30 Aug 2011

Hargreaves' Two Finger Salute To Man Utd

So it is increasingly looking like Manchester City will take Owen Hargreaves on a free transfer before the transfer deadline approaches tomorrow evening, and i cant help thinking that on Hargreaves behalf his statement by joining our City rivals is a two finger salute to everybody at Manchester United and its supporters.

Hargreaves joined United in 2007 in a 17million pound transfer and in his first season at the club won the premier league and champions league trophies to cap an impressive first season. His second season never really got started as a patellar tendinitis problem on both his knees restricted his appearances, and it is at this point that United stood by Hargreaves and along with paying his weekly wage paid for his rehabilitation in America to try and rectify his injury problems.

After making only 27 appearances for United in May this year Hargreaves was told that he could leave the club and that he would not be offered a new contract due to the club not receiving any guarantees about his future fitness from the specialists that worked with him on his rehabilitation.

Hargreaves come out fighting after his release from United and even filmed a video of himself training in a gym that he posted on youtube in hope of earning a contract at another club. And it did not take long before it was reported that certain premier league teams had shown an interest in him and were willing to take a chance on him.
Today's developments that Manchester City have approached him and want to add him to their ranks has angered me and i am trying to understand why he would join the blue half after United and the supporters stood by him through his injury plagued career? I am sure their are other teams interested who could offer him first team football? Or is his motivated by the financial aspect of a move to the Ethidad stadium, because he would struggle to get into a team that already has a strong midfield department.

If Hargreaves does sign for City then his four seasons at United will mean nothing to the supporters, this is surly a parting shot at the club for realising him and not offering him a new contract, and he will be viewed the same as Carlos Tevez by the United faithful.

One thing that he obviously did not learn in his four years at Old Trafford is that their are two teams in Manchester, and an intense bitter rivalry between the two, and making the switch from one of them teams to the other is unforgivable by the supporters and club who stood by you.

I have also listened to a lot of supporters today wishing him well, wishing him well as he moves to Man City?

Like i said earlier, Hargreaves mite as well stick two fingers up to all the United supporters if as reported he signs on the dotted line for City.

Ryan Giggs Tearing Teams Apart Since 1990

In my opinion the word “Legend” is used far to often these days to describe certain average footballers, but one name that deserves to be mentioned in the same sentence as the word is Ryan Giggs. Giggs holds the all time appearance record for Manchester United and is the most decorated player in English football history. He has won 12 Premier League winner's medals, four F.A Cup winner's medals, three League Cup winner's medals and two Champions League winner's medals. He has a medal collection that any footballer would be envious of.

Giggs made his debut in the 1990-91 season and has been in the first team ever since giving Utd twenty years of memories and service, something I believe no other player will ever achieve again when you take in to account the way football is these days and how often players move clubs.

There are two goals that spring to mind when I think of Giggs. The first was early in his career as a raw and unpredictable eighteen year old against Spurs at White hart lane. At lightening speed Giggs put the ball around Dean Austin, then nutmeged Jason Cundy, rounder goalkeeper Ian Walker and placed the ball into the net. Comparrisons with the late George Best were quick to follow in the tabloids and it was clear to see why.

The second goal that springs to mind was scored in what I consider to be the greatest game of football I have ever seen, purely for the sheer drama and incidents involved, it was the 1999 F.A Cup semi final against Arsenal at Villa Park. In a game that was poised evenly at 1-1, a disallowed Anelka goal, a Roy Keane sending off, and a last minute penalty save by Peter Schmichael from a Dennis Bergkamp spot kick, Giggs received a misplaced pass from Patrick Vieria on the half way line in extra time. The majority of players at that stage of a gladiator like battle would have been happy to keep possession and play for the lottery that is a penalty shoot out …… not Giggs!

His natural instinct was to run at pace directly at the Arsenal defence causing panic amongst there players, after weaving left and right Giggs managed to progress in to the penalty area with still a lot of work to do, his finish was as good as you will ever see and the only place he could have but the ball, high into the roof of the net. As the Arsenal player fell to there knees in disbelief Giggs was clearly felling the same as he ran bear chested along the touch line with his shirt swinging around his head ………. The rest is history.

Its amazing to think that back in 2003 certain sections of the Old Trafford crowd booed and jeered Giggs when he went through a dip in form, some supporters are very fickle. It obviously played on his mind at the time, because this was the same season that we played Arsenal at home in a F.A Cup match. Giggs was played through by David Beckham who took the ball around Lehmann and with a empty goal in front of him and the Utd fans already celebrating and anticipating what should have been a routine finish, somehow managed to blaze the ball into the Stretford end to the amazement and disbelief of the Old Trafford faithful. Some Utd fans even suggested we should have cashed in on him that year with rumours of interest from Italian side Juventus.

The one thing that I have always admired and amazed me about Giggs is his ability to reinvent his style of play each season. Over the last couple of seasons Sir Alex has realised that Giggs has lost a yard or two of pace, but for what he has lost in pace, he has made up for in his head. Giggs knows this himself but has been in the game long enough to know that an experienced football brain and a good level of fitness can win you games, this is something that Teddy Sheringham also had.

Giggs said in a interview a while back that players these days have raw talent coached out of them when coming through the ranks at football clubs because coaches and managers want you to play a certain style of team play. This comment makes sense to me and got me thinking, you could not imagine Giggs attempting to score a goal like he did at White Hart Lane in 1990 could you? Or Michael Owen running at a defence and scoring an incredible solo effort like he did against Argentina in France 98 could you? Players are now coached to retain possession so I can see why a player that could jeopardise loosing possession could be frowned upon.

His best games last season came when he played in a central role in midfield in the champions league home and away games against Chelsea, and in the same fixture’s in the premier league. He has also played the same position to good effect against other big premier league teams. This shows how his game has changed, Sir Alex knows that Giggs can have a “Scholes” effect on certain games as we seen so many times last season dictating the pace of games, spraying passes, assisting and scoring goals. His ability to also track back and defend is also key to his important role in the team.
Recent tabloid stories have damaged his image, but I like many will only judge the man on what he has done for us on the pitch.

When will he retire? I believe that the curtain will come down on the illustrious career of Ryan Giggs at the end of May 2012 when this coming season is due to end. Whenever he does decide to make that decision a true legend of the game will finally hang up his boots and will forever be part of the history of Manchester United.

How will we honour and remember legacy?I have spoken with many Utd fans about this when travelling to away games and proposed that we retire the number eleven shirt in his honour. Many reds are quick to respond negatively to this idea and say that if we did this with all the legends we have had at Old Trafford we would have no shirt numbers left ! But my response to the negativity is that Giggs is a unique exception. He has played for twenty years in Utd’s first team playing at the highest level, has become our all time leading appearances and most decorated player in English football. I just cant see any other player achieving or playing for the same club for twenty plus years ever again.


Kevin Ashford
@kevinashford7

29 Aug 2011

The Sad Tale Of The Fading Stadium Atmosphere







If there is one old tradition in the English game of football that seems to be disappearing at an alarming rate, it has to be the stadiums match day atmosphere in my opinion. I have been a regular spectator at Old Trafford over the last twenty plus years, and have recently been trying to get to the bottom of why the atmosphere in the English stadiums has changed so much as to my early experiences, when I was a young child standing in the Stretford end with my father.

The first main contributing factor to the change in the English stadium atmosphere has to be that we now have all seater stadiums throughout the top tier of the English football. I remember my experiences as a youngster with my dad in the Stretford end very fondly, and remember that the atmosphere was always electric, it was like being in the standing section of a concert. You would not want to be in the seating section of a rock and roll gig would you? Standing instantly creates its own atmosphere.

So I started to ask people the question, do you think that we should look at bringing back standing sections at English football games, and at least give the supporters the option to stand? And it got a mixed response. The majority were in favour of it and agreed with me, but I also had people who were very sceptical of it, mainly explaining that their reason for disagreeing with me was the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, which resulted in the death of ninety six people, and seven hundred and sixty six injuries.

My argument was that surly we could look at bringing back “safe” standing areas in the lower tiers behind the goals? Many Man Utd away trips that I have been on result in me paying for a seat that I never use? We all stand for ninety minutes without any trouble or security issues so why could it not work? If you had a designated standing area, and purchase a ticket that corresponds with a row and a number to stand at, with a safety bar running along each row, what problems could arise?

I am also not that naive to think that this will ever be introduced back into our stadiums. It is something that would cost the clubs financially to do, and they will bring up the safety aspect of it but it has worked successfully in the German Bundesliga so why not at least consider it and get the supporters thoughts on it?

The second contributing factor to the change in the English stadium atmosphere has to be the corporate side to our football stadiums. Corporate bigwigs use our stadiums to wine and dine clients at football fixtures. I would say the majority of these fat cats are more concerned with sealing business deals and what cheese and wine will be on the half time menu than the outcome of the teams result. This is something that worries me because our stadiums are now changing to accommodate these business men.

So how can you expect to create an atmosphere from the corporate sections of our stadiums? Simple answer, you cannot. Because these are the people who tell others to sit down when they stand up in front of them from the comfort of their heated padded seats.


Roy Keane knocked the nail on the head when he addressed the problem back in 2000. Keane was quoted as saying “Away from home our fans are fantastic, I'd call them the hardcore fans. But at home they have a few drinks and probably the prawn sandwiches, and they don't realise what's going on out on the pitch"

I always thought it was ironic that Old Trafford was given the name “The Theatre of Dreams” as most of the people in the corporate section would probably be better suited to going to the theatre!

It is not just Old Trafford that suffers this problem, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal all spring to mind.
Our football clubs are well aware that these are the people who they make the most revenue off each season, so looking at it money is another big factor on how our stadium atmosphere has changed. Many dedicated fans are being put off by rising ticket prices that will continue to rise with the rise in players wages.

Unfortunately this is the way that the English game has turned out to be, it’s a rich mans playground, and billionaire owners are buying clubs as play things. But as the price of season tickets increases every season, the demand to watch football is still strong and attendances are not affected. It is just the clientele that is attending the games that has changed, and that has had a massive decline in our stadium atmosphere.

So to sum this up, your average working class person is now being priced out of going to watch the team that they are so passionate about, by corporate bigwigs who sit on padded seats, eat prawn sandwiches, and could not care less if the team win, lose or draw. All that matters to them is that their business meeting, at our football stadium is successful and that the wine and cheese board was up to their usual high sophisticated standards.



Kevin Ashford
@kevinashford7

Noisy Neighbours Will Be MASSIVE Title Threat.

It is a question that many pundits and all Man Utd supporters will have debated this summer, who will be our main threat to us achieving a record breaking twentieth English league title crown?
In my opinion you do not have to look to far for the team I predict to be making the strongest most serious legitimate challenge this season, they are our “noisy neighbours” from the blue side of Manchester! The media have been quick to talk up City’s title challenge following three successive premier league victories, including an impressive win away at Tottenham. It seems that City have now got the correct balance in their squad and their style of play has improved from their negative approach to certain premier league fixtures last season.

Like many Man Utd supporters I was talking down City’s chances of success this season after the Carlos Tevez transfer request threatened to hinder any realistic chances of success. Like the majority of City supporters I realised just how much of an impact this would have on their team, Tevez was the catalyst for them last season, he was the chief and the players around him were his Indians. He single-handedly won City games last season with his all action displays and his 110% commitment.

Citys strongest department now must be their forward line that boasts Aguero, Dzeko, Tevez and the temperamental Balotelli. Tevez is now not guaranteed first team football at the Ethidad stadium which just goes to show the strength and depth in the striking department, something that could have a big say in where the premier league trophy will end up in May next year.

I feel that City are the only real threat to Utd lifting league title number twenty this season, something that I know many reds will disagree with me on. I understand that Chelsea are still a force, but City’s squad is now far more younger, talented and superior when compared to the ageing stars at Stamford Bridge. I don’t see Liverpool providing any threat to us or Tottenham and Arsenal who seem to be going through a rough patch on and off the field at the moment following their humiliating 8-2 defeat at the theatre of dreams.

A sign of the times changing?Man City have always classed the derby fixture with Man Utd as their big game of the season, they live for derby day. The majority of United supporters on the other hand would state that the game they look for when the fixtures come out at the start of each season would be Liverpool home and away. This is where I see things changing in the not so distance future.

We as supporters base the fact we do not consider the Manchester derby fixtures top of our agenda because for years City have never been of any threat to us. If somebody had of told me ten years ago that City in ten years time would finish third in the premier league, qualify for the Champions league for the first time in their history, and win the F.A Cup, I would have called for the men in white coats to take them away !
But I predict that it is only a matter of seasons away before we start to look for the Man City fixture before the Liverpool one as they are making progress and in the process are ready to leapfrog them as our main rivals. City are now able to attract any player in the world as long as the player is willing to move.

I think City coming back from the basement of English football and now backed by the billion pound fortune of Sheikh Mansour, has reignited the hostile competitive rivalry between the two sides. Would you not agree that it has added more importance to the fixture? I think its great that we have two teams from Manchester who will be competing between each other for silverware, Manchester is buzzing with anticipation. City are now starting to believe in themselves that they are not that far away from matching Utd on the field play. And they should be confident, City have spent nearly five hundred million pounds on transfers since the Abu Dhabi takeover of the club in 2008.

On a positive note I am confident that Nemanja Vidic will lift the premier league title in May next year, but City will not be far behind them. One thing that could go against them is the fact they will be playing Champions League football for the first time, in the middle of a gruelling premier league calendar. Tottenham had a fantastic Champions league campaign last season but then fell short in qualifying for this years tournament because of it. Who’s to know how City will cope with the demand of playing both Premier and champions league football or what a footballing lesson at the Camp Nou , San Siro or the Santiago Bernabeu could do to City and their confidence? We will just have to wait in anticipation and see how they respond to the challenge.

I also think that Manchini will be City’s downfall this season. On three occasions last year he settled for a draw in a game before the players had even come out onto the pitch, his negative tactics will be a problem. And trying to manage the pampered, overpaid millionaires in that outspoken City dressing room will mean that Manchini will have his work cut out this season!

One thing is for sure, any Utd fan that tries telling me that City are not serious contenders for this years premier league crown, please take off your rose tinted glasses because the threat from the blue half of Manchester is there for all to see. It is Sir Alex Ferguson’s job to make sure that we keep them quiet.
So Prepare yourself for what I believe will be one of the closest and most entertaining premier league seasons to date.


Kevin Ashford
@kevinashford7