Manchester United Balls: Ferguson Supported Moyes To The Hilt

MANCHESTER United balls: How much did Alex Ferguson fight for David Moyes to be given more time?

David McDonnell in the Daily Mirror:

Moyes reckons Ferguson deliberately distanced himself from him as results worsened and the mood among the United board shifted… It is understood support from his predecessor ebbed away as United’s decline under Moyes became more dramatic

Neil Curtis in The Sun:

“Sir Alex Ferguson tried to save David Moyes from the axe. The former boss stayed loyal to Moyes until the very end, pleading his case as the rest of the Manchester United board prepared to sack him”

Such are the facts…

Anorak

Posted: 25th, April 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Manchester United Balls: Fan Updates His “Moyes Out’ Buttocks Tattoo

THE Manchester United fan who inked a ‘Moyes Out’ tattoo on his buttovcks has updated the m-arse-terpiece? to proclaim “Moyes Out JOB DONE”.

It was the arse wot dunnit.

Anorak

Posted: 24th, April 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Manchester United Balls: Daily Mail Leads Contest To Write The Most Useless David Moyes Story

MANCHESTER United are without a full-time manager. The players are running wild. Order has broken down. The Daily Mail’s Richard Arrowsmith spots the truants tearing up the shopping precinct. Well, not quite:

Wayne Rooney, Phil Jones and Rafael play a relaxing round of golf the day after David Moyes is sacked by Manchester United

Wow, indeed. Is that the most pisspoor David Moyes story yet printed?

Anorak

Posted: 24th, April 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Manchester United Balls: David Moyes’ Failure Earns United A Fortune

THE Guardian is not a tabloid. Mindful of that, Simon Godley talks of Manchester United:

Manchester United face loss of more than £200m over David Moyes’ sacking

Anorak

Posted: 23rd, April 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Manchester United: When Assistant Manager Jimmy Murphy Took Over From Matt Busby In 1958

THE last time Manchester United had an interim manger was after the Munich Air Disaster. United’s Assistant Manager Jimmy Murphy didn’t travel to Belgrade with the team due to his commitments as Welsh national manager – Wales were playing Israel in Cardiff on the same night as Red Star Belgrade were due to play Manchester United match in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.

In this picture dated 06/02/1958, he fields telephone inquiries from concerned fans just hours after the disaster.

Anorak

Posted: 23rd, April 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Manchester United News Round-Up: Moyes Ousted By Bankers, Sex And Ferguson

THE front and back pages and chockfull of Manchester United news. 

The Sun has an “exclusive”.

Inside, we read:

Reds on the ropes after manager is dismissed

The scoop, which employed FOUR journalists, is:

MANCHESTER United will be investigated by Wall Street watchdogs over their handling of David Moyes’ sacking — which added $209million to the giant club’s value.
Moyes was yesterday said to be angry and devastated, both at his dismissal after only ten months as boss and the fact that news of it leaked out the day BEFORE he was officially axed.

Investors were also left fuming by the reported leak as shares leapt by seven per cent. Now United potentially face a rebuke or fine from the New York Stock Exchange — where the shares are listed — and the US Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly briefing journalists before alerting shareholders.

It’s an exclusive?

What say the money experts at the FT?

Simon Kuper writes in the FT:

Money buys success in football and several clubs now have more money than United. From 1997 through 2004, United topped the consultancy Deloitte’s “rich list” of European football clubs ranked by revenues. In 2012-13, United dropped out of the top three for the first time since Deloitte began compiling the list. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich now have higher revenues. Moreover, Chelsea, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have oil-rich owners who pump money in rather than sucking it out. By the logic of the market that means there are six clubs in Europe more likely to win the Champions League than United. In the domestic league, by the same logic, the club’s natural position is now third behind Chelsea and Manchester City.

So. Money matters. Who knew?

Over in the Indy, Ian Herbert has the “inside story” of Moyes’ fall.

In a back corridor of The Hawthorns six weeks ago, David Moyes gave full force to his temper when expressing his displeasure at the characterisation of one of his regular written communiques to fans as an ‘open letter.’ Venom has always been one of his components.

There have been attempts to rein in his ire and his sometimes bare contempt for those who question him: the Easter eggs on offer before his last pre-match press conference on Good Friday felt like a choreographed softening.

Other papers realise that Ryan Giggs, the new caretaker manager, has a spot of history:

As for Moyes losing out on £20m, as the Star reports

As he prepared for the hotseat, axed Moyes was dealt a hammer blow with his compensation deal slashed by £20m… But his failure to qualify for the Champions League triggered an “ejector seat” clause in his deal. That allowed United’s owners the Glazer family to get rid of him for £5m, which is 12 months salary and peanuts in terms of pay-offs at football’s highest level.

He lost £20m. Or, to put it ion saner terms, David Moyes walked away with a £5m for 10 months of failure. Make the man not a footy manager but a banker and you’ve got a story of outrage and wailing shareholders.

The Mail opts to lead with Giggs and his one true love |(that’s Mrs Giggs).

So, Giggs is a top gap. And then what?

The Star says Alex Ferguson will choose the next United manager, just as he chose Moyes to succeed him.

Eeny, meeny, miney… CARLO!

Whoever comes next, there first job might be to kick out Fergie and his chums:

As Kevin Garside notes:

Wilf McGuinness, Frank O’Farrell, Tommy Docherty, Dave Sexton and Ron Atkinson all went in the 17 years that separated the reigns of Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson.

A legacy can weight heavy…

Anorak

Posted: 23rd, April 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Manchester United Balls: Moyes Sacking Proves Spurs Reject AVB Was Right About Media Bias

MANCHESTER United fan Gary Neville points out that giving a man a six-year contract, such as the one the United board gave David Moyes, and then sacking him after 10 months is odd. Neville has been consistent. But what of Martin Samuel, who wrote in the Mail when Andre Villas-Boas was being shown the door at Spurs:

Villas-Boas wondered why nobody turned an invasive spotlight on David Moyes’s struggles at Manchester United, yet he was considered under pressure as Tottenham floMANCHESTER United fan Gary Neville points out that giving a man a six-year contract, such as the one the United board gave David Moyes, and then sacking him after 10 months is odd. 

Neville has been consistent. But what of Martin Samuel, who wrote in the Mail when Andre Villas-Boas was being shown the door at Spurs: undered.  He hinted that good old British managers received different treatment to young foreign ones. He never understood that it is the clubs that set these agendas, not the critics.

It’s not AVB’s critics. And there were plenty of them at the Mail.

Samuel added:

Villas-Boas could never fathom the difference between United handing Moyes a six-year contract on the recommendation of Sir Alex Ferguson, and his arrival as Tottenham’s fifth manager in eight years.

Anorak

Posted: 22nd, April 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment (1)

Manchester United Balls: The 5 Best Stories About Louis Van Gaal

HEAVILY tipped to be taking over from David Moyes at Manchester United after the World Cup, Louis van Gaal has a bit of a reputation in football circles of – how can we put this delicately – being a bit of a deranged megalomaniac, with many cracking apocryphal stories and quotes being attributed to the man over the course of his long career in football.

Here are Pies’ five favourites…

Anorak

Posted: 22nd, April 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Manchester United Balls: What The Experts Said When David Moyes Was Made Manager

DAVID Moyes has been a poor manager at Manchester United. But what did the experts say when he was appointed to the job?

Sir Alex Ferguson:

“When we discussed the candidates that we felt had the right attributes we unanimously agreed on David Moyes. David is a man of great integrity with a strong work ethic. I’ve admired his work for a long time and approached him as far back as 1998 to discuss the position of Assistant Manager here. He was a young man then at the start of his career and has since gone on to do a magnificent job at Everton. There is no question he has all the qualities we expect of a manager at this Club.”

Anorak

Posted: 22nd, April 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Manchester United Balls: Newspapers Agree That Moyes Was Right To Be Paranoid

DAVID Moyes is on his way out of Manchester United. The man who made a complete hash of managing the Premier League Champions is out of Old Trafford.

When back in August, Moyes observed, “I think it’s the hardest start Manchester United have had for 20 years”, we thought it odd for the man managing the country’s biggest club to be complaining about United’s first five fixtures – home to Chelsea, Swansea and Crystal Palace, and away to Liverpool and Manchester City.

He added: “I find it hard to believe that’s the way the balls came out of the bag, that’s for sure. I hope it’s not because Manchester United won the league quite comfortably last year that the fixtures have been made more difficult.”

Moyes had made his point. We’d always thought that every team played every other team home and away over the season, that the season – all in all – is pretty much the same for every club. After the start, October brought an away game at Sunderland and home matches against Southampton, Stoke and Norwich.

Anorak

Posted: 21st, April 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comments (2)

Manchester United Balls: David Moyes ‘Sacked’ Just As Season Ticket Renewal Notices Got Out

JOIN the dots, Manchester United fans:

April 13 – Manchester United’s twitter page announces season tickets for next season are on sale:

UNITED. Be part of the story. Join the Season Ticket Priority List for 2014/15

April 15:

Manchester United owners, the Glazers, offer cut-price tickets for ties in Europe next season at Old Trafford – Glazers sanction 25 per cent cut in ticket prices for Europa League ties at Old Trafford if David Moyes’s team qualifies

April 20 – Everton 2, Manchester United 0

April 21, 2014 – Jamie Jackson, writes in the Guardian:

David Moyes facing the sack at Manchester United –  Manager a dead man walking at Old Trafford

Anorak

Posted: 21st, April 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Liverpool And Manchester United Balls: It’s Like 2013 All Over Again

LIVERPOOL Balls: The very big-spending, foreign-owned Reds are at the Top of Premier League. Having beaten very very very big spending foreign-owned Manchester City 3-2, Liverpool are two points above very, very big spending, foreign-owned Chelsea. All three clubs have

To the Daily Mail’s Martin Samuel this is a triumph of the English spirit.

These days, to rise from seventh last season to become champions is the equivalent of Nottingham Forest winning promotion, and then the championship a year later. To do so with a predominantly British starting XI is equally a feat from a bygone age. We had accepted that champions were foreign entities now. A title-winning team with an English spine? We thought its time had passed.

Anorak

Posted: 14th, April 2014 | In: Liverpool, manchester united, Sports | Comment

Manchester United Balls: United Fans Beg David Cameron To Offer David Moyes Full Support

Anorak

Posted: 9th, April 2014 | In: manchester united | Comment (1)

Manchester United Balls: Of Course Wayne Rooney Dived Like All Good Barcelona Players Should

DID Wayne Rooney dive in Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Bayern Munich? There is no doubt that Bayern’s Bastian Schweinsteiger fouled Rooney, but the Englishman went down in true action hero style: legs buckled, chest out, head tossed back, mouth  in a rictus of agony, perhaps death.

Schweinsteiger and Bayern manager Pep Guardiola thought the ‘going to ground easily’ has contributed to the German earning a second yellow card in the Champions League quarter-final.

Anorak

Posted: 3rd, April 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Manchester United And Frank Munn 1928: The Player’s Cigarette Card V The Player

FLASHBACK to September 1 1928: How much did Manchester United footballer Frank Munn resemble his Player’s cigarette card?

The card in 1929:

Munn in 1929:

Anorak

Posted: 1st, April 2014 | In: Flashback, manchester united, Sports | Comment

Manchester United Balls: Class Of ’92 And Qatari Oil Cash Buys Salford City?

COMPARE and contrast these stories on Manchester United’s ‘Class of ’92’. The Sun produced this scoop on March 27, 2014:

DAVID Beckham and his “Class of ’92” Manchester United teammates are poised to front a multi-billion pound takeover of the club. Becks and fellow Red Devils heroes Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, brothers Gary and Phil Neville and Nicky Butt are being pushed as frontmen for a massive deal bankrolled by Arab oil money.

Anorak

Posted: 1st, April 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comments (2)

Manchester United Balls: David Moyes Stuck On Robbie Savage’s Revolving Door

ROBBIE Savage straps on his flip-flops and delivers his insightful views on football in the Daily Mirror. Savage has been talking about Manchester United and David Moyes:

March 20th 2014:

“If United had gone out of Europe this week, I would have feared the worst for Moyes. Now I believe he will be given the summer to build his own team, which is the right solution.”

Anorak

Posted: 1st, April 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Manchester United Balls: The Plane-Flown Anti-Moyes Banner Shows The Modern Fan Is An Idiot

MANCHESTER United fans have become a monocular, retrospective bunch. Used to success in the Alex Ferguson years, a group of them are looking to raise enough money to hire a plane to fly over Old Trafford during Saturday’s game against Aston Villa towing an anti-David Moyes banner behind it.

The campaign began on the Red Issue fanzine’s forum in reaction to the bit-sad corporate slogan-style “Chosen One” banner that is hung in the Stretford End – a banner which had to be closely guarded by an entire garrison of stewards following United’s derby defeat to City on Tuesday night…

Anorak

Posted: 27th, March 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Manchester City Balls: Moyes Falls For Tabloid Tactics As Pellegrini Makes His Points

THE Manuel Pellegrini story is getting to be a bit like George Bush’s plastic turkey. You know that story.? It’s the one about the then President George ‘Dubya’ Bush feeding the US troops a Thanksgiving dinner of plastic turkey. It was utter balls. But the media had a fact they would not let go of. So. Dubya’s plastic turkey became true. Though palpably false, the story lives on.

And so we get to the affable Manchester City manager, Pelligrini. In February 2013, he said:

 “If we only consider this season, there is just one club in Manchester and it’s ours.But you cannot forget what United has done in the previous years.”

Anorak

Posted: 25th, March 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Liverpool Balls: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Auditions For The Manchester United Job

Who Ate All The Pies has this wonderful clip of former Manchester United player and current Cardiff City manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer talking about Liverpool’s chances for the Premier League title after the Reds tonked his side 6-2.

All post-match interviews will be like this, with the man once nicknamed The Baby-Faced Assassin translating other managers’ words into what they really mean to say.

And, given his brusque manner, is the Norwegian the man to replace Alex Ferguson at United?

Spotter: Pies

Anorak

Posted: 23rd, March 2014 | In: Liverpool, manchester united, Sports | Comment (1)

Manchester United Balls: They ‘Normally Lose To West Ham?

WEST Ham United are playing Manchester United, and Hammers’ boss Sam Allardyce has a view:

“We’ll try and burst their bubble. Obviously it’s a big challenge – but normally we do well against United.”

Define normally: West Ham last defeated Man United in the Premier League on December 29, 2007. Since then, they have played each other 11 time sin the league, with United winning 10 times.

Normally United win.

Anorak

Posted: 21st, March 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Manchester United Balls: David Moyes Says Van Persie And Arsenal’s Nicklas Bendtner Are Special Players

MANCHESTER United manger David Moyes is delighted with Robin Van Persie, the former Arsenal captain who kept the Red Devils on track for Champions’ League glory with three decisive goals in a 3-2 win over the mighty (it says here) Olympiacos.

Says Moyes:

“To score a hat-trick in Champions League football is a big thing,” said a giddy David Moyes. “Only certain players in the world are capable of doing it – and Robin is one of them.”

Just RVP and 68 other special players, like Juul Ellerman, Mike Newell, Uwe Rösler and – a role on the drums – Nicklas Bendtner.

Anorak

Posted: 21st, March 2014 | In: manchester united, Sports | Comment

Manchester United And Liverpool Balls: ‘David Moyes Is A Football Genius’ And Other Great Reactions

MANCHESTER United are in the mire. David Moyes’ team have been thumped 0-3 at home to Liverpool.

Taxi for Moyes!

Anorak

Posted: 16th, March 2014 | In: Liverpool, manchester united, Sports | Comment