Republik Of Mancunia |
- Reactions to United’s victory over Aston Villa
- Great CL draw for United
- PART II: Bill Foulkes the Busby Babes
- Best United goals under Fergie
| Reactions to United’s victory over Aston Villa Posted: 16 Dec 2013 12:02 PM PST 1. Well that was a relief. Not just three points in the bag but United actually looked like a half decent side again. I made the trip to Aston yesterday and wasn’t entirely sure what I had in store for me. We’re so hit and miss that you genuinely couldn’t rule out us absolutely thrashing Villa, or getting absolutely thrashed by Villa. Thankfully, it was the former, with United good for the three points after putting in a great performance. 2. Danny Welbeck was named Man of the Match after scoring two goals and working tirelessly up front all game. After scoring two goals on the opening day of the season, we’d all hoped for better luck for him in front of goal this season, but it’s taken until now for him to find the back of the net again. Still, with Robin van Persie out for a month, him finding a bit of form couldn’t really come at a better time. The first goal came from a Rafael da Silva cross which Adnan Januzaj was desperately unlucky not to head in. His effort came back off the post and Welbeck was the first to react. Just minutes later, the Longsight lad put us 2-0 up, after getting a toe to an Antonio Valencia cross. Let’s hope for more of the same in the coming games. 3. Whilst Welbeck was Gary Neville’s Man of the Match, Tom Cleverley was probably equally as deserving, following a great performance from him. Whilst we shouldn’t get too carried away with ourselves, given the poor quality of the opposition, it was still pleasing to see him take control of the game. His passing was spot on all day, with him completing 25+ more passes than anyone on the pitch with an impressive 94% accuracy. He took bossed the midfield, in the way that he did in those brief appearances at the start of the 2011-2012 season, and it was great to watch. Wayne Rooney played in a lovely ball to him but with a tight angle, he still had work to do. He struck the ball so nicely and had the keeper beaten at his near post. He ran to the away fans and had to be stopped from jumping in with us. That’s what you get when you have players who have spent their lives dreaming of scoring for the team. 4. Our wingers looked fantastic. Antonio Valencia was possibly aided by the appalling left-back, but he looked like a world beater again. Charging forward whenever he got the opportunity, delivering dangerous crosses and playing with total confidence. He’s gradually been improving this season, certainly in comparison to last season’s form, but this was easily his best performance of the season. He should have had two more assists to his name though, after putting it on a plate for both Rooney and Welbeck, only for them to pull their shots just wide of the post. Adnan Januzaj on the other wing looked almost as threatening but was hampered by the Villa players chopping him down when he got on the run. The fans sung his songs more than any other player though. He is such an exciting player and his stock is certainly rising. 5. It was great news to see Darren Fletcher was named on the bench, having not played for the first team since Boxing Day last year. He warmed up at half-time and the fans sang his name on repeat. His every touch was cheered once he was subbed on and he went on to have a great 20 minutes. Every bit of praise seems to come with a reminder that Villa were poor, so the same has to be said here, but Fletch looked totally composed and as though he had never been away. How fantastic would it be if he came back as a proper option for us in midfield? I won’t get carried away though, despite being desperate for it to happen. 6. United were certainly worthy winners, but the early chances fell to Villa. They’d had three or four shots on target early doors, even though none of them worried David de Gea, and you had to wonder whether it was going to be ‘one of those days’. De Gea made a great stop in the second half and had a bit of a ruck with Agbonlahor after being shoved off the pitch to concede a corner. The defence didn’t really put a foot wrong though after those initial jitters, with Jones and Evans really putting the pressure on Vidic and Rio for their starting places. Rafael da Silva was fantastic behind Valencia on that right wing too, with United so much stronger offensively and defensively with him at right back. 7. This weekend, Chelsea had one former youth team product in the team (John Terry, who made his debut 15 years ago), as did Arsenal (Jack Wilshere) and City had none. It has to make you proud to see Welbeck and Cleverley playing and scoring, as well as good performances from Evans, Fletcher and Giggs. Let’s hope the extra passion these players show for the club can help compensate for what we’re lacking in ability. 8. There’s no point talking about us ‘kicking on’ and building on this performance, because our form is ridiculously inconsistent. But it was still pleasing to see United put in such a good performance. Everything went right for us and it is reassuring to see we are still capable of playing like that. Whilst there are fans on internet forums and Twitter calling for Moyes to be sacked, the away fans were in full voice supporting the manager. Let’s hope that faith in him can be rewarded with more games like Sunday. |
| Posted: 16 Dec 2013 03:54 AM PST Manchester United have been drawn against Olympiakos in the next round of the Champions League. United finished top of the group, meaning we had better chances of a more favourable draw. City and Arsenal finished 2nd in their groups, meaning they will play Barcelona and Bayern Munich respectively. |
| PART II: Bill Foulkes the Busby Babes Posted: 16 Dec 2013 01:00 AM PST Part I of this tribute to Bill Foulkes looked at his early playing days. In this part of the story we’re told about Bill’s rise to the first team and being a part of the Busby Babes. Bill and the Busby Babes Eventually Matt managed to persuade Bill to quit the pit and go full time, but not before the craggy full back had played for England in 1954, bizarrely the only time he did so. It was only after he'd worked his full shift as usual in the pit that Bill joined the England squad to play the next day in Belfast against Northern Ireland. By that time Bill was becoming increasingly confident that he would be able to make the grade as a professional, as Matt had been trying to persuade him for some time, despite the fact that Bill would have to take a drop in money, no easy decision when he had a young wife, Teresa, who was recovering from tuberculosis. It's one of the nice things about Bill's autobiography that he makes frequent affectionate mentions of Teresa, acknowledging what a crucial role she played in supporting him in his career, especially after Munich when they started a family, daughter Amanda, and sons Stephen and Geoffrey,who all survived him after his death in November, 2013. When Bill went full-time, the old guard, Pearson, Cockburn and Chilton, were gradually being phased out and a brilliant succession of youngsters were coming through, coached by the passionate Welshman, Jimmy Murphy. Roger Byrne, who succeeded Chilton as captain, had already won a league champions medal in the 1951-52 season, along with the aggressive right winger Johnny Berry, signed from Birmingham City. When the majestic centre forward Tommy Taylor joined United from Barnsley for £29,999 in 1953 that was effectively the last major transfer until Harry Gregg was signed about six weeks before Munich. The world began to take notice when United won the newly created FA Youth Club for the first five years of its existence, often before crowds that exceeded attendances at other clubs' full league matches. There was a buzz about the players coming through, such as Duncan Edwards, Jeff Whitefoot, John Doherty, Dennis Viollet, Jackie Blanchflower, Eddie Colman, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Liam Whelan, Albert Scanlon, Wilf McGuinness, Geoff Bent and Bobby Charlton. Bill Foulkes was never part of that exalted Youth Cup company as he came through a different channel, but as the amazingly young team gradually took coherent shape he fitted in perfectly as a fast, tough-tackling full back, paired with the more skilful Roger Byrne on the left. Bill wrote movingly about all the players who died at Munich but none more than Byrne, whom he admired greatly not only as a player and inspirational leader but also as a person. Perhaps Roger sensed that Bill was something of a shy outsider at the club because he would sometimes kindly invited him to go for a meal with him, often at a Chinese restaurant. Bill was very impressed by Roger's intelligence and the range of topics he could talk about. Bill was consistently modest about his own skills and accomplishments as a player and was very conscious how much more talented the rest of the Babes were, something he happily admitted throughout his career. He knew that only fanatical hard work and commitment to the team would give him something to offer a line-up with so many of the best young players in England. One of the biggest stars was the constantly smiling Tommy Taylor, the England centre forward, who would always make himself available for a pass out of defence.Bill admits he'd sometimes just whack the ball blindly up the line and Tommy would say 'Good pass, Bill!' Everyone was fond of the little halfback Eddie Colman, the elusive 'Snakehips' , a slight but gregarious character, alongside whom Bill was a hulking and taciturn giant. Whenever they were going away to play, Eddie would cheerfully assure Teresa that he would 'look after Bill'. Amongst all the Babes, Bill probably felt the closest affinity to Bobby Charlton, even before Munich, partly because of their shared coal mining background. Bobby came from Ashington in Northumberland, where his father worked in the pit and that created a bond that was to endure till the day Bill died , reinforced by the tragedy to come. It's very touching to know that in the last few years before Bill's death in November 1981, Sir Bobby made a point of visiting him regularly, sadly aware that his old friend was in very poor health. Champions in 1955-56 and 1956-57 United won the old First Division three times in the 1950s, first with the old team featuring Carey, Rowley and Chilton, and then twice in succession with the Babes , at a time when it was rare for a club to keep on winning the title. Having quit the pit, Bill now had another distraction when he had to undergo National Service, a now defunct system of obligatory military training which several other Reds also had to do, including Duncan and Bobby. At times Bill couldn't get a pass out from barracks to join the team so he would go AWOL, disguised in a long overcoat and trilby, dodging the ever present Military Police. It's odd that no-one in the military establishment noticed that one B. Foulkes was playing First Division football when he was meant to be back in his Nissen hut. For most of the Babes' first title winning season , 1955-56, Bill coped well with the long journeys and lack of contact with his team mates, although for the last part of the season he lost his place to Ian Greaves. Both played enough games to qualify for championship medals, but Bill just trained even more obsessively to make sure he never lost his place in the United first team again. Broadly speaking he remained an automatic selection for the next ten or eleven years, picking up his second title winning medal the following season, 1956-57. By that time United were tilting for honours on three fronts. The first European Cup campaign The story of how Matt Busby faced down the Football League authorities and insisted that United would take part in the European Cup in 1956-57 is well known. Having qualified as champions, there was unanimous support for the decision among the players. They were proud that Matt had had the guts to make a stand on principle , in contrast to the previous champs Chelsea, who'd feebly not taken part in the very first European Cup. Bill in particular was thrilled, not least because he loved flying. The whole nation seemed to get behind United's exciting first foray into the continent, with many people regarding the youthful team as somehow representing the nation as a whole, in a way that simply doesn't happen any more. Almost certainly that's in part why there was such an emotional response when United crashed in Munich on the way home from a victorious European Cup quarter final against Red Star Belgrade. Of course when my babysitter was shedding tears over Munich she was primarily lamenting the loss of so many precociously talented young men, but she was also acutely aware that they had been 'flying the flag' for Britain. The whole of the first campaign created enormous interest as people bought into Matt's visionary approach to international club competition. There were some classic encounters, the 10-nil thrashing of Belgian champions Anderlecht, the astonishing come-back from a 5-3 first leg deficit against Athletic Bilbao when United won the home leg 3-0 in one of the most exciting matches in United history, and then the titanic struggles against multi-national Real Madrid in the semi finals. Real were on their way to winning the first five five European Cups in succession and were widely regarded as the best club side in the world. They starred outstanding players such as Alfredo di Stefano and Francisco Gento, the 'Flying Bicycle', whom Bill confronted in both legs. Ultimately United lost 3-1 away and could only draw 2-2 at home, but the rest of Europe took notice of what this incredibly young United team could do. Bill loved almost every minute of the European campaign. Except for one episode that left him with a new nickname. Popular Bill When United flew out to Bilbao in February 1957 for the first leg of the quarter finals against Athletic Bilbao, the weather conditions were appalling, although Bill, who adored the excitement of flying loved it as the aircraft bucked and reared. He was even relaxed enough to be able to put his feet up for a nap. Unfortunately he inadvertently put his foot on a lever controlling the heating system, causing the cabin to become freezing cold. The elderly chairman Harold Hardman turned blue and had a minor stroke, requiring hospitalization which meant he missed the match.When the cause of the heating 'failure' was discovered, Bill had got his new nick-name, 'Popular Bill' or PB, as he wryly confessed in his first autobiography in 1965. The dreadful weather continued in Bilbao and the flight home was almost cancelled because of the snow, ice and slush at the airport. Almost exactly a year before the Munich Disaster, players including BIll helped clear snow from the wings of the plane, enabling the team to get home without incurring the wrath of the Football League who were still furious at United's defiance over entering the European Cup. Fear of repercussions if the team were late was almost certainly a factor when United crashed after three failed attempts at taking off after re-fuelling at Munich Airport. The 'bitter taste' of missing the Double in '57 Bill was always passionately committed to Manchester United, and proud to be part of such an attractive team as the Babes, who seemed always on the verge of making history and breaking new records. Like everyone at Old Trafford in 1957 he was excited at the prospect of becoming the first club in the 20th Century to win a League and FA Cup 'Double' when they got to Wembley as League Champions. They were quietly confident at the prospect of facing Aston VIlla in the final but it all went horribly wrong, in a manner that still rankled with Bill half a century later. In the early minutes of the match Villa's Northern Ireland international winger Peter McParland shoulder charged the United goalkeeper Ray Wood with such force that he broke his cheekbone, an incident that is a matter of controversy to this day. In a recent issue of the football magazine Back Pass McParland attempts to convince us, and perhaps himself, that he was not guilty of a foul with his headlong charge (Memories: Not Guilty, by David Harrison, Back Pass October/ November 2013). The BBC TV commentary by the late Kenneth Wolstenholme is cited in support of the claim that it was 'a pure accident', despite the fact that numerous expert observers at the time considered it a serious infringement. In those days the BBC was arguably a very establishment body that shied away from controversy, in sport as much as politics, so good old Ken was never going to point the finger at anyone, except the furious United fans who booed the Northern Ireland international continuously after the shocking incident. McParland himself then quotes Bill Foulkes as having told him that he'd thought 'Woody could and should have avoided me'. But that doesn't doesn't quite square with what Bill said in the past. In Back at the Top (1965), Bill says McParland came in 'like an express train as Ray caught the ball'. He expected that McParland would 'draw away as Ray moved past him. Not McParland. I was close by as the Irishman carried straight on, and crashed into Ray, who, totally unprepared for the blow, went down as if he'd been pole-axed'. In his second autobiography in 2008, Bill is even more trenchant in his criticism. 'I could hardly believe my eyes,'he says,'because, to me, it was a deliberate head butt. McParland just hammered in and put his head straight into Ray's cheekbone, which was shattered by the impact. The point was that Ray had taken possession of the ball already, so it was no longer there to be challenged for. It was the clearest of fouls, and today McParland would have been sent off instantly.' If that wasn't bad enough, McParland then scored the two goals that gave VIlla a 2-1 victory over 10-man United, there being no substitutes then. '(He) showed not a scrap of remorse for what he had done, claiming afterwards that it had been an honest accident when all the evidence suggested that he had clattered Ray in cold blood…(The)Ray Wood episode was unsavoury, it left a bitter taste in the mouth, and we departed Wembley feeling we had been both unlucky and unfairly treated.' After the match United skipper Roger Byrne declared that the Busby Babes would be back at Wembley for the following year's FA Cup Final. He was right, of course, but he wouldn't be with them and nor would so many others. The tragedy at Munich no doubt added to the simmering sense of injustice that lingers to this day over McParland's assault on Ray Wood, a wrong that could never be righted. One senses that Bill wrote in such blunt terms so long after the event because in some way he was speaking on behalf of those who could no longer speak for themselves. Part III looks at Foulkes’ career post-Munich, focussing particularly on the huge involvement he had in rebuilding our club. For more first hand historical accounts of Manchester United, buy Giles’ e-book ‘Red Matters – 50 Years of Supporting Manchester United‘. |
| Best United goals under Fergie Posted: 16 Dec 2013 01:00 AM PST United managed 2,762 goals under Sir Alex Ferguson, roughly two scored for every one conceded. Everyone will have their favourites of the Ferguson era. Sometimes it’s about context – Solskjaer’s winner in the 1999 Champions League Final and the Mark Hughes volley against Oldham that saved the double spring to mind. Other times it’s about pure technique – those wonderful Cristiano Ronaldo free-kicks or the long-distance thunderbolts courtesy of Paul Scholes. It’s almost impossible to narrow them all down to a mere six, but here’s my attempt to quantify United’s greatest goals in 26 years under Sir Alex. 6. David Beckham against Wimbledon (1996) The opening day of the 1996/97 season: A sweltering day in South London. This writer sits transfixed in the stands as the reigning champions put Wimbledon to the sword. It’s approaching injury time and United have already got the points in the bag courtesy of goals from Eric Cantona and Denis Irwin. An uncapped Englishman named David Beckham spots Neil Sullivan off his line and tries his luck from the halfway line. The ball sails over the goalkeeper’s head and into the back of the net: a perfect arc. For Beckham, and the rest of us, things would never be the same again. “It’s the goal of the season and on the very first day” intoned Martin Tyler on Sky Sports. He wasn’t wrong. 5. Wayne Rooney against Manchester City (2011) The only other goal on this list I witnessed in the flesh, Wayne Rooney’s bicycle kick was later described by Ferguson as the best goal he witnessed at Old Trafford. Just months after requesting a transfer and leaving the United fans with the very real fear that he might join City, the goal was a hugely significant moment for the club. Even the celebration, turning his back on the away support and adopting a Christ-like pose, seemed laden with meaning. The technique is astonishing, better even than the young Rooney’s magnificent volley against Newcastle. The context, too, was crucial. Rooney had questioned the ambition of the club in his statement the previous October but this goal was a major moment in helping land United’s 18th league title, drawing level with Liverpool at the top of the tree. One can only hope some of the prize money was spent on a dictionary for young Wayne so he could look up the definition of ambition. 4. Eric Cantona against Sunderland (1996) Everything about this was perfect: the player, the goal, the celebration. The most popular player of the Ferguson era was experiencing a poor run of form in his final season. The great man even seemed a little out of shape. It seemed somehow appropriate that the messiah chose a December fixture to resurrect himself. Cantona beat a couple of defenders with ease, played a neat one-two with Brian McClair then chipped the ball in off the far post. He stopped, contemplated what he’d done then simply held out his arms and lapped up the adulation of the Old Trafford crowd. In “Looking for Eric“, the Frenchman suggested his favourite United moment was his assist for Irwin against Spurs but the fans will always cherish this goal as his piece de resistance. 3. Cristiano Ronaldo against Arsenal (2009) Cristiano Ronaldo could provide an excellent list of best Fergie-era United goals on his own. The free-kick against Portsmouth, the header in Rome and the long-distance strike versus Porto can all be considered among the finest of the 26 years. Indeed, even in this very game, Ronaldo had already scored an astonishing free-kick from a full 40-yards out. The goal I have chosen, though, sums up the very best of Ferguson’s footballing philosophy. Arsenal had a corner but United broke with breath-taking speed. Ji-Sung Park combined well with Rooney before Ronaldo finished a move he started in his own half. This was sport as poetry. If the goal leaves you cold then they might as well draw a white line around your body. 2. Paul Scholes against Panathinaikos (2000) Another player whose output could probably dominate this list single-handedly, the finest English footballer of the Ferguson era also scored some of the best goals. Just thinking about his strikes against Aston Villa, Barcelona and Bradford ought to bring a smile to any Red’s face. The goal I have selected is by no means typical Scholes but it should rank as the greatest team goal of Fergie’s time. United were 2-1 up and basically just attempting to keep the ball and wind down the clock. A 32-pass move concluded with Teddy Sheringham flicking on Beckham’s pass to Scholes and then the most delightful chipped finish. The commentator describes it as “divine” and it is not difficult to see why the ginger prince was worshipped by the United faithful. 1. Ryan Giggs against Arsenal (1999) Possibly the greatest game of the Ferguson era. Probably the greatest player. Unquestionably the greatest individual goal. The last ever goal scored in an FA Cup Semi Final replay. “A rather weary one from Vieira.” The rest is history. There’s a reason we still sing about it today. Ferguson called it: 'The ultimate expression of the natural gifts he has always had since he came to us as a 13-year-old.' During that run, Giggs truly left the defenders with twisted blood. I once saw the incomparable commentator Barry Davies on television mention that Giggs had said to him he fears the goal will only be remembered for the hairy chest celebration. Davies simply replied: 'No it won't, Ryan. No it won't.' The pace, the feet, the finish: This goal is a thing of utter beauty. Davies was right. Giggs has nothing to worry about. |
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