Sir Alex Ferguson was asked whether he was concerned about the players’ discipline in tonight’s derby, after crowd trouble flared up last week at Wastelands.
“I think we have enough experience of playing in big games to know that [players must behave],” Ferguson said. “It’s always a key factor. With feisty games over the years, in terms of the competitive level of Liverpool and Leeds games since I’ve been here, the players’ behaviour has always been good. They play within the rules of the game. We’ve never had any issues with big games. It’s going to be a fantastic game, maybe even better than last week’s, but we’re ready for it.”
It clearly is an issue at the moment and has been widely reported in the press, but the manager said it’s not something that he is concerned about.
“I don’t pay any attention to all that,” he continued. “The player behaviour has always been perfect. We have great players who play to the right rules of the game. We have never had any issues in big games. Look at the record. I am not worried about it.”
Fair do’s. Our players didn’t lack discipline last week, with the only really nasty challenge of the match coming from Carlos Tevez on Wes Brown, which our manager believed he deserved sending off for.
United play is massive games every season and this year even had the added experience of playing bitter rivals Leeds in the Cup.
So, why is it that Mick Dennis of The Express has got his knickers in a twist?
As Matt Dickinson of The Times correctly identified yesterday, the comments of Gary Neville ahead of the first derby weren’t in the least bit inflammatory, regardless of Carlos Tevez’s massive overreaction.
Gary Neville makes some sensible comments in a Maltese newspaper, The Times, and, before you know it, Manchester police are on riot alert, braced for mayhem at Old Trafford tomorrow night.
In Tévez’s world, he is the one with right on his side in this escalating feud: the man disrespected. It suits him to paint a picture of a footballer who would have died for United but, cast out, had no choice than to pack up his shooting boots and, like one of Clint Eastwood’s wandering gunslingers, head to the next town.
That is one side of the story, but an entirely self-serving one also peddled by Kia Joorabchian, his representative. Self-serving because it deflects from the fact that the move may have been inspired by other motives, such as the pot of gold on the other side of Manchester.
Jonny Evans even suggested that Tevez’s City team mates couldn’t have given the Argie the full picture, with Tevez still unable to read English.
Yet for some reason, Dennis is very angry with Ferguson for playing down the idea that he needs to instruct his players how they should behave tonight.
It was business as normal for Sir Alex Ferguson. He did what he always does; defended his players from any and every accusation.
Manchester United manager Ferguson brushed aside the suggestion they should be warned to behave sensibly in tonight’s tinderbox Carling Cup semi-final second leg with neighbours City. He seemed affronted by the very idea.
They [the Greater Manchester Police] were dealing with the aftermath of violence at last week’s first leg, and drawing battle lines to try to prevent serious disturbances at tonight’s game. They issued pictures of men who, in the carefully correct jargon, they want to talk to after last week’s disorder; they continued the labyrinthine process of preparing criminal proceedings against some of those already arrested; they held planning and liaison meetings about tonight.
Sir Alex’s protestations that his sainted players never do anything that might provoke trouble would be risible in any circumstances. After all, Gary Neville is a serial offender. But in the context of what the police and his own club’s stewards are facing tonight, the comments are a dereliction of duty. Police were pelted with bottles at the first leg, for heaven’s sake.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not defending the actions of the fans who were lobbing darts and golf balls at City fans last week. For all the hatred between the two clubs, it would be nice if all of our fans, rather than the vast majority, didn’t behave like yobs when confronted with the songs about Munich. If fans want to go and have a ruck somewhere before or after kick off, that is their look out, but in the ground, amongst straight members, women and kids, it’s bang out of order. But I still can’t understand what the fuck Dennis can link the behaviour of our fans with the behaviour of the players.
The suggestion is that by Ferguson’s belief that our players will conduct themselves in a professional he is undermining the police and encouraging football hooligans. What a load of bollocks. No wonder he appeared affronted, you’re talking about players who have countless trophies, International caps and appearances in the biggest games in the world under their belt. Why on earth should he have to warn them about their behaviour? To connect the two is ludicrous.
But some people will write anything to pay the bills, eh Mick ABU Dennis?
Man Utd News 24/7
another twat to add to the list of trying to make a name for himself by talking shit about united.
A-effing-men. Well said Scott. I’m from Malta and eagerly buy ever Sunday edition of The Times to read Gary’s page-long article. They’re always interesting and I saw nothing inflammatory about Tevez – especially since he DIDN’T say that he wasn’t worth £25 million. Its just the cunt doesn’t know how to read and his team mates wound him up.
Twat TEVEZ is a uneducated country brut who can’t read english and idiot to get winded up by man shitty players!!
Ah yes, but that’s why Dennis writes crap like this because a million United fans will read it and hate it, and a million ABUs will read it and love it. Gets an audience.
What’s that I hear… lawsuit?!
Why has no one from the FA asked Tevez to explain himself? It’s that twat who brought a lot of tension into these games.
maybe it’s high time we ignore the british media. or for a change put them behind bars in changi prison si they write article sbased on truth and not some spin doctor’s work
This guy has an extremely weak case and it shows. Cunt.
The best line in the whole article was
It would have been so helpful to say: “I shall remind my players that they must not give the hooligans any excuse to cause carnage.”
What the hell? Never in my life have I heard such a stupid remark. As if some kind of action by a player would cause carnage! If that was the case, why wasn’t there a riot when Neville ran other to the fans when Owen scored the winner this season.
Useless twonk of a reporter.
Off topic I know, but I am just leaving for work.This is a plea for all you lucky fuckers who will be at the game tonight to really, really get behind the team! Just for tonight, forget the Glazer bastards and concentrate on giving the ‘Boys’ the best support possible as we all know that us Reds are capable of making more noise than anyone when we need to! Tonight WE NEED TO!! We really don’t want the ‘Bitters’ going anywhere near Wembley!! I was lucky enough to be at the 4-3 game this season which was just ‘beautiful’ (especially the way we won it!) and I am gutted I won’t be there tonight, so come on you lucky fuckers who will be there! RAISE THE ROOF!! Do your bit to make sure we beat the BLUE SHITE! The Glazer’s can wait, tonight is all about getting thr right result!!
Its that time again.
It as happened many times before the Cantona kung fu kick…Keanes book…Rios drug test…Beckham 98 sending off…and all the other numerous tabloid attacks.
Its time to close ranks shut up shop stop complaining about it and do what we always do ram it straight back down their throats on the pitch were it matters,
Starting tonight at Old Trafford and then on to sunday at the Emirates lets show them what makes us the great team we are then lets see them all squirm as they then have to write about how they told us that you should never right Man United off as more trophies beckon..
34 years…4 in a row..4 European Cups…..
Stewart I’ll be there, Stretford End, don’t worry I wont stop singing, we need the atmosphere of Barcelona at home, Arsenal at home and AC Milan in recent years. Tonight is huge boys, forget the Glazers, they can wait!
Mick Dennis is a twat, the stuttering fools spouts his shite on sky sports news and his views are usually laughable anyway.
have you ever read such tripe?
Mick dennis is a knob, he is regularly on SSN and its clear the only thing he truly cares about is the english national team. but that article was clutching at straws if someone can show me ONE incident from last weeks game where a united player incited violence I would be suprised.
it was tevez who went in high on brown and it was bellamy who went over the top on valencia and then again two seconds later, both disgusting challenges went unpunished and riled the crowd up more. any chance you could write about that dennis you F***** c***
Well said Dr.Hannibal. You use your good education to give that Tevez some stick about being a brut and getting winded up.
All the press not shutting up about it and the GMP coming out and commenting on it, Is just making things worse! they all need to mind there own fucking business and stay at home tonight and let what happens on the pitch tell the story,
I just hope our fans dont rise to the bait from the city fans, lets out – sing them in the stands and out – play them on the pitch. On mick dennis, dont forget this is the same mick dennis that said united acted like the mafia wen we signed berbatov from spurs, the guys a clown.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/333484-first-bbc-now-sky-sports-is-arsene-wenger-really-epls-biggest-whinger
hoho
Mick Dennis is just another cockney ABU cunt. Have never liked the twat. Anyway Scott DID golf balls and darts enter the ground or is that just a myth perpetuated by the media?
@Goonerman
‘Ferguson is meant to be the “master of media mind-games;” he won’t win too many more if he stops talking to the media altogether’.
Whoever that arsehole writer in that crap site is, SAF has won things with and without talking to the media. Also he is fine not talking to the media, the media are the ones who want to get something out of him every time.He can easily survive without giving interviews to the PATHETIC and CLASLESS english media who just twist and turn things.
Atleast he can shake the opposition manager’s hand in defeat rather than showing how sore a loser he is on the pitch
The arsenal blogs must be crap goonerman, your never of here.
Goonerman
Who gives a fuck if he moans at the press or anything for that matter. He could spend his entire free time shouting at spoons for all I care, if he manages United to glory, like he has for years.
Just another Arsenal fan trying to win something, no matter how little, to make up for years of emptiness.
After reading that shite link posted by Goonerman, I hope we thump the F*****g B******s on sunday, but City first tonight though. Lads who’ll be at the game tonight, please, please TAKE THE ROOF OFF!
@ RedDevilzAdvocate
I will be there as ever tonight singing myself hoarse for the cause but sadly it still takes many others to make it work.
I’m talking particularly about the fat twat that sits in front of me with his even fatter twat of a dad who only get themselves excited when it’s time to get another pie! I swear these two only move when they need to fart or eat!
They come in a few minutes before the game and stand. They stay standing until the whistle goes to start the game and they sit sown with their arms folded till the end!
“Right, come on you over paid tossers, ENTERTAIN ME!!” is all they mutter all game!
So if it’s you that sits in the North Stand Tier 2 around the half way line – sing your fucking hearts out and get behind the team!
I remember Rome at home. I did see you clap as the 7th went in! You can do it!
Let the FA bring in a new rule or pehaps even the immigration services in regards to football. If you cant speak, level 1 (whatever that may be) English you cant play in the premier league, if after year 1 you cant speak level 2 english they get their playing licence temporarily suspended, they can stay for the duration of their contract legally in the country ( up to the club if they want to put a clause in their contracts regarding if they get payed or not due to laziness). I for one would like to see Football climb to the levels of a sport for the masses, the masses are improving their education prospects and society is always steadily improving even if there is a temporary little slump at present, so I cant see why footballers couldnt show some dedication themselves. Footballers have always been regarded as being a little thick and continental footballers have always expressed themselves as being our more intelligent cousins. I honestly believe that if the country had a policy of making sure footballers had some level of intelligence then the ability of our national team may go past the stage of needing our trophy wives following us around spending rediculous amounts of money on continental tat, pissing themselves up and goading bar tenders to strip to show that they are successful individuals. It may even help the national football team to have the intelligence to outwit and tactically master the football prowess of the Swedes or Croatians. Maybe then we wouldn’t be a mecca for the dregs of forreign football, the knuckle dragers or slum bunnies that are the Carlos Tevezs of the Premier League and MAYBE even have a national football captain that could speak Englsh (looking at you John (3rd cubicle = no splashback) Terry geezer mate me ol china cor blimey apples and pairs mockney innit uugggghhh, twat).
Considering the fact that Fergie defended Cantona after he kicked a football supporter,I think his comments make some sense.
This issue about Fergie encouraging hooliganism is rubbish though.I mean,Matt has mentioned about how United fans had hit golf balls at city supporters but fails to mention that a city supporter had thrown a lighter on Evra !
firstly, i wanna point out that nowhere in the police reports did anyone say that those darts and golfballs came from United supporters. it just said they were confiscated from “supporters” but yet the media have started to immediately link it with the away support. They then leave out the fact that Evra was hit with a lighter in front of all the TV crews you could ask for and focus more on Gary Neville sticking up a finger to a man running past and gesturing to him in a confrontational way.
Now, people have said to me that i’m bonkers for believing in the ABU press in this country but if the treatment of the events in the press aren’t some glaring proof of the biase of most (not all, some have been impartial) Media outlets in this country then i have no idea what is!!!
but it doesn’t matter anyways, tonight we’ll win comfortably against the berties. we have a squad with a reputation of liting themselves in big games, a squad with more medals than city’s had managers and the prodigal son of English football and we’ll show that bunch of mercenaries not only how to win, but how to win with class.
UNITED!! UNITED!! UNITED!! UNITED!! UNITED!!
“Gary is a serial offender”. That is an over statement. It sounds as if he provokes controversary week in, week out, in every game. He only gets heated up in big games, ffs. It’s weird that Dennis decided to write a unjustifiable article based on comments any manager would say if he had this bunch of Utd players. What a saddo.