Rio Ferdinand has compared the attitude of Manchester City players to that of Manchester United’s ahead of the semi-final clash this weekend.
During City’s 3-0 thrashing at Anfield this week, James Milner, who has done little to justify the £26 million which was paid for him, was visibly annoyed at being subbed off.
Rio has implied that the unrest at City, from the frequent training ground bust-ups to their captains transfer request, is a result of having players who don’t really want to be there.
“You don’t see anyone come off the pitch shaking their head or being disgruntled or sitting on the bench in a sulk at this club,” said Rio. “That’s because everyone is delighted to play for this club and they all want to be here. The moment you show a bit of dissent like that, the manager pulls rank, and rightly so. It keeps people on their toes. People want to play here, they don’t want to be part of any other squad, and that’s the way it is at United. It comes out of respect for the manager, the club itself and the people who are here before you and present as well. There’s an unwritten rule here. You see it in the changing-room before games – there are no cliques. Players are wishing each other well before games, even if someone else is playing in your position. That’s just the way we are.”
Just months before signing for City, Yaya Toure’s agent said: “If he does leave Barca he will not go to Manchester City because he will sign for a bigger club.”
Just one montb before signing for City, David Silva said: “When you hear a club like Manchester United is interested in you it is an honour. I am very aware of the Premier League, and in recent years it has been the stand-out league in the world. If it came calling, especially if it was a club like Manchester United, it would be very hard to resist.”
A few months before leaving United, Tevez said: “I want to stay but the club have not made any offer. I’ve been waiting for them for a year and a half.” And a few months before that he said: “I cannot ever imagine leaving Manchester United. I am in the perfect situation. My relationship with the club is perfect. Patrice Evra is my closest friend but the feeling I get from all the players is something I’ve not experienced before. I want to get the contract sorted and play for United for the rest of my career.”
Is it any wonder the team spirit at City is so poor when their best players wish they played for a better club?
Man Utd News 24/7
Rio has tweeted that these comments were not aimed at city – http://twitter.com/rioferdy5/status/58438614526341120
Good PR!
Well lets hope he means Rooney in that comment too. To re-iterate what I said a few weeks ago all of us matchgoing reds need to put aside any negative feeliings towards him and support the player in a red shirt, get behind him, encourage him as we will all benefit, the summer will take care of itself and if he’s still here for next season (which I believe he will be) we need to put the past behind us, kind of forgive but not forget.
fuck i hate chelsea, liverpool and city.
As someone wrote in a paper, players at United are together 90% of the time (I would say it is more close to 100) and at City they are together about 9% of the time.
That is the same problem that has plagued almost every other big club this season. Fabregas’ antics at Arsenal, Roman handing over the team sheet at Chelsea, disgruntled players at City and so on.
We can’t say we’ve not had problems on our side most notably with a certain No. 10. However, even in that case Sir Alex proved that he is always in control. It is hard to imagine Sir Alex’s successor being given as much free rein as the master has. But that is arguably what makes us who we are, that the manager has complete control on footballing matters from the side he picks for Europe to how the academy is run to what players are sent on loan to what players make it through the ranks into the first team.
Hi all,
Just been offered a ticket to wembley, can anyone offer me advice on transport?
@madmike91
Yeah, I live in Wembley, where are you coming from? Which transport do you intend to use?
@ madmike91
My advice is this:
Sell the ticket to me!
Same here madmike, if you need any public transport routes I cant tell you, but nothing for cars from Manchester(?).
. Can’t get my hands on United/City game.
I feel so depressed living a 15 minutes walk away from Wembley, and I’ve never got to see United play here
Good advice @traffordbrown
Sell it and buy a ticket and flights for Shalke away, party with the Red Army!
@madmike
Myself and a frined have got free tickets to wembley as i found out yesterday (Gold tickets at that!) We intend to drive down to Watford and then get the tube to wembley but not 100% on how often trains run and which stops are best but it shouldn’t be too hard to follow the crowd. Can anyone advise the best route from Watford??
@ Scholes is god
I used to live in Watford mate. Might be better to get an overground train from Watford Junction to Euston, then tube to Wembley
Tevez out for a month
@Traffordbrown: Where did you see the news about Tevez aka money grabbing whore?If it’s true, I guess Karma just achieved a new level of bitchyness
Ahh – I see it’s actually all over the media…will believe it only when I see the line-up though. As SAF said about the Italian, “They come out with the ‘English are so strong, we’re terrible in the air, we can’t do this, we can’t do that’. Then they beat you 3 – 0.”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13044404.stm
read these comments on the sun last night … rio is such an outspoken class act unlike Silva & Tevez. Personally, i think Silva wouldve been a nice addition to our squad ….
Thunder & Lightning: The Perfect European Storm
http://www.theunitedreligion.com/2011/04/thunder-lightning-perfect-european.html
My Dad has his wedding on Saturday, he’s absolutely gutted the game got sceduled for that day. Staying in a fancy hotel though and said I can sneak off and watch the match. Got my phone ready to watch the last half an hour on cause the dinner is at 7pm haha.
@Balaji, that was Alan Hansen…he said Manchester United players are together 99% of the time while Manchester City players are together 9% of the time…this is the article…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/9456826.stm
Very interesting. Man City can’t keep this up can they, signing all these players.
They are failing so bad, and it is not looking like getting any better.
Saying that, if they got Mourinho as manager this could all change, he is the only one that could turn things around and I’ll be dreading it if he does go there.
I hope Fergie has told him he won’t be able to manage United of he does go there and win something!
Just a couple of points I’d liked to raise about (the at one time brilliant) Raul, who seems to be getting a lot of “rolling back the years” comparisons to Giggs after scoring a couple of goals against Inter:
- Raul was considered not good enough for Real Madrid despite being a folk hero and all round general legend aged 33, Giggs is still tearing them apart for United at 37 with another contract signed and sealed
- Raul is only 18 months older than Rio Ferdinand – Rio is widely considered one of the best in his position for any age in the world, Raul is considered “quite good for an old man”
- Drogba is only 9 months younger than Raul yet he was probably the best player in the PL last year and is still an absolutely deadly striker
- Scholes, Giggs, Van Der Sar are all a few years older than Raul
He’s been brilliant in his day and it’s nice that he’s getting a second chance to shine at Schalke, but at 33 he just isn’t that old! Stop the Giggsy comparisons!
@ Madmike91
Watford Junction to Wembley takes about 50 mins door to door. Trains go about every 10-15 mins. Easy job. If you need to plan it a little more accurately use the journey planner on tfl.gov.uk
You lucky lucky git. Hope it’s a good day out for you.
@MadMike – best you go to Watford Met station & take the Metropolitan line direct to Wembley Park – takes about 25 – 30 mins!! No changes – str8 into Wembley
Don’t wanna be going on the London Overground from Watford Junc to Euston takes about 50 mins, then ‘nother 30 mins to get to Wembley!!
Enjoy the day………………& if you feel the urge to sell your ticket………..!!!!
@spacemanspiff:
Comments not aimed at City my ass!
}}} I see SAF’s mind games are paying off. I must say Rio is actually very articulate for a football player, usually they don’t say much because they don’t like the press or they talk slightly inarticulately or occasionally swear.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-city/8450106/Jose-Mourinho-Manchester-City-move-impossible.html
Another slap down. Jose don’t wanna go there either.
Thanks for the advice everyone. Much appreciated! Probs be going via Watford.
Come on United!!!
Excellent article on Hernandez in the Independent, including the reporter’s “mea culpa” for being wrong about the Little Pea when he was first signed.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/buy-of-the-century-why-little-pea-is-a-huge-hit-at-united-2267328.html#comment-184298373
There seems to be a lot of momentum that Chicharito’s insane first season has not received the applause that it deserves. I’ve seen several articles like this in the last few days, in various rags.
Reds,follow me on twitter @yugo44
“You don’t see anyone come off the pitch shaking their head or being disgruntled or sitting on the bench in a sulk at this club,” said Rio
lol rio being stupid again…erm didn’t roo reffuse to shake SAF’s hand when he subbed him and didn’t ronaldo showed some petulance when he was subbed against city in his last season with us?!
rio would be better off if he kept his mouth shut over certain issues
CROoney, these players showed displeasure at their performance and no petulance or disrespect towards the boss, unlike the bitter mercenary gang and their invisible fans.
CROoney how is rio ‘being stupid again’? Or is it the truth upsets you because your BITTER
@samuel…lol i’m “bitter” because rio’s wrong…we’ve had our cases of players not showing respect or letting their frustration to be seen after being subbed…
@CollyhurstRedArmy – ronaldo was displeased for being subbed, he admitted that after the match…
you know , just because rio is a united player it doesn’t mean that he’s right in everything…my point is :
yes you will see players doubting manager’s decision everywhere…united is not an exception as we saw tih rooney…he was clearly not satisfied for being subbed and that’s the reason why he ignored saf’s hand and not because of his performance…
@ Crooney – seriously mate, who gives a fuck?
Let’s all laugh at City,
Let’s all laugh at City,
Da daa daa da
Da daa daa da…
@Crooney … yeah, we’ve had our cases where players have not been happy at being subbed out. And to a certain extent, it’s to be expected — these are highly competitive people. But what we’ve seen, and what most clubs have seen, pales into the bleeding insignificant at what Shitty players have done, not once or twice, but almost as a matter of routine for some of them. That’s the point.
mattbw7 … great comment back at 9.00. It may not be possible for some people to “forgive and forget” over the Rooney thing, but it is time to move on. Get behind the team — and that includes Rooney. Our lads need every ounce of help they can get, including support from us. I was pleased with the atmosphere at the Chelsea match (as best I could judge it from TV, lol), but I’ll confess there have been times this year when I wondered if our home crowd had taken a vow of silence!
In commemoration of his master class v Chelsea, I’d like to suggest a new song for Giggs this Saturday v the council house dance team.
(Go on ask me to name the tune. Go on! )
TITLE: RED Blooded:
He’s RED Blooded, check it and see.
Will win the league at one hundred and three.
He’ll do your defense, ’cause WE KNOW THEY ARE SH*T!
He’s RED Blooded, He’s RED Blooded!
City will always stay City, even with all the money in the world!
Bigphil. Hello mate. Yeah I get a bit sick of the raul and giggs comparsions. Fuck me he isn’t even that old.
As for Tevez that cunt aint gonna play. It won’t be a lie. He is out. Couldn’t care less either. The fat little cunt aint done out since xmas.
I cannot believe that in the sun van der vaart the fat lazy bastard got the same mark for his performance last night that park did on tuesday!
Finally I wasn’t a fan of olly norwood but the lad is growing into a fucking good player. Was fantastic last night. A superb passer of the ball.
Well said rio lad. You cannot by the team spirit and ethos we have. City arer falling apart by the day. Its comical to witness.
CRoonney. Oh pal do you just come here to argue the toss?
Can`t wait to see that banner of Years Counting City years of failure if we win on Saturday. 36years .
Well most of them do Rio! Rooney cannot be forgiven and Rio is hardly a saint with his contract ‘negotiations’!
Well said Rio, at United this is nothing new. Players through out the years have always been proud to wear the shirt and be part of the biggest football club in the world….
City couldnt buy our squad spirit and respect for our manager with all the money in the world. The stupid bitter fucks will try tho
@Davey
They’ll try but NEVER succeed!
@CRooney : u forgot to read the “The moment you show a bit of dissent like that, the manager pulls rank, and rightly so. It keeps people on their toes.” part of it mate??
and city are the comedy small time club who always keeps us laughing..
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/906506/gary-neville:-players-won%27t-focus-on-power-debate?cc=4716
A winning mentality, not petty things like power. That’s what made our club great. And why City will remain small unless they get that same mentality.
“You don’t see anyone come off the pitch shaking their head or being disgruntled or sitting on the bench in a sulk at this club,”
Well, not since CR7 left.
Spot on Rio. Apart from moody Ronaldo, of course.
CROoney
Why do you always attack United?
You always attack.
Look at willierednut’s comment at 18:57. He has made a similar point, without attacking Rio.
You should apologise for your approach. It shows an ABU bias that is impossible to have emanated from a true United supporter. Apologise unreservedly.
If you respond rudely to this, you will have earned a vicious rebuke. Your choice.