Salford born Phil Bardsley joined Manchester United’s academy when he was 8-years-old. Before leaving Old Trafford in 2008, he was the only player in the first team squad who had progressed through all the levels of our academy.
He was brought up near our old training ground, The Cliff, and used to go there during the school holidays to watch his idols train.
So it does make you wonder why with 55 minutes played and United leading 1-0, Bardsley chose to throw himself to the floor in a bid to see Sunderland win a penalty and Ryan Giggs, the closest man to him, booked, or worse, sent off.
We shouldn’t have been expecting any favours from our former players, like Frazier Campbell and Kieran Richardson, despite the fact anything but a victory yesterday would have ended our title hunt. But I think we should be able to expect that a United fan, a player who spent 14 years at the club, wouldn’t go out of his way to cheat to try and stop us from winning, especially knowing the implications it would have on our season.
Is it because Bardsley is so dedicated to Sunderland that he would do anything for their cause? Sadly not, with the right back admitting a few weeks ago that he could be moving on this summer.
So, what was he thinking about??
Fortunately a penalty wasn’t awarded for his dive, otherwise our anger would be far greater, but I hope he woke up this morning feeling like a proper dick for his behaviour yesterday. Honestly, I expected better from a player we all wanted to be a success at United.
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I got really scared when I saw him go down. It never looked like a penalty, but the way the game was starting to develop with no success for Berbatov (surprise!) in front of goal, it would have been typical. Shame on you Bardsley and don’t come back.
Oh Phil…
But hey, it wasn’t as bad as Richardson’t hair style.
Phil Bardsley is a Cunt.
More out of desperation i guess. Even the best players do it now. Sunderland never looked like getting back in it tbh.. He will regret it, no doubt about that
“…he was the only player in the first team squad who had progressed through all the levels of our academy.”
That’s pretty remarkable. Any thoughts?
It’s common place now in todays game. What was worse, the dive, or the reaction to not getting the penalty?
Nice to see him get a yellow for that….. refs need to be more consistent on these decisions…..
Have to say I dislike Richardson.. whinging little b*stard!!!
You could see Giggsy later have a word with him, and Bardsley smiled back, shook his head and said something along the lines of ‘it was a slight touch’. Giggsy was not impressed. Being called a cheat by your hero is punishment enough for him.
Kei .. great comment. If being spoken to by Giggsy doesn’t get to him he’s destined to join the Bellamy’s Diouf’s, Bowyer’s , Savages’s etc of football. (which is my prediction.)
the difference is that sunderland players have a bit united mentality from
bruce.. they want to win although they have nothing to play for.. dippers dont have this..
ugly by bardsley though, glad we got rid.
By the way I just saw the lampard goal once again.. you can see many liverpool supporters celebrating.. I just want to puke..
@ Costas:
Right, I puked when I saw that pony tail on Richardson.
BTW, dippers are claiming Sunderland and Bruce threw the game yesterday. Those poor deluded illiterate pot kettle black chavs – the only 19 they’ll be seeing this year is the number of times they’ve been beaten.
Well there is a reason he isnt a United player and i can only assume his play acting is a part of that reason .
I think this is potentially a bit harsh on Bardsley. At the pace it looks as either he tripped over his own feet or a slight touch from Giggs and when you are at that speed the slighest thing can take you down! I would like to think that he didnt dive on this occasion.
He is a proper salfordian and loves United.
@ gaydanbara
I saw what everyone else saw : The Dippers have no right to say anything although they believe its their god given right . They were Gutless , clueless & weak . Is that the team that turns up to play UTD no ! That game will live on as part of the history of LFC and i for one will remind everyone of it .
At least Sunderland made a fist of it .
He shouldn’t have went down. His team weren’t exactly playing for points, so it was unnecessary really. Credit to Sunderland though, they clearly wanted to put on a good performance for their fans and they were pushing for an equaliser. At least Bardsley did try to help his team, looking to get a peno. Unlike that cunt Gerrard. I cannot believe the likes of Terry, Gerrard and Cole will be representing Ingurland at the WC. It’s revolting.
Bardsley was embarrassing………..but what about Nani? More at home in swan lake and nut craker, what a wimp and a cheat. 4 times he received treatment wthout being anywhere near injured. Diving all over the place everytime a red and white shirt went within a yard of him, 2 yellow cards and a case for a dedicated nani physio…. Alas, no mention here of Rooney, Berbatov and even Giggs, before them Ronaldo (king – maybe queen- of them all, being found guilty by video in previous games of gaining penalties by deception and simulation (perhaps Bardsley had some good teachers at Carrington)… Put your own house in order even though Bardsley was indeed out of order…
Oh grow up!!!!!!!!
Of course he shouldn’t have went down, but to expect more of him just because he used to support United or play for the club is just naive. He is a professional footballer, doing everything in his power to win. Unlike Gerrard, the c**t.
@ Mackemman, I don’t think he ‘dived’ all over the place. The Sunderland players were kicking lumps out of Nani constantly yesterday.
Andy Gray came even worse then Bardsley after this incident. The dickhead having said initially that ‘it looked a penalty to him’, was desperately trying to find the contact between players that never was.
I would love it if a miracle happens and Wigan do not lose at the bridge, just to see the reaction of the ABU idiots.
any ideas for next year?? I thought we punched above our weight this year and im fairly satisfied with the season…..
No point selling Berba because we’ll get fuck all for him now………but I cant stick up for him anymore.
I think we should play him in the middle of the park and see how he goes there…..nice easy passes little flicks to the forwards….dunno just a thought…..his confidence is shot!
Any players you lot have got in mind for next year??
@Mackemman
Without wanting to get into a debate about Nani who at times goes down quicker than Gerrards bird on a scouse bouncer!
He was constantley kicked up and down dale yesterday and some hurrendous studs in lunges. There was at least three times when a Sunderland player came right over the top of his ankle. Your fans almost condone it by cheering every challenge Cattermole makes. It is a shame for Cattermole because he is a good footballer but slowly forgetting about playing and rather more enjoys a studs in tackle as he gets applauded for it?
@Giggs11 spot on .
Cattermole is a nasty cunt
@Mackemman – I’ll remember that next time that prick Maltwonk is going studs up at him TWICE in one game.
steed Malbranque could have caused serious injury in 2 tackles yesterday one on Evans and the other on Nani absolutely diabolical tackles the man could of walked, i couldn’t understand when the referee booked O’shea for disputing a decision then said sweet F A to Bardsley when he told the linesman he needed specs and slagged him off none stop for a minute, could it be that he would have to send Bardsley off or was it cos he’s just shite
@jespermoses – Agreed about the “punching above our weight” comment. Best thing is how all those wise old pundits claiming “It’s going to be Liverpool’s year and United will finish fourth or worse” are now busy licking the egg off their faces while we’re still in the title hunt with a game to go.
Could Berbatov be better used as an attacking midfielder? His passes can be exquisite, and being able to hold the ball up in midfield while the rest of the team surges forward in a counter-attack might suit his talents better. He certainly doesn’t seem to be able to hit a barn door with a banjo at the moment.
That said, I doubt he’ll be a United player next season. Sad – I wanted to see him succeed.
That wasn’t a ponytail on the back of Richardson’s head …it looked more like a nipple…..well he is a fucking tit ain’t he..!!
I was pretty irritated by Campbell chasing down balls in our penalty area. But he was just playing his game without cheating I guess. Bardsley, he’s a cheating prick.
Most of the ex-United players have that bitterness over them for not making the grade. Their tackles were reckless,rash, with ill-motives(Richardson, Bardsley & others like Malbranque, Lee). It’s sour grapes. OFF TOPIC ~ So the media have some words of comfort to Stevie Me! And words of reality to the former ‘proud kops’. I bet after the reality has sunk in they are feeling very ashamed ….no, proud of themselves! Lol http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/2010/05/ancelotti_and_chelsea_close_in.html
Forget Bardsley, I think its high time a decision is taken about Berbaflop, you cannot miss three great chances like the ones yesterday + more in prev matches, and still hope to play for United next season…High time he’s sold and we get a more decent striker…
Fucking disgrace. Brucie won’t like that.
Berbatov was off the hook yesterday
Sell him for gods sakes.
You were telling me a few weeks ago that there would be thousands of United fans in the home sections but there were hardly any……..and despite the allocation having been reduced for persistent standing the United fans stood again which won’t help you.
I still will never forgive or forget the day stevie me and liverpool threw the game it was a disgrace even bigger what bardsley ever done
dunno why people are angry with gerry… he don’t owe us anything, we should win the league with our own results, not with help of others
heres a joke for you lot
So sir Alex bought a lad from Africa and he took him immediately to old trafford
The next day at training this African lad was hearing sir Alex talking and saying:This is the net,This is the ball,This is how to shoot,This is how to make headers…The african says:Sir Alex I know how to speak english!
Sir Alex then said:Yes I know but I was talking to berbatov
Bardsley was embarrasing yesterday with that dive.but the dippers were even more embarrasing the way they didn’t even attempt to give Chelski a game.
The thought of that odious creep Terry holding the cup aloft is sickening.I really hope Wigan turn them over.
Tony Starks – if that was the case united would never have won the league in any season, off course you need help from others and liverpool the management staff and the captain were pethetic
reserves final goes to pens………what a game
foster with another howler
Hooray!! We got the best reserves in england! Great penalty shootout Ben foster is brilliant and taking them and saving!!
@ Nev Scott
There were an enormous amount of United fans in your end. I rang up and bought 8 alone! There was plenty of United fans trust me, even where we were sat no one seemed to stand up when Sunderland went close everyone just remained seated.
As for sitting down, you can take all our allocation! We dont cause trouble we just stand like most away support teams in the league.
FOSTER still flaps at everything and has to be sold in my opinion…but redeeemed himself in penno shoot out…
silver lining on a shite weekend….
Reserve north champs
Reserve national champs
another pot coming to OT
academy boys can join em soon too…
get in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
suhayl wtf??
Saving2 pens and hammering one in is a Howler?
did u watch the game??????
i said he redeemed himself in the shoot out ( saving and scoring one )
redeemed himself from the HOWLER in the 84th minute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! when he completely missed the ball from the corner for delfonouso to head in.
which was the HOWLER…COMPRENDE
BY WAY I WATCH EVERY RESERVE GAME….AND HE DOES THAT REGULARLY.
and at end i did state he redeemed that howler…aka pen shootout..
glad thats clarified.
next time read properly what one states before jumping the gun
by way credit to villa…..great team, played brill for 50 mins….top dollar team….albrighton one to watch
Congrats to the Reserves.
@ Paddy taking the piss out of the “pennants” they got instead of medals.
our paddy….we love him
Proud of the lads winning the reserve league. Must be great for them, A fantastic game, Foster’s penalty was quality haha
Fook me, it’s all kicked off at Luton, crazy weekend.
willierednut…true mate, how they did lose to york…
fuck sake…york players getting pelted and chased and nearly beaten up…..
luton going to cop it now…
bring back the plastic pitch..those were the days
Missed the match but just saw the goals then. Fair play to Macheda for two great assists and his penalty, fair play to Diouf for his two goals.
Foster with yet more gaffes, confirming that he is not up to scratch. For a goalkeeper it seems he can’t dive to save his life, hence the first goal (which was similar to the speculative effort Darren Bent scored past him at OT.)
suhayl & willirednut- Hello mates.
What is happening at Luton? Can someone tell me, I have no idea what’s going on? lol Seems fun.
PS: suhayl, since you fancy yourself a cricket expert, what did you think of the IPL final?
theboogeyman – Luton were playing York in the play – off, York win and the Luton fans went crazy. The york players how to get out through one of the stands.
A red card for diving. The commentator mention it to all over the countries. Shame.
@willie
i thought you knew me better than to think i am here to tell people they were right and i was wrong.
All i said was you should not expect anything from the dippers and that is exactly what happened. Some of the comments by pool fans today will tell you why i felt that way. Thats exactly how their players are.
lol..lol..lol
i know as much about cricket and every other sport as much as i do about utd and football boogeyman..lol
ipl?????
i watched every game….my quick analysis
1. ipl has got the same corruption cloud indian cricket has had since mohammed azarhuddin taking bungs
2. lalit modi seems a muppet, perving on women and now on corruption charges
3. the money for new franchises is staggerring and vulgar
4. didnt like both teams that played in the final…….mumbai seem to think the world revolved around them and chennai your team, dont particularly like dhoni, no hayden and his mongoose, no murali vijay, seems cocky to me. Oh yeh dont like harbhanjan either for the mumbs…cocky and arrogant
5. my teams rajasthan…warna = LEGEND….yusuf awesome….shame they didnt have a few more foreign stars, losing smith and dimi was big, and shilpas nice ahem
6. didnt like punjab either, as i dont like the arroant cocky yuyraj, the fat git….but i love priety zinta…ahem ahem ahem
7. im off indian origin…my parents came from india to uk 45 years agao, family and rels still live there…bharuch gujerat. But im british english thru and thru and i think the bcci and indian cricket are toooooooooooooooooooooooooo big for their boots…..when it comes to icc, technology, ipl banning pak players etc
8. love the little master…genius
9. harsha bogle good commentator….shiva though????? he does my head in, so does sunil even though he was a legend
10. by way kumble top guy too
my personal opinion mate
ps boogeyman…
preity > shilpa
lol
@boogeyman
nothing against Chennai but they just peaked at the right time. if it was a premier league concept mumbai would have won it. There was a hint of match fixing in the final(went to see it). Some of the catches dropped were shocking and the decision to send pollard when the situation was nearly out of hand was puzzling
Anyways hope the boys do India proud in the Caribbean
Agreed big shout out for the Reserves shame for the lads there was not a bigger crowd at Old Trafford there to witness there penalty shoot out victory.Yes Ben’s pen was cracker, wow that lad did not half thunder the ball past the Villa goalkeeper.As has been stated the goals were great Fredrico in my opinion MOM his passing to free Diouf several times was very clever.
Ben as has been said was at fault when the ball was swung in he misjudged the flight in and the Villa winger nipped in at the back post.In fairness he did his job in the Pen shootout.
Villa have several spendid young players like ourselves I particularly admired a lad called Albrighton i realize he has played for Villa first team but I think only in small spasms, we shall hear more of this lad.
Well Done the reserves Ole and Warren and the rest of the staff.
On topic yes it was sneaky Phil, you naughty boy trying to get Ryan to look like a Tit, in fairness to Bardsley he is a right back, they have not mastered the diving in around the box skill like one Twat who’s name i cant bare to type, it still hurts to much.
AIG – You started a sentence with haha, i thought that was childish.
@willie
it wasnt meant to have potshots at anyone. just a laugh at the mentalty of the dippers. Why the fuck would i be happy they rolled over when it didnt benefit united in any way??. Common, you honestly think i would be happy they rolled over?. i was angry, not surprised, expected from them. An indication of how low they have stooped. My friends had the cheek to text me saying they were delighted liverpool threw it away. Thats their mentality and gradually it shifts to the players
i didn’t say you were having a pop at anyone, forget about it. I thought the players would have some pride, but the cunts didn’t want to know, bar Reina imo.
@willie
and kuyt. Thought he tried hard. The whole of last week i had a chat with some liverpool fans and they were praying that FSW plays a second string team or they just give up without a fight which is what happened.
For them pride or playing for the shirt means nothing. compare this. Giggs, scholes and neville here and stevie me and carragher there. That speaks for itself.
There was a Liverpoo fan on talksport today, and he said Mourinho will be Liverpoo’s next manager, deluded.
Thats the way they are willie.
Anyways good talking to you.Hope my comment in the morning is clearer. The last thing i would want is to tell someone i was right and you were wrong.
AIG – No worries mate.
Thanks willie.
Good night and take care.
To be fair, there may have been contact between giggs and Bardsley, hence Bardsley is off balance and falls. I don’t believe a player of his honesty and determination would dive like that, especially against a club he used to support.
anyway, you lot go on about richardson, what about nani whinging? As well as Evra, going down ‘injured’ all the time…
@ suhayl do you just hate everyone in Re: to IPL because you come across just as arrogant as some of the cricketers you just mentioned. Harbajhan is a legend. Anyway thought this was a United blog? The IPL was shit this year not as shit as Bardsleys dive though.
Bardsley over Berbatov.
Wake up and smell the shit, Dimitar dreamers
notorious…dont get on your high horse lad
I DONT HATE EVERYONE
stating some facts…harbajhan is a good bowler, but is a class A prick…ask the australian team how he behaved in the tour down under…some of his behaviour was despicable…..yes the aussies are the masters of sledging, but beating your chest infront of them, not shaking hands, waving dismissed players goodbye etc etc etc. Even umpires have warned him umpteen times as to his behaviour….and whose dismissing his cricketing ability…i call a spade a spade….and in the uk, australia, s africa, s lanke…he is seen a prick…mr billy no mates…very similar to how ganguly isolated himself. Stating my opinion
Legend????? hmmmmmm i wouldnt go that far…
warna yes…muli yes…kumble yes…turbanator????? not in my book
secondly where do u get the assumption i hate everyone?????????
tendulkar what a great man genius…so is kumble…so is dravid….so is gambhir and the list goes on
and so what i like harsha boglies wit and dont like shiva going on and on staing the fuckin obvious……….u want commentators to enlighten you…not bore you to sleep.
MY OPINION ON THE UNLIMITED SPORT I WATCH…
SO DONT GET PRECIOUS….fuck sake so many PC precious gits on here these days
as for why talk of ipl??????? my good mate boogeyman posed and asked me the question…is that ok with you??????
do i have to run it by you next time?
my comments were answering boogeymans question…not for you to stick you 2 pence worth in
fuck sake im fucking sick to the back teeth of fuckin self imposed moderators on here…state something that doesnt tow the party line and you get jumped on..
lets please everone shall we….
thats it, lets talk about flowers and green meadows and blue skies an lush scenery and sunshine.
apologies to anyone offended or hurt by talk of green meadows and sunshine…dont want to upset anyone do we
suhayl- Harbhajan is a cunt of the first order, I can’t stand him.
My old man doesn’t like Murali Vijay(I know firsthand about his arrogance) nor Dhoni too, but personally I love them both. lol And that cockiness just makes me like Vijay a bit more.
What did you think of Dougie Bollinger and Ashwin’s bowling? I’m shocked myself that they aren’t at the World T20.
Salut! Sunderland has been hammering away all season at the cheats, from whichever club, who feign injury, try to get opponents booked or sent off or dive. I thought at first that Bardsley had slipped but the upraised arms in the picture sequence don’t help his case if that is what he also claims.
This was why my response to Scotty the Red’s criticism of PB at my site, and – as you can see at my follow up referring to this postng (http://salutsunderland.FootballUNITED.com/2010/05/the-trashing-of-a-manchester-united-old-boy/) – my view is unchanged …
“If he was right, Bardsley should be fined a month’s wages for turning a goalscoring opportunity into a yellow card. And I accept without hesitation that no United player or official has ever so much as thought of cheating in any shape or form. From SAF to the lowliest apprentice, MUFC observe the Corinthian spirit without exception or complaint.”
SalutSunderland – The point here isn’t so much about the cheating, rather that a self-confessed United fan who has spent the majority of his life so far in our academy, would cheat in such an important game. That makes me question his character far more than just any player going to ground too easily in the box.
Kudos to the 1500 or so United fans on Sunday who you could hear from the first minute to the last.
Do not know what this cunt was playing at.
If only the Chav’s were facing these fuckers on Sunday. Talk about their cup final.
Scott the Red:
That sounds a bit like an apologia for selective cheating. It might rankle a bit more down the pub but is hardly an argument you’d take very seriously when sober.
I am against diving, feigning injury and haranguing refs to book/send off opponents as much if it’s N’Gog, Eduardo, Drogba, Nani or – yes – Bent as if it’s Kevin Phillips coming back and doing it for Birmingham or whoever in a match that matters to us.But then look at European football’s elite – the Barca/Inter game, for example – and you soon realise I’m a sad, idealistic fool.
Bardsley dived. But that doesn’t make him a c*nt to me. Kieran Richardson too. A c*nt is for somebody like Tevez, the FA and Stevie Me.
I am ashamed that my fellow United fans called him a c*nt just for a dive. Grow up.
SalutSunderland – I’m not making any argument, I’m simply saying it is more disappointing to see a former red and life long United fan dive against us in what could have been a title deciding match than it would be to see Kenwyne Jones dive against us. That’s nothing to do with being drunk or sober, so less of your condescending tone, simply that I would have expected Bardsley to have more respect for the club than Kenwyne Jones.
Diving is always wrong but you come to expect it from so many players these days. Whilst still believing it was wrong, I wouldn’t be surprised if Darren Bent did his dying swan impression. I am surprised and just wouldn’t expect it from someone who spent 14 of their 22 years at United though, particularly in a game of such magnitude.
boogeyman hey mate – my opinions are based on countless years of watching sport and in my opinion bollinger, when he first came into the australian set up, i thought australia were scraping the barrel, post mcgrath, gillespie, kaprowicz and were lacking pacy bowlers.
Then they lost lee, bracken, hilfenhaus, siddle to injuries and in came this left hander,,,,i at first thought he was a stop gap….but he started performing game in game out and had an unbelievable aussie summer…and won every game ( even though ok the opp wasnt great )
He may not have the genius of pigeon aka mcgrath…..he may not have the express pace of brett…..but he’s turning into a hardworking disciplined line and length bowler.
As was proved in the ipl…..chennai were all over the place early doors….then he came into the ipl half way through and you guys needed to win all your games to qualify and he was a big big big part in achieving that along with raina.
Top bowler.
Think he’s got an injury at mo…..
By way bardsley is a clown
don’t take it so seriously 9/10 of us would go down in the penalty box, especially at the speed he was going!