06/12/07: Primary Sources
Faster than a C-list celebrity’s sex tape, a second name has emerged to rival Nicky Shorey as United’s next leftback.
For more of this article, head on over to
04/12/07: Primary Sources
Will United sign a left back next month?
Few would have asked that question before Sir Alex gave an interview to a hack from Pravda in which he happened to mention that United lacked cover at left back.
Now the blogosphere is busy cranking out the names of the Premiership’s most eligible leftback-chelors, each of them with a shot at joining the Old Trafford payroll during the winter transfer window.
First up is Reading’s Nicky Shorey. The player is running down his contract in Berkshire and was on the radar of West Ham at the beginning of the season. He’s a decent enough player but is he United class? More to the point, is he better than Leighton Baines who United didn’t sign in the summer or worth £5 million?
Such questions are trivial when there is a circulation to boost. A Times hack ran back from the pub to publish this tale and in between hiccups, tipped the new England recruit for a glamour move.
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03/12/07: Primary Sources
A routine 2-0 win for United tonight against Fulham but did referee Rob Styles rob Cristiano Ronaldo of a hatrick?
The ref flourished a yellow card to punish a dive after Ronaldo went down in the box after colliding with goalkeeper Niemi. It looked a harsh decision to these eyes.
Significantly, what’s wrong with Rio? Only a gunshot wound would force this season’s only ever-present player from the field, so to see him run down the tunnel with 15 minutes still to play, aroused the conspiracy theorist within.
Will the Glazer interlude at United come to be seen in hindsignt as the calm before the storm?
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New England Coach’s Debt to United
To his credit, Steve McClaren made few excuses when braving the media after his swift dismissal as England manager in the wake of his team’s defeat at home to Croatia.
“This is one of the saddest days of my career,” he said. “When I was appointed 18 months ago it was the proudest day of my career and I was honoured to be England’s head coach. I’ve enjoyed every minute and I’m sad to leave my position. I feel bad for all the people who are missing out: the country and the fans.
“I could make excuses about injuries, bad luck and decisions but ultimately we had 12 games to qualify and we didn’t do it. That’s failure. I said 18 months ago that I’d live and die by results and the results haven’t gone my way.
“All I want to do now is concentrate on getting over this huge disappointment. Although this is a sad day, I’ll recover and bounce back and wait for the next challenge - I’m not one to lie around on the beach. I believe that after 18 months, I’m a better manager. I’ve learned a lot over the last 18 months and now I’m moving on.”
McClaren’s fate was sealed the moment the final whistle blew on another dismal England performance. The names of likely successors are already attracting the interest of the bookmakers, with the smart money backing the Italian Fabio Capello now that FA king-maker Brian Barwick has said that nationality will not be an issue. It would be churlish to say that his conviction has arrived two years too late.
No matter the identity of the next England manager, he could do worse than make Sir Alex the first person he contacts.
Despite the rich talk of dumping the nation’s failing stars in favour of a new and younger generation, the future coach will know that a successful negotiation of the World Cup qualifiers demands that he bring on the country’s brighter prospects whilst retaining the favour of the old campaigners who still have much to offer.
To that end, Old Trafford should be the new man’s first port of call, with a mission to secure the confidence of the players who should form the spine of the England team in the immediate future – Ben Foster, Rio Ferdinand, Owen Hargreaves and Wayne Rooney.
Rooney and Ferdinand’s contribution to the national cause goes without saying. Foster, currently on the sidelines with a cruciate ligament injury, will know that his international prospects are boosted with every replay of Scott Carson’s schoolboy howler against Croatia. The keeper may never recover. The ageing Portsmouth sticksman David James is history whilst Spurs’ Paul Robinson totters on the brink of international oblivion.
The continued misfiring of Lampard and Gerrard requires the attention of the new coach too. He must show courage, break with the past and give Hargreaves a run in the side. The Lampard-Gerrard pairing which has struggled for any kind of form under the reigns of Sven and McClaren, disproves the truism that talented players can play together. If one has to go, it must be Lampard, who has failed to bring his Stamford Bridge exuberance onto the international stage.
Once the spine of the side has been settled, the new coach would be wise to follow the new tactical model emerging at Old Trafford. Much has already been made of United’s success in curtailing Arsenal’s feared midfield at the Emirates Stadium earlier this month. That achievement, in stark contrast to the limp efforts of last term, was achieved courtesy of disciplined performances but also because of a tactical innovation which saw United play with two holding midfield players. The 4-2-3-1 formation denied Arsenal the room in which to weave the midfield patterns that did for United last year. Whilst many fans see 4-4-2 as the mother’s milk of football, it might not for the moment give England the resilience needed to take on and defeat cleverer opponents.
Hargreaves and Gerrard could be given the anchor roles, with Lennon, Rooney, and Cole just in front and Michael Owen, as the lone forward. Some observers will struggle to see the difference between this line-up and some of the failed ploys pursued under McClaren’s doomed leadership. However, as every gourmet chef knows, it is not only the ingredients which make a cake good enough to eat.
Does Fergie Need Another Winter Larsson?
Does Sir Alex need another Henrik Larsson to fire United to glory in 2008?
→ continue reading
United, Arsenal, Race And Football
Henry Kiribige’s article about the foreign invasion of players in the Premiership, in which he referred to Arsenal as ‘Nigeria,’ excited the sensitivities of some fans.
Amid allegations of racism, demands were made to the editor to withdraw the post.
Read the article, the comments of other readers, the viewpoints of AU correspondent James and the editor and then you decide…
James
First things first. I like this website. I’ve read it since last year and as United sites go, it’s not bad at all.
But I was annoyed with the site when I read the article written by columnist Henry Kibirige. It was about the influx of foreign players into the Premier League but the part that got my blood boiling was when he referred to the Arsenal team.
“So you look at our friends Arsenal and conclude that they might as well wear green kits and be called Nigeria. The number of black players in that team is staggering, especially as it’s an English club.”
This is the 21’st century. It is the year 2007. Why should a writer from this site be ’staggered’ by the number of black players at Arsenal? Is it racism? Is it sheer stupidity? Or is it just a failure to accept that racial origin might not be uppermost in Arsene Wenger’s mind when he selects his best team.
Football has come a long way from the days when the BNP openly recruited on the terraces and chairmen and managers ‘informally’ agreed a ‘no more than 3′ rule for black players in the first team. Arsenal’s success this season will only accelerate that progress.
If only some fans and writers moved as fast.
Yours disappointed
James
…
EDITOR’S REPLY
Hello James
Thanks for your message and your interest in AbsolutelyUNITED.
I think Henry Kibirige’s point mainly reflected the changing face of football. I read the ‘racial’ comment to which you refer as more a reflection of the multi-national nature of the Arsenal first 11 and Wenger’s success in recruiting players from Africa.
You make some important points about football and race. Every time I see John Barnes dancing the Salsa on Saturday Night television, I am reminded of his early days at Liverpool and the shower of bananas and abuse that greeted him when he took his first corner at Everton.
Thankfully, football has changed, as we have documented in these pages. Such shameful scenes are no longer tolerated and the informal rule you speak of has been largely jettisoned too. Wenger can select teams featuring seven or more top black players but Sir Alex could also field a United side containing Brown, Ferdinand, Simpson, Evra, Anderson, Nani, Giggs and Saha - all of whom have black ancestors.
This website has a track record of accepting articles from United fans with something to say. We try not to censor opinions. I cannot speak for Henry’s motivation but accept his bona fides.
However, I understand that the number of black players at Arsenal is a matter of pride for Britain’s black community, as are the strides anti-racism campaigners have made to eliminate the problem from the Premiership since Eric Cantona’s kung fu fighting at Crystal Palace.
Yet this subject is rarely discussed in the mainstream media precisely because of the reaction Henry’s article has provoked. Race and sport is a potent cocktail in today’s pigmentocracy. In the United States and France, teams with a majority of black athletes are fast becoming the norm. Is Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal a sign of the future here in Blighty? If so, will it pass without comment?
I trust that the majority of fans will not have been offended by Henry’s work. Let me be quite clear, Absolutely UNITED offers no welcome to racists, nor will it accept the existence of sacred cows or taboos.
HENRY KIRIBIGE
I didn’t mean it to be racist in any way, shape or form. I wrote this article to try and highlight the massive changes that are going on in football concerning the number of foreign players in the Premiership.
My whole attitude on the situation is that I am in-between. I am on neither side of the argument. The line about ‘Nigeria’, was an attempt at humour. But I don’t see that as racism.
Louis Saha: Have The Facts Changed?
Once again Louis Saha will move to centre stage as United seek an instant remedy to the loss of Wayne Rooney.
→ continue reading
Six Positives Fergie Can Take From The Draw With Arsenal
Astonishingly, more people watched United draw with Arsenal than the World Cup Final last year.
Whilst Arsenal’s last-gasp equaliser and United’s defensive frailties caught the headlines after a thriller at the Emirates Stadium, Sir Alex would have been seen the game as conclusive proof that his team is on the road to silverware this season.
ISpy analyses the positives Fergie took from the match… → continue reading
Arsenal and United Pre-Match Big Mouths
When the player’s cross the chalk line on Saturday lunchtime, all the pre-match hype, posturing and predictions will come to an end.
But for now, talking is all both sides can do.
AbsolutelyUNITED columnist Red Dread has listened to every word … → continue reading
No Scholes, No Glory?
‘Red Mist’ Chris & ISpy
Does the likely three month absence of Paul Scholes threaten seriously United’s chances of silverware this season?
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Arsenal v United: The Key Players, The Key Duels
Much of the anticipation and excitement surrounding the match this weekend between Arsenal and United, stems from the difficulty in separating the sides. Both clubs have top players, great managers and the blend of youth and experience needed to triumph. No one can predict with certainty the outcome of the match but everyone hopes it will be a humdinger.
The game could turn on a a moment of sublime endeavour or a costly mistake. What is sure is that the side with the most players winning individual duels will win.
Columnist ISpy looks at the likely match-ups for pointers as to which side will emerge victorious.
Goalkeepers : EDVS v Alumnia
The Dutch master is back to his old self after a shaky spell in the closing months of last sseason. He offers quiet assurance and dependability in the rare moments when United are under pressure. A good shot stopper, agile in the box and able to concentrate for the duration of the match, van der Sar is solidly reliable and by some distance the best United keeper since Peter Schmeichel.
Arsenal fans were raising their hands to heaven when the Spaniard stepped in for the comedic Jens Lehmann. Alumnia has yet to put a foot wrong and showed the right sort of anger when Arsenal’s wall disintegrated in the face of Gerard’s ferocious free kick in the Anfield draw last Sunday. This is Alumnia’s first real run in the side and he remains something of an unknown quantity. United will hope to test the newcomer’s desire to be recognised as a top Premiership keeper and will have noted with glee the damning comments of the displaced Lehmann
“”I am convinced I will be playing again because Almunia has yet to show he can win matches for us, he said earlier this month. “I’ve experienced this situation before and know what the other players expect from the goalkeeper. I can’t imagine Almunia will be able to handle that.”
Brown v Rosicky
It is games like this in which United would dearly love to field a fit Gary Neville. Brown has filled in admirably but Sir Alex must be concerned at his sometimes wasteful use of the ball and a tendency to foul opponents. United will need to seize every opportunity to put Arsenal’s back four under pressure. Brown has shown an ability to overlap and deliver telling crosses. He will be expected to do that and more at the Emirates.
Certainly, Brown will have his hands full curtailing Rosicky. The Czech midfielder looked bright and inventive against Liverpool. On his day, he is an exuberant force in Arsenal’s forward play. United need Brown to emerge triumphant in his personal duel with Rosicky in order to blunt the Gunners’ attacking enterprise.
Ferdinand v Adebayor
Worries over Ferdinand’s fitness have now abated and the England star should be fit to face Emmanuel Adebayor. It remains to be seen whether Ferdinand might regret his valour. The centre back did not enjoy the games against Arsenal last season and said so publicly, handing an important psychological advantage to the rangy Gunner. Ferdinand should take the field ready to prove a point. Adebayor is not Henry or Van Basten but he is a strong, athletic, handful. If Ferdinand can control the young striker, United will move onto the front foot. Fortunately, Rio is most definitely in the mood, having soared since the England savaging of September.
Vidic v Hleb
An absolutely crucial duel and a must-win for United if they are to storm the Emirates. United do not man-mark but someone will have to be responsible for picking up the runs of Hleb, who is proving to be a schemer supreme this season. Don Howe has an excellent piece in the Telegraph today where he gives his opinion on Hleb’s development this term. United should beware. Danger here!
Clichy v Giggs
Veteran Giggs may have lost his legs but retains the finely tuned brain that has made him a fixture in the United side for an incredible 16 years. I think he will get the nod from Fergie for his know-how and big match experience in spite of Nani’s great form. Giggs might not have the verve of Nani but in a match expected to be tight, where guile and cunning are likely to make the difference, Giggs is the right man.
Giggs will surely be instructed to prevent leftback Clichy from augmenting the Arsenal attack. The Frenchman has deserved his accolades this season for the surging runs upfield that make few fans yearn for the departed Ashley Cole. If Giggs can check Clichy’s forward sorties, much of Arsenal’s left flank power will be neutralised.
Hargreaves v Fabregas
The most important clash of the afternoon. If Hargreaves cannot stay with Fabregas and keep him from directing the proceedings, United’s chances of victory will be so much reduced. This is the type of match for which £20 million of United’s money was spent. A Gattuso-like performance would ensure United do not cede midfield supremacy to the Gunners. Anything less and it could be tears.
Fletcher v Flamini
If Fergie opts for Fletcher, it would be proof of the utter respect / terrible fear that he has concerning Arsenal’s midfield power. The Scot would bring tenacity and defensive know-how to United’s centre and might be a better option than playing Anderson, for whom this level of competition might have come a little too soon in his United career. Carrick, just back in training after breaking an elbow, may be too rusty for an outing of such importance.
Sir Alex may recognise the persuasive argument that Anderson offers United a more creative outlet than Fletcher and has thrived in recent weeks. But the manager will know that to submit to Arsenal’s midfield authority would be to hand the Gooners a decisive advantage. United lost at home to Arsenal last season because they were unable to match this threat. Surely, Ferguson will not make the same mistake again.
Ronaldo v Sagna
Another match-up which could prove pivotal. After a suspension-disrupted start to the season, Ronaldo has returned with goals and is enjoying playing alongside Nani, Tevez and Rooney.
Ronaldo’s brief will be to make rightback Sagna dream of France by being the wing torment of his nightmares. The defender has begun the season like an old hand but there have been signs in recent weeks that the rigours of the Premiership may be catching up with him. If Ronaldo’s trickery proves decisive, United’s most potent creator could lay the basis for a famous victory.
Rooney v Gallas
Another important clash which United will trust will end in their favour. Rooney cannot stop scoring at the moment and will have some fond memories of the Emirates stadium from last year. But he will face one of the Premiership’s most outstanding defenders in William Gallas. The odds favour the England birthday boy if the speed of United’s counter attack proves too much for Arsenal’s defence.
Tevez v Touré
Tevez will drop 10 yards behind Rooney to stiffen United’s midfield and pull one of the Gunner defenders out of position in much the same way as Hleb will try so to do at the other end. Like Rooney, Tevez has struck a rich vein of form and will not be unduly worried by the threat posed by Kolo Touré. The defender however, cannot be underestimated. Touré rarely has a bad game and is thorough and unspectacular in his work. He was caught out embarassingly earlier this month when Sunderland, chasing the game at the Emirates, scored a fine goal through the Trinidad striker Jones.
Absolutists everywhere will be hoping for a repeat performance.
Who Should Play Against The Gooners?
REDville
Such is the beauty of United’s football at the moment that I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve every time they play.
→ continue reading
Part Two: What Fergie Learned From The Liverpool-Arsenal Draw
Having scouted Arsenal for next Saturday’s humdinger, Fergie would have also been pleased to run an eye over Liverpool, United’s opponents in just over six weeks.
Here again, ISpy tries to imagine Fergie’s thoughts and feelings about the old enemy.
…
Are Liverpool in danger of becoming a 21st century version of United during the 1980’s? Then, Ron Atkinson’s team was deadly if Bryan Robson was in the mood and uninjured. For Robson, read Steven Gerard circa 2007. He is so much the Liverpool talisman that he dwarfs all others and perhaps like Thierry Henry at Arsenal last year, stymies inadvertently the emergence of other players who can raise their game when the need arises.
Leaders were sorely needed against Arsenal, yet too many seemed shrivelled by the steady pumelling Arsenal inflicted. Liverpool’s sheer will power, Mascherano’s doggedness and some dark stunts by Carragher saw them home but not without a fright or two. The Liverpool side which gave Mourinho-powered Chelsea more than a game two months ago, looks to have been caught up in the sombre gloom of autumn. The vim of the football on show against Derby has gone. Renewal is needed.
The side’s indifferent form of late and the European stumbles have raised the volume on whispers suggesting Rafa Benitez may have what it takes to pilot the team through a cup competition but lacks the right stuff for a 38 game Premiership grind.
That view is surely premature. It must be remembered that Liverpool have not yet lost in the Premiership. United were turned over by Arsenal too last season, both home and away. The Gunners’ double counted for nothing in the end.
But hollow comforts should not blind the faithful to the fact that something is amiss. Sammy Hypia in defence looks like yesterday’s man. Liverpool don’t look the same team when Torres is not firing on all cylinders. What has happened to Dirk Kuyt? The injury to the in and out Pennant has robbed the side of wing supply. Is Yossi Benayoun really a Liverpool player?
Benitez’s side looks nothing like the vibrant, committed unit of early season. That form could return but with injuries to Torres and Alonso already threatening even more rotation, Liverpool may well find themselves trailing further and further in the slipstream of United and Arsenal by Christmas.
Yet, the despondency that has enveloped Liverpool as points have slipped away could be erased promptly by victory. The title is not won by beating the top three teams. It is fought for and decided in scuffles against the likes of Villa, Boro, Newcastle and Everton, so Liverpool should not be too downhearted. The point against Arsenal was an excellent result. No-one will remember the performance if Liverpool are crowned champions next year.
That however, remains in the words of former Scouse favourite Alan Hansen, a big ask.The hype bubble of early August has well and truly burst.
READ: Part One - What Fergie learned from the Liverpool-Arsenal draw
What Fergie Learned From The Liverpool–Arsenal Draw
ISpy
Sir Alex had left Anfield by the time Cesc Fabregas ran toward the Liverpool goal, slipped past the last defender and slotted home an equalising goal.
The manager had no doubt seen enough and would not have been surprised by the result. Liverpool were run ragged by Arsenal all afternoon and it would have been a travesty of a result if the Gunners had lost.
United face Arsenal next week in the most eagerly awaited match of the season so far. Here, Ispy imagines what the manager’s notes from the game might contain.
Stop Hleb. Stop Fabregas
Arsenal have some excellent players but in a fierce Merseyside encounter, it was Hleb and Fabregas who stood out above their peers. Both players have made massive strides this season. Fabregas is now close to being the division’s outstanding midfielder. His goals now complement a comprehensive talent. He can shoot. He can tackle and he can see and make a killer pass.
United cannot allow the Spaniard to get within shooting range of Edwin van der Sar’s goal, nor can they allow him to go about his midfield duties unmolested. Owen Hargreaves, as diligent as they come, must be instructed to harry and chase Fabregas so as to throw him off his game.
Hleb is another Gooner coming into his own right now. He is a defender’s nightmare, with a roaming brief that allows him to pop up in dangerous positions. His tendency to over elaborate remains and he still doesn’t score enough goals but as a midfield schemer and provider, Hleb is a very dangerous proposition for the United defence. His pass to Fabregas for the equalising goal was sumptuous.
Practice Dead Ball Situations
This is more Bolton’s style than United’s but the chaos Liverpool wrought with almost every corner and free kick augurs well for United. Touré, the marauding centre half with the midfielder’s inclination and the sturdy Gallas may have snuffed out the majority of Liverpool’s chances but they are not the tallest of defenders. Vidic and Rio must be relishing the battle to come.
Lock Down The Left Flank
Arsenal’s Gael Clichy is another fast improving Gunner and the manner in which he combined with Rosicky at Anfield was the source of much of Arsenal’s best work and Liverpool’s discomfort. Rafa Benitez’s lack of a competent wide man allowed Clichy far too much space and time to get forward. United must not make the same mistake. Giggs or Ronaldo must be instructed to hug the touch line, force the Arsenal defence to sit a little deeper and discourage Clichy from his regular sorties upfield.
Exploit The Right Flank
In contrast to the power and flair of Arsenal’s left, the right flank holds few terrors. Eboué hit a post but the game will be remembered less for this ill fortune than for the theatrics which are fast becoming his signature. Eboué’s place at right half is surely designed to stiffen Arsenal’s midfield but apart from a willingness to get forward and an ability to get in some good crosses, Eboué lacks the craft of a genuine winger.
New right back Bacary Sagna might have settled in quickly but he looked as dreadful as his hair style against Sunderland earlier this month and against Liverpool, his performance was anaemic compared to Clichy’s full blooded appetite for the fray. Again, Ronaldo with chalk on his boots, should give Sagna far more to think about and open up space for Anderson and Tevez to exploit.
Hope Adebayor has an off-day
The striker is an enigma. On his day, he can be dynamite. Rio Ferdinand rated him above Drogba, Berbatov et al as his most difficult opponent last season. He spins off the defender, has a good touch for a big man and is as much a creator as a scorer of goals.
That is when he is performing at the height of his powers. Anything less and Adebayor looks raw, in need of much greater fine tuning. He still misses too many chances for a front man of the highest quality.
With Robin van Persie not expected to play and Eduardo apparently not yet trusted, much rests on Adebayor. United will hope he does not rise to the occasion.
General notes
United should play ugly. Swift, hard but fair tackling and a willingness to fight for every ball are minimum requirements for success. So too, is an ability to keep the ball and not give away possession cheaply. Wes Brown take note! It is hard to admit it but Arsenal are the pass masters of English football and will cut United to ribbons if Fergie’s team sit back and invite Arsenal to attack.
That said, the Gooner surrender monkeys of yester-year are no more. The grit Arsenal showed in sticking to their principles and attacking Liverpool relentlessly showed that these Gunners are not lacking in fight.
Arsene Wenger said the Liverpool match was the last question mark against his side. He was being churlish of course. United are the bench mark and need to assert their authority. United have the individual brilliance and the goal potential to sweep all before them. They must make their extra class tell on Saturday.
Read: Part Two
