We will fight them on the beaches

Just two stories to mention today, the first being the words of Carlos, variously described as "astonishing" and "bizarre", I'll use this report from The Independent, where his words are "extraordinary":

"Cristiano Ronaldo will never be Spanish! As they will never take Olivenca again," he told the Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Noticias, referring to the small town on the disputed border between the two countries. He also delved further into the historic rivalry, alluding to explorer Christopher Columbus – who both countries claim as their own – and the Spanish Philippine Dynasty, which ruled Portugal from 1580 until the bloodless revolution of 1640.

"They already did the same with Christopher Columbus, and it now seems they want to naturalise Cristiano Ronaldo," the United No 2 added. "Have they already forgotten what we did to them in the past? We will never lose our patience."

With Portugal preparing for Euro 2008, Queiroz knows the furore could not have come at a worse time. "It's being done in a manner to distract the Portugal team, at the height of their preparations for the European Championships," he said. "But I am convinced that despite pressure from the Spanish press he will not change his nationality."

The other story is vindication for Sir Alex and Carlos:

An independent commission cleared Manchester United's management team of improper conduct following a personal hearing into outbursts that stemmed from the club's FA Cup defeat by Portsmouth in March. Ferguson and Queiroz had been expected to receive a substantial fine at the hearing; a touchline ban was beyond the commission's powers. To the dismay of the FA, however, the charges were "found not proved", leaving a spokesman to admit last night, "We are surprised and disappointed", and the FA to consider its right to appeal against the commission's findings for the first time since the disciplinary procedure changed last summer.

Gerard Pique goes to Barcelona.

Owen Hargreaves has a few words to say on the Champions League final, here:
He thought last Wednesday about breaking with his habit of striking penalties to the left because Chelsea's England players had seen him practise them over four weeks at the 2006 World Cup. That boldness was abandoned.

"I walked up, I thought: 'Jeez, that goal looks small,'" said Hargreaves. "I put it where I normally do." Terry, he reports, can recognise the bitter humour of the situation: "JT laughed and said, 'Yeah, it's different in training when there's nobody there, and when you go up in a match and there are 30,000 people behind in the stand."

Hargreaves has not been gloating. He aligns himself with his club manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, by reporting that the euphoria is brief. "Shortly after the game it was gone. It was a fabulous moment to put so much energy into the game and come away as a winner but I was content with the five minutes after the game. I don't need to milk a win for weeks."

AC Milan want Evra:

AC Milan will take advantage of Patrice Evra's stalled contract negotiations with Manchester United and sign him on a free contract next summer if a deal is not struck before then.
The French left-back, who has enjoyed an exceptional season as United defended their Premier League title and lifted the European Cup by beating Chelsea on penalties in Moscow last week, has only 12 months left on his contract and would become a free agent in a year's time.

And a few words on transfer dealings from The Telegraph:

Sir Alex Ferguson is determined to avoid any protracted summer transfer negotiations by adding to his squad within the next fortnight before taking a well earned break.
As the annual clamour for top European players begins in earnest following the conclusion of a season that saw United retain their Premier League crown as well as win a third European Cup, Ferguson is looking to make a small number of additions to a squad that is already the envy of most of their rivals.
Ferguson is a long time admirer of Manchester City's Micah Richards and the ongoing uncertainty over the future of manager Sven Goran Eriksson and any likely successor at Eastlands has convinced the United manager that a bid in the region of £20 million would be accepted.

Russian Berries but you're quiet tonight

After all the excitement (which admittedly I never got round to posting on...), comes the calm.

Today there's this story on Evra from The Guardian:

Evra admits he has some way to go before seeing himself as being on the same level as some of his national team-mates. "I'm not going to expect a place in the starting XI just because I'm a European champion," he said at the French national camp.

"I've come here with more confidence and I'm going to show that. But I don't feel like an international. I don't even have 10 caps, I've only got nine. An international is someone who has had a great tournament."

As for last week's Champions League final, the French left-back has defended his compatriot Nicolas Anelka and thinks John Terry, who missed the chance to win the penalty shoot-out, was most culpable. "In England they want to say that we won because of Nico but, as far as I'm concerned, the decisive penalty was John Terry's. When Terry slipped I knew that we were going to win. I knew nothing could stop us."

And there's speculation that Carlos is ready to step up whenever Sir Alex retires:

Manchester United have given the clearest indication yet that Carlos Queiroz could succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as the club’s manager. Ferguson, who will be 67 in December, said over the weekend that he would stay on as United manager for another three years “at the very, very, very most” and that there was no chance of him still being in charge at Old Trafford at the age of 70.
“Both Carlos and Alex would be the first to admit it, as would the players, that he [Queiroz] has been a key factor in the success we have achieved over the last couple of seasons. What we are doing is making sure our squad is continually reviewed and improved as necessary and the age of the squad is right, so when Alex does decide to retire, anyone taking over has a fantastic squad with the right age profile.”

And that's yer lot.

Sweetness

I'm still basking in the glow of our victory.

I was away at the weekend, then my feedreader wouldn't read feeds so I missed Wednesday and now...

Now I'm still basking and don't want to read lots of reports on why we didn't really deserve to win or whatever else the papers are saying (I've not looked, maybe they say only nice things...)

Normal service will be resumed...

Narcotic Influence

Pretty quiet again today.

Avram Grant has some silly words to say, quoted pretty much everywhere, but this Daily Star report will do:

Revealing he had watched a DVD of United’s victory at Wigan, he commented: “The referee? He was, as expected, good for one team.

“I think in England there are some very good referees.

“But there are some, a few of them, you can influence, like you saw.”

Admitting he was glad the referee for Wednesday’s final in Moscow was not English, Grant appeared to suggest a conspiracy against Chelsea by officials, when he moaned: “What happened is what I expected.

“When we played United at Old Trafford the referee changed the result for sure. We know that.

“The red card for Mikel was not a red card, and on Sunday Scholes should have had a red card.
Then there was the penalty...

“I do not think the world is against Chelsea, or English football.

“But in this case there were some coincidences, for Manchester United.

Jesus. First point, I wonder if Grant is as pleased about the non-English referee after seeing the two penalties which the referee in the UEFA Cup final turned down, both bigger penalties than the one that Chelsea got us against us. Second point, this timely summary of the season in The Guardian shows that Mike Dean, who was the referee who sent off Mikel, has shown more red cards than any other referee. Not so much influenced as simply card happy.

The Times has some comments from Bobby Charlton:

“It would be perfect as it was Matt Busby who pioneered the idea of English clubs competing in Europe - and the Babes would have done so well in it but for the tragedy,” Charlton said. “That history is not lost on these players now. All of them who come here sometimes get a little puzzled by the effect that what happened in Munich has had on Manchester United.

“But when the club asked Nobby Stiles and I to talk about Munich and the effect it had on United to the players earlier in the year, they understood it and were fascinated by it.”

There's this:

Ronaldo has been named Barclays Player of the Season and winner of the Golden Boot award while boss Ferguson has been named Manager of the Season.

It is the second campaign in succession that Ronaldo, 23, has won the Player of the Season accolade.

And finally this:

"Ronaldo's been fantastic but in the semi-final Messi showed he's the top man," said Cole, who will face Ronaldo in next week's Champions League final.

Idiot.

Patiently Waiting

So I'm thinking I need some sort of plan for filling up this place during the summer. I mean, I guess i can look at the European championships but that still leaves some weeks, and if today's anything to go by there'll be nothing anywhere. Today we have the story about Ronaldo I posted on yesterday (recap - he's not going to Real Madrid), and Evra might sign a new contract, but then again - oh, and he says something about the Champions League Final. Excitement...

Here's the Evra story:

Patrice Evra has yet to re-open negotiations with Manchester United despite entering the final year of his contract.

Gill will almost certainly make Evra's contract his main priority after the Moscow final but doubts will remain about his future until an agreement has been reached.

"The ball is in Manchester United's court," Evra said.

Here's his quotes:

Evra said: "The big difference between us and the rest is our character. No-one in England has more than us.

"It is great to be a champion again, but all we have done is emulate last season's achievement. We are not the sort of team to settle for that.

"I'm sure Chelsea don't want to finish empty handed, especially by losing out to us again, but we have absolutely no intention of letting them win the Champions League.

"There is a real will to win and it's going to get stronger. This team has a great future."

Evra, who will resume contract talks with United after the European Championship, revealed that the heartbreak of being a Champions League runner-up with Monaco will drive him on against Chelsea.

"I don't want to walk past that trophy again without being able to lift it," he said.

"That cup is tugging at my heart. I said when I joined United I wasn't coming here just to reach a Champions League final. I was coming to win it.

"I joke that I went to the final with Monaco in a Fiat but I'm heading there now in a Ferrari."

I almost forgot there's this story in The Mail.

Bordeaux boss Laurent Blanc is lining up a move for his former Manchester United team-mate Mikael Silvestre.

Silvestre made only six appearances this season and Sir Alex Ferguson is expected to approve the transfer after United's Champions League final clash with Chelsea.

Here's hoping

There's an interesting piece on The Guardian's website about the changing face of sports journalism on the internet. It's all worth reading but the bit I want to highlight refers to the thing I was saying previously about the agenda of journalists and the way they pretend not to have a choice but to follow this agenda, I'll make bold the bits of especial interest:

More than that though, I hope that a new culture will be fostered among the sports writers and journalists themselves, born of the fact that the internet has rendered obsolete many of the conceits that built this current culture. The fundamental deception of denying the subjectivity of the writer, for example, the refusal to acknowledge that reportage is inevitably filtered and shaped by an "I" that traditionally must be unseen and unmentioned. This means writers can escape the pack mentality that dictates standard practice; tinkering with the truth will be harder now journalists, challenged by bloggers and readers, no longer have a monopoly on information; and the divvying up of quotes to be kept back as filler later that week will be less acceptable when there is a greater priority placed on instantaneous news-breaking.

Here's hoping...

Rocket to Russia

Today's papers are turning towards the Champions League final.

I'll start with this report card from The Guardian:

The season in five words

Glory, goals, Munich, harmony, Ronaldo

Also from The Guardian, Giggs is realistic about his chances of starting the Champions League final:

"I can't be sure I'll play," said a player who has started only 13 of Manchester United's 28 matches since the turn of the year.

Giggs was not complaining, just offering a realistic assessment of his chances and making it clear that, if he were restricted to the substitutes' bench, he would never take issue with the manager Sir Alex Ferguson. "It's about the squad," said Giggs. "The squad won it in 1999, when Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came on and scored the goals [against Bayern Munich]. The whole squad is together. And we'll need to be to beat a very good Chelsea team. We have a fit squad and the players will be kicking lumps out of each other over the next week to try to get into the team. We'll all be eager to get picked and to play well."

There's a good anecdote about Giggs from Sir Alex, contained in this Independent report (as well as elsewhere):

"I remember him playing a practice match at the Cliff," Ferguson recalled. "He came down with his father [Danny Wilson] and when he first came on he ran across the pitch. I don't think his feet touched the ground, he was so light. His head was up – he was like a cocker spaniel chasing a piece of silver paper in the wind.

"We played him against Viv Anderson in a practice match and Viv was saying 'Boss, what are you doing putting this little kid against me?' But after Ryan had gone past him a few times he turned round and said 'Wow! Jesus Christ.' He was a phenomenal kid then and he is a phenomenal kid now. Of all the young boys we ever signed, I thought he was an absolute certainty."

The Independent also have the best round up of transfer talk:

Ferguson spent the aftermath of Sunday's Premier League title triumph at Wigan describing the agonies of selecting a team from his strongest ever squad and he said yesterday that "all but a couple" of the 26 players he took to the JJB will be around for the foreseeable future. But Gill said the challenge of competing in "the best league in the world" made further reinforcements essential for the champions, who retained their title at the weekend. "If we want to continue to be at the top we have to make sure we look at the squad and improve it," he said. "Like any club you assess what's gone well, what has not gone so well and where you feel you can improve. We will certainly be in a position where, if we can improve it, we will. Alex will never allow us to rest on our laurels."

A fuller look at Sir Alex's press conference is here from The Guardian:

Ferguson held court, a skilled raconteur with a story for everyone, eulogising his players and covering his face with his hands as he talked about how their desire to win sometimes boiled over in training. "There are Friday mornings when I find myself telling Carlos Queiroz, 'Come on, cut the session.' The players are so competitive I'm frightened that someone will get injured. But it's a measure of their desire to do well all the time. We've got a lot of different personalities but they all have that desire. That's the thing that pleases me most."

Matt Dickinson in The Times looks at the squad today against the 1994 team:

in the aftermath of a tenth championship triumph, Sir Alex Ferguson could not stop himself bringing up his first and, it must be said, true love as United manager. It is not claret that makes Ferguson go all wistful and misty-eyed but reminiscing about the 1994 vintage. As if it was not enough to beat all present-day opponents, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney must also compete against the ghosts of United past.

It is a battle that they can never expect to win. Ferguson’s first Double-winners are his favourite team and probably always will be, even if one Champions League victory in Moscow next week subsequently becomes two or three.

The criteria is not medals; it cannot be, or the 1999 treble-winners would forever be on the top rung. This is a test of personality and perhaps no English club team have ever combined so many charismatic, combustible and confrontational figures as the one that brought together Schmeichel, Bruce, Keane, Ince, Hughes and Cantona.

Tim Rich in The Telegraph looks at Sir Alex as manager:

Ferguson's preparations for this last game of the Premier League season were typical. First, he drastically economised on the truth - saying that Wayne Rooney's hip injury would, at best, allow him only a place on the bench. Wigan manager Steve Bruce found himself at 3pm confronted by a three-pronged attack with Rooney at its centre.

Then, Ferguson turned his attention to Bolton, castigating their players for a lack of professionalism in their preparations for Chelsea. In doing so, he was quite prepared to offend their assistant manager, Archie Knox, who had been his deputy at both Aberdeen and Manchester United. "I had a little nibble at them to keep their minds alert," he smiled in the afterglow of victory. "I've had a text message from Gary Megson [Bolton's manager] saying, 'Well done; your team talk was brilliant."

The final word goes to the *yawn* story of Ronaldo and Real Madrid, from, surprise, surprise, The Daily Mail:

Madrid, however, seem unlikely to abandon their move for Ronaldo despite his desire to stay.

"We are hearing there is still a possibility that Ronaldo will leave United," a spokesman at Real told the Daily Mirror. "Of course, it could still be a case of games being played, so that he can get the contract that he wants from United."

Real insiders are adamant that they have received soundings from Ronaldo's representatives that he is having second thoughts over committing himself to Old Trafford.

And Ronaldo's view? From The Times:

"I'm at the right club, playing with the right players and I learn things all the time," Ronaldo said. "That's what great about being at United. I improve all the time and I want to improve every season. I think I'm a better player now than five years ago.

"This season has been a great one for me - I've scored a lot of goals, the team have played very well and we're champions. It's amazing."

Afterglow

(OK. I admit that it was sheer laziness that stopped me posting yesterday. So in this post I will mainly pretend that it is yesterday. Then I will do a second post for today's stuff.)

Basking in the glow of a sweet victory...

And yet.

I find the whole thing regarding the decisions during the Wigan game a little strange. Listening to Andy Gray in the commentary box was a little like listening to a man who knows he's an idiot but will stick to his guns at all costs. Reading the reports today (or yesterday I guess...is much the same. So the ball hit Rio on the arm. In fast motion it looked exactly like a ball hitting his chest. None of the Wigan players really appealed, and even the slow motions suggested that it was ball to arm rather than Rio throwing his arm in the way of the ball. But to listen to Andy Gray you'd have thought it was crime of the century, or read this report which claims "Rio Ferdinand so blatantly used his arm", and I expect better of Steve Bruce than this, "It was surprising Rio didn't have gloves on to try and catch it," (from this report). And as for our penalty... Andy Gray again making an idiot of himself by suggesting that because the defender tried to reach the ball it wasn't a penalty. Yeah, right Andy, let's ignore the fact that he ended up miles away from the ball taking Rooney's legs away, that doesn't matter in the slightest, does it? And again, Matt Lawton in The Mail is still an idiot, "How did he then have the conviction to award United a penalty for what was a much closer call after Wayne Rooney had collapsed under a challenge from Emmerson Boyce?" A closer call? Jesus Wept. Steve Bruce has at least the excuse of being obviously biased, these football writers are meant to know the game. The only decision that was, I am willing to admit, contentious was the non sending off of Paul Scholes. And even here. The first yellow card was, I thought a bit harsh, the Wigan player definitely made a meal of it and from the TV pictures it didn't look like Bennett was going to book Scholes until he'd rolled around "in agony" for a few minutes. The second, well, Scholes was perhaps lucky, in his defence it was something of a half hearted block, as if he remembered half way through that he'd been booked and tried to pull out. Either way, we showed last week against West Ham that we can play well enough with ten men so whether it would have changed anything is debatable.

The other thing that bothers me today is the comments on Ronaldo. 31 goals in a season, amazing skills on display all the time and on this day of celebration all we get is comments on his "theatrics". Take this in The Independent, "There were fits of anger, dubious theatrical limps and far too much whingeing on a day that should have been testament to his remarkable talent." It's the same tactic I highlighted the other day, we should be doing this, but I'm going to do this instead, I have no choice. The point being that of course there is a choice, you chose this route because you can't bring yourself to praise. Don't blame others. Again it is left to David Pleat to buck the trend:

Cristiano Ronaldo was again the outstanding outlet for Manchester United as they secured their 10th championship in 16 seasons. The Portugal international hugged the touchline to receive the sort of crossfield pass that has stretched defences all season. By maintaining width he helped create space inside for United's talents to prosper.

What David Pleat only hints at, and which every other report completely ignores is that it was Ronaldo's run which dragged a defender out of the box allowing Ryan Giggs all the time in the world to put away his chance. Take this in The Times for evidence:

Rooney’s pass set up the goal, but it was the wit of Giggs in finding the space between Titus Bramble and Paul Scharner, leaving him with only Kirkland to beat, that was so beguiling. It was like watching a master magician perform a sleight-of-hand. You think you are studying the cards intently, you think no subterfuge can evade your attention and, suddenly, there is Giggs, in yards of space, the match and the title at his mercy.

Today's agenda is all about praising Giggs, no room for Ronaldo in his goal, it was Giggs creating his own space. (In fairness this Times report does at least give some praise to Ronaldo). This report from The Guardian showing this quite plainly:

His [Ronaldo's] was a performance that placed the individual first, which in fairness has been in the minority this season, whereas Giggs, clearing off his own goal-line in the 87th minute and tirelessly chasing every defensive or offensive cause, offered a marked contrast.

Then again, isn't Giggs the player that it's ok for even the most rabid Man Utd hater to like.

I'm going to stop there. I'm too late on all the reports so I'm sure you've already gloried in all the quotes from our team, no need for me to reprint them here. Let this post be pure in its critique of the media bias.

Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors

The final day. After a week of great confidence I've woken up a little nervous, but still confident. Just want the games to start.

My nervous energy has prevented me from doing too much analysis of the day's articles but anyway...

In The Sunday Times there is actually an article which says what everyone in their right mind can see but which the papers usually don't admit:

It is a fascinating finish, the most compelling since 1972, when Brian Clough’s Derby County pipped Leeds and Liverpool, both by a single point, while sunning themselves on a beach in Majorca, and the outcome could challenge the time-honoured tenet that any league is always won by the best team in it.

In terms of points, there is nothing to choose between Manchester United and Chelsea going into the Premier League’s denouement day. Only United’s superior goal difference - an insurmountable margin of 17 better than that of Chelsea - separates the European Cup finalists at the top of the table.

So much for the arithmetic. In terms of the quality of football played these past nine months, there is clear daylight between them, reflected in the fact that the defending champions have scored 14 goals more than their rivals, averaging more than two goals per game, and possess both the country’s most prodigious and prolific talent in Cristiano Ronaldo and its most watertight defence.

In the eyes of all bar those viewing the issue through blue-tinted spectacles, United are the most accomplished and talented team, and yet . . .

The last few weeks I have taken great confidence from the fact that the best team always wins the league, and we are self-evidently the best team. I still say that today, I really can't see us not beating Wigan.

Hugh McIlvanney in The Sunday Times writes on the final day, but the bit I want to quote is not specifically about us, it's about football in general and I thought it pretty good:

But for a multitude of us the basic appeal of football, of the playing and spectating pleasures that have made it unchallengeably the most popular team game ever devised, remains more than strong enough to survive the vandalising effects of the money-driven culture now enveloping its values. On a day like this, though we can’t forget the ills, we can happily embrace the thrills. A suspicion that somewhere up ahead the bullion train will hit the buffers needn’t stop us from relishing a Sunday ride of raw excitement.

And on that note I go direct to the final story, there was more about, but like I say, I just want to get to 3 o'clock.
The News of the World reports:

MANCHESTER UNITED have taken the first steps in a sensational move to sign Michael Owen.

Informal contact has been made between United and Owen's representatives over a summer transfer.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes he can snap up the England striker for a cut-price £7million and is pushing for a speedy conclusion to the deal.

Last Target on the Last Day

After a week of suggesting that Wigan will roll over against us, Sir Alex's comments on Bolton have the media up in arms at his "mind games". Take this, from The Guardian:

Sir Alex Ferguson expressed strong misgivings about the closing stages of the Premier League title race last night by publicly questioning whether Bolton Wanderers were treating tomorrow's game at Chelsea as seriously as Wigan Athletic were approaching theirs against Manchester United. Ferguson has been alarmed by sightings of Gary Megson's players on a night out, as well as enjoying the hospitality at Chester races, and he pointedly asked what kind of performance Bolton would be able to muster after going "out all week celebrating".

His remarks brought an immediate denial from Bolton, where the strong suspicion is that Ferguson is once again trying to manipulate the headlines at a crucial point of the season, this time to gee up Chelsea's opponents. The United manager is on the verge of his 10th title in 16 seasons - and United's 17th in total - and he was noticeably keen to make his point as he painted the impression of a demob-happy Bolton side already looking forward to the summer break.

Sir Alex is "trying to manipulate the headlines" is he? Seems to me that he's just trying to redress the balance. Given the number of stories about Wigan against the absolute lack of stories about Bolton it seems to me that there is a stronger case to suggest that there is a media conspiracy to "manipulate the headlines" in Chelsea's favour (of course I'm not suggesting a spoken conspiracy, there's no need for that, the anti-man utd bias is so ingrained it doesn't need to be spoken). It seems like gross hypocrisy to slag off Sir Alex for doing precisely what all the papers have been doing all week. It is this sentence from Sir Alex which should have been given more weight by the writer, "All you wonderful people in the press have been talking about the integrity of Wigan but nobody has questioned or even mentioned Bolton", rather than his comments on Bolton.

The Daily Mail goes even further towards the land of stupid by calling it a war of words:

Chelsea manager Avram Grant today accused Sir Alex Ferguson of showing Bolton a lack of respect in a desperate bid to get an edge in the title race.

Two things need to be noted here; 1) that the words that have been coming out of the Chelsea camp all week have been, on these terms, disrespectful to Wigan; and 2) that Avram Grant didn't actually say anything like that - actual quote from same article:

He [Avram Grant] said: "We know Sir Alex, I like him and respect him but we know why he says things sometimes. I don't think he knows what's going on at Bolton unless he wants to be the manager there.

"I think no team in England will approach a game thinking it's not important and Bolton will try to give their best."

Gary Megson says all the right things in response:

"We would love to end Chelsea's unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge and it is something that we will be trying to do.

"It would mean that we would go into the summer on the back of five great results and show that we have got some momentum going."

and here:

Megson replied that it was a normal get-together and argued that Bolton are not safe, although it would take an extraordinary sequence of wildly improbable results to send them down. "The players went out together as they have done in the past on a Monday night," he said. "I can assure Sir Alex and everyone else that we will be giving it our best shot."

As does Steve Bruce:

"I've enjoyed the whole spotlight on our club this week, the mass of people who want to see the game, the attention. It's the big time again and we want to play our part, but all I can be is as professional as I can be.

"Wigan are the club that employs me, so what do I say to my team - 'By the way, lads, just roll over'? I would like to think that in the Premier League and myself personally there is an integrity and honesty that sees that you do your job, so I don't even think about things like that."

He also has a few other things to say about his time at Man Utd, including this story:

Avram Grant may wish to avert his gaze from Steve Bruce's attempt to define why the manager in the opposition dugout at Wigan tomorrow stands on the threshold of a 10th title. "They will never, ever be able to bottle it up or explain it," said Bruce, whose best stab at doing so dated from one of his first games in a United shirt in 1987, when he asked one of his own full-backs to give him some cover.

"Alex pulled me over," Bruce recalled, "and asked me: 'What are you doing that for, son?' We are Manchester United and that is your man – you don't have any cover if you are good enough to play here."

and some comparisons between the current side and his side:

"What the current side have is a lot of depth so that when they have got three or four injuries the rotation system comes in. The strength in depth is better than it has ever been," Bruce said. "But the team itself? The team in '94 could match anything skill-wise and fighting-wise.

"When you face bully-boy tactics – to have people like Ince, Keane and Robson and Cantona and Hughes – there were some really strong individuals. They were fierce. They were a great team to play in. Me and Pally [Gary Pallister] used to have conversations about the weather because we would not see the ball for half an hour."

There's some transfer speculation in The Mail:

Manchester United are lining up a move for Sevilla's prolific striker Luis Fabiano.
United's European scout Martin Ferguson has watched the Brazilian several times this season and, as Sportsmail revealed in January, recommended that his brother Sir Alex signs him.
Chief scout Jim Lawlor has added his support and coach Mike Phelan went to Spain to watch the 27-year-old during Sevilla's 3-0 win over Racing Santander on Wednesday.
Sevilla, who are in fifth place and struggling to qualify for the Champions League, claim it would cost £44million to sign Fabiano, but the player and sources close to the club believe the fee would be only £7m.

Ronaldo is, surprisingly, the best player in the league statistically speaking:

...what is our method? We take every player action and use something called a multivariate Poisson log-normal model to work out the correlations between all of the different actions. With these correlations, we know how important good passes are for scoring goals, bad passes are for conceding goals and so on.

This allows us to look at each player in turn. The computer work required to do this gives an insight into why you cannot do it with the naked eye.

You have to simulate the entire league season with the player in the team and with an average player in the same position. This involves doing it again and again and again. And again.

Now, some fans look at our data and are convinced that they know better than the model who has done well and who hasn't. But think what this means - that they have watched not only this player but every other in every game and can integrate that information in their head.

Before we can move from the model to the ranking, there are a couple more decisions that need to be made. First, should we adjust the numbers to reflect the different time spent on the pitch by each player?

We think that staying in the first team is part of being player of the season, so we did. Second, we can either look at a player's contribution to his team, or place him in an average team. The first approach really rates players who perform comparatively well in poor teams. The second rates more highly players who play in good teams. We use this second approach.

So what was the result? No prizes for guessing the winner - Cristiano Ronaldo wins easily, as he did last year. More surprisingly, the runner-up is David James. The large amount of time spent on the pitch is one reason he came close to winning the whole thing. Tomasz Kuszczak, of Manchester United, would have been player of the season if he had played as much as James.

On a slower day I would probably end on this absolutely ridiculous story:

The Chelsea first-team coach has called for the establishment of a championship play-off to replace the use of goal difference to separate teams who finish locked together at the end of the season, even joking that next week's Champions League final could become a winner-takes-all event.
“I prefer the system in Italy [Grant is wrong here, they've changed the system],” Grant said. “You play a play-off if you're level and it is decided on that. I have interest now to say that it should be like in Italy, but I like it anyway. Sometimes you score more goals against weaker teams. If you have the same points, you are at the same level. Let's go to Moscow and it can be winner takes all.”

However, there is a stupider story, it's this quote from our old friend Stevie G:

"I cannot see myself ever leaving Liverpool now, and what I would dearly love is to lead this club to the next level that I believe we are capable of reaching," he told the club's website.

"I have won trophies here but there is one I am missing and I want that before I finish playing.

"I do not want to look back and say I have never been in a title race.

"I can see that the team is getting stronger and stronger and I can see that we are going forward. I feel that we are getting closer and I really believe that."

Scouse humour...

The BBC join the act

As I'm seemingly obsessed by the whole Wigan issue, I thought I might as well post on this which I just noticed on the BBC website. It could just be an example of (very) bad writing, but given the things I've pointed out over the last few days it probably runs deeper.

But Ferguson dismissed doubts about Bolton's commitment and believes boss Gary Megson and his staff will have the players ready to compete at Stamford Bridge.

"Nobody is saying anything about Bolton. People have questioned Wigan's integrity but when you look at it, the different attitudes are quite interesting," said the United boss.

"Both teams are safe, relaxed and confident. Yet one can celebrate and the other is all keyed up to play against Manchester United.

"The only thing that gives me confidence about Bolton is the manager and assistant manager.

From what I see Ferguson didn't dismiss doubts. First off he points out that everyone is ignoring the role of Bolton on Sunday, then he suggests Wigan are keyed up while Bolton aren't, and then he finishes by saying that there is only one thing that gives him confidence, and that is the manager and his assistant. Doubts dismissed? I really don't think so. What the guy writing this trash obviously means is "Sir Alex's comments don't fit our agenda so I'll pretend he does something he doesn't and hope no one notices."

Last Days of My Bitter Heart

Wigan are all over the papers again today, but today it is nice to see Sir Alex come in with some words of sense, although, so far as I have seen, only one paper seems to have picked up on it (I could be wrong but I didn't see the story anywhere else, I do only have one pair of eyes though), that is The Daily Mail:

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has accused Bolton of doing too much celebrating this week as they prepare to face Chelsea in the title decider on Sunday.

Ferguson compared Wigan's determined approach to their game against United with Bolton's mood ahead of their trip to Stamford Bridge.

"People have questioned Wigan's integrity but when you look at it, the different attitudes are quite interesting.

"The Wigan players are coming out and saying, 'We want to beat Manchester United'. That is fine, we are a big club.

"But both teams are safe, relaxed and confident. Yet one can celebrate and the other is all keyed up to play against Manchester United."

Well said, if only the papers were as sensible, but today the biggest story seems to be an interview with Dave Whelan, Wigan chairman, who actually comes across well, but the fact that there is no similar story from a Bolton perspective is obviously biased - Bolton are allowed to go to Stamford Bridge and roll over - Wigan have to give their absolute all.

This article in The Mail has Dave Whelan discussing their draw at Stamford Bridge:

"I think Emile's goal could have cost Chelsea the title because, had they beaten us, no matter what United do this weekend, Chelsea would have won it if they beat Bolton.

"We got a little email from Sir Alex Ferguson when we drew at Chelsea saying 'thank you very much, it was a great point' - and it was a great point."

The fuller comments are here, also from The Mail, they include his thoughts on Sir Alex retiring:

'I thought Sir Alex was going to retire three years ago but then he came here and I saw the twinkle was back in his eye,' he said. 'That told me he wanted another European title and if he wins it this time, as I hope he does, he may decide he's had enough.'

His thoughts on why Steve Bruce should be in the running to take over from Sir Alex:

'When it comes to a new manager, United have the pick of the world but there is always a danger top clubs will come calling for Steve.

'If they decided on him or Mark Hughes you'd have no chance of standing in their way. I wouldn't even contemplate doing so if United came in for Steve. I'd be as delighted for him as I'd be sorry for us.

'I'll tell you the job he's done here. When he joined us in November, I honestly thought we would slide out of the Premier League. I feared the worst, so he's earned his bonus. It was an awesome task but he got the players believing in themselves. That's how we managed to take points off Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool for the first time.

'With Paul Jewell, I always felt the size of the challenge at Anfield or Old Trafford got to him a bit and he picked a team to keep the scoreline down.

'He gave them too much respect whereas Steve doesn't have any respect for the big guns. He respects them as clubs but sees them as potential scalps when he faces them. That's why we went to Aston Villa last weekend and won. Brilliant, really.'

And on possible transfers:

Whelan admitted United are one of three clubs interested in Wilson Palacios and Antonio Valencia and addressed the threat of losing them with typical candour.

'It really is difficult when a club like United are circling,' he said. 'Sir Alex doesn't mess about. He just comes and bangs on your door and says, “I'd like to buy that player and we'll give you so much”.

'If he does that for Valencia or Palacios, how am I going to stop them? I think they'd be better off continuing their development here for another season or so but I couldn't sleep at night if I simply blocked it. Mind you, they won't come cheap.'

The Guardian has some comments from him in a story about ticketless United fans going to the game Sunday:

Dave Whelan, the Wigan Athletic chairman, has raised the prospect of major segregation problems inside the JJB Stadium for the visit of Manchester United on Sunday after voicing fears that the town will be "swamped" with up to 20,000 ticketless United fans determined to witness the title decider against Steve Bruce's team. United's official allocation of 4,928 was sold out at Old Trafford last month but thousands more of their fans are expected to make the short trip to Wigan in an effort to buy tickets on the black market.

Whelan said: "I think we are going to have 10,000 or 15,000 United fans outside this ground on Sunday. It's up to £450 on eBay for a ticket. Manchester United have got fans all over the world and I think we'll be swamped in Wigan. I just feel that we could end up with as many as 20,000 locked outside."

The story about Wayne Rooney from yesterday is given a new spin today - yesterday it was "Rooney may play some part", today it is "Rooney may play no part". Like I said yesterday, it would apppear that Rooney will probably be on the bench:

"I am not so sure about Wayne," said Ferguson. "Maybe I will have him as a substitute on Sunday. But he will certainly be fit for the Champions League final."

Owen Hargreaves has some words to say:

He said: "We [Bayern] won the double by scoring in the 93rd minute against Hamburg and then three days later winning the Champions League on penalties. We couldn't have left it any longer or made it any more difficult than that!

"To be in this position feels comfortable because I've been there before. At the beginning of the season, if someone had said we had 90 minutes to win the league we'd have jumped at that. We're in a good position.

"How do you keep cool? Just by doing the same things that got us here. I don't think we need to change anything at this stage. We've had a really good season and that's why we're top of the Premier League. We just need to train, prepare ourselves and we'll be ready for the weekend."

The Times have a "professor of organisational psychology and health" give his opinion on the end of the season:

The personality of Ferguson is spewed across the whole side. If they do not win the title, they will still beat Chelsea in Moscow. I would stake £100 on it. United are like a family; they feel like a family and they deal with hardship like a family. If anything goes wrong on Sunday, which I doubt it will, they will do the business in Moscow.

Last Day of Magic

A bit more stuff around to today, but i'll start with a continuation of yesterday's theme - Wigan. What struck me today is how come the basic theme of the final day is "What have Wigan got to be play for?" rather than "What do Wigan and Bolton have to play for?" Bolton are all but safe, I don't really see them giving their all, and yet all the talk is of Wigan. Take this from The Times today:

Several Chelsea players have expressed concerns that Wigan may be demotivated for their match against United, having already secured Premier League survival, but Marcus Bent, the forward, has promised Avram Grant's team that they will play fair. “There have been something like ten or 20 people randomly coming up to me in the street, asking me not to try and to take it easy and let United win the game,” Bent said. “But we are professionals and we are all going into the game on Sunday wanting to get three points.”

I don't look through all the Chelsea stories every day so maybe I'm wrong but why the continuous need for Wigan, rather than Bolton, to justify themselves? It's as if the fact that we've played the best football all season counts for nothing - the entire season will come down to the fact that Wigan aren't trying very hard.

Whether Wayne Rooney will play against Wigan is also a question on a lot of lips today, some wondering whether he'll be risked, others claiming he's ready. An appearance, if necessary, from the subs bench seems to be the consensus.

Comments from Wes Brown on playing all season, our good defense and on Ronaldo feature in most papers, here, for instance:

"Without a shadow of a doubt he's the best player in the world at the moment," Brown added.

"He's taken his game to a different level and I'm sure he'll get more goals this season. I'm just glad he's on our side.

"Even for his team-mates, it's exciting to watch him when he gets on the ball because you know there's a chance something's going to happen, whether it's him setting up a goal or scoring one.

"He's capable of producing something out of nothing."

The fact that reports on "The Battle of Stamford Bridge" are due to be submitted today generates some stories while saying nothing new, here and here:

The case is likely to centre upon what it was that provoked Evra because it now seems that both sides accept that – whatever set off the left-back – he did not hear it first hand. Either way it will be a minefield for the FA disciplinary department who will be expected to make a decision on one club's word against another and from studying grainy camera footage and pictures which are likely to be inconclusive to say the least.

Transfer talk in The Telegraph:

... Huntelaar, who can be bought for around £15 million will become Ferguson's main target, whilst the club continue to monitor the situation at West Ham regarding the availability of Dean Ashton.

A different ending today, as Daniel Taylor in The Guardian looks at final day 1968:

On Sunday, Sir Alex Ferguson's players will go to Wigan Athletic hoping to see off Chelsea in a title race which, more than anything, has become a feat of endurance. It is the first time for 40 years that the leading sides have been separated by nothing more than a simple formula with 90 minutes to play. Then, as now, United were one of the clubs involved, with a European Cup final also on the horizon, although then they were still a semi-final second leg away. But the similarities do not end there. In 1968 Sir Matt Busby was missing his star striker, Denis Law, through injury; now Ferguson is fretting about Wayne Rooney. It was to be a chastening experience - and, again, the last match of the domestic season fell on May 11.

A Sun - day smile

Today is a little foretaste of summer in more than just the weather: there's nothing happening.

Top story of the day is the fact that Wigan do have something to play for on the final day:

Steve Bruce says Wigan have a huge financial incentive to beat Manchester United and possibly deny Sir Alex Ferguson a 10th Premier League title on Sunday. If Athletic, who lie 13th, beat United and Newcastle United lose at Everton, they would finish 12th, earning them £6.4m in prize money. But should the Latics lose they could finish as low as 15th and pick up only £4.3m - £2.1m less.

And we only have the championship to play for...
I imagine the records of Wigan and Steve Bruce don't make great reading for Chelsea fans:

He is seeking his first Premier League success over Ferguson in 10 attempts, likewise Wigan have played United six times and lost all six

And then there's some transfer rumours (roll on summer...):

Wigan manager Steve Bruce, meanwhile is far from beleaguered, and indeed has no reason whatsoever (honestly) to help out the club with whom he spent nine glittering years of his playing career. Apparently, if they beat United at the weekend it could earn him up to £2m in extra transfer money. That's only £100,000 short of what he spent on Julius Aghahowa. While more cordial relations with his former side could see them fork out a full £8m for Honduran winger Wilson Palacios. Apparently both Bruce and Sir Alex Ferguson have itchy backs and they might just be in the mood to scratch each other. All being well, Ferguson is even prepared to take Antonio Valencia off Bruce's hands in exchange for Louis Saha.

That was an easy round up, now to catch some rays...

I just died in your arms tonight

The difference in coverage between our win against West Ham and Chelsea's win yesterday against Newcastle are startling. The game I watched yesterday had one team with nothing to play for against a team with everything to play for, and that seemed to be the deciding factor. Newcastle never looked that interested, they made a chance or two but there was no consistent pressure, no consistent desire to win, and second half Chelsea woke up and put them to bed. Reading the papers though, one would think Chelsea were somehow amazing...

I'll just pick two examples; Louise Taylor in The Guardian waxes lyrical on Michael Ballack. Ballack has come good in the last few games, no qualms about admitting that, but to eulogise him after the Newcastle game, on the strength of the Newcastle game? Ronaldo scored two against West Ham and all he got was a, "Well, how bad was the defending...", Ballack gets a whole article of praise:

In some ways the German's game is more straightforward - far more Mercedes-Benz than White Ferrari - than the man himself. Some observers questioned his likely longevity in London when, with typical forthrightness, he expressed dismay at Mourinho's replacement by Grant. Fast forward to early 2008, though, and he had already come to be seen as one of the Israeli's key disciples, their burgeoning bond mirroring the growing trust between Ballack and his team-mates.

He lacks a stunning change of pace and prefers the ball rather than his legs to do the work but significantly yesterday Newcastle's Joey Barton ran around a lot to often minimal effect whereas Ballack's apparent economy of physical effort enabled him to shine when it came to ball retention and distribution. Ballack is high-calibre proof that modern midfielders do not always have to be uber-athletes.

It is highly unlikely Ballack boasts the fast-twitch muscle function gene which a sadly unnamed manager recently explored the legality of testing his players for. But happily for Chelsea he certainly does not lack the "big occasion" mentality, something even individuals as gifted as United's Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney have sometimes struggled to muster, enabling him to perform on the grandest stages in the biggest games.

Ignoring that ridiculous (and more ridiculous for its obvious irony - it's like "you expect me to make a comparison with a German car and, ha, I make the comparison with a German car, I am so clever...")Mercedes comment, it is the awful way that the usual rubbish about Ronaldo (and Rooney now as well!) not being a big game player is trotted out to make Ballack seem even better. The obvious subtext is that in some way Chelsea are better than us, something that is self-evidently not true, and something that, when we beat Wigan, will be demonstrated as untrue.

The other article I want to mention is this, apparently unsigned, article in The Mail, telling us how great John Terry is. Again, the evidence used is the Newcastle game:

John Terry is in unforgiving mood after a season punctuated by injury, doubts over his international future under Fabio Capello and the thorny issue of the England captaincy.

He is answering them all emphatically. Were you watching at St James' Park, Fabio? It was a Bank Holiday, but you certainly should have been.

He certainly did have his work cut out for him against Newcastle didn't he? Goal line clearance? He'd have had to have been Titus Bramble not to have got there. And again stupid comparisons with Manchester United are the order of the day:

When Chelsea's central defensive pairing are fit, they are the envy of world football. Carles Puyol and Gabriel Milito? Powder puffs by comparison.

Ivan Cordoba and Marco Materazzi? High up the list, but still haunted by Liverpool.

Hold on, how about Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic? Both were named in the PFA team of the year — the ultimate accolade among the Premier League professionals — but they would not get in this Chelsea team.

"They would not get in this Chelsea team"? What on earth does that mean? We have the best defence in the league, conceded fewest goals in the league, Carvalho and Terry are good, but what's with this eulogising them to the detriment of our players? Again, the only reason is to belittle our team. The complete ridiculousness is just further emphasised by saying that they were voted into the team of the premiership but good enough for Chelsea? No way.

Absolute idiocy.

In other news, Nani apologises:

"I want to publicly ask for forgiveness, firstly of my team-mates, who were forced into a greater effort during more than 60 minutes, secondly of my manager and coaches, and thirdly of the United fans who have given me so much affection."

Rio speaks:

"The team spirit is the best it's been since I've been here.

"Obviously I can't say what it was like before my time, but I've never known it any better. I can only assume the manager does extensive research into a player's personality before signing him because we've not had one bad apple."

There's a look at the release of our accounts in The Guardian:

The spokesman for the Glazer family pointed to the club's success on the field, and in generating income off it, as evidence of the family's competent management. "The family continue to run United as a business," he said. "Their model is to encourage success on the pitch by backing Sir Alex Ferguson, and to grow revenues off it. The interest payments are more than covered by the cash generated."

Finally, there's an "interview" with Carlos in The Telegraph, and even here they get to have a bit of a dig at Ronaldo, and then claim that Carlos agrees:

He agreed with a widely shared assessment that the one element missing from the winger's claim to true greatness was his inconsistency in the biggest games, and that the Champions League final against Chelsea on May 21 offered a chance to defy the doubters. "What would you have expected from Michael Schumacher in a Formula One race? It's the same with Cristiano. We expect the best. That is the pressure that we put upon ourselves."

Where in that quote is the agreement?

Not a lot around today, Chelsea, with their game this afternoon, take most of the inches.

And so we have today's match reports. On the whole they are more positive about us today, still dismissive of West Ham, but at least giving us due credit, take this from Ian Ladyman in The Mail for instance:

With a Champions League Final in Moscow assured — and against their preferred opponents — Sir Alex Ferguson's side can see only glory beckoning.

With the tension released and buoyed by victory over the Catalan club, they can no longer even smell failure. United rose from the blocks against West Ham like Olympic sprinters.

Everybody wanted the ball. The noisy reaction of the Old Trafford crowd was unusually spontaneous.

Alan Curbishley's team were swept away by a tide of front-foot, attacking football.

Here, in the sunshine of early May, we were watching the best team in England.

Daniel Taylor in The Guardian recognises that West Ham weren't absolutely dreadful, and criticises Alan Curbishley for reasons sounder than a newspaper column:

In fairness, West Ham's was not the worst performance by an away team at Old Trafford this season (take a bow, Newcastle United) but it was still fairly extraordinary that Curbishley should think his mid-table team - recently barracked by their own supporters, and missing a dozen players through injury - could take on United at their own game.

The Independent forget that Newcastle have visted this season:

United would not have scored as freely as they did without a defensive generosity Old Trafford has not witnessed in a visiting side this season.

And Oliver Kay in The Times is quite the realist:

It was a performance that is likely to embellish Grant’s conspiracy theories, but West Ham’s supporters would reject the suggestion that it was any more insipid than normal, a performance in keeping with the level they showed in the three successive 4-0 defeats they suffered in eight days in March. Yes, they have suffered from injuries, yes, they managed to beat Liverpool and even United at Upton Park, but, if Grant has done his home-work, he will know that there was nothing untoward about West Ham’s performance on Saturday.

Other stories: The Mail report on player bonuses:

Manchester United's players are on a £250,000 bonus per man if they achieve the Champions League and Premier League double.

The prize for winning the club's two major targets was agreed with the club's owners, the Glazers, last summer.

Two stories vie for final position today, this from The Telegraph:

Club owners the Glazers have ordered a review of United's security set-up and are said to have sought help from American FBI agents to set the ball rolling. While 70,000 or so United supporters watched Ronaldo and Co tearing West Ham to pieces, the agents were keeping a close eye on current security procedures at Old Trafford, with a view to a complete overhaul.

But this, also from The Telegraph, wins for telling us the pope's a catholic:

Manchester United appear to have won their battle to keep prize asset Cristiano Ronaldo away from Spanish galacticos Real Madrid.

Do - nuts

I'm back. So much that I've missed. I've decided that it's going to be impossible for me to catch up with everything so I'm starting with a clean slate and yesterday's game.

The thing I find with the match reports today are their descriptions of the West Ham performance. I'm not going to claim that West Ham were great or anything, their defending certainly left a lot to be desired, but it's not as if it's that unusual for teams to come to Old Trafford and be overwhelmed. The point being that by slagging off West Ham they get to belittle us.

Look at this from The News of The World:

Let's get one thing straight. Manchester United would have beaten this woeful West Ham team under ANY circumstances.
...their [West Ham's] second-half performance stank. Really stank.

For goodness sake, Tevez — his smile more goofy than ever — was waving to the crowd while play went on around him.

With a one-man advantage and United far from fluent, West Ham barely ventured towards Edwin van der Sar's general vicinity.

And then there was a bizarre unwillingness to close opponents down.

Fergie said he did not dare risk Wayne Rooney with his hip problem.

He could have risked Mickey Rooney against this lot.

Being 3-1 down at Old Trafford, near the end of the season with nothing to play for and with our control of the ball in midfield, well, it's hardly conducive to a comeback.
And then the report even suggests they should have been talking about us:

But sadly, this game will be talked about as much for the pitiful opposition as for the majestic defenders of the Premier League crown.

Yeah, and you had no choice but to follow that trend...

The Guardian's report is at least a little more realistic, recognising as it does that West Ham haven't exactly been setting the Premiership alight since Christmas:

It took Manchester United three minutes to open the scoring in their final home Premier League game, and they might easily have reached double figures against a predictably limp West Ham had not Nani idiotically evened up the contest by getting himself dismissed before half time.

Even then, the home side's 10 men managed to increase their lead in the second half, with West Ham showing a marked lack of appetite for getting back into the game. This is not to suggest Alan Curbishley's players were doing their manager's second-favourite team a favour, West Ham have shown a marked lack of appetite since around Christmas, even without being two or three goals behind. Even so, Curbishley must have been embarrassed all over again by his players' abject failure to offer any semblance of a contest in the second half. He sent assistant Mervyn Day up for the press conference.

I do like this sentence though:

Ferguson raised a few guffaws by praising West Ham for their honesty here, and suggested Newcastle should show the same commitment against Chelsea, which is either the fib of the season or an attempt to get Kevin Keegan going for old time's sake.

Some realism in The Independent:

Chelsea conspiracy theorists may believe what they will. There was never any chance yesterday of West Ham United, with nothing to play for and a dozen players injured, pulling off one of their habitual upsets against a Manchester United side two wins from the title.
...
For all the visitors' weaknesses on the day, there is enough essential integrity in English football for it not to matter that United's final two matches were against two of Ferguson's greatest admirers in Curbishley and Wigan's Steve Bruce.

The Times report has nothing out of the ordinary.

The Telegraph report starts off well enough, "It was a traditional final day at Old Trafford. A thumping Manchester United win, another Premier League title almost in the bag and a lap of honour by the players", before continuing in the usual "feeble" West Ham vein, and finishing with the most insulting comparison possible:

Nani not only risked putting his side's title at risk, he ruined the game as a spectacle since United started playing more back passes than the old Liverpool sides of the Seventies and Eighties

Round up of quotes in The Daily Star:

“The way Chelsea are talking, they think it will be easy up at Newcastle – but we know it won’t be. We know Newcastle will do their job. They’ll make it hard for Chelsea.”

A different topic from The Guardian's Paul Wilson, who praises Sir Alex for his Champions League decisions:

Credit for that goes to Ferguson and his assistant Carlos Queiroz, who were not sufficiently dismayed by the first-leg performance to be panicked into making changes for the second. They could probably hear the fans grumbling, could have anticipated the 'Fergie loses plot' headlines that would have followed another inauspicious exit, but they kept faith in their players and their system and proved United can contain teams when necessary. They don't have to be the world's greatest entertainers every week and when you are playing another team of entertainers it is only sensible not to allow them to play to their strengths. If credit for 1968 went to Matt Busby, and 1999's Treble was mined from a rare seam of youthful talent, this year could belong entirely to the manager.

And it occurs to me that for the sake of the usual format of my posts I should have stuck that one about Liverpool of the seventies at the end, but I'm not changing it now. Just imagine that it's there - or here.