---------------------------------
[35] Red News comment on Bosnich departure
---------------------------------
Posted Thursday, January 18, 2001 by bar-knee:
So all that money for his 35 appearances. The signs never bode well for his time at
Old Trafford - with rumours from the off that with the club desperate to get a 'name'
to replace Peter, after Van Der Saar and Barthez, originally, turned us down Our
Martin went ahead and signed Bossie without the full knowledge of Fergie. True or not
it was symbolic of his time - yet signed on a Bosman he got a massive (not in the
terms of city) deal. Apparently a wage per month that would have made most of his
team-mates jealous and a top off 'signing on' fee that combined made him one of the
biggest earners at the club.
It doesn't take Einstein to work out - along with Taibi - his signing was ill judged
and an expensive mistake. That first real game at Everton highlighted a weakness -
kicking - that was to prove evident time and time again but as again rumours grew of
disagreements within the goalkeeping camp over training methods that Bosnich found, he
began to make the No.1 spot (after being challenged by Raimond and Taibi) with some
outstanding displays, most notably Madrid and Japan.
But that kicking - or lack of it - persisted and something just didn't add up with the
whole thing. The management by their constant droppins and signing of Taibi in the
first place showed that they had worries; and if truth be told let's not forget the
many Utd fans who were uncertain about his signing in the first place because they
quite simply didn't like the player.
Red News knew him when he was a youngster when he was first at Old Trafford - a nicer
kid you could not have hoped to meet - but stories came thick and fast about how this
had changed - failing to sign autographs at the Cliff, etc and it soon became apparent
that it just wasn't going to work out. Words may have been said to the contrary but 35
games says that the management, as with many, fans just didn't see him as a long term
player at United. Barthez and his form upon arrival (and his kicking) has just shown
what we'd been lacking and the difference between a good keeper and a world clas
keeper.
Bosnich began to moan about his situation, pick up weight and further anger staff -
but as he was a Bosman he wanted to see any transfer money go to him again. A major
mistake and leaving the whole thing in limbo - Chelsea, Monaco, Celtic, etc, etc were
all linked but would they pay his expensive wages and who would get the fee. There was
no way Utd would let the player keep it. So with erratic form in games that Bosnich
probably felt were insulting to be picked in - Wrexham recently - the end was nigh.
And so it has passed to be. A contract terminated - thanks I suppose for some good
displays and helping us on our way to that second consecutive title but a mistake
nonetheless - but if fate had signed someone else would we now have Barthez. Things
have a habit of working out for United - and so, despite it all, we hope it does for
this departing Red as well, but that's a lot of money he's earnt (and United have
forked out and lost for the remainder of his contract) at United f!
or failing to achieve his potential. And why didn't he spend some time working on that
kicking?
---------------------------------
[34] Disturbing reading
---------------------------------
Posted Thursday, January 18, 2001 by bar-knee:
'These are serious Health and Safety issues issued by the HSE.
* 3 people die each year testing if a 9v battery works on their tongue.
* 142 people were injured in 1998 by not removing all pins from new
shirts.
* 58 people are injured each year by using sharp knives instead of
screwdrivers.
* 31 people have died since 1996 by watering their Christmas tree while the fairy
lights were plugged in.
* 19 people have died in the last 3 years believing that Christmas
decorations were chocolate.
* Hospitals reported 4 broken arms last year after cracker pulling
accidents.
* 101 people since 1997 have had to have broken parts of plastic toys
pulled out of the soles of their feet.
* 18 people had serious burns in 1998 trying on a new jumper with a lit cigarette in
their mouth.
* A massive 543 people were admitted to A&E in the last two years after opening
bottles of beer with their teeth.
* 5 people were injured last year in accidents involving out of control Scalectrix
cars.
And finally,
* 8 people cracked their skull in 1997 after falling asleep while
throwing up into the toilet.'
I'd better never go out the front door again...
---------------------------------
[33] Silvestre speaks
---------------------------------
Posted Thursday, January 18, 2001 by bar-knee:
"The first ranking against the last ranking this is how our 23rd Premier League round
looked like. Bradford City held their ground for over an hour before collapsing in the
last fifteen minutes. The title approaches as we are leading with an 11-point
advantage over Sunderland. We now have to manage this advantage, while remaining
competitive in the Champions League."
---------------------------------
[32] Youth Cup draw
---------------------------------
Posted Thursday, January 18, 2001 by bar-knee:
We've been drawn against Nottingham Forest or Portsmouth in the fifth round of the FA
Youth Cup - if we beat Scunthorpe 'in Monday's rearranged tie at Old Trafford, kick
off 7pm'.
---------------------------------
[31] West 'Am sold out
---------------------------------
Posted Thursday, January 18, 2001 by bar-knee:
'Tickets for United's FA Cup fourth round match against West Ham have sold out. 8000
tickets were put on general sale by the club, and all have been snapped up in just
over 24 hours.'
---------------------------------
[30] Bishop on way from Maine Road
---------------------------------
Posted Thursday, January 18, 2001 by bar-knee:
Again.
Joe Royle said: "There is an American club interested and there's also Barnsley and
Sheffield Wednesday and I think Ian will make his mind up over the weekend."
---------------------------------
[29] PA on Bosnich leaving
---------------------------------
Posted Thursday, January 18, 2001 by bar-knee:
'Mark Bosnich's Manchester United career came to a humiliating end today when the
champions terminated his contract.
United announced, in a brief statement, that they had terminated the
29-year's contract by 'mutual consent'. Bosnich has never fulfilled his potential at
Old Trafford and the arrival of World Cup winner Fabien Barthez in May effectively
called time on his hopes of a first-team recall.
The statement read: "Manchester United can confirm that we have terminated Mark
Bosnich's contract by mutual consent and, in doing so, we wish him well for the
future."
Yeah, right.
---------------------------------
[28] Bosnich contract terminated
---------------------------------
Posted Thursday, January 18, 2001 by bar-knee:
More to follow.
---------------------------------
[27] Wright offered long term role at city - but he's hesitating
---------------------------------
Posted Thursday, January 18, 2001 by bar-knee:
'Northern Ireland goalkeeper Tommy Wright has been offered a player-coaching role at
Manchester City next season. The Northern Ireland goalkeeper, who has just joined
Bolton for three months on loan, is out of contract this summer and manager Joe Royle
has tabled a new one-year deal.
Royle wants Wright to remain on the playing staff, while also helping out at the
club's youth academy. Wright, 37, is flattered by the offer, but he has been demoted
to City's third-choice goalkeeper following the arrival of Carlo Nash and he believes
he is still capable of playing first-team football.
"I'm out of contract at the end of the season and Joe has spoken to me about staying
for another year," he said. "He mentioned that there might be some coaching involved
with the academy and that's something I have to think about. I'm keeping my options
open because I feel I can play at the top level for another two seasons after this
one."
---------------------------------
[26] Fergie - on young players
---------------------------------
Posted Thursday, January 18, 2001 by bar-knee:
>From FA-Premier.com
"It's very difficult to assess young players in this game - even for experienced
managers and coaches. We've seen so many young players of 18 or 19 playing in Youth
teams and Under-21s and people are talking about them as great young players. Then two
years later, they disappear and you never hear of them. The only way you can really
judge the development of young players is in how they come through international
football. That's a great measure of how successful someone is.
I think the young players I have at United have thrived and matured by
playing international football and they have proved themselves at that level. They've
all succeeded and made the transition - not only at international level but also in
the Champions League and in the Premiership too. I don't think you should be throwing
plaudits out to young players before they've achieved anything. Promise is one thing -
fulfilling that promise is quite another."
