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Well, okay it's not really official - but get a load of this, from the website of a certain tabloid...
-----
ALEX FERGUSON will be hoping the name Maccabi Haifa is not engrained on his brain late tonight - because it certainly was not yesterday.
Quizzed on what he thought of his Champions League opponents, the Manchester United manager promptly reeled off their impressive performance in reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup last season.
He said: "Their form last season versus Lokomotiv Moscow, Parma and AC Milan was a big step up for them.
"We certainly will not underestimate them in any shape or form."
Only one problem - he was talking about the wrong side.
They might also come from Israel, but it was Hapoel Tel Aviv who reached the last eight in the UEFA Cup, facing those very same sides he named and also knocking out Chelsea along the way.
Tonight's opponents, Maccabi Haifa, were dumped out in the qualifying stages of the Champions League for fielding ineligible players.
Haifa play in green, Hapoel in red and white and they live about an hour apart.
The teams are staunch rivals, finishing first and second respectively last season in their domestic league.
Hapoel will be nowhere near Old Trafford tonight, Haifa will.
The dark-haired female questioner from Israel's TV Channel Sport 5+ had put the question to Fergie.
On hearing the answer she frowned and said: "That's a different team."
Ferguson replied: "You mean there's changes?"
Lilach Sonim said: "No it's a different team!"
Fergie frowned: "Oh, sorry, that's the second time I've done that."
Apparently, Ferguson made the same mistake in a separate Press conference to preview this match last week.
He did, however, say they had watched "videos of their matches against Sturm Graz when they won 3-0 and drew 3-3 and did very well."
On this occasion he was spot-on - Maccabi DID beat Graz in the qualifying round to become the first Israeli side to reach the group stage.
But one can only hope he has not had his new sidekick Carlos Queiroz studying Hapoel's UEFA Cup exploits for hours on end in preparation for tonight.
A rather confused Sonim was less than impressed by the whole affair - and reckoned her viewers back in Israel would feel the same.
She said: "I was embarrassed for him. There will be a lot of disappointment about this back home."
The disappointment will be short-lived if United win - they have more fans in Israel than Haifa.
But victory is not a certainty given United's form and the injury problems that have plagued them this season.
-----
ALEX FERGUSON will be hoping the name Maccabi Haifa is not engrained on his brain late tonight - because it certainly was not yesterday.
Quizzed on what he thought of his Champions League opponents, the Manchester United manager promptly reeled off their impressive performance in reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup last season.
He said: "Their form last season versus Lokomotiv Moscow, Parma and AC Milan was a big step up for them.
"We certainly will not underestimate them in any shape or form."
Only one problem - he was talking about the wrong side.
They might also come from Israel, but it was Hapoel Tel Aviv who reached the last eight in the UEFA Cup, facing those very same sides he named and also knocking out Chelsea along the way.
Tonight's opponents, Maccabi Haifa, were dumped out in the qualifying stages of the Champions League for fielding ineligible players.
Haifa play in green, Hapoel in red and white and they live about an hour apart.
The teams are staunch rivals, finishing first and second respectively last season in their domestic league.
Hapoel will be nowhere near Old Trafford tonight, Haifa will.
The dark-haired female questioner from Israel's TV Channel Sport 5+ had put the question to Fergie.
On hearing the answer she frowned and said: "That's a different team."
Ferguson replied: "You mean there's changes?"
Lilach Sonim said: "No it's a different team!"
Fergie frowned: "Oh, sorry, that's the second time I've done that."
Apparently, Ferguson made the same mistake in a separate Press conference to preview this match last week.
He did, however, say they had watched "videos of their matches against Sturm Graz when they won 3-0 and drew 3-3 and did very well."
On this occasion he was spot-on - Maccabi DID beat Graz in the qualifying round to become the first Israeli side to reach the group stage.
But one can only hope he has not had his new sidekick Carlos Queiroz studying Hapoel's UEFA Cup exploits for hours on end in preparation for tonight.
A rather confused Sonim was less than impressed by the whole affair - and reckoned her viewers back in Israel would feel the same.
She said: "I was embarrassed for him. There will be a lot of disappointment about this back home."
The disappointment will be short-lived if United win - they have more fans in Israel than Haifa.
But victory is not a certainty given United's form and the injury problems that have plagued them this season.
It could be a simple joke on his behalf?
What does any of this matter anyway...
We will win tonight.
What does any of this matter anyway...
We will win tonight.
So now the biggest team in the world need to resort to mind games to defeat minnows they'd once have beaten in their sleep.
How the mighty have fallen.
How the mighty have fallen.
But how do you know it isn't?
You know what Ferguson's like and Arsene Wenger for that matter.
:-)
You know what Ferguson's like and Arsene Wenger for that matter.
:-)
Oh please, if simpletons like us can name the team Utd are to play, I'm fairly sure that Ferguson, who has likely been studying the entire side since the draw was made, knows the team as well.
He would have done that on purpose, quoting a rival team instead will have Haifa up in arms. Their coach will call it fuel, but the players will want only one thing, recognition. Anf they'll be too fired up to get it.
He would have done that on purpose, quoting a rival team instead will have Haifa up in arms. Their coach will call it fuel, but the players will want only one thing, recognition. Anf they'll be too fired up to get it.
Mr Ripper wrote:
> a tactical master stroke.
If only!
> a tactical master stroke.
If only!
a tactical master stroke. Make your opponents think you just don't care. What will that mean for United? Rash challenges from all angles by Haifa, giving Becks every opportunity to bang in a few freebies.
Well, okay it's not really official - but get a load of this, from the website of a certain tabloid...
-----
ALEX FERGUSON will be hoping the name Maccabi Haifa is not engrained on his brain late tonight - because it certainly was not yesterday.
Quizzed on what he thought of his Champions League opponents, the Manchester United manager promptly reeled off their impressive performance in reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup last season.
He said: "Their form last season versus Lokomotiv Moscow, Parma and AC Milan was a big step up for them.
"We certainly will not underestimate them in any shape or form."
Only one problem - he was talking about the wrong side.
They might also come from Israel, but it was Hapoel Tel Aviv who reached the last eight in the UEFA Cup, facing those very same sides he named and also knocking out Chelsea along the way.
Tonight's opponents, Maccabi Haifa, were dumped out in the qualifying stages of the Champions League for fielding ineligible players.
Haifa play in green, Hapoel in red and white and they live about an hour apart.
The teams are staunch rivals, finishing first and second respectively last season in their domestic league.
Hapoel will be nowhere near Old Trafford tonight, Haifa will.
The dark-haired female questioner from Israel's TV Channel Sport 5+ had put the question to Fergie.
On hearing the answer she frowned and said: "That's a different team."
Ferguson replied: "You mean there's changes?"
Lilach Sonim said: "No it's a different team!"
Fergie frowned: "Oh, sorry, that's the second time I've done that."
Apparently, Ferguson made the same mistake in a separate Press conference to preview this match last week.
He did, however, say they had watched "videos of their matches against Sturm Graz when they won 3-0 and drew 3-3 and did very well."
On this occasion he was spot-on - Maccabi DID beat Graz in the qualifying round to become the first Israeli side to reach the group stage.
But one can only hope he has not had his new sidekick Carlos Queiroz studying Hapoel's UEFA Cup exploits for hours on end in preparation for tonight.
A rather confused Sonim was less than impressed by the whole affair - and reckoned her viewers back in Israel would feel the same.
She said: "I was embarrassed for him. There will be a lot of disappointment about this back home."
The disappointment will be short-lived if United win - they have more fans in Israel than Haifa.
But victory is not a certainty given United's form and the injury problems that have plagued them this season.
-----
ALEX FERGUSON will be hoping the name Maccabi Haifa is not engrained on his brain late tonight - because it certainly was not yesterday.
Quizzed on what he thought of his Champions League opponents, the Manchester United manager promptly reeled off their impressive performance in reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup last season.
He said: "Their form last season versus Lokomotiv Moscow, Parma and AC Milan was a big step up for them.
"We certainly will not underestimate them in any shape or form."
Only one problem - he was talking about the wrong side.
They might also come from Israel, but it was Hapoel Tel Aviv who reached the last eight in the UEFA Cup, facing those very same sides he named and also knocking out Chelsea along the way.
Tonight's opponents, Maccabi Haifa, were dumped out in the qualifying stages of the Champions League for fielding ineligible players.
Haifa play in green, Hapoel in red and white and they live about an hour apart.
The teams are staunch rivals, finishing first and second respectively last season in their domestic league.
Hapoel will be nowhere near Old Trafford tonight, Haifa will.
The dark-haired female questioner from Israel's TV Channel Sport 5+ had put the question to Fergie.
On hearing the answer she frowned and said: "That's a different team."
Ferguson replied: "You mean there's changes?"
Lilach Sonim said: "No it's a different team!"
Fergie frowned: "Oh, sorry, that's the second time I've done that."
Apparently, Ferguson made the same mistake in a separate Press conference to preview this match last week.
He did, however, say they had watched "videos of their matches against Sturm Graz when they won 3-0 and drew 3-3 and did very well."
On this occasion he was spot-on - Maccabi DID beat Graz in the qualifying round to become the first Israeli side to reach the group stage.
But one can only hope he has not had his new sidekick Carlos Queiroz studying Hapoel's UEFA Cup exploits for hours on end in preparation for tonight.
A rather confused Sonim was less than impressed by the whole affair - and reckoned her viewers back in Israel would feel the same.
She said: "I was embarrassed for him. There will be a lot of disappointment about this back home."
The disappointment will be short-lived if United win - they have more fans in Israel than Haifa.
But victory is not a certainty given United's form and the injury problems that have plagued them this season.