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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

United They Stand? United They Poach?

Manchester United's poaching at Sporting Lisbon is heating up. President Filipe Soares teed off on former Sporting and Portugal manager Carlos Queiroz, Sir Alex's henchman, for comments Queiroz made about Miguel Veloso, Sporting's young defender.

It's no secret Veloso is the latest apple of Ferguson's eye, and brashly, Queiroz said so recently. Soares swears Sporting will reject United's overtures once the Silly Season starts in January. We'll see about that one. The 20 million euros Veloso would likely fetch would nicely fatten up Sporting's coffers.

United has successfully used Sporting as a farm club: see Ronaldo, Nani.

Soares said: "[Veloso] has a contract and he's going to honor it. He will not be for sale in the January transfer window. He'll only be sold when someone pays his £20million buy-out clause. Carlos Queiroz is an employee of Manchester United and made an unacceptable insinuation."

Queiroz didn't stop at Veloso, however. He said Joao Moutinho, Porto's Ricardo Quaresma, Bruno Alves and Bosingwa are also United prospects.

A cap on foreign players in England doesn't make much sense if you're looking at it from a capitalist's point of view, but this will definitely fuel more debate over whether the proposal has viability.

I'm not going to get on my soapbox about the Sporting Academy; you can search my blog for more comments. But jeez, this is starting to look like collusion between United and Sporting, and the conspiracy theorist in me says Soares is calling foul with tongue in cheek. Sporting has never had a problem selling off the best of its crop, why start now?


Pontape na Logica has more on this (in Portuguese).
Maisfutebol has a Q&A with Queiroz (in Portuguese).

Manchester United Advances in Champions League; Sir Alex Schools Bento

Manchester United won its Champions League group today by virtue of a 2-1 win over Sporting at Old Trafford. Sporting was valiant, taking a 1-0 lead into the locker room at halftime, which is exactly where the game was won. Sir Alex Ferguson schooled his counterpart Paolo Bento in the second half, inserting Ryan Giggs and shifting the tide of play in midfield. Giggs outclassed the injury-plagued Sporting side which had no adjustments to match Ferguson's.

The irony has to be thick for Sporting, which supplied Man. U. with its future in recent years, having sent over Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani. Sporting's academy is is a sensational venue for young talent, and such sell-offs are the way of life for a big fish in a small pond such as Sporting, which has to sell its best players to satisfy shareholders. The club is a perennial contender in Portugal, an occasional winner and once in a while, pulls off something special like its 2005 run at the UEFA Cup final. But much like that day against CSKA Moscow and yesterday against United, Sporting comes up short in talent and resources.

Fergie and Wenger: Pirates Who Must Be Stopped

Sporting Clube de Portugal, affectionately Anglicized as Sporting Lisbon, has in recent years morphed into a farm club for Manchester United. Sporting's academy is probably the best in Europe producing over the years in no particular order Paolo Futre, Luis Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Ricardo Quaresma, Simao Sabrosa, Joao Moutinho, Miguel Veloso and a host of others. Ronaldo and Nani are the shiniest spokes on that wheel and they're going to carry United likely to another Premiership title and deep into the Champions League.

Carlos Queiroz, former Sporting and Portugal coach, sits at the right hand of Sir Alex Ferguson and is the direct link to the academy and forged the relationship between the two clubs, which has paid off handsomely in cash and resources for Sporting, and championships, glory and fortune for United.

UEFA kingpin Michel Platini, however, says enough. He chastised Ferguson and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger for their pillaging of these smaller clubs and wants it to end. Platini says the development of youth players in England, for example, is floundering because resources are driven elsewhere. There's talk of a cap on international players in England and Steven Gerrard has given his tacit OK on that.

Platini says: "I am totally against this philosophy. I like (Sir Alex) Ferguson, I like Arsene Wenger - they're good friends of mine - but don't like the system to pick the best players from all the youth categories in all the countries. It's difficult for those countries.

Soccernet says: Platini believes players need to be nurtured in their country of origin until they turn 20 or 21 and pointed out that in England there are regulations preventing clubs poaching young players from each other. He said: "I want to protect the people of 14 years old, 15 years old."