Owen Hargreaves had a phenomenal début season for Manchester United, contributing heavily to the second most successful season in our club’s history, winning the league title and European Cup. The moments that stand out of him are probably the penalty against Chelsea in the Champions League final and the freekick against Arsenal in the league on the day it felt like we had won the title. It wasn’t just the measurable things like goals and assists that made the fans warm to him, but his work rate too.
Hargreaves made his début at Wastelands in a 1-0 defeat but he was the silver lining that day. He was no Roy Keane but he was the closest we’d come to signing someone that important to the midfield since our former skipper’s departure. From then on, whether in the centre of the park or at right back, or even on the right wing, Hargreaves really gave his all and looked to be a cracking player.
It was all downhill for him from there though and he has spent the past three years on the treatment table. The club have stood by him throughout this time, obviously paying his wages and for his treatment. The manager’s patience grew thin with the player as he insisted on trying out his own treatments and spending a lot of time away from the club.
After hobbling off in his last ever United game against Wolves last season, doing his calf and hamstring, he then dislocated his shoulder in a Reserves game. Hargreaves himself acknowledged that fans were right to claim he was made out of glass.
He claims he offered to stay at the club and play for free this season, so desperate was he to stay at United. “Manchester United is a wonderful club,” he said in an interview last week. United turned down his offer, with plans to bring through younger players in to the team. The manager has been true to his word, fielding teams with an average age of 22/23-years-old. Hargreaves would be occupying the place in the squad that could be used on playing a young lad.
Hargreaves also claimed that he wanted to sign for a club where he would play 40 games this season. With Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and West Brom all keen to sign him, it looked as though there might be some hope of him making a come back, however unlikely it seemed.
So to then find out yesterday that Hargreaves was intending to sign for City, a club looking for a player to cover Yaya Toure’s absence in January, is hard to understand.
Whilst I understand he’s free to join whichever club he likes after United made the decision to let him go, I don’t think our fans would be out of order to expect him not to join our hated rivals after our club has spent three years paying his way. Throughout this time, we’ve been urging him back, getting ridiculously hopeful every time he claimed he was ready, only to have another set back. It’s not about loyalty in the sense that we expect him to be some dyed in the wool United fan, but about having a bit of common decency and respect. United losing patience with him after three years doesn’t warrant him throwing the money, care and good will back in our faces.
The second issue is the fact that if he cares so little for money, as he claimed in his interview, even being willing to play for United for free, why is he signing for The Richest Club In The World (TM) where he won’t get a game? Like most United fans, I’ve felt really sorry for him these past few years, as he’s missed the peak of his career out injured. I felt even worse for him when he released by the club. But what a waste of emotions. You would think any professional footballer would be desperate to get on the football pitch after three years out. If Hargreaves is going to manage be fit, how many games can he realistically get at City? He turns 31 this season, so even if he does manage to beat the injury, he’s never going to be as good as he was.
Of course, City have Champions League football and that should be a pull to players like Aguero, Clichy and Nasri, who can realistically expect to be in the starting XI or there abouts. But why would playing in Europe make a difference to Hargreaves? City are going to drop Nigel De Jong or Yaya Toure for Hargo are they?
If Hargreaves does have 40 games in him this season, like he claims, why choose to join a club where he would be lucky to play in half that many? You would think he would be desperate to make up for lost time, when in reality, it turns out he’s just like all those other mercenaries, happy to warm a bench. He is their new Patrick Vieira, who started just four league games last season.
“SHOCK! HORROR! Footballer in new mercenary scandal!” I know it isn’t a big deal to find out that a player is money hungry and sadly, yet again, I’ve been naive. I just had an idea of what Hargreaves was like as a player and wasted sympathy on him for his time out. But if he really cared about playing regular football after so long out, he’d have given Spurs (5th last season), Villa (9th) or West Brom (11th) a go. All clubs would have offered him a pay per play deal. You would be right to assume City will pay him more per play than any club interested.
I wished him well when I talked about his most recent interview. It goes without saying I now totally revoke that. I’m not outraged, I’m not devastated, but I am disappointed. I thought better of him, both in terms of his dedication towards the game and just being a man of common decency and respect, so it is disappointing to learn I had him wrong. He wasn’t a club legend and he’s tarnished how he will be remembered, but essentially, he was desperate to stay at United and we turned him down. But I won’t shed a tear if Vida snaps him on derby day.
Man Utd News 24/7
We no longer have a say in where he plays.. Time to move on mate !!
Calling your penis Owen Hargreaves because you haven’t been in the game for years
Hargreaves will not get a game 4 city he’s is not that fit and i think utd will beat city this seson plus Hargreaves will never be a utd fan again Anyone agree or Disgree
Dissapointed indeed… I think you speak for when you say we expected more of him.
I only really needed to post two words.
Hear Hear.
a) How do we know that he is not on a pay per play deal with City? That wouldn’t make him a mercenary would it? He won’t play as many games there as he would at another club.
b) Really disappointing closing sentence.
Hargreaves was not kept by United, mainly for the same reason that Brown and O’Shea were not kept, despite us already losing Gary, Paul and Edwin. Sir Alex decided to bring through a new order at United, and wanted the youngsters to be unrestrained as they take over in the dressing room and on the pitch. Only indispensable or extremely malleable older players remain (Giggs, Ferdinand, Park, Carrick, Berbatov, Owen). We are not slave traders and would not employ a player just because he’s cheap, or free, especially when that player is of that old guard and therefore ineligible.
Having been released, recently unproven, yet still very employable, Hargreaves is sensible to take the best offer that he receives. As he is employed by City, he will be registered as one of their squad, and will be expected to perform regularly. Should he prove physically competent and resilient, he will play in excess of 35 games in all competitions this season.
City are our cross-town rivals, and rightfully hated by true United supporters; as are we deservedly despised by their fans. Similarly therefore, all their players are hated. Should any United player join City, they will earn the wrath reserved for traitors.
To desire, and wish for harm to come to our ex-players, be they traitorous or not, reveals the truth of transient and therefore nonexistent love. Those that express it, prove that they do not love United, they only love being seen as supporters of the right team.
GIT
Exactly my thoughts from the previous thread. Always thought that Hargo, was a decent person, turns out he isn’t. Hence thoroughly disappointed.
And to think about that i was about to lett you shag my wife! now i just want her to get an abortion
Costas – He’d be on a pay per play deal wherever he went. City can afford to pay him more per play than any other club.
Doesn’t matter much.
Hargo has gone to a club that can afford his medical bill. Nothing wrong with that.
If he was anywhere near playing 40 games this season, Fergie would have kept him at old trafford.
Is it official? has Hospital Hargreaves signed.for the bastarding berties ?if it has been confirmed I will be shocked and appauled
DreadedRed.. couldn’t put it better myself
he was no longer wanted at United, he offered to play for free (how many players would do that in this day and age?) and despite joining City.. i liked the lad and wish him well.. i certainly wouldn’t wish any more injuries on the guy, certainly by any of our own players
But the thing is Scott will he play on derby day?
Probably be injured again or worse he won’t even be on the subs bench
Is he therefore a part of the 25 man squad?
Enjoy the delusion Hargreaves thanks for the memories – now jog on son and watch the kids show you up
19
Is anyone on this blog from Spain. A friend of mine is over there at the moment and says it has been on the news over there that we’ve signed Sneijder?! He’s a big red and doesn’t usually bull shit but find it strange that only he has the info. He said something about competition laws regarding TV?
I was outraged when Tevez joined the Bitters. Ditto with Rooney’s ‘ambition’-gate.
And yet, the Hargo deal doesn’t irk me as much as the other two did. Perhaps it’s just my standards of loyalty in the football world that have fallen.
Note to self: All footballers are mercenaries. Giggs, Scholes and Neville are exceptions, Tevez and Hargreaves are the rule.
We forfeited the right to bitch when we turned down his offer to play for free. Which was a pretty classy move on his part, in my opinion.
Signing him up is just a case of The Bitters fucking with us. They’ll probably put him on the field at the derby. Whatever.
Let’s all move on and focus on the issues that really matter. Like the fact that our team looks freaking awesome right now.
Moreover, the people who were saying on the Hargo and City medical thread that Legends like Law and Schmeichel also went to City fail to recognize the fact that before this, City were never major trophy contenders before now. To have a player who says that he would play for your club for free and a few days later sign for your strongest title contenders surely hurts.
For the last time this window, have we signed anyone yet?
Scott
I do agree with Costas – I think you are perfectly entitled to write what you want since this is you and we are privileged to contribute
But we are not about the last sentence no matter how much the anger or disappointment simply because the United way is far superior to every other way.
As we will truly oblige again
19
If it was a pay as you play deal, city would of said it. He’s signed a one year deal. Not as fussed as others. I can understand both sides of the argument, though. Don’t wish the lad, any ill will.
Good luck to him.
Although, to be honest, looks like City are doing this just to get a reaction of out you guys.
… It’s seems to already have the desired effect.
@Scott
That’s probably true, but then again, how many games will he get at City as opposed to, say, West Brom? So I think that evens itself out there. Personally I feel it was his desire to keep playing (or being employed anyway) by a side that plays in the Ch.League.
I can understand why United washed their hands with Hargreaves, after 2 years of only 11-minutes of first team action it was time for him to leave.
Credit where credit’s due he did offer to play for free to stay at United but it would mean him being a member of the 25-man squad and there was no need for him to take a squad position off someone else so it was right for him to go.
I do see why he joined Citeh but he has tarnished his legacy for me.
Anyone that signs for Citeh, or in Rooney’s case flirts with them, I cannot feel the same for.
Strong Sneijder rumours this end…. all over the news in Italy and Spain right now by all accounts?
Man Shitty are purely doing this to piss us off, Very childish behavior from the joke club if I do say so myself.
Fuck him, well said Scott, Vida won’t need to snap him cause he can’t run.
@Costas – He is definitely on a pay for play deal. The real question for Scott is, how do we know Owen even had a choice, and that others had put in a decent offer to him.
I think the other major issue is the fact that the man is 30, nearing the end of his career in age terms, forget physically. Surely, he would just go for the most money he could get at this stage (and let us remember it won’t be very much if he falls apart again), and who are we to begrudge that? Not very comfortable with this holier than thou attitude which is springing up here about loyalty etc. Once the club has said we no longer what him and he can bugger off, surely we have no right to expect him to act like a saint when there are more practical issues at hand.
He’ll be gone at the end of the season and will probably play Carling Cup games and act as cover in Jan. Like Scott said, “What a waste of emotions.”
Breaking News:
Hargreaves interview
So Owen why city?
I couldn’t walk very far so the other team in the city made sense
Wow how did you pass the medical then?
Oh I promised them that I’d show them how to beat United.
Incredible
Do you think you’ll play 40 games this season?
Yes.
How can you say that?
Harry Redknapp told me so – apparently it all works out on Football Manager 2011
Costas
According to PLTV news, Hargo was turned down by both WBA and Villa, so City might have been the only club that actually gave him a contract
mikekelly12
I’ll believe it when it happens. I think they’re all just rumours websites float around for a few extra hits. Remember how Ozil was a ‘done deal’ last season?
Anyway, I for one am not too disappointed. I wouldnt want anyone to come in and disrupt the form that Cleverley and Ando are in right now.
If he – as some media sources claim – is on a pey-per-play deal with City, he is no mercenary as he won’t get more than 10 games for them. If he was being greedy, he would accept a similar deal with West Brom, Villa or any other interested club, where he could be playing all games. Fitness permitted, that is.
I’m disappointed that he chose City, but my guess is that he wants to stay in the area and they offered him a deal. No more to it than that.
I wouldn’t want Vida to snap him, that would be inhumane
As long as he doesn’t spit crap about United, Im ok with his move, if he bullshits….Vida Snap the lad.
Breaking News: United Snap up Goldie Hawn.
Utd Spokesmen said on MUTV “Goldie Hawn was really something special in her prime and she still shows signs of her skill which is why we signed the ladette. “Under” Sir Alex Ferguson she can regain her form of the 70′s and entertain crowds at Old Trafford. This is fantastic opportunity for both manager and playerette.”
No great loss to United, no great gain to Citeh. This move shows that he has no emotional or sentimental attachment to MUFC and our fans whatsoever and that the respect and admiration he received from United fans was not reciprocated. Hargreaves has shown himself to be a cold-hearted prick.
I’m disappointed in him, but not really bothered about him playing for City. As I said, he’s no loss whatsoever to United and no great gain to Citeh. His four-syllable name fits perfectly into the bitters’ “he hates Munichs” song though, so they’ll be delighted to be signing another United reject.
His signing really makes no sense for City, who have many (more dependable) players to cover his position. All in all, this signing seems to have been motivated entirely by their obsession with United.
Hearing the spuds are in for Kaka. Loan deal.
out of respect to the club & supporters who stood by him through the last 3 yrs of nothing & the fact he says he can play 40+ games he goes to our hated neighbours where he’s there as a backup.
If he really wanted to prove to himself & to everyone else this season about his fitness i would of thought going to club where (when fit) he would consider himself a regular would of made more sense. then again i give up tryin to second footballers nowadays.
he’s lost my respect
Papii
OT under Private Benjamin orders
Fuck Owen Hargreaves and Fuck John Terry too.
Ps Did we sign Ozil yet?
“But I won’t shed a tear if Vida snaps him on derby day.”
This.
Nothing on Kiko, Diouf and PIG thus far by the way.
@Mahesh, Cedars
That’s another thing I’ve been wondering since yesterday. How many offers he actually had and how many clubs backed out of a deal with him. Somehow I don’t believe that he had the choice of 3-4 clubs and he opted to join City. The only other club I remember being interested in him was West Brom and Hodgson’s statements weren’t definitive either.
It’s City’s stance in all this that’s moronic. It’s a transfer out of spite. So much money in the bank and the only anti-Toure they could come up with is Owen?
It could have been worse
He could have gone to scouse house and put five fingers up with Dalglish
@Fred – not an expert on this but, apart from the obsession issue, it might also be a way for City to get around some of their wage bill issues. With Hargreaves in the squad in Europe for instance, the wage bill looks just that little bit less obnoxious. Don’t know if that has featured in the calculus, but I’m pretty sure its not a completely football related move on the part of city.
The guy offered to play for us for free!! That’s how much he cared for the support we showed him! We rejected that offer! Now, to decide which clubs he can and not play for. I have no problem with him joining Shitty! It won’t do him any good – but I still respect the man. If money was his main motive, he would never have offered to play for free!
BTW, had my GRE exam today! I think I nailed it.
Costas reading my mind and Gibbo? he has not gone yet right?
What about Gibson has the Inter swap deal gone through yet?
Owen Hargreaves – you are no longer allowed to shag my wife. He can shag a bucket with a big hole in it now!
sneijder sneijder sneijder who is this guy some are talking about thought this thread is about a traitor called hargreaves
Breaking News
Sneijder lost on his way to OT
Manchester United have contacted Jack Bauer to initiate Sneijder protocol
No one was available for further comment at OT
@NotoriousRedDevil
Apparently Inter can’t afford him wages so the deal has stalled!
I would take the playing for free thing with a large dose of salt though. Not that he wouldn’t have played for free, but I’m pretty sure that doing so wasn’t a way of repaying United, but just a mark of desperation in a man who had reasons to be sure that once he was out the door at OT his career was over! Only way he could try and save his career is by staying at United, even if for free..
I hear Ronaldinho is looking like favouring Barca ahead of a move to United….Bollocks!!
rat old news anything goes, even people who don’t like it.
And playing for City is equally a mark of desperation. So lets just cut Hargo some slack on this one..
MG –
Crouch going to Stoke – #Perfect
N’gog will do well at Bolton – Quality striker he is – Bolton #progress (have a soft spot for owen coyle)
@Zibbie
Of course, I fogot about Gibson. I think he’s definitely staying. The rumor going around is that a move to Villa was put on hold due to an injury he suffered. He’s out for a month.
Holden is training again so to be back as well.
I think this is a horrible deal for hargreaves himself. De Jong, Barry, toure all ahead of him = no playing time = no pay.
The club won’t care what he does, that’s why they let him go. But the fans who supported him, sang his name and paid his wages for 3 years are gonna react to the lack of respect
They are playing at Old Trafford.
Lol, what a clown is Harry Redknapp. He has appeared on sky sports news to discuss all the transfer moves of his club.
A. Who said he couldn’t compete with Yaya or at least De Jong? We haven’t seen him on the pitch for the last 3 years
B. We didn’t know his salary, he’s not yet a mercenary
C. He gave all what he has to United, even his salary
D. He got all the opportunities that a footballer could ever dreamed (play at UCL and bigger chances on winning EPL)
Any decent yet glass footed who’s turning 31 y.o football player will likely do the same
Give the chap a break, he deserve it..
Spurs turned down 40 million from Chelsea for Modric last night. Crazy money! Levy is a ball breaker!
Thanks I forgot.
Must agree that the last sentence is utter tosh. If you’ve ever played a sport at any competitive level, you NEVER wish injury on an opposing player, unless they’ve intentionally done bodily harm to you.
As much as many people will despise/hate/loathe/spit at/shit on him if you can that money grabbing whore Carlos Tevez, and now to an extent Hargo…they played crucial roles in building/sustaining Manchester United by winning another CL. Tevez was worth the pain and drama and now Hargo was worth the 30-odd matches because they delivered for United when they played and it resulted in silverware.
Go on Hargo, earn your base payment and pay as you play incentives…”see you out there…”
Personally, I’m not fussed. There is no way he’s made some miraculous recovery since he left us. I can’t see him playing much for City. In fact, I really don’t understand it at all. The only reason I can think of for them signing him is to piss us off. Whatever.
In other news, I might make a late bid for Natalie Sawyer…
very very disappointing from owen. but hey game on. let’s play.
2 out of our 4 signings from the summer of 2007 are now at City. At least we kept the most promising ones.
my heart sank when i heard the news yesterday – i loved hargo and was so glad when he signed for united!
i dont feel any hatred for him for choosing city – the possabilty of champions league football and actually competing in all competitions is what any footballer would choose if they could!
And after being turned down his offer of playing for us for free i feel the interview which he gave last week was respectful towards united – lets hope if god forbid he is on the pitch during the derby he shows us the same respect unlike carlos!
Deadline Day is getting boring. Sign someone, Fergie. Is Bendtner still available?
hee hee…. having fun on Sky….tried to post that wee Wes has failed medical at OT…. GUFFAW GUFFAW
Lets see if the sad cunts post it……..
Im not sure about these stats from http://www.aboutmanutd.com but…..
Hargreaves is seen as a United legend With 39 appearances and 2 goals
Kleberson is seen as a flop with 30 appearances and 2 goals
Even Eric Djemba-Djemba 39 appearances and 2 goals
Would any of us really give a shit if either Kleberson or Djemba-Djemba went to the wastelands??
Of course not, we would be laughing at city for taking our rejects and commenting that they [man city]
are the comedy gift that just keeps giving. Lets move on from this because the bitters will be laughing their cocks off that we are getting so wound up over a player that scored 2 goals in 39 appearances in 4 years
BTW if you fancy helping me out and driving up an ebay price to £1400 (that is the reserve) click on my name(.DONT BID OVER £1400 UNLESS YOU REALLY WANT TO BUY) thanks.
Kudos on the picture Scott.
fuck Bendtner….. lets sign Emile Heskey……
cos i got a lotta gags about that twat…..
Sigh! I am a cynical bastard much like Goat.
I’ve realized in my mere just over a decade of following football that people like Scholes, Maldini, Giggs, Del Piero, Neville are rare specimens in the 21st century. They must be appreciated and admired, but we must not expect every other player to be like them.
In this case, I don’t feel that outraged like I did with Tevez because we don’t know the full story yet. If City were the only club that finally wanted him (whatever their reasons may be and we all know what they are), then I wouldn’t begrudge him for signing for them. It all depends on how he talks in a few days. If he speaks like a true bitter, then I would probably be completely pissed off for a while. If not, I’ll just remain my usual indifferent self.
Mancini has just bought his p45.
The reason I’m disappointed in Hargo’s move is that one moment he’s spouting stuff like how he felt he had let down Utd supporters when he couldnt last five minutes on his return against Wolves, yet just a few days later he disappoints those same fans by joining their rivals and title contenders? Moreover, any hopes he has of resurrecting his career are surely not to be fulfilled at City, where he’ll get fewer games than he did here. I’m sure he would have thought of that when considering offers from clubs like Villa and WBA.
Arsenal back in for Arteta.
Couldn’t agree more!
To be fair to Scott, he didn’t wish injury upon Hargreaves, he just said he wouldn’t be upset if it were to happen. Would any of you?
personally i dont wish him any harm comments like that only make us sound as bitter as those blue goons up the road
dissapointed in his choice yes
but this great club keeps on moving jones cleverley wellbeck
the futures bright
19
Some are getting on like it’s Keano!
Less than 40 games played ffs! Mo Johnson played for Celtic, and moved to Rangers. Sol Campbell moved from Spurs to Arsenal. Not like, it’s on that scale… 
Agree with STR. Good article.
Hargo can go fuck yrself.
We seem to forget that Mickey Owen joined us on these same circumstances
@Fred
Yes. Whether that happens to Hargreaves or even Terry himself. This is just football, not war.
Union Jack – Hargreaves was a valuable member of the squad and indeed the team that won the Premier League and Champions League Double of 2008. He scored that memorable free-kick winner against Arsenal and was one of the heroes of the penalty shoot-out in Moscow.
Despite having similar appearance and goalscoring stats to Hargreaves, Djemba-Djemba and Kleberson could not be said to have made the kind of impact Hargreaves did in his one season with us three years ago.
I think that post was a little on the harsh side. I’ve been a fan of Hargreaves for years and was delighted when he signed for us.
I was really disappointed that he was released as I’m sure he wanted to repay the faith we all had in him as we willed him back to fitness.
The decision to let him go was made by our management as we have a new team bursting into life and there would have been little room, although if he was willing to play for free, I think it was a mistake to loose that opportunity, we’ve got micheal Owen on a pay as you play so what wuld we lose?
I was disaapointed to hear the news this morning but I will wish him well personally. Anything else is just poor grace.
got nothing against hargo but i tink he knew he was going to city so came out with the wanted to play for free rubbish..why do we allow player’s lie divide us wit fergie.sme suggesting we shldnt ve let him go or begrudge him,rubbish..dis is disrespcful us wit fergie.sme suggesting we shldnt ve let him go or begrudge him,rubbish..dis is disrespcful
Costas, you’d be upset if John Terry was injured?
This has got nothing to do with city signing him to bolster there squad it has everything to do with city trying to take the piss out of us again
@Costas
I don’t agree with Scott but I can understand his frustration. You;d think Hargo would show us a bit more respect, after that interview that appeared in the Daily Fail last week. Loyalty may indeed be a thing of the past after all.
PS: I hate dirty football, but I’d still love to see John Terry kicked about.
@Fred, LOL! I think what he means is that a serious injury to anyone, how much ever a cunt he may be in the football world and, in the case of Terry even outside, is a bad thing. I am with Costas on that one.
BTW, what the hell are Gibson and Kusczak still doing for us? There have been no news on them for the past few days. And I even forgot whether they were part of our 25 man squad. I don’t think they were, but I could be wrong here. If that is true, and they’re not sold in the next two hours, doesn’t that mean they’re fucked. Or am I completely losing the plot here?
I think all of us are just disappointed, rather than angry, we all thought better of him. Then again, I don’t recall ever hearing him talking about his love for United, so we can’t say he is a traitor too.
@Costas
I think Scotts’s closing statement does not mean that he wishes Vida snaps Hargreaves, he just said that he wont shed a tear if Hargreaves got snapped, by Vida or by anyone else. I think all of us feel the same way, we won’t wish something bad happening to someone, but if things do happen, don’t expect sympathy from us.
@Fred
I don’t wish ill on anyone but I don’t always get upset about it. Like the Drogba injury for example. However, I never want to see a United player involved in someone getting seriouly injured. That would be very disappointing for me.
I don’t go quite as far as Scott’s last line, but I go along with most of the rest. I may have no right to feel anything about a professional footballer’s career decisions but the fact is I do. It’s the passions of supporters that keep the game alive, and ultimately pay their wages. Yes it’s true United declined to renew Hargreaves’ contract (I very much doubt if he really did offer to play for nothing), leaving him a free agent, but common decency would have prevented me from signing for my old team’s biggest rivals if I’d been in his position, after taking United’s coin for three years, (yes three f*****g years!) while contributing absolutely nothing to the cause. Of course one has sympathy for his plight, and we all know he’d have been a first choice all the way through if he’d been fit, but United really did do everything they possibly could to help him recover, at great expense. I’m sure they could have chosen to go down the route of writing him off and taking the insurance money, but they didn’t. They stuck with him month after month, trying to keep his morale up, giving him every chance to recover, despite having the ‘worst knees’ ever seen by experts. I don’t hate Hargreaves and I don’t despise him, in the way I do Tevez, who proved to be utterly two-faced and self-centered, but I feel deeply disappointed with him, to the point that I re-calibrate my appreciation of what he gave United in his brief span on the pitch.
When I used think of the 2008 Champions League Final, I would recall with pleasure Hargreaves raiding down that right flank, in a master-stroke of tactical thinking by Fergie, but now I’ll never think of him in quite the same way. He’s no longer in the Pantheon of Great United Players Who Were Unlucky With Injuries (along with Wilf McGuinness, Harry Gregg, Bobby Noble, Remi Moses etc etc). He’s just a jobbing footballer who passed through without any real engagement with what Manchester United stands for. In my ranking of great players I’ve seen at United over the last 53 years, he drops completely off the scale. At the time I loved his goal v Arsenal and even more the one he scored at Fulham (I was right behind the line of the ball as it powered into the net) but now those are but dead memories, something to pass over when gathered together reminiscing with United pals.
I may not want to see Vidic destroy Hargreaves’ knee, but nor do I wish him well at City. I hate what that club is doing to football in England, buying up an endless succession of top players with enormous salaries, which they’ll keep doing until they dominate English and European football in a totally artificial exercise, with no soul, no principal other than success and big bucks. So now we know what Hargreaves stands for, as in truth we should have realised long ago when he showed scant loyalty to Bayern Munich. We looked away at the time as it suited us to have him, but the writing was on his wall then. He’s a mercenary, not just in the financial sense, but because his ultimate loyalty is only to himself and his personal ambitions. Of course all good players want to win trophies but with some there is an added ingredient, a commitment to a cause beyond self .
Take Bobby Charlton. He could have moved anywhere in the footballing world after Munich. He was coveted by all the top Italian clubs, with whom he would certainly have won more European Cups than he did staying at Old Trafford. Instead he stayed at United throughout the grim years of re-building, which took at least five years in the prime of his footballing life. He never for one moment considered leaving, even when Matt Busby played him on the left wing, which he hated, but didn’t complain about. Of course there are special circumstances with Our Bobby, and not everyone could be like him. But the point remains, there are some top sportsmen who live according to a different set of values than those that dominate the game today. That’s maybe why John O’Shea, in some ways a less gifted player, will always be remembered with real affection and respect, not just for what he did on the pitch but the way he conducts himself. I don’t believe in a million years he would ever have gone to City.
Some people, knowing how highly I rate Denis Law, may feel I’m a hypocrite to slag off Hargreaves now, when he’s only doing what Denis did in 1973. The difference is, Denis had played for City before, and he was well-and-truly shafted by Tommy Docherty. Furthermore, the City of that era were not a source of deep perversion of the values of the game in England as they undoubtedly are now. I was terriby sad when Denis left, but I wished him luck and went to see him play for City any time I could. His memory at Old Trafford was not tainted by switching to Maine Road. Football was different then and the situation today is not comparable. Hargreaves was treated extremely well by United, and now by joining City he’s thrown three years of honourable support right back in United’s face. Unforgiveable.
I understand the disappointment that he chose to sign with City. However, I don’t think you can say that the move is disrespectful in any way. You can’t fault a guy for his injuries, you can’t fault a guy for trying to get back and play so much so that it probably caused him more problems. All you can do is hope that he get’s back to full strength and get’s to play for you again. Unfortunately in Hargo’s case it never came to fruition. His contract was at an end, the club not wanting to risk another year of hardships and set backs let him go. At this point he is no longer indebted to United or to United fans. Secondarily, to say that we paid his wages is also a false misnomer. United don’t pay for his medical bills or his wages directly while he is injured. Insurance does. End of story. Is it betrayal, disloyalty or disrespectful to sign with City. I personally don’t believe it is. The player at the end of the day has to do what’s best for him personally. Having been released by the club properly, having asked to stay by any means possible he showed his full commitment to fans and to club. Understanding that the club could not take that chance he has to move on and do what’s best for himself and his family. If getting the opportunity to go across the street and play for City is what’s best for his family so they don’t have move. So be it. I don’t see how can you blame the guy. I’m not saying you have to stand up and cheer for him come derby day. I’m not saying you have a right to call him a greedy git either. IF he had demanded a move to City by claiming some bullshit story like the medical staff never supported him at United before his contract was up. Then all those fans that are going off the wall over this would actually have a reason to be upset and pissed off. That obviously is not the scenario here. How many games he actually plays at City is irrelevant. For had he stayed with united and we took one more chance on him for a year he wouldn’t have played 40 games here either with our younger players. Therefore, what is the difference in either case he has a chance to help make a difference to the team he plays with. Just because he feels he’s capable of playing 40 games doesn’t guarantee he’ll play that many games anywhere even Tottenham.
If United fans are really so worried that Hargo will make any impact at City that it was traitorous for him to sign with City then you obviously don’t have the full faith of the team and the manager’s decisions this summer as far as I’m concerned. Just let it go. It’s done with.
Case closed.
I laugh when people make excuses for hargreaves, it really gets me chuckling honestly.
at least city have two champions league winners in their team
Call me old fashioned but there are unwritten rules and 1 is not to do what he just did. Same as Scott said, im not upset about it either at all – just thought he had a bit more respect about him.
You lot can say what ever you want but I said the same thing about any other Judas that crossed the City – you don’t go from red to blue. I know what he offered us but if he wants game time, why go to that scum?! He was contracted as a United player when them scum where singing “Munich” songs at Ewood Park last season and now hrs happy to play for them? The same cunts this season will singing the expected “Owen Hargreaves is a blue” chants – I’m with Scott – fuck him!
Bloody hell Giles! Top post, Sir.
Two points
1) So if Hargo is considered a mercenary and a disloyal asshole should we consider the same for Peter Schmeichel and Denis Law? Really? Shouldn’t we be shitting on them also? A case of myopic double standards which is rather too convenient given the present climate of local rivalry.
2) Assuming I have this right, a player who has been let go after offering to play for free, has NO offers from other clubs should just simply retire from the game out loyalty to a club that let him go and from fans who have a twisted sense of what loyalty means? Hmmm.
I think Hargo isn’t a mercenary but a fierce competitor. He wants to desperately show people that he’s fit and still can cut it at the top whether in CL or England levels – no matter how delusional it may seem to us fans and perhaps the Man United medical staff and the gaffer. I don’t blame him one bit. Good luck to him – safe in the knowledge that he’s not going to get the 30 games or so of course
Can’t we see this a silly wind up from Shitty. We should be above the fray and keep it classy.
Why are we descending down to their level?
We are much better than this, surely?
@ giles
” So now we know what Hargreaves stands for”??
he is lucky if he stands for anything without injuring himself
People are entitled to opinions really, if they’re disappointed with hargreaves joining city then this is how they feel, it does not necessarily mean they lack any knowledge about the game.
If you have sympathy and are a fan of hargreaves, fair enough. you’re entitled to express your opinion.People are entitled to opinions really, if they’re disappointed with hargreaves joining city then this is how they feel, it does not necessarily mean they lack any knowledge about the game.
If you have sympathy and are a fan of hargreaves, fair enough. you’re entitled to express your opinion.
just read this . i think STR sums it up. disappointed is what a lot of us feel. I never wished he died or broke his leg. But the last sentence from scott sums it up perfect. If Vida thinks there’s a challenge to be made and he goes in, well…….. what will be will be
Excellent contribution at 21:46 by Giles Oakley. I shall read it again.
Costas & Balaji – I do not wish such injuries on rival players either, and I expressed sympathy for Drogba on here on Saturday and commended others for doing so too.
Maybe Scott’s statement about Vidic is a bit of bravado. My main problem with it is that it implies that Vidic is some kind of dirty player, a modern day Vinnie Jones or Chopper Harris. He is nothing of the sort. In fact, while Vidic is no doubt tough, I dispute that he is quite the “hardman” he is often painted as. Controversial I know!
never wish injury on any player, but i think most have missed what scott inimated in the last sentence. Say Hargo is bearing down on goal with vida for company. I’d expect him to take him down, yellow/Red card, Penalty or free kick. I’d expect him to do his job and if he breaks down again and spends another 2years on the treatment table, that’s his problem. I don’t remember anyone feeling bad for the player/players who tackled him and stalled his numerous come backs.
@Fred, I know mate. And I know that Scott didn’t mean it in that way either. In fact, there have been a few people actually meaning it like that and we can separate them from the rest. I was just presenting my opinion. Like you, I was also actually worried for Drogba after seeing him go down like that.
Owned Whoregrieves for no Man. United supporter.
@dela
Like I said earlier, if Hargreaves first choice was to stay for us and said no, that’s where my demands from him end. People feel offended because we supported him these 3 years. The truth is that Hargreaves’s body wasn’t breaking down when he signed for us. He became that way because he played for us more than he should have that first season. So personally I never felt like he owed me something. I was grateful that he pushed himself so far in 07-08 and felt kind of bad that he paid such a price for it.
@Marq
Well I would have sympathy for him because even to this day, I’d like to see him play football again. And knowing what he’s been through the last 3 years, it would be sad if an injury from another player cause him more setbacks. That being said, I hope he loses every game he plays with City.
fantastic as always giles
any chance you can gives me lessons in being articulate i throughly agree with your points
i wish him no harm but his efforts and achivements fade in my eyes
but his choice i dont let it bother me or city for that matter
i was at the arsenal game on sunday and despite arsenals poor showing i felt united had a vibrance and energy i hadnt seen in a while it fitted perfectly in with the ethos and tradtions of our football team
that 2 me is the difference a soul a tradtion engrained into us
russian roubles and arab billions may buy trophies but it cant buy what we have
so lets move on and get behind the shirts an average age of just 23 city made need there millions because our side could be all set for the next 5 years
19
BTW, Fred, I think you maybe onto something regarding DreadedRed from the other thread? In fact, I personally feel that the name is a pretty strong give away but I don’t know for sure.
What a lot of small minded nonsense, Hargreaves was let go by Utd., he can play for whoever he wants. Get a life!!
@Fred
Can’t remember Vidic ever seriously injuring anyone either. He’s hard but he’s fair. On the other hand, he has had cunts like Drogba bust his mouth open.
Really Scott? I think i’m more dissapointed with you than with Hargraves.
He just did a Michael Owen.
You know he’s a competitive player, and that he wants top class football, to play with good players at the best tournament, the champions league. You know he wants to play at the england squad, and he knows is going to be hard as hell but he wants to probe he can do it.
He offered the chance to pay us back, we didn’t accept it. GET.OVER.IT
He didn’t do a Heinze(with Liverpool) or a Tevez, he’s just desperate to play at top level, and he doesn’t care to compit his spot with Toure, that’s how he wants it: top competition.
Spot on Dreadedalex.
He wanted to play for free and he was rejected….why not sign for city and not have to move house etc…he’s only on Aa one year, if he can come back we can sign him on a free next year
Desperate to play at the top level for a man who hasn’t kicked a sack of Shit for more than 3 years, maybe its me but should he not look for a club that will guarantee him games to recover this supposed ‘lost’ time? rather than warm the bench at city and be shipped off?
I’m just wondering.
Come on lads I think what Scott meant was on derby day with the intensity the games have brought in recent years, if Vidic were to go through him. Would one cheer? Would I cheer. On todays theme…OH HELL YEAH.
Autobots transform
Bellamy to Liverpool, Palacios to Stoke.
Citeh dont need Hargo, Hargo prolly didnt want Citeh but money talks. Its a small club’s attempt to “put one over us” nothing more nothing less grow up blue C**S
I hope Hargo stays fit, plays 3 games (one OG against us) and leaves on a free to some foreign land this time next year…I wanted curly hair too…..once upon a time.
n0bbs
Zibbie to Pluto.
Again, no confirmation from sir alex or any executive at the club that says hargreaves ACTUALLY offered to play for free?
Secondly though, will he play for free at cash rich lavish spending city? will he continue his claims in the papers and not get a penny at city? hmmm.Again, no confirmation from sir alex or any executive at the club that says hargreaves ACTUALLY offered to play for free?
Secondly though, will he play for free at cash rich lavish spending city? will he continue his claims in the papers and not get a penny at city? hmmm.
@ Costas. Bellamy at the vermin will work out just as well as when fowler returned.
I really don’t get why people here have a problem.
WE LET HIM GOOOO!!! He is doing what’s best for HIM.
Everyone here feels SO fucking righteous to criticize a man who’s career is practically over for cashing in what could be his retirement check? Fuck off! Be realistic…He doesn’t owe us anything. He worked hard to be part of our team. He did what he could to get back to fitness. He offered to play for free and we said no…good luck to him, then. Is not like we offered him a pay-to-play contract and he decided to go to City for a better deal…again WE LET HIM GO. Moving on!
SWP to QPR.
Here’s the thing that bugs me though: I am part of the group that doesn’t hate him. Whether his standing in my eyes changes or not depends on his behaviour and interviews. I can completely understand the people who do. But what I don’t understand among all this are the ones who hope that we should’ve held on to him. For what??? Sir Alex has clearly assessed all his options – We’ve got Fletcher who can play the same role and he is going to be fit. As an added advantage, we’ve got Phil Jones who can be asked to play the same position if the need arises. Then there’s a certain Paul Pogba coming through the ranks.
Above all else, Owen’s a liability. We honored his contract by paying his medical expenses for three years. Offering him a new contract, whether it be pay-as-you play or whatever, puts us at risk of further unnecessary expense. Clearly the odds were stacked against him and the best choice was to let him go. I simply cannot understand why people would’ve liked him to stay on any count given the time he spent with us after that one season was so disastrous. Not to mention, I don’t think he would’ve featured in the revolution Sir Alex has going even if he was fully fit.
Bellamy to pool, maybe he can be united’s secret agent and cause mayhem in the scouser’s dressing room, probably wrestle with andy ‘long ball man’ caroll, its inevitable.Bellamy to pool, maybe he can be united’s secret agent and cause mayhem in the scouser’s dressing room, probably wrestle with andy ‘long ball man’ caroll, its inevitable.
SWP to QPR? OMG! WTF? LOL
40 games my arse. he doesn’t make 40 games on fifa or PES.
NotoriousRedDevil
exactly, you seem to get where he’s coming from. Vida is no dangerous player, he’ll make a tackle if the ball is there to be won. and in this instance if its Hargo on the ball, Vida makes a tackle, gets the ball and takes the man along with him and sends him back to the treatment table That’s fine in my books.
It may sound like sour grapes but thats the name of the game. If he thinks he going to play 40 games a season without receiving a good whacking here and there then he’s as deluded as the cunts he signed with.
We’ve had those kind of tackles against our players and never berated the defender/marker in question.
Fact: He’s the enemy now, so fellas get you thumbs out your ass and treat him like one.
@Notorious
Only diference is that at least Fowler was a hit the first time round.
I wouldn’t care to give Bellamy a 2nd slap in the face, much less a 2nd chance..
To all those who said “United no longer wanted him”, allow me to re-word that:
United CARRIED him as long they could. Waited for him as long as they could. Ultimately, it was time and continuity that pushed Hargo out the door…NOT United!
Bellamy to liverpool
Anyone know any good films? The lady friend of mine wants a late night movie.
Sneijder tweets: “I respect all the Man Utd fans, who supported me the whole transfer window! I’m a winner and I will make you Interisti proud this season!!!!”
Thanks but no thanks Wesley.
Breaking deadline news-
City sign another physio and doctor as cover in wake of Hargreaves signing.A club spokesman said that they were both unavalable to give interviews as they were already very busy getting to know the player.
Meireles handed in a transfer request. Fergie sign him up.
And i’m not sure you were at the board meeting when this deal was trashed out and ‘he was let go’
Damn right he was let go, he was a fucking money sucking liability, i couldn’t give a fuck that he left because his contributions at the club have been hugely overrated, he wasn’t missed and won’t be missed now but what most people never got was, the sympathy soppy crap stories he gave in the papers, making out as if united for him was the be all and end all, claiming he wanted to play for free (which is utter Bullshit), he says he needs to recover loss time which then in my opinion, defeats his choice of joining city.
He is gone now so fair enough but i won’t be convinced and be told he aint just like any mercenary out there, he clearly is. I’m not shocked, i am disappointed but we ultimately move on from a man who really didnt live up to the lavish 18 million bucks spent on him and he bled the club dry based on medical bills and salaries, we move on.And i’m not sure you were at the board meeting when this deal was trashed out and ‘he was let go’
Damn right he was let go, he was a fucking money sucking liability, i couldn’t give a fuck that he left because his contributions at the club have been hugely overrated, he wasn’t missed and won’t be missed now but what most people never got was, the sympathy soppy crap stories he gave in the papers, making out as if united for him was the be all and end all, claiming he wanted to play for free (which is utter Bullshit), he says he needs to recover loss time which then in my opinion, defeats his choice of joining city.
He is gone now so fair enough but i won’t be convinced and be told he aint just like any mercenary out there, he clearly is. I’m not shocked, i am disappointed but we ultimately move on from a man who really didnt live up to the lavish 18 million bucks spent on him and he bled the club dry based on medical bills and salaries, we move on.
Benayoun to Arsenal on loan.
@Costas, What idiot submits a written transfer request with less than thirty minutes left before the window closes?
Why are United fans behaving like bitter City types all of a sudden?
When Hargo played for us he gave his all. Then he got injured – not his fault, not our fault -shit happens. Owen wanted to stay but we didn’t want him. The club’s position was perfectly reasonably given Hargos’ injury record. We cut him loose. No contract. Ex employee and all that. United’s call. A free agent.
City came knocking and offered Hargo a contract. Our out of work, out of contract, former player, says yes, in an attempt to re-start his career. Whatever the prospects of him doing so, how in heaven’s name can this be construed as ‘disloyal’ or ‘mercenary’?
However if you want to talk ‘mercenary’ you need look no further than ‘Mr Ambition’s shamless tabloid fuelled antics in securing a substantial pay hike last season, yet he’s still on our and books and being lauded to the heights. Forgive and forget is the cry. Funny what a spectacular overhead goal can do…sheer hypocrisy, the lot of it.
Good luck to Hargo personally. Professionally, I hope he plays shit at City. End of.
Ps. Tasteless visual – injuries aren’t funny and City aren’t worth the bother. Let it go. United has more class.
Meireles apparently put in a transfer request, off to chelsea clearly, i wouldn’t say i rate him highly really.Meireles apparently put in a transfer request, off to chelsea clearly, i wouldn’t say i rate him highly really.
Betting suspended on Wesley Sneijder’s future with the Dutch midfielder confirming he will stay at Inter Milan via his Twitter account – skybet
@Balaji
In his defence, he must have thought that the window closed at 12, not 11. Or maybe he thought it closed tomorrow.
@Mc C
Top post mate.
Arse sign Yossi Benayoun
Breaking News:
Jack Bauer is trying to find Sneijder but as he follows his tweet he uncovers a sinister plot that will go to the heart of government
He learns of a plot by a Lebanese man and a Greek man hell bent on destroying the world – their only requirement?
That Sneijder does not move to OT.
What will our hero Jack do?
Save the world or stop Sneijder getting to OT?
Breaking Deadline News-
Mancini bids £40m for jerry baybeez and £35m for Toby LeRone
Ah, I was really hoping we did get one midfielder in, or a versatile full back in of some description. Just worried a tiny little bit about depth…otherwise its all good…
Well we all have different views, yours ain’t better than mine and mine ain’t better than yours, we can all agree to disagree on hargreaves, however i agree to move on from this non existent story, hargreaves is not a manchester united player.
@Mahesh
I agree on the full back bit, but I gave up on it a while back. Even after Rafa got his injury. Fergie seems to be content with his options back there. We’ll see what happens once the games come thick and fast.
Samuel – united WE stand
quick question, why do your post always appear twice
Papii – Nine and a half weeks?
Spot on Scott. Great post Giles.
Sneijder staying at Inter. He thanks United fans for their support.
Another article over a player who doesn’t play for Manchester United.This is gone beyond a joke.
Samuel – united WE stand
not all it seems, but i’ve noticed it a couple of times
Talk about giddy:
JackWilshere
Massive signing! His quality and class is evident for everyone to see! Welcome Mr Benayoun! #ILoveAFC
JackWilshere
ARTETA back on! Come on you Gooners!
@Costas – do we even have any highly rated reserve players who could be blooded into the full back role? I just see Rafa and Smalling as right back options – and the latter is just that, an option. Even more worried about left back, with Evra and Fabio. Evra isn’t in the best of form, and Fabio has so far been injury prone like his brother. A couple of strategically placed injuries, and we’ll be resorting to Fletch/Carrick/Valencia in defense, and I really don’t get why we are leaving ourselves open to that kind of a situation.
I’m upset and I hope willie is too
After all we did to get Sneijder here he just thanks us for our support?
Especially after going up against Cedars and Costas throughout this summer?
Wee Wes shouldn’t be thanking United fans. That deal is dead and will never happen now.
Wes Sneijder, what a class act.
I think there are some yobs who claim to support united. why on earth is anyone abusing wes sneijder right after he thanked us for supporting him this transfer window? WTF is wrong with some of us? SMH. I think that last tweet means that wes will join us sooner or later only a matter of when and not if. More impetus for cleverley to step it up just a little bit more. good times ahead.
Costas
Massive?
MG – We tried mate. We lose this battle, but ready ourselves for another soon…
Fucking hell, Wilshere is such a transfer muppet. You just know the twat has been sitting in front of SSN all day with a bowl of popcorn… actually, didn’t Rio do this last year?
@ Mahesh. Fabio is fit. He’s less injury prone than his brother in my eyes. Hence how he stole the full back role of his brother last season. Chill out we may look short at the back but we’re covered. All the young players need games and will double up as centre half/full back when the situation calls for it. They are talented enough and they need the games to aid the development hence why Smalling has been immense at RB having not really played there BEFORE.
willie
One day we shall have our revenge.
Wolfie – I see your point
I have till tomorrow night to decide a film
I want action/ everything 
dannysoya – I disagree. I think this was Sneijder’s last chance of signing for United. It’s all about the young players coming through now.
Breaking News: Sneijder’s twitter account deleted!!!
Cedars must have gotten to him
Red Riding Wolf – Howwwwwwwwwwlllllllllllllllllll!
The bulk of Sir Matt’s playing career was at City and Liverpool…however, I don’t think we’ll be taking his statue down in an hurry on that account.
Or Denis Law’s for that matter…
@Fred that may well be the case. but if our Midfield looks like it needs a spark this season ( hopefully not) then maybe the deal is back on again.
@Notorious: Fair enough mate, though I am still not convinced that Fabio or Rafa have developed enough to be able to sustain themselves over extended periods in the team. The injuries for one have hampered their physical development a tad bit. I do see how we can rotate players around to different positions, but I still think we’re missing that O’Shea kind of player with the experience to fit in wherever we want him to! To put it differently, it would be great to have just held on to JoS!
I’d take meireles
Sneijder can take his thanks and shove it….. What fucking thanks is he talking about? If the cunt really wanted to play for us than we would have played ball with his wage demands….
This old head is really relieved that this transfer never happened…………
Costas, hope that bubbly is nicely chilled buddy
Papii
Watch The Source Code – I enjoyed that
A classy response from Wes if you are a United fan. If I was an Inter fan, I would have been a tad pissed off at him.
Anyway, me and Cedars can start partying now.
“Sky Sports sources understand Arsenal are set to confirm the signing of Mikel Arteta in the next couple of minutes. The paperwork is being prepared. “
Dannysoya: I have to agree with Fred. If Sneijder doesn’t sign NOW, I don’t think its ever going to happen.
@Fred
Rio doing it this year too.
We are more than covered at the back. Smalling jones vida rio pat jommy fabio rafa when fit. Fletch if need be. Velencia has done well there. Hell even giggs at upton park. That’s the beauty of fergie and united. Players can play all over the park within reason.
Sneijder is such a mong. Look at those pictures on his Twitter account of him schmoozing with Donatella Versace and Antonio Banderas. He’s deffo had a hair transplant too.
Slim – i’m not sure why? i post comments from my mobile so maybe that’s where the issue is coming from??
Rio is a wanker.
NFT.
Agree with Fred there. It was now or never for Sneijder at United. No chance Fergie will go back in for him now.
@Mahesh
I haven’t heard anything about any Academy full backs breaking into the first team. Most of them are central defenders I think. It’s just Rafa, Smalling and Valencia. And given our choices at the wings, I suspect that Tony V will play quite often at right back. Good point about the twins by the way. As much as I like them, I still don’t get the feeling that they can play 15-20 games in a row for us.
@MG
Lol, take it easy on Wilshere. He’s just like any other Arsenal fan around his age. He’s lost the plot.
Anyone else think it’s funny how people (the press and opposition fans) are creaming themselves over has-beens, pensioners and mercenaries whilst we are all relaxed and chilling!
As for Sneijder thanking us and telling the Interesti that he is a winner……. doh!
Never wanted him anyway.
Nighty Night all!
have we signed anyone yet?
Well Cedars and Costas
Ot was absolutely fun playing the Sneijder game with you and congratulations to the two of you for calling it right
(Not bitter at all – not really – no I’m not
)
In all seriousness though Cedars well said – whatever the fuck he is on about he can fucking jog on too – if he wanted to come he could have at the end his pay check was worth more to him than the red shirt
Nothing is more important than this shirt and if it is we don’t need you – we’ll do what we have to regardless
Just watch on
19
Costas – agreed, and why did he wait until half an hour ago to announce this decision? The muppet was obviously holding out hope until the 11th hour that United would come back for him.
We have the most versatile back four ever!
No need to talk about the strikers obviously.
Midfield was always the problem. That was till young Cleverley decided to spark it up!
We are covered in all areas.
#20, here we come!
#4, here we come!
#12 here we come!
Meireles to Chelsea.
MG – saw it, gr8-2 film
Very similar to avatar and matrix like, but loved it.
MG and Papii – Source Code was good. I preferred a similar film called The Adjustment Bureau though.
“But I won’t shed a tear if Vida snaps him on derby day” – comeon scott, we’re better than that! …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9ByRANbXDs&feature=related
WoW. King Eric.
Now lets start speculating about Sneijder signing in January.
@Fred
Just imagine if Ronaldo thanked Real fans at the end of the summer when he didn’t join them. He talked a lot of crap that summer, but that would have topped the lot.
MG
It was loads of fun to be honest playing that Wes game during the summer…
Willie, Fred, smartalex, The Fly, yourself and a few others all good sports and played your part in the fun…
Costas and i will of course celebrate late into the night, Greek kebabs along with Lebanese arak on the house for all
Costas
And the summer after that.
Sneijder just posted a picture on twitter saying
“feeling blue for not being able to complete a move to United”
http://thebusbyway.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/kermit201.jpg
Meireles to Chelsea on a 4 year deal. Samuel called it. I guess they want backup for Essien and Mikel once they are off to te Copa Africa.
Bendtner on loan to Sunderland. I was hoping we would send Kiko over there tbh. What the heck happened with his loan deal?
what do people think of jesse lindgard in the reserves for the fullback slot?
i think rafael needs to work harder on his strength to actually last in consistent amount of games, fantastic talent mind you.
January is redundant transfer window for us Costas. All transfer activity done till next summer. Lets see what areas need improving at the end of the season.
yh i am just coming back to reality. that is the end of wesley sneijder and man utd. too bad for him. GO ON TOM. TAKE CHARGE.
Hey Cedars I want that invitation to the party – who needs Sneijder – we have each other
(No I’m not sentimental no I’m not – honestly –
)
All kidding aside, I agree with the notion that the Sneijder deal is done for good. In cases like this, time is very detrimental. The season will show the manager where he will have to strengthen the squad.
@Cedars
Ah. lets invite MG too. His sucking up is pretty impressive.
Arteta signs for Arsenal. Wilshere is somewhere jerking off.
@redrider
thx for the link,king eric just incredible
Crying all the way to the bank.
Costas being generous in inviting me is also impressive
After all at least he knows we share the love of kebabs together
I’ll suck up for a party any day – we still have to have our 19 one yet
Meireles to Chelsea and Liverpool are fucked.
Gutted we didn’t get Sneijder. We don’t need him, but quality players are always a plus.
Looks like we smashed Arsenal at the right time, they’ve pretty much doubled the squad size now.
Costas – i don’t think meireles is good enough at the highest level, energetic and hard working yes but will he set the world alight?
Sunderland got Bendtner on loan – #HardTimes
rat1p
watching it over and over again. incredible would be an understatement. imagine if he is managing us one day.
how he treats these journalists just king like
Meireles wanted a reunion with his old coach Andre-aston villas-Boa-Morte
he sells arteta and buys drenthe. words fail me.
Hargo probably wrecked his career playing injured and getting injections that first year,the lad deserves a break
What I don’t get if he’s a washed up cripple who Utd don’t want,why does anyone give a fuck were he goes.
Yes Cesc Arteta to Arsenal….I wonder if they will call him Cesc to pretend that he is still there.
rat1p
Damn great Eric video that!
Costas – yeah, if I was “Interisti” I would find his comment highly insulting.
Cedars – LOL I can’t believe it’s finally over. I still think it was a possibility, but we simply couldn’t afford his enormous salary.
As I said, the fact that he only publicly declared that he’s staying at Inter in the last hour tells you that Sneijder himself was still hopeful that the transfer could have been done at the 11th hour.
Congratulations to Cedars and Costas, you guys knew it all along.
Ok, lets go round again.
Ozil last summer, Sneijder this summer, who will it be next summer?
Imagine United went a Transfer rampage like the Gloomers on deadline night.
RoM would explode and easily hit 10,000 posts per thread.
Add on the trolls stirring around we’d hit 10,012
Rich Rich Scotty to Hotty
@redrider:
Great link -Awesome! Even when giving those tossers a cussing Eric has style! Eric = ‘Dieu’. I guess that’s why he knows the Pope wears a Rolex….
papii
link – very very gooooooood!
rat1p
he wears a rolex. me, the ####, i’ll fuck his ass.
Take a bow.
@ Red Neville – Edin Hazard. That will be who we’ll “miss out” on next summer
Red Devil: For next summer I nominate Mario Gotze!
Mr.C
At first I asked myself if it happened to be a precursor to those Hitler videos of late…
then, everything fell in place.
Why did Chelsea leave it so late to sign Meireles? According to the Beeb, they’ve paid Liverpool £12m for the tattooed one.
Is it true that they put in a desperate £40m bid for Modric today? What a shoddy way of doing business.
United had everyone they wanted signed by July and are reaping the benefits of giving the new boys a good pre-season to settle in. I think we’re going to leave Chelsea trailing in our wake again this season.
Benayoun, Arteta and Mertesacker. Nice to see Wenger staying true to his youth policy.
@Samuel
Never rated him too high myself. He’s probably there as back up. The length of the contract is what surprised me. From what I read, AVB was the one that got rid of him when he was at Porto…
@MG
Didn’t we celebrate the 19th title together? I guess that must have been me getting drunk on my own.
cant stop laughing
the same way i f**k the ass of journalists,yes many of them
you both included!
the one looks a little bit like bill gates
Fred – AT least in Meireles’ case I think they had it set up for a few days at least, but with no Liverpool approval, they had to wait for Meireles to put a transfer request in? Just guessing, based on the fact that Meireles puts in a transfer request 20 minutes before deadline ends, and Chelsea manage to complete the signing in those 20 minutes. They must have had everything ready to go and negotiated for a while!
On another note, losers of this windows are surely Spurs! Apart from holding on to Modric, they have done fuck all and lost a bunch of players to boot!
Red Devil – I agree with Mahesh, the star of next summer’s transfer saga will be Goetze.
RedManWalking – thank you for the info about Rio. I checked his Twitter and sure enough he’s had the popcorn out today. Deary me LOL
Ozil was always going to Real how did Utd miss out on him,he never wanted to play for us
Spot on Scott, agree with every word.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQEklVEDRHQ&feature=related
Here’s another classic. Never grows old.
Cheers redrider.
If Bob C-ass thinks Fergie mistreated him a while back, he should look at that video.
Mahesh – thank you, I forgot about his transfer request earlier. Very odd.
I agree that Spurs appear to be in bad shape. I don’t like Redknapp anyway and I’ll enjoy watching them slide down the league. What a turnaround from two seasons ago when they finished 4th behind Arsenal and ahead of City. Now the only way they are heading is down.
P.S. Why have Arsenal signed Benayoun? Deary me.
“When the seagulls follow the trauler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.”
Sums up the Twitter-led Sneijder saga.
Thanks for the link, redrider.
Trawler, sorry.
Fred
They probly needed some experienced old head to cheer up the injured.
A hat-trick of posts, oh dear. 5 in a row should be an instant ban imho.
Never wanted the praying mantis at United.
As for Mario Gotze, he still lives with his parents.
Don’t see him leaving Dortmund anytime soon.
Red Riding Wolf – His agent says he’s gonna stay at least 2 more years at dortmund and will then leave.
Costas
I don’t think he’ll recover from that ever lol.
redrider –
rat1p
lol. should’ve been in the studio.
I get the disappointment and the anger. I certainly get the hatred of ManShitty. But wishing him physical harm is going too far. Yesterday, one of our “fans” went to so far as to hope that he ends up a paraplegic. Fuck that.
It doesn’t matter whether he offered to play for free or not. Once United let him go, he’s a free man. The act of letting him go is in fact a statement by United that he can do wherever he likes. The only thing that would change my opinion on that is if he somehow engineered United’s decision — for example, by making unrealsitic demands about salary or playing time for a new deal.
Giles said “He’s a mercenary, not just in the financial sense, but because his ultimate loyalty is only to himself and his personal ambitions.” But the club itself has no qualms whatsoever in dumping players whenever it suits our needs. SAF has certainly “moved players on” for a variety of reasons. Beckham. Stam. Others. Do you think, if SAF decided he didn’t need Barbatov anymore, that he’d say “Oh, but he’s been so loyal, I better do the right thing and hang on to him until his contract expires’? Bullshit — if SAF didn’t want Berba anymore then Berba would be gone in a heartbeat, and we all know it. What price “loyalty” then?
And we all know SAF has — and must have — the right to do that. Because the club has a responsibility — to us its fans, and to its owners, and its employees — to look after itself first and foremost, and it’s SAF’s job to take care of it.
So players have to be loyal — even when their contracts end — but the club is under no such obligation, even when a contract is still active? A player who, having been cut free by us, looks after his own interests is a traitorous cunt and a mercenary, but when the club looks after it’s own interests, that’s the right thing? Let’s be clear: the club “looked after” Hargreaves because the club was contractually obligated to. (And if there really was no insurance coverage for all those costs and expenses, then I’ll shit in my hat and punch it.)
I really hate players who manipulate situations to their own financial advantage. I hate what Rooney did to us last year. It would have been worse if he had left, but even holding us to ransom and getting a nice big fat payrise out of it was bad enough. (And yes he’s apologized. Didn’t offer to go back to his old pay-rate though, did he?) And I hate what that scar-faced argie troll cunt did to us. The list goes on.
But when a player’s contract ends, and the club declines to extend it, then legally and morally all bets are off. It’s not about loyalty. It’s about denying an adult human being the right to make his own decision about he earns a living.
Owen Hargreaves is a c-nt
Anyway, I am fucking glad the window is closed. I am not disappointed about Sneijder at all. And I am happy Berbatov is still with us. We lost a few good servants, but it was probably time for them. And we have bought wisely. The future looks bright!
Kevin Phillips or Jack Rodwell .
i think arsenal bought okay, with yossi and arteta they have PL experienced players. and the german guy is okay as well.
I’m just glad we got to do our business early on and sit back chilled out
Mertasacker is 26 not a bad signing.
I am so disappointed being a United fan, if my mates would wish a bodily harm on an ex-player who is only trying to resurrect his career. And to call him a mercenary and a traitor scores an all-time low with me. For all I care let him join City one million times, he is entitled to whatever decision he makes regarding his future and possibly by extension securing the future of his family. As a family man myself, my loyalty lies first with my wife and children and will do whatever I can to fend for them. Like it or not, call him whatever name you want, wish him whatever evil you want he is gone and signed for city, its his decision and his alone and he is very much entitled to it.
Who cares.
@Stateside
Well said at 23:52. Especially the part about the club’s loyalty towards the players.
Zelh – He won’t join a club in England. Dortmund won’t sell him to another team in Germany. I think he’ll end up in Spain. Real were said to be interested in him. He’s the sort of player they love over in Madrid.
lol a lot of clubs are going to look so different, you’d swear new clubs were being promoted. FFS i mean crouch at stoke, Raul.M at chelsea, drenthe at everton, Bendtner at Sunderland. Fuck me its going to a bit weird.
For some reason i’m suddenly excited. i’d been dr doom and gloom for a while and claimed the league would be shit this year? Maybe it won’t turn out so bad. Can’t wait to get the internationals out the way and get going again.
They better no fuck up any of the United players on international duty
Stateside Aussie: Super post mate! I would love to add more but you have captured the essense of the hypocrisy that revolves around this whole ‘loyalty’ business. Apparently, while it is perfectly acceptable for clubs to dump players when they so choose, players ought to have some superhuman sense of loyalty towards the club. Especially to expect that from players who are foreign, or who are not products of the United Academy system, is ridiculous and unfair. And to expect that from a player who is no longer under contract at the club, thats even more bizarre. Honestly, we have chosen to love United for better or worse to the end of our lives, but that just doesn’t justify an expectation that every United player has to develop some ultimate loyalty towards the team. And for what: for having been an employee of the club, under a freaking business contract? The sooner we stop expecting players to be some superhuman paragons of virtue who need to fit our skewed moral compasses that revolve around United, the better it will be for everyone!
Red Riding Wolf – Can’t see him end up in england too. But we’ll see. Imo one of our future transfer targets will be Yan M’Vila.
Red Riding Wolf
real and Barcelona are going to find it a tad bit difficult to sign players next year, especially if they don’t let go of players they’ve got on their books, and it looks unlikely because a lot of them are quite young and have replacements sitting on the bench. Farcelona is the worst, in y opinion they didn’t need fabregas and they didn’t need sanchez, still it gives the rest of Europe the chance to get other talent. They can’t all play for that lot
Excellent thoughts on Hargreaves. Would never have thought of him to be such a wanker but there it is. Total disrespect. Disappointing transfer window but there goes it. Lots to look forward to.
we gave him a standing-ovation at the wolves match, we paid his wages for 3 years without return, we spent lots of money on his “dream-move” to united, we stood by him through all his injurys …. thanks for F***!
Thank goodness all that Sneidjer nonsense is over. Now we can look forward to seeing more of the kids. Much more fun, and satisfying too.
We’ve had Cleverly, so who’s up next. Pogba? I’ve only seen a few video clips of him on the internet, which can be misleading, but his talent looks awesome.
Costas what bubbly do you drink all by yourself?
Goodnight United…
19
Slim – I actually think Barcelona have bought very well this time around, but I agree with you, they won’t be buying anyone for another couple of seasons – maybe defenders, but noone of an attacking mentality. Unless they really find a player who they absolutely do not want to lose out on.
Their team against Villareal that won 5-0 was surreal. It was (almost) a team of one goalkeeper and 10 midfielders…Unbelievable that…the one benefit of their system, which we have debated over the last few days, is that fact that it is actually defensively very efficient, because the system relies on slow buildups…so the whole team moves up, and moves back as a unit, and never leaves gaps in midfield. Almost military precision!
@StatesideAussie
exactly mate.
Couldn’t have but more unbiasedly than that.
well said.
StatesideAussie
top top post. But you kind of spoilt it with the Rooney thing which is a bit disappointing. United were always going to offer him an improved deal. so don’t make it sound like we “caved” in .
Your points are sound however and it touches on a lot of different opinions on the Hargo palaver.
I will reiterate though, he is now the enemy and should be treated as one. Not saying we should insult him(too much) but he is for all intent and purposes a manchester city player. They are our hated rivals and they damn well be treated as such.
Not sure of the whole story but he did take the contract that was offered to him before his shenanigans
Mahesh
yup, very efficient way about them, same with Untied but obviously different approach to the game. Those fuckers work their socks off. Amazing really when i hear them called lightweights. They may act like girls but when the ball is at feet or they’re hunting it down they are quite a fit bunch
slim – Barcelona and Real will always make room for new signings.
best of luck Owen…. you will definitely need it.
Agree with some of you but disagree with most. This is not the same type of situation as Tevez or Rooney. The club cut the player loose (even after the player offered to play for free) The player is getting on in years and is looking for his next best option. If you’re a player, and you have a choice between a club that could be in a relegation battle and one that is going to finish top 4 and likely survive the group stages of the Champions league, which would you pick? 99% of players would make the same choice he has. I don’t wish for him to beat us, but I do wish him well.
P.S. That goal vs Arsenal was class. In my mind, it was the most memorable goal that I’ve seen United score in the last 5 years. Everybody on the field and in the stands and on TV expected Ronaldo to take the kick, Ronaldo expected to take the kick. Ronaldo’s confusion on whether to celebrate or be mad was priceless.
Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea are great spoiler of this football games. They have a stomach of a whale, catching every talented or professional players and putting them together. Even Man Utd never really go and buy ourselves so many players. At times, we are content with what we have and we do not spoil the market. SAF has been wise enough to only buy what is needed. If such signings are not controlled, in the future, the football will be like mercenaries’s ball games.
Good points , Stateside Aussie. But I’m not denying the right of a player to do whatever he wants, he can go where he likes, and care not a jot about how anyone feels. But some players simply don’t act that way. They have a sense of propriety about where they go. They choose either to go or not go with some regard for the traditions of the clubs involved. You can cite all sorts of examples of players ‘crossing the line’, such as going from Spurs to Arsenal, Liverpool to Everton, and each time the player makes his own decision about what it signifies. As I said, I had no problem with Denis Law going to City, because things were very different then. But City now have a project which to my mind is as damaging to the health of English football as anything I have ever known. Abramovich was bad enough in trying to buy success, but at least Chelsea were already a team on the up, winning cups etc. I have no objection to City becoming successful, but not this way, not with this level of ‘financial doping’. I had a letter in today’s Guardian pointing out that in the 60s 8 different teams won the league, 8 teams won the cup and England won the World Cup with players from 8 different clubs. That was healthy competition, of a kind we may never see again. What City are doing now is distorting the market on such a massive (sic) scale it’s going to change the face of English football , probably for ever. United may be a rich (if indebted) club, but the wealth has come from success on the field, not the other way round. Injections of cash into clubs have always happened, but the scale of what’s happening at City is utterly unprecedented. In my view, anyone who buys into their project is betraying the game. Of course I can understand why players go there, not just the money, huge though it is, but now also the increased chance of winning medals. Maybe if I was a talented footballer I’d jump at the opportunity, but underneath it all I’d feel tainted, I’d feel faintly ashamed. Anyone with any sense of history can see how what City are doing is fundamentally different from anything that’s gone before and it’s very bad for the game.
I suspect, rather I know, City have signed Hargreaves not because they need him, but to embarrass United, put one over the Reds, make up for the years of humiliation. If it works out well, brilliant, if not, nothing much has been lost.
Incidentally, I very much doubt if United’s expenditure on Hargreves is anything like covered by insurance. That would only happen if he was forced to quit. In the 1980s Paul McGrath was pressurised to retire because of his battered knees, so United could get the insurance (a shameful episode) but the player refused. They were contractually obliged to pay Hargreaves’ salary, but not all his medical bills/ flights/ accomodation. It would have been comparatively easy to end his contract on health grounds, certainly saving a lot of money given how long he’d been unable to play. They chose not to do that, and gave him huge support for three years.
I wasn’t saying players had to be loyal to clubs but clubs don’t have to be loyal to players. In fact United have a good record of pricing players low when they get moved on, in recognition of service rendered. I’m sure a more ruthless club would have got far more for Brown & O’Shea. Over and over again we hear how ex-United players benefit from Fergie’s after-care advice, so when people get ‘moved on’ it’s not some selling of meat operation. The fact that there are far more ex-United youths in Premiership football than from any other club shows how well the club nurtures and treats players, even when they don’t make it at Old Trafford. Very, very few complain about how they’ve been treated, most express enduring gratitude for the way they have been helped, even years after they have left. United DO show loyalty to players, and to staff generally.
But yes, at the end of the day, Hargreaves is fully entitled to do what he wants, and we should all get over it, me included. BUt, without in any way wishing ill on him, I will always regard him as a lesser person for what he’s done. No loyalty to a club that showed him a great deal of loyalty.
I’m sorry but Owen has every right to go to Citeh, even though I despise them with every fibre of my body. He was let go, released by United. It isn’t his fault that he is made of glass, so for people to think he’s throwing United’s goodwill back in our collective face, I don’t buy it. SAF didn’t want him anymore, the lad even said he’d play for free.
I fully believe that Owen’s best days are behind him, probably all of his days. However, it is a lack of perspective to claim that Hargreaves is a villain or that it would be enjoyable to see Vida break him like a stainglass window.
When a player isn’t going to be paid anymore and those are his most marketable skills, I really don’t think we should assume he’s going to the Wastelands to stick it to United. Would you rather him retire over accepting to be paid to play? Personally, I think the real question lies in why in the bloody hell Citeh would want to pay him?! He is old, literally cracking at the seams and worse than just about every other Citeh player. They just let Bellamy go, Craig is so much better than Hargreaves…how in the hell is that a good idea? The only player Owen Hargreaves is better than in that squad is Gareth Barry…who is complete and utter crap.
Giles … well, that’s certainly a good comeback, and at least you argue as a rational person (as you always do anyway). I guess I have seen a lot of cases where people (and companies) got screwed over “loyalty”, and maybe that has colored my opinion, or at least wound me up a bit. I’ve been screwed by people that I went out of my way to help. I’ve also been put in a situation where I had to lay-off people that I know had previously turned down better pay from our competitors. And I’ve been screwed as an employee myself by employers who preached “loyalty to the brand” — until it suited them otherwise.
But you are right to point out that while SAF can be ruthless, he has also gone out of his way to help former players. I also know he has given a lot of support to other managers, too.
And you are totally correct about the financial doping that is going on at ManShitty. That club and everything it stands for is a blight, a cancer, and I despise them. I too have no doubt that Shitty have signed Hargo because to their small way of thinking, that means they have got one over us. But no matter how much money they have, and no matter how much success they are able to buy themselves, or how many friends and associates they know who can sponsor this or that, they will always be small, petty, inadequate, and they will always lack class and “true grit”. All the money in the world can’t buy you class. Or tradition.
And what they don’t understand is that Hargo is offically a cast-off. He is not wanted by us. SAF decided that Hargreaves is no longer worthy of wearing our shirt, and as of the moment that decision was made, he became irrelevant. If he wants to take their pieces of gold, fine. If they want to high-five each other and call it a coup, fine. Because we know better. We know it’s not a coup, because we know he no longer matters. And we know that their pieces of gold are really made of cheap plastic stained with camel droppings, and that anyone who handles them is forever tainted.
But I won’t stoop to their levels either. He’s got the right to do it, even if I wish he hadn’t exercised it. I might think less of him for that — but wishing him to become crippled (which I know you did not) is too much. There is a lowness, and a bitterness, in such thoughts that I don’t want to even think about.
If Owen Hargreaves signs for the bitters he is a mercenary and a hypocrite.
He will not play 40 games and will spit on our clubs fans.
Fine for him to go. Don’t wish him injury. Only expected more of him and believed in him for years and years of recovery. I will move on and so will we all. But think this is pretty pathetic to be quite frank. Really expected more from Owen Hargreaves and hope the deal does not get done.
This blog really needs a dose of reality. What did you expect? The guy wanted to play for United for free, he helped us win the Champions League, he tried incredibly hard to make a comeback, he didn’t. No other club who is going to be successful this season offered him a chance, then City did. Also, they can pay him more than a West Brom can. Does this make him a mercenary? I don’t think it does in this case…deep down do you really think he believes he is going to play 40 games? No. He’s worried he may never play more than a handful of games of professional football again. If I was in his shoes I’d take a big paycheck, and so would any sensible person. Not all United players grew up supporting the club, accept it. He’s not betraying United, he’d rather be here. It’s playing for City and finishing 2nd in the league or floating around at Leicester City’s medical center. Grow up, folks.
He was a top player when fit, good luck to him. I hope we destroy him if he plays, but I am not irked, angry, disappointed, or even slightly miffed.
If anyone here questions my loyalty to United, do you think Sir Alex is whining and bitching because Hargreaves signed for city. Absolutely not. Get over it.
Hargo made the right choice. Obviously his body is not up to the physical demands so to choose a club that pays him for warming the bench is a good choice. If he had joined other club on Pay Per Play contract, he won’t be paid shit.
Let him into shitty, play the odd Carling Cup games and create some dissensions within the squad.
Wonder how long it will take Baloteli to blow his top and punch someone?? No game time for him as yet. And Tevez the pussy warming the bench willingly??
re: Giles Oakley
I agreed. United does not always have a place for players when new one are brought into the team. SAF recognizes the hardship endured, efforts and contribution of players, therefore he allow them to go to other clubs at a much lower fee when you consider players like o’ Shea and Wes value to be much higher than that. At least, they will get to play in the first team for their new club. You gain my respect for being honest and neutral, looking at every aspect of thing and with wisdom.
As a United fans, honestly it really disappoint me hearing him joining our rivals after all these year we’re patiently waiting for his comeback.
But thinking from footballer point of view , it might be the most decent choice he ever had this year to retain his career considering City’s medical treatment’ll be more advanced than other club that were said trying to sign him -in case he’ll pick up new injuries or if he still needs special treatment for his previous injury- .
Well I hope he can use City to retain his career back then move somewhere else next year, or back to United should he fits.
And my greatest wish for City to win fuck all in the future . Don’t we all want that ,eh?
Fuck me. The windown finally shut and already people talking about cunts like Goetze. You couoldnt make it up.
Mahesh. Not so sure barca have bought well. I know he scored bit just can’t see sanchez in that side ripping it up. Anyway where the fuck do they get their cash from?
Lay you any money the media will make out Arteta is a marquee signing. Always fucking injured but seems a good lad. Mertesacker great in air but rooney and the like will terrorise him on the deck.
Surprised gibbo and PIG still here.
Goodnight.
Manchester United to post record operating profits of over £100m before floating on the Singapore market – report. According to goal.com
I think Man Utd has managed to get over their financial crisis compared to last year where we suffered a 80+ million losses. I think this is a good sign. Hopefully we will be debt free in few years time.
I agree with many of your points, but you are a bit harsh in judging Hargo. What it boils down to: he is on a pay per play deal so he won’t get the type of salaries enjoyed by premier league players. If he plays for city, he doesn’t need to sell his house and move his family, but if he played for any other club he would need to sell house and move his family, all of which takes time to complete and costs money. Since no club will give him big fat salary, staying in Manchester was the only decision that could make sense for him.
Although I hate any of our players crossing over to city, I wouldn’t be so fast in branding Hargo a traitor. Very different situation than Tevez or even Rooney.
Hargo picked the right club ‘cos anywhere else he’d be asked to actually play some football over the season
Would a mercenary offer to play for free for Manchester United? We’ve got our very own mercenary in Wayne Rooney. Do you think Rooney would have offered to play for free had he been in Hargo’s shoes? If he’s up for a fight with de Jong and Yaya Toure to win a place in the starting line up at Wastelands then i wish that he wins this fight. What does this say about his determination? He gave his all for us and i’ll always wish him well except when he’ll face us of course.
To b fair,it was always gonna b either hargo or mickey Owen out d door.when it came to crunchtime,saf chose brittle knees over tight groin (lets not forget tight/torn calf/hamstring).red devils,lets let him b.sky blues are taking care of his severance benefits and our old boy is taking a raincheck.frankly,lets see him as our deep cover operative behind enemy lines fomenting chaos in dr shitty etihad.meanwhile we move onward to d 20th 4th 12th and much more by God’s grace.safe.
Has Sneijder signed yet?
Well said, Scott. As with others, not sure about the last line (!), but I kinda know what you mean.
My main greivance is that our club has been paying his medical bills for three years, and if by some miracle he is back to his full powers, he could well be part of a title-winning side with them off the back of that. That would be particularly galling.
Thanks Dragonslayer and Stateside Aussie. Loyalty is a tricky area, and I can empathise entirely with Stateside , also having had to make (relatively) loyal people redundant and also having seen how loyalty can be abused. I’ve been on both sides of such matters as an active trade unionist trying to defend people against unfair treatment and as a management person trying to do the best I can with shrinking budgets and ‘efficiency savings’, seeing good people having to go as contracts don’t get renewed.
And good contribution from Dr Mico, putting the case for the defence as it were. From one point of view one should congratulate Hargreaves for his guts in carrying on and not giving up. If it all turns out well for him and he wins the World Cup or something his will become an inspirational story, one everyone remembers, The Man Who Never Gave IN. I hope in telling his tale he doesn’t feel he’s got to turn on United and attack the club for not giving him another chance. He got paid huge amounts for , effectively, doing nothing for three years. Not his fault, but not United’s either and they went out of their way to support him.
I guess I’m still sad United didn’t give him one more chance, although it’s great that Fergie wants to give the kids coming through a chance.
But, when all is said and done, I still feel aggrieved and not a little sad that what United stands for apparently meant so little to Hargreaves that he so happily jumped ship. As I keep saying, I have had no problem with United players going to City in the past, nor any real problem with them winning trophies. But right now, this is different. It should be repeated over and over again, what the modern City are doing will damage football. This is not just about them over-taking United at some point and winning more trophies. That can happen cyclically at any time, as great clubs rise and fall, whether it’s Real Madrid, AC MIlan, Liverpool, Arsenal, Bayern Munich or United. Having endured the 70s and 80s I’m already braced for a fallow period when Fergie retires. So, what I’m saying is not about United losing ground to City. It’s about keeping the game decent, and giving more of a chance to less powerful clubs, those with honourable histories who’ll probably never have a chance again, outgunned on all fronts by impossible amounts of foreign money that have nothing to do with football as it has been played for over a hundred years, from the days of Billy Meredith, who played for City, then United, then City again, and no-one thought the lesser of him for that, whether red or blue.
Top top posts @StatesideAussie and @Giles.
The red mist descends into irrational passion when it comes discussing what we mean by loyalty in sport and loyalty in the real world of work.
@Giles makes an excellent post about remembering what we stand for in the modern game and what our values are as a club.
Totally agree Scott. I have lost all love and respect for him!
Are you really disapointed with Owen? Me – absolutely not. He lost three years because of injuries so he wants to play. Only Shitty wanted him, so what should he have done? Reject them and stay home? Owen was not United-born, wasn’t United legend, so I don’t care for whom he will play.
So Scott, I believe you exaggerate a little.
And thanks God we haven’t signed Sneijder – this is the year for Cleverley and Anderson to play a lot a learn for the future!
I say we just draw a line under this and concentrate our support for our team…at the same time when City comes to OT on Oct 23rd and if what’s-his-name plays, Vida breaks his leg. All in favour say GGMU.
I couldn’t care less whom he signed for but it does seem strange that he has signed for a club that he has no realistic chance of playing these 40 games that he says he has in him. Maybe deep down he knows that he doesn’t have 40 games in him and he might as well earn more money and take a few splinters up his hole at City than get well and truely found out at some other club. And I’ll bet my bum hyman that he gets injured again this season.
“No” was the answer from United so what choice did he have. Good Luck Owen but shity is going no where
As much as he he has all the right in the world to play for any club, i also have all the rights in the world to call him TRAITOR
Cheers, Giles. It’s a pleasure to have been able to discuss an issue — especially one that touches such raw nerves — in such a reasonable and articulate manner. As for the issue itself, I don’t have anything significant to add, so I’ll leave it there!
I think that in their sick perverted way the brass at ‘City’ think they are getting one over on United by signing OH. He wont play much if at all. Its sad he’s let himself be used like this. Should have gone somewhere he could play, regain fitness and reputation and then join whoever he wanted to. City’s obsession has become very weird…what next? Offering United fans money to change allegiance or maybe free petrol…sheesh!!!
Would a mercenary offer to play for free for Manchester United? We’ve got our very own mercenary in Wayne Rooney.
Bite me, he is worth every penny and more. THE FUCKING GLAZERS LOW BALLED HIM!!!!!!!!!
@Samuel
Funny how you quickly assume that Hargreaves offering to play for free is a falsity, while going to assume Spurs/Villa/WBA all offered contracts to him but he only chose City.
If one of the other managers came forth and said “yeah we offered but the terms were not to his liking” then perhaps. But what if it was a deal that said “pay per play, no basic, no guarantee in number of games”? What if City’s said “pay per play, some basic, guarantee X games in all competitions as long as fitness allows?”
We’re not privy to all that info, so let’s not all jump to conclusions.
The club didn’t want him, and that for me is enough. As long as he doesn’t sing their blue tune and slag us off. Some have forgiven Heinze, but he is a truly top class twat who is probably the only one in history who took the club to court. Sorry, how is that forgivable? I’ll never.
This article is pathetic. It sounds like a toddler throwing his toys out of the pram. He offered to play for free and United said no. He’s free to join whichever club he feels is right for him, and with the amount of games that City will get this year, it will enable him to work his way back to fitness and contribute. Just because he was injured he should be hated by the fans? City were willing to take a chance on the lad and he feels it’s the best option for his career. Unbelievable sour grapes.
Tom Ace – Its got fuck all do to with him being injured that the fans dislike him. He is joining our fucking biggest rivals , well arguably biggest. How that doesn’t bother some reds is really beyond me. How you would all feel if he did infact score a winner against us at the business end of the season and celebrated like you would expect him to? Bet those people so forgiving would think differently then. Its just fucking wrong, it really is.
King Eric
I don’t think it doesn’t bother anyone, but it’s not causing a kneejerk reaction from some of us. Kinda like how Michael Owen joined us despite him virtually pleading with Liverpool to sign him, which of course the FSW declined. And then went to Newcastle, and after they fell into the Championship, declined their offer and sent out that great sales booklet. We were the only ones who offer him a contract, were we not? This I’m not sure, but to him, it was the best possible move he could ask for.
To be perfectly honest, no joke, if the scenario you suggested does happen *touch wood*, no United fan would be laughing about it that’s for sure. But it’d be a “we asked for it” kinda thing since we chose not to offer him a contract of any sort isn’t it? I would like to think that if the club deemed that he would somehow be fit enough to contribute, they may have given him a 10K per week basic + heavy performance bonuses, and he’d take it up without a single word of complaint.
I believe a player cannot possibly lie about such a thing as offering to play for free. A refute from anyone at the club would sully his own name. He was desperate for a chance. But SAF was the one who told him that he wouldn’t want that because he will go on to resent it, and also because it would look like Utd’s taking advantage of him, which SAF doesn’t want to. SAF has said that it was in his best interests to look for football elsewhere, so perhaps it’d be good to just hope that he won’t be fit to play against us at least. Anyway, I have doubts he’d be even capable of lasting 45 mins, even at the end of the season assuming he remains injury free and gets proper conditioning for a whole 8 months.
I just hope nobody goes to the extent of boo’ing him if he turns up at OT in that stinking blue top. Bound to happen though.
It was a pleasure to read Giles and Stateside.
We did wish him the best before all this came about. But the very fact that he signed for city inevitably makes me retract all those well wishes. I don’t wish for bad things to happen to him, just simply indifferent. I won’t have the fondness that i have when i watch O’Shea and Brown play for Sunderland. It’s the very fact that he signed for city that makes many United fans here turn the tables a 360, so i don’t think you can fault that. You can’t call that hypocritical or bitter. If you’re gonna be rational all the time, then you’re not Manchester United Fan, you’d just be fan of the game.
Previously posted that we had too little memories of Hargreaves. I’m glad its that way now.
Just to add on, I’m totally with king Eric on this one. he’s sign for SHITTY and some of you guys are trying to be politically correct.
Right then where to start. Hargreaves was loved by all united fans and the difference between Owen Awesome Peter and Best is we stuck by Hargreaves when if was injured we said his wages and covered it medical bill. Owen was out of contract and it was not about money or proving him self he wanted to play his carer out at a huge club who if had respect for and we respect that. I will miss Hargreaves but I am really peed off. Now he will be remembered as when we bought him the invisible man.
‘The ex-United man is believed to have signed a deal worth around £20,000 a week, with bonus payments for every game played.’
http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/09/07/2654725/owen-hargreaves-a-risk-well-worth-taking-manchester-city