United Rant

Blatter enters, and then fuels, race debate

Race, it seems, is top of the editorial agenda after (insert obligatory ‘alleged’ here) incidents involving Luis Suarez and John Terry in the past month. Each is seemingly a sad indictment of the English game, where racism it appears, still thrives. Suarez, claims Patrice Evra, called the defender a “n*gger” at “least ten times” during Manchester United’s visit to Anfield in September. Meanwhile, [...]

Reds’ boom goes on but the Glazer drain continues

“There is only one Manchester United,” said Richard Arnold, the Reds’ Commercial Director last month. Indeed, the club’s first quarter results, published Tuesday, once again demonstrated the cash generating monster it has become, with yet another quarter of increased turnover posted. Thanks in part to an aggressive regionalised commercial strategy, the club is generating more [...]

International round-up

You know the score. Sir Alex Ferguson sends his troops out into the big bad world of international football – the vast majority of which is meaningless, boring, friendlies – and hopes they come back without injury, or too knackered to perform next weekend. With this week’s international break designated for Euro 2012 play-off fixtures, [...]

Where football ends, Gill begins

It has become a truism that international breaks are dull, and there are far too many of them. That FIFA bigwigs, holed up in their Zürich glass box, deigned yet another one take place this November – the third of the current season – is testament to the battle raging in football between the club [...]

How to lose fans and alienate your manager

Poor Tomasz Kuszczak. Not only is his name nigh on unspellable, at least without Wikipedia’s aid, but the Polish goalkeeper has become a last bastion of a modern-day slavery. Trafficked from his place of birth in Krosno Odrzańskie, Poland to Old Trafford, Kuszczak has been asked, no, compelled to play for the world’s most supported [...]

Reds welcome Andreas Hoelgebaum Pereira

Manchester United supporters might be forgiven for welcoming yet another highly rated youth prospect to Old Trafford with a grudging nod. After all, while United’s policy of hoovering up the very finest youth talent, especially creative midfielders, is a prudent one, the here-and-now also matters such is the shambles of the Reds’ central midfield at [...]

Poll: Who should eventually replace Ferguson?

Sir Alex Ferguson celebrates his 25th anniversary in charge of Manchester United on Sunday 6 November. In a remarkable period, Ferguson has overseen United’s triumph in 36 trophies. But, turning 70 in December, Ferguson’s clock is ticking towards its inevitable end. The great Scot says that, health permitting, he’ll last another three seasons, but who [...]

Fergie then and now

“I am not really interested in what has happened here in the past,” said Alex Ferguson in his first programme notes as manager of his new club in 1986. “I don’t mean any disrespect to the great achievements of Manchester United over the years. It’s simply that now there is only one way to go, and [...]

Reds welcome Black Cats for Fergie celebration

Sir Alex Ferguson will celebrate 25 years in charge of Manchester United this weekend, and it is perhaps fitting that Sunderland arrives for the fixture. After all, the Wearsiders have developed something of an affinity with United in recent years. Manager Steve Bruce acquired John O’Shea and Wes Brown last summer, while Danny Wellbeck and [...]

Twenty-five years later

There is, of course, so much that has already been written about Sir Alex Ferguson. In this week when Ferguson’s tenure in charge at Old Trafford reaches 25 years the column inches will again be filled, mostly, with praise for a remarkable quarter-century in Manchester. Ferguson reaches the landmark having secured thirty six trophies, used [...]