Bitter Grant Blames The Refs For His Failure… What’s He Talking About??
All United fans can happily acknowledge that Chelsea have surprised us this season in taking the title to the final day of the season. Whilst we have watched our team play the superior football, Chelsea racked up the points on a weekly basis, and were there to take advantage when we dropped silly points. Draws against Boro and Blackburn in the final month of the season could have cost us, but fortunately, we won when it mattered, which eventually saw us claiming the title by two points.
However today, Grant has blasted the referees in this country, claiming they have handed us points on too many occasions, namely the Chelsea game at Old Trafford earlier this season, his first game in charge of the blues.
“I think in our game against Manchester United at Old Trafford, the referee (Mike Dean) influenced the result for sure. We know that,” he rambled. “I think the red card for Mikel John Obi in that game should not have been a red card.”
I will forgive him for seeing the game through blue tinted specs, as I know all too well how biased I am capable of being. But Grant has certainly seemed to have forgotten some key moments in that 2-0 victory at Old Trafford.
1. Joe Cole vs Patrice Evra
17 minutes played. Evra bursts in to the Chelsea box only to be brought down by Joe Cole. As the last man, Cole should have been sent off and a penalty for United should have been awarded.
BBC: The home side were denied a penalty when a sliding Joe Cole appeared to make contact with Evra ahead of getting a touch on the ball
The Independent: Mike Dean failed to award a penalty to Manchester United for Joe Cole’s crude challenge on Patrice Evra on 17 minutes.
2. John Terry and the red card
After John Obi Mikel had been somewhat harshly sent off, John Terry took hold of Dean’s red card as it was shown. I certainly would complain if a United player was sent off in similar circumstances, particularly in such an important game, as a yellow card would have been a fairer decision. However, Mikel did go in with his studs, so a sending off wasn’t an entirely ridiculous decision (as United fans will remember Ronaldo being shown a red card on derby day for going in to a challenge showing his studs, despite not making any contact with the player). Regardless, that doesn’t warrant the Chelsea captain trying to take the red card out of the referee’s hand. No yellow card was given to Terry. When considering Wayne Rooney has been shown a second yellow for just sarcastically applauding a referee’s poor decision in the past, it takes the piss that Terry received no punishment for this.
3. Joe Cole vs Cristiano Ronaldo
73 minutes played. As Ronaldo bombs down the wing, Joe Cole slides in, making no attempt to go for the ball.
BBC: Joe Cole was fortunate to stay on the pitch for a lunge at Cristiano Ronaldo as Chelsea hoped to snatch an equaliser.
4. Chelsea’s Shots on Target0. Chelsea didn’t force Van der Sar in to making one save and managed just three shots that went off target. The worst, most heavily influenced referee in the World couldn’t have denied Chelsea getting a result at Old Trafford that day, as they did it all by themselves. How can a team that doesn’t have a single shot on target over a period of 90 minutes claim they were hard done by because of the referee?
Whilst Grant can complain about the Mikel sending off, there is no denying that Joe Cole made challenges worthy of 2 red cards but was shown just 1 yellow card and was allowed to stay on the field. There is no denying that the first of these challenges should have resulted in a United penalty with just 20 minutes played.
Bias in unavoidable when you’re heavily involved in a football club, but we should all try to avoid bias when it puts us in a position of looking bitter and deluded. Avram Grant should take note.
Alves: Perhaps My Time In Spain Is Over
Manchester United are seeking a long term replacement for Gary Neville after retaining the title again this year. Our captain has been injured all season, not making a single appearance in the league, so United will certainly be looking to strengthen the position.
Wes Brown signed a new contract, after several months of confusion, although it is likely United will be looking for a better player than him to hold the position permanently. Porto’s Jose Bosingwa looked to be the favourite, but after a surprise £16.2 million move to Chelsea, clearly our sights have been set elsewhere.
Is Daniel Alves the man we want?
Latest Striker Rumour - Who Is He and Why Do We Want Him?
Manchester United have survived a season without having an out and out striker on the pitch, and thankfully, weren’t forced to pay the price. Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez all feature in the league’s top 11 scorers this season, making up for the lack of goals we probably should have experienced.
Yesterday, Ferguson confirmed he would be looking for a new striker, saying, “we will buy. Along with Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney, we may need experience in one forward position.”
Michael Owen, Dimitar Berbatov and Klaas Jan Huntelaar seem to be the three players the newspapers have shortlisted our targets to.
However, there are some stories about Seville striker, Luís Fabiano, linking him with a summer move to United. So, who is he?
United > England, ARGENTINA and Tevez
I loved hearing the West Ham fans singing England chants during their recent trip to Old Trafford, because it really emphasised how apparent it was to the rest of the country how strong our dislike for England is. The ever patriotic Hammers were keen to get in a wind up, so singing about England seemed to be their best way to do it.
This of course backfired, with United fans shouting “ARGENTINA! ARGENTINA!”, the English national team’s old foes, to drown them out.
I have discussed a number of times on this blog why so many United fans feel so strongly anti-England, so I won’t get in to that again today. However, I will say how much I have enjoyed seeing our fans adopting other countries in place of England, with flags of Portugal and Argentina, as well as their football shirts, being brought in to Old Trafford proudly.
Last month, Carlos Tevez spoke of the difference it made to him when he heard our crowd chanting his country’s name, which has become a weekly occurance at the ground since his arrival.
“I feel privileged when the United fans sing ‘Argentina, Argentina’,” he said. “It’s a beautiful sensation. I love it. I really feel the colours of the national shirt so it’s a real honour. I get emotional every time I hear it. The club gives me all the love, the daily support — so it’s thanks to the fans that I go forward.”
After winning the Premiership on Sunday, Carlos Tevez paraded around the pitch with an Argentina flag ties around his shoulders. Today, he was asked about the reasons behind it.
What A Difference A Year Makes…Carlos Tevez
On the final day of last season, I really wanted to see United relegate West Ham, the club that took great pride in denying United titles in the past. With the league wrapped up and an FA Cup final on the way, our players lacked the motivation to go out and get the win. They beat us 1-0 in what proved to be a dull and lifeless game. We lifted the trophy at the final whistle and West Ham fans celebrated their escape from final day depression.
Carlos Tevez, who had been linked with United at the time, scored the only goal of the game, and celebrated wildly with their fans. He ended the season West Ham’s highest scorer, with the majority of fans hailing him as the reason they stayed in the Premiership.
Almost a year to the day later, West Ham travelled to Old Trafford again, again with the hope of getting a win, their fourth successive victory in a row, to leave our title hopes hanging in the balance. This time though, Carlos Tevez was wearing the red of United.
United finished the day 4-1 winners, with Carlos Tevez scoring the best goal of his United career. The West Ham fans applauded him whilst he celebrated with his United team mates.
Today, Carlos Tevez has spoken about how special it was to win the title with United on Sunday.
Answer To Fergie’s Problem: Who Would You Pick?
Manchester United will be playing in Moscow a week tomorrow in the third European Cup final of the club’s history. After securing a 17th league title on Sunday, our players will be eager to claim their place in the history books by adding a European Cup winner’s medal to their collection.
However, Sir Alex Ferguson has today admitted he is having some difficulty in deciding who should play in the final. With all our players now returned from injury, Fergie has to decide which players should make up his 18-man squad.
“I’m travelling to Moscow with 26 fit players, that’s unheard of in my time,” he said. “But it gives us an incredible chance. It makes it difficult for me. I think picking the team will be easier than picking the substitutes. I’m going to have to leave some fantastic players out of the squad completely next week, which I won’t enjoy doing, but something has to be done.”
Usual back five, Carrick-Hargreaves-Scholes? Carrick-Anderson-Scholes? Hargreaves-Anderson-Scholes? Then, Tevez-Rooney-Ronaldo? Giggs-Rooney-Ronaldo? Nani-Rooney-Ronaldo? Park-Rooney-Ronaldo?
Then who gets to make the bench? Will Hargreaves take Brown’s place a right back, forcing him to the bench? Whilst O’Shea, Fletcher, Nani, Anderson, Saha, Park, Silvestre, Pique, as well as Kuszczak, are likely to be the players fighting it out for a spot. But who deserves it? Will the likes of Fletcher and O’Shea get a place because of their connections with the club, sitting on the bench in the same way P Neville, Greening and Brown did in 1999? Or do the young, new talents of Nani and Anderson deserve to be played on the biggest stage? Louis Saha has barely played all season through injury, does he deserve to be on the bench? Or is it a case of it being common sense to have a striker available to come on, regardless of how little he’s played?
Which players would you like to see starting and on the bench for United against Chelsea?
Giggs, Rooney, Ronaldo & Carrick: This Feels Great!
Manchester United claimed their 10th title in 16 years yesterday, the 17th in the clubs’ history. Whilst most United fans had previously been confident of retraining the title earlier than the last day, the excitement, nerves and satisfaction that came with winning it after the final game of the season certainly made up for it.
Our players have of course given a glowing report on their team mates, as well as our deserved league success, which in the end was decided on points rather than goal difference as had been presumed by the Chelsea camp.
Giggs, Rooney, Ronaldo Carrick and Van der Sar have all reflected on the season, claiming they are hungry for even more glory.
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