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What on Earth is going-on at Old Trafford these days??
The once success-prone team of the late 80's and 1990's, Manchester United appear to be slipping down the Table well-away from the top as their reputation mutates into nothing more than a joke of a squad of 'has-beens'.
As of today Sir Alex Ferguson's men are floating around the mid-table area in 10th place, and evenn Premiership New-Boys Birmingham City are above them after their 3-0 win over local rivals Aston Villa last night.
While Arsenal and co. are sitting pretty up at the top-end United are falling-apart.
The new season may only be a few weeks old, but if you want to be considered as Title Candidates come May next year, then you have to make a good start now in-order to get ahead of the pack now rather than leaving it all 'till later during those busy and frantic times of the season when the Fixture Lists really begin to pile-up.
Arsenal have made a great start to the new season, sitting way-up there above the rest, and a few points away from rivlas Spurs, who have stunned us all with their surprising League Position. And-so it seems that Arsenal really could be on their way to a repeat of last season's Title Glory after such a firm and un-beaten start to the new season.
It's been just like last season hasn't ended yet, as Arsenal bask in all the glory while United slip-up. Another trophy-less season is something that we as the fans of the former Premiership Champions to not want to see all-over again - especially not for the second season in a row! Something must be done by Sir Alex....!
In-order to resolve a problem you need to have first discovered it and to then have looked at the situation more closely to see what can be done carefully to make sure that the situation isn't made any worse.
Now i've been thinking long and hard about what's been going wrong this season that had given us that feeling of déja-vu after last seasons' dissapointment.
And to be honest, i'm still not sure i've found the main cause, but I have managed to identify one main problem that isn't helping.... Roy Keane.
That's right, our very own firey Captain and former Republic of Ireland international. He may have helped lead us onto success and through those tough-times of a season in the past, but this time I think he just isn't helping.
It's not that he's playing badly or anything, in-fact, he has been undoubtabley our most determined player with his fighting spirit during the last few weeks, that same level of determination that helped us out of that Bad Patch at the end of 2001/early 2002. So there's no problem there.
Like I said earlier, he is our club Captain, and he is now and ex-RoI international. And this is where I see the problem begining...
Let's be honest here for a minute, Keane had a terrible summer when compared with the ones experienced by other Premiership Stars who actually PLAYED in the World Cup in Japan and South Korea. As you will be aware, he and Ireland Boss Mick McCarthy failed to see eye-to-eye, and after an outburst from the short-tempered paddy, the Captain had walked out on his country full-stop, leaving the rest of the squad with all-sorts of mixed feelings, especially amongst the younger, and most-experienced players - like Niall Quinn. And-so, that was that with Roy Keane and International Duty. He was never coming back, and they proved they didn't need him.
But it didn't get a lot better for the midfield mental-case only a month or two later...
Yes, he did become one of the select few of Footballers who have managed to finnish writing an entire book, and I applaud him for being able to do that - just like Jaap Stam. But that was just the problem - it was too similar to Stam's with the regular dose of insults for his teammates to react-to aswell as Keane admitting his 'intent to hurt' with THAT challenge on Man City's Alfie Haaland.
And then comes the new season.... what a mess!
How would his teammates and fans feel about all this?
Well, you can bet that the players will never think the same way about their ispirational leader ever again. And as for their respect and admiration for him.... well, you can bet that that's gone straight down the drain to the Mario Brothers at the other end - with an extra big *FLUSH* from Phil Neville!
A Captain needs to be a player who can lead and control the 10 other men on the pitch, while keeping it 'cool' under intense pressure in the big games, a player who is both respected and looked-up to by all members of the team's entire squad.
Roy Keane may be able to perform well under pressure in the big games, and he may be able to control at the click of his fingers, but after a disasterous Summer of all things bad, his respect and reputation has faded - vastly!
When you look at United's performances on the pitch this season, I think you'll star to see a pattern. In the games where Keane did play and was Captain, the whole team has looked slow and sluggish - especially van Nistelrooy, and even the hard-working David Beckham. But in the games where Keane has been out, where another Captain he been named (like Beckham in the Leeds game), we may have lost but we really did play like a team full of energy and quick-thinking that wanted to win!
My proposal to solve this on-going problem this season is simple...:
Take the Captain's armband from Roy Keane andhand it over to someone else who has the respect and trust of all the others, a player who really can do the job well and inspire his team to smart football, goals, and of course, silverware.
Now I know what some of you may be thinking: "Why not just remove Keane altogether?" and I have to admit that I have thought about the same.
But just like I said earlier, and so have many other football fans, Keano has been a fantastic player for us on the pitch, and it would be simply ludicrus for Fergie to leave him out at these times when we need his abillities most.
The only problem is that he no longer inspires to 5-0 rompings and Champions' League victories, and it is all really his own personal fault.
So perhaps it is time for the Armband to be handed over - before it is all too late?
Perhaps David Beckham? A player who has done the job superbly for country in the past - especially in the Qualifiers and in the 2002 World Cup itself.
Or maybe Ryan Giggs? With his array of skills and trickery with the ball out on the wing, he could be just the type on player United need in-charge to spark the life back into the once goal-bound striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.
But that is a descision I leave up to you.
However I leave Sir Alex Ferguson with the chance to strongly consider changing things around, like he has done for the better so-many times before.
The once success-prone team of the late 80's and 1990's, Manchester United appear to be slipping down the Table well-away from the top as their reputation mutates into nothing more than a joke of a squad of 'has-beens'.
As of today Sir Alex Ferguson's men are floating around the mid-table area in 10th place, and evenn Premiership New-Boys Birmingham City are above them after their 3-0 win over local rivals Aston Villa last night.
While Arsenal and co. are sitting pretty up at the top-end United are falling-apart.
The new season may only be a few weeks old, but if you want to be considered as Title Candidates come May next year, then you have to make a good start now in-order to get ahead of the pack now rather than leaving it all 'till later during those busy and frantic times of the season when the Fixture Lists really begin to pile-up.
Arsenal have made a great start to the new season, sitting way-up there above the rest, and a few points away from rivlas Spurs, who have stunned us all with their surprising League Position. And-so it seems that Arsenal really could be on their way to a repeat of last season's Title Glory after such a firm and un-beaten start to the new season.
It's been just like last season hasn't ended yet, as Arsenal bask in all the glory while United slip-up. Another trophy-less season is something that we as the fans of the former Premiership Champions to not want to see all-over again - especially not for the second season in a row! Something must be done by Sir Alex....!
In-order to resolve a problem you need to have first discovered it and to then have looked at the situation more closely to see what can be done carefully to make sure that the situation isn't made any worse.
Now i've been thinking long and hard about what's been going wrong this season that had given us that feeling of déja-vu after last seasons' dissapointment.
And to be honest, i'm still not sure i've found the main cause, but I have managed to identify one main problem that isn't helping.... Roy Keane.
That's right, our very own firey Captain and former Republic of Ireland international. He may have helped lead us onto success and through those tough-times of a season in the past, but this time I think he just isn't helping.
It's not that he's playing badly or anything, in-fact, he has been undoubtabley our most determined player with his fighting spirit during the last few weeks, that same level of determination that helped us out of that Bad Patch at the end of 2001/early 2002. So there's no problem there.
Like I said earlier, he is our club Captain, and he is now and ex-RoI international. And this is where I see the problem begining...
Let's be honest here for a minute, Keane had a terrible summer when compared with the ones experienced by other Premiership Stars who actually PLAYED in the World Cup in Japan and South Korea. As you will be aware, he and Ireland Boss Mick McCarthy failed to see eye-to-eye, and after an outburst from the short-tempered paddy, the Captain had walked out on his country full-stop, leaving the rest of the squad with all-sorts of mixed feelings, especially amongst the younger, and most-experienced players - like Niall Quinn. And-so, that was that with Roy Keane and International Duty. He was never coming back, and they proved they didn't need him.
But it didn't get a lot better for the midfield mental-case only a month or two later...
Yes, he did become one of the select few of Footballers who have managed to finnish writing an entire book, and I applaud him for being able to do that - just like Jaap Stam. But that was just the problem - it was too similar to Stam's with the regular dose of insults for his teammates to react-to aswell as Keane admitting his 'intent to hurt' with THAT challenge on Man City's Alfie Haaland.
And then comes the new season.... what a mess!
How would his teammates and fans feel about all this?
Well, you can bet that the players will never think the same way about their ispirational leader ever again. And as for their respect and admiration for him.... well, you can bet that that's gone straight down the drain to the Mario Brothers at the other end - with an extra big *FLUSH* from Phil Neville!
A Captain needs to be a player who can lead and control the 10 other men on the pitch, while keeping it 'cool' under intense pressure in the big games, a player who is both respected and looked-up to by all members of the team's entire squad.
Roy Keane may be able to perform well under pressure in the big games, and he may be able to control at the click of his fingers, but after a disasterous Summer of all things bad, his respect and reputation has faded - vastly!
When you look at United's performances on the pitch this season, I think you'll star to see a pattern. In the games where Keane did play and was Captain, the whole team has looked slow and sluggish - especially van Nistelrooy, and even the hard-working David Beckham. But in the games where Keane has been out, where another Captain he been named (like Beckham in the Leeds game), we may have lost but we really did play like a team full of energy and quick-thinking that wanted to win!
My proposal to solve this on-going problem this season is simple...:
Take the Captain's armband from Roy Keane andhand it over to someone else who has the respect and trust of all the others, a player who really can do the job well and inspire his team to smart football, goals, and of course, silverware.
Now I know what some of you may be thinking: "Why not just remove Keane altogether?" and I have to admit that I have thought about the same.
But just like I said earlier, and so have many other football fans, Keano has been a fantastic player for us on the pitch, and it would be simply ludicrus for Fergie to leave him out at these times when we need his abillities most.
The only problem is that he no longer inspires to 5-0 rompings and Champions' League victories, and it is all really his own personal fault.
So perhaps it is time for the Armband to be handed over - before it is all too late?
Perhaps David Beckham? A player who has done the job superbly for country in the past - especially in the Qualifiers and in the 2002 World Cup itself.
Or maybe Ryan Giggs? With his array of skills and trickery with the ball out on the wing, he could be just the type on player United need in-charge to spark the life back into the once goal-bound striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.
But that is a descision I leave up to you.
However I leave Sir Alex Ferguson with the chance to strongly consider changing things around, like he has done for the better so-many times before.
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Lord H wrote:
> Or†ega wrote:
> ROy Keane is the man.
>
> Obviously not. He's extremely thick and a disgrace both to his country
> and his four kids.
Why you bringing his family into this?
> Or†ega wrote:
> ROy Keane is the man.
>
> Obviously not. He's extremely thick and a disgrace both to his country
> and his four kids.
Why you bringing his family into this?
Or†ega wrote:
> ROy Keane is the man.
Obviously not. He's extremely thick and a disgrace both to his country and his four kids.
> ROy Keane is the man.
Obviously not. He's extremely thick and a disgrace both to his country and his four kids.
But that's the point! Whether he's got the armband or not is irrelevant- keane is the captain, if not in name then in spirit. No one holds as much sway on the pitch, nobody is as vocal, nobody's as determined. To take the captaincy off him would only create conflict between the new 'captain', say Ferdinand, and Keane. Who pushes phil neville into position? Keane is Ferguson's right-hand man on the pitch, that simple. That apart, nobody could touch keano for captaincy quality, you can see how important he is. Keane plays second fiddle to no one, if the gaffer was to take the captaincy off him, he'd be out of the door, so that's why I say it's impossible for keano to be captained by someone else at Old Trafford. You either have Keane the Captain, or you have neither. I don't even know why we're having this conversation because it's so implausible it almost beggars belief. Keano not captain? You must be having a laugh.
I believe that we'd still get that same driving inluence from him even if he wasn't wearing the Captain's armband. He is a player who doesn't NEED an armband for you to know HE is in control.
I have about Ferdinand being Captain though, at the moment anyway.
In the Leeds game he looked unstable and 'not himself'.
I believe this was all down-to the pressure of return to his old club that loved him, and that he couldn't cope - hence the c***-ups that could've cost us a lot more!
I don't think he's ready - yet.
If he can't survive in the big league games then how would he be able to do as well in the even bigger matches, and as Captain too!??
But he has been regarded as the next Bobby Moore, and i'm sure he'll be ready to lead both club and country in the distant-future...
I have about Ferdinand being Captain though, at the moment anyway.
In the Leeds game he looked unstable and 'not himself'.
I believe this was all down-to the pressure of return to his old club that loved him, and that he couldn't cope - hence the c***-ups that could've cost us a lot more!
I don't think he's ready - yet.
If he can't survive in the big league games then how would he be able to do as well in the even bigger matches, and as Captain too!??
But he has been regarded as the next Bobby Moore, and i'm sure he'll be ready to lead both club and country in the distant-future...
I go back to my origial argument here:
>think about this one how many games have we lost this season with Roy Keane in the side and how many how we won with him leading us as captain?
Yes we only just lost the Leeds game by a small margin, but when the goal went in - where was our inspriation to fight on? where was our captain to say "come on lads we can do it?" - he was out there elbowing other players! - and got away with it aswell - which is stupid because when Keano or Vieira do thing they are thrown the book at. Beckham as captain - for me is not right, id rather give the arm band to someone like Rio Ferdinand, because he is a talker and a fighter.
>think about this one how many games have we lost this season with Roy Keane in the side and how many how we won with him leading us as captain?
Yes we only just lost the Leeds game by a small margin, but when the goal went in - where was our inspriation to fight on? where was our captain to say "come on lads we can do it?" - he was out there elbowing other players! - and got away with it aswell - which is stupid because when Keano or Vieira do thing they are thrown the book at. Beckham as captain - for me is not right, id rather give the arm band to someone like Rio Ferdinand, because he is a talker and a fighter.
Now hold-on a minute.....
Would someone like to point and show where exactly in the original post I said that we should SELL or even NOT PLAY Keane???
I don't see it anywhere, and I don't remember typing it.
But still, some of you seem to think that is all I am saying here!
But NO!! What I am saying here is that we need a change of Captain, while we need Keane's determination on the picth. Even if Beckham took-the-job, Keane'd still be screaming at the rest of them - and even Beckham himself. And there's no-way he'd put in any less-than 120% week-in, week-out, without the Armband or not. His hunger for more money and success is too great to kill his extreme determination!
I've heard it all many times before and I agree that Keane is undoubtabley the greatest outfield player to have played for United at Old Trafford since King Cantona's days... and who was Captain then??
Cantona. Yet Keane was still working harder than ever, while earning a lot-less than he does now.
I'm sure he has a lot of respect for David Beckham and all he's done for the club over the last few years too, but it's the other players - including Phil Neville - who won't feel the same-way about Keano.
And that's a main-chunk of the problem as I see it - Keane's reputation.
Yes, he does think he is and is becoming bigger than the club, but his United team-mates feel very differently about him now ater his 'Summer Antics'.
Would someone like to point and show where exactly in the original post I said that we should SELL or even NOT PLAY Keane???
I don't see it anywhere, and I don't remember typing it.
But still, some of you seem to think that is all I am saying here!
But NO!! What I am saying here is that we need a change of Captain, while we need Keane's determination on the picth. Even if Beckham took-the-job, Keane'd still be screaming at the rest of them - and even Beckham himself. And there's no-way he'd put in any less-than 120% week-in, week-out, without the Armband or not. His hunger for more money and success is too great to kill his extreme determination!
I've heard it all many times before and I agree that Keane is undoubtabley the greatest outfield player to have played for United at Old Trafford since King Cantona's days... and who was Captain then??
Cantona. Yet Keane was still working harder than ever, while earning a lot-less than he does now.
I'm sure he has a lot of respect for David Beckham and all he's done for the club over the last few years too, but it's the other players - including Phil Neville - who won't feel the same-way about Keano.
And that's a main-chunk of the problem as I see it - Keane's reputation.
Yes, he does think he is and is becoming bigger than the club, but his United team-mates feel very differently about him now ater his 'Summer Antics'.
Fountain of Knowledge wrote:
> BTW, who's at the game on wednesday?
nah im working nights at the mo :-(
> BTW, who's at the game on wednesday?
nah im working nights at the mo :-(
I made a very similar post to this in a different thread, so there's no point going over the same ground, but let me explain the keane issue as i see it because it's not as cut and dry as some of you think it is.
Firstly, Keane, without exaggeration, has been United's best player since Eric Cantona, perhaps the Premiership. You cannot doubt his contribution to the success of man utd, least of all his colleagues. As regards the captain issue, Roy Keane can only exist in the captain role; you cannot take the armband off him because even if he didn't have it, he is still the voice of utd and the dominant influence in the dressing-room, regardless of who wears the armband- that doesn't matter. You either have keano and the captaincy or you have neither, you cant have one without the other.
Next point. With the players taking roy's standards for granted, they look like lost boys without him. The guy who says the players are better off without him obviously has never watched a united match in his life, the only pleasure i get from a keane-short man united is that it shows up the rest of the team and means that they cant coast with roy to bail them out.
The unfortunate position ferguson now finds himself in, not that he would ever admit it, is that keano is now bigger than the club. If any other player had said a half of what keane's said, they would have been out on the ear right now- any other player- even giggs or beckham no question. But ferguson cannot get rid of keane because a) he normally agrees with him (not that that helps the dressing room atmosphere one bit) and b) ferguson cannot afford to discipline roy to the point of him leaving the club. That said, i think getting rid of keano would be a ridiculous decision at the moment, but at some point down the line, if things don't resolve themselves, the new manager will get rid of roy for many reasons and the whole team is going to need to be rebuilt or at the very least, have a new approach taken to it, a new manager's style.
I think i've just about explained the keano issue now, take it or leave it, he's the best player we've got and it's that simple. Don't believe everything you read in the press either, half of it's written by morons.
BTW, who's at the game on wednesday?
Firstly, Keane, without exaggeration, has been United's best player since Eric Cantona, perhaps the Premiership. You cannot doubt his contribution to the success of man utd, least of all his colleagues. As regards the captain issue, Roy Keane can only exist in the captain role; you cannot take the armband off him because even if he didn't have it, he is still the voice of utd and the dominant influence in the dressing-room, regardless of who wears the armband- that doesn't matter. You either have keano and the captaincy or you have neither, you cant have one without the other.
Next point. With the players taking roy's standards for granted, they look like lost boys without him. The guy who says the players are better off without him obviously has never watched a united match in his life, the only pleasure i get from a keane-short man united is that it shows up the rest of the team and means that they cant coast with roy to bail them out.
The unfortunate position ferguson now finds himself in, not that he would ever admit it, is that keano is now bigger than the club. If any other player had said a half of what keane's said, they would have been out on the ear right now- any other player- even giggs or beckham no question. But ferguson cannot get rid of keane because a) he normally agrees with him (not that that helps the dressing room atmosphere one bit) and b) ferguson cannot afford to discipline roy to the point of him leaving the club. That said, i think getting rid of keano would be a ridiculous decision at the moment, but at some point down the line, if things don't resolve themselves, the new manager will get rid of roy for many reasons and the whole team is going to need to be rebuilt or at the very least, have a new approach taken to it, a new manager's style.
I think i've just about explained the keano issue now, take it or leave it, he's the best player we've got and it's that simple. Don't believe everything you read in the press either, half of it's written by morons.
BTW, who's at the game on wednesday?
Or†ega wrote:
> I think buying Robbie Keane would have men Fergie would have to have
> swolled a little pride. Remember Fergie's comments about him when he
> signed for Coventry? Fergie said he would only pay £600K for him
> or somthin....
yes but how much is fergies pride gonna cost united? how long can you tolerate, blanc, forlan, barthez and crazy things like the sale of stam which cost you the league? whats next Beckham to kidderminster harriers because fergie doesn't like his hair cut?
> I think buying Robbie Keane would have men Fergie would have to have
> swolled a little pride. Remember Fergie's comments about him when he
> signed for Coventry? Fergie said he would only pay £600K for him
> or somthin....
yes but how much is fergies pride gonna cost united? how long can you tolerate, blanc, forlan, barthez and crazy things like the sale of stam which cost you the league? whats next Beckham to kidderminster harriers because fergie doesn't like his hair cut?
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