressure on Chelsea who play later in the day. The war of words in the media from both sides has only added to the spice with every barb, taunt and conjecture seemingly making the dish tastier.
There can however be no denying the footballing aspect of this game. For all their small club ways, City have started like a big club. The Arsenal result was as good a statement of intent as any. The fact that they have been able to grind out a couple of results even when playing badly enhances their credentials. On the other hand, Manchester United seem to be hitting the straps after an initial slow start. Even this early in the season, United know that dropping points is a luxury. Thus, there can be no doubt this Manchester derby is far more important than any in recent memory.
On the team news front, City for all their striking options seem to be in a crisis. With Robinho injured, Adebayor suspended, Santa Cruz still missing and Tevez highly doubtful, Craig Bellamy is the only viable option left. For Manchester United there is some concern over Rio Ferdinand missing out and Paul Scholes misses out because of suspension. It is expected that Darren Fletcher will be restored back to the centre of midfield after not playing in the away trip to Turkey as also is Ryan Giggs. It remains to be seen whether SAF decides to play Berbatov or once again goes with the highly negative 4-5-1 formation.
Whatever be the result, expect fireworks and crunching tackles. To the game now.
The seemingly tasty Manchester derby just gets a bit more tastier
Evra speaks...
"City will want to show people they are the kings of Manchester but they aren't yet. We have to make sure that doesn't happen. People get jealous and just want to say bad things about our club but we are OK. You always want to win when you're playing City in the derby."
Evra concedes that City will be a tough proposition and that Manchester United respect them but adds that United go into every game to win and things will be no different this Sunday.
"They are going for the Champions League. It will be difficult against them because they haven't lost. They are ambitious and want to stay in the top four, they've bought a lot of players and beat Arsenal 4-2, so they will be going into the game with a lot of confidence. But we are confident because we are Manchester United. Over the years, we have won a lot more than City and we need to make sure we do that again. We have a lot of respect for City but we are Manchester United and every time we play City we really have to show that."
Evra also shares how he tried to stop "friend" Carlos Tevez from leaving and is slightly disappointed that Tevez decided to move.
"I was surprised he left and a little bit angry about it. He's a friend and was a great player for United and when you lose a great player it can be difficult to accept. That's why I was surprised. I kept talking to him, telling him to stay here. I tried to persuade him to stay because I didn't want to lose my friend. But he made a choice and I respect that."
Patrice is though wishing that Tevez is fit enough to make it to the derby and says that he has promised Carlitos to join in in if the fans boo him.
"We have been joking a bit in texts to each other. He told me they are coming to win here. I'll wait for the reception he gets from the United fans but I think Carlitos will do a great job for City. He's a good professional and he respected the United shirt a lot. The fans loved him. I don't know if they will boo him but, anyway, I said to him, "if they boo you, I will boo as well with the fans!" I'm sure he doesn't want to miss this game. I think he might make it because he's a warrior and he wants to play. He had some good reasons to go and I told him "good luck". It's not about one or two players at Manchester United."
Sir Alex needs to put out his best team and not his favored formation because he no longer has the players for a 4-3-3
However, there is something that bothers me. I cannot but think how much last night's performance mirrored the one we put on show on that fateful night in Rome about four months back. There were the same faces for starters, except the obvious missing ones but more importantly there was the same toothlessness in attack, the same lack of ideas in the middle of the park, the same running with the ball towards the corner flag without any idea of what to do with it. All this I put down to one decision...going in with the same formation.
Yes, Sir Alex Ferguson went in last night with the same 4-3-3 combo as he had done against Barcelona and it backfired almost as royally as it that night. The only reason we came away with three points was because we were playing Besiktas last night as compared to Barcelona four months ago. Don't get me wrong, the nightmarish performance against Barca was in no way down to the formation and Sir Alex, to my mind, did start with the best XI he could. But since that night the personnel has changed and Manchester United, to my mind, do not have the players to play a 4-3-3 formation anymore.
The 4-3-3 is a combination that requires a lot of dynamic interchange and the front three need to be very fluid and mobile. Along with this, it is imperative that the front three all have the ability of taking chances and scoring goals on a regular basis. Now, no questions over Rooney but if Fergie thinks that Nani and Valencia can be part of his fluid, dynamic front three, then I would be very alarmed. No offense to Nani and Valencia but they are just not good enough, at least not yet. In effect, what a 4-3-3 now does, is give us a 5 man midfield with Wayne Rooney toiling alone upfront without any support as was amply evident last night and also against Arsenal.
Why Sir Alex chose to go in with a single striker even against a team as low on confidence as Besiktas, I fail to understand. Wayne Rooney's visible frustration on being substituted had as much to do with his inability to find any support as with a sense of disappointment on being subbed. I am sure Sir Alex had given instructions to Anderson and Nani and Valencia to be the support cast but that is not how it panned out. Anderson, for one, needs to think himself of as the attacking midfielder that he is rather than the defensive hard tackler he seems to have become. Michael Carrick needs to up his game very soon otherwise Sir Alex would be tempted to give Gibson a go. He has already indicated to the same earlier in the season.
Perhaps, Sir Alex would have learnt his lessons from last night's insipid performance and would now change his mind about his formations in Europe because simply put a Rooney-Nani-Valencia threesome up top hardly inspires much faith and neither does it strike much fear in opposition ranks.
To Sir Alex now...In him do we trust, still.
Sir Alex Ferguson has played down Wayne Rooney's visible disappointment on being substituted during the second half in Manchester United's first Champions League game of this season against Turkish club Besiktas. Wayne Rooney was distraught at being substituted and was seen throwing his boots down in disgust on the bench. However, Ferguson attributes the reaction down to Rooney's burning desire to play all the time and make a difference.
Sir Alex Ferguson speaks...
"It was always part of our thoughts to bring Wayne off. He had been playing as the lone striker for an hour, which is why he was always going to come off. He is never pleased to come off. He has so much energy he wants to play all the time."
No two ways about Sir Alex's logic though one wonders why Rooney was playing as a lone striker.
Paul Scholes provided the ammunition for Manchester United on their away trip to Istanbul to face Besiktas in the Champions League match. Scholes headed in superbly after the Besiktas goalie could only parry a Nani attempt on goal. Watch Scholes rescue all three points for Manchester United.
And thus it begins all over again
Tonight, they start a new European season with a trip to the volatile atmosphere of Turkish stadiums to face Besiktas hoping once again to launch an assault on that coveted title of "European Champions". However, they are faced with anything but a cakewalk. The Turkish stadiums are a cauldron of vociferous noise and are renowned for intimidating the best of men.
Manchester United though go in to this opening game of the group stages in fantastic bent of mind after an authoritative performance against Tottenham at the weekend. With the team finally starting to gel and play some of the attractive brand of football that Manchester United are known for, Sir Alex Ferguson would be hoping for a comfortable away win.
On the team news front, there should be definite changes in the midfield with both Valencia and Nani looking set to start. The tireless Patrice Evra probably needs a game off considering that he's played in every game of the season so far and also took part in both France's international matches last week. So young Fabio could get a start. It would be a surprise though if Fergie chose a different forward pairing than Rooney and Berbatov.
For Besiktas the men to watch will probably be former Villareal striker Nihat Kahveci and Brazilian Bobo. Look out also for the imposing Rustu Recber in the Besiktas goal. The start to the new season has not been very good for Besiktas and Manchester United should have an easy win on the face of things.
And now to the match.
Manchester United outpass Spurs sending a warning to the rest of the Premiership
The game started in dream fashion for the home side as Jermaine Defoe curled his body to fire in a spectacular bicycle kick, giving Spurs the lead within a minute of the start. This was a goal of a striker in red hot form and with sky high confidence. It seemed at that moment that Spurs were actually the real deal. They may yet be but yesterday they were just against a much better team in Manchester United.
Taking that blow to the chin, United moved into the gears quickly, passing the ball with ease and dictating the tempo of the game. Scholes was at the heart of everything, spraying the ball to his atackers with pin point accuracy and was ably supported by Anderson. Fletcher and Rooney both went close and so did Crouch on the other end. Wilson Palacios then clumsily brought down Berbatov on the edge of the area and Manchester United fans started to miss Cristiano Ronaldo again. But behold, there is a record to be maintained and Ryan Giggs did just that. Curling in a sweet free kick in the top corner, he brought the champions back on level terms and maintained his individual record of scoring in all the Premier League seasons.
With the goal, United started dictating terms and Berbatov went close on three occasions and was brilliantly denied by Cudicini once. And then from an uncleared corner, Scholes fired in a shot which fell to Anderson, who drilled the ball in the goal, ending his barren run from open play. The celebrations were visibly toned down and one hopes this is a sign of a mature player, who is on the verge of fulfilling his potential.
Second half and things were going pretty much to plan when the referee decided he needed a mention in the match report. Scholes, already booked before, went in in typical Scholesy fashion for a 50-50 ball against Huddlestone and in the momentum caught the player. It was certainly not a yellow card offense, more so when the player is already booked, But the referee pulled the card out nonetheless and Scholes was off. Spurs sensed this was their way back in the game and the fans got behind the home team. Krancjar was introduced as Harry Redknapp looked to press the man advantage.
However, Fergie immediately replaced Berbatov with Carrick and along side Giggs, Fletcher and Anderson the midfield quartet showed Spurs how to keep ther ball. Vidic and Rio, restored back together, were immense and Evra was simply spectacular as he reined in Aaron Lennon with surprising ease and on many occasions was the support upfront for Rooney. With 12 minutes to go, Fletcher floated in a good ball for Rooney to chase and Wayne, bringing down the ball with immaculate skill, rounded off two defenders and slotted in between Cudicini's legs to seal the match.
If the earlier Defoe goal was one of a forward in superb form, this was pure masterclass. Wayne Rooney, in the central position is playing like a dream, and is finally showing glimpses of fulfilling that potential he once showed. There can be little doubt that this is a player who is relishing the challenge and perhaps even winning the battle.
4 games into the season and Manchester United finally gave a performance befitting of champions. A performance which not only smothered doubts raised by doom philosophers but also gave the rest of the league a glimpse of the permanent class of this club. They may not yet win the title but there is no doubt that they will be in a fight to the finish.
Manchester United look to kickstart campaign with victory against high flying Spurs
With the sidetrack of international friendlies and qualifiers taken care of, we now return to the weekly grind of the Premier League once again. Manchester United travel to table topping Tottenham Hotspurs in what promises to be a delightful delicacy of attacking football. With Spurs notching up four wins in four and table topping along with Chelsea, they could possibly prove to be an even bigger test for United than their cross town rivals Arsenal were. Harry Redknapp has assembled a team of talented individuals who seem to be clicking at the moment. The enterprising form of Jermaine Defoe and Aaron Lennon coupled with the grit of Wilson Palacios has raised the spectre of Spurs finally breaking the Big Four coterie.
On the other hand, champions Manchester United would be looking to send a clear message across the land that the Arsenal victory was more deserved than it seemed. By beating high flying Spurs in their own backyard, United could kickstart a campaign which so far has been stuttering and far from polished. The midfield is still an area of concern for Ferguson as no one except Fletcher has so far made a case for a regular first team appearance. Carrick has been a disappointment to say the least and personally, I would like to see Anderson getting a chance in the attacking midfielder role with Fletcher doing what he does best.
Spurs will obviously be missing Modric who is out injured whereas, there are strong possibilities of Rio Ferdinand taking his rightful place along side Vidic. Also, interesting to see will be whether old Spurs boy Berbatov gets a start or not. Fergie's policy of persisting with the lone striker for vast periods against Arsenal almost cost us the points. It is now to be seen whether he goes for a bit more attacking threat away from home or does he go in again with Rooney alone up top.
Fergie says that Arsenal seems to bring the best out of Darren Fletcher
Ferguson though says that those comments from Arsene were more a show of desperation and futility than a judgement on Fletcher's footballing ethics and skills. Rubbing in the lack of silverware for Arsenal, the manager says that Wenger was obviously frustrated at his side was again crumbling under intense, hard football.
Ferguson speaks...
"I thought Fletcher was fantastic. I said right after the game against Arsenal that, for me. he was the star man. Wayne, who was named man of the match, said it should have gone to Fletcher and we all agreed. Darren is one of the most honest and fairest players in the game. Because he wins the ball and does it fairly, that's probably annoyed Arsene. But that is Darren's job and it's one he's very good at. He's marvellous at pressing the ball. His energy is incredible.
I think Arsene was a bit agitated right from the start. I think he knew it was a big game for them. it was bigger for Arsenal than it was for United because the last two or three seasons have been disappointing for them. This time they'd started well, putting in six past Everton and four past Portsmouth, so it was frustrating for them."
Ferguson also highlighted why it was an important victory for Manchester United. Saying that they wanted to better their record against the other big clubs, he said...
"The result against Arsenal was an important one for us becasue last season we dropped four points to Arsenal. Our form against the top teams wasn't what it should have been and hopefully, we'll do better in that respect this season."
Manchester City harbor ambitions of matching Manchester United. However, they first need to learn a basic footballing fact
Manchester City are better known as the “Other Club” from the city of Manchester. City won the League Cup in 1976 and have not won anything then onwards. They have been relegated twice in three years and even spent their 1998 season in the third tier of English football.
However, last year saw a financial makeover of the club with Abu Dhabi United Group taking over the reins and thus bringing in pots of money. Today, they are among the wealthiest football clubs in the world. They have the money to buy players of their choice and form a talented team to compete with the big boys. But they need to realize that mountains of money can buy great players but the loyalty to the club, the desire to win, the hunger to score goals and the will to play as a team can never be bought. These essential ingredients are brought about by love for the club, the will to be the best and to play for each other.
Seemingly Manchester City do not want to be called as the “Other Club” from Manchester anymore. They want to better their bitter rivals Manchester United. Although the fans of City point out that the world needs another Manchester United, the Eastlands club have never talked about this subject or made any bullish statements to the same.
Yet City do want to be playing at United's level, entering the Champions League every year and putting silverware on the sideboard more seasons than not. So do several other clubs, of course, notably Everton, Aston Villa and Spurs, but City have the money to make it happen. Strangely though, rather than putting together an effective team they have been looking to sign big name players and superstars.
When Mark Hughes joined City his idea was to buy young players who could provide City their best years in football and have some good re-sale value. Yet City seems to have abandoned that equation now. Perhaps he has fallen into the trap of marquee signings to satiate the fans.
They got Gareth Barry from Villa who by the way is an excellent player. But signing a 28 year old player for 12 millions is not exactly getting the best out of a player. The same can be said of the 17 million Roque Santa Cruz. And then they went on a worthless bid for John Terry which echoed the useless speculations about signing Kaka.
Terry will turn 30 next month and does not have much seasons left in him and has never given any indications of leaving Stamford Bridge. By signing Terry, I suppose City wanted to show everyone including Manchester United that they are in for serious business and they can buy anyone. Manchester City wanted a good central defender which Terry undoubtedly is. But they also wanted start signings where Terry also fits the bill. However, very importantly what you need is loyalty for the club and a desire to play which they would never get with John Terry who is through and through a Chelsea man.
Now contrast that with Manchester United’s policy this summer. We sold Ronaldo for money worth more than many clubs in England. But importantly we did not go about looking to splash cash to replace him with a big name because you just do not replace players of such caliber, rather you breed them.
Manchester United are in a much better position than City and many players want to join them. It is because of a history of glorious traditions. It is becasue of a footballing spirit and desire to be champions. Benzema would have loved to be at United but Lyon wanted a little bit more than what United were willing to offer. But we do not lose our head in front of gleaming pots of cash. We could have wrapped up the deal but that’s not the United way of doing it. They might have liked him in his pomp, but it is simply not United's style to lay siege to rival clubs and try to wear down their star players with repeated offers.
Everton may have complaints on United of “robbing” away Rooney from them. But they needed to sell him and he wanted to go. Dimitar Berbatov was desperate to leave Spurs once he discovered United were interested. Forest were looking to sell Roy Keane, Leeds did not know what to do with Eric Cantona and then could not afford to keep Rio Ferdinand and so on.
United have mastered the football fact that City are not even close to realizing, that the more money you spend on a player the more important it is that he should want to join your club. He must be excited by the prospect, and keen to make the step up. If not, don't bother. Gabriel Obertan, Michael Owen, and Antonio Valencia do not think that they will replace Cristiano Ronaldo but they are thrilled and humbled to be a part of Fergie’s new season.
So for now, City may have the cash but they can’t match their humble neighbors in terms of spirit. Perhaps United learned this art over a period of time and City need to learn it now. And then perhaps someday, they can try to become Manchester United. For now, Manchester is still RED.
Article written by Sriram
England and Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton has heaped praise on Wayne Rooney saying how lucky England and Manchester United are to have the striker
According to arguably England's greatest ever player, Wayne Rooney is the man who could fire England to glory in next year's World Cup. Sir Bobby Charlton thinks that Rooney has the obvious talent to carry his country on the international scene in the biggest stage of them all.
Charlton speaks...
"Wayne Rooney is a very important person for the club and country. I think United and England are very lucky to have someone of his character and ability. He is always pleased to listen to you and pick up any advice and help he can."
According to Charlton, Rooney has the ambition and drive which can help in pulling England from the inconsistencies of the past.
"Wayne has great ambitions and he wants to be the best and will ensure he does everything to achieve that. From England's point of view we have suffered from inconsistency for a good 20 to 30 years. But we are getting a consistent look to our game under Fabio Capello.If the team continue to perform well and Wayne is also key to that, then I think we can start thinking about success again at international level."
Sir Bobby Charlton also goes ahead and says that the Manchester United star also has the necessary determination and strong character which is essential to carry the hopes of the people and he is grounded enough to take praise as a stepping stone to further improvement.
"I don't worry about talking about Wayne like this or the fact that people see him as so vital for England these days because he is a big lad, a strong character and can handle the pressure."
Rooney is currently on a rich scoring spree for club and country and Charlton backs the striker to overhaul his record tally for England.
"I would really have no problem if Wayne eventually got beyond 50. There are a lot of goals to come from him."
Rio Ferdinand warns City that money never guarantees success
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has warned city rivals City that just spending big is not always a guarantee for success. Manchester City have been on a spending spree trying to bolster their squad and make it extremely competitive, but Ferdinand says it's not always an instantaneous thing.
Presently recuperating from an injury, Rio says that Manchester United will still be the dominant force and hopefully win more titles.
Rio speaks...
"City have loyal supporters that have been crying out for success. They haven't had it, but maybe now they think their time has come with all the money invested. But money doesn't buy success sometimes. It can do, as you've seen at Chelsea, but they started from finishing fourth, fifth and third in the league. City are starting from a different position, so time will tell how successful they will be. If they win something this season, then good luck to them. But hopefully we'll be the ones winning big trophies."
Defensive woes continue for Manchester United with reports of O'Shea getting injured
The defensive worries, it seems are just going to keep mounting for Manchester United in the near future. Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville and Rafael are all out with injuries. Nemanja Vidic has just recovered and is still recuperating, Johny Evans is playing on with an injury which seemingly requires surgery, Wes Brown is still not back upto match fitness and of course add Owen Hargreaves to that list.
Amongst this, if the United back four has seemed functional, it has a lot to do with the versatility of a certain Irish named John O'Shea. Playing in center defense and on either flanks, O'Shea gives Sir Alex Ferguson added options and a pretty bankable defender. But news suggests now that O'Shea could be out for almost two months after breaking down with a calf injury while on international duty. The defender was released by Republic of Ireland and will be returning to United's training facility Carrington to assess the damage and recuperate.
Republic of Ireland coach Giovanni Trappattoni sounded concerned as he briefed the media about O'Shea's injury...
"He has gone back because of his leg. It’s very dangerous because he could have torn something. He can’t run so he can’t play against South Africa. I told John to be careful because when you pull that muscle, you can be out for two months. I never run risks with injuries like that. That would be bad not just for us, but for his club as well. But Manchester United are a good club and they will do the right thing."
It is now to be seen how serious the injury turns out to be and how it impacts Manchester United's season.
Ryan Giggs speaks on the folly of writing Manchester United off
20 seasons on and Ryan "legend" Giggs shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, the legenday winger has now gone on record firing a warning to the rest of the Premiership. According to him, it would be foolish and perilous to write off Manchester United's chances in the wake of Ronaldo's departure.
Ryan, ofcourse, knows what he's talking about. He has seen a host of big names leave the club but that has never slowed down Manchester United's charge. The club, according to him, with a dynamic manager at the helm always moves on.
Giggsy speaks...
"The club won't stand still because players have left. We will continue to evolve under the manager and maintain our challenge for silverware. People are making a far bigger thing of it outside the club than we are. Obviously, Cristiano was a world class player and will be missed but how many times have players left United and we have been written off only to prove the critics wrong? I have seen great players come and go, but the drive and determination to succeed remain the same. Don't underestimate the manager. I have discovered over the years he always seems to come up with the answers."
Spoken like the true legend, I say!!!
Brazilian midfielder Anderson has been backed by Ole Gunner Solskjaer to come good and become one of Manchester United's greats
Anderson has had a torrid time off late, to say the least. While he had a pretty decent first season, last season he was completely off the boil and struggled big time, most famously in that final in Rome. The start of the season promised much when he scored a good free kick against Boca Juniors but reports of a tiff and non playing time has resulted in rowing concerns over his future as a Manchester United player.
However, he now has the backing of Solskjaer who saw him scoring against Wigan in the reserves. According to the former United hitman, Anderson has all the talent to make it as a Manchester United great.
Ole, impressed with Anderson's performance and determination, says...
"Ando has shown his qualities and attitude. Now, it is a case of him taking his chance when he gets it and putting down a marker to stay in the team. He is going to be a big player for Manchester United. It was all glory for him in his first season, but then you sometimes get a bit of a reaction to that. It happens to a lot of players. But with Cristiano Ronaldo gone, we need players like Anderson to step up and say "here is what all the talk was about when you signed me" It is always going to be a big challenge at United to get a place in the first team. No player at United is going to step aside and say "here, you take my place." You have to fight for it and he is more than capable of doing that as he is proving. He volunteered to play for the reserves. Asking to play just shows his professionalism and determination to succeed."
We all hope so, Ole.
Dwight Yorke will always be remembered fondly by Mancunians the world over
Football is a tough, physical game where crunching tackles are the norm. Everyone, obviously so, agrees that it gets difficult to maintain one's cool in the heat of the moments. Thus, when someone comes out and plays the beautiful game hard and fair and whilst doing so, even manages to keep a smile on his face, such a player is not only loved by fans but is also respected as an ambassador of the sport. One such player was Dwight Yorke.
The former Manchester United striker has decided to retire and intends to move into coaching now.
"It's time to hang up my boots. While I'm still in good shape, I'm not getting any younger. I've had the time of my life. I hope people will say that I played the game in the right way with a smile on my face."
Dwight Yorke, a clinical finisher, played for various clubs in the Premier League, from Aston Villa to Sunderland but his most fruitful and satisfying years were spent with Manchester United. And in his moment of reminiscence Yorke could not but reflect on those amazing years at Old Trafford.
"I've been blessed really. I've played alongside some of the greatest players the Premier League has ever seen in Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Peter Schmeichel and played for the greatest manager in Alex Ferguson."
In four years at Old Trafford, Yorke went on to achieve stupendous success and was part of the famous treble winning team of 99. Scoring 64 times for United, his time with us coincided with Manchester United winning a hattrick of Premiership titles. Along with Andy Cole, he formed one of the more famous strike partnerships at Old Trafford.
A proud moment for Yorke remains playing and captaining his country in the World Cup finals and he talks about the honour of doing so.
"I'll always count myself lucky. I was a boy on a beach from a little Caribbean island thatgot the chance to fulfill his dream of winning trophies at the highest level and captaining his country in their first ever World Cup finals."
Four years may not be a long stay as such, but his on the field performances and effervescent attitude endeared him to the fans. Playing upfront to probably the greatest ever midfield in the Premier League, Yorke banged in goals for fun and with a smile on his face.
At Old Trafford, Dwight Yorke is part of folklore especially for his starring role in that mythical season of 98/99. In the history of Manchester United, Yorke's name will always be mentioned vividly and he will always be remebered by the fans fondly. For the footballing world he will be remembered as a deadly and lethal finisher.
The man from Trinidad and Tobago intends to move into coaching.We wish him the best of luck for his career and the rest of his life.
The midfield is turning out to be a conundrum of sorts for Manchester United this season. With Anderson and Carrick being inconsistent, Scholes aging and Hargreaves still out injured, a settled midfield pairing is very much a novelty. A midfield pairing is of the utmost importance to be competitive on all fronts. So here, we ask our readers to vote for the first choice midfield pairing for Manchester United in their opinion.
What should be the first choice midfield pairing for Manchester United?
What should be the first choice midfield pairing for Manchester United?
Arsene takes his rant further and loses all semblance of logic and decency
In my previous post here I had commented on how Arsene Wenger had gone on a typical moan rant of his after seeing, with increasing frustration, his side surrender a lead and capitulate in the face of some mild Manchester United pressure. Berating him for his lack of tiniest of logic in the moan, I had suggested that "he could certainly have done better".
Now little did I know that Arsene would read that post and even more so take my comments in the literal sense of the language but then what has to happen happens. So Arsene taking my sarcasm laden remark to heart has indeed acted on it and has in fact done better. How you may ask... Simply by calling Manchester United's tactics "anti-football". Laugh out loud everyone:)
"I have seen a player who plays on the pitch only to make fouls. For me, this is a point that is more urgent than diving...The players who are never punished, who get out of the game without a yellow card. I think it is more anti-football than a player who did what Eduardo did...Look at how many deliberate fouls some players get away with. That's a bigger problem because it cuts the flow of the game. And people pay to see football, not free kicks."
So enlightening of you Mr. Wenger. While I understand that Arsenal were not awarded a clear cut penalty (though it would not have made any difference to the scoreline), to suggest that the most successful team in Premier League history plays "anti-football" is not only idiotic but downright disgraceful. It seems Arsene has become so enamored of his mantra of slick, one-touch beautiful football that he has forgotten that football is a contact sport. It's not just about passing the ball, it's also equally about good, hard tackles. It is only the combination of both these arts that can lead you to the pinnacle but Arsene of course would not know this considering the lack of any trophy in the last five years that his "beautiful football playing" team has won.
In his short sighted book of tactics, a tackle is equivalent to a foul which explains his "ohh-so-intelligent" comment about Fletcher and his supposed 20 fouls. Of course, the real fact is that Arsene knows very well that his prima donnas cannot compete in a physical and intense game of football with most sides and thus this attempt at riding the game off tackling.
But of course, his book consists a full chapter on simulation, play acting and cheating which explains how some of his players past and present have so mastered that "dark" art. I confess I had some respect for Arsene as I regarded him as a student of the game with good understanding of the nuances but by grovelling so low in his obvious frustration he has completely lost it.
All I'll say, get a life Mr. Wenger
