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--------------------------------- [27] Veron prefers national role? --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: "I play more contained for Manchester. Here [with the national team] I play more to my liking. Well, I'm with my friends, we've known each other for a long time." --------------------------------- [26] Fergie not optimistic? --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: "We need Arsenal to drop points now. They can only throw it away now. We have done fantastically well for a long while but the early-season form didn't allow us to make mistakes like the one last Saturday. In a normal league situation, a defeat like that would maybe have been all right if our form in the early part of the season had been fine, but we've been walking a tightrope all the time since that bad period. However, we'll get over it and have a right go. We have games coming up that we'll enjoy better like Leeds and Chelsea away. They are the kind of games the players enjoy. They are hard games but, nevertheless, they are games we like." --------------------------------- [25] Fergie shocked by Boro defeat --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: "The Boro defeat was a bad result for us. It was a surprise defeat, that was the real shock. The team was flat there was no question about that. You look for reasons, the heavy pitch in Boavista, a European trip, that type of thing, but we've done it in the past when faced with things like that. There was no consistent link to tell you what was wrong on Saturday. But, nonetheless, it was a shock defeat and has put us on the back foot. " --------------------------------- [24] Tomorrow's matches --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: PREMIERSHIP Arsenal v Sunderland Bolton v Aston Villa Chelsea v Derby Leeds v Man Utd (12.00) Leicester v Blackburn Liverpool v Charlton Middlesbrough v Tottenham (17.35) Southampton v Fulham West Ham v Ipswich --------------------------------- [23] Keano watch out --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: Ref tomorrow is DAVID ELLERAY, only reffed the Boro away game this season for us. He's sent off 2 players in 13 games so far. --------------------------------- [22] Sven on too many games --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: "The players are always tired up in the head as well as in the legs. I have never been able to pick my first-choice squad." --------------------------------- [21] SUN reckons --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: That Paul Scholes (calf) and Ronny Johnsen (knee - but didn't the club say hamstring?) are doubtful for Leeds. --------------------------------- [20] Arse worried about wages too --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood "There will be a knock-on effect on the Premier League. I think even in the Premier League there will be players and staff who will be cut. We might let half a dozen players go at the end of this season. One or two players, like Lee Dixon, who is 38, and Tony Adams, may not have much longer to go. I don't know what Adams wants to do. Some of the players released will still be on contract. This is a period of retrenchment for football. It has got to be. We've got to the limit of our spending. A lot of big clubs are struggling." --------------------------------- [19] Sheep have problems --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: Not foot and mouth this time, although Lee Bowyer returns after his six match ban. Rio Ferdinand and Eirik Bakke will have fitness tests. --------------------------------- [19] Gary Nev on Joe Cole --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: a Utd target in the summer? "In this country we seem to dwell on what the negatives are. The goal from Montella was unbelievable, a fantastic strike. It was more a case of something positive happening for Italy rather than it being something negative for us. Joe Cole looked very good. He had looked good in training and he has looked good in the past when he has been with the squad. He is making his mark, is a very confident player and he is going to be a big asset, a big power for England for a long time." --------------------------------- [18] More from Gary Nev --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: "But the fact is we've got Leeds on Saturday at midday and then we fly out to La Coruna on Monday. It needs looking at." --------------------------------- [17] Ipswich skyjacked --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: Now 5.3pm kick off on Saturday 27th April. --------------------------------- [16] Fergie on tomorrow --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: talking to MUTV Leeds' form "They're unbeaten in the last six, I think. That's good form that. But that doesn't matter when you go to Leeds, you're always going to get a difficult game, it's always going to be an emotional, high tension game. We've got a decent record there and we hope to perform well tomorrow. The players have done that in the past. The atmosphere will be electric, and that's something we've got used to over the years. I think they're fifth and obviously they will see that Newcastle are starting to stumble a little bit so they've got the incentive of Europe. It's quite a battle at the top. I've paid more attention to Liverpool and Arsenal this year as you expect them to be the main challengers. Leeds have had their bad spell, everyone has that." Injuries "Everyone came through the games they played in OK, except Seba who's got a problem with his heel. Hopefully he'll be OK by tomorrow though. We seem to have a full squad. It's been a fraught week, all the internationals we've had. It's not what the managers want, and not really what the players want either. You sit through Wednesday hoping everyone will be OK, and fortunately that was the case." Rest of the season "I think we've got to win all our games from now on. The result on Saturday emphasised the need for maximum points for the rest of the season. We've got some tough games, but games are always difficult at this stage of the season anyway. You can't expect any favours or easy rides. Teams are either fighting against relegation or going for a European place, as is the case with Leeds. Every game has got a real edge to it." --------------------------------- [15] Rodney Marsh on United --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: "This brilliant Premiership season just gets better and better. Manchester United have lost eight games now this season and I said that surely no one can challenge for the league having been beaten that many times. That's another thing you can add to the long list of things I was wrong about I suppose! They came back to the pack and that gives us games like this - crucial, cracking games - almost every week. In the last four weeks, we've had some tremendous football matches, which are complusive viewing, much like this one is. Another thing I was wrong about - I thought Manchester United's home game with Middlesbrough last week was a stick-on home win. All of the panel on Soccer Saturday did. Yet Middlesbrough played brilliantly and thoroughly deserved their victory. " --------------------------------- [14] O'Leary puts in excuses already --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: "You hope you get all your players back in one piece. I've had hardly anybody here this week and I'm preparing for a game against Manchester United! Now we are focusing on our goal which is to qualify for the Champions League. If we do with all the things that have gone on it will be an unbelievable achievement." --------------------------------- [13] Giggs on big game defeats --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: "I think it's something we need to address and we always used to produce our best performances in the big games. We've not done that this year. A lot of the games have not gone our way and we've made mistakes. We have to get rid of those mistakes and start playing well again. Hopefully we can strike a rich vein of form when we play these games. Leeds and Chelsea away and Arsenal at home are big games for us. But we're pretty confident about going to their places and these are the places where you have to go if you want to win the league. We're looking forward to these games." --------------------------------- [12] Early team news --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: Keane and Ole back Leeds from Martyn, Mills, Kelly, Ferdinand, Woodgate, Matteo, Harte, Richardson, Bowyer, Bakke, Smith, Batty, Kewell, Wilcox, Viduka, Fowler, Keane, Robinson. United from Barthez, G Neville, Blanc, Johnsen, Silvestre, Beckham, Keane, Butt, Giggs, Solskjaer, van Nistelrooy, P Neville, Forlan, Scholes, Fortune, O'Shea, Carroll. --------------------------------- [11] Red News gets everywhere --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: The Telegraph, crediting us, has our story about Wolfgang Wolf being the manager of Wolfsburg on page 3 of their sport section today. --------------------------------- [10] MUFC registrations --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by redend: Our mate Pat, a good friend of RED NEWS set up this site http://www.unitedregistrations.co.uk http://www.unitedregistrations.co.uk selling personalised car registration plates with a Manchester United theme. We know some of our readers are minted and might be interested in indulging themselves with this kind of caper ... He tells us he has just reduced all the prices so if you fancy putting one of these on your Reliant Robin click on http://www.unitedregistrations.co.uk http://www.unitedregistrations.co.uk There are more available on the United Registrations website: http://www.unitedregistrations.co.uk http://www.unitedregistrations.co.uk --------------------------------- [9] Pre-season exclusive --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: Thanks to Jan for this. Red News can reveal in a UK exclusive (god, we're feeling like Harry Harris already) that the Amsterdam tournament has ben confirmed as Friday the 2nd and Sunday the 4th. Teams that will show up as follows: Ajax, Manchester United, Barcelona and Parma. RN can also reveal that Ajax will play United on Friday evening. Also today Ajax reserves v Utrecht FC for the semi finals of the Dutch cup. The first team of Ajax play PSV in April for the other semi so two teams of Ajax could be in the final! --------------------------------- [8] Gary Nev on England --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: "The manager has said that he has 16 or 17 names in his head. We've another international next month and there are still a lot of club games for players to prove themselves. Nothing is set in stone yet, as there are so many matches before the squad is finalised - and that means there is still the danger of injuries or a sudden drop in form. We tend to dwell on the negatives too much in this country. Vincenzo Montella's first goal for them was absolutely unbelievable, a freak. You will never get a better strike than that. That was a positive for Italy rather than a negative for us. We were a bit unlucky with their second goal, a stoppage-time penalty from virtually the last kick of the game. But come the World Cup, I think we'll be all right." --------------------------------- [7] Gary Nev not happy with fixture chaos --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: All the papers go with this story, in fact it was with an interview for MUTV screened last night. Fair play for a scoop lads. "The fixtures are not sorted out with the players in mind. But then we're the sort of country which organises a World Cup qualifier in Greece in June, for God's sake. It's a difficult situation for the England manager. I suppose he will learn something from the Italy game, though it's difficult to say just what he will take away from it. These internationals are crammed in between two important League games and just six days before next week's Champions League clash. It's ridiculous we are playing so many League games so late in the season. It doesn't help our World Cup preparations at all. The fact we have to play at Leeds at midday on Saturday and then fly to La Coruna on Monday morning needs looking at." --------------------------------- [6] It must be a slow day for news --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: >From Ananova 'A commercial featuring Victoria Beckham eating crisps in a candle-lit bath will be screened on television next month. She says she agreed to take part in the promotion for Walkers Sensations crisps to poke fun at her own public image. The advert, which carries the line 'New Walkers Sensations - Posh Crisps from Walkers', was filmed at the Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, the home of the Duke of Marlborough. A spokeswoman for Walkers said: "Victoria was brilliant in the commercial. She has a great sense of humour and really threw herself into the filming. She has a wonderful ability to laugh at herself." Posh Spice added: "So many people have done sketches of me on thrones and made jokes about my eating habits that when Walkers came to me with the idea I thought it would be fun to make a joke of the whole Posh image. "I am delighted with the commercial and I hope it gives everyone a good laugh." Gary Lineker will be Posh's co-star, making his 36th appearance in a Walkers TV commercial.' --------------------------------- [5] Pires definitely out of World Cup --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: "I would simply like people to leave me alone now. Things are clear; the World Cup is dead for me. I took the decision to wait for three weeks to decide whether I will be operated on my knee or not because I wanted to make my decision after a lot of thinking. I would like medical secrecy to apply for my knee as well, like any other normal human being. My situation is difficult enough, and I don't need some people to say anything more about it. One day it is not serious; the next I am out for six months, and the following there is a hope. I am trying to do things as professionally as possible and I am clearly surrounded by competent people. I can be trusted. I will do my best to get better as fast as I can." --------------------------------- [4] John Hartson tips Arsenal --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: "I know they've lost (Robert) Pires, which is a blow, but United's defeat at home to Middlesbrough on Saturday swayed me. That was a big plus for them (Arsenal). I'm not saying they deserve to win it any more than either Manchester United or Liverpool, who are doing superbly. But they've got the bit between their teeth now, and after being pipped by United in the last couple of years that will mean they are a little more fired-up.'' --------------------------------- [3] Leeds United Obsessed? --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: www.lufc.com - watch the intro... --------------------------------- [2] Fergie programme next week --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: All these books and programmes made to mark his last season in charge now have to be plugged as something new rather than wait another three years. Hence... from ananova 'Sir Alex Ferguson's career is to be profiled in a new Channel 4 documentary. The latest instalment in the Football Stories series will feature archive footage and interviews. Inside The Mind Of Alex Ferguson will be shown at 9pm on April 9. "A lot of Ferguson's success as a manager is down to what he didn't achieve as a player," said sports writer Henry Winter. "He was not a naturally gifted player, he succeeded on pure application and pure mental strength and physical strength." --------------------------------- [1] Rumours in France --------------------------------- Posted Friday, March 29, 2002 by bar-knee: Expect to see this in an English tabloid sooner rather than later. RN hears that rumours in France suggest that Fabien is a target for Real Madrid in the summer. --------------------------------- [23] Pre-season info --------------------------------- Posted Thursday, March 28, 2002 by bar-knee: Just a bit of info: United`s opponents in Aarhus on 6th August will be FC Aarhus, a Danish Second Division Side, and not AGF Aarhus, of the Danish SuperLeague (Premiership). FC Aarhus were only formed in January 2000, and are a kind of Danish Rushden and Diamonds, although they have escaped relegation to the 3rd Division on the last day for the past two seasons. Their manager is ex-Denmark international Fleming Polvsen, but they have no players I`ve ever heard of in their squad. Anyone still thinking of going should take a look at www.ryanair.com , where returns to Aarhus from Stansted are about £50. Cheers. Paul.
