Manchester United

[nev]

sorry about your mate redrus hope he is ok now.

muckey you are right mate will end up being our fault.

tell you the truth i could not give a shit if they banned us, the league is only thing i get enjoyment from i have really en joyed watching us in the league this year hope we can finish the job with a win at pompey tonight then 2 home games should see us there.

my only worry is we have a few injuries a few more we might be stretched.

[redrus]

Thanks for the responses fella's, I'm touched.....

The lads including the one all got back safe and sound, as I said a bit battered and bruised. They're all seasoned travellers but, not sure even they are used to that and certainly were not expecting it....

I'm not sure I can ever agree with Michel Platini and I'll reserve judgement on this although, at first glance it seems ok.

Just want to keep winning in the league, Tuesday will sort itself and, hopefully heal some wounds....!

redrus

[Seapok]

Watch your backs Red, we are coming after you!.....come on the Pompey!!

[Seapok]

Portsmouth 2-1 Man Utd

Portsmouth blew the Premiership title race wide open with victory over leaders Manchester United.

Pompey took the lead when Edwin van der Sar could only parry Benjani's shot and Matt Taylor followed up to score.

David James denied Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs as United poured forward before Rio Ferdinand put through his own net to extend the home side's lead.

John O'Shea pulled a goal back but the Pompey keeper made sure of victory with a superb late save from Alan Smith.

Having seen Chelsea beat Tottenham earlier in the day and reduce their lead to three points, the pressure was on United to continue their impressive run of seven straight league victories.

But Pompey had other ideas and the home side's tactic of hustling United's defence paid off in the early stages as Harry Redknapp's men enjoyed all the early pressure.

Van der Sar only had to deal with one effort on goal - a header by Nwankwo Kanu - but it was still a warning to United and they finally woke from their slumbers.

Ronaldo smashed a long-range free-kick wide of James' goal and was close to finding the target again soon after a typically mazy run.

It seemed United were gradually taking control but Pompey kept working hard even when they did not have the ball and their industry paid off on the half-hour mark.

Kieran Richardson was caught in possession outside the box by Benjani who fired in a dipping shot that van der Sar could only palm into the path of Taylor - who gratefully slotted home.

United responded well and Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney fired wide before Darren Fletcher forced David James into his first save of the match.

But Pompey were still dangerous themselves and almost increased their lead before the break.

Linvoy Primus headed over from a Gary O'Neil corner, then van der Sar had to save smartly after he reacted first to Kanu's flick on.

The second half was always going to be about whether United could find an equaliser and they surely would have done if not for the form of James.

He denied Ronaldo and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in quick succession before Lauren cleared the ball off the line.

James then somehow tipped over a powerful Giggs shot and caught a Wes Brown header as United piled on the pressure.

Portsmouth were not finished yet however and only a brilliant save by Van der Sar denied Sean Davis after he met Taylor's cross.

United kept coming forward and their miserable day was completed when Ferdinand turned the ball into his own net in the final minute.

Taylor's hopeful pass was meant for Lomano LuaLua but instead the England defender diverted it past Van der Sar on the edge of the box and the ball trundled over the line.

That did not deter United and O'Shea gave them hope in injury time when he tucked away the rebound after James fumbled Solskjaer's shot.

There was still time for substitute Smith to bring one last fine save out of James but Pompey held on for a famous victory.

[redrus]

We've lost before, we'll lose again....!

I can cope with it, can you....?

I don't really care if Chelsea win the league, that's why you all hate us....!, remember....!

We'll still be here, you won't....!

redrus

[taxexile]

their miserable day was completed when Ferdinand turned the ball into his own net in the final minute.

[muckypups]

With a four point advantage (I'm treating our vastly superior goal difference as an additional point.. which it is) it's still our title to lose. The injuries, that inevitably any team can encounter in a season, are a real problem though. Vidic and Park the latest. I do feel that the "strength"of our squad was as much wishful thinking than any real confidence.. our options are poor, in my view Richardson, Fletcher.. and sorry, O'Shea are just not reliable/good enough. Add to that players returning after very long injury lay-off's and you see my point.

But, if Tuesday should see us fail in Europe that may well be the one thing that helps secure the Premiership title.. we are not strong enough, I feel, to really go for all of these trophies .. and I want the Premiership Back! As for last night's defeat.. Portsmouth had trouble written all over them long before we lost Vidic and endured the hel_l in Rome (on and off the pitch).

Chelsea to their credit took advantage of the early kick-off.. it hardly matters that Spurs had a matter of hours to prepare for this game.. it's not exactly down to the Stamford Bridge side that that decision was made. I think we looked jaded, but I'm sure that our next home game against Sheff. United will see us back on track.... at least, I 'effin' hope so.

Anyway.. I'm off me soapbox now.. this was in today's Red News..

From The Daily Mail

'Bob Graham, who is making a documentary on football hooliganism in eastern Europe, says the violence in Rome was premeditated in a highly organised manner

In March, less than two hours after the Champions League draw had been made, the texts began pinging throughout Europe.

The first message, written in Polish, read: "Hey, do you want to come to the ambush and fight?"

It was sent by one of Roma's Ultras to a neo-Nazi member of Legia Warsaw's extremist gang who organise football hooliganism in Poland. The reply was immediate: "My friend, it is good you need us. We will be honoured to be there to stand with you."

Messages were also sent to Croatia, to the Torcida Split gang who follow Hajduk Split; to Den Haag in Holland; Ferencvaros in Turkey; Real Madrid's Ultras Sur; to the Curva Massilia hooligans of Olympique Marseille; and the Red Tigers of Lens.

The invitation to the French fans was an afterthought; they have no history of hooliganism, but might want to be part of the fight after clashes at their stadium during Manchester United's match against Lille last month.

Fans in Austria, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Slovakia were also invited. In each of the countries there are known groups of Ultras—supporters who wallow in violent racism which has occasionally led to murder.

"This will be a meeting of the friendships across Europe," said the Legia Warsaw thug, whom I met while making a TV documentary on football hooliganism.

"Open borders mean we can travel without problems and take part in matters we share together, like beating the Manchester fans. Maybe they have a bigger and better football team. We are the best hools and the best fighters. We are top of our league."

The series of messages — the first of more than a dozen sent between groups of organised hooligans — was the first inkling that Wednesday's quarter-final in Rome would become a target for thugs.

Several messages were also sent to fans in Liverpool, Burnley and Southampton to try to entice them to the fight.

Inevitably, some found their way to Old Trafford where, in the run-up to the match, concern mounted among United's security staff. It led to the ill-fated warning to fans of the potential for trouble.

In the perverse, twilight world of hooliganism, the allegiances between thugs who follow top football clubs in each country are known as 'friendships'.

In a series of text messages, arrangements were made to meet before the game and to coordinate ambushing United fans in the side-streets and alleyways leading to Rome's Olympic Stadium where Fascist symbols, Nazi crosses and Celtic crosses are often spotted daubed on walls.

To fans from Legia Warsaw and Pogon Szczecin, there had been a specific request from Rome: "Bring your blades!"

The small band of no more than 20 fans, who arrived in Rome on Tuesday, carry knives and axes as their "equipment".

Just before setting off by road from Warsaw, the Polish gang leader smiled: "We will stay in Rome until the Pope makes his Easter message. We are good Polish Catholics and it is a good reason to be in Rome."

Although football hooliganism is rightly policed in Britain, Germany and Holland — and, to a lesser extent, Spain — elsewhere in Europe the authorities turn a blind eye.

Over the past winter the number of violent incidents has increased. Only last week UEFA president Michel Platini wrote to all 53 European soccer associations, warning that violence on and off the field was 'poisoning' football.

He met government and police experts from around the Continent to ask for help.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said: "We have come to the crossroads of football. Our football is ill and we must find medicine to give to our sport."

[muckypups]

Here we go.. from The Times:

Ferguson backs his men to show character with Roma test looming

Portsmouth 2 Manchester Utd 1

Kaveh Solhekol

If you support Manchester United, you may want to turn the page now. For the past eight months, Sir Alex Ferguson’s team have been thrilling crowds and playing the kind of football that has made optimists at Old Trafford dream of the Double or a treble in May. The plaudits have come thick and fast: Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world, Rio Ferdinand is worth £110,000 a week, Ryan Giggs is improving with age. On Saturday, the 2,000 United supporters at Fratton Park and the millions watching on television woke up and smelt the coffee.

United have set the pace at the top of the Barclays Premiership for most of the season, but against Portsmouth they were hesitant in defence, lacklustre in midfield and lightweight in attack. Blame it on weary legs after midweek Champions League exertions in Italy or nerves brought on by Chelsea’s relentless pursuit, but on this evidence United could end the season empty-handed for the second time in three years.

Chelsea whittled down their lead to three points by beating Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 at Stamford Bridge earlier in the day and Portsmouth turned the screw by playing with the kind of commitment that Ferguson would have condemned as obscene a few years ago.

AS Roma will pose a different challenge at Old Trafford tomorrow evening, but if the Italian team can expose the deficiencies in Ferguson’s squad as ruthlessly as Portsmouth did, questions will be asked about whether United will be able to bounce back from losing key players such as Nemanja Vidic and Gary Neville at a crucial point of the season.

United may have an easier run-in, but Chelsea have the stronger squad and the momentum that could overpower their rivals when the teams meet at Stamford Bridge in the penultimate match of the season next month. Kieran Richardson and Darren Fletcher would struggle for a place on the Chelsea substitutes’ bench, but the midfield players were deployed on the wings at Fratton Park, while Ronaldo, acting more like a spoilt child than the best player in the world, failed to convince as a centre forward and Giggs was on the substitutes’ bench until after half-time.

On form, José Mourinho would struggle to find room for Edwin van der Sar in the Chelsea reserve team and the hapless United goalkeeper turned in a performance that should ensure that he is replaced by Ben Foster, who is at Watford on a season-long loan, in the United team next season. At fault for Roma’s second goal in the 2-1 defeat on Wednesday, Van der Sar let down his teammates again by failing to hold a routine strike by Benjani Mwaruwari that Matthew Taylor bundled into the net in the 30th minute.

Worse was to follow as the Holland goalkeeper was exposed in the final minutes when Ferdinand’s attempted back-pass bypassed him into the net. John O’Shea pulled a goal back soon after, but Ferguson had few complaints with a result that has opened up the title race.

“It has come at a bad time, but we have shown our character all season and I expect us to recover,” the United manager said. “If it means winning our last game at Old Trafford, I would take that.”

Harry Redknapp’s instructions to his Portsmouth players before kick-off were simple: get in your opponents’ faces and make the game into a cup-tie.

With the home team’s fans creating a constant din that Kanu, the Nigeria forward, described as “the best atmosphere I have played in”, the players stuck to their tasks and revelled in unsettling their opponents.

“I told my players that they had to work harder than they had ever worked in their lives otherwise they were going to get nothing from the game,” Redknapp said. “They have better players than us, so we had to work and lift our game.”

As the United players headed for the tunnel at the end, Dejan Stefanovic asked O’Shea to swap shirts. The United man gave his shirt away but did not wait for Stefanovic’s. Maybe next season United should show Portsmouth more respect.

[muckypups]

Also from The Times:

United stumbling towards line after Larsson loss

Tony Cascarino: Analysis

The masterstroke looks more and more like a mistake. The loan signing of Henrik Larsson helped to bring Manchester United to the verge of the Barclays Premiership title, but his early departure is a huge reason why Chelsea could pip United at the death. Larsson played in 13 games over two months before returning to Sweden in mid-March and United lost only once, to Arsenal. Even at 35, he gave them a boost and without him performances have declined. We now have a proper title race.

It would have been better to have signed someone who would have stuck around for the season. Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, should not have allowed Larsson to dictate his leaving date. The Swede vanishing at the most crucial point of the season has kicked away a crutch and United are wobbling.

United were on a long winning run in the league until Saturday’s defeat, but they have not looked as impressive without Larsson. Although not the prolific scorer of his Celtic heyday, he was a target man, a physical presence, an aerial threat, good at linking play and an experienced head. In his absence, United’s forwards do not hold up the ball well enough, which puts the team under pressure.

Louis Saha was relegated to the bench when Larsson arrived. That must have been demoralising for a striker who was in great form at the end of last season and the start of this one. Back from injury, United need Saha to find top gear.

Injuries are a big problem for United in defence, but Chelsea’s wounded are coming back. Joe Cole gives them something different and he will be fresh. Arjen Robben will return soon. There is a real relish and resilience to Chelsea and their ability to grind out results is greater than United’s. Generally, in sport, it is tougher to lead from the front than come from behind when the pressure is on.

Edwin van der Sar, brilliant this season, has let in two poor goals in the past week and the way he and Rio Ferdinand appeared to blame each other for Portsmouth’s first goal at the weekend shows United are far from relaxed. They look stressed.

An injury to a key man — Ferdinand or Cristiano Ronaldo — could throw them. They may reach the finish line, but they might cross it with a stumble, not a saunter.

[redrus]

their miserable day was completed when Ferdinand turned the ball into his own net in the final minute.

Lol, we can lose but, at least we're not Leeds....! :D :D

redrus

[muckypups]

And The Independent:

Portsmouth 2 Manchester United 1: Ferguson gets the message: this year's title race is far from over

By Glenn Moore

The modern game is a squad game and Manchester United's was found wanting at Fratton Park on Saturday night. Shorn of three of their preferred back four, plus Ryan Giggs and Louis Saha, through a combination of injury and voluntary rotation, the Premiership leaders were out-witted and outrun by a Portsmouth team missing key players themselves.

The most worrying aspect, for Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, will have been the uncertainty shown at the back. The only regular, Rio Ferdinand, was so discomfited by the absence of his partner, Nemanja Vidic, and full-backs Gary Neville and Patrice Evra, he was at fault for both home goals. The blame in each case was shared with Edwin van der Sar. The goalkeeper, so dominant earlier in the season, appeared as rattled as Ferdinand by the team's changed personnel.

Evra was fit enough to be on the bench but Neville is still a fortnight away and Vidic will not be back until mid-May at best. Of their replacements, Wes Brown was least comfortable; he is beginning to look like a player whose glittering future is behind him. In midfield Brown's fellow youth-team graduates Kieran Richardson and Darren Fletcher were little better and both were replaced as United sought a result.

The dip in standard of United's youth products is a long-term concern; the immediate issue is the need to resist Chelsea. The champions' injury problems have been far greater than United's with John Terry, Petr Cech and Joe Cole missing large parts of the season and Arjen Robben and Ashley Cole also injured. But with the likes of Ricardo Carvalho and Wayne Bridge responding to the absence of Terry and Ashley Cole by upping their game, Chelsea have stayed in touch. Their reserves tend, admittedly, to be expensively priced recruits, not home-grown players, but it ill behoves a club who have broken the British transfer record more times than any other to complain about that.

United, noted Harry Redknapp, as keen a student of form as any manager, remain favourites. "They have a three-point-lead and their goal difference is worth another," the Portsmouth manager said. Ferguson agreed, saying he would have "snatched at" this situation at the start of the season, but momentum is crucial and he is relieved United's next League opponents are Sheffield United and Middlesbrough, both at Old Trafford. "We have a 10-day break from the League programme, and it is maybe just at the right time for us," he said. "We've then got to take advantage of those two home games. Then maybe it'll be different."

This was always going to be one of their harder fixtures. United have now lost at Fratton Park three times in four visits. Redknapp is cute tactically and the players and supporters find something extra when United are in town. Pompey's midfield quartet worked hard and even Kanu was closing opponents down. In defence, Linvoy Primus made two brave and perfectly judged tackles on Wayne Rooney - and credit to referee Mark Clattenberg for reading them correctly. "I went for it, and I got good contact on the ball, but I would not have been surprised if a penalty had been given," Primus said.

United started brightly enough but then the hapless Richardson was dispossessed, Van der Sar flapped at Benjani Mwaruwari's shot, and Matthew Taylor stole in front of the ball-watching Ferdinand to score.

Having introduced Giggs at the interval, Ferguson tried four attacking formations in the second period, concluding with a 4-2-4 in which the midfield pairing was Giggs and Paul Scholes. Chances were inevitably created but David James made a stunning save from Giggs and sharp ones from Fletcher and Cristiano Ronaldo. Then Ferdinand, under pressure from Lomana LuaLua, steered a back-pass wide of the onrushing Van der Sar.

"I wouldn't blame Rio," said Redknapp, hardly an impartial witness, given that he discovered Ferdinand at West Ham. "The keeper has come charging out and shut the angle. If he stays where he is, it ain't a problem."

James, so typically, then dropped Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's shot, allowing John O'Shea to tap in. "Without making too many excuses, the pitch has a little rise in the middle, it just skipped up," James said. Equally typically, he next athletically denied Alan Smith in United's last assault.

"It was just one of those days," a sanguine O'Shea said. "You're thinking, 'OK, David James is playing well, but we're still going to score, we're still going to get a lot of chances', and we did. We just did it too late. On another day we'd have come away with at least a point, more than likely a win."

Ferguson preferred to turn the pressure on his pursuers. "Chelsea have not been playing well themselves and someone will make them suffer," he said. "It's hard to think they'll go through the six games, with the difficult games they've got."

Chelsea, though, have a habit of eking out victories in games like this - they did so last month in the previous match at Fratton Park. Afterwards, Mourinho said: "We will not give the championship away. We are not the sort of team to give up."

So it has proved. "United are all about goals and fantastic displays, Chelsea are about grinding out results. Arguably that is the mark of champions," said James. The plot bubbles.

[redrus]

BANNED?

Sunday 8th April 2007

The Sunday Mirror reckon United may not accept any tickets for the potential Milan semi.

Here they go:

Manchester United are considering banning their fans from the Champions League semi-finals - if they face a trip to AC Milan.

After the horror clashes in Rome last week that marred United's game against Roma, United may implement their own temporary ban on supporters travelling abroad if they return to Italy.

A United insider said: "In no way do we blame our fans for the problems they encountered in Italy, but for their own safety we would have to consider the possibility of refusing an allocation of tickets should we face Milan."

redrus

[muckypups]

And UEFA..what are they going to do about these Ultras..? Oh, that's right.. nothing, because it's only the English teams that have hooligans...

This sobering account from The Times (via Red News)

Sunday Times journalist caught up by Roma Ultras

Jonathan Northcroft

IT WAS a cool evening by the standards of Rome in April. On the Ponte Nenni a group of young Italians pulled the sleeves of their jackets over their hands. The reason for their action was not the need to find warmth but the desire to conceal. They had bottles tucked under their wrists.

The regular travel of being a football journalist makes you blasé. In a letter, Manchester United had warned their 4,500 supporters who were making the trip to the Roma match on Wednesday to avoid the Ponte Nenni, a short, wide bridge leading from a park to the Stadio Olimpico. The bridge is a stamping ground for Roma’s hooli-gans, the ultras. All week I had been reading about United’s letter and the indignant response it drew from Rome’s civil authorities, so I knew well about the Ponte Nenni.

A no-go for fans. But journalists? You get blasé, as I say. It was close to kick-off, I was with James Fletcher of the News of the World, the media entrance lay just across the Ponte Nenni, we were late and neither of us felt at risk. Now, though, there were young Italians with bottles up their sleeves and we were on a notorious bridge.

The ultras’ attention had been attracted by three Irish lads we had just walked past. They weren’t doing anything remotely aggressive, but they’d had a bit to drink and their voices were loud. Suddenly a bottle smashed. The Italians advanced and the Irish lads ran. James did so too and the ultras gave chase; 30 yards later, sprinting at full pelt, he was intercepted by a fist. More ultras waited further along the Ponte Nenni.

According to James, who escaped with bruising to his jaw, he was lucky to get into the middle of the road, where he was able to lose his pursuers by dodging between traffic. One of them carried a flare, lit and spewing angry red sparks. Clearly the intention had been to throw it at a foreigner; now the ultra had to make do with causing disruption and tossed it between the cars.

It was remarkable, given that the Ponte Nenni is such an established trouble spot, that there was not one single Italian police officer stationed on the bridge. Inside the Stadio Olimpico the hardcore of Rome’s support were being guarded not by the baton-clutching police in riot gear who faced the United fans, but by amiable stewards in fluorescent coats. They could throw all the missiles and hurl as many insults at their visitors as they pleased.

When, having put up with it initially, United fans in a corner section of the ground responded, the police moved in and began battering limbs and heads. Whether a United fan made an aggressive movement or was attempting to make gestures of peace seemed to matter not. Eleven United supporters ended the night in hospital after these clashes with police or skirmishes with ultras outside the ground.

“Rome is a city that welcomes everyone in a hospitable manner,” Walter Veltroni, the mayor of Rome, had complained when United issued their warnings. Hospitable? Hospitalising, more like.

United followers may face returning to Italy should their club and AC Milan progress to meet in the semi-finals. Tomorrow and on Tuesday 2,000 Chelsea fans will depart for Valencia. In Seville last Thursday Tottenham fans appeared to be largely innocent as they were beaten by police. Tottenham and Chelsea officials met at yesterday’s game between the clubs to discuss the risks facing English supporters in Spain. John Reid, the home secretary, says there are “questions to ask” about the conduct of Spanish and Italian police. Uefa has launched an investigation into the incidents in Rome and Seville.

When Roma played Catania yesterday it was behind closed doors. Italy’s interior ministry reinstated a ban that had previously been lifted. An Italian policeman was killed in rioting involving Catania and Palermo supporters in February, leading to the temporary closure of 25 stadiums and the suspension of Italian football at all levels. Last year, when Middlesbrough played Roma in the Uefa Cup, 10 Boro fans were taken to hospital, three after being stabbed. In 2001, 14 Liverpool supporters were stabbed in Rome. Yet, in their preparation for and reaction to Wednesday’s game, not the recent history of Italian hooli-ganism but the more distant one of regular English misbehaviour, seemed to guide the Roman authorities. “To criticise the police is a sport. The British like to do it,” Achille Serra, Rome’s police chief, said dismissively.

What happened to me on the Ponte Nenni? The ultras ran right past me on their way to chasing James. I was lucky. But good fortune was scarce for British visitors to Rome. Police held United supporters inside the Stadio Olimpico until after midnight. “When the whole of the 1999 European Cup final started playing on the big screens, we knew we were in for a long wait,” one fan said.

Needless to say the UEFA deadheads have started already...

Times on UEFA dreading all English European Final

'IN SEVEN weeks the first trickle of fans will reach Athens ahead of the Champions League final, arriving a few days early to take in the Greek capital’s delights before the most watched fixture of the year. They may well come in numbers from England. They may come almost exclusively from England. After a fortnight of violent incidents across southern Europe, Uefa’s concern is that whoever they are, they come in peace.

Ten days ago Greek police were unable to prevent a young man dying in sports-related fighting in the Athens suburb of Painia. The government responded by suspending all domestic professional team events until next weekend. The murder occurred during street battles between followers of Panathinaikos and Olympiakos, bizarrely, ahead of a women’s volleyball cup match between teams from each club. The 22-year-old Panathinaikos fan appears to have died after an ambush, although the precise circumstances are unclear. Fifteen men, including one minor, have been arrested and police raids on supporters’ clubs discovered an arsenal of baseball bats, iron bars and chains.

It is not the first fatality of the season. A Paris Saint-Germain supporter was killed during confrontations with French police after a Uefa Cup tie in the autumn; a policeman in Sicily died during rioting at the Italian Serie A fixture between Catania and Palermo.

Nobody in Europe needed the exchanges between followers of Manchester United and Roma in the Champions League last Wednesday or between Spurs fans and Seville police during a Uefa Cup match 24 hours later to provoke the suggestion that the game is in a disturbing period.

Uefa has been talking to the European Union about a unified approach to policing football for six months. Roma had only recently finished serving a behind-closed-doors Uefa penalty for an episode in which referee Anders Frisk was struck by a lighter. Sevilla’s head coach, Juande Ramos, was taken to hospital after a bottle struck him during a February Copa del Rey derby at Real Betis.

That background put stewards and Seville police on edge. The day Tottenham arrived in Andalucia, the Spanish government announced measures to combat football-related hooliganism, many drawn up on the basis of British advice.'

[muckypups]

This says it all...unbelievable..

From the 'Boro Evening Gazette last week

'Bloody scenes of British football fans being violently attacked by Italian police and thugs prompted fury on Teesside today.

A year ago, innocent Middlesbrough fans were stabbed by hooligans and beaten by riot police in Rome.

Last night Manchester United fans suffered a similar ordeal.

"No lessons have been learned at all - if anything things are getting worse," said Euro MP Stephen Hughes.

Eighteen British fans were taken to hospital after their Champions League match in Rome. Baton-wielding riot police laid into them inside the stadium after trouble broke out.

Timeline

March 14, 2006 - The night before Boro play Roma away in the UEFA Cup, 13 Boro fans are injured including three stabbed in an attack by Roma's Ultras gang.

March 16 - Accounts emerge from Middlesbrough fans of mistreatment by Rome police. Gazette offices flooded by calls and letters from Boro fans complaining of the treatment in Rome.

March 24 - Gazette launches Protect our Fans campaign and a dossier created.

April 8 - Dossier handed to Stephen Hughes MEP who takes it to the European Parliament.

April 25 - UEFA start disciplinary proceedings against Roma for incidents inside the stadium.

May 31 - The dossier is placed on the agenda of the European Parliament's Petitions Committee but during June and July fails to be discussed on two occasions.

August 24 - European Parliament confirm dossier is being investigated by two of its powerful committees and the European Commission.

September 7 - Fans Peter Green and Cllr Dave McLuckie invited to address MEPs in Brussels.

February 2, 2007 - An Italian policeman is killed when he is hit by a firebomb lobbed by fans during riots in the Sicily derby between Catania and Palermo.

March 16 - One year on the European Parliament reveals it sent a letter demanding a response from the Italian government in October, which has been ignored.

April 4 - Manchester United fans are attacked by baton wielding police during their 2-1 defeat in Rome.

A call was today made on Teesside for both British and Italian Governments and UEFA to act before someone is killed.

The Evening Gazette launched its Protect Our Fans campaign last March after hundreds of Boro fans complained of their treatment at the hands of the Rome authorities. A petition of more than 1,000 names was sent to the European Parliament and is being investigated.

Mr Hughes MEP, who has backed the petition through the European Parliament, is now calling on Italian clubs to be suspended from Europe.

"It really is beyond the pale. Sooner or later someone is going to be killed," he said.

Mr Hughes added that, as in the Middlesbrough fixture, the Italian police failed to stop Ultra hooligans attending the match and to stop them from bringing missiles into the Stadio Olimpico.

Cllr Dave McLuckie, chairman of Cleveland Police Authority, who was in Rome for the Boro match, said today: "I am not surprised by these scenes. Our experience, which was a horrendous one, mirrors what happened to Manchester United fans last night.

"They have learned nothing. The same thing happened when Hasselbaink scored for Middlesbrough. The Roma fans attacked us and the Rome police attacked us as well.

"They are carrying on injuring British fans when they are in their city and it's an absolute disgrace."

Cllr McLuckie said he hopes the graphic pictures shown on Sky television will be enough to prompt the British Government to act.

"I saw one man last night being beaten to a pulp," he said. "It was nothing short of a serious assault.

"Our Government should act now to ensure British citizens should not be put in that position when they travel to other EU countries."

Rob Nichols, editor of Boro fanzine Fly Me To The Moon, also saw the trouble first-hand last year.

He said: "I thought it was really sad that no lessons appeared to have been learned. It's not like we're saying this with hindsight - Boro fans have brought it up before and it was even brought up again last week.

"I read about the preparations for Man Utd fans going out there and it all seemed very familiar. You just hoped everything would be OK.

"I know when I came back from Rome, the company that ran the flight out there told me to do as much as I could to highlight what had happened.

"They said they had run football flights and trips all across Europe and never seen anything like that before.

"They said other English fans would have to go back to Italy and to see other people having to suffer makes it all seem so senseless."

UEFA has announced it will launch an investigation into the crowd trouble. "Eighteen Manchester United fans needed medical attention at local hospital," a spokesman for the Rome police said.

"Sixteen of the fans were discharged while two of the fans will remain in hospital overnight. They are not in serious condition.

An estimated 4,000 Manchester United fans travelled to Rome for the quarter-final first-leg tie.

Manchester Utd had issued a statement on their website warning their fans to be careful.

The Italian game was effectively closed down in February following the death of a policeman at the Catania-Palermo Sicilian derby.

Must travelling supporters be killed before the football authorities take decisive action against Italy?

The sight of baton-wielding riot police wading viciously into Manchester United supporters in the Stadio Olimpico last night was shocking and saddening but it certainly wasn't a surprise.

As Boro fans who travelled to Rome last March know only too well, the policing operation there is aggressive, confrontational, provocative and is based on systematic breach of guests' civil rights.

As Boro fans will know that operation is aimed entirely at the away fans - leaving the notorious Ultras a free hand to attack visiting fans at will.

The Rome police were not interested that innocent tourists had been ambushed in their city, subject to a cowardly attack by thugs. It is seen as par for the course.

And when Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink scored for Boro it sparked a charge in the stadium by Roma Ultras that stewards and police made no attempt to stop. The police were ready with batons poised to strike at the first sign of retaliation. It is only because of commendable restraint by Teessiders that the scenes seen last night were avoided.

And those disturbing scenes are not unusual, they are a normal part of the Italian football landscape. It is only a month since the entire professional game was suspended after a policeman was murdered in Sicily as part of the organised gang warfare that stains the game.

It is down to UEFA to take bold and decisive action. Roma must be kicked out of the Champions League and Italian clubs suspended from European competition until they put their house in order. It took Heysel and a five year ban to create a dynamic change in England. Italy needs the same treatment.'

[muckypups]

Reading through Red News I spotted this..thought I post it.

Any photos/stories from events in Rome to be sent to [email protected] please

Can anyone who was in Rome tonight please send their eye-witness statements to [email protected] as a matter of urgency.

IMUSA will once again put a dossier together to submit to UEFA.

The club issued warnings to our fans making it clear that they thought that there was danger of attack from the Roma fans.

The Italian police were stationed on our side of the fence, in attack formation against United fans, in a way that only made sense if they were trying to protect the Roma fans from us.

There is something very wrong here and IMUSA aims to get to the bottom of it.

Can all fans who were in Rome tonight get in touch with us to let us know what you saw. If you have pictures or video of these incidents, so much the better.

[email protected]

The club are asking fans to submit evidence for an investigation into the trouble which took place at Roma's Stadio Olimpico during United's 2-1 defeat in Italy on Wednesday evening.In an official statement, the club said: "The distressing scenes witnessed in the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday night shocked everyone at Old Trafford. In what the Club views as a severe over-reaction, local police handed out indiscriminate beatings to United supporters. "In these circumstances, neither Manchester United nor AS Roma is able to call the police to account. As a result, the Club warmly welcomes the Government examination of the incident and will collect witness statements from fans to submit to the Home Office. "Supporters who attended the game and wish to provide evidence should either write to Roma Inquiry, Manchester United FC, Sir Matt Busby Way, Old Trafford, Manchester, M16 0RA or e-mail: [email protected]

[redrus]

Sampdoria confirm Man Utd bid for Quagliarella

tribalfooball.com - April 08, 2007

Sampdoria sports director Beppe Marotta has revealed an offer has arrived from Manchester United for star striker Fabio Quagliarella.

The new Italy cap, 23, is co-owned by Samp and Udinese and has been followed by United boss Sir Alex Ferguson for the last two months.

Marotta revealed last night to Tutto Mercato Web: "I can now confirm the offer from Manchester United, but it only represents one of several possibilities

"We will have to do our accounts with Udinese, the joint owner of his contract, and consider the will of the player ahead of such important offers.

"Quagliarella has a 50-60% chance of remaining with Sampdoria. If it was up to me, I believe he would improve quicker remaining in Genoa."

Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce is believed to be lining up a move for Manchester United midfielder Kieron Richardson.

Pearce is set for a summer of wheeling and dealing as he will lack any significant funds from the board. However he is hoping to raise enough cash from player transfers to make a bid for Kieron Richardson. The talented England International is struggling to hold down a first team spot at Old Trafford and could be tempted with a switch to local rivals Manchester City if there was a guarantee of first team football. Richardson has made just 17 appearances for United this season, scoring 1 goal.

Please <deleted>**in take him..................

redrus

[redrus]

Totti to travel to Old Trafford

By Tom Adams - Sky Created on 8 Apr 2007

Francesco Totti has been named in Roma's travelling party for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Manchester United.

The Giallorossi skipper has been suffering with a sciatic nerve problem but Roma's medical staff have deemed him fit enough to travel with his team-mates ahead of Tuesday's game at Old Trafford.

The injury had been problematic enough to prevent Totti from participating in Roma's 2-0 win over Catania on Saturday, even if the club were always confident of his fitness for the European clash.

Coach Luciano Spalletti rested a number of players in the game that was played behind closed doors in order to keep his squad fresh as they aim to protect a 2-1 lead from the first leg at Stadio Olimpico.

Now Roma's hopes of securing a place in the semi-finals have been given a boost by the confirmation that Totti will travel to England to lead the Serie A side at Old Trafford.

redrus

[muckypups]

Please <deleted>**in take him..................

YES! Please... Preferably before we play City...

[redrus]

Please <deleted>**in take him..................

YES! Please... Preferably before we play City...

redrus

[mrbojangles]

Please <deleted>**in take him..................

YES! Please... Preferably before we play City...

Personally, I think he'd be good for us. I'd have him any day. If you think he's <deleted>, it just shows what strength you have. IMO

But i wouldn't have O'Shea or Fletcher

[muckypups]

Mr. B. I agree.. when you say "it just shows what strength we/I think we have" then I have to say; not much. I'm not saying Richardson is a bad player per se.. but I do think these "cameo" roles, a weakened team etc. are ill judged. Regular football and he could be a gem but that won't happen at United. So, joking aside, why should you not go for a young player, yet to fulfill his promise..(an Under 21 International player as well) But I don't think he'll ever really do it for us.. along with Fletcher, and (though I feel a certain sentimental attachment for some obscure reason), O'Shea.. We looked spent on Saturday, Richardson and Fletcher looked out of their depth and they're supposedly "key" squad players! Injuries, when they came, were always going to be very, very hard for us to deal with .. and faced with a mid-table Pompey for whom we were clearly a cup final ( ) our squad fell short. (of course, as I write this Portsmouth are losing 4-1 to Watford..which could make the semi interesting!)

Anyway, long diatribe short.. if you buy Richardson I hope he does really well.. for himself and City..

[muckypups]

The Independent on tonight's match:

Ferguson confident that Roma's fans will be safe at Old Trafford

By Andy Hunter

Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted to being appalled by images of crowd violence at the Stadio Olimpico but it was a reflection of his priorities and his influence on tonight's Champions League quarter-final with Roma that, even without the injured Louis Saha, the Manchester United manager insisted a revenge attack would only occur on the Old Trafford pitch.

A delicate atmosphere surrounds a second-leg tie that will seriously test Ferguson's maxim that how a team responds to defeat determines whether it is destined to be immortalised or forgotten, with the 2-1 deficit that confronts United only the secondary cause. The ambushes and multiple stabbings suffered by United supporters before last week's first leg in the Italian capital, coupled with the excessive response of local police to disturbances amongst the travelling section during the game, has raised concerns of reprisals for the 3,800 Roma fans expected at the game.

Ferguson, however, believes English security measures will ensure there is no repeat tonight when, he hoped, the Old Trafford faithful will be occupied with their side's attempt to overcome a first-leg deficit for the first time in the Champions League knock-out stages.

"I don't anticipate any problems at all," the United manager said yesterday. "The security at Old Trafford is fantastic and I don't envisage the Roma fans having any problems inside our stadium. There is no history of trouble at Old Trafford and the Roma fans have nothing to fear." Ferguson missed the fall-out from the first leg owing to the squad's extended stay in Rome but has since studied footage of the night as United continue to collect evidence for an anticipated Home Office inquiry into events involving the Italian police. Uefa have opened their own investigation into the violence. The United manager added: "We missed a lot of what was shown back here but we have since seen some photos and they don't look very nice at all. Everyone was appalled at the pictures, but now Uefa are investigating and we should wait to see their findings. Hopefully it will be a thorough investigation as that is the only way to find these things out."

With problems beyond his control dominating the pre-match agenda, it was little surprise that Ferguson yesterday brusquely dismissed his side's inability to overturn a first-leg defeat on five occasions in the Champions League - "It's only happened a few times, always by the odd goal, and we do not have a bad record here at Old Trafford," he insisted - or that he lacks the options to bring to bear on his promise to attack the Italian defence.

Saha is out after reporting a tight hamstring in training, leaving Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Alan Smith vying for a starting role, and with Paul Scholes suspended following his dismissal in the first leg, plus Park Ji-Sung out for at least a fortnight with a knee problem, United are suffering in every department as they seek an emphatic response to successive defeats in Europe and in the Premiership.

"We always recover, we recover well," said the Scot. "We went on a long unbeaten run after losing to Arsenal in October, West Ham at New Year and Arsenal the season before. We have always recovered with long unbeaten runs. This club is made of that, it is not a problem for us. Losing a game is not unusual in football, it is what you do about it that makes a team.

"I think we are in a good position for this game. I'm pleased that we managed to get a goal with 10 men, and when we did, Roma became nervous for a period. Tomorrow our attacking impetus will be much, much stronger, much more apparent.

"I think we'll create chances but in my experience of Europe we have missed a lot of chances, particularly in two semi- finals here. If we can take them this time, we'll have a massive chance."

[muckypups]

From The Times on Totti's..er, injury..

United wary of Totti trickery

Oliver Kay

Not for the first time, a team from Serie A arrived in Manchester last night fretting over the fitness of their star centre forward, calling to mind Sir Alex Ferguson’s infamous claim that “when an Italian says it’s pasta, I look under the sauce to make sure”. His scepticism is likely to prove well-placed, with Francesco Totti almost certain to declare himself fit to lead out AS Roma for what promises to be an evening of high drama at Old Trafford.

Ferguson was relaxed yesterday as he responded to questions about the size of the task facing United this evening by reminding his audience that his team have faced mightier opponents than Roma.

“I don’t think this one is any more tense than any other European tie. AC Milan, Juventus and Real Madrid, they’ve all been here down the years,” he said nonchalantly, not mentioning that all escaped with scorelines that would be favourable enough to take Totti’s team through tonight.

A 1-0 win would allow United to triumph on away goals to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2002, but when Ferguson speaks wistfully of his team’s habit of “doing things the hard way”, it is in the knowledge that these evenings seldom go according to plan for his team. Borussia Dortmund, AS Monaco and FC Porto have all eliminated United on the basis of spirited second-leg performances in front of an expectant crowd at Old Trafford, while Real did so in 2003 despite losing on the night.

Even when beating Benfica in December to reach the knockout stages, United insisted on going a goal down first, so it promises to be a long evening against a Roma side whose tactics, Totti’s fitness permitting, are perfectly suited to playing on the counter-attack.

Paul Scholes’s suspension, added to Louis Saha’s failure to overcome a hamstring injury, has left United short of firepower for a match in which they need to score at least once to progress. It places an additional burden on Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, who scored their away goal in the Olympic Stadium last Wednesday, his first in the Champions League since his debut for United in September 2004.

“Obviously it was a relief to get that goal because there’s been a lot of talk about me not scoring for a while in the Champions League,” Rooney said. “Hopefully now all that will stop and I can concentrate on trying to get more goals in the tournament.

“Since we played Milan [in 2005], I think both Cristiano and I have improved as players and matured a lot, especially Cristiano. He’s been winning games on his own this season. He’s been unbelievable and I think he’s the best player in the world right now.”

Individual brilliance may be needed again this evening because whatever the talent in the United ranks, past experience tells us that this is going to be a long night, particularly if Totti’s concerns over a thigh injury turn out to be nothing more than the smokescreen that Ferguson, with his ingrained distrust of Italians, suspects.

[muckypups]

And the "Soar away" Sun has this to say..:

Ron is Emperor of Roma

WAYNE ROONEY is backing the magic of Cristiano Ronaldo to conjure up a European fightback against Roma.

Manchester United trail 2-1 from the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in Rome.

And they have never recovered from losing the first match to win a tie in the competition.

Then again, they have never had someone playing the way Ronaldo is at the moment.

Rooney said: “Cristiano is winning games on his own this season. He has been unbelievable. At the minute, he is the best player in the world by far. Hopefully, he can work some magic in this game and get us through to the semi-finals.”

It was some magic from Rooney in the opening clash that has given United a chance going into tonight’s return.

His superbly taken away goal was crucial. It was his first in the competition for 2½ years, since his debut hat-trick against Fenerbahce.

Rooney added: “I hope that goal does prove to be important. It was important to get an away goal to stay in the tie. Now I hope we can make it count and get through.

“I don’t know why it has taken me so long to score again in the competition. I should have scored before but it is just a relief to get that one.

“Perhaps the talk about it will stop and I can go on and get more goals in the tournament.”

With injury problems mounting, there is an even greater reliance growing on Rooney and Ronaldo.

It was revealed yesterday that Louis Saha is back on the treatment table with hamstring problems.

He joins Mikael Silvestre, Nemanja Vidic, Gary Neville and Ji-Sung Park on the first-team injury list.

United’s problems against Roma were obviously compounded by Paul Scholes’ sending-off, which rules him out of the second leg. And all these worries have come at a crucial stage of the campaign.

United’s lead in the Premiership was cut to three points at the weekend, when they lost to Portsmouth and Chelsea beat Tottenham.

They also have an FA Cup semi-final on Saturday against Watford at Villa Park.

Rooney believes it is vital those players who are fit ensure that all the hard work and great football this season does not go to waste.

He said: “We do not want to let ourselves down now. It is important we have the right reaction from the Portsmouth defeat.

“We need to take all the good football we have played this season into the match against Roma. We are going to have to play our top game to get through. They keep the ball so well. It is difficult to get it back off them.

“It is like a game of chess playing against Italian sides.

“But with the speed we have in our team, and the match being at Old Trafford, I am sure we can cause them problems. We just have to take our chances.”

United boss Alex Ferguson is backing his team’s strength of character in the face of adversity to get them through.

He said: “This team has always been able to bounce back from set-backs. We have done it this season after we lost at home to Arsenal and then went on a great run.

“We lost in the New Year to West Ham and then went on another great run. Anyone can lose a game but it is what you do about it that makes a team.

“I think we are in a good position in this tie. I am pleased that, having played with 10 men for an hour, we were able to get a goal. When we did, Roma became very nervous.

“Our attacking impetus will be even stronger in this second leg than in the first. I think we will make chances and we have to take them.

“If we take a percentage of the chances we create, we have a massive chance.”

[muckypups]

A view from The Telegraph..:

Depleted resources leave United disjointed

During their stay in Rome, as they prepared for what could be a decisive encounter at Portsmouth, it was mooted that Sir Alex Ferguson might take his squad to the Vatican, just as Jack Charlton had gone with his Ireland players during the 1990 World Cup. In the end, the sheer numbers cramming into St Peter's Square for the Easter celebrations precluded it.

Frankly, Ferguson would have done better taking his injury-raddled squad to Lourdes; never has he been in greater need of miracle cures. When the Manchester United manager talks about the side that slalomed its way past every obstacle to the Treble, he will make one point. It suffered no injuries and, until the European Cup final, no suspensions.

As he makes his preparations for tonight's European Cup quarter-final with Roma, Ferguson has problems putting a coherent team together. He has no specialist right-back, two of his three most experienced centre-halves are injured, his first choice left-back has not kicked a ball in anger in more than a month. Louis Saha, his chief striking support for Wayne Rooney. is unfit and his most experienced central midfielder got himself suspended with a piece of brainless tackling in the first leg.

Overcoming a 2-1 deficit at home should not be beyond teams of United's resilience, and Roma are not in the class of the Juventus side that Roy Keane drove aside to take his players to the 1999 European Cup final. But to overturn Roma's 2-1 lead at Old Trafford with the thin resources at his disposal would count among Ferguson's finest achievements.

"We have proved ourselves a number of times and we are no more tense than for any other European tie," Ferguson said. "Can you compare Roma with the great Juventus teams that have come here, or with the Milan of two years ago or with Real Madrid or Bayern Munich who have all come here? It is not going to be any more tense than those games. We have won eight championships; there was a bit of tension there."

It should be pointed out that the last time those clubs went to Old Trafford, they all achieved results that would see Roma through to the semi-finals this evening - or, in Juventus' case, extra time. Ferguson seemed genuinely puzzled when it was put to him that United had never overturned a first-leg defeat in the Champions League under his management.

Actually, United have failed five times to pull back a first-leg reverse and it was the first of those - the 1997 semi-final against Borussia Dortmund - that Ferguson called to mind yesterday. Then, United, having lost 1-0 in the Westfalen Stadium, squandered innumerable chances to snatch victory at Old Trafford.

Ferguson is convinced his players will create openings against a Roma side whose loss through suspension of Simone Perrotta - "their best off-the-ball player" the United manager said - might be every bit as influential as that of Paul Scholes.

"Our attacking emphasis will be more apparent," Ferguson said. "I think we will make chances but we have missed them in the past, particularly in two semi-finals here [against Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen]. If we can create chances and take a percentage, we have a massive chance."

Whether they take them could depend on Wayne Rooney, whose away goal in the Olympic Stadium put to bed all the questions about why he cannot score in the Champions League.

"Playing against Italian teams is a test," Rooney reflected. "The game is slower, they are a lot more organised, but with our players and with the speed they have got, we can cause them problems at Old Trafford."

Rooney has faced Italian opposition only once before at Old Trafford, in 2005 when United were outclassed by Milan. "Cristiano Ronaldo and me were still young, trying to learn the game and lacking experience," Rooney said. "Playing against the likes of Maldini and Nesta does give you a good platform to learn from. We have both improved as players since then and we have matured a lot - especially Cristiano. He is winning games on his own and is by far the best player in the world. Hopefully, he can work some of his magic and get us into the semi-finals."

[muckypups]

Also from The Telegraph..

United must fear it will all blow up in their face

By Alan Hansen

Sooner or later one of them had to crack. The sequence of victories achieved by Chelsea and Manchester United was so unusual that it simply couldn't last.

Manchester United had gone desperately close to dropping points at Fulham and Liverpool; Chelsea very nearly did the same at Watford. It was only a matter of time before one of them had the adverse result Manchester United experienced at Portsmouth. How they react to it will decide the title.

Defeat will hit United hard. They are the team that is being chased; they have been in front for so long that there will be a natural fear that everything is going to blow up in their face. Always you look around a dressing room and ask yourself who has done the course and the distance? Of the Manchester United team that started at Fratton Park on Saturday, only four had won a title before while Chelsea have been relentless in their pursuit. With the results Manchester United have piled up over the past two months, Sir Alex Ferguson could have expected to be anything up to 12 points clear.

In some ways, what happened on Saturday was predictable. Manchester United flew to Portsmouth from Rome; Chelsea remained at Stamford Bridge for both their games. But it may be significant that the away defeats United have suffered - at West Ham, Arsenal and now Portsmouth - have come in games after Chelsea have already played. What is remarkable about Jose Mourinho's side is that they have watched Manchester United pull games out of the fire at Fulham and Liverpool and then had to go out and win themselves. Even if Chelsea do not retain their crown, they have still been magnificent.

In 1984 I was part of a Liverpool side that won a treble of League Cup, Championship and European Cup, and at this stage of the season your greatest enemy is exhaustion.

It is not so much physical but mental tiredness that hits you. You start playing from memory. You ask yourself not just who you are playing but what competition it's in and there's always the fear that everything will fall apart. Some people in the dressing room embraced the challenge but I could never escape the fear of the bad result, the knowledge that you might end up with nothing. What keeps you going is the prospect of winning.

International breaks should act as a safety valve to lessen the pressure but not this time for those who have gone away with England. They have found themselves slaughtered in the press and by their own fans. Then they come back to their clubs to face a campaign on three fronts.

At Anfield, we were told categorically that you never celebrated anything before you had the medal in your hand. But we have all been guilty of looking at the fixture list and deciding results before they happen. You tell yourself you would rather not face a team fighting for their lives or one chasing a European place.

The ideal is a side with nothing to play for and which is mentally ready for the beach but then, as Sheffield United discovered against Newcastle, there are no guarantees there either. Nobody knows where the next slip will come.

What may be significant is that Chelsea have begun to look defensively very impressive with the return of Petr Cech while Edwin van der Sar, who has had a very good season at Old Trafford, has started to make errors. There were two unconvincing parries in Rome and Portsmouth that led to goals and the mix-up with Rio Ferdinand, who is badly missing Nemanja Vidic alongside him in central defence.

One of the great things about fighting on so many fronts is that you have big games to pick yourself up for - which, in the case of both United and Chelsea, are a European Cup quarter-final and an FA Cup semi-final. For the first of those matches, I'd rather be in Manchester United's shoes. Ferguson would probably have taken a 2-1 defeat in Rome but Mourinho certainly would not have settled for a 1-1 draw at home. United have to win 1-0 at Old Trafford while Chelsea will probably have to win in Valencia. The odds are tilted in United's favour, just as they are in the Premiership, but that by itself guarantees no medals.

[muckypups]

And also from The Telegraph:

Ferguson 360 minutes away from greatness

By Henry Winter

Such was Italian cruelty towards Manchester United fans in the Olympic Stadium last week that one half-expected the post-match screening of the 1999 European Cup final, laid on for the kept-behind visitors, to be stopped after 89 minutes.

As they nursed cuts and bruises following the half-time brutality of Rome's riotous police and waited for the Ultras to disperse outside, United supporters stood and watched Bayern Munich's lengthy dominance at Camp Nou.

They saw Mario Basler scoring, Peter Schmeichel's woodwork twice reverberating, Sammy Kuffour taming Andy Cole, and Thomas Linke subduing Dwight Yorke: 89 minutes of hurt.

What happened next is pure folklore. As print sites across England prepared to roll on the embarrassment engulfing Alex Ferguson and his team, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer famously intervened. Ferguson's subs did not simply re-write the script; they ripped it up and threw it in Bayern's stunned, tear-stained faces.

Cheers ringing in his ears, Ferguson earned a knighthood, the lifetime gratitude of the Stretford End and a place in the history books as a European Cup winner. One magical minute in Catalonia brought Ferguson his greatest moment as a manager, but he cannot yet be placed

If Ferguson is to join the elite pair, Bob Paisley and Brian Clough, masterminds behind three and two European Cup triumphs respectively, the Scot must bid arrivederci to Roma tonight, see off either Bayern or AC Milan in the semi-final and then prevail in Athens on May 23. An outstanding manager, Ferguson is still 360 minutes from greatness.

The Scot's formidable body of domestic work, the Premierships and cups, and the wonderfully expressive manner in which his teams perform, guarantee his name will always be lauded, but Europe will define Ferguson in relation to Paisley and Clough.

An argument, oft stated by coaches currently embroiled in Champions League combat, is that it is more difficult to lift the trophy now. More quality is spread across more teams, runs the mantra from those who seek to rival and surpass the achievements of managerial marvels like Paisley and Clough.

Yet the Champions League is easier to enter, and the group section provides a safety net for any leading team suffering an off-day.

The old format could be unforgiving, as Paisley's Liverpool discovered when they began their defence of their 1978 title by drawing Clough's Nottingham Forest in the first round. Liverpool lost at the City Ground, were held at Anfield, and were out of Europe without even leaving England. Granada television even played The Party's Over.

Now the party never stops before Christmas for the Champions League elite. Some fall by the wayside, but the majority of the heavyweights reach the knockout stage. Yet the inability of any side to build an era, like past epochs belonging to Real Madrid, Ajax, Bayern, Liverpool or Milan, signals the depth of dangers that currently lurk (although a respectful nod goes to Madrid for three titles in five years straddling the Millennium). As Ferguson has observed constantly through United's odyssey to the last eight, the competition is even more open this season.

Europe lacks an outstanding team. Barcelona have surprisingly faded. Arsenal have still to turn glorious potential into unswerving potency. Milan's defence is ageing. Lyon glistened then ebbed.

Chelsea face a supreme test of their resilience at Valencia. Probably the most consistent forces in Europe are the men from Mestalla and Liverpool.

With continental football seemingly in a state of flux, Ferguson must strike now if he is to fulfil his ambition of a second European Cup. Tonight will not be easy. A bunch of Romans threatens a Scot's dream of an empire - Hadrian's Wall in reverse.

Although Old Trafford will shake with noise, Ferguson's team are missing the steadying defensive presence of Nemanja Vidic and Gary Neville, real warriors made for daunting examinations like this.

Suspension deprives them of the passing brio of Paul Scholes, a joy in possession of the ball, a nightmare in gaining it. If only Henrik Larsson had stayed to give United a forward focus for Wayne Rooney to work off.

Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, Old Trafford's artist in residence, must deliver immense displays, unleashing all their skills, speed and willpower to scare Roma. United must also hold their nerve against Italians who know how to frustrate hosts and punish them on the counter. Concentration is vital.

The memory of Barcelona '99 will never fade to grey. The red of Solskjaer's shirt remains vivid in the mind's eye as he swoops to score, but Ferguson needs another European Cup. One thing is guaranteed: Ferguson's United will give up only at the final whistle - never the final minute.

[helicoptor]

Please <deleted>**in take him..................

YES! Please... Preferably before we play City...

redrus

[davidjtayler]

Parity will be restored tonight lads ... I hope ...

[nev]

next 4 games will define our season, win against roma then watford will see us in fa cup final, and semi;s champions league, win against sheff utd and boro at homer in the league, mean's at the least we would be 3 points clear and 4 games to go..

or it all could go tits up,, i love this time of the season even if we dont win nought still love the reds,been there when we where crap and i have see the high's.

2-0 against roma tonight.