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--------------------------------- [33] RN comment --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: Now we're getting a little bit tired of this Veron speculation. It seems to have grown over the past few weeks where you can't even reach the end of your street corner without a new quote being issued. Enough is enough. Utd are not like an Italian or Spanish side. We do not work on the basis that players can and may only stay for one year. Veron has had a very bad patch of form - but we'd be gutted to lose him, simply because he is an outstanding player and to have not seen the best of him would gratly disappoint. Fergie showed great faith in him after the passport 'scandal'. So now is the time for Veron to back that faith. We have mentioned before that some of the foreign players at United really do need to follow Utd's ruling that they should not talk so openly to the press so that quotes can be taken out of context. But this rumour is not going away and growing in Italy. So it's cards on the table time. Sabre - if you're staying, make it clear and honour it. But if your agent is talking of a move back to Italy then tell Utd and do the honourable thing. Because United ARE different. We are not a stepping stone for Lazio. We believe we have bigger ambitions and potential and we also like to not see the wool pulled over our eyes. --------------------------------- [32] Gary Nev still buzzing --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: “The news can’t fail to give us a boost. “I think it probably meant even more to those of us who were brought into the first team by the manager and have never really known anything else, particularly at club level. At United, you know above all else that you are going to be treated fairly by the manager. You know you are going to be treated with respect. Maybe things wouldn’t have changed if somebody new had come in but there would have been uncertainty for a lot of players." --------------------------------- [31] Deadline for next Red News --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: Is Friday 15th Feb for articles/letters/etc Is Wednesday 13th February for colour graphics --------------------------------- [30] One set of people who we bet aren't happy --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: over the decision - the publishers working on the book about Fergie's last season. Ho hum. --------------------------------- [29] Sammy Mac on Fergie --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: "The way I look at it, maybe the board have had a good look and found that there is no one available who they want. The managers they want are under contract – and they can't get them. In these circumstances, it is ideal for them if Ferguson stays on and keeps things ticking over. " --------------------------------- [28] Silvestre happy --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: "I'm glad he's staying. Since I joined, I have improved a lot. My focus was to play for the French side and to go to the World Cup and he has helped me a lot. He was strong with me and he did his job. When you are no good or when you have to work at something, that's his job to tell you. He's very respected – he's more like a father for most of the players because he has known them for more than 10 years." --------------------------------- [27] More from Silvestre --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: "It's good that I'll continue to work with him. He isn't staying to relax himself. This season was supposed to be his last season, but now it's not so. We're still in a good position in the Champions' League and the league and we will fight until the end of the season and see what happens. Every season under him we're going to play for everything." --------------------------------- [26] Ted Beckham on Fergie's decision --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: "I am not surprised at all. I just couldn't see him sitting around with his pipe and slippers after all he has put into the game." --------------------------------- [25] Alan Hansen on Fergie --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: "The way that Manchester United have fought back from a desperate start to the season shows what they are all about. Their players are still desperate to win things, despite years of success. That will remain the case while Sir Alex Ferguson is at the helm at Old Trafford. And that is why the news that he wants to stay on will be greeted with great relief by the club and its fans. I doubt whether the United board will need too long to decide whether to accept Fergie's offer to stay on. Ferguson knows the players and the club like no-one else. He has an incredible pedigree of success in English football - nobody else comes close. And this season he has shown that he still has the hunger, passion and desire to continue being successful. Fergie staying on will give United's board a bit of breathing space before they get a new manager. " --------------------------------- [24] Ronnie Johnsen happy --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: "Things had been dragging on for a while, so then you think it could happen. After training, he said he wanted to have a meeting and I think then everybody knew what was going to happen. He was a little bit annoyed because it had come out in the papers before he had had time to tell us. He's been our manager for so many years and it's great for us. He brought me here and everything that I've won, I've won with United, so what more can I say? You have more and more respect for him the longer you work with him and he's a tremendous manager." --------------------------------- [23] More from Wenger --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: "You say maybe in June that you will go. Then November and December come and you maybe think again, although it had looked to me that his decision was quite strong. It is a drug. Bobby Robson went out of the game, but he came back in and has been in it for 40 years now. When you have a boring Saturday afternoon walking around your house, you miss the game and even the pressure. You don't want the pressure but when you don't have it, then you miss it." --------------------------------- [22] More from Fergie --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: On his decision and his family saying make a u-turn "Maybe others can see things about you that are different that you don't recognise yourself. I don't feel any different and I don't feel as though I'm stressed." --------------------------------- [21] REALLY? --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: Now this is quite unbelievable - spotted by Jason >From Teamtalk 'Joe-Max Moore says he is relieved Sir Alex Ferguson is staying at United, as he believes Everton boss Walter Smith was on the shortlist. United confirmed speculation yesterday that they were in negotiations with Ferguson over a new Old Trafford contract, after the Scot did a U-turn on his decision to quit in the summer. And Everton striker Moore believes that had United continued their search for a successor, they would have eventually beaten a path to Goodison Park, where the highly-rated Smith has done a sterling job. "Walter Smith has been a good manager. He is a good players' manager and everyone at the club really likes him. He is a very personable guy. I wouldn't like to lose him to Manchester United, and I'd be very happy to have him stay." --------------------------------- [20] Tabloids seem to think that --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: Otto Hitzfeld, was Fergie's choice, and when he said no, Fergie decided to have a re-think. --------------------------------- [19] Mirror always has to get a dig in --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: They write 'His tantrum at the end of last season, earning him a five-year consultancy, showed he still wanted to have a say behind the scenes even if he left the hotseat.' --------------------------------- [18] Steve McClaren on decision --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: "I've worked with Sir Alex for a long time and he was adamant about retiring. But this is an addictive job. If you have the enthusiasm and drive, you can carry on as long as you want." --------------------------------- [17] Mark Hughes not surprised --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: "I don't think this will come as a major surprise to anyone who really knows Sir Alex. He decided he needs football. Everyone who knows him found it difficult to accept that he could just walk away from the game after devoting his whole life to it. It would be a difficult decision to stop doing something that you're obviously still very capable of doing at the highest level." --------------------------------- [16] Silvestre on players hearing news --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: "It was a total surprise. After training he called us together and said, 'It won't be a secret anymore, so I have to tell you - I'm staying on as manager.' The way he announced it was a complete shock. We trained normally and didn't expect this to happen. He said he was staying for maybe one or two more years. It's great news." --------------------------------- [15] Confirmation to come soon --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: United will announce the terms of Fergie's deal by tomorrow noon at the latest it appears. --------------------------------- [14] Wenger gutted --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: "It will be an advantage to Manchester United if he stays on but I don't think it will affect the championship this season. I don't think it will change what will happen a lot. Next season, that is when United will feel the benefit. When a new manager comes in and there is a big change because of that, it can be disruptive. Now there will be continuity if Alex Ferguson stays." --------------------------------- [13] Fergie hints he will have powerful assistant? --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: "I'll tailor it a little differently, reduce the workload a bit" --------------------------------- [12] Fergie - why he's staying --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: "It was really Cathy's idea. If she hadn't come up with it and the boys hadn't given full support, I wouldn't have considered a change of mind. But I do have to confess that maybe it was an idea I was hoping deep down she would come up with." --------------------------------- [11] Gary Nev happy though --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: "Beneath it all, though, I'm delighted, too. The best thing in football is continuity and not only has the manager been here a long time, but he has kept a nucleus of players together with him. Sometimes you see great clubs such as AC Milan or Barcelona enjoy a sustained spell of success and then change their manager and suddenly the success disappears. I'm not suggesting that would necessarily have happened at Old Trafford, but it is reassuring that the boss is staying." --------------------------------- [10] Players react strangely --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: Gary Nev on players reaction "We trained as normal yesterday morning. We came off the pitch and went into the changing-rooms and the manager came in and said he had something to tell us. We listened and took it in. There was no applause or anything, but I think everybody was secretly delighted. Nobody really even discussed it after Sir Alex had told us he was staying. Some of the lads went upstairs to the canteen. Others just drifted back to their cars. There wasn't really any great reaction. Football clubs are funny institutions like that. Momentous things happen, but they are ignored in conversation among the players. Everybody just seems to get on with things in their own particular way." --------------------------------- [9] Ted on his son Becks --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: "He's got 16 or 17 months to run on his present contract and I cannot understand what all this fuss is about it. People have tried to make a big deal out of it saying he wanted to know who the next manager would be before signing, but that was a figure of speech. Whoever would have taken over from Sir Alex, David would have had to have proved himself. If Martin O'Neill had come in, he would have had to have proved himself to him." --------------------------------- [8] Agreement --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: All the papers seem to conclude that Fergie's staying on will lead to a speedy signing of the Becks deal, which has to make you think that it was yet another small part of the bigger picture as to why he's staying on - and the fourth estate seem to be certain that a new deal will be between two to three years for manager and four or five for player. --------------------------------- [7] Fergie's three targets? --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: The Sun reckons ' ALEX FERGUSON will give himself three immediate targets after finally completing a new three-year deal to stay as Manchester United manager. FIRST: He will try and convince David Beckham to sign his new deal with the club. SECOND: He will do the same with Roy Keane, who has also begun negotiations on a new contract. THIRD: He will appoint a new right-hand man, with Preston boss David Moyes the favourite to be approached.' --------------------------------- [6] Leicester game changed --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: Pay per view now with 12 start on the Saturday, April 6th. --------------------------------- [5] Lazio players want Veron back --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: Claudio Lopez, Veron's Argentine team-mate: "If only he could come back immediately. He is a good friend and a great champion, so you cannot rule out his return." --------------------------------- [4] But Yorke and Veron to go? --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: Yorke a possible target for Taylor at Villa and the SUN on Veron... 'JUAN VERON'S agent will today thrash out a deal to take his man back to Lazio in the summer. Manchester United's £28.1million British record signing only arrived at Old Trafford last summer. But the Argentinian wants to go and agent Gustavo Mascardi will talk to the Italians today. He will meet Lazio president Sergio Cragnotti and his son, managing director Massimo, in Brazil where they are on business. Mascardi will then tell United Lazio want the midfielder back - and that Veron, 26, wants the move. Lazio will put Italian international defender Alessandro Nesta up for sale to raise the cash needed for their favourite son. Despite denials by United, it is clear Veron would love a return to Lazio - who regret selling him.' --------------------------------- [3] Ted Beckham delighted --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: "David and all the the players will be chuffed that he is staying. David has a great relationship with Sir Alex. People keep going on about this rift between them but there is no rift. There's no problem with David's contract. If he signs now or leaves it until after the World Cup, he will still be a United player." --------------------------------- [2] Fergie for three years? --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: >From the SUN ' ALEX FERGUSON will sign a new £11million contract to manage Manchester United for the next three years. Fergie's deal makes him the highest paid boss in British football history. The news has delighted United's stars. David Beckham's dad Ted revealed his son is also ready to agree a new contract with the club. Ferguson's deal works out at £70,000 a week with bonuses and eclipses the £7.5m three-year contract which Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger signed in December. SunSport exclusively revealed on Monday that United had opened talks with Ferguson, 60, to change his mind about retiring in May. Chief executive Peter Kenyon initially offered him a one-year deal as a stop-gap measure to give them more time to get their replacement. But Ferguson made it clear that he wanted it to be more permanent and asked for three years. ' --------------------------------- [1] Never Forgotten - the Flowers of Manchester --------------------------------- Posted Wednesday, February 6, 2002 by bar-knee: Our thoughts turn today - on the 44th anniversary of the Munich disaster to the relatives of those that died that tragic day. Always in our hearts and minds, we will never forget the Babes and all who died that day. The Flowers of English football, the Flowers of Manchester. "Forever and ever, We'll follow the boys, Of Manchester United, The Busby Babes, For we made a promise, To defend our faith, In Manchester United, The Busby Babes, We've all sworn allegiance, To fight till we die, To stand by United, And the red flag we fly, There'll be no surrender, We'll fight to the last, To defeat all before us, As we did in the past, For we're Stretford Enders, With United we grew, To the famous Red Devils, We're loyal and true, To part-time supporters, We'll never descend, We'll never forsake you, We'll be here to the end, For we all remember, That '58 day, And the plane that once stood on, The Munich runway, As it tried to take off, For the third fatal time, The immortal young Babes were, Cut down in their prime, In the cold snow of Munich, They laid down their lives, But they live on forever, In our hearts and our minds, Their names are now legend, For the whole world to see, Why this club's a religion, Spelt M.U.F.C, So bow down before them, And lift up your eyes, For Old Trafford's glory, Will always survive..."
