Manchester United fall to Liverpool at Old Trafford

ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Images

It's down to four points now in the Premier League as Liverpool beat 10-man Manchester United at Old Trafford 4-1. Given the amount of coverage surrounding Rafa Benitez's comments about Sir Alex Ferguson getting all the advantages in the title race, as well as Ferguson's dismissal of the Spaniard's words, this was another banana peel for Liverpool.

Throw in a relatively awful performance from United's monster in the middle, Nemanja Vidic, a few breaks going the Reds' way, and now we've got the perception of a race for the top spot. Most of us imagine Manchester United lifting the trophy, as Liverpool's double over their traditional rival carries little meaning in the grand scheme of things; it is of course, all those dropped points to middling teams outside of the top four that will ultimately decide who takes the championship.

As surprising as Vidic's performance was (getting beat by Fernando Torres on Liverpool's first goal, and giving up the free kick leading to the third goal and a red card), as much can be said of Andrea Dossena's well-taken goal that finished it for United. How someone who can be so incapable of crossing the ball as a left-back can score such a classy goal escapes me.

How quickly teams fall apart when under pressure, and Liverpool did little to exert much against the Red Devils, as much of today's defeat was a result of their own undoing. Edwin van der Sar, who looks to be at the top of his game, can be easily made foolish with a few well-taken opportunities. The prevailing difference between the two teams is that Liverpool raised their game enough today against everyone's top target, which is as rare as the complete meltdown of Manchester United.

Manchester United 1-4 Liverpool [Guardian]

Cup competitions, Sir Alex Ferguson on retirement, and Cheryl Cole's a good person

With the FA Cup quarter finals taking place this weekend, ahead of a crucial European week, it's time to question the relevance of the competition. [Guardian]

Chasing the dream in football's academies. [Telegraph]

Two of Buenos Aires' finest get knocked out of the Libertadores Cup. [Reuters]

While many on the big island may agree with Michel Platini's opinions on the English footy, it may not be fans of the traditional top four. [Times]

European soccer rears its ugly two heads, again. [The Sun]

Harry Redknapp shows off those "man-motivating/management" skills. [Goal]

You'd think the one guy that can use his hands would protect them. [FourFourTwo]

Sir Alex verbalizes Red Devil fans' worst fear. [Sky Sports]

Cheryl Cole takes her hubby's arrest well. [Daily Star]

The Most Important Portuguese at Old Trafford Isn't Ronaldo

Winning, obviously, has its benefits. There's the extra cash, the added merchandising sales, and the growing allure for top-level players to join the squad and grab a piece of that success. Unfortunately, especially in Manchester United's case, it also brings many drawbacks, namely that everyone wants a piece of you.

It's hard to imagine Sir Alex Ferguson enjoying any moment of his holiday. With Cristiano Ronaldo and his agents using the predictable nature of football media to engineer a move to Spain, it's hard to see how the Man U gaffer got any sleep at all the past few weeks.

While it looks like the Red Devils can't seem to bear the possibility of the most in-form player on the planet leaving, it is perhaps the potential departure of Fergie's right-hand man, Carlos Queiroz, that worries all at Old Trafford the most.

Given that Queiroz pretty much runs the first team and is known as the tactics man for the European and English champions, his temptation to take over the Portuguese side could come at no worse a time. Ferguson can cope without the Mozambique-born assistant, as he did when he left briefly to manage the Real Madrid in 2003, but Queiroz seems to be the jack-of-all-trades at Old Trafford, with a proven knack for scouting.

Hardly given a chance at the Bernabeau, Queiroz found himself a victim of the disaster begun by former president Florentino Perez. He wanted to keep Claude Makelele and buy Pepe for 2M Euro, but was pretty much ignored and one can arguably point to the the loss of Makelele as the downfall of Madrid. And Pepe? He eventually came to los Merengues for 30M a few years later.

Carlos Queiroz knows football and it's no secret that he's waiting to take over the Red Devils when Ferguson calls it quits. The offer from Portugal is undoubtedly a bargaining chip for him to get the club to commit to fingering him as the next man to take charge at Old Trafford. Barring an incredible run by a lucky gaffer (Mark Hughes?), I'm not sure why Man U is so hesitant to commit to Queiroz, unless it's quite unclear as to when Fergie will leave. Unfortunately, what may be Portugal's gain will undoubtedly be United's loss if they fail to appease him.


United losing battle to keep Queiroz despite £500k sweetener [This is London]

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Who wants it more?

It certainly seems like this weekend's matches will be bandied about as a turning point, as the papers have already done, but we witness the return of the Champions League in the next few days and it's hard to argue against how significant every game is from here on out.

The Champions League match-ups leave us salivating, perhaps too much given the opportunity for some dull games in European play, but the nature of the knock-out stages will provide us all with an opportunity to affix meaning to each and every game from here out. Personally, this gives me a chance to get excited by continental teams again.

And this is certainly true for the remainder of the EPL season. It's a telling time now, for Arsenal and Manchester United, despite the cushion the Gunners have upon the Red Devils. It's easy to point at Saturday's mauling of Arsenal at the hands of Man U and declare this a turning point in the season, just as it will be for Wenger's side if they can rebound with a good result against Milan this week.

Seven away and five home matches for each side should test their respective depth and mettle. Chelsea's breaking up of the duopoly of Arsenal and Man Utd at the top was refreshing a few years ago, despite how you feel about Roman Abramovich's injection of cash, giving neutrals a hope of cracking the top two spots.

Now, for Arsenal, it's an opportunity to return, perhaps this time as a young, swashbuckling, overachieving side. But if the catastrophe of Saturday's game against United expose some cracks in the Gunners' depth, grabbing their first and most vital piece of silver may prove to be a telling grind, something that Manchester United is more than capable of.

Arsenal's remaining matches:

2/23 -Birmingham (A)
3/1 - Aston Villa (H)
3/9 - Wigan (A)
3/15 - Middlesbrough (H)
3/23 - Chelsea (A)
3/29 - Bolton (A)
4/5 - Liverpool (H)
4/12 - Manchester Utd (A)
4/19 - Reading (H)
4/26 - Derby (A)
5/3 - Everton (H)
5/11 - Sunderland (A)

Manchester United's remaining matches:

2/23 - Newcastle (A)
3/1 - Fulham (A)
3/9 - Bolton (H)
3/15 - Derby (A)
3/23 - Liverpool (H)
3/30 - Aston Villa (H)
4/5 - Middlesbrough (A)
4/12 - Arsenal (H)
4/19 - Blackburn (A)
4/26 - Chelsea (A)
5/3 - West Ham (H)
5/11 - Wigan (A)

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It's Munich's fault for Man U slide

While Alan Hansen is inarguably one of Liverpool's greats in the history of the sport, he often typifies the punditry we are blessed with on a weekly, sometimes daily basis. As much as I love a former player give his opinion on current performances, hopefully masterfully interwoven with richly detailed anecdotes, the former player talking head has little to offer by way of insight.

How many times have I watched Steve McManaman (close yer legs, man) and Emmanuel Petit (in what part of the world is a ponytail and pirate shirt still cool; actually was it ever?) struggle to tell me the obvious? Or a former great commenting on his club's current run of form without obviously watching any of it's matches in detail, but using every footy cliche in the book? (Another thing we can attribute blame to Hansen for - "power and pace", touch and technique")

Which is what brings me to Alan Hansen. While some Liverpool fans may believe he still has something to add to the world of football, whether as a pundit or as a rumored addition to the club's organization, this is the guy that claimed Sir Alex Ferguson "would never win anything with kids" after he retooled the Red Devils before winning the double the same year.

In his piece in today's Telegraph, Hansen claims the "great history of Manchester United weighed very heavily and very visibly on the club" and that they were a "a club hemmed in by its own past." Citing the emotions and meaning of the anniversary of the Munich air disaster as a reason for United's disintegration at the hands of their city rivals, Hansen obviously didn't think the absence of Rooney and various players' international duty just days ago had anything to do with it.

In all of United's losses this season, Wayne Rooney was absent. On Sunday, Vidic, Ronaldo and Ferdinand were on the field, but contributed to the mediocrity. While City did well to press and close the space when not in possession and played the right tactics and nearly lasted the whole game to hold a clean sheet, it was more a case of United's form letting them down than being ripped apart.

So what the hell is Hansen talking about? Does he really think a group of Playstation-playing, roasting, supercar-driving, emotionally-immature millionaires give a crap about what happened so long ago? Do we honestly believe that the whole gravity of the anniversary of such a tragic occurance weighed so heavily on them? Can you picture Ronaldo whispering his thoughts to last night's hooker: "I play badly today because I remember Munich . . . "?

Did Hansen watch the game, or did he simply stay to document the over-hyped minute of silence before the match, nip into pub to discuss the match in generalities, and file his piece before the final whistle had gone? I know he doesn't perform the tactical analysis of say, David Pleat, but don't just make stuff up, Alan


Man Utd weighed down by burden of history [Daily Telegraph]

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Six Alex Doesn't Like Being Kept in the Dark

If there's one thing that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson hates, besides getting whomped in nether regions [Daily Mail], it's not being kept informed of what's going on in the boardroom. In this case, it's the Premier League's new decision to tap into the rich vein of foreign money that's there to be made. Money quote:

"They should have been enquiring and having discussions with managers and players before they come out with all this stuff and make an issue of it. They can't keep their mouth shut down there. What disappoints me is Manchester United chief executive David Gill said 'keep this quiet, we're discussing it' and then it's in the papers. These issues should be discussed internally by clubs before they come to this position we are now in but until I speak to David Gill again I have nothing more to say about it."

Speaking of Fergie left in the dark, I've been reading Manchester Unlimited, an engrossing look into the rise of Manchester United from a provincial club to the sporting, financial and marketing powerhouse it is today.

Written by Spurs fan and journalist Mihir Bose, Manchester Unlimited provides a fascinating account of not only the club's growth and globalization, but the inner workings and personalities of the Manchester United board, as well as the financial dark ages that football inhabited well into the life of the Premier League.

Looking back on that time, knowing what we know now of Ferguson it's hard to believe anyone would dare keep information from the Scot, as the board did during numerous takeover bids and changes to the club's overall vision of the future. And apparently it's still going on.

Global revelation angers Ferguson [BBC Football]

Manchester Unlimited: The Money, Egos and Infighting Behind the World's Richest Soccer Club (Hardcover) [Amazon]

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Richest Red Devil Ever?

Ronnie scoring when it counts

We caught a glimpse last season of just how good Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo is, and this year he's been able to take all of his qualities and translate them directly into goals. Not just goals, but game-deciding, team-defining goals. Just as Arsenal receive plaudits for their one and two-touch, quick-passing game, Manchester United is all about movement, namely the movement of Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, new signings Nani and Anderson, and of course, Ronaldo.

Once a showpony prone to step-overs, flicks and ill-advised backheels, the Portuguese international has done what so many feel Leo Messi must do at Barcelona: know when to dribble, and when to release the ball for his teammates in more space.

I've watched a lot of United in the last few years and cannot think of a team that is more dominant in all of European soccer of late. Even with Inter's record-setting run last season in Serie A, never have I seen a team play with such movement and meaningful directness. And Sir Alex Ferguson's seemingly done it the right way, allowing his youngsters to grow in skill, stature and involvement as his senior class of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes lead the way and simultaneously recede into the past.

But, like everyone else, I am most impressed with Ronaldo, who took the negativity of the 2006 World Cup (where he was blamed by the English media as the catalyst that saw his United team mate sent off for England) and never lost his focus, resulting in serious contention for World Player of the Year. For me, he inhabits the realm of Theirry Henry at his best for Arsenal, albeit all over the pitch and at full speed.

And now he's set to be rewarded with the largest contract in the EPL, hopefully displacing Chelsea's John Terry as the highest paid player. It's a no-brainer if you ask me. As much as some love Captain England, if he's getting over $260,000 a week, such a wage for Ronaldo is certainly worth it, especially for what he means not only for United but the Premier League as a whole.

The Portuguese View [Guardian Football]

Ronaldo gets 44 million pound deal to stay at Man U till 2013 [India Times]


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Holidays in Manchester

Oh, you play football? What a coincidence, I love money . . .

How do Manchester United celebrate the holidays? Bitches 'n hos, me bro, that's how. Perhaps sick of the WAG-tasticness of having the Red Devils' better halves dancing on tables, splashing Red Bull & Vodkas over their thousand pound handbags, Sir Alex banned them from the club's annual Christmas shindig. Apparently Fergie was giving the lads some time away from their respective ball and chains by introducing them to some, er, talent:

The source told The Sun: "I spoke to one stunner who'd come up from London and
another who'd travelled from Newcastle. They were gorgeous - most were aged
between 18 and 30. And some of them were throwing themselves at the players.
It was wall-to-wall babes. Some of the girls were absolute knock-outs."

I don't know about knock-outs, but from the pic above, it looks like just another dire night out in Manchester in slapper-heaven.

Alas, it wasn't all fun and games in the end. Paraphrasing David Brent, there was indeed a rape up there, or at least one reported, around 4 am. No players are said to be involved, but more importantly, this can't make the WAGs happy.

Rape claim at Man U party [The Sun]
Girl claims she was raped at Manchester United players' Christmas party [Daily Mail]

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Solskjaer Calls It a Day

Unlike his appearance, the Babyfaced Assassin's knees aren't so youthful. In a glittering and sporadic career burdened by injury, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will retire from football at the age of 34 after 11 seasons at Old Trafford. Perhaps known best for scoring the winning goal for Manchester United in the Champions League final of 1999, the Norwegian striker was known for late goals in key situations.

Last year, Solskjaer contributed 13 goals in all competitions for the Red Devils. Not bad for a 33-year old with a wonky knee coming off the bench. And not a bad piece of business for Sir Alex, who bought the player for less than $3M from Norwegian club Molde in 1996. Solskjaer scored 126 times for United in 366 appearances, as well as 23 times in 67 appearances for Norway, but it's that last goal in that treble year that will evoke the echoes of "Ole Ole Ole Ole" at Old Trafford.

Solskjaer Confirms Retirement, Gets Ferguson, Gill Tribute [Goal.com]

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Darren Ferguson: He ain't no Craig Allardyce

How do you live up to expectations when your pop is Sir Alex Ferguson? Or are the expectations lowered? Either way, Little Fergie's managed to get himself a managing job at Peterborough United, the League Two side owned by real estate magnate Darragh McAnthony, three years his junior. Just how different is LF from his hairdryer treatment father? Money quote:

"Aye, it's been good. I've felt I've had to change the outlook and professionalism of the whole club: little things, like taking water bottles onto the training field, and eating together after training. And you have to get used to things you're not used to as a player, bizarre things at times. Like today, one of the players got a call, his wife had just put unleaded petrol in a diesel car and was stuck on the motorway. I was like, well, what do you want me to do about it? But you know, the lad has to go and help her out."

So the 35-year old is a reasonable gaffer, with players who marry idiots. Nice to know . . . All this should come in handy when PUFC meet the Red Devils tomorrow in a friendly.

Darren Ferguson: 'Dad said you've got to be honest with players, no matter how much it will upset them' [Independent Online]

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My favorite hairdryer

A little late here at SMiA, but it's well worth noting that Sir Alex Ferguson did a bang-up job of defending Cristiano Ronaldo after his penalty sent the Red Devils through to the next round of the FA Cup. Apparently, the Man U gaffer took exception to Sky Sports' touchline reporter, Geoff Shreeves. The conversation went something like this:

Sir Alex: "F*****g b@stard."
Geoff Shreeves: "Don't talk to me like that."
Sir Alex: "F**k off to you."
Shreeves: "Don't talk to me like that. Don't even think about it."
Sir Alex: "Don't you think about it, you ****. F**k off. Right?"
Shreeves: "Listen, are you going to do the interview in a professional manner or not? Do you want to do it or not?"
Sir Alex: "You f*****g be professional. You be professional. You're the one."
Shreeves: "I'm entitled to ask. Cristiano [Ronaldo] gave the right answer."
Sir Alex: "F***ing hell with your answers."
Shreeves: "Don't talk to me like that. Go away. If you want to behave civilly, fine. Don't talk to me like that."
Sir Alex: "F**k off."

Ferguson's F-word rant [Daily Telegraph]

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Arsenal, Chelsea stutter as Red Devils triumph

After the holiday break, it's still tight in the middle of the top half, with four points separating third from sixth, and some deciding matches came about on Saturday, most notably Sheffield United's 1-0 win over Arsenal. Arsene Wenger's young squad can look absolutely horrible when they lack key players, like Fabregas, Hleb and Adebayor. While I often think Alexander Hleb can be disposessed easily at times, at least he runs at defenders and causes trouble, and the energy of Fabregas is always missed when he's not starting. Of course, the nervy performances by the back four are another thing of worry in Gooner nation, and it looks like a good time to welcome back the skipper Thierry Henry. A loss like this surely solidifies the fact that Arsenal are in another dogfight for 4th place this year, and can only hope to regain fitness and rhythm before the restart of their European campaign in February. [BBC Football]

Chelsea can also hope to benefit from the time between now and the knockout round of the Champions League. The loss of skipper and defensive power John Terry has revealed a holey defense, as they find themselves coming from behind a lot in recent matches, something last year's squad wasn't used to. And the same can be said of dropping points, which is exactly what the Blues did today at Stamford Bridge against Fulham, which sees league leaders Manchester United go six points clear after their win today. A perfect opportunity for Jose Mourinho to begin the mind-tweaking, as he claimed some of his players don't contribute at all (poor Sheva). Like Arsenal, Chelsea wasn't able to come back, as they should have against the quality of their respective opponents, and it has cost them dearly in the race for the top spot. [SportingLife]

For Fergie, well he's just riding high after the holiday, and he's got perhaps the best young talent in the Premiership with Cristiano Ronaldo at the moment. The villian (for England) from this year's World Cup is having an incredible season, and despite retaining his penchant for hair product and Eurotrash style, he's dropped the needless flair and converted his technical skill into goals. He's just another example of Fergie's ability to mold winning teams. The effectiveness of Paul Scholes, Ole Gunnar Solsjaer, and Ryan Giggs have diminished little when it comes to winning games, because their intelligence and instincts can compensate for aging. A 3-2 win over Reading put the Red Devils six points clear of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table. In a high-stakes game where consistent performances are keys to success, off-days are the kind that Manchester United have taken care to avoid, which can't be said for the rest of the pack. [Telegraph]

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The Grab: 12.19

You gotta love the EPL, or all of Britain if you like, cultivating the drama surrounding top flight teams, their gaffers, and the stupid (and sometimes true) things they say. Will the Toffees sue the Special One over his criticism of Andy Johnson?

Considering Moyes' boys from Liverpool have more to worry about than what some Portugeezer said about their dynamo up front (qualifying for Europe, perhaps), is this the best on offer for Christmastime controversey? Falling just short of labelling the sometime England forward as a cheat, which in itself is quite rich considering what the entire footballing world thinks of Chelsea's forward men.

All I can say is that I'd be surprised if anything came of this, and this is even more boring than when Jose Mourinho called Wenger a "voyeur". It is a French word, after all. But then again, perhaps so is "diver".

Everton court legal action unless Jose withdraws Johnson diving claims [Daily Mail]

It's just getting a bit desperate now, isn't it? Will the Queen's favorite Canuck ever make it to Old Trafford? Funny how he was happy as a clam in Munich, and now that Sir Fergie wants him, he misses his family (in England)? Let's just hope he doesn't disappoint like Michael Carrick when he becomes a Red Devil.
Citing family, Owen Hargreaves says he wants to play in England [Calgary Sun]
Bayern rule out January Hargreaves sale [Guardian Unlimited]

Apparently everyone just wants to get the League Cup out of the way [BBC Football]

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