Angry Fans
This week the Examiner’s football correspondent Liam Mackey presides over conspiracy theories from Evertonians; the novel idea that Benitez and Mourinho should do a job share; the fallout from that performance by AC Milan; an admonition to editors; there’s more (naturally) about the Championship champions and the return of Keano; criticism about the timing of the points deduction for Leeds and another swipe from our liberated writers about the merits of women’s football. And would you have signed Shevchenko instead of Kaka?
PERHAPS Liam, Liverpool should consider taking their rotation system on to a whole new level. They already rotate their players so why not rotate their manager? Mourinho, who knows how to win the Premiership, could be out of a job soon. If so, Liverpool should bring him in and put him in charge of the team for all domestic competitions while Benitez would continue to manage the team in Europe. Rafa and José could be Liverpool’s dream team.
: Hell, yes — and with Anfield on the way out, they could ground share as well. Brilliant! Have our Letter Of The Week prize but be sure to rotate it with a friend.
SO, the Everton goalkeeper Iain Turner, practically throws the ball into his own net, while soon afterwards Phil Neville kicks the ball into his own net, and then the Everton defenders pass the ball to United players and stand back while Rooney strolls into score! What exactly happened at Goodison Park? Let’s see: 1. Tim Howard, the first choice Everton goalkeeper who is no longer a loan signing since last February, but a fully contracted Everton player but who nonetheless couldn’t play in this match due to a clause in his contract whereby he cannot play against United on April 28th if the title isn’t decided by then! (unbelievable!), thereby weakening Chelsea’s title aspirations 2. Gary Neville’s aspirations of a league winner’s medal increase thanks to brother Phil’s unfortunate own goal, ex Man United of course. 3. The Everton board await a cash bonanza when Rooney collects his Premiership winner’s medal and would have got even more money if that medal was part of a then possible treble of league, cup and Champions League medals. This from an Everton who hadn’t conceded four goals in a league match this season let alone four goals in 20 odd minutes? José Mourinho, my sympathies to you. Nil satis nisi optimum. Something stinks?
THE rules concerning loan transfer deals clearly need revising, but they are not unprecedented. When Chelsea signed Parker in January 2005, Charlton insisted that he did not play against them that season. And wasn’t it an on-loan Chelsea player, Crespo, who knocked United out of the Champions League two seasons ago? However, there should certainly be a review to ensure that teams cannot benefit financially through losing to opponents who have either loaned, or transferred them, a player.
Part of me wants to award top investigator Ken O’ Neill a Letter of the Week prize for diligence above and beyond the call of duty. But another part of me — the brain, I suppose — reckons he should get a red card for the terrible oversight of not mentioning the shadowy figure on the grassy knoll.
LIAM, I am writing this ‘the morning after the night before’. What a lesson we were shown by AC. Milan. Fair play to them, they sorted the boys from the men on the night. We had NOBODY on the field that could cope with such power and intensity. Thank God that Roy Keane is gone from such mediocrity, on a night that our “world class player(s)” produced an outright abject performance when it was the perfect opportunity to stand up and be counted.
Even our most experienced players were out of their depth, and couldn’t even do the basics like pass the ball, and track back the opponent. That to me is the most maddening part . . . I mean at least contest the f***king match, not stand idly by and watch your team being shredded.
Ronaldo, to me is another Eric Cantona . . . undoubted talent and skill, but that’s ok when it is in the Premiership (best league in the world . . . hmm) or when things are going great, but both have disappeared on European nights when the chips were down. Cantona was a disaster in Europe, and Ronaldo is heading the same way. Ego is one thing, pulling it out of the fire is another. We need more Gladiators, and less of the Posers.
I understand your pain, Donal, but note that, even though you wrote before Man United lifted the League, it was after they’d beaten Roma 7-1. In all the post-Champions’ League recriminations, I’ve seen only the most glancing acknowledgement of the fact that the real story of the night was Milan’s brilliance. Still, the blame game is always more fun.
I SEE that when Michael Essien was arrested for “drunk-driving” it made banner headlines (ie big ones) in all the Irish papers. Yet when charges are dismissed it rates barely a paragraph anywhere. Black man, expensive car, South London in the small hours of the morning . . . you would think that the Irish, of all people, understand how the Metropolitan Police work by now. Shame on you editors.
Spotter’s badge to Michael.
JUST what was Glenn Roeder supposed to have done this season? Owen and Ameobi out for its entirety. Duff injured for chunks of it. A back line which includes Bramble, Babayaro and Carr. It’s known as the Newcastle Comedy Club for a good reason.
TAXI for Mr Roeder? Surely it should have been taxis for Mr Shepherd and the rest of the Newcastle Board? What price Sunderland finishing above them next season?
And maybe Quinny will pay for the taxis?
CONGRATULATIONS to United. They started the season well and never stopped going. Sure, they had the rub of the green, but so what? We’ll be back. And it will be interesting to see over the course of the next couple of games who really is the superior team.
INTERESTING to note that United fans have voted Stephen Hunt their opposition player of the season. Classy that.
SO Mourinho wanted Kaka at the start of the season. Roman gave him Shevchenko. Got that right then. Not.
John McGillivray, Waterford, by email
As regular readers will know, Cork Blue generally wins back to back red cards. But not this time. Tee-hee.
HOW churlish of the Football League not to present Roy Keane’s brilliantly-earned Championship trophy after Sunderland’s 5-0 win at Luton. Were they worried that Luton’s Ultras (they could meet in a local phone box) would kick-off . . . or aren’t there enough taxis at Luton Airport to get Black Cat supporters back to Wearside?
MORE Sunderland than Manchester United shirts to be sold in Cork next season? I would say so.
But what happens to them when they promptly get relegated as usual. (I’m only joking, Roy. Obviously, and of course).
THE ten point penalty that Leeds incurred should be triggered at the beginning of next season, not when they were already all but relegated. Another example of a different law for the “bigger” clubs.
I’m confused. Which bigger club is that, exactly?
LIAM — a women’s FA Cup Final between Charlton and Arsenal being shown live on TV. Why?
Just to annoy you Eoin. By the way, shouldn’t you change your name to Mulking, you big jessie, you?
