SAF is an A-S-S; 'Typical Germans' send United out of Europe

Google knows all. Try this search on for size; type in "Sir Alex Ferguson, referees" and revel in the 300,000 returns about the bitch that is Manchester United's manager.

Just skim over the titles on the first couple of pages and you'll see action verbs such as "rant", "hot water", "lashes", "slams" and "questions". SAF expends an amazing amount of time and energy pointing his Scottish digits at the men in black who govern football matches. This guy's got more conspiracy theories than Fox Mulder, and his diatribes against officials is reaching David Duchovny sex-addiction levels.

Rehab anyone?

The latest tantrum came after yesterday's Champions League quarterfinals ouster at the hands of Bayern Munich. United beat the German powerhouse 3-2, but lost on away goals. Ferguson was livid about Rafael da Silva's second yellow card which left United with 10 men. The second card came on a foul against Franck Ribery and Ferguson thinks the Bayern players, who rushed referee Nicola Rizzoli, pressured the official into the second yellow.

He said post-match:

"The young boy showed a bit of inexperience, but they got him sent off, everyone sprinted towards the referee - typical Germans. They were never getting through that tie. With 11 men, we had no problem."

The "typical Germans" crack is gonna bring the heat on SAF, who also thought Rizzoli let the Bayern players hack away at Wayne Rooney's gimpy ankle without prejudice. The bigger question is why is he such a whiny douche when it comes to referees? Any time United drops points in a match, there's always a poke at the referee, a jibe at a bad card or offside call. No wonder ABU adorns many a t-shirt in England; they're difficult to like, difficult to root for, difficult to figure out.

It will be interesting to see how the FA reacts to this from the certain pressure that will come from UEFA. Michel Platini hates the big English clubs and he's likely to demand some kind of retribution.

Meanwhile, the "typical Germans'" victory ensured that for the first time in seven years, no English club will be in the Champions League semifinals.

United should have kept the streak going, if it were not for -- get ready for it -- SAF himself, who has a few questions to answer himself, such as:

• Why start Rooney?
  
• How do you blow a three-goal lead--at home to boot?
• Why haven't you replaced Ronaldo and Tevez with big-name talent?
  
• Why gamble on Berbatov being the savior?

Surely we'll have nothing more than silence coming out of Manchester. Unless forced to, SAF won't apologize to the "typical Germans". He won't apologize to his players or ManU's fans either for letting them down.

Nope. The next sound you hear from SAF will be more whining the next time a call goes against United.

Subscribe to Starting Eleven

Divorce: Sporting Leaves Manchester United for City

Where, oh where, will Sir Alex Ferguson poach from now?

Apparently it's about to become official that Manchester United's longstanding player-poaching relationship with Sporting Lisbon has ended and that Manchester City is at the ready to step in to use Portugal's best developmental system as its farm team.

The Guardian reports that since Sporting pushed back on giving up Miguel Veloso to United (how dare they!) their arrangement turned sour. Sporting, according to the report, had to inform United of any bids on its players and give SAF right of first refusal. Sporting blames Carlos Queiroz for screwing up the deal. It says the former United assistant in 2007 starting wooing Veloso and Sporting became upset that it was unsettling the youthful star and disrespecting the agreement between the two clubs, the Guardian writes.

United countered that it wants out of the deal anyway because it's restrictive. It also, laughably, cited that the deal impacted any negotiations between United and Benfica. HAHA. Essentially, according to the article, United says its cutting ties with all the deals put in place by Peter Kenyon's regime.

OK.

City, meanwhile, is ready to swoop in and poach the next generation of Ronaldos, Nanis, Figos, Futres.... well you get it, the list goes on and on.

From the Guardian:

City have already put in place a deal to take Tobias Figueredo, a 15-year-old midfielder rated as one of Sporting's more promising players, as part of the chief executive Garry Cook's pledge to bring elite youngsters into the club academy and develop them as Champions League players of the future.

Why do Sporting supporters sit still for this? The cycle continues as Sporting's formula for developing young stars remains viable and the For Sale sign is always up at Alvalade. The return, meanwhile, is paltry. Sure the money is good, but it flies back into the club's coffers just to sustain this rush-to-market business plan. The product on the field never sees a return, unless of course, it's a youngster who is being showcased for a season or two before he's physically mature and football-savvy enough to contribute to a championship run. That of course happens when he gets to MANCHESTER!!

Maybe someone closer to the club's financial situation can clarify this for me, but why can't their be room for both? Why can't they continue to invest in the Academy and produce players, and yes, sell them as is their right -- and still buy an occassional player who can, you know, play at a high level???!!!

It's quite remarkable when you consider Sporting in the 2000's actually reached the UEFA Cup final, won two league championships, three Portuguese Cups, two League Cups (for what that's worth), four domestic Super Cups and a big handful of preseason tournaments (Vigo, Iberian Cup, Guidiana).

By comparison, Benfica won the league twice, one Portuguese Cup, one League Cup and one Super Cup and were pretty dismal in Europe.

FC Porto did much better, with six league championships, four Portuguese Cups, a Champions League win, a UEFA Cup win and an Intercontinental Cup win. No comparison. And why? They reinvest in the product on the field. Not in washed-up South Americans who can't get a sniff of top-tier clubs in their respective home leagues.

Someone needs to look at this as collusion and needs to look closely at the money being exchanged here and where it's going. It sure ain't going back on the field.

Subscribe to Starting Eleven

Michael Owen, Besieged by Ifs and Injuries, Signs with Manchester United

So I wake up this morning expecting nothing actually. Fireworks tonight. Some beer and burgers in between.

And Michael Owen signing with Manchester United?

Um?

Isn't this one about 10 years too late?

Seriously, Michael Owen can't take two steps onto the pitch without tripping on the touch line, pulling a hamstring and sitting on the sidelines for four months.

Owen signed for two years with an option for a third for United. Naturally, you lose Cristiano Ronaldo, who bolts for Paris (Hilton) and Madrid, and your best move is to lock up 29-year-old Michael Owen, a guy who's best years are 11 years behind him?

Seriously, a healthy Owen gives you a nice goal-scoring option off the bench. The guy knows how to score and does it quite well--when healthy. That's a big tomale sitting out there. The guy is never healthy.

Will it hurt United when Owen goes down? Probably not because depth is not an issue at Old Trafford, and Owen is, I guess, a nice-to-have option.

As for Owen, this guy went from the Kansas to the Land of Oz in an instant here. Stoke was his next stop not too long ago, and now he's got a chance, if he stays healthy, of playing in the Champions League final, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and whatever else, Sir Alex Ferguson decides he wants to win this coming season.

I guess SAF is that man behind the curtain.

Subscribe to Starting Eleven

Chelsea-Manchester United Preview:Make-or-Break Match for United?

Has there been a more important September clash than Sunday's Chelsea-Manchester United match? Not in recent memory if you bleed United red.

United is already six points in arrears of Chelsea, which stands top of the Premier League table with 10 points. Chelsea in in top form and coming off a 4-0 Champions League win at home against Bordeaux, and will have John Terry on the pitch after his red card last weekend against Manchester City was rescinded.

With Chelsea's momentum, a victory over United will give them a nine-point edge over the reigning kings of Europe, it would be difficult to see Chelsea giving back three games to its most dangerous rival. History shows us too that Liverpool will eventually fade and Arsenal will run out of fresh resources once crunch time in March, April and May arrives.

Is it a stretch to say Chelsea wins the league title tomorrow with a win? Well, sure, but maybe not in the long run. Does Chelsea, inspired by the Scolaris, Decos and Bosingwas, as well as Lampard playing on top form, Terry's reinstatement and Didier Drogba's eventual return, even have three losses in them this season?

Injuries and other intangibles aside, the answer just could be 'No'.

Nonetheless, United is likely to make this a game to remember regardless of the outcome. Cristiano Ronaldo, who returned early from an injury to play Wednesday in a 0-0 draw against Villareal, has already said that any Chelsea attempts to reinjure him will be repaid with goals. Despite Ronaldo's return, United still won't have a complete team on the pitch. Dimitar Berbatov is a game-time decision with an injury and Nemanja Vidic will serve a one-game suspension.

Chelsea, meanwhile, has had no trouble scoring goals or winning games. But manager Luiz Filipe Scolari is already playing down the quick start, especially after Chelsea's win Wednesday; a classic tactic.

"Maybe against another team we would have received more punishment because we lost many balls in the middle. It is dangerous for us. But it is important to start with a win because in this compeition, you never know what will happen. You can see that when Cluj beat Roma. That is a warning for us for the next game."

John Terry Red Card Rescinded;Chelsea Captain Available for Manchester United

Sunday's Premier League clash of the titans, the Champions League final rematch, the latest game of the century between Chelsea and Manchester United, was tossed a bit of drama today when John Terry's red card--issued last weekend against Manchester City--was overturned.

Sir Alex Ferguson is raging today, hours ahead of United's Champions League opener against Villareal. The target of his ire is Keith Hackett, general manager of the Professional Game Match officials board. Hackett overruled referee Mark Halsey's decision to toss Terry. Halsey, apparently has been demoted to the second division this weekend. Ferguson was quoted in several English papers today:

"If it had been Manchester United, Hackett would not have done this. In future, if referees are seen to make mistakes then this (demotion) is going to have to happen all the time."

This is dangerous precedent on the FA's part, but in this case, Hackett is correcting an injustice. Terry deserved a yellow at best, and not the red and corresponding three-game suspension that would have started this weekend against United.

Chelsea manager Luiz Filipe Scolari meanwhile says he's surprised--pleasantly for sure. He told the Guardian:

"That would only happen in England. Anywhere else the referee is a god and it's finished. It's a surprise, but a positive surprise. The Football Association have their men who understand that the referee is not god. They make mistakes sometimes, like I do and the players do."

The Offside has a poll up on the decision; and says he's on the fence on the decision.
BleacherReport is shocked, but thinks the right call was made.
Soccernews brings some perspective to the discussion.
World Soccer Guru says Terry is a cheater.

Subscribe in a reader

Gerrard, Torres Ready to Return forLiverpool against Manchester United

Yes Manchester United fans, you will have Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres to kick around tomorrow when Liverpool hosts United at Anfield.

Gerrard, fresh off of groin surgery, and Torres, recovering from a hamstring ding, have been cleared in anticipation of tomorrow's derby. That clamor you hear are the Mercysiders jigging themselves silly.

Gerrard's return is an eye-opener. He was expected to miss this game and the Reds' Champions League opener this week. It will be interesting to see how much he plays against United. Expect him to start; whether he finishes is another story.

Rafa Benitez will have a full side against United with the Reds atop the table with Chelsea.

"[Gerrard and Torres] came through a full training session this morning. It wasn't a very hard session, but they will both be in the squad. It's important for us to have these two players of quality who can change a game. I'm not surprised they are available because the medical staff have done a good job and the players have been working really hard with the physios to get fit."

Not to fall into the trap of over-hyping games in September, but this is a big one (duh). United has four points from two matches, and dropping three more tomorrow won't be good for its overall title hopes, and may indeed rush Cristiano Ronaldo back from the sidelines. Sir Alex Ferguson says Ronaldo is fit and will return for this week's home Champions League match against Villareal at Old Trafford. Like Gerrard, Ronaldo's recovery is ahead of schedule.

Liverpool needs to win if it's going to snap its Premier League title drought. With Chelsea having beefed up, the Blues may be the bigger target this season. But there's something to be said for moral, emotional victories. United are a big hurdle for Liverpool, one that needs to be leapt at home.

With United certainly slumping out of the gate, this might be a likely outcome. The difference may rest on the bench, not where Gerrard and/or Torres may be sitting, but in Benitez. The Liverpool boss isn't the best game-day guy in the Premier League, and in a close match, how he moves the chess pieces may dictate the outcome.

Manchester has Monopoly on Transfers:Robinho to City; Berbatov to United

Monday was Labor Day in the U.S., but it was Europe's clubs hard at work shuffling players and contracts before the slamming shut of the transfer window.

The biggest winner is clearly Manchester City which snared Robinho from Real Madrid, and away from Chelsea for 32.5 million pounds. This news came on the heels of an announcement that Abu Dhabi United Group will buy the club from human rights violator Thaksin Shinawatra.

The greatest irony is that Robinho's first showing in a City sweater is against Chelsea on the 13th. ESPN reports that Real did not want to sell the Brazilian to Chelsea, despite Robinho's pleas to move to Stamford Bridge. City's emergence into the deal was a welcome sight for Real, Soccernet says.

Real coach Bernd Schuster did not want to lose Robinho, and tried to head the deal off at every pass. "He's a great kid, but badly advised," Schuster said.

Robinho's is not the only saga to end Monday. Dimitar Berbatov finally joined Manchester United, for less money than Robinho (30.7 million).

Berbatov brings some much needed offense to United, which awaits Cristiano Ronaldo's return from an ankle injury. Ronaldo said this weekend he hopes to be back by the end of the month, far ahead of schedule.

United has not had the best start in defense of its title, most recently, losing the UEFA SuperCup to Zenit St. Petersburg, 2-1, on Friday.

Berbatov, Arshavin at Center of UEFA Super Cup Clash

Three months ago, Friday's UEFA Super Cup between Manchester United and Zenit St. Petersburg would have been really interesting. Remember waaaay back in May when United was in top form breezing through the Premier League and narrowly beating Chelsea for the Champions League. And remember when Zenit was dominating all comers--Bayern Munich in particular--on its way to the UEFA Cup title.

Cristiano Ronaldo was at his dominant best, wrapping up a 40-plus-goal season, and Andrei Arshavin was a relative no-name carrying his nondescript team to one of Europe's major championships.

It would have been interesting to see if this little-train-that-could from Russia could topple the might United.

But now? This week? Eh.

Forget for a second that it's essentially still the pre-season, the two teams are quite different from the teams that wrapped up the '07-'08 campaign. Ronaldo is on the shelf for a while with his infamously bum ankle--and he's still waiting on a move to Real Madrid. And Arshavin? He made his name at Euro 2008 where he was one of the brightest stars and lifting Russia to the semifinals where it lost to eventual champions Spain. Arshavin scored only two goals, but he was clearly a special player and a dangerous playmaker. That has garnered him loads of attention from clubs in western Europe.

Arshavin is one of the players at the center of the Dimitar Berbatov soap opera. Berbatov wants to go to United--he was seen signing a United jersey this weekend. Tottenham, which already lost Robbie Keane to Liverpool, won't let its star striker go unless it has a replacement, and Spurs say they're willing to let Berbatov "rot" in the reserves until their price is met. Arshavin, meanwhile, is one of a host of players reportedly in line for Berbatov's spot at White Hart Lane. But Zenit won't let him go for cheap, and Arshavin too was on the bench for Zenit's 3-1 loss last weekend. Zenit is sixth in Russia after 19 games.

Zenit, however, has landed young Portuguese star and Sporting Lisbon academy prodigy Danny for 30M pounds. Does this open the door for Arshavin's departure? Amazingly, all of these fortunes are intertwined, and someone has to blink first for the remaining dominoes to fall.

As for the Super Cup, United gets a slew of players back in its lineup, including Nani and Ryan Giggs. Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves remain sidelined with injuries. Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez still haven't shown a lot of flash or punch up front. There's a lot to sort out, especially with back-to-back Premier League showdowns with Liverpool (Sept. 13) and Chelsea (Sept. 21) closing in. It's doubtful Sir Alex Ferguson will go all-out to win this one, and neither will Zenit, which is in the middle of its season and scrapping for a Champions League spot.

Super Cup? Super Dud? Your call.

Wither Berbatov? Arshavin? Huntelaar?

Oliver Kay at the Times of London reports the Dimitar Berbatov will sign with Manchester United within days. United apparently re-opened negotiations with the Tottenham star and the magic number is now 25M pounds, after 20.5M had been rejected. The teams have until Aug. 31 to come to terms before the current transfer window closes.

Finally there may be an end to this novela. Tottenham boss Juande Ramos left Berbatov on the bench this weekend because he was psychologically unfit to play, and Tottenham fans flipped after Sunderland came to White Hart Lane and won 2-1.

Berbatov will play up front Old Trafford with Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney. But who steps in at Tottenham? And why, 25M pounds notwithstanding, would Tottenham let him go without a viable replacement.

Zenit St. Petersburg, apparently still in the afterglow of its UEFA Cup win, won't part with Andrei Arshavin after talking serious numbers in the neighborhood of 20M pounds. Dutch scorer Huntelaar is also reportedly in the mix for the Tottenham post. Coach Dick Advocaat, however, says the saga is wearing on his team as well, that Arshavin's head wasn't in the game this weekend as Zenit lost 3-1 to Shinnik Yaroslav.

"He's constantly wondering if they'll let him go or not,'' Advocaat said. ''He's waiting by his phone for calls from his agent.''

Champions League Final Preview: Storylines Abound for Manchseter United, Chelsea

Twenty four hours from kickoff in Moscow, and the focus has been on just about everything but the game:

• Will Ronaldo leave United for Real Madrid?
• Is Drogba playing his final game at Chelsea?
• Wither Avram Grant?
• Is Sir Alex coming back if United wins?
  

How about the game?!?

against the United troika of The glamorous matchup is Chelsea's back line of Terry, Carvalho, Essien, Ferreira and CechRonaldo, Rooney and Tevez. Can Ronaldo be stopped? Can Chelsea afford to focus solely on No. 7, only to allow Rooney and Tevez to roam wild. And does the Blues have the luxury of sending one man to monitor Ronaldo's movements? All legitimate questions, but this one may not be decided there, but at the other end of the field.

Rio, Vidic, Brown and Evra I think are a stronger back four than what Chelsea offers; look at what they did to a pressing Barcelona in the semifinals! Say what you will about Barca's failings this year, Barca came to play in the semis and Rio, Vidic et al stood tall. I think the scenario to watch is how Ballack and Lampard press the United midfield and serve Drogba and even Joe Cole.

And how about depth? As well as Chelsea's playing, Grant's boys haven't dug too deeply into the bench, while United as a dangerous set of subs in Park Ji-Sung, Giggs, Nani (if he doesn't start) and even Anderson. Anelka is one to watch off the Chelsea bench.

The wild card may be Grant. With a couple of weeks to think about this one, will he out-coach himself? Will he mess with the team's continuity and rhythm and say, put Anelka out wide or go on a hunch and insert Kalou or Malouda?

Another wild card: the pitch and the crowd. Reports are mixed on the conditions, but word is that it's a new pitch and sod requires time to take. You hate to see a game of this magnitude decided by a shady bounce. Reports are mixed too on the crowds. The Russian government capitulated on the visa situation, opening the doors for anyone with a legitimate ticket. Hopefully this keeps the sideline distractions to a minimum. It's an odd to choice to put the final in Moscow; here's hoping it's a non-issue.

So who wins?

How about United, 2-1, with a late goal from Sung off the bench; just a gut feeling.

Finally: Manchester United, Chelsea to Decide Premier League Title

There are only two matches that matters this weekend in Europe: Wigan-Manchester United and Chelsea-Bolton. For the first time, the English Premier League championship will be decided on the final weekend of the season. To clarify: United and Chelsea are even on points (84), United has the insurmountable edge in goal difference (17) and will win the title with a victory at Wigan. Any slipup coupled with a Chelsea victory, and the Blues are champions.

Logic tells you that United and Chelsea are heavy favorites against 13^th place Wigan and 16^th place Bolton respectively. But logic flies out the window when conspiracy theorists enter the fray--and boy are they out there in full force. The mind games leading up to this weekend are staggering, giving credence to the theories that intangibles, and not talent, will decide the championship Sunday.

For instance:

1. Wigan boss Steve Bruce is a former United player; how closely allied is he with United and will his team lie down for Man U.?
2. Wigan’s home pitch is a mess, well less than perfect, and will destroy United’s precise game.
3. Wayne Rooney is officially doubtful for the title decider, leaving a gaping hole in the Man. U. attack.
4. Bolton players have been partying all week, says Sir Alex. Never mind Wigan laying down, what about the Wanderers, he asks.
5. Sven Goran Eriksson is suddenly linked with the Chelsea job 48 hours before the game(s) of the year. Is he really in line to replace Avram Grant? What if Grant wins the Premiership--AND the Champions League? How do you replace him?
6. Ricardo Carvalho is doubtful for Chelsea, leaving a gaping hole in the Chelsea back.
7. The experts like Manchester United.

Sensible fans will realize that all of this is hype, and come kickoff, not of it matters. There are simple counters to all of these theories:

1. Steve Bruce is a professional and his team will give an honest effort.
2. The messy pitch is there for both teams.
3. Rooney will play.
4. Football players party all the time, this week is no different for Bolton (nor United, Chelsea or Wigan for that matter).
5. Sven isn’t going anywhere near the Chelsea job.
6. Carvalho will play.
7. Why wouldn’t the experts like United with so many factors in United’s favor.

In the end, talent and desire--and the best team wins out. Unless United succumbs to “squeaky-bum time,” it beats Wigan, Chelsea slaps Bolton around and United wins the title.

It only makes sense.

Manchester United, Chelsea: To the Wire

Chelsea gets goals from Michael Ballack and Malouda to turn back Newcastle 2-0 and take the Premiership to the final weekend. Man. U. needs to win at Wigan, while Chelsea's only hope is to beat Bolton and pray for help from Wigan. Man. U. has an insurmountable goal differential in its favor and needs only to match Chelsea's result to win its second straight title.

Television remote controls will be on overtime Saturday with both matches starting at the same time. Let the hype begin with entries from:

ManU the Offside
John Terry.net
Teletext's Man. U. page
Caught Offside

BTW, take my poll. Countdown: 16 days to Moscow--and counting...

HISTORY: All-England Champions League Final Secured

All-England is no longer exclusive to Wimbledon tennis. Feel free to apply that descriptor to the 2008 Champions League final after Manchester United held on to beat Barcelona 1-0 yesterday at Old Trafford. Liverpool or Chelsea will join United May 21 in Moscow following the second leg of their semifinal today at 2:45 ET (ESPN2).

Pretty fitting Paul Scholes' wonder goal was the winner yesterday. Scholes was suspended for United's 1999 thriller victory over Bayern Munich, but he will get a chance to atone in three weeks.

Scholes' moment of brilliance was born of a Barcelona blunder. Gianluca Zambrotta's brilliant pilfering of a furious Ronaldo attack down the left side of the United attack was overshadowed by a horrific clearing attempt that Scholes welcomed about 30 meters from goal. Scholes volleyed the bouncing ball with great precision and movement, giving Barca keeper Victor Valdes no shot at keeping it out of the goal. United had its lead. Scholes had another defining moment.

Long unfit for national team play, Scholes may be playing his way back into Fabio Capello's consciousness. In the meantime, the Reds' redhead will settle for the big-eared cup, no doubt. In '99, he and Roy Keane accumulated too many yellow cards and were banned from the final, a 2-1 United shocker with a pair of goals in the closing seconds of the match.

Today's Chelsea-Liverpool second leg promises equal drama, and questions.

• Will John Arne Riise atone for his own goal that gave the Blues a precious away goal?
• Will Avram Grant silence them all and reach Europe's greatest stage?
• Will grief-struck Frank Lampaard play today?
• Does Steven Gerrard have another Champions League miracle in his holster?

All will be answered later today, and history will be made in three weeks.

One For United Faithful

Maybe the greatest finish in the history of sports:

Champions League: Manchester United, Barcelona Brace for Semifinal Clash

The English papers are aglow this morning with the possibilities of an all-England Champions League final. Manchester United hosts Barcelona today with the ghosts of last week's penalty miss in Spain still haunting United. Cristiano Ronaldo has promised to atone, but United need look only as far as Liverpool and John Arne Riise to see how quickly it can all slip away.

Sir Alex Ferguson is steadfast that United has not hit a late-season wall, especially in the wake of the team's loss at Chelsea on Saturday. The setback put United and Chelsea level on points in the Premiership, and cast the very real possibility that United could come away sans silverware this season.

Sir Alex pontificates in the Times of London:

“No, I'm not concerned the season is beginning to affect the team. We should be sitting here now as champions of this league. Decisions have gone against us, bad decisions. But when we started out in the league in August, our goal was to win it. We signed up to play 38 league matches and we are going to play 38 league matches. And if it means we have to win the last two games to win the league, then so be it.

“Where we are now is, with two games left - it doesn't matter if we've had 50 penalty kicks turned down or 50 given to us, or terrible performances or great performances. We are sitting here with two league games left: a home game against West Ham on Saturday and a game against Wigan away, as well as a semi-final against Barcelona. Disaster!”

Ferguson clearly wants the big-eared cup, and proved it on Saturday by sitting Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez, Owen Hargreaves, Patrice Evra and Paul Scholes against the Blues. Will his arrogance catch up to him. Clearly, West Ham and Wigan don't scare Ferguson, who was willing to sacrifice at least two points to Chelsea on Saturday; it's doubtful a loss was on his drawing board.

Barcelona, meanwhile, has to rue its slate of missed opportunities at home last week against United. Going into impenetrable Old Trafford and securing such an important result is a tall order. Manager Frank Rijkaard, many believe, is a dead-man-walking. Yet, he is resolute that his team impose its will on United and reach the final, the second of his tenure.

"Against Manchester United we have to play strong. To defend is not the correct course of action in this case. We have to play with aggression and put them under pressure."

I'm not buying it. I think the first 15 minutes should be amazing to watch. The longer Barca stays in the game, the tighter the noose gets on United. Barca isn't expected to win, and the away goal is most precious--and it's theirs to get. Not being a supporter of either side, I'm rooting for the bigger storyline here, the better game, and that's clearly a Manchester United-Liverpool final. Right now, those are the two underdogs, yet each has something in its favor: United being at home, Liverpool chasing an away goal.

Football and sport is fascinating for these types of scenarios. It's something to cherish.

Whine and Cheese for Sir Alex Ferguson

My God when did Sir Alex Ferguson turn into this whining little girl?

Reuters reports the king of all managers says the scheduling of this weekend's potential title-clincher for the Reds at Stamford Bridge favors Chelsea. Ferguson's complaint is that Man U. has one fewer day to prep for the match than the Londoners. A win wraps up a second straight title for Ferguson's club.

"We stayed overnight in Barcelona. Then we had a light training session at Barcelona's training ground. Being in the sun and having a day relaxing is probably the best thing we could have done. Once you shake hands with the devil (the television companies) there is nothing you can do about it. 'It is not fair but what can you do? It happened to us last year after the semi-final with AC Milan when we had to play Manchester City on the Saturday lunchtime straight afterwards. We just get on with it."

Thing is, United won that match against City and clinched the title the next day when Arsenal and Chelsea drew. It did, however, lose in the Champions League semifinals the follow Wednesday to eventual winner AC Milan; therein lies the crux of Sir Alex's whining. He'll get the Premiership, one way or another, and he knows it. It's the Champions League he wants, and what he doesn't want is to suffer the same fate Arsene Wenger and Arsenal faced when the Gunners had to play Liverpool three times in a six-day period recently.

Manchester United Survives Ronaldo Miss

Cristiano Ronaldo's missed penalty kick in yesterday's Champions League semifinal first leg at Barcelona has apparently driven Sir Alex Ferguson mad. The greatest manager in football history was actually quoted: "... maybe it came too early for us." Good one. Almost as good as those folks who wanted the New England Patriots to lose a game before the playoffs began last NFL season in order to relieve some of the pressure that accompanies the chase for an undefeated season.

Bollocks.

Sir Alex's quote is spin, pure and simple. Ronaldo blew it, and blew it badly. He had Barca keeper Victor Valdes diving in the wrong direction, aimed for the top corner as any stellar penalty taker should, and pushed it wide of the goal. Manchester United is fortunate to have the return leg at Old Trafford, because this gaffe can be quickly overturned and forgotten.

Ultimately, Barcelona has to be supremely disappointed with the outcome yesterday. It dominated the run of play for the most part, got the most fortunate of breaks with Ronaldo miss, and still was unable to get a favorable result. Barca can score at Old Trafford, but will it keep Man U. off the board? Unlikely.

Upset Alert: Manchester United Out of FA Cup

Portsmouth upsets Manchester United 1-0. Sulley Muntari's penalty kick in the final 15 minutes ends the Red Devils' treble dreams. Sir Alex started Tomasz Kuszczak in goal, but he was red-carded for taking down former Liverpool scorer Milan Baros.

See the highlights at Footballocks.
RedRants laments United's tough April schedule.

Champions League Draw: Knockout Round Analysis -- England

It’s Milan-squared for England’s group-stage runners-up in the Champions League knockout round. Inter opens the round-of-16 at Anfield, while Arsenal heads to AC Milan.

Inter is arguably the best team in Europe through Christmas and it will be interesting to see how much Champions League magic the Reds have in the bag for Inter. Of even more interest will be Liverpool’s form by then, and of course whether Rafa Benitez will still be behind the bench.

Liverpool sits fifth with 30 points and a game in hand. It has lost three straight to English sides, including 2-0 to Chelsea this week in the Carling Cup, 1-0 to Manchester United and 3-1 to Reading in the Premier League. The only saving grace of late has been Liverpool’s 4-0 win at Marseille putting it through to the Champions League knockout round, where it earned its date with Milan.

Rafa, meanwhile, is working Liverpool’s American owners for a new contract and wants them to loosen the pursestrings for the January transfer window. It’s been a bone of contention between the two sides and could ultimately lead to Rafa’s departure from Anfield at the end of the season if not sooner.

Arsenal, meanwhile, lead the Premiership by a point over United and may have lucked out drawing Milan, which has been miserable in Serie A, in particular at home. It’s the biggest mystery in football given that AC Milan is the only European time yet to win a home game; yes even Derby County has this season. Milan’s misery was compounded yesterday losing the first leg of its round-of-16 Coppa Italia match against Catania.

Chelsea won its group and was drawn with Olympiacos. Avram Grant can do no wrong, still having lost only once since taking over for Jose Mourinho, and now earning a fortunate draw with the Greek side. Chelsea hosts the second leg of the tie.

Manchester United takes on perennial French champions Lyon, and already is boasting about its chances. Club secretary Ken Ramsden was quoted on Soccernet: “[Lyon] won’t be pleased getting us.” He’s probably correct. United has not lost since Sept. 26 (2-0 to Coventry in the Carling Cup) It has lost only once in the Premiership to Manchester City 1-0 on Sept. 19. United’s recent form: seven wins, one draw since tying Arsenal 2-2 on Nov. 3.

Update: Manchester United Player Arrested in Rape Investigation

Manchester police have arrested United's 19-year-old defender Jonny Evans in connection with a rape that was reported following a team Christmas party at a Manchester hotel.

Evans has [had?] a bright football future. He played at Sunderland last year and has eight caps for Northern Ireland. He's made the pitch three times for United this season.

The entire Man. U. roster was in attendance, sans Cristiano Ronaldo. A 26-year-old woman claimed to police she was raped at the party.

The Times of London is reporting the bash cost the team's top players 4,000 pounds EACH! English lap dancers are expensive. The Tines also reports that Sir Alex Ferguson was reluctant about the party, but gave his OK.