--------------------------------- [24] Gold in the air --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: Becks:
"We wore golden shirts and it was a golden goal." --------------------------------- [23] Simply old hat --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: The SUN's Bizarre 'pop' column reveals that Becks has just 'started' signing autographs with a trademark 7 underneath his name. Er, no, he's actually been doing that for about the past three years. --------------------------------- [22] Fergie on Cole --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: "I told Andy before the game that he would come on and make a contribution and that's exactly what he did." --------------------------------- [21] More from Becks --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: "This has completed a great week for me after the England game. I love scoring goals and it was tremendous to get another to put us on top of the group. People have criticised our away form in Europe, but this was a great show." --------------------------------- [20] Whoops --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: The Olympiakos scoreboard put the United team up before the game last night - and there at No.6 for the Reds was...Jaap Stam. --------------------------------- [19] Becks was doubtful --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: "I really thought I might not play. But I told him I felt fresh enough" --------------------------------- [18] A bit of history --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: >From BBC Ceefax via Paul 'Last night Andy Cole became England's top scorer in European football history. The goal was his 23rd in all European competitions.' How about that ABUs! --------------------------------- [17] Team from last night --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: Barthez, Irwin, Johnsen, Blanc, G Neville, Giggs, Keane, Veron, Beckham, Scholes, van Nistelrooy. Subs used: Cole, Ole and Silvestre --------------------------------- [16] How they all stand --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by redend: Most of the Euro big guns (and Liverpool) are rising to the top of the groups now so we can start to see who's likely to go through. Group A P Pts Real Madrid 3 9 Roma 3 4 Anderlecht 3 2 Loko. Moscow 3 1 Group B P Pts Boavista 3 7 Liverpool 3 5 Bor. Dortmund 3 2 Dynamo Kyiv 3 1 Group C P Pts Panathinaikos 3 9 Mallorca 3 6 Arsenal 3 3 Schalke 3 0 Group D P Pts Nantes 3 6 Galatasaray 3 6 PSV Eindhoven 3 6 Lazio 3 0 Group E P Pts Celtic 3 6 Juventus 3 5 Porto 3 4 Rosenborg 3 1 Group F P Pts Bay. Leverkusen 3 9 Barcelona 3 6 Olymp. Lyonnais 3 3 Fenerbahçe 3 0 Group G P Pts Man. United 3 6 Dep. La Coruña 3 5 Lille 3 4 Olymp. Piraeus 3 1 Group H P Pts Sparta Praha 3 7 Bayern München 3 5 Feyenoord 3 2 Spartak Moscow 3 1 --------------------------------- [15] Top of the League --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by redend: Group G - P Pts Man. United 3 6 Dep. La Coruña 3 5 Lille 3 4 Olymp. Piraeus 3 1 --------------------------------- [14] More from Becks --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: "The manager knew it was a hard game on Saturday for me and the other England lads. But I spoke to him and said 'I'd be fine, it's a big game and I want to play in it' - and I think that's all he wanted to hear from me really. The ball bounced just in front of me and they can go anywhere. But the left-back just took his eye off me and I managed to get there first and just direct it in." --------------------------------- [13] More from Fergie --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: "I thought it was an excellent performance and I was very, very pleased. It was a good collective performance and our passing and movement at times was very good. We're in a good position now. The result in France, where Lille and Deportivo drew, was a good one for us. That leaves us top of the group with three games left and two of them are at home. Obviously we've got to make sure our home form remains consistent as it has been over the last few years." --------------------------------- [12] Other result --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: Lille 1 Coruna 1 --------------------------------- [11] Olympiakos plans come to nothing --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: Olympiakos coach Takis Lemonis: "We expected David Beckham to play. We knew there was a possibility that he wouldn't, but we made our plans as if David Beckham would play." --------------------------------- [10] Fergie backs Becks --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: "I decided to play him this morning. I had a long, long discussion with him and I decided to trust him because he was desperate to play, but it was a gamble." --------------------------------- [9] More from Becks --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: "The manager knew it was a hard game on Saturday for me and the other England lads. But I spoke to him and I said I'd be fine, that it was a big game and I wanted to play in it." --------------------------------- [8] Please, stop, I need to breathe --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: Well that's what I thought when I hard a Bitter ring in after city's 6-0 league Cup win over Birmingham and say "this could be our year". I think I've finally stoped laughing. He obviously forgot to look in the diary entry for March, starting in 1976 and then counting '77, '78, '79, '80, '81, '82, '83, '84, '85, '86, '87, '88, '89, '90, '91, '92, '93, '94, '95, '96, '97, '98, '99, '00 and '01. BUT THIS IS THE YEAR! --------------------------------- [7] Lowest euro away total in years --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: One RN contributor counted the Reds present as a way to pass the time after being kept in by the old bill out in Athens. Only 132 made the trip - showing that finances, the short time to book trips, expensive packages and so many matches played their part. You could hear them though! But what a performance. That's the way to do it. Veron Man of the Match but the back four looked like a unit and the way the team were really up for it - Fergie on the side of the pitch showing how important the game was - shone through in the way we played as fine football as we have abroad since 1999. I still say two up front but it's not so much down to combinations as belief that we can still play attacking free flowing football better than anyone. And we did that last night. Now let's get qualification sorted early for once! --------------------------------- [6] Macclesfield still want Irwin --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: Macclesfield chief executive Colin Garlick: "We'd be interested if Denis Irwin was interested. We've had a number of applicants for the job, but we'll be meeting on Friday to come up with a decision. It's likely to be a short-term decision, to give us time to decide on a more long-term appointment." --------------------------------- [5] PFA ballot palyers this Friday on strike action --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: And Gordon Taylor replies to the Deloitte and Touche we reported yesterday "They have not declared that they are the Premier League's accountants or that we allowed them in to audit the PFA's accounts. They know full well our accident, benevolent and education grants have been limited. That they have the audacity to say that the PFA have yet to prove they need the money is outrageous. They are the Premier League's accountants and the Premier League appointed them to audit our accounts." --------------------------------- [4] Two chords, you've only got two chords --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: Noel Gallagher when asked if he'll do the England World Cup song he replied "Absolutely not. If we do anything, it'll be for the Republic of Ireland. If anyone's listening to this from the Irish FA, half a million and we'll do it for you." We're still in a state of shock trying to come to terms with the fact that he thinks he can actaully pen a tune! --------------------------------- [3] I remember your name, where from though --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: Go on give us a clue Noel Gallagher we just can't remember who you are. Noel Gallaghe: "The man in the paper (Becks) is a knob. The guy's got a moustache, man. Not a beard, but a little underneath - one of them like Errol Flynn. Next he'll be wearing green tights. I have also been asked to go on Parkinson: "I said 'Look, Parkinson? I don't know really.' Their producers said 'All right, we'll send the questions in advance, so you can work out your answers' I mean, what's the point in that? You see Beckham and his missus had three weeks - for that." --------------------------------- [2] You know who to trust --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: With nearly all the media going with the 'shock' story that Becks was dropped from the Olympiakos game yesterday, remember www.rednews.co.uk informed you 'But believe it or not we hear from sources in Athens that Becks could still play' Our sources also tell us that there was no row and that as the Tuesday editions were going to press all fergie asked was for Becks to tell the Gaffer honestly if he felt up to it. He did, he came through superbly and once again the media were found wanting! --------------------------------- [1] Comment on ABU from yesterday --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, October 11, 2001 by bar-knee: Mick Dennis (see item 40 on Wednesday's news) gives a nice example of the state of British sports journalism - unoriginal, uninspiring and obsessive. The poor man did not enjoy his (free?) visit to Old Trafford on Saturday for the England game because the ground was United's: it had United's badge and colours everywhere. I wonder if Spanish and German clubs hide their badges when the national team is in town, or are their journalists not so obsessed with such parochial issues? Did he object to the presence of Newcastle at St James's or Liverpool at Anfield? Doubtful. He was upset about paying for the car park because the money goes to United. He comments that money-grabbing United charge for museum entry but have the cheek to sell things in the shop. Presumably the shop at White Hart Lane has a turnstile, and the museum at Anfield can be entered for free. No, thought not. And in his plea for a national stadium does he remember Wembley rip-off souvenir stalls? He probably does,! but he's on an anti-United roll here. Because, as he tells us, he 'loathes' United. Well, carry on pal, because this world needs a little more hatred in it right now. Worst of all, he wants an angle on an international game at Old Trafford and his sports editor is happy to accept an ABU whine - that's the real sad point. And they paid him money for it. I'd want originality before I wrote the cheque. The England crowd made more noise than a United crowd at Old Trafford, did it? That must have been the booing and jeering at half time then. Words like shallow and fickle spring immediately to mind. But no doubt he loves Becks now - it wasn't so long ago that his blessed England crowd booed every touch by a United player at Wembley. Small time, you bet. --------------------------------- [52] Becks - post match --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by redend: Becks said that Fergie had spoken to him about leaving him on the bench to rest after his "10 mile run" on Saturday. He said: "The manager knew it was a hard game on Saturday - not just for me, but all the England lads. He had to think about that but once I talked to him and told him I would be fine that's all he needed to hear from me." Describing his goal - after Giggsy had got to the line and dinked it across the goal : "The ball bounced just in front of me and they can go anywhere. But the left-back just took his eye off me and I managed to get there first and just direct it in." --------------------------------- [51] Fergie praises team effort --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by redend: The Boss: "I felt it was a fabulous performance and the players were ready for it. We played some great football and also they kept their patience, which is important." Ferguson described JSV's performance as magnificent but emphasised that it was a team performance. "It was a magnificent performance by Veron but I thought all the players worked extra hard. Our collective football was very, very good." --------------------------------- [50] Fergie happy as Reds spank Greeks --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by redend: Olympiakos 0 - 2 Manchester United Fergie was well pleased with the performance as we inflicted the first ever home defeat on Olympiakos in 14 Cahmpions League matches. Two second-half goals, the first from Becks and then a sweet exchange of passes (reminiscent of Yorke & Cole in '99) between Coley (who had just come on as sub) and Ruud ended with Andy side footing into the empty net. Nice. That was a signal for the Greeks to surrender - the fans fell silent - you could have heard a pin drop for the rest of the match - apart from the smattering of Reds who'd made it to this rearranged fixture. United created plenty more chances too - with Veron looking very threatening and coming close several times. Blanc played a class game again too - solid and cool in defence and threatening when he got up front getting in there at corners with headers and a shot. Looks a good bet for first goalscorer every time he plays - until the Bookies drop his odds. Two goals was enough - and a clean sheet bonus too - resulted in a victory which sends us back to the top of Group G. --------------------------------- [49] Newry match report --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by bar-knee: Posted by Irish Red on the Red News web site forum - check it out and get posting! 'Just in case any of you are interested, a United Reserve XI played a friendly against Newry Town in Northern Ireland last night. It was arranged to open Newry's stand and being from the town but also a Red I made it along. The Utd team was captained by Jesper Blomqvist who had a good game. It was quite an entertaining 90 minutes and although not the toughest test for the young Reds a number certainly shone. In particular Bojan Djordjic stood out in midfield as did Mark Lynch.Blomqvist was also very prominent and scored at least one goal (possibly two as he had a second which may have been deflected in off a defender). Jimmy Davis, Ronnie Wallwork and Daniel Nardiello were also on the scoresheet at Utd won 5-0. Young Williams made a couple of very good saves but was well protected by his back four, in particular O'Shea in the first half and his 2nd half replacement Tate. Utd team: Williams, Clegg, Tierney, O'Shea, McDermott, Wallwork, Lynch, Nardiello, Davis, Djordjic, Blomqvist. Suns: Tate, Muirhead, Fox (and a couple of others who I'm afraid I didn't recognise!) The Utd team was well recieved by the 1000 strong crowd who were appreciative of their efforts, yours truly included.' --------------------------------- [48] Another big news day --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by bar-knee: 48 stories on www.rednews.co.uk and counting. We hope you like the site. You can of course help the site with its costs by ordering any items you were buying through our amazon link to the right, and if you were having a bet using our Sporting Odds link. Also for those of you who haven't read the fanzine itself (whose content is separate to the website and contains many, many exclusive bits of gossip, interviews, etc) you can order individual copies for £2 including postage and packing or subs in the UK for ten issues for £16.50. Helping us means we can further improve the site and bring you yet more news. Thanks, as ever. --------------------------------- [47] Fergie on the squad --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by bar-knee: "We will check the players' freshness and fitness and then decide. I've got to play a team I think will win. That's the most important thing and it doesn't matter what the occasion is. In the course of that you sometimes do change things around because you have to trust the squad of players you have and we have done that many times." --------------------------------- [46] More from Fergie --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by bar-knee: "I've not decided how we'll play. I have to decide who the players are who are going to play first of all." --------------------------------- [45] Quote of the day --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by bar-knee: >From someone in the offices who works with one of the RN team, who moaned that each >time she's been to Anfield (which isn't many), they've lost. His request that she >should get a season ticket went right over her head! "I got home after the game to watch the highlights (!) and it made the game look exciting, which it wasn't!" Plastic treble, plastic treble --------------------------------- [44] Rough Guide to United --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by bar-knee: Jim White and Andy Mitten have produced the Rough Guide to United. A cheap little bargain, you can order copies online at ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1858288568/rednewsunitesfir ) http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1858288568/rednewsunitesfir --------------------------------- [43] McClaren on becks free-kicks --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by bar-knee: "He puts in an awful lot of practice, 20-30 every time. He hit 30 on Friday and didn't score with one of them." --------------------------------- [42] Fergie on Veron --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by bar-knee: "He has travelled a hell of a distance and I need to see him in training." --------------------------------- [41] Posh changes mind --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by bar-knee: "Italy is certainly a beautiful country but at the moment we are very happy in Manchester. Most people knew me only as a celebrity and not as a singer. I wanted to record my own album for ages. But it was David who really encouraged me to do this". --------------------------------- [40] Cockernee journalist gets on high horse to talk arse --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by bar-knee: Mick Dennis in the Moral/Soccernet 'England fans who arrived early for the match against Greece were free to wander around the Manchester United museum. Well, not free exactly. It cost £5.50 a head. There was no charge to enter the massive club shop, though, and if you signed up there and then for a Manchester United credit card, they gave you a free football. Nothing else was free. Everywhere you looked you were struck by how slick the United merchandising machine has become and struck even more painfully by this thought: we must have a national stadium for football internationals. Old Trafford is a fine ground. It's getting a bit shabby, grubby and worn in places, yet it is undeniably a fine ground. But it is Manchester United's ground, with their colours, their badge and their products everywhere. It is not the right place to stage an England international. Those in the crowd on Saturday who were not Manchester United fans (which must have been most of us, because we made much more noise than is usual at Old Trafford) did not want to give money to United for parking the car or when we bought a coffee in Sevens (thesnackbar named after the number of title wins Fergie has managed). They've got more than enough money. That's why we loathe them. And that's why, although the notion of taking England matches around the country has a superficial appeal, it cannot be right. Each club stadium in the land is just that, a club ground, too closely associated with partisanship and old enmities. What's more, club stadiums are not big enough for England. Old Trafford only holds 68,000 and the FA could have sold 90,000 tickets to see Beckham and Co take on Greece. So can we please get on with building a new, national stadium? It should be at Wembley, but I'd even settle for Birmingham if need be, so long as it is built somewhere. That will surprise those charming Brummies who took part in a radio phone-in on Friday night, which was broadcast simultaneously by BBC local stations in London and Birmingham. I was one of the token Londoners dragged in, and one Midlands chap described me as arrogant and patronising. That may have been because I said that when they recorded that song, Football's Coming Home, I don't think they meant home to Solihull. However, the truth is that although it is proposed to stick it in greenbelt land and they don't have planning permission, you can make out a reasonably convincing case for putting the national stadium in Birmingham. There is a much better case for Wembley, in my view, but the important thing is to get the blinking thing built somewhere. There is a reluctance on the part of this Government to back the project at all and, as someone who walked on the wobbly Millennium Bridge (with considerable difficulty and extreme care) on the first and only day it was opened, I understand that they don't want another embarrassing blunder. That was part of the reason for cancelling the athletics stadium at Picketts Lock, I'm sure, and I have no quibble with that. In fact, it would surely have been wrong to commit Lottery cash to a stadium which would only have been filled for the World Championships when we've got perfectly good athletics stadiums elsewhere. But we don't have a big enough, neutral football stadium and we need one, urgently. ' --------------------------------- [39] Macclesfield want Irwin as boss --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by bar-knee: Perhaps a good choice for everyone? Macclesfield Town chairman Eddie Furlong. "Denis is my first choice for the post. He's a big name in football and has all the contacts and experience of playing at the highest level under one of the best managers in the game. We think this would be the ideal place for him to start on the managerial ladder. We hope he will apply for the job but if he doesn't we will be making an official approach to Manchester United to speak to Denis. He's under contract to United until the end of the season but we hope he'll decide to leave early now this opportunity has come about" --------------------------------- [38] More from Ruud --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by bar-knee: "United can get a spin-off from England's success. In this game it is important that players are confident, and going to the finals will give our lads a huge lift. That has to be good for the United squad as a whole. I wish I could be there with the England lads. To miss out was a massive personal disappointment for me. When I went to Holland at the weekend I could feel the gloom in the country. And I think that when I watch the finals on TV the disappointment will come back to me. It's such a shame when you look at how many talented players there are in the Dutch squad. I think we proved that when we beat England in our friendly at White Hart Lane. You have to be mentally strong at United because you are playing big games all the time and you have to be right for those. But I know it will take me a long time to get over the World Cup failure. I still have time on my side. I am only 25 years old and already I am looking forward to being involved in the next big tournament. Of course, doing well in the Champions League can help me get over my World Cup disappointment. For me, success with Manchester Unite! d is so important. Not going to Japan and Korea makes that even more so." --------------------------------- [37] Jesper latest --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by bar-knee: >From official site 'Jesper Blomqvist chalked up another recovery milestone on Tuesday night. The Swedish winger scored his first goal since returning from injury, as United Reserves routed Newry Town 5-0 in the friendly match in Northern Ireland. Jimmy Davis, Ronnie Wallwork, Daniel Nardiello and an owngoal were also on the scoresheet for the Reds. The next competitive match for Brian McClair's side will be away to Bradford City in the FA Premier Reserve League, next Thursday 18 October at 7pm.' --------------------------------- [36] Barthez on France-Algeria --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by bar-knee: "It was starting when we were warming up. During the match one person started it, a second person followed and then everybody joined in. What we need to remember is how fragile the security was, once again, inside a football stadium, and we need to make sure it doesn't happen again." --------------------------------- [35] John Barnes talks arse --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by bar-knee: "David Beckham had a good game, but he was running everywhere on the left, right and down the middle. Football is not like that these days and I think that is what let England down. People playing out of position meant that there was no shape whatsoever. The team played as individuals instead of sticking to the game-plan - whatever that was. Beckham played with a lot of energy, but I thought he did too much running. In many respects he was the main culprit in England losing their shape." --------------------------------- [34] Gary Nev on tonight --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, October 10, 2001 by bar-knee: "Everything had gone well for us with regard to the way we wanted to play but we were on the receiving end of something we usually do to other teams and I think there are times you have to take your own medicine. That night they kept going until the end but we hope we have learned from that experience. We always think we have to win but I don't think we can afford to lose. In our next two games against Olympiakos and Deportivo we have to win one of them and if we can win them both it will put us in a very good position in the group. We have played Greek teams in the last couple of years and we are under no illusions about how hard it is going to be. Last year we were very fortunate to get a draw against Panathinaikos, so we are going to have to play at our very best to get a result over here."
