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MANUNITED.NETLANE.COM : TODAYS NEWS
Date: Fri May 01 15:22:10 GMT+00:00 1998
Mail: barry@www.red11.org

From yoday the Daily REd digest will be available from our
new home:   www.red11.org.  an easy url to remember?
Remember to vote on the weekly survey at the top of the Theatre of Dreams.
Your editor Barry Leeming

This Issue:
1. Next year's Euro competitions 
2. Stam (Mirror)
3. Fergie ready for clean sweep at Old Trafford  

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Date:         Thu, 30 Apr 1998 18:09:40 +1200
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From: Brian Milne 
Subject:   Next year's Euro competitions 
To: MUFC@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU

For the latest in which sides are likely to be in the Champions League
next season, see Colm O'Riain's excellent site at
http://www.z-axis.com/uefa especially the page at
http://www.z-axis.com/uefa/9899/country.html.  Summarised here...

The top 8 seeds going directly through to the league stage will be
(assuming Real Madrid don't beat Juventus) from the following countries
(likely entrants in brackets - * means definite)

1. Italy (Juventus*)
2. Germany (Kaiserslautern)
3. Spain (Barcelona*)
4. France (Lens)

5. Netherlands (Ajax*)
6. England (Arsenal)
7. Portugal (Porto*)
8. Greece (Olympiakos)

The runners up of these countries will be seeded in the preliminary
round:

1. Italy (Inter)
2. Germany (Bayern Munich)
3. Spain (Real Madrid)
4. France (Metz)
5. Netherlands (PSV)
6. England (Manchester United)
7. Portugal (Benfica)
8. Greece (Panathinaikos)

(If Real beat Juventus then they go top seeds regardless and everyone
moves down one, so that Greece will have two teams in the preliminary
round.  This is assuming Real finish second in Spain, which is not cut
and dried)

The next eight countries champions will also be seeded in the
preliminary round

9. Czech Republic (Sparta Prague)
10. Norway (Rosenborg *(?))
11. Austria (Sturm Graz*)
12. Russia (Spartak Moscow*)
13. Croatia (Croatia Zagreb*)
14. Turkey (Galatasaray)
15. Denmark (Brondby)
16. Switzerland (Grasshoppers)

There are 35 more countries, but Andorra, San Marino and Liechtenstein
don't enter the Champions League, and Albania have been banned for some
reason.  So that leaves 31 in the qualifying round.  Since there needs
to be 16 qualifiers from this round, then I would assume that the team
from the country in 17th place gets a bye (and look who it could be!).

17. Ukraine (Dynamo Kyiv)

So the seeds in the qualifying round would be:

18. Poland (LKS-Ptak Lodz)
19. Hungary (Ujpesti TE)
20. Belgium (Club Brugge*)
21. Slovakia (Kosice)
22. Romania (Steaua Bucherest)
23. Sweden (Halmstad)
24. Georgia (Dinamo Tbilisi)
25. Cyprus (Anorthosis Famagusta)
26. Scotland (Celtic)
27. Israel (Betar Jerusalem)
28. Slovenia (Maribor Teatanic)
29. Belarus (Dynamo Minsk*)
30. Iceland (IBV*)
31. Finland (HJK*)
32. Latvia (Skonto Riga*)

This last sixteen are important in that it is likely we would be meeting
one of them if all goes to plan.  Since we know them, thus taking out
the "unknown" factor, I wouldn't mind Kosice again!  What's the bet we
draw the Scottish champions?  I'd love to knock out Rangers!

The last fifteen (known champions only mentioned):

33. Bulgaria (Litex Lovech*)
34. FYRO Macedonia
35. Lithuania
36. Yugoslavia
37. Moldova
38. Estonia
39. Armenia (FK Yerevan*)
40. Northern Ireland (Cliftonville*)
41. Malta
42. Republic of Ireland
43. Wales (Barry Town*)
44. Faroe Islands (B-36 Torshavn*)
45. Luxembourg
46. Azerbaijan
47. Bosnia-Herzegovina

So, in a four team group, we would get one or two top seeds one or none
"runners-up" and a "9-16" champion (assuming all goes to form).  In a
six team group we would get two top seeds, another "runner-up" and two
"9-16" champions (in either case we would definitely avoid Arsenal).  I
wouldn't mind, say Lens and Olympiakos, or Lens and Porto, but what's
the bet we get Juventus again.  The draw will be luckier for some more
than others, and we're due a bit of luck in that department.  In any
case, four or six team groups, it's going to be tough.

As for Arsenal, well, I hope they get these teams in their group (6
teams): Juventus, Panathinaikos, Real Madrid, Spartak Moscow, Dynamo
Kyiv.  Let's see Bergkamp travel to all those away games!

--
Brian Milne                           Phone: +64-4-474 2615
Library Services                        Fax: +64-4-471 0772
Ministry of Commerce Information Centre
PO Box 1473                  mailto:brian.milne@moc.govt.nz
Wellington, New Zealand
These views are mine, not those of the Ministry of Commerce

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Date:         Fri, 1 May 1998 00:14:30 -0700
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From: Richard Usher 
Subject:      Stam (Mirror)
To: MUFC@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU

More words from Stam

STAM WARNS WENGER: I'M READY FOR YOU
News from England filtered through to Jaap Stam as the king of defenders
held court in the depths of PSV Eindhoven's luxury stadium.  Arsenal 1,
Derby 0. The Championship seemingly on its way to Highbury with Stam's new
club Manchester United shunted into the unaccustomed sidings of second best.
Stam, though, just shrugged his girder-length shoulders, fixed me with an
icy stare and urged that I pass on a message to the folks back in dear old
Blighty.  "Yes, I have heard the Arsenal results," said the £10.5m man after
leading PSV to the Dutch Cup final next month - his final appearance before
swapping the Eindhoven's red for United's. "If United don't make it now then
I hope Arsene Wenger and Arsenal enjoy their success.  "Because I, along
with the other guys, want to make United champions against next season.  "We
will want it back. Of course, that is what I am after. It's only going to be
temporary for Mr Wenger. We will have a good time next season and we will
become champions.  "United are a great team who have gone every year for the
title. I hope that continues for a long time. I want to go there and win
everything with them. At home and in Europe. They can win every prize they
want in football."  You've been warned, then. And those are no idle
boasts,by the way.  Stam has fixed his eyes on success since he was
knee-high to a tulip back in his old home town of Kampen.  Stam has refused
to let the distractions surrounding the modern soccer superstar blow him off
course. I discovered exactly what makes Stam the Man tick. There's no booze
to blacken his name. No birds or scandals.  Stam's 6 ft 3 inch 14-stone
frame might turn him into the Terminator on the field, but off it, he's a
mild-mannered giant whose idea of a good time is enjoying a glass of wine
with wife Ellis before the arrival of their first child in August.  I
watched Stam in anti- social action after PSV beat FC Twente on Wednesday.
His time spent in the players' bar totalled just six minutes before leaving
the party behind.  Co-defender and fellow international Stan Valckx has
failed to get Stam to join him on the odd bender and admits: "Yes, I like a
drink. And Jaap will have one sometimes, too.  "But he is not like some
footballers you hear about. If he has a choice, Jaap prefers to go home with
his wife.  "He's a good guy. A quiet professional. But he can still enjoy
himself. He has a laugh with the players, makes jokes and is not always the
serious type. He's perfect for the English game and if Manchester United had
had him this season they would have got to the European Cup final.  "Jaap
wants to show the whole world what he can do and United were wise to move in
at £10.5million. If they had left their bid until after the World Cup his
price could have soared to more than £20m."  United's valuation is still
something that embarrasses Stam, though. Two weeks ago an irate fan screamed
after a poor performance in Rotterdam: "50 million guilders? You're not
worth 15 million. Stam nodded and replied: "Even 15 million is a crazy
price."  Personally, I don't think I have ever seen such a high profile
player so down-to-earth and laid back, so dignified and courteous.  "He has
real wit, too, and said of his own-goal howler against FC Twente: "I hope
Martin Edwards doesn't get a copy of the video!  "Playing in England for
United is all I've ever wanted. When I was a boy I decided that I wanted to
get to the top in Holland. Then when I made it I wanted to go to England.
"I'm looking forward to it, to play with fantastic players like Beckham,
Ryan Giggs and Andy Cole. United have a good manager in Alex Ferguson, too.
I might have a little problem understanding his Scottish accent, but his
success speaks for itself."

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Date: Fri, 01 May 1998 09:56:57 -0700
To: suggs@tiac.net
From: Barry Leeming  (by way of Red Devils Mailing List )
Subject: Fergie ready for clean sweep at Old Trafford  


Soccernet: Fergie ready for clean sweep at Old Trafford 

Alex Ferguson has revealed the pain of failure in his
season-long battle with Arsene Wenger and vowed there will be
sweeping changes at Old Trafford as a result of Arsenal's
impending Premiership triumph. 

After a season of acrimony and psychological warfare between
the giant clubs, the Manchester United boss has finally found the
humility to admit he has come second best to Wenger. 

Ferguson, facing the prospect of a trophy-less season for the
first time in three years, said: 'The handling of failure is
something you have to get used to in management. 

                  'Over 23 years as a manager I've had failures
                  and disappointments. The important thing is
                  how you recover and how you use it. 

                  'It's always hard to accept not winning. I
                  can't describe how it hurts one year and then
                  hurts again the next. Failure is failure, but the
                  important thing is I've always shown a
                  capacity to do something about it - and this
                  summer will be very interesting.' 

Ferguson issued a warning to Premiership rivals that second place
in next year's campaign is not an option at Old Trafford. 

                  'As regards next season, football is like a
                  journey. Sometimes you may miss the bus
                  but we don't intend to miss the bus again.' 

Speaking on tonight's Late Tackle regional programme on ITV, Ferguson 
admits for the first time the agony of watching Arsenal overtake his team
in the closing stages of this season's Premiership race. 'We wanted to
win the League too, but Arsenal have come on with a great run and it
looks now as if they'll win the League. I've been surprised by
Arsenal but their run has been fantastic.

You've got to hold your hands up to them. We don't like it but we accept
it and we recognise it.' 

Ferguson said one of the keys to Arsenal's success has been Wenger's
in-depth knowledge of European football, in particular
the French League. 'Arsene Wenger has done very well in the French
transfer market. He knows the players very well and a few
clubs have some catching up to do. The boy Nicolas Anelka has done very well.' 

The United boss says his side would have won the League had they beaten
Arsenal in the big Old Trafford clash last month, which finished 1-0 to
the Londoners, but United's constant years of success still fills him with
immense pride. 

                  'We'd have coped had we not lost at home
                  to Arsenal. We would have held on but
                  where fortune came in, it came on that day
                  for Arsenal. 

                  'What we've done in the last seven years has
                  been phenomenal. We've won four
                  Championships and may win a fifth - but only
                  if something catastrophic happens to Arsenal.
                  The people in London will be confident.' 


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   " If ever they are playing in your town
     You must get to that football ground
     Take a lesson come to see
     Football taught by Matt Busby

     Manchester, Manchester United
     A bunch of bouncing Busby Babes
     They deserve to be knighted "


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