Manchester United

[rixalex]

Why should 2 men who obviously hate each other shake hands ? would shaking hands make all that had gone on before go away ? No, so what would it have proved ?

Sportsmanship.

Are you in the real world or on planet fantasy, we are in the year 2012, if you want sportsmanship then i suggest you start watching one of the lesser sports.

Quiet ironic that you mention sportsmanship when you have the likes of Rooney, Nani, Ferdinand,Evra amongst your ranks.

There are of course times when sportsmanship goes out the window, whether that be perpetrated by a player from my team, or a player from yours - easy enough to find examples in both cases - but just because it goes out the window at times, does not mean it does not exist. It most certainly does. Just look at all the shaking of hands and exchanging of shirts that goes on at the end of almost every game. What do you put that down to?

I put it down to a sense that the players have of "ok, within limits, what goes on during those 90 minutes when we are doing everything we can to beat you, we draw a line under when the ref blows the whistle, we put aside those feelings of animosity and remember it is just a game". For me, this is an aspect of what sportsmanship is.

Another aspect of course is to know what the limits are during a game, and to know when you are stepping outside them. For me, racial abuse, if proved as being committed, is outside what is acceptable. As you say, we are in 2012 after all.

Anyway, fear i am taking us back into territory we are trying to steer away from.

Main point i wanted to make was the contrary to what you say, sportsmanship does still exist and i support it, and when i see examples of bad sportsmanship, even when committed by my own players, i am usually the first to condemn it. Need proof of that just look at my comments about Evra's post match celebrations.

[carmine]

You see a rare glimpse of sportsmanship in football but generally speaking its gone out of the window in football. The hand shaking lark is farcical but hey, if it makes the FA feel good then fine.

If you want to see sportsmanship forget about football and watch, for example Federer and Nadal. Thats sportsmanship. Football seems to be about cheating the ref to gain advantage or rolling around on the grass pretending you are injured to get an opponent booked or sent off.

They should forget the shaking hands hypocracy and sort out the real issues.

[rixalex]

You see a rare glimpse of sportsmanship in football but generally speaking its gone out of the window in football. The hand shaking lark is farcical but hey, if it makes the FA feel good then fine.

If you want to see sportsmanship forget about football and watch, for example Federer and Nadal. Thats sportsmanship. Football seems to be about cheating the ref to gain advantage or rolling around on the grass pretending you are injured to get an opponent booked or sent off.

They should forget the shaking hands hypocracy and sort out the real issues.

As i say, there are examples of both good sportsmanship and bad sportsmanship in football. Are there more examples of bad than good? Possibly yes, but that doesn't mean sportsmanship doesn't exist, nor does it mean we should does shrug our shoulders and accept it as part of the game. It doesn't have to be.

As for the shaking hands, i see no hypocrisy in that at all. You just have to remember that the things that happen within the game, and things that happen outside of it, are separate entities. Take a look at boxers. Beat the shit out of each other during a bout, and then hugging and embracing after. Is that hypocrisy?

[MrRed]

Back to European football tonight with a great trip to Amsterdam.

Good squad and i should think a good team as we are out of the cup at the weekend,something tells me we are in for a good game 1am kick-off on True tonight.

United squad

De Gea, Amos, Fryers, Rafael, Fabio, Jones, Evans, Ferdinand, Smalling, Young, Pogba, Cleverley, Scholes, Park, Valencia, Nani, Carrick, Rooney, Welbeck, Hernandez.

[MrRed]

Paul Scholes has backed Ryan Giggs to be a serious contender for the Manchester United managerial post when Sir Alex Ferguson slips into retirement.

Speculation regarding who could fill such sizeable shoes is already doing the rounds, with the likes of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola drawing plenty of support.The current occupant of the Old Trafford hot-seat has offered no indication that he is to step down any time soon, but there will become a day when he finally walks away.

United could, however, be prepared to promote from within, offering a club legend the opportunity to inherit the reins.

Giggs,who recently penned a 12-month extension to his playing contract, is considered to be the most likely candidate to take that step.

United have always maintained that they will look to appoint the best manager available at the time, but Scholes has revealed that those inside the camp have already discussed the possibility of Giggs moving into the dugout.

"People have talked about Mourinho," he told FourFourTwo.

"It can change quickly - it's about who is successful at the time. Whether they are British or foreign, you just want the best man for the job.

"I could see Ryan Giggs becoming manager."

Advice

It is also being widely reported that Ferguson considers Giggs to be the ideal choice as his successor.

The Scot has worked closely with the Welsh winger for 20 years, with the pair having helped United to enjoy an era of domestic dominance.

United have in the past said that they will take Ferguson's advice on board when the day comes to make a managerial change, with chief executive David Gill having told The Independent back in May 2010: "I think Alex will be the key.

"He knows people. He will have a big role in advising and being a sounding board."

[Abrak]

Well good luck. Ferguson's judgment has generally been right. But players you might think would make fine managers rarely are. Bryan Robson, Roy Keane, Souness probably the worst ever Liverpool manager. Barnes. I fully expect Carragher to be a complete disaster.

The Dalglish's are very very rare exceptions.

Utd are a classic example - you would think that under Ferguson they would have bred a load of decent managers but unless you want to count Hughes there has been nothing much. But maybe Giggs will prove an exception - I certainly think that Ferguson deserves the right to choose his successor.

[rixalex]

Well good luck. Ferguson's judgment has generally been right. But players you might think would make fine managers rarely are. Bryan Robson, Roy Keane, Souness probably the worst ever Liverpool manager. Barnes. I fully expect Carragher to be a complete disaster.

The Dalglish's are very very rare exceptions.

Utd are a classic example - you would think that under Ferguson they would have bred a load of decent managers but unless you want to count Hughes there has been nothing much. But maybe Giggs will prove an exception - I certainly think that Ferguson deserves the right to choose his successor.

Au contraire, I think under Ferguson they have bred a load of decent managers, including Bruce, Robson, Strachan, Hughes. Have they had their ups and downs, well yes, but few managers don't experience that - Dalglish is no exception to that either. I think just getting yourself in a position to manager a top league club is achievement in itself, and there are more ex-Manchester United players successfully doing just this than ex-players from other clubs, as far as i am aware.

As for SAF's successor, out of Giggs and Scholes i definitely feel Giggs has more managerial making in him, but to be honest, neither of them should really be considered, as i don't see how you can jump from being player to being manager of one of the biggest clubs in Europe, overnight. They would at the very least have to go down the same sort of route that Solskjaer is taking.

Steady performance last night. Ajax did quite a good job of passing it around but looked pretty light-weight up front.

Victory very much marred for me though by the injury to Valencia. Been our best player for the last month or so in my opinion. Looks like hamstring will keep him out for a month. Bugger.

[MrRed]

I understand what you are saying rix butPep Gaurdiola hasn't made a bad transition from playing to manager without to many coaching qualifacations.

[rixalex]

I understand what you are saying rix butPep Gaurdiola hasn't made a bad transition from playing to manager without to many coaching qualifacations.

True enough. He's done a great job of polishing a gem, and take nothing away from that feat, as it isn't as easy as it looks... but how would he handle polishing a turd, as any other club comparatively speaking surely is? For me he still has a lot to prove.

[MrRed]

Phew!!!!

[mrbojangles]

Stuffy gits

[MrRed]

It's what we are good at Mr Bojangles! be aware of us as allways..... although i must admit that's the best a team has played against us since your lots thumping,well done to Norwich and fair play to that man Holt.

Nobody slagging De Gea off today?

Easy game next week against our nursury team in larndon town.

[mrbojangles]

Nobody slagging De Gea off today?

You mean Shaggy?

[MrRed]

He can look like Scooby Doo if he puts in performances like that

[mrbojangles]

He can look like Scooby Doo if he puts in performances like that

yes. He was unusually ok wasn't he.

[smokie36]

Easy game next week against our nursury team in larndon town.

It'll be easy yeah....well we've been awful the last couple of games. I've not seen our right back play yet...is Nani back yet?

Yeah easy mate...enjoy yourselves.

[MrRed]

Having a laugh or what?

Man Utd urge Uefa action over Athletic Bilbao ticket prices

Manchester United are to speak with European governing body Uefa in a bid to reduce ticket prices for their Europa League tie at Athletic Bilbao.

United expect an allocation of 2,000 tickets for the last-16 second leg tie at the San Mames Stadium on 15 March.

However, they were stunned to learn Athletic intend to charge £77.50 for the tickets, the highest fee United fans have faced aside from a final.

Athletic insist that they will charge home fans exactly the same amount.

The uniformity of prices could ensure that no reduction will be enforced, but United are thought to be keen to express their feelings to Uefa.

It will be the first time United have visited the Basque stronghold of Spain since January 1957, when they lost 5-3 in a European Cup quarter-final, before turning the tie round in the second round, a game played across the city at Maine Road as Old Trafford did not then have floodlights.

Edited February 29, 2012 by MrRed

[MrRed]

Sunday's Spurs game could define Man Utd's season - Ferguson

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes Sunday's league clash with Spurs could define their season.

If United can "survive" the trip to White Hart Lane, then Ferguson belives that his side will have a "big chance" of retaining the Premier League title.

"It's going to be a massive game at Spurs," said Ferguson. "If we can survive that, then we'll have a big chance of winning the league."

The Red Devils currently trail league leaders Manchester City by two points.

United and City are then due to go head to head at the Etihad Stadium on 30 April, in a game likely to determine the destination of this year's title race.

"I would take it being two points behind City going into the game at the Etihad Stadium," Ferguson told Inside United.

"I would rather go there on level points. But, if we could go there within striking distance of being top of the league, I'd take it."

As the season enters its final straight, Ferguson hopes that the injuries which haveaffected his squad in recent weeks are starting to clear, as United look to extend their record to a 20th English league title.

"I should have more players available than I've had in the last few weeks because we've had a terrible spell of injuries," he added.

"But we've done the right thing in the treatment of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. We've given them a break.

"They are young players and had been carrying little strains for weeks.

"Then, all of a sudden, it hits them, and we had to take stock, to get them back.

Edited February 29, 2012 by MrRed

[smokie36]

Are you the new Seapok?

[mrbojangles]

a game played across the city at Maine Road as Old Trafford did not then have floodlights.

That's why OT is called the Theatre of Dreams. No lights for night matches, so all the fans fell asleep.

[smokie36]

a game played across the city at Maine Road as Old Trafford did not then have floodlights.

That's why OT is called the Theatre of Dreams. No lights for night matches, so all the fans fell asleep.

Like it.

[MrRed]

I was going to highlight that bit for you especially.....i guess i didn't need to new you would like that!

[MrRed]

a game played across the city at Maine Road as Old Trafford did not then have floodlights.

That's why OT is called the Theatre of Dreams. No lights for night matches, so all the fans fell asleep.

Like it.

go back to sleep you!

[smokie36]

a game played across the city at Maine Road as Old Trafford did not then have floodlights.

That's why OT is called the Theatre of Dreams. No lights for night matches, so all the fans fell asleep.

Like it.

go back to sleep you!

No chance. My laptop was in hospital for a couple of weeks. Its had its knees replaced and a blood transfusion. Now its ready to kick you lot up the arse!

[smokie36]

So is the twelfth man in charge for Sunday?

[MrRed]

any excuse

i suppose your laptop maybe ok for sunday.....but it maybe not

[MrRed]

AS it never bothers me .....who is our 12th man on sunday?

[smokie36]

I'm watching this one from my favourite smokie house in Amsterdam....Spurs have never lost when I've been there.

Oops I think I've been reading the Arse thread too much....

[MrRed]

Lets hope you will be off your face before the game .......great numbing stuff that is

[smokie36]

AS it never bothers me .....who is our 12th man on sunday?

Webb bore a one-week demotion from officiating in the Premier League down to the Football League Championship in April 2009, a punishment sporadically imposed on referees who make high-profile contentious errors. Webb had been earlier been appointed to referee the year's FA Cup final, arguably the highest domestic honour for an official, when he awarded Manchester United a debatable penalty kick while they trailed 2–0 toTottenham Hotspur. The penalty was converted and United went on to win the match 5–2. Webb later admitted he had made "a mistake" but had made the decision "honestly".^[15][16]