news
Thu, 23 Aug 2001 04:38:58 -0700
--------------------------------- [30] EURO DRAW --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: See you at 3pm, here, live Champs League draw. --------------------------------- [29] Ref thinks he was right --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: Philip Don, head of referees, talked to Alan Wiley "I have spoken to the referee and his comment to David Beckham was 'you have to wait until Craig Short leaves the pitch'. And according to the referee Craig Short had actually left the pitch when David Beckham took the free-kick." --------------------------------- [28] Boylie classic for Veron --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: WE HAD JOY WE HAD FUN JUAN SEBASTIAN VERON AND THE JOY IT WILL LAST EVERY BA**ARD IS OUTCLASSED! --------------------------------- [27] More from Irwin --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: "I had a good long think during the summer. It was mostly First Division clubs who showed an interest. All except one of them meant me uprooting my family. But I would have done that if it had been a bigger club who'd wanted me. There was one club who I thought seriously about but to be honest nothing really jumped out at me. But it wouldn't have fazed me moving away from Old Trafford. I also waited a long while before making my mind up to see who we'd buy in the summer. Obviously there were reports of United buying Lilian Thuram or Bixente Lizarazu but when they didn't that helped me make up my mind. But I only have one or two years left in me now but only one will be with United. You never know when your legs will suddenly pack in on you but at the moment I feel fine." --------------------------------- [26] Irwin on leaving next summer --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: "When you get to around 34 you start to think that you are facing your last season and I thought last term would be the end of it for me here But this campaign is definitely my last with United. I may play on beyond that elsewhere but it won't be here. You just know when it's your time and next summer will be it for me at Old Trafford. I have thought it might be the end in the past but now I know it really is Not playing in the big games against Valencia and Bayern Munich was a shock to me and I was very disappointed. Having played in nearly all United's big matches for 10 years, not being involved hurt. But I was probably fighting the reality of it all last season. I am nearly 36 and I have got to understand that I won't play in every match any more. Age is creeping up so there has to be a touch of realism now. But I still hope there will be some big game appearances this time. I will be battling as hard as ever to be there on those occasions. The manager phoned me up a few times during the summer when I was considering my future and he told me I'd play 25-30 games in the season. That doesn't seem a lot but at this club players are battling for subs places let alone positions in the team. I have to accept that. It is going to be a hell of a battle to even play 25-30 games but I feel as fit as ever and I am going to give it a bash. It has been a good start for me. I played on Sunday against Fulham and to be honest I don't really think I expected that. You just don't know these days here because it is the strongest squad I have ever known in my time at United and the most talented." --------------------------------- [25] More from Fergie --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: "It was a good bit of thinking by David but I thought we should have had an advantage. The refs are stopping the game far too quickly. Twice we were stopped in attacking positions and brought back 10 or 15 yards. I was annoyed at the time but it was quite fortuitous in the end. It would be nice if referees would let us know what was going on. I am not sure professional refs are really going to work. Jaap had a disappointing game on Sunday and knows it. There is a lot of slackness, which is getting punished at the moment." --------------------------------- [24] More from Sourness --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: "I am not even sure Short had left the field of play. Brad was upset about it and he has every reason to be." --------------------------------- [23] More from Fergie --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: "The chaos and slackness were unbelievable and we were punished. From a position of great control in the first half, playing football you won't see anywhere for a long time, we ended up scrambling for a point. I am disappointed and I am sure they are as well. The only thing I can take is that when you are 2-1 down away from home with 15 minutes to go and get something from the game, it shows quality." --------------------------------- [22] Massive auction --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: 'An Italian man is auctioning off his girlfriend online for the equivalent of three pence. The 30-year-old man from Padova claims she's always too busy to see him. He has been nicknamed "I can't stand her any more". The unidentified man is inviting bids on www.bid.it. He writes: "I want to get rid of her, as she's always got something else to do. I've had three weekends wasted because of her commitments with the family, and I'm quite fed up with all that." Il Nuovo website reports bid.it has been inundated with replies and £100,000 has been offered so far. It says the woman doesn't know anything about the auction.' Other bizarre lots on the auction include a set of floodlights (big ones too), several hundred rolls of bog paper, and 26 semi-professional football players. The seller going under the pseudonym of Wor Curly Kev adds the following comments "wibble, wibble, I'd just luv it to get promoted as we're huge if not massive, wibble, wibble"... --------------------------------- [21] Fergie - slight rebuke for Barthez --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: "He was caught in possession - and not for the first time. I have said for a long time 'you're going to be caught'. I don't think we will see him do nearly as many in other games." --------------------------------- [20] Fergie to give Brown his chance --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: "Brown showed maybe that we hold him back too much. He's a man now, and plays like a man. He's an excellent player." --------------------------------- [19] Latest Ruud song --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: To the tune of 'One United-Man United....' Rudi, Rudi, Rudi, Rudi, Rudi, Rudi Van Nistelrooy Fast as Lightning twice as frightning came to Manchester from PSV Shoots just like a prize gunfighter he's our very own Pistol Boy Rudi, Rudi, Rudi, Rudi, Rudi, Rudi Van Nistelrooy Left foot right foot over six foot always hits the target in the air the flying Dutchman always f**ks them on the draw he is beyond compare Rudi, Rudi, Rudi, Rudi, Rudi, Rudi, Rudi Van Nistelrooy by Derek --------------------------------- [18] Fergie's horse wins --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: Rock Of Gibraltar won yesterday's Gimcrack Stakes. "I am afraid the team bus had to be held up for a few minutes for me to watch the race. I have been involved in big football matches all over the world but nothing has given me a thrill like this." 26-05-99 >From the SUN 'Ferguson confirmed he will return to the Yor track in December to deliver the famous Gimcrack speech. He laughed: "I just hope they understand my accent!" Rock Of Gibraltar is as short as 12-1 for next year's 2,000 Guineas, his stablemate Johannesburg is the bookies' 10-1 favourite for the Classic. Trainer Aidan O'Brien said: "Of the two Rock Of Gibral-tar has more stamina. He was not stopping at the end." --------------------------------- [17] Radio Five Live get OT European games --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: Press release 'BBC Radio Five Live has signed an exclusive deal to cover all of Manchester United's home matches in Europe for the next two years. The rights cover the 2001/2002 and 2002/2003 seasons, and return to the BBC after an absence of three seasons. Bob Shennan, controller of BBC Radio Five Live, said: "It's really good news to be working with United once again. "They are one of the outstanding sides in Europe and their Champions League campaign this season is of course of particular interest as it is the last that will be masterminded by Sir Alex Ferguson. "We're looking forward to bringing our listeners all the drama of the campaign." Peter Kenyon, Manchester United's chief executive, added: "We're delighted to be back on BBC Radio for our Champions League matches. "We're hoping for a very successful season in Europe and we know that Five Live will capture the excitement and drama of the campaign for all of its listeners." --------------------------------- [16] FA like quick free-kicks --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: FA spokesman Adrian Bevington: "The initiative must always be with the attacking side, the team that have been offended against. They are perfectly entitled to take a quick free-kick and the referees are actively encouraged to keep the game moving in that respect. However, if the player taking the free-kick, or indeed one of his team-mates, asks the referee to move the wall or any defender back, they must then wait for the official to give the instruction as to when to take the free-kick. That would then give the defending team the time to prepare their wall." --------------------------------- [15] Teams in Euro draw --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: Live here at 3pm. We can't get another top seed. Nor a team from your own country - so expect a lot of cock-ups and changed groups as usual when it gets going. Bayern Munich (Ger) Borussia Dortmund (Ger) Schalke 04 (Ger) Nantes (Fra) Real Madrid (Spa) Galatasaray (Tur) Bayer Leverkusen (Ger) Anderlecht (Bel) Manchester United (Eng) Porto (Por) Dynamo Kiev (Ukr) Sparta Prague (Cz Rep) Barcelona (Spa) Roma (Ita) Lokomotiv Moscow (Rus) Panathinaikos (Gre) Lazio (Ita) Lyon (Fra) Rosenborg (Nor) Boavista (Por) Juventus (Ita) Deportivo la Coruna (Spa) Feyenoord (Hol) Celtic (Sco) Arsenal (Eng) Lyon (Fra) PSV Eindhoven (Hol) Fenerbahce (Tur) Liverpool (Eng) Mallorca (Esp) Olympiakos (Gre) Lille (Fra) Red News note - Mallorca away in September please, but out of that lot, it should be 3 cracking euros... --------------------------------- [14] Euro draw details --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: Remember it's live here AS IT HAPPENS at 3pm We can get Celtic, Liverpool have somehow got themselves in the top seeds placings. Seed 1s - Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and Lazio. --------------------------------- [13] Sourness not happy about Becks free-kick --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: "All night the referee's been saying 'wait until I blow my whistle'. You have to say it was great play by David Beckham but it's inconsistency" --------------------------------- [12] Teams from last night --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: BLACKBURN: Friedel, Curtis, Bjornebye, Short, Berg, Flitcroft, Gillespie, Duff, Mahon, Grabbi, Jansen. Subs: Hughes, Blake, Hignett, Taylor, Filan. Barthez, Irwin, Silvestre, Brown, Johnsen, Beckham, Giggs, Keane, Veron, Scholes, van Nistelrooy. Subs: Gary Neville, Cole, Yorke, Solskjaer, Carroll. --------------------------------- [11] Wenger to stay at Arse for four more years --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: So please let this end any links with us as our next boss please. David Dein: "Arsene Wenger will be with Arsenal for the next four years. He is the most honourable and trustworthy manager in Europe. He wants to stay and he wants to extend his contract so he will be with us. The question that keeps on being raised is whether he has signed a ew contract, but that is not an issue. He agreed a new contract two years ago and still hasn't signed it. I'm not worried, he will sign this contract, but even if he doesn't he will still stay, I am convinced of that. Arsene himself has repeatedly said that he wants to stay and only last week made it clear that he's going to extend his contract. That is good enough for me." --------------------------------- [10] Irwin to leave United at end of season --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: "I may play on beyond that elsewhere but it won't be here. You just know when it's your time and next summer will be it for me at Old Trafford." --------------------------------- [9] A poignant moment last night --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: United fans singing "One Les Sealey" then the trademark "Sealey, Sealey" and 'We'll never die' United fans as usual at their best last night - a massive turn-out (not to be compared with city like turn-outs) United players wore black arm bands - and we just hope that talk of a testimonial for the Sealey family will happen. --------------------------------- [8] Scousers still going on about plastic treble --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: Jamie Redknapp: "I don't think we have anything to be afraid of. Take last season when we won the Uefa Cup, beat Manchester United twice in the league... I don't think we have anything to be frightened of with so many talented players here." --------------------------------- [7] Ex-Red happy --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: Keith Gillespie: "I was delighted when it went in. It was a crazy season for me last year. I was out of the team for a long time but I got back in and to score tonight is the icing on the cake. We shot ourselves in the foot because we gave away a daft equaliser - we should be stood here with three points in the bag. I did hear a whistle from the referee - so you learn from your mistakes. But it happened last night and we should have seen it happen again tonight - but we're happy enough with a point. We knew they'd have a lot of the ball, they're a class side. We did well to get back into the game in the second half - we closed them down." --------------------------------- [6] Fergie on his tactics --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: "I felt tonight maybe was a chance to try the other two players out. Ronny is fit again and has great experience and Wes Brown - you know what a good player he is. I thought they did very well tonight - I don't think the chaos was down to those two." --------------------------------- [5] More from Fergie --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: "It's a game we've thrown away really. We didn't react to the way they started the second half, made a lot of errors - it was an absolute throwaway. We played brilliant football in the first half - you won't see football as good as that anywhere. You'd expect them to fight back but for 10-15 minutes we didn't play well. Maybe we were a bit unlucky with the first goal deflecting off David (Beckham's) head but there was bad reaction for the second goal. You have to say their goalkeeper (Brad Friedel) made some marvellous saves. It's a game which we know through our own carelessness we've let two points slip." --------------------------------- [4] But Fergie says Stam's book has nothing to do with it --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: "That's a thing of the past - we are putting it all behind us." --------------------------------- [3] Jaap and Gary Nev were dropped --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: "Jaap and Gary had a disappointing game on Sunday (against Fulham), they know that we all know that. We had a good chat about it and it's no problem." --------------------------------- [2] Fergie on throwing the win away --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: "It was an absolute throwaway. We are sitting here wondering how we dropped those points. When you are down 1-0 at half-time and getting an absolute doing you are going to come out and do something emotionally and physically and I spoke about that at half-time and said we can't allow this to happen. We didn't react at all to it. Carelessness, slackness, it was unbelievable. For 15 minutes we deserved what we got and were punished for playing without common sense and from a position of great control we were scrambling to get a point towards the end. We are disappointed - I'm sure they are disappointed." Hopefully these warning signs will be picked up - 6 goals in 3 games let in is not good enough. --------------------------------- [1] Blackburn 2 United 2 --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, August 23, 2001 by bar-knee: Giggs, Becks. Fergie on Becks' free-kick: "Obviously it was a good bit of thinking. I thought we should have had an advantage anyway. I was annoyed the game had stopped but it turned out fortuitously for us."