At Last Alex gets what hes due

LizardKing

UEFA takes disciplinary action against Ferguson


UEFA, European soccer's ruling body, said it opened disciplinary proceedings against Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson for remarks suggesting the Champions League quarter-final draw had been rigged.

UEFA said in a statement today that remarks attributed to Ferguson by the British media "cast doubt upon the integrity of the draw for the quarter-finals".

Ferguson was quoted as saying in Sunday newspaper reports in Britain: "It was a nice draw for the Spanish and Italians - I think they picked it themselves."

"The three Italian teams have avoided each other and so have the three Spanish. How do you think that worked out?" he said.

"I can tell you - UEFA don't want us in the final, that's for sure. I don't know why they have given the final to Old Trafford because they don't want us to get there."

He apologised for the comments at a news conference on Monday ahead of Tuesday's match European champions Real Madrid.

'Bout Time the big mouthed haggis got some payback .... I'm sure a lot will agree.....and disagree :rolleyes:

jonno

I for one agree. I don't mind 'mind games' with the opposiion btu Ferguson tends to bring it to extremes. Questioning the integrity of the governing body because you pulled one of the hardest draws is stupid and childish to say the least.

Only yesterday he was at it again about the Roberto Carlos suspension not effecting Madrids team for tonight. Carlos is suspended by FIFA but he'll play tonight. Ferguson said that Madrid players get special treatment becaus ethey play for Madrid. Senseless

Sposs

Fergie is a Genius,he'll use this discpline action on him to tell the players he was right all along and know one wants them in the final,a small price to pay to motivate them past Madrid.


He was right about Carlos,when Di Canio pushed Alcock awhile back he got a worldwide suspension and carlos did the same and only got an international suspension.

cournioni

Just retaliation at clubs trying to unsettle Beckham and Giggs. Nothing wrong with that.

The Reaper

deserves worse!

s8n

I can't believe that even after all these years people still don't get fergie and let him wind them up.

Gaffo

Personally I wouldn't put it past UEFA to pull a stunt like this. The locations of the past two World Cups have been in obscure football settings across the world and were picked completely for financial reasons, but hiding behind the 'for the good of the game' facade. It flopped in America becausse not enough ad breaks could be incorporated but they seriously hit jackpot out in S. Korea and Japan. Don't mean to take away from the perfomances of the home nations but the ref was quite biased in the Spain V S.Korea game.
Back to the point on Ferguson. Just looks like his usual moaning and griping. Don't think I've ever not heard him complain after a match, especially in the last 2-3 years. That goes for Wenger as well. He seems to moan after every match now as well.
The only manager that seems to take it on the chin is Bobby Robson.
Either way, it keeps UEFA on their toes.

Mighty_Mouse

I agree with pornapster and sposs

LizardKing

On the Carlos thingy He pushed a ref in an international friendly
Di Canio did it in a Domestic Match.... , plus don't know if Di Canio did get an international ban cos he would not have been selected for Italy

Also don't FIFA look after world cup selections , I think you might be mixing up your associations there Gaffo .....

Mighty_Mouse

this was posted in todays independant

Real, who have not kept a Champions' League clean sheet at home in five attempts, entertain visitors who lead this season's competition goal tally with 27 goals in 12 games.

Zidane, a great, great player who makes hard things look easy," McManaman enthused

I wouldn't change any of our team for any of theirs," McManaman said.

Ferguson would be unamused to discover that Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and company are privately unimpressed with the technical merits of English football. On Saturday, during their afternoon meal before facing Rayo Vallecano, Real luminaries caught the first half of United's defeat of Liverpool and failed to find their pulses racing.

Deep down, Ferguson knows Real's quality exceeds United's

Reckon Real aren't a bit fazed bout playing United??

uberwolf

Fergies autobiog lets you in a few secrets, he's a clever man and this won't faze him at all, just part of the game as far as he's concerned, he's gone up so much in my estimation after reading that book, and i support liverpool!!

Hairy Homer

Chap called Spooner once described Sir Alex as 'a shining wit', I believe.

Praetorian

Just looks like his usual moaning and griping. Don't think I've ever not heard him complain after a match, especially in the last 2-3 years. That goes for Wenger as well. He seems to moan after every match now as well.

I hope your being sarcastic, because thats a silly thing to say otherwise!

It would not surprise me, if the draw was fixed. It could also just be bad luck!

Anyway, I think United can beat Real. Hopefully they will!

not a sausage

I hate admitting it coz i'm a city fan, but sir alex really is the best in the business, he can get under peoples noses, his players have the utmost respect for him, he's unbelievable in the transfer market, he set up an unbelievable youth system, what more can you say... and we're stuck with that plonker keegan , what a mess

bucks73

Reals fans have caused quite a few problems at CL games over the past few years and all the club recevied were fines.

You can be sure that had United, Arsenal or Liverpool fans pulled down a set of goals before a CL semi final they would have received a ban on home fans for a few games.

BKtje

Tbh maybe he deserves it but doesnt the feedom of speech allow him to say what he wants/thinks?

How do they make the draw? I mean is is fixibale, if it is then why dont UEFA change to a system which isnt fixable (or harder to).
The FA Cup system id say would be hard to fix, especially with an independant observer there, televised etc.
Now as i said, i dont know how its done.

yop

Tbh maybe he deserves it but doesnt the feedom of speech allow him to say what he wants/thinks?

Good point but jaysus he has to be going over the top in all honesty but as someone says the point about using it to jee up the players is a good ploy. But he has gone too far this time.

Still he is entertaining if nothing else and after reading the book I have to agree you do change you opinion of him.

Same for Kenny Daglishs book, changed my mind about him!

TwoShedsJackson

And it obviously did fu<k all use after the way they played last night - Ferdinand was hopeless, Wes Brown not much better, Beckham anonymous, Keane a mere shadow.

And now they'll be missing Scholes, their best player, for the return - hate that

LizardKing

I now think aul Alex got enough punishment last night ... a REAL lesson in football

Hobart

Originally posted by yop
but as someone says the point about using it to jee up the players is a good ploy.

His players must be pretty THICK if they need this type of filliblustering to 'jee them up'.

I personally believe that Fergusson sometimes believes his own hype and that 'the world is against us because we do everything best' message is just getting a tad over used at the moment. Fergie should just learn to keep his mouth shut sometimes.

As it turned out the wrong Manu turned up last night and for the first time ever I seen that team frightened and totally out played by the best in the world. It just goes to show you how far UTD have not come.

Sposs

Althought Utd played Crap we had plenty of chances (God Bless Ruud) he looked like Utd's only world class player,he worked his socks off,the rest of the team seem overawed which is very strange considering the amount they've won.

Bad performance from Utd but they can take heart from the fact their only two goals down against one of the best teams in the world.

LizardKing

I dunno ...


I thought Ruud played badly ... he kept giving the ball away and diving .... maybe we just have different opinions on "World Class" :rolleyes:

Thought O'Shea did well when he came on though ....

not a sausage

Ruud played very well considering he was up there all alone for most of the match, the three who dissapointed me most were Paul Scholes , Nicky Butt and David Beckham, they all gave the ball away too much, Keane won some amount of ball in mid-field, but it was impossible to play against those Madrid tactics, when they attack they have 6 players and when they defend they have 6 players, Makele and Flavio may be overlooked, but their contribution is overwhelming, they sacrifice their game so the "flair players" can do their stuff

Hobart

When Rudd tried he played very well. But I have a pain in my anal passage looking at him goin down like a Prima Donna evrytime a player comes near him. He was at it all last night again. If he stayed on his feet a bit more he might scors a few more goals. But there is no way would I class him as world class. He would not be fit to tie Zidanes laces or Lick Raul's boots. Not even in the same ball park.

not a sausage

ya he's a bit of a diver alright, beckham is the same though, i'd rate ruud very highly, his first touch is second to none, he holds up the ball and brings other players into the game, and he seems to have that gary lineker knack of being in the right place at the right time, most of his goals are scored from six yards, he just needs a bergkamp or pires supplyin him and he'd score a lot more goals. he also needs a permanent strike partner so he can build a partnership, like shearer - bellamy, or henry - bergkamp

BKtje

Van Nistlerooy does seem to go down at the slightest touch at times but i had to laugh at that long haired Real player on their right. (no idea what his name is)

Giggs runs beside him, thinks about tackling him, move his foot slightly and this guy goes down like a ton of bricks, had to laugh.

To be honest, Ruud was manu's only player that showed up, the rest seemed unbelievably nervous, especially after the early goal. Ffs nistlerooy seemed to be the only one with any kind of belief.

Im not totally surprised by the result tbh, Real are in a class of their own when their big men perform, and they certainly did that last night.

Just hope the real Man U shows up in 2 weeks and Real are over confident and never rreally show up

(i can dream can't i )

TwoShedsJackson

You can dream alright, but it won't be coming true. The main thing in Real's favour is they're not afraid of Manchester United, they know they have the players, skill, and class to beat them - they don't stand on ceremony

As for Van Nistelrooy's dive last night, I thought Jeffers was bad, but last night catapulted Van N to the front of the OScar brigade. Pathetic that a player with his undoubted ability has to resort to that sort of crap when he's outclassed.

Mighty_Mouse

Time for arrogant Ferguson to bite his lip


EVEN in the shoot-from-the-lip world of Sir Alex Ferguson, this past week took some beating for sheer arrogance and bombast.

First he claimed the Champions League draw was a "fix", earning a disrepute charge from UEFA and the threat of legal action from Austrian FA chief Friedrich Stickler, the man who physically drew the Manchester United 'ball' which paired them with Real Madrid.

Then the feisty Scot claimed UEFA did not want United to reach the final at Old Trafford next month and insisted Real Madrid would intimidate referee Anders Frisk in Tuesday's quarter-final and employ all manner of dirty tricks.

Add a swipe at Italians and Spanish football in general, and Real's Brazilian full-back Roberto Carlos in particular, and the story came to mind of the teacher trying to control his unruly and increasingly raucous class.
Exasperated by constant interruptions and rapidly losing his temper as classroom chaos ensues, the teacher shouts: "Every time I open my mouth some fool speaks".

This week it was Ferguson who looked foolish.

Indeed, at times his words were so preposterous that they bore a resemblance to those of the Iraqi Information Minister, who stood surrounded by American tanks in the heart of Baghdad and insisted Saddam Hussein's troops had "driven the infidels" out of the capital.

"They should take away Ferguson's title," claimed one Spanish critic, incensed at the Manchester United manager's comments.
As it was, Real Madrid came up with a far more painful punishment - stripping him of any realistic dreams of contesting the Champions League final after a 3-1 victory in the first leg, in which Real's football was as exhilarating as the result was emphatic.

It was a week which went some way to explaining why a club which should be revered for all it has done for English football is so often an object of hate for those not steeped in the Red Devils' tradition.

In that regard Ferguson, despite being the most successful manager in British football history, has much to answer for.
Dictatorial rule, creeping paranoia, hatred of the media, a disdain for footballing authority - they are all part and parcel of Ferguson's reign. And, most of all, a misguided assumption that Manchester United are above the laws of football, just because they happen to be the biggest and richest club in the world.

But, you know, of all Ferguson's proclamations this week perhaps the most arrogant, and certainly the most insulting to the average football supporter, was his insistence that, in comparison to the Champions League, English domestic football was "mundane".

Now I'm sure teams such as West Brom, Bolton, Birmingham and Charlton are sorry if their visits to Old Trafford no longer get Ferguson's juices stirring. And a wet November night in Middlesbrough doubtless does pale in comparison to the heady atmosphere of a packed Bernabeu.
But tell the Toon Army at St James's Park tomorrow that the visit of United is "mundane".

Tell the television companies who would pay an arm and a leg for next Wednesday's potential Premiership decider between United and Arsenal at Highbury that it is "just another match".
Ferguson can't have it both ways.

The Premiership can't be the best, most exciting, most passionate league in the world one week and "mundane" the next.

Just as Ferguson cannot be allowed to treat just about everything and everybody with whom he disagrees with contempt.

Frank Malley
Irish Independant

I thought it was relevant to the topic and it you have to be reegistered to access it so i posted it.