By Far The Greatest Team wonders why Roy Hodgson has it in for Rio Ferdinand.
United Rant looks at Robin van Persie’s path to United super-stardom.
The Telegraph looks at our defensive statistics compared with other seasons.
Beautifully Red has the best moments from Tuesday’s victory over Cluj in GIF format.
The About Man Utd app is well worth getting for anyone with any interest of historical United stats (Rodney McCain, Tejas Goradia, Stefan Attard, Daniel Marland and Daniel Lilius all won free access to this app through the RoM competition)
Check out this new Eric Cantona print.
The RoM Newsletter is out tomorrow.
Man Utd News 24/7
Roi should just retire, the media circus behind him is ridiculous. He has been having back problems and it was a miracle he played as many games as he did last season. Scholes decided that United is more important than England, hope Rio can see that as well
This would be all over if Rio had openly said he will concentrate on United, his desperation to play for England is getting rather embarrasing.
Oh, and Steven Gerrard’s book, he wrote that if it wasn’t for Roman & Mansour, he would have some league titles. He forgot that United finished above Liverpool every season since Roman bought Chelsea.
He should instead be greatful to Roman & Mansour, if not we would have been far and away the most successful english club, haha
There is too much disrespect aimed at Rio, first Capello and now Hodgson. I can see why Hodgson is not willing to take Ferdinand back but there is a way to telling Ferdinand he is not in his plans respectfully. Rio also didn’t help himself by highlighting the choc ice tweet in regards to Ashley Cole, which may have also persuaded Hodgson to leave Rio out as he doesn’t want any distractions surrounding the team. However it is appalling the way Rio has been treated just because he is the brother of Anton who had been abused by John Terry. Some people have even come up with the conspiracy theory Anton and Rio purposely made up the racism claim so Rio can be reinstated as captain, no wonder people think football fans are all thick.
In regards to our defense although Rio has been getting most of the criticism (I don’t know why), I think Rafael and Evra have a lot to answer for, they need to be defending as well as attacking, the only reason Rio is getting caught out is because of the amount of space Evra and Rafael are giving the opposition. However our midfield is also contributing to why our defense is getting overrun, they give the ball away too much or are just being bulldozed by the opposition which has been happening since last season.
I still can’t Robin van Persie plays for Manchester United it still feels odd but oh boy has been fantastic, I don’t really think he is at his best at the moment but that is more to do with our midfield than him. I think once our midfield becomes solid ( and I pray to God that it does) we will be in for a treat.
who gives a shit really…fuck england he doesnt need england he needs united and united needs rio….simple so shove the rest
What an embarrassment Hodgson turned out to be.
mate u can slag gerrard all u want but the bottom line is you have to respect his loyalty like we do gary neg,giggs scholes etc…he had the chance to leave that shite nd u no what fucking respect to the scouse cunt i dont mind sayin it…and u can say all u want but u would want the fucker in ur team…quite easily 1 of the best midfielders in world football in his day and up alongside scholesy for sure..yeah we dont like him cause he doesnt wash and thats fair enough and even though he talks shite he deserves respect at the end of the day as he said many times he respects united..he may not like us but he respects hat we are about and loyal players are hard to find infact r there fuckin any left
and roy hodgon is nothin more than a man with a face full of strokes(forgive me)
@kungfoocantona
Chill mate, no disrespect for Gerrard, just the simple fact that if you take away Chelsea & City, Liverpool still wouldn’t have any league titles
for the love of god please start buttner at the wknd!
Hodgson’s apology via Sky
England manager Roy Hodgson has issued an apology to Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand over the way he dealt his omission from his latest squad.
Ferdinand learned he was not going to be selected after Hodgson made some rather loose comments to a fellow passenger on the Tube heading to Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League encounter with Olympiakos at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.
In addition to confirming the 33-year-old was not going to be selected for the World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Poland, Hodgson also indicated Ferdinand’s international career was over despite John Terry’s retirement from England duty.
The words underlined Hodgson’s squad announcement on Thursday morning, in which there was no place for Ferdinand but a spot for Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross, whose only previous call-up came under Fabio Capello in 2010.
Hodgson acknowledged he had made a mistake imparting such information to a random member of the public.
“I apologise to him (Ferdinand) and will apologise to him and there is no way I would indicate that I would not use a player in this way. I have tried to get in touch with Rio today and I am disappointed that a stray conversation has been reported in that way,” he said.
“I didn’t say Rio’s career was over. I might have admitted, foolishly I guess, and I only have myself to blame, that I wasn’t going to choose him in this squad. I am just disappointed this could be seen as a lack of respect to Rio which is something I would shy away from.
“I have the utmost respect for him, as a person and a player. It is not for me to call time on anyone’s career. I would never dream of calling time on anyone’s career.
“It is up to an individual player to decide if he doesn’t want to play anymore and when I speak to Rio I will make that very clear to him. But the bottom line is I am sticking to my guns. I am staying with the players I selected for the Euros and I am looking to the future.”
Roy Hodgson apology to Rio. “OOOOPS”
Read Roy Hodgson’s statement: at #THEfa http://www.thefa.com/England/News/2012/roy-hodgson-squad-comments-041012.aspx
While tripping over themselves re Rio, there was “good” news for some other reds:
Hodgson’s England call up includes 4 reds and a former red.
Midfielders: Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United),
Forwards: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Welbeck (Manchester United).
Plus Ryan Shawcross (now with Stoke)
http://www.thefa.com/England/News/2012/squad-announced-san-marino-poland-041012.aspx
Cricky…….If Scott bans anymore lads, I might be the only one left on these pages.
Where is everyone?
at work?:)
Rio is still good enough for England but I understand Hodgon’s policy of youth and a medium/long term approach and not a player who won’t be around after the WC qaulifiers and finals assuming England get there although sometimes the snub does seem that it is meant to offend. I don’t agree with his loose tongue though and he should have spoken to Rio face to face a long time ago and set things straight. For some reason everything that the FA does or the England manager does turns out to be a soap opera.
Maybe its just me, but a coach of the National team, earning very good money, involved in trash talk with fans in a public train? How unreal can it get? Totally lost all respect for Hodgson, if there was any ounce left in the first place after his backing of Terry
Not bothered, the england team has always been a circus. For a national team that has and always will be terrible, they do make a lot of noise. Best for rio to pack it in.
Not bothered, the england team has always been a circus. For a national team that has and always will be terrible, they do make a lot of noise. Best for rio to pack it in…..
Gerrard even mentioned in the same breath as Scholesy is an utter travesty. You can have respect for him for sticking to the crapshit team he plays for but there is no fuckin chance in hell he can match up to the level of skill Scholesy has. A great player in his heyday but that’s about it.
As for Roy, I think we’ve all said more than enough. If Rio can’t take a hint, and exit w dignity than he’s bound to get disrespected like this. Aint the first time and won’t be the last.
Rio is good enough and he’s also better than pretty much all other English central defenders,
Lescott and Cahill doesn’t inspire much confidence. That has to be very frustrating for a player who
really wants to play for his country and must be furious that he’s not getting a chance to go to a world cup in Brazil. Are Lampard and Gerrard playing any more or any better for their clubs? No, they’re not but they’re in the squad.
From United perspective it’ll mean that we have a fitter, fresher Rio but I can’t help but think he’ll be distracted by his omission.
Don’t see what all the fuss is about,Rio is injury prone and reaching the twilight of his career shouldn’t be picked and shouldn’t want to be.Same with Gerard and Lampard what use are they going to be in 2 yrs all the old lads need replacing
Let’s face it none of them have lived up to their potential for England time for young blood
You guys should check out The Fiver on guardian they troll Hodgson pretty hard. Talking about how the ugly twat doesn’t
Know the basic rule of subway travel haha pure jokes.
Rio should focus on united. Roy can have his
Turn at the helm of a joke team and crash and burn like all his predecessors.