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--------------------------------- [10] Villa Park lucky ground in Cup --------------------------------- Posted Saturday, January 5, 2002 by tb: We haven't lost in 10 visits stretching back 75 years. --------------------------------- [9] Peter on our form --------------------------------- Posted Saturday, January 5, 2002 by tb: "It's absolutely no surprise to me that they have suddenly surged into top form." --------------------------------- [8] Shotgun gets the thermals ready --------------------------------- Posted Saturday, January 5, 2002 by tb: "Of course Peter will be here (next season)- he still thinks he's the best goalkeeper in the world." --------------------------------- [7] Schmeichel to quit? --------------------------------- Posted Saturday, January 5, 2002 by tb: At the end of the season "I hate this cold spell and if the weather stays the same until March, that might persuade me to say no. "To be honest I thought I would be retired by now. That was in my mind six months ago, when I was considering doing different things in my life. On the other hand, I am enjoying myself more than ever and while I'm slowing down a little bit physically I'm speeding up in the mental department. "It was right for me to join Villa. I am much too competitive and there is too much left in me to have packed up in Portugal." --------------------------------- [6] Scouser on Di Canio --------------------------------- Posted Saturday, January 5, 2002 by tb: As Mark Lawrenson says: Di Canio has undoubted talent. He is a great entertainer and Fergie loves players who have great flair. Furthermore, his arrival would solve Fergie's long-running problem of finding someone to fill the gap in his 4-5-1 formation. Paul Scholes has struggled to adapt to the role just behind Van Nistelrooy because he is better suited to breaking from midfield. However, Di Canio can drop behind the main striker, function comfortably as a link player, and also chip in with his fair share of goals. The role is made for him because not only is he a first-rate striker but he can also drop deep to collect the ball and drive the team forward. Di Canio has an uncanny knack of knowing where his team-mates are, his passing is first class, his dribbling is magical, and he can also produce the unexpected and unusual. --------------------------------- [5] Southgate on porn star --------------------------------- Posted Saturday, January 5, 2002 by tb: As the S*n claim Boro have offered him 60k a week: "I feel Dwight would make an excellent signing. "Dwight and Ugo know each other very well too and our manager worked with him at Old Trafford in what was a fantastically successful period. "He has increased his strike rate considerably since leaving Villa Park. "But it's his all-round game that is so good. He brings in other players, holds the ball up and makes as many goals as he scores. "Dwight would interest any number of clubs. I couldn't speak highly enough of him." --------------------------------- [4] Roeder clutches at straws --------------------------------- Posted Saturday, January 5, 2002 by tb: "We won't have Paolo against Macclesfield but my gut feeling is that we will see him in a West Ham shirt the following week against Leicester." --------------------------------- [3] Roeder accuses Utd? --------------------------------- Posted Saturday, January 5, 2002 by tb: "There is no way that Paolo Di Canio could have spoken to Manchester United legally." "I'm as much in the dark as anyone about this." "But the speculation has lasted so long, revving it up, which makes you think there is more to it than meets the eye - whereas, in pre-season, the speculation died down very quickly. "Every player can be bought if enough money is available, even David Beckham." --------------------------------- [2] Roeder admits defeat? --------------------------------- Posted Saturday, January 5, 2002 by tb: "Manchester United are the one club in the world where it is difficult to convince a player he shouldn't go - whether that's a teenager or somebody in their 30s like Paolo." "Put yourself in his boots or if you had a son in the same situation. They are arguably the biggest club in the world." --------------------------------- [1] The Ref on Sunday is ... --------------------------------- Posted Saturday, January 5, 2002 by redend: .... Graham Poll From Tring His record this season: Games: 23 Yellow Cards: 67 Red Cards: 4 He's reffed us twice this season already: Away matches at Sunderland and Liverpool where we won and lost by the same scoreline of 3:1. Sunderland 1 - 3 Man Utd 13-10-2001 Liverpool 3 - 1 Man Utd 04-11-2001 He made no bookings at all in either fixture so make of that what you want. --------------------------------- [53] Yorke latest --------------------------------- Posted Friday, January 4, 2002 by bar-knee: Despite rumours that he is Boro bound, Teamtalk report that United have denied that he is on the transfer list but not that he 'could be on his way' (Teamtalk quote) - so work that one out! --------------------------------- [52] Top goal scorers (this season) --------------------------------- Posted Friday, January 4, 2002 by redend: VILLA Angel 12 Vassell 7 Hendrie 4 Dublin 4 Hadji 3 Ginola 2 Merson 2 Kachloul 2 Taylor 2 Boateng 1 Schmeichel 1 Stone 1 UNITED van Nistelrooy 20 Solskjaer 8 Beckham 7 Giggs 7 Scholes 5 Cole 5 Veron 4 Keane 2 Blanc 2 Yorke 1 Johnsen 1 Phil Neville 1 Fortune 1 --------------------------------- [51] Time of First Goal --------------------------------- Posted Friday, January 4, 2002 by redend: VILLA first | UNITED second Avg time 1st goal 37.6 mins | Avg time 1st goal 31.8 mins Avg time 1st goal (H)32.4 mins | Avg time 1st goal (A)32.2 mins --------------------------------- [50] First Goalscorer (odds) --------------------------------- Posted Friday, January 4, 2002 by redend: http://www.sportingodds.co.uk/adserver/scripts/ict.dll?click?rnews0 Odds: Since last match: + Odds increased - Odds dropped = Unchanged +R.Van Nistelrooy 4/1 =O.Solskjaer 5/1 -R.Giggs 6/1 +D.Yorke 7/1 =P.Scholes 8/1 =D.Beckham 10/1 -J.Veron 10/1 =Q.Fortune 14/1 +L.Chadwick 20/1 -N.Butt 20/1 +R.Keane 20/1 =D.Irwin 25/1 -L.Blanc 25/1 =J.O'Shea 40/1 =M.Silvestre 50/1 =G.Neville 66/1 +P.Neville 66/1 RHT: Ruud is the obvious bet again at 4/1 while Giggsy odds have tumbled further but the value depends on where Giggsy plays if he's fit. I'd again look at Solskjaer @ 5/1 but for value Keano looks very good at 20/1 as he's been getting forward a bit more and his odds have climbed. They've gone a bit stingey on Blanc @ 25/1 but I'd still cover it. If the selected player has not been on the pitch (i.e. started or come on as sub) by the time the first goal is scored then the bet should be void - i.e. you get your stake returned. http://www.sportingodds.co.uk/adserver/scripts/ict.dll?click?rnews0 Bet here --------------------------------- [49] First goal scorer in game --------------------------------- Posted Friday, January 4, 2002 by redend: (this season) VILLA Dublin 4 Vassell 2 Angel 2 Merson 2 Kachloul 1 Hendrie 1 Hadji 1 Boateng 1 Taylor 1 UNITED van Nistelrooy 7 Giggs 3 Solskjaer 3 Scholes 2 Veron 2 Beckham 2 Johnsen 1 --------------------------------- [48] Di Canio gives hint on his website... --------------------------------- Posted Friday, January 4, 2002 by bar-knee: "As you may have noticed, there are a few headlines around about me at the moment. What a crazy way to start the New Year! I'm going to have to ask you to be patient a little while longer, as I don't feel this is quite the right moment for me to speak yet. But you can rest assured that, in the next few days, I'm going to have a lot to say." --------------------------------- [47] Paddy Harverson and his programme notes --------------------------------- Posted Friday, January 4, 2002 by bar-knee: Paddy Harverson's United Review programme notes for the Newcastle match: Atmosphere It is good to see that the improved atmosphere at Old Trafford this season is now being noticed by the outside world. The Sunday Mirror recently ran a positive story about the Vocal Fans Campaign in the Stretford End and how the group has been working with the club to make the stadium a noisier, livelier ground. To get anything positive about United in a Mirror newspaper is an achievement in itself, and for that we must be grateful to the VFC and their mates in the Stretty. If they keep this up I'll offer them a job in the PR department. The only drawback about the Stretford End is that its acoustics are not as helpful as they might be. By that I mean that the design of the stand and particularly the gradient and length of the roof does not allow the sound generated in the upper tier to travel easily to the rest of the ground. A full-throated rendition of "Follow, Follow" or "Giggs Will Tear You Apart" tends to get stuck underneath the roof, and if you are sitting in one of the other three stands at OT the Stretford End does not sound that loud. This point was raised at a Fans Forum meeting last season, and the club agreed afterwards to do an acoustic study of the stadium to see if there was anything that could be done about the problem. That study is now complete and while it did conclude that it was possible to help the singing in that section reach other parts of the ground, there was no way to do it without artificially enhancing the volume of the Stretford End choir: ie, we would have to fake it by "piping" the noise from the Stretty at an increased volume to all the other parts of the ground. As much as we all want a noisier home, I think this would be going too far. Not only would it be unsporting - there is almost certainly a regulation buried away somewhere in football's rulebook that says you cannot artificially enhance the volume of a crowd during a game - but it would also be an embarrasing confession on our part to admit that United fans cannot generate enough atmosphere on their own to make Old Trafford the intimidating arena of old. Which brings us back to the work of the VFC. What we really need is for fans in other sections of the stadium to follow suit and join the VFC and create their own singing sections to rival the Stretty's. The challenge has been laid down: Get organised, get singing, get loud. --------------------------------- [46] Ref Alcock on Di Canio --------------------------------- Posted Friday, January 4, 2002 by bar-knee: "I'm so pleased I revitalised his career and I wish I had been on 10 per cent of everything he has earned since. I refereed Paolo once more after that and there was no problem. He was basically unrecognised at the time of the incident and I think it set him alight. Harry Redknapp took a gamble in signing him for West Ham and it came off. He's an exciting player and would be a good signing for Manchester United. He adds emotion to the game and he's a very good footballer. I wish him well." --------------------------------- [45] Oops --------------------------------- Posted Friday, January 4, 2002 by bar-knee: Spotted by Lee on the BBCSport Website... Just imagine what United would do with a stadium this big... And if yiz wants a cathedral, wiz got one to spare 'Kenwright has been under pressure to provide funds for Smith as Everton's season has gone into decline. And he has reacted to claims that Smith was on the brink of dismissal by delivering the traditional "vote of confidence" to his manager. Everton have been pinning hopes of a revival on receiving permission to build a new 550,000-seater stadium at the King's Dock on the Mersey waterfront.'
