Erol Alkan Official Football Thread

[moreeditsplease!]

Is there a tennis thread? C'mon the Murray.

[BillieT]

PaoloTramezzani Wrote:got tickets for the wembley cup this summer :)

barca vs spurs and celtic vs al-ahly

Aye me too, hope Barca field all the big names.

Hope I don't get misguided like last season, was there when we beat Roma 5-0 and thought we were in for an amazing season...

[electrawz]

I'm thinking Emiratres Cup this year.

Any gooners out there, can you confirm that the Emirates really is "all that and a pack of polos?"

[PaoloTramezzani]

electrawz Wrote:I'm thinking Emiratres Cup this year.

Any gooners out there, can you confirm that the Emirates really is "all that and a pack of polos?"

it's shit, just as little atmosphere as the library but a bit shinier and you're making a shitload of money out of it now, hats off

[Mat Payne]

Looks like City are just about to buy Barry, quality signing.

[clement]

am absolutely delighted - 11m for him as well. can drop Vinny back to centre half, as unfortunately even tho i love the guy, dunney's just not been up to it this year.

[SomethingMoreGlorious]

PaoloTramezzani Wrote:

electrawz Wrote:I'm thinking Emiratres Cup this year.

Any gooners out there, can you confirm that the Emirates really is "all that and a pack of polos?"

it's shit, just as little atmosphere as the library but a bit shinier and you're making a shitload of money out of it now, hats off

I could be wrong but aren't you a Manchester United fan?

People in almost silent stadiums certainly shouldn't be throwing stones.

[Jamie_]

clement Wrote:am absolutely delighted - 11m for him as well. can drop Vinny back to centre half, as unfortunately even tho i love the guy, dunney's just not been up to it this year.

Good signing, although "I only want to leave so I can play in the Champions League" is a lot of shit now isn't it.

Apparently Villa offered him 80k a week - but he's now on 100k at City.

Looks like Real have paid 55mil for Kaka and are rumoured to be closing in on Ribery as well. Ronaldo will definitely want to go there now.

[PaoloTramezzani]

SomethingMoreGlorious Wrote:

PaoloTramezzani Wrote:

electrawz Wrote:I'm thinking Emiratres Cup this year.

Any gooners out there, can you confirm that the Emirates really is "all that and a pack of polos?"

it's shit, just as little atmosphere as the library but a bit shinier and you're making a shitload of money out of it now, hats off

I could be wrong but aren't you a Manchester United fan?

People in almost silent stadiums certainly shouldn't be throwing stones.

i agree, but you are wrong

[electrawz]

Well if I was going to go to the stadium with the best atmosphere I'd go to Fratton Park, wouldn't I?

I would just like to experience a stadium of that calibre tbh and Arsenal play some shexy football. Also really want to see Khun Aguero in action and Atletico are part of the package.

[CrazyCat]

Anyone read Guillem Balague's column sky sports? I am starting to think that the Spanish is better than the English league.

[PaoloTramezzani]

fratton park seems an ok atmosphere, but there is also bell man, who is a bell end :(

[KIRBY]

It's not gotten old for me, yet.


---

Champions League Final provides a bitter lesson for Sir Alex Ferguson


By Brian Reade 30/05/2009


The word "hubris" means showing too much arrogant pride before suffering a nasty fall.

It popped into my head when Manchester United qualified for the Champions League Final and Patrice Evra told a hurting Arsenal: "It was 11 men against 11 babies."

It came back when Alex Ferguson said his side had gone to Rome to have greatness bestowed on them. To establish a European dynasty which would sweep past nine-time winners Real Madrid.

And again when he rubbished those who won back-to-back European Cups in the days before money men re-branded it, by saying United would make history by being the first to defend it. Adding, "we like doing firsts".

And firsts they certainly did. The first English side to be beaten in a European Cup Final by more than one goal since 1975. The first European Cup Final team to have no shots on target against opponents missing three of their first-choice back-four.

The first to corpse for 80 minutes at the realisation that their manager's claim that they were the greatest set of players to ever wear the club shirt, was all hype.

Hubris. It's Fergie's first summer signing.

[KIRBY]

Simon Barnes in The Times

---------

Now we know. Now we know why Sir Alex Ferguson hasn’t given himself up to the life of a living national treasure, wine-bore, film-bore and racing wannabe. Now we know why he hasn’t gone for the ambassadorial sinecure, smugly undermining his successor while flying first-class to unimportant meetings. Now we know why the grandchildren and Lady Ferguson have been waiting so long for his exclusive attention.

It was to take his rightful place. His place as the greatest club football manager that ever drew breath. So that people will be able to say this thing without a trace of argument, without a scintilla of irony: Ferguson really was the best, you know.

The best ever. And those with other favourites, with alternative candidates, will have to say: You’re right. It’s beyond contention. It’s a fine, noble aim, and it has taken Manchester United to great things, but it also took them last night to despair.


As the events unfolded in the Champions League final between United and Barcelona, the matter of Ferguson’s true stature in the game was still in doubt as the final whistle blew. Barcelona’s ultimately straightforward victory means that any idea Ferguson has of greatness beyond all others must be put on hold. That will irk him.

Ferguson’s place is still ever so slightly below the very best of the best, if you are using objective criteria. If you are sticking to the simple sporting matter of prizes won, then the outstanding candidate in England and in Europe, and therefore (probably) the world is Bob Paisley. Paisley is still the only manager to have won the European Cup three times, doing so with Liverpool. He also won the league six times in nine seasons.

You can argue that this beats Ferguson’s strike-rate of 11 titles in 22 years, but, really, you have to take longevity as an aspect of greatness. We probably have to accept that Ferguson has the greater domestic record (and let’s, in the modern manner, forget cups). So it was clear that the road to unimpeachable greatness could only lead through the gateway of a third European Cup. Ferguson had two. Last night, he went into the final needing one more to make that subtle but irrefragable transition: the one in which you pass from seriously bloody good to great. The one in which you shift from being a chapter in the history of your club to being a chapter — and a long one — in the history of the game.

So last night, as play began, greatness was in Ferguson’s grasp. But here’s the hard thing: once that whistle blew, there was nothing whatsoever he could do about it. At the moment of destiny, everything slipped beyond his control. That is what management means and all of a sudden it was possible to understand why all managers end up a trifle mad — and why, for most of them, this isn’t a terribly long journey. In the end, it is other people who create or destroy your claim to greatness. If you think about that for too long, you go nuts.

Last year, in Moscow, that crucial second European Cup was almost snatched from Ferguson’s grasp by a ghastly error from Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese is a player on whom he had staked his reputation. Both had prospered hugely from this immense and courageous punt, and yet, when it really mattered, Ronaldo reverted to the showboating fop of his early days and, in the shoot-out, took a smart-arse penalty that was saved.

Greatness can also be removed by a decision of a referee, and whether the decision is correct or not hardly matters. The power these men have over Ferguson and his destiny is dizzying, almost incomprehensible. How could anyone live with it? One blast of the whistle and Fergie’s rightful place is snatched from him. No wonder Ferguson, like most managers, is principally remarkable for impotent rage.

One player can lose everything in a moment of distraction. Anderson’s slip-up for the first goal, the referee’s refusal to send off Gerard Piqué for body-checking Ronaldo. These matters are beyond planning, beyond computation, beyond the scope of management. And yet it was these things that left United chasing the game after ten minutes in which they had looked unbeatable.

If the United players looked impotent when Barcelona played keep-ball, how much more impotent did Ferguson feel? This was his big chance, and such chances don’t come for the asking, as Ferguson knows better than anyone, Paisley included. To sit and suffer while the moment of your greatness flickers, that is the lot of every manager who ever aspired towards excellence.

So Messi bagged Barcelona’s second, proving for all time that for every manager, no matter where he measures on the scale of greatness, football is hell. Bloody hell.

[theohenderson]

Kaka could be a Real Madrid player today (monday)
As a Milan fan I really hope he doesnt go but no player is bigger than the club I suppose.

Then there is talk of Pato going to Chelsea, really hope that doesnt happen

[electrawz]

If Chelsea pay anywhere near the amount of money being discussed for Pato they're the most foolish club on the planet. I mean, fair play the boy's good but NO 19 YEAR OLD IS WORTH £30MILLION +.

Anyone else gleefully monitoring the Kaka situation as with him, they would surely have to part with a few of their other big name midfielders (Van der Vaart, Sneijder etc...)?

[RichardEStuart]

£80,0000,000 has been accepted by United for Ronaldo.

I'd say that's pretty good business. I'd preferred he'd stay, but that kinda cash means we'll hang on to Tevez and get another class player...but who?

[Azza1985]

Richmanu Wrote:£80,0000,000 has been accepted by United for Ronaldo.

I'd say that's pretty good business. I'd preferred he'd stay, but that kinda cash means we'll hang on to Tevez and get another class player...but who?

hmmm, looks like tevez will go too...
ribery would be great but bayern look pretty keen to hold onto him

[Osmo]

Richmanu Wrote:£80,0000,000 has been accepted by United for Ronaldo.

I'd say that's pretty good business. I'd preferred he'd stay, but that kinda cash means we'll hang on to Tevez and get another class player...but who?

Nah think Tevez is off...


Benzema maybe? Ribery would be nice as well.

[electrawz]

Alex is a big fan of Benzema, but he hasn't really proved himself to be worth the amount being ball-parked for me. £20M tops for him for me. If Man U are smart, they can turn Ronaldo into 4 class players! He wasn't all that last season anyway. Tevez will go I think, the way he's been treated is ridiculous.

[RichardEStuart]

defo need a left midfielder...and most probably a right back!....if they got both Ribery and Benzema that would be bizarre and a half. Cant exactly see where Benzema would fit in as I doubt Berbs is going anywhere soon, and I think we'll try to hang on to Charlie, and wazza is a far better up front.

[electrawz]

Yeah, play Rooney off Berba next season IMO this should've been the way they set up last season. Valencia from Wigan plays left midfield doesn't he? He's a cracking player, give him the time on the ball that most opposition afford to Man U and he'll show his class. Maicon for right back?

[Osmo]

Valencia is the only other person I can think that has been linked.

[electrawz]

Robben on the cheap from Real?

[RichardEStuart]

electrawz Wrote:Robben on the cheap from Real?

prrrf he always injured isnt he...we already have hargreaves as our sick note....


edit: actually I'd like to see wesley schneider at United