Latest b*ll*cks from Ferguson

[El Presidente]

I actually agree with Ferguson, I think the City billboard thing lacked class.
Having said that I think Fergie's privately sweating on the gambles that are Owen and
Berbatov

He does have a point but taking the piss of the opposition is part of living in Mcr. Fergie has lost points by his slavish praise of the Glazers, and by slagging off the people who set up FC United, proper working class Mancs who have been priced out of the game by the smug twats who run the club these days.

 

[El Presidente]

Buy success rather than grow it at home (One youth cup winning team apart).....encourage your players to disrespect the referee...Treat the FA Cup as an optional extra to dip in and out of.....flounce out of BBC interviews because they were rude about your dodgy agent son once.....bully 4th officials....


Nice one SAF.

All clubs buy success to a degree, and they all give the refs grief. SAF's attitude to the BBC is churlish and unbecoming of a Knight of the realm IMO. I want United to get relegated but on the park they do play some delightful stuff compared to many of the hoof merchants that still populate the Prem.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

The whole Premiershite monster is seemingly going into self-destruct mode now. Nothing suprises me about supposedly 'top' football clubs these days - & even Ferguson has completely lost the plot this summer (if not before). The respect I (begrudgingly) had for him & his past acheivements is plummeting rapidly.

Total bag of shite.

 

[griff9]

I concur.

I also think it hilarious that Adebayor prostituted himself around United and Chelsea before going there, that just shows what teams top players want to play for, and also, that he is as greedy as anything by taking the money from City, when he obviously doesn't want to be there. Fergusson might be a twat at times, but I think he is spot on here. And let's face it, City and that billboard, they are no more grown up or less childish. It will come back and torture the players who have taken the money and gone to City, they will be remembered for their greed and little else. They certainly won't be collecting any winners medals with City on the engraving.

Your probably right about Adebayor being greedy and going for the money, but then again, he will still be living in manchester, so no change there, and not only that think of all the other players they've signed, maybe he thinks they've got a good chance this year of winning something after buying all that talent?

 

[NMH]

Your probably right about Adebayor being greedy and going for the money, but then again, he will still be living in manchester, so no change there, and not only that think of all the other players they've signed, maybe he thinks they've got a good chance this year of winning something after buying all that talent?

The motivational speech at the point of interview would have been something along the lines of:
"We are now making the top club in the country, setting the high bar for the future of English League Football, and you are one of the jewels in what will be a star-studded crown. Prepare yourself to win everything and become one of the most successful and rich players in the World. That figure will be your income, sign here".

 

[Simster]

The man can win whatever he likes: he, unlike his illustrious precedessors, will never have even the slightest semblance of anything resembling any class.

Bet you weren't saying this when he was writing letters to the FA in support of Brighton FANS, in protest at the Archer/Belotti regime.

Buy success rather than grow it at home (One youth cup winning team apart).....encourage your players to disrespect the referee...Treat the FA Cup as an optional extra to dip in and out of.....flounce out of BBC interviews because they were rude about your dodgy agent son once.....bully 4th officials....


Nice one SAF.

i) I'd say Taggart has grown more home talent than any other top 4 team over the past 20 years.
ii) Where do you get this idea that he *encourages* players to disrespect the ref? I'm not saying he's an angel, but really this is the players responsibily foremostly, and in any case I don't see how he differs from any other manager in that regard really.
iii) The whole FA Cup opt-out episode was only brought about because United were forced to play in some shit world cup competition in Brazil. The FA have ruined this competition in so many other ways that it seems churlish to blame Taggart alone for its demise.

But:
iv) The BBC - 100% in full agreement with you. He should be made to talk to the BBC. I find it shocking that he isn't.

 

[KZNSeagull]

If City do start to do well, is there going to be a sweepstake on which one of the big 4 managers starts whining that UEFA should up the Prem Leagues allocation in the Champions League to 5??

 

[Simster]

If City do start to do well, is there going to be a sweepstake on which one of the big 4 managers starts whining that UEFA should up the Prem Leagues allocation in the Champions League to 5??

Seeing as Arsenal are going to be the team that make way for City if it does happen, I'll plump for Arsene Wenger.

 

[Man of Harveys]

Bet you weren't saying this when he was writing letters to the FA in support of Brighton FANS, in protest at the Archer/Belotti regime.

Ach get outta here: he wrote ONE - admittedly very good, heartfelt and personal - letter once in our support; hardly Paul Samrah-esque in his efforts but a very nice gesture nonetheless.

This thread's about his day job, in which his unquestionably fine achievements will always seem a bit tainted to some of us by his blatant borderline cheating, undermining of referees and schoolyard name-calling of his opponents, many of whom - unlike him - actually do have some concept of dignity and therefore don't necessarily respond in kind. Psychological warfare my arse.

 

[KZNSeagull]

Seeing as Arsenal are going to be the team that make way for City if it does happen, I'll plump for Arsene Wenger.

That's where my money would be as well!!

 

[Simster]

Ach get outta here: he wrote ONE - admittedly very good, heartfelt and personal - letter once in our support; hardly Paul Samrah-esque in his efforts but a very nice gesture nonetheless.

Yes, yes it is. Especially when you consider there was absolutely nothing in it for him to do so. He took time out to write a letter on behalf of the fans of this club. How many other Premiership managers could be arsed?

This thread's about his day job, in which his unquestionably fine achievements will always seem a bit tainted to some of us by his blatant borderline cheating, undermining of referees and schoolyard name-calling of his opponents, many of whom - unlike him - actually do have some concept of dignity and therefore don't necessarily respond in kind. Psychological warfare my arse.

I should clarify, I'm not making him out to be a saint, but really, has he behaved any worse than any other manager. You've got Arsene Wenger - a French, fairly technical manager who is a genius on the transfer market and his teams are a joy to watch. But where is his sense of fair play? Look at the thuggery from the likes of Vieira down the years. How many penalty DIVES does he "not see"? Or Mourhino? Is there a more arrogant manager on the planet?

Honestly, some of these "schoolyard name-calling" incidents that you mention would be considered harmless banter in an evironment as gentile as a cricket pitch. How come sledging is OK in cricket but not in the more pressurised environment of football management?

I'm not saying SAF's behaviour is any better than the average Premiership manager, but he is more high profile and I don't think he's any worse.

 

[Acker79]

i) I'd say Taggart has grown more home talent than any other top 4 team over the past 20 years.

Depends on how you define 'home grown'. He buys up top youth prospects, are they home grown? Most of the players' basic development occurs before they sign development deals with Man U.

ii) Where do you get this idea that he *encourages* players to disrespect the ref? I'm not saying he's an angel, but really this is the players responsibily foremostly, and in any case I don't see how he differs from any other manager in that regard really.

So because everyone does it we shouldn't complain? No one is denying other managers do thing they are complaining about, but this is a thread about Alex Ferguson, this isn't a thread about managers in general.

He encourages players by setting a bad example. He can hardly expect his players to act with respect for the referee if he rarely does it himself (unless he gets awful decisions go in his favour, or befriending a ref helps with his mind games).

 

[Common as Mook]

Since the Scholes/Beckham/Nevilles era name a player other than Wes Brown that he has brought through and is now playing for England.

 

[NMH]

Ach get outta here: he wrote ONE - admittedly very good, heartfelt and personal - letter once in our support; hardly Paul Samrah-esque in his efforts but a very nice gesture nonetheless.

This thread's about his day job, in which his unquestionably fine achievements will always seem a bit tainted to some of us by his blatant borderline cheating, undermining of referees and schoolyard name-calling of his opponents, many of whom - unlike him - actually do have some concept of dignity and therefore don't necessarily respond in kind. Psychological warfare my arse.

Re the letter; Less is more. I really don't think him bombarding letters of support would do more than one that says it all... once.

His "day job"?
Just won the league, didn't they?
His attitude is always under the spotlight BECAUSE of his team's success.
The foreign players do somehow manage to fit into his side, and with his respect for home-grown talent it begs the question WHO is going to win so successfully and so many times, where are those home-grown talents to displace Nani, Berbatov and etc? They wouldn't win much with the pick of British talent that hasn't already been nurtured by Villa, City, and Chelsea for instance. One of my favourite players is Jimmy Bullard, but apart from poor luck with injury - there's not many like him, enough to fill the Premier League.

For my part I believe Ferguson ought to think about quitting. However, some of these goals (regardless of who they are playing) suggest they are class and will be thereabouts. The rapport between all these ambient players with various styles, is obviously not TOO bad.

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[KZNSeagull]

He encourages players by setting a bad example. He can hardly expect his players to act with respect for the referee if he rarely does it himself (unless he gets awful decisions go in his favour, or befriending a ref helps with his mind games).

What would make him more respected outside of ManUre circles, would be if he actually publically discouraged his players from doing anything disrepectful to the referees. As arguably the most high-profile manager in the game, he could do himself and the game a huge favour by doing this. He won't, of course.

 

[Mellotron]

You've got Arsene Wenger - a French, fairly technical manager who is a genius on the transfer market.

Stop it you're killing me.

Arsenal have gotten progressively worse since the Tony Adams era. They lost Vieira, Henry, Bergkamp, Adams and Pires, and never really replaced any of them. Wenger did nothing at all to build on his initial success and push on.

You could argue Fabregas for Vieira at a stretch, and that's about it. Who's their new Tony Adams? Who's their new Thierry Henry?

Kolo Toure and Niklas Bendtner? Oh dear.

He put too much trust in youngsters and flair (admirable, but naive) and has suffered a worse league placing year on year since.

Don't get me wrong, overall I am a fan of Wenger's philosophy, but to call him a genius in the transfer market when you consider Arsenal's backsliding over the last 6/7 years is insane.

 

[Kosh]

United will win the league again this year, not based on the above performance (obviously against a team under instructions not to injure or even tackle any of the United players), but on Fergie and his determination that one player should never make (or perhaps be) a United team. As with the departure of Beckham, Ronaldo will be a mere footnote as yet another championship is bought home to Old Trafford come the seasons end.

I also think it's fair to suggest that United are being written off, to a certain extent, by the wider media (very dangerous) and this is something the likes of Ferdinand and perhaps even Berbatov will doubtless use as an incentive this year. Fabio, Rafael, Nani, Tosic et al will also have a larger role to play, and in the case of Nani I feel void left by Ronaldo will be his to fill - I actually think, pace aside, he's potentially an even more gifted footballer than his fellow countryman, I guess this season is his chance.

We shall see...

Kosh

 

[xenophon]

Ach get outta here: he wrote ONE - admittedly very good, heartfelt and personal - letter once in our support; hardly Paul Samrah-esque in his efforts but a very nice gesture nonetheless.

This thread's about his day job, in which his unquestionably fine achievements will always seem a bit tainted to some of us by his blatant borderline cheating, undermining of referees and schoolyard name-calling of his opponents, many of whom - unlike him - actually do have some concept of dignity and therefore don't necessarily respond in kind. Psychological warfare my arse.

+1

He's an arse, regardless of his achievements at the biggest football club in the UK

 

[Mellotron]

The idea that Berbatov was a flop last year is a complete myth in my opinion.

9 Goals in 29 is ok, but with 10 assists he finished SECOND out of the entire Prem behind Van Persie with 11.

Quite clearly he is playing a different role at United to that which he excelled in at Spurs, but again quite clearly he has proven very useful with the above stats.

I think they would work better sticking him at the top with Rooney behind though, personally. He would get 20-25 then.

 

[Simster]

Stop it you're killing me.

Arsenal have gotten progressively worse since the Tony Adams era. They lost Vieira, Henry, Bergkamp, Adams and Pires, and never really replaced any of them. Wenger did nothing at all to build on his initial success and push on.

You could argue Fabregas for Vieira at a stretch, and that's about it. Who's their new Tony Adams? Who's their new Thierry Henry?

Kolo Toure and Niklas Bendtner? Oh dear.

He put too much trust in youngsters and flair (admirable, but naive) and has suffered a worse league placing year on year since.

Don't get me wrong, overall I am a fan of Wenger's philosophy, but to call him a genius in the transfer market when you consider Arsenal's backsliding over the last 6/7 years is insane.

Arsenal's "backsliding" as you put it, is not 6 or 7 years old, it's nearer 4 or 5. And it has more to do with a large mortgage and the Abramovich takeover of Chelsea than any poor transfer dealings on Wengers part. In truth, I'm amazed that Arsenal have held onto 4th quite so easily really. Spurs fans find it funny that Arsenal haven't won anything for *gasp* four years - yet they qualify for the European Chumps league EVERY year, and it's not as if the Rumbelows Cup or whatever it is that ADORNS the trophy cabinet across North London actually means anything, is it?

Now lets talk about his signings:
Henry, Vieira, Pires, Anelka, Overmars, Bergkamp, Fabregas, Petit, Ljungberg.

Most of those players were bought for peanuts (relatively speaking) and sold on for a stack, often when beyond their peak years.

And I can't believe you're talking about Toure as a below par signing. He's hardly Phillipe Senderos is he? Toure is CLASS and even now would walk into any side outside the top 5 or 6 in the world IMO.