Football Focus

[maxxi]

On an unrelated note - good to see Coventry are going back to the Ricoh; be interesting to see what crowds they get now (1st game probably Gillingham).

[vgrant]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/malky-mackay-texts-former-cardiff-manager-accused-of-sending-racist-sexist-and-homophobic-messages-9682753.html

Malky may find getting new work hard in the future. then again.....

[StraferJack]

what, my link to the story on the last page not good enough for you???

grr

[Otta]

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/paul-scholes-manchester-united-need-five-experienced-players-who-can-turn-round-a-desperate-situation-9681747.html

"Let us be clear about one thing. I am sick of having to criticise the club to which I gave my life as a footballer. But this is a United team that lost seven league games at Old Trafford last season and began on Saturday by losing at home to Swansea. United need to arrest their decline. In those years under Sir Alex Ferguson, when trophy followed trophy, this sort of mediocrity was unthinkable. But it is happening."

"It is not all Van Gaal?s fault. The problems have been there for a while. I suppose I should have realised that the very fact I was still playing for United at 38 years old was a sign that there was not enough pressure on us senior players from those coming into the side. It was the same last season with Ryan. At times last season he was the best player on the pitch, at the age of 40."

Thoughts from United fans?

[vgrant]

oops.

[????]

Mail or Independent Straefer?

[StraferJack]

Mail broke the story so they deserved the link I reckon

[Alan Medic]

maxxi Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> But the asking price is 3400

Very good maxxi.

[Alan Medic]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premie

> r-league/paul-scholes-manchester-united-need-five-

> experienced-players-who-can-turn-round-a-desperate

> -situation-9681747.html

>

> "Let us be clear about one thing. I am sick of

> having to criticise the club to which I gave my

> life as a footballer. But this is a United team

> that lost seven league games at Old Trafford last

> season and began on Saturday by losing at home to

> Swansea. United need to arrest their decline. In

> those years under Sir Alex Ferguson, when trophy

> followed trophy, this sort of mediocrity was

> unthinkable. But it is happening."

>

> "It is not all Van Gaal?s fault. The problems have

> been there for a while. I suppose I should have

> realised that the very fact I was still playing

> for United at 38 years old was a sign that there

> was not enough pressure on us senior players from

> those coming into the side. It was the same last

> season with Ryan. At times last season he was the

> best player on the pitch, at the age of 40."

>

> Thoughts from United fans?

It's true. Nothing to argue about really. I heard a United fan phone in to a station the other day. His thoughts were that now Fergie and Gill have left as such, everyone who was left were just commerically orientated staff including Woodward. Don't have the connections they used to have hence the problems in buying players. He may have a point and the next ten days will tell.

I wonder how far down the pecking order Rojo was in terms of who we would like to buy? I've heard mixed things about him. Most South Americans worth their salt I think gravitate to Spain where the culture and climate are preferable to Manchester. I do hope United can buy at least a couple of quality players before time runs out.........

[????]

Balotelli for ?16m is an absolute steal. Look at what prices very average forwards have been going for....*er, Carol anyone?

[red devil]

Agree, esp if they sell Borini for ?14m. Long went for ?12m, and Fulham paid ?11m for Leeds' striker Ross McCormack!...

[Otta]

Indeed, I was surprised at that price. And as RD says, if Borini goes, which looks likely, we've got a new striker for ?2m.

[Mick Mac]

I'd call it a cheaply priced gamble. His price is an attempt to reflect his unpredictable temperament but also the fact that he's only good in bursts and occasionally brilliant.

Comparisons with Suarez leave him short second and I'm not sure he'd be an automatic choice with Sturridge and Sterling on dependable form, so he will have to fit into a squad rotation and he doesn't like that as we know already.

A fair price for all of that.

[StraferJack]

oh 'arry

'arry 'arry 'arry

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/cardiff-city/11050570/Malky-Mackay-not-a-murderer-rapist-or-paedophile-says-Harry-Redknapp-after-ex-Cardiff-managers-racist-texts.html

[vgrant]

The scousers should make an audacious bid for rooney - he is stupid, shit and overvalued - he will fit right in with the rest of the mouthy wasters and tugsters at klanfield.

[vgrant]

dont rise to it, hes not worth it

[Mick Mac]

StraferJack Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> oh 'arry

>

> 'arry 'arry 'arry

>

>

> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/ca

> rdiff-city/11050570/Malky-Mackay-not-a-murderer-ra

> pist-or-paedophile-says-Harry-Redknapp-after-ex-Ca

> rdiff-managers-racist-texts.html

"He's made a big mistake. It shouldn't finish his life or his football career. Show me someone who has never made a mistake in their life and I'll show you a liar. It happens. Obviously someone is after him, ain't they? They are certainly not giving up that's for sure."

In terms of this particular paragraph Harry could not be more right.

[Otta]

What Mick said.

[StraferJack]

Hang on. So he made a mistake? Is that what people are saying? It was a mistake?

Can't disagree with forgiving mistakes. I just can't see how this classifies as a mistake

Bear in mind also the lma response yesterday and then think about why there aren't any black managers in the game at the moment

It's no mistake. It's being found out and exposed. And as the lma makes clear, he isn't alone

[????]

I am absolutely with SJ here.

Redknapp is an old dinosaur whose many views on life are maybe MAYBE understandable even if not forgivable (see also Atkinsone etc). Mackay is 41 for f*ck sake, that's 10 years younger than me, and works in an 'industry' where 40%ish of the players are from ethnic minorities. I find it really quite depressing this these pathetic, juvenile and, at the bottom-line, racist crap is still so prevalent in the game. If someone acted like that in my company they would be out on their ear, rightly so.

[StraferJack]

Exactly

And this is a big chance to lift the big rock and expose the wider problem in football

To try and sweep it under the carpet as a mistake and "bantz" is genuinely shocking and depressing

The argument "well, most people have texted something bad... " can be dismissed in seconds by the word; context

If there are instances of mackay standing up for other races then we can look at the thing in balance. But I suspect there aren't any

[El Pibe]

Wot quids and sj said 110% at the end of the day.

[????]

"someone's got it in for him"...more like someone exposing him for the nasty, and sadly young, bigot that he is

[Otta]

Okay hang on a minute, what did he actually say? Genuinely haven't seen it.

[Otta]

Right, just read the texts and they are disgusting.

But I don't think Cardiff are pursuing it out of moral outrage.