www.red11.org DAILY NEWS
Date: Sun Nov 08 GMT+00:00 1998
Mail: barry@www.red11.org
This Issue:
1. Times Match Preview
2. FERGUSON'S 12 GOLDEN YEARS
3. Giggsy Is Most Wanted (Mirror)
4. Fergie (Mirror) I'M A DYING BREED
5. UNITED V BAYERN v BARCELONA - HOW THEY RATE
6. Why goal-king Cole always strikes fear into Gullit
7. Double cream of Manchester
++++++=========+++++++========+++++++++========++++++++
Daily RED Trivia Sun 8th November:
8/11/1924: Tom Jones made his United debut at Portsmouth. Jones was a plucky Full-back
who helped United gained promotion to Division 1 in 1925. Between 1924-35 he made
exactly 200 appearances and won 4 caps for Wales. He became Scunthorpe
Player/Manager in July 1937.
8/11/1969: In Division 1 United win 2-1 at Coventry City with goals from John Aston and
Denis Law watched by 43,446. Team was: Stepney, Brennan, Dunne, Burns, Ure,
Sadler, Sartori, Best, Charlton, Law, Aston.
************
Barry Daily Comment:
Roy Keane has been named Premiership player of the month for August.
RESULTS SAT 7th:
Aston Villa 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Coventry City
Charlton Athletic 0-0 Leicester City
Liverpool 1-2 Derby County
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Wimbledon
Southampton 3-3 Middlesbrough
Saturday 7th November FA Carling Premiership Season 1998/99
HOME AWAY
P W D L F A W D L F A GD PD PTS
1 Aston Villa 11 5 1 0 11 4 2 3 0 3 1 9 0 25
2 Manchester United 10 4 1 0 15 4 2 2 1 8 5 14 0 21
3 Arsenal 11 3 2 0 9 2 2 3 1 4 3 8 0 20
4 Middlesbrough 12 2 4 0 10 5 2 2 2 10 10 5 0 18
5 Derby County 12 2 3 1 6 4 2 2 2 6 6 2 0 17
6 Leicester City 12 3 2 1 7 4 1 3 2 4 6 1 0 17
7 Wimbledon 12 2 3 1 10 8 2 2 2 7 11 -2 0 17
8 Liverpool 12 2 3 1 12 7 2 1 3 7 7 5 0 16
9 Chelsea 9 3 2 0 7 3 1 2 1 6 6 4 0 16
10 West Ham United 11 2 2 1 6 5 2 2 2 6 7 0 0 16
FIXTURES SUN 8th
Arsenal v Everton
Leeds United v Sheffield Wednesday
Manchester United v Newcastle United
West Ham United v Chelsea
_____________________________________________
Next 5 games:
Result/Fixture Index:
http://www.red11.org/mufc/fix9899z.htm
Today! Newcastle (H) PL
Wed 11/11 Nott Forest (H) LC
Sat 14/11 Blackburn (H) PL
Sat 21/11 Sheff Wed (A) PL15.00
Wed 25/11 Barcelona (A) CL 19.45
UNITED Stats v Newcastle:
http://www.red11.org/mufc/stats/vsnewcastle.htm
*** TEAM RESULTS - MANCHESTER UNITED ***
Date Opposition Score Pos. Attend.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
15/08/98 Leicester City Home D 2-2 11 55,052
22/08/98 West Ham United Away D 0-0 11 26,039
09/09/98 Charlton Athletic Home W 4-1 9 55,147
12/09/98 Coventry City Home W 2-0 5 55,193
20/09/98 Arsenal Away L 0-3 10 38,142
24/09/98 Liverpool Home W 2-0 3 55,181
03/10/98 Southampton Away W 3-0 2 15,251
17/10/98 Wimbledon Home W 5-1 2 55,265
24/10/98 Derby County Away D 1-1 2 30,867
31/10/98 Everton Away W 4-1 2 40,079
Champions League:
**Nov 4 Barcelona 1-2 Bayern Munich
**Nov 4 Man Utd 5-0 Brøndby
Group D P W D L F A Pts
Man United 4 2 2 0 16 7 8
Bayern Munich 4 2 1 1 6 5 7
Barcelona 4 1 1 2 6 6 4
Brondby 4 1 0 3 4 14 3
To be played:
Nov 25 Barcelona v Man Utd
Nov 25 Bayern Munich v Brøndby
Dec 9 Brøndby v Barcelona
Dec 9 Man Utd v Bayern Munich
++++++=========+++++++========+++++++++========++++++++
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Subject: Times Match Preview
November 7 1998 FOOTBALL
Manchester United v Newcastle United Sunday 3.0pm
The last time that Manchester United returned to FA Carling Premiership
action after humiliating Brondby in the European Cup Champions' League, they
were held to a drab 1-1 draw against Derby County at Pride Park. Tomorrow,
fresh from their second demolition of the Danish champions, they will be
striving to avoid the same result against Newcastle United.
This time, Alex Ferguson's team is likely to be even more confident than it
was a fortnight ago. They are closing fast on Aston Villa, the Premiership
leaders, at the top of the table, returning to their accustomed place ahead
of the rest almost without breaking sweat. They are beginning to show signs
now of the form that swept the rest aside at the start of last season.
They are scoring goals from all positions: Phil Neville's strike on
Wednesday night, only his second goal for the club, is an example of that.
Roy Keane is almost back to his best after his serious knee injury, David
Beckham is playing as well as he ever has done and, in attack, Dwight Yorke
and Andy Cole look irresistible together.
United could go top tomorrow, depending upon how Villa fair against
Tottenham Hotspur today, but Newcastle are unlikely to provide much
resistance. It is possible that Alan Shearer could raise his game above its
habitual Herculean standards in front of the supporters who love to hate him
because of his rejection of them, but, apart from that, the Toon Army have
little hope of success.
Ruud Gullit, the Newcastle manager, should be commended for introducing
youngsters such as Paul Dalglish and Stephen Glass into the team and adding
freshness to a side that had gone stale under the guidance of Kenny
Dalglish. Newcastle, however, are a team at the beginning of a
transformation and, as such, their performances have become notoriously
inconsistent. They were heavily beaten by West Ham United at St James' Park
last Saturday and are unlikely to be in a mood to defy their opponents
tomorrow.
In fact, there are already mutterings on Tyneside that Gullit is unlikely to
remain in the manager's chair until the end of the season. Many say that he
is better suited to helping a team evolve than implementing a revolution. He
is in the early throes of that revolution now, though, and United -
Manchester, that is - are likely to find him and his team at their most
vulnerable at Old Trafford.
MANCHESTER UNITED (4-4-2): P Schmeichel - P Neville, G Neville, J Stam, D
Irwin - D Beckham, R Keane, P Scholes, J Blomqvist - A Cole, D Yorke.
NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-4-2): S Given - A Griffin, L Charvet, N Dabizas, S
Pearce - N Solano, D Batty, G Speed, S Glass - A Shearer, P Dalglish.
Referee: S Dunn.
Premiership record v Newcastle United at Old Trafford: Played 5, Won 2,
Drawn 3, Lost 0, For 6, Against 2
Leading goalscorers: 6 D Yorke (Manchester United); 6 A Shearer (Newcastle
United)
WILLIAM HILL ODDS: Manchester United 15-8 on, Newcastle United 11-2, Draw
9-4.
PREDICTION: Manchester to win.
OLIVER HOLT
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Saturday 07 November 1998
Subject: FERGUSON'S 12 GOLDEN YEARS
It's Impossible To Argue With United Manager's
Achievements, Plus: Graham's Attitude Rubs Off On Spurs
By Dave Smith
YOU don't even have to like the bloke to admire and
respect his achievements so, as Alex Ferguson
celebrates 12 years in charge at Old Trafford, even
the Manchester United chief's fiercest critics should
raise a glass to the man tipped to become the most
successful manager in the club's history. Yes, he's
abrasive, not particularly media-friendly and the
siege mentality he has instilled in his players has
turned United into one of the most hated - as well
as the best supported - clubs in the land, but you
cannot argue with Ferguson's record and his
handling of a job which has swallowed lesser
mortals in the past; and once threatened to
consume him too.
Little more than four years into his Old Trafford
tenure, the tough-talking Scot was living on
borrowed time as the Manchester United empire
built by Sir Matt Busby was showing signs of
crumbling. Ferguson bravely stuck to his principles
and THE success story of the last decade began to
unfold. Before a single encouraging word had been
written, however, Fergie had to survive the game
many felt would provide his downfall - a third round
FA Cup tie at Nottingham Forest in 1990 - and the
rest is history. A Wembley triumph that season was
quickly followed by success in Europe (the 1991 Cup
Winners' Cup) and League Cup glory in 1992 before
his sights switched to the Championship.
Ferguson would rightly point to the masterstroke of
signing Eric Cantona from Leeds in 1992 as the
catalyst for what was to follow and now, with four
Premiership titles to his credit, the United boss
needs only to land the European Cup to surpass the
Busby's achievements. And, according to his former
skipper Bryan Robson, 'the gaffer' will crown his
long reign as United manager by winning the
Champions League this season with one of the most
complete squads he has ever managed to
assemble. "Alex is a magnificent manager whose
record speaks for itself,'' said the Middlesbrough
boss. ''The icing on the cake for him would be to
win the Champions League and I think he has a
great chance of doing that this year. They have
looked increasingly threatening in their European
games and, after a couple of minor set-backs, I
was really impressed with the way they swept
Brondby aside in both games.''
Ferguson will be 57 next month, but has no notions
of retirement, although many people believe that it
is only the thought of winning the Champions
League which drives him on. Former striker Norman
Whiteside disagrees, however: "It goes deeper
than that. He's the sort of manager who eats,
drinks and sleeps football. If he saw two teams of
12-year-olds playing in the park he would want to
stop and have a look and see if there is anyone who
might make it. That's the way he is.''
"I don't think I'll do another 12 years," admitted
Ferguson. "I've had some great moments in the last
12 years and, obviously to last that long, means you
have been successful. But I'm not celebrating yet -
I'll do that when I finally leave.'' Whenever that
might be...
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Subject: Giggsy Is Most Wanted (Mirror)
WANTED - MOST SOUGHT AFTER PLAYER IN THE PREMIERSHIP
Ryan Giggs is today unveiled as the Most Wanted Player in the Premiership by
the game's top bosses.
With any star to chose from, the majority of managers selected Giggs.
And Giggs was naturally delighted as he said yesterday: "When you get
coveted by the top managers it is a tremendous compliment and I'm chuffed to
be wanted by then.
"It is a pleasant surprise. You'd think they would go either for a top
centre-half or a top centre-forward. But I don't know what I am these days,
a winger a midfielder or a centre-forward!
"But I'm chuffed anyway."
Giggs, 24, might still be regarded as 'young' but he now has a great deal of
experience.
He said: "When I was young I was on the back pages, I loved it. Then all of
a sudden I was on the front pages and they want to talk about your private
life. It was hard at first.
"But now I just don't worry about it and you get used to it.
"With the experience I have you try to help the younger players, to prepare
them if ever they encounter the problems that I had."
Giggs pledged himself to Manchester United for life. He said: "I've got
another 10 years, hopefully, and I want to play until I am 35 or 36.
"If I look after myself and keep myself fit, the rest will take care of
itself.
"I've got four years left of my contract and I don't ever want to leave."
All the Premiership bosses voted in a special poll commissioned by ITV's On
The Ball, which will be screened today at lunchtime.
The managers were contacted by their own union, the League Managers'
Association. And the results are sure to cause a wave of controversy and
debate.
I can reveal that Arsenal skipper Tony Adams and England captain Alan
Shearer are in the top ten.
But the debate will centre on the glaring lack of foreign stars. Only
Arsenal's Patrick Vieira makes the top ten. Yet virtually every Premiership
boss has a glut of foreign players on his books.
But there are only three-and-a-half foreign coaches - Ruud Gullit, Luca
Vialli, Arsene Wenger, and the half is Gerard Houllier at Anfield.
Some of the biggest names from around the world have been overlooked.
But the first listing of its kind is a triumph for the multi-talented Welsh
winger.
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Subject: Fergie (Mirror) I'M A DYING BREED
ALEX Ferguson yesterday began his 4,380th day in charge of Manchester United
dressed in blue cardigan and slacks.
Casual wear suitable for a 56-year-old grandad ready to head for the nearest
golf course.
But that's a fairway wide of the mark in Ferguson's case. He's a man still
totally obsessed with the club he has managed for 12 glorious years.
And he's committed to continuing to rule a dynasty laid on the foundation
stone of 10 major honours well into the next century.
Ferguson, who has won four Premiership titles, three FA Cups and one
European Cup Winners' Cup, League Cup and Super Cup, wants at least another
five years in the hot seat.
His total hands-on style of management and coaching is a relic of the past
from the golden eras of Sir Matt Busby, Bill Shankly and Bill Nicholson.
He was asked if anyone coming into the tough world of modern-day management
would last his 12 years.
Ferguson said: "No. No I can't see that. I am the last of the dying breed.
Yes a dying breed not a dinosaur. You won't see someone coming in again and
doing a hands-on job like this.
"That won't happen either here or anywhere else. It's too difficult. It's
too vast. Blimey, we have more staff here than Marks and Spencers."
And so began his reflection of the past that reached a low point in 1990
when he was a game away from the sack.
But the highs have been meteoric as he's nurtured and seen flourish Old
Trafford legends like Bryan Robson, Steve Bruce, Eric Cantona, Mark Hughes
and Peter Schmeichel.
Now Ferguson has given the soccer world his new great generation of Ryan
Giggs, David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Gary and Phil Neville.
So does he now feel that he's close to perfection with a team that's taking
Europe by storm.
"Perfection?'' he repeated. "The only thing that's perfect with me is my
perseverance. It's just like a game of golf. You play one great game and
then the next you are left disappointed. When my team is playing the way it
is at the moment the big challenge is to keep it going, particularly with
important games coming up like Barcelona away and Bayern Munich at home.
"I have got five weeks to maintain a real good standard of football. I have
to ensure we get to the Champions League quarter-finals first of all and
then keep our place at the top of the Premiership.
"The job here is to try to maintain standards. If the players can create
their own and they have a self pride in that, a self motivation, a self
preparation, then the job is much easier.
"You have to accept that's the way it is. Maintaining standards and a level
of commitment."
Will that motivation wane even in Ferguson one day?
"You can't be stale at a club like this. There is always something
happening. Always something you have to turn your hand to."
He continued: "I'm not envious of anyone starting the job, except perhaps of
the money they will be earning.
"Anyway in four or five years I hope to be still managing. So someone then
will have to match that for 15 or 16 years."
The laughter kicked in now as he joked: "Maybe it won't be here. You never
know. Maybe I will go and manage Brondby with big Schmeichel in goal at 41
years of age.
"But really, the time has flown. You wonder where the 12 years have gone
sometimes.
"The high point? Winning the League for the first time. That really opened
the door for us.
"We had waited 26 years for it to happen. Since then the club has got
stronger.
"I don't really think, though, that 12 years here is a special landmark.
It's been a long time and there have been some great players at Old
Trafford.
"I've enjoyed it, yes. But there's still work to be done."
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Subject: UNITED V BAYERN v BARCELONA - HOW THEY RATE
Manchester United are on the brink of qualifying for the Champions' League
uarter-finals for the third successive season.
If United win in Barcelona on November 25 and nearest Group D challengers
Bayern Munich fail to beat Brondby, then they will have effectively won the
group.
Munich would have to win by a cricket score in the final game at Old
Trafford to deny them.
United can even afford to lose at the Nou Camp as long as they beat the
Germans two weeks later.
As the group reaches its climax how do United compare in the key areas to
Barcelona and Bayern Munich?
Goalkeepers:
Peter Schmeichel (Manchester United): His blunder in Munich cost United
victory, but he is returning to form following his back problem. 8.
Ruud Hesp (Barcelona): Has not covered himself in glory during Barcelona's
poor Champions' League campaign and Alexander Zickler's equaliser for Bayern
Munich on Wednesday went through his legs. 6.
Oliver Kahn (Bayern Munich): The German international performed well against
United in Munich's Olympic Stadium and usually takes some beating. 8.
Key defender:
Gary Neville (Manchester United): Right-back or centre-half makes no
difference to the England international who has been in outstanding form. 9.
Sergi (Barcelona): The highly-experienced Spanish international is a wily
adversary on the left. 8.
Bixente Lizarazu (Bayern Munich): The French World Cup winner is outstanding
on the left going forward and defending. 9.
Key midfielder:
David Beckham (Manchester United): The England international has already
scored four terrific goals this season, including three from free-kicks, and
his passing and crossing have been exquisite. 9.
Rivaldo (Barcelona): The Brazilian spearheaded Barca's fightback against
United at Old Trafford and he is truly a world-class talent. 9.
Stefan Effenberg (Bayern Munich): The volatile German keeps the Bayern
midfield ticking over, although his disciplinary record lets him down. 8.
Strikeforce:
Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole (Manchester United): Brondby coach Ebbe Skovdahl
believes they are the best in Europe and with 16 goals between them few
could argue with him. 9.
Luis Figo and Sonny Anderson (Barcelona): Neither player can claim to be a
prolific goalscorer and how Barcelona must be wishing Patrick Kluivert was
eligible. 6.
Elber and Alexander Zickler (Bayern Munich): Both strikers have popped up
with important goals in Europe, but they are hardly the most feared pairing
in the Champions' League. 7.
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Subject: Why goal-king Cole always strikes fear into Gullit
Saturday, November 7, 1998
Kevin Keegan once confessed to a band of irate Newcastle fans in the
aftermath of Andy Cole's shock £7million sale to Manchester United that there
was a bullet with his name on it if he had messed up on the deal.
When the striker who had shattered goalscoring records at St James' Park
toiled ineffectively in the glare of Old Trafford, there were many United fans who
would have willingly shot Alex Ferguson for what appeared an expensive
misjudgment.
The fact that rising Northern Ireland talent Keith Gillespie had been sacrificed in
the deal only accentuated the crime in some Manchester United followers'
eyes.
To his credit, though, Cole never buckled under the intense pressure, even with
his name being constantly linked to moves away from Old Trafford. One of his
most devastating performances last season, when he finished with 16
Premiership goals, came at the expense of the man who must plot to contain
him tomorrow.
Current Newcastle boss Ruud Gullit knows only too well the dangers posed by
Cole. The last time he picked a side to face United, it cost him his job.
Gullit is reluctant to talk about his dark, final days at Chelsea, but there is little
doubt that the crushing, Cole-inspired FA Cup third-round defeat in January
delivered a fatal wound to his credibility.
Indeed, Chelsea chairman Ken Bates has admitted that the moment he knew
there had to be a change was that chilly Sunday lunchtime when United scored
five times without reply in 74 minutes. Chelsea, proud holders, did not so much
lose their grip on the FA Cup as have it torn from their grasp.
They salvaged some pride with a three-goal fightback, engineered ironically by
Gianluca Vialli, the man who was to replace Gullit little more than a month
later. But there was no sense of consolation. United had tortured them, none
more so than the electrifying Cole, whose man-of-the-match performance
included two fine goals.
It was the fact that Gullit had been tactically outfoxed that left its mark. Having
woken up that morning with a bad cold, Gullit ruled himself out of playing. But
there were major question marks over his team selection for a game which
provided one of the lowest points of Chelsea's glamorous recent past.
He selected Mark Hughes in midfield instead of up front, where his presence as
a line leader had often unsettled his former club. He also played Tore Andre Flo
in place of Vialli, in conditions totally unsuitable to the tall Norwegian striker.
And when Gianfranco Zola was selected to play down the right, at least one
United player declared: 'We've got them.' United boss Alex Ferguson followed
up afterwards, by saying: 'When did I know the game was won? When I saw
their team sheet.'
At Stamford Bridge they were not amused and Gullit was soon on his way.
As for Cole, despite last season's exploits, the critics weren't entirely satisfied.
The fact that Ferguson was in the market for strikers such as Dwight Yorke and
Patrick Kluivert during the summer indicated that Cole could be out.
Ferguson, though, was having none of it. His belief in the Londoner never
wavered - as Aston Villa's persistent boss John Gregory quickly discovered.
Cole was not to be part of the £12.6m deal which was to take Yorke up the M6
and the rest, as they say, is history.
For Cole, the bubbly, quick-thinking and agile Yorke is Peter Beardsley
reincarnated. Cole and Yorke are soccer soul brothers and they are wreaking
havoc at home and abroad.
Now the United fans wouldn't swap either of them - even for Newcastle's Alan
Shearer, the subject of two failed transfer attempts by Ferguson. Shearer will
arrive to the customary abusive welcome tomorrow at Old Trafford.
Cole and former England star Beardsley - always Gary Lineker's favourite
international partner - struck a staggering 55 Premiership goals between them
on Newcastle's return to the big time in the 1993-94 season. Cole helped
himself to 34 of them and smashed 41 in all competitions for the season .
Now the potential to score goals for fun is back again, thanks largely to the
man from Trinidad and Tobago. 'It's great having Dwight here. He's lit up the
place and has been fantastic for me personally,' stated Cole. 'He's good to have
around in training. He's always smiling and we're getting on as well off the pitch
as we are on it.
'It appears to be a good partnership and I'm certain it can get even better. I just
know that Dwight is one hell of a player.'
So far, they have scored 11 goals between them in the seven games they have
actually linked up. With United having hit 26 goals in the last seven matches,
it's little wonder that Newcastle will arrive at Old Trafford with some trepidation.
Cole's current confidence was graphically illustrated in the delightful, almost
arrogant, chip which brought United their second goal - inevitably created by
Yorke - in Wednesday night's 5-0 romp over Brondby in the European
Champions League.
His former boss Keegan looked on in admiration in his guise as TV pundit,
saying: 'It was pure class. No-one can be more pleased than me at the way
Andy has matured. He has worked hard, kept going and looked a class act
against Brondby.'
Brondby's former Arsenal star John Jensen added his own accolade, insisting:
'The way Yorke is playing, he is helping to turn Andy Cole into one of the best
strikers in the world.'
Yorke added: 'Andy has helped me tremendously to settle in at Old Trafford. He
has gone out of his way to make me welcome. The understanding we have
forged away from the training ground has helped us in matches, I'm certain of
that.'
How Gullit must wish he had such striking riches at his command as his
Newcastle team splutters along. Indeed, he might have been coaching Cole and
Yorke now, had he taken up an offer from United boss Ferguson.
Gullit revealed yesterday that Ferguson had wanted the Dutchman to helpjoin
his coaching staff following his departure from Chelsea.
'Alex wanted to involve me in the training at Manchester United after I had left
Chelsea. It was a pity, but I couldn't because I was involved in getting my
coaching badge in Holland.
'He wanted me to come and watch them train and exchange some ideas. I was
very tempted as I knew I would have been able to learn from him and maybe I
would have been helpful to him.'
As for that fateful last collision with United, Gullit added: 'They caught us and it
was a good day for them. In the League, though, I had a good record against
them.'
He hopes that will continue tomorrow, albeit against all the odds.
'Both Yorke and Cole have a lot of pace and can both finish. I admire the way
they play and their success hasn't come as a surprise to me. All top teams
have pairs of strikers like that.'
Gullit's own striking inspiration, England skipper Shearer, however, has gone
six games without a goal. But Gullit said: 'I don't worry about that. Alan does
well in the team and works very hard. He does the things you ask him to do and
he is always dangerous.'
Shearer, himself, could be excused for looking on in envy at the prolific Old
Trafford pair. Instead, yesterday he was more than ready to heap praise on
them, especially in the direction of Yorke.
'I am one of his biggest fans,' he said. 'At times I felt people underestimated
him. Now it looks like he will get the success his talent deserves at Old
Trafford. Everyone is reaping the benefit of him being there, especially Andy
Cole. As a strike pair, they are one of the best around.
'Dwight gives them that bit extra and I believe they will go close in the
Champions League. As far as my current lack of goals is concerned, it's time to
put that right.'
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Subject: Double cream of Manchester
By Roy Collins
Saturday November 7, 1998
The Bronby manager Ebbe Skovdahl may have been
exaggerating, as well as attempting to make his poor, shattered
defenders feel slightly less useless, when he described
Manchester United's Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole as the best
strikers in Europe.
Even so, the words would have wiped the scowl off the face of
Cole, who three months ago, pre-Yorke, was struggling to
prove that he was the third best striker at Old Trafford. And
Skovdahl did point out that it was not so much their individual
skills as how they perform together.
That is the key. Yorke and Cole in partnership offer more than
the sum of their parts. They may not yet be ready to re-enact
the soppy experiment in which Kevin Keegan and John
Toshack indulged themselves some years ago to prove that
they had telepathic understanding. But they are already
finishing off each other's moves in the same casual way that
long-married couples finish off one another's sentences.
The second goal against Brondby in the Champions League
match was a perfect example. Cole stepped over a cross with
the instinctive knowledge that Yorke would read the feint, then
ran into the middle to receive the return pass where he knew
his partner would deliver it.
Players can work together for years without developing that
sort of understanding, yet successful double acts in all walks of
life have always defied both logic and chemistry. Little Ern and
Eric Morecambe were hardly a bundle of laughs together off
stage, and Lennon and McCartney understood harmony only
as a musical term.
Equally, Yorke's £12.6 million arrival at Old Trafford in
September was meant to be the end of Cole's United career;
at one point he was even offered in an exchange. But in the
seven games they have started together they have scored 11
goals, while forging an equally unlikely friendship off the pitch.
Cole, who is a more introverted character than the effervescent
Yorke, likens their partnership to the one he shared with Peter
Beardsley at Newcastle, where he scored a Premiership
record 34 goals in 1993-94. He says: "My partnership with
Dwight is brilliant and it helps that we are opposites as players
because we don't get in each other's way. It also helps that we
get on well off the pitch."
They demonstrated their friendship recently by helping to
launch a book on the life of Arthur Wharton, Britain's first
professional black footballer, who played for Darlington,
Preston, Rotherham and Stockport between 1885 and 1902.
Wharton, who also set the first world record for the 100 yards
and played professional cricket, died penniless in 1930.
It is no surprise that two successful black athletes should
empathise with one who did not have their power to overcome
racism. What is more baffling to most observers is the
partnership between Yorke and Cole on the pitch because,
superficially at least, they seem so alike. Their success seems
to have taken even their manager Alex Ferguson by surprise;
when he brought Cole back in place of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
at Southampton on October 3 it was, he said, simply "to
freshen the team up after playing in Europe".
Even their delight in playing together, each making selfless runs
for the other and scoring superb goals, failed to move Fergie.
"I have got plenty of pairings I can make up front," he said.
Spoilt for choice or not, Yorke and Cole have started all five
games since, and the Wimbledon defender Kenny Cunningham
stood in awe as they destroyed his team 5-1 last month, Cole
scoring twice and Yorke once. Cunningham, a Republic of
Ireland international, says: "You are continually walking a
tightrope against them because both are comfortable with the
ball into feet and down the sides.
"We tried to condense the game against them, keeping the ball
as high up the pitch as possible. But you are always aware of
Cole's pace over 20-30 yards. And Yorke can hurt you with
the ball at his feet because he can roll you and bring others into
play. Individually, Yorke and Cole are two great players.
Together, they are lethal."
They also seem to coax the latent talents out of one another. If
Yorke's skills have helped to instil a confidence in Cole's game
which has helped him develop a passing talent few believed he
possessed, his own predatory instincts have been sharpened
by his partner's aggression.
Ferguson must scarcely believe his luck. Not since the days of
Denis Law have the club had a player capable of regularly
scoring 20 goals a season, now they have two who could race
each other to that total. Remarkably, only one United player -
Brian McClair with 25 in 1987-88 - has reached 20 league
goals in the quarter of a century since Law's departure.
United have got by with a succession of strikers who offered a
lot more than just scoring ability - the likes of Joe Jordan,
Mark Hughes and Frank Stapleton, who brilliantly held up the
line and intimidated defenders, and Lou Macari, who was
really an inside-forward. And, latterly, Andrei Kanchelskis,
who was essentially a winger, and Eric Cantona, who was
anything he wanted to be.
Now United have two men who could both make an assault
on United's record number of league goals in a season: the 32
scored by Dennis Viollet in 1959-60. Yorke, 27 this week,
already has six Premiership goals in seven matches and Cole
four from six.
The pair is not only playing with a smile, Cole has sprouted
one off the park as well. Aware of the insults that have been
mouthed behind his back, as well as openly from the stands, he
says: "I'm not bothered what people say about me anymore. I
have just turned 27 and I haven't got time to worry what other
people think. My record speaks for itself."
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