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--------------------------------- [13] They really are paranoid about us --------------------------------- Posted Sunday, December 30, 2001 by tb: Robson again!: 'The Manchester United game is the one that will measure us. Alex was just playing games when he said his side couldn't win the title. They have lost matches they didn't expect to lose, but they are still extremely dangerous. The most dangerous of the lot in my book.' --------------------------------- [12] Bobby on Fergies 'retirement --------------------------------- Posted Sunday, December 30, 2001 by tb: 'I don't go along with the theory that Alex announcing his retirement early has affected Manchester United's form.' 'Everyone seems to think Alex will be going at the end of the season and if he says it, then I suppose it must be true, but I'll believe it when I see it. That's another story, though. Assuming he is going, I don't think it is too much of a problem if the players know in advance. --------------------------------- [11] Behind you --------------------------------- Posted Sunday, December 30, 2001 by tb: As 'Wor Bobby' gets that 1996 feeling again: 'We aren't talking about titles, Manchester United are still top dogs for me, but the fans think we can win it and that's a nice feeling.' --------------------------------- [10] A pensioner speaks --------------------------------- Posted Sunday, December 30, 2001 by tb: Bobby Robson live from his bath chair: 'Of course Manchester United can still win the title, I think they have a great squad and a great chance,' Robson said. 'They have had a blip, but I just cannot envisage them blipping again this season.' --------------------------------- [9] Mark Robbins: It was a dream --------------------------------- Posted Sunday, December 30, 2001 by tb: "You have to give Alex Ferguson credit," Robins said. "If you're a young player who has been brought up the Manchester United way it's easier than being bought and having the added pressure of a fee on your shoulders. I think Alex Ferguson saw that and he introduced a lot of young lads at the time. We were nicknamed the Fergie Fledglings. It was his way of taking the pressure out of the situation. It was good management on his part. "The achievement of that season was obviously the springboard to go on and win other things. Looking back now, I fully appreciate what we did. It was a dream of mine to play for my home- town team, the team I supported as a boy. I'll be forever grateful to Alex Ferguson." --------------------------------- [8] Mark Robbins on 3rd round FA Cup 1990 --------------------------------- Posted Sunday, December 30, 2001 by tb: Seems like it never happened now! "If we'd gone out of the FA Cup that would have been our season over, and people have drawn their own conclusions. I think it's got more significant over time because of Alex Ferguson's achievements at Manchester United. "I had no idea what the situation actually was at the time. I was only young then. I was just coming into the team, trying to hold down a place in the squad. That's all I was concerned about. I think it was all probably a little bit over my head at that time, because I was just concentrating on myself. I was a naïve young lad. It was probably a good thing." --------------------------------- [7] Team news --------------------------------- Posted Sunday, December 30, 2001 by tb: Team (from): Barthez, P Neville, Blanc, G Neville, Silvestre, Veron, Keane, Butt, Giggs, Solskjaer, van Nistelrooy, Beckham, Scholes, Yorke, Wallwork, Chadwick, Irwin, Carroll. Team (from): Van der Sar, Brevett, Finnan, Melville, Goma, Collins, Legwinski, Malbranque, Davis, Ouaddou, Taylor, Boa Morte, Hayles, Saha, Stolcers, Marlet. --------------------------------- [6] Ingerlund players under the influence? --------------------------------- Posted Sunday, December 30, 2001 by tb: >From Ananova: A Norwegian professor says he will hypnotise David Beckham and his England team mates to boost their chances of winning the World Cup. Dr Willi Railo is confident his techniques will make the players feel unbeatable and spur them to glory. Beckham, Michael Owen and Paul Scholes will reportedly be singled out for special hypnosis sessions. I think we prefer Fergie's methods don't you! --------------------------------- [5] Sourness in his lifeboat? --------------------------------- Posted Sunday, December 30, 2001 by tb: "I am absolutely delighted." "I've said all season that the thing we have missed is someone who is a goalscorer and, in Andy, we've gone for the very best. It would be hard for us to make a better signing. "I'm really happy. Players are very expensive and the board have pushed the boat out." --------------------------------- [4] Andy: Splinters hurt --------------------------------- Posted Sunday, December 30, 2001 by tb: "It was a big decision. When you leave a club like Manchester United it's always going to be a big decision. "I am 30 and it's very important that in the next few years I'm playing football. That's all I want to do. I don't enjoy being on the bench. "I am really looking forward to playing here. I spoke at great length to the manager and at what he was looking to do at the club and that made my mind up." 'Manchester United is a great club and I had seven great years there and won just about everything going. 'But there is no chance of me playing regularly so it did not take me long to make my mind up. --------------------------------- [3] Fergie may not quit? --------------------------------- Posted Sunday, December 30, 2001 by redend: The News of the World reckons he has already told his players he will not retire in the summer if United end up trophy-less this season. [Oh OK - its still Ta Ra then Boss] Fergie said: "At the moment my mind is made up about retiring at the end of the season." "Is there any possibility of me changing my mind? I don't think so but you never know what might happen." "The club are looking for my successor but when the thing comes, nearer the time, who knows what will happen? But at the moment my mind is fixed on retiring." NOTW says that when we were going through our bad run - with defeats against Deportivo, West Ham, Chelsea and Arsenal - Fergie summoned the players after training and told them he would not leave without having won a trophy. And in recent weeks he has suggested the need for a general manager's role at United. [Hmmm - can't see Fergie changing his mind about retiring but if he was offered a different kind of managerial role then you never know. Could this be the reason he's thought to have already postponed end of season retirement celebrations?] --------------------------------- [2] League Table on Saturday Night --------------------------------- Posted Sunday, December 30, 2001 by redend: Table at "Close of Play" on Saturday .............P......Points..GD Arsenal.....20......39......17 Newcastle...20......39......13 Leeds.......20......38......13 Liverpool...19......37......10 Man.Utd.....19......33......17 Chelsea.....20......33......15 Tottenham...20......28......4 Aston.Villa.20......28......1 Charlton....20......26......2 Sunderland..20......26......-5 West.Ham....20......25......-6 Fulham......18......24......0 Everton.....20......23......-5 Blackburn...20......22......0 Bolton......20......22......-8 Middlesbro..19......19......-10 Southampton.19......19......-12 Derby.Cnty..20......19......-20 Ipswich.....20......18......-4 Leicester...20......16......-22 _____________P______Points__GD Arsenal_____20______39______17 Newcastle___20______39______13 Leeds_______20______38______13 Liverpool___19______37______10 Man_Utd_____19______33______17 Chelsea_____20______33______15 Tottenham___20______28______4 Aston_Villa_20______28______1 Charlton____20______26______2 Sunderland__20______26______-5 West_Ham____20______25______-6 Fulham______18______24______0 Everton_____20______23______-5 Blackburn___20______22______0 Bolton______20______22______-8 Middlesbro__19______19______-10 Southampton_19______19______-12 Derby_Cnty__20______19______-20 Ipswich_____20______18______-4 Leicester___20______16______-22 --------------------------------- [1] WHAT TIME'S KICK OFF?? --------------------------------- Posted Sunday, December 30, 2001 by redend: WHAT TIME'S KICK OFF?? Alex Plypin vents: Any time you want, if the first 2 letters of your surname represent 'The Brand' that you tried to buy on the cheap not so long ago. Some of us can still remember laceys on the pitch, wooden rattles, terraces where you could not move for a half-time pee - so had to improvise, that smell from Brown & Poulson/Kelloggs, and a 3pm kick off on a Saturday afternoon. The current crop of TV presenting wannabees were not even thought of when footie was footie. They are there for their youth, looks, and precious little else. The hype that now surrounds The Beautiful Game has made it into something that it isn't. The way that things are going, we are going to end up with Offence, Defence, 4 quarters, and a match that lasts the best part of a day. We don't need girlies and pompoms or made-up cartoon characters on the pitch, a tannoy blasting music that makes your ears bleed, 'celebrity' fans who would not know their west stand from their Stretford End, kick offs delayed to meet the demands of advertisers, patronising wankers trying to contradict the evidence of your own eyes, we want our game back. And, I'm not talking about going back to the days when our kids thought everything was lived in black and white, I am on about a schedule where you have a fair chance of predicting in advance what time to take off work, in order to follow your main passion. Not long ago, we played t'rovers at wemberley at 5pm on a Sunday, and I thought then that the half-wits at the FA can't possibly top this - especially as you had to leave at half-time, if you were catching the last service train. I am sick and tired of the Great Hairy Ape creaming himself at yet another morning KO 'on police advice', and the fortuity with which their cameras just happened to be in the vicinity. With all-day opening, in exactly what state do they expect the majority to be when arriving at the scene of Giggsy's wonder goal in the Treble Season? The Team That Destroyed The FA Cup (by acceding to the wishes of its organisers) are now expected to turn out at 7pm on a Sunday, and hardly any of the seagulls have a thing to write about it. How long before it is 3am on a Tuesday morning, to suit the 'market' in the Far East? The coming World Cup schedule may well persuade the programmers that there IS such a market - we'll all end up jet-lagged in our own seats.
