Deluded, not defiant

[Tosh]

Matt Dickinson says of Fergie in The Times

[Stevie H]

that's the most objective match report i've read. ferguson just got it so, so wrong tactically on saturday.

[smicer07]

Why they are all focussing on the Liverpool fans' reaction, I don't know. Smith got clapped off for God's sake. Why no mention of the Hillsborough and murderers chants??

[nvdm]

Why they are all focussing on the Liverpool fans' reaction, I don't know. Smith got clapped off for God's sake. Why no mention of the Hillsborough and murderers chants??

 

There is, here.

[owenthomas]

"..United?s brainless barrage of long passes in the second half hardly gave Ferguson a licence to disparage anyone else?s tactics, which he did by accusing Liverpool of ?pumping the ball into the box? and keeping it tight at the back. ?That?s the kind of side they are now,? he said. ?They can only play for five minutes and win a game.?

 

They are remarks that paint Ferguson as deluded rather than defiant."

 

[Ombudsam]

And people think the press love ManU. They gun for ferguson every year. Journos literally don't like him

[Billy Dane]

They are starting to turn on him, particularly now that they have Jose to drool over, but I don't think they used to "gun for Ferguson every year".

[Cobs]

They are starting to turn on him, particularly now that they have Jose to drool over, but I don't think they used to "gun for Ferguson every year".

the fecker was winning titles every year - making it hard to slate him whatever he did. Same with Mourinho now - the moment Chelsea stop winning see how they'll turn...

 

 

it may be as early as Thursday morning.

[Ombudsam]

They are starting to turn on him, particularly now that they have Jose to drool over, but I don't think they used to "gun for Ferguson every year".

 

Going back to when they had a week where they lost 5-0 to newcy and 6-3 to the saints they wanted to get him then. More recently in 2001-2 where they had a shocking start everyone was delighting in the fact they were finished. This was before they went on a superb run. The same happened in 2002-3. I think even Paul Wilson wrote that "Do Man Utds results matter anymore" after they lost to W.Ham but that may have been the previous season.

 

They were also writing his obituary after the Benfica game. Whenever they get the chance they stick it to United. Holt's articles dripped with hatred for a while. How do people miss these things

[Cobs]

They were also writing his obituary after the Benfica game. Whenever they get the chance they stick it to United. Holt's articles dripped with hatred for a while. How do people miss these things

too busy looking for the Southern media bias against us?

[owenthomas]

things continue in a similar vein in the Mirror

 

WITH Sir Alex Ferguson's style of management, when he says sunshine, you take an umbrella.

 

Best then to perhaps not take his post-match comments too seriously after Liverpool had strolled rather too comfortably into the quarter-finals with what even many Manchester United fans will consider was a facile victory. According to the United manager, the home side only played for five minutes and were lucky to steal a victory after defending desperately for the rest of the game against what he believes was the total dominance of his side.

 

I'll have a pint of what he's on. If Ferguson really believes that, then maybe the time has come for him to deliver on his promise of three years ago and step down from the hot-seat at Old Trafford because he can not make logical decisions with that level of self delusion. The truth of this tie was that Manchester United simply had too many weaknesses in key areas. Worryingly, those weaknesses have been evident for some time and yet a club the size and importance of United have failed to address them.

 

Given their financial muscle, the question that must be asked is if their manager - after all these years - has taken his eye off the ball? Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez hit the nail squarely on the head in summing up this game, when he talked about the area in which it was won and lost. "When I was six years old, people talked about midfield being the key. Now, it is even more important. You can not win matches without winning the midfield."

 

It goes without saying that Liverpool won that area comprehensively, with Didi Hamann showing the experience of a World Cup finalist to accept the gift of time and space offered by his naive opposite numbers, while Steven Gerrard ran rampant through frozen ranks. Ferguson attempted to swamp the midfield with numbers, employing youngsters Darren Fletcher and Kieran Richardson supported by Ryan Giggs in an unfamiliar holding role, with Rooney and Ronaldo wide. Yet Liverpool were allowed, especially in the opening half, to pass pretty triangles through the acres of space United allowed.

 

It is right to question the United manager's tactics, given that he changed his formation at least four times through the course of this match. Does he know his best player Rooney's best position, for instance? Surely, the left wing berth the England man was given for much of the second half was a criminal waste of talent.

 

And as for the personnel Ferguson employed, surely a club the size of United can do better, in a game of this size, than two central midfielders who have never played there before and a couple of kids who looked totally out of their depth. It's not as if the United manager can't have seen it coming. There was at least three years' notice of the decline of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, and the need to replace them - and not with the sub-standard likes of Klebersen and Eric Djemba-Djemba.

 

Ferguson apparently spends a fraction of the time on the training ground he used to, and no longer displays the obsessive eye for detail he was famous for. There perhaps, is one of the reasons why United's season is now effectively over a couple of weeks into February - and don't start giving it large about the final of some mickey mouse cup that is the preserve of also-rans.

 

Compared to Liverpool, United currently lack the strength in depth required at this level. The home side were without the cultured Xabi Alonso, and yet still dominated midfield when the game was won in the first half, and were worth more than the single goal provided via the head of the excellent Peter Crouch. Just a point here, by the way, but how does a 6ft 7in striker find himself completely unmarked from a set piece?

 

Liverpool have endured an arduous programme this season, due to their early start in the Champions League, but they are still very much a force in that competition, are in the quarter-final of the FA Cup, and on this evidence could even squeeze United out of second place in the Premiership. Their success, according to Benitez, is down to a realistic recruitment programme that accepts the limitations of their budget, and is realistic about their ambition.

 

"When I came there were changes required, but we couldn't do them all at once," he explained. "We looked at positions and looked at the players we needed. Take Peter Crouch, he wasn't the best striker in the world, but he was what we needed. We have strengthened our squad by finding players that will improve us, without having to spend massive amounts of money. Now we feel we have a squad that can cope with a tough programme and compete on the same level as the best teams."

 

Liverpool created all the chances in this game and could have won by a wider margin had Harry Kewell and Steve Finnan converted decent openings. They know though, even given the slender margin of victory, that they were the better side and now take a real momentum into this week's Champions League encounter with Benfica. For match-winner Crouch, it is evidence of the emergence of the Merseyside club as a coming force in English football and, importantly, of a belief that they are ready now to compete for honours as the season enters its business stage.

 

"Psychologically, this can be massive for us. We have shown we can compete against Manchester United and beat them and we can take a lot of confidence from this win into the games we have coming up," he said. "We have a massive amount still to play for this season. We have a target in the league to finish ahead of United, and we have a serious chance in the FA Cup and Champions League."

 

The game, of course, was marred by the horrific injury to Alan Smith, and both sets of players, along with the wrongly-maligned Liverpool supporters, showed respect to the battling United midfielder. Given his spirit, Smith will overcome this setback, no matter how long it takes. The same can be said of Manchester United who, with the talent - and finance - at their disposal, will come again. But will it be under the current manager?

[Ombudsam]

too busy looking for the Southern media bias against us?

 

Maybe. Maybe it's cos i only ever read the papers when a combination of us winneing and them losing takes place

 

I just get pissed off otherwise

[Billy Dane]

Going back to when they had a week where they lost 5-0 to newcy and 6-3 to the saints they wanted to get him then. More recently in 2001-2 where they had a shocking start everyone was delighting in the fact they were finished. This was before they went on a superb run. The same happened in 2002-3. I think even Paul Wilson wrote that "Do Man Utds results matter anymore" after they lost to W.Ham but that may have been the previous season.

 

They were also writing his obituary after the Benfica game. Whenever they get the chance they stick it to United. Holt's articles dripped with hatred for a while. How do people miss these things

 

You're talking about 3-4 occasions. Generally speaking the press have held Utd up as the benchmark since football was invented in 92. Having said that I haven't pored over the Utd articles in the press as you appear to have done, indeed preferring instead to focus my attention on the obvious bias against Liverpool over this period.

[Ombudsam]

You're talking about 3-4 occasions. Generally speaking the press have held Utd up as the benchmark since football was invented in 92. Having said that I haven't pored over the Utd articles in the press as you appear to have done, indeed preferring instead to focus my attention on the obvious bias against Liverpool over this period.

 

they've been the bench mark since 1992. The press couldn't make up results. If you get off on finding people saying bad stuff about your team then fair enough.

[Billy Dane]

Not trying to indulge in a p1ssing contest mate.

 

Utd have been the benchmark over the last 10-12 years and the press have rightly lauded them. Now Ferguson is on the slide the press will now shoot him down, seems to be the way they operate.

 

We have come in for some deserved criticism at times during the same period, so do I get off on it? No, but I do think there are some very poor journalists out there earning a good living for writing drivel.

[Ombudsam]

Not trying to indulge in a p1ssing contest mate.

 

Utd have been the benchmark over the last 10-12 years and the press have rightly lauded them. Now Ferguson is on the slide the press will now shoot him down, seems to be the way they operate.

 

We have come in for some deserved criticism at times during the same period, so do I get off on it? No, but I do think there are some very poor journalists out there earning a good living for writing drivel.

 

see that i agree with. i only like about 3 of them

[Benitez]

things continue in a similar vein in the Mirror

 

 

It goes without saying that Liverpool won that area comprehensively, with Didi Hamann showing the experience of a World Cup finalist to accept the gift of time and space offered by his naive opposite numbers, while Steven Gerrard ran rampant through frozen ranks. Ferguson attempted to swamp the midfield with numbers, employing youngsters Darren Fletcher and Kieran Richardson supported by Ryan Giggs in an unfamiliar holding role, with Rooney and Ronaldo wide. Yet Liverpool were allowed, especially in the opening half, to pass pretty triangles through the acres of space United allowed.

 

 

Amazing that David Haddocks can comment on the dominence of the midfield, without a mention of Momo Sissoko

[Stevie H]

 

Just a point here, by the way, but how does a 6ft 7in striker find himself completely unmarked from a set piece?

 

 

stealth crouchy.

[Earl Hafler]

that's the most objective match report i've read. ferguson just got it so, so wrong tactically on saturday.

 

Smith isn't a central midfielder but at least he would have offered some ' bite ' and closed us down. Their starting midfield on Saturday was ridiculous.

 

We should have played like that at OT against a similar side but it was 'rabbit in highlights ' time for some of our players. He also went from a sort of 4-3-3 at OT to a 4-4-1-1 which played into our hands.

 

Nice to see a journo telling it like it is but after that team selection and performance, who couldn't ?

 

Only Fergie.

Edited February 20, 2006 by Big Stuff

[Andy-oh-six]

Amazing that David Haddocks can comment on the dominence of the midfield, without a mention of Momo Sissoko

 

bizarre, wasn't it?

[chiliking]

But is it Ironic, do you think?

[Stew F]

Got to share this little beauty from Paul Joyce in his article about the match in the Daily Express entitled "Get Real Fergie".

 

I quote "Yet, the bare minimum Benitez demands of his players is effort. Van Nistelrooy was trying here. Very trying, in fact, as the sight of Ferguson bellowing across the pitch at his top scorer in the final seconds, urging him to break into a trot, testified"

 

Well you can imagine - tea, toast all over the paper