www.red11.org DAILY NEWS
Date: Mon Sep 21 00:11:33 GMT+00:00 1998
Mail: barry@www.red11.org
This Issue:
1. Carling match report Arsenal 3-0 Man United
2. Impressive Arsenal send out warning by crushing United
3. REF TO LOOK INTO BUTT DISMISSAL
4. Match Report by Bill Pierce, PA Sport.
5. Arse game TV report
6. Coton Returning (MEN)
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Daily RED Trivia Mon 21st September:
1902: George McLachlan born in Glasgow. McLachlan came from Cardiff City,
where he won an FA Cup winners medal in 1927, and made his United debut against
Leeds United in December 1929. The pacy winger captained the side during the
1931-32 season. He played 116 times, scoring 4 goals between 1929-33.
McLachlan became player/manager at Chester in June 1933.
1991: United beat Luton Town 5-0 at Old Trafford in a Division 1 game watched by
46,491. Paul Ince, Steve Bruce, Brian McClair 2 and Mark Hughes got the goals.
Team was: Schmeichel, Phelan, Irwin, Bruce, Webb, Pallister, Robson, Ince,
Blackmore (McClair), Hughes, Giggs.
********************************
Next 3 games:
Result/Fixture Index:
http://www.red11.org/mufc/fix9899z.htm
Thu 24/9 Liverpool (H) PL
Wed 30/9 Bayern M (A) CL
Sat 3/10 Southampton (A) PL
UNITED Stats v Liverpool are here:
http://www.red11.org/mufc/stats/vsliverpool.htm Url
http://www.red11.org/mufc/stats/vsliverpool.xls Excel File
*** PL TEAM RESULTS - MANCHESTER UNITED - AS AT 12/09/98 ***
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
*** FULL LEAGUE TABLE AS AT 20/09/98 ***
Pos Team P W D L F A W D L F A GD Pts
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Aston Villa 6 3 0 0 6 1 1 2 0 1 0 6 14
2 Derby County 6 2 1 0 3 0 1 2 0 3 2 4 12
3 Liverpool 6 1 2 0 5 3 2 0 1 7 4 5 11
4 Wimbledon 6 2 1 0 6 3 1 1 1 4 5 2 11
5 Arsenal 6 2 1 0 5 1 0 3 0 1 1 4 10
6 Leeds United 6 2 1 0 4 0 0 3 0 1 1 4 10
7 Middlesbrough 6 0 3 0 3 3 2 0 1 5 3 2 9
8 West Ham United 6 1 1 1 5 5 1 2 0 1 0 1 9
9 Newcastle United 6 1 1 1 5 4 1 1 1 6 3 4 8
10 Manchester United 5 2 1 0 8 3 0 1 1 0 3 2 8
11 Nottingham Forest 6 1 1 1 1 2 1 0 2 4 5 -2 7
12 Tottenham Hotspur 6 1 0 2 2 7 1 1 1 3 4 -6 7
13 Sheffield Wednesday 6 1 0 2 3 2 1 0 2 4 3 2 6
14 Charlton Athletic 6 1 0 1 6 2 0 3 1 4 7 1 6
15 Everton 6 0 2 1 0 1 1 1 1 4 4 -1 6
16 Chelsea 4 1 2 0 3 2 0 0 1 1 2 0 5
17 Leicester City 6 1 1 1 3 2 0 1 2 2 5 -2 5
18 Blackburn Rovers 5 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 3 1 6 -4 4
19 Coventry City 6 1 1 1 3 6 0 0 3 0 5 -8 4
20 Southampton 6 0 1 2 3 5 0 0 3 0 12 -14 1
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Subject: Carling match report Arsenal 3-0 Man United
Arsenal's defence of their Premiership crown exploded into life after a lacklustre start to the
campaign as they stormed into a 2-0 half-time lead against Manchester United at Highbury.
Skipper Tony Adams underlined his enormous value to
the Gunners when he headed the champions into the lead
before Nicolas Anelka made up for his misses in
midweek when he scored their second at the second
attempt just before the break.
Arsenal were good value for their lead, although David
Beckham almost scored for United with a drive which hit
the inside of the post.
Peter Schmeichel and Jaap Stam gifted Arsenal an early chance when they dallied over the ball and allowed Marc Overmars to charge down the Dutchman's clearance but when the rebound fell to
Dennis Bergkamp be blazed over.
Beckham then lined up a free-kick a couple of yards further out than from where he scored against Barcelona in midweek but this time his effort was straight at David Seaman, who saved comfortably.
Lee Dixon was raiding forward at every opportunity and on nine minutes he unleashed a snap shot
from just outside the area, which Schmeichel saved.
Hughes, who was continuing in the absence of the injured Emmanuel Petit, played Overmars in
behind the United defence but the winger shot at Seaman instead of trying to pull the ball back.
The Gunners converted their pressure into only their fourth Premiership goal of the season in the 14th minute after Jesper Blomqvist conceded a free-kick near the right touchline.
Hughes swung the ball over and Adams beat Stam and Schmeichel to head home from six yards.
Arsenal's tails were up and Schmeichel saved a Bergkamp header but Arsene Wenger's men were
cutting through the United defence with ease and midway through the half Anelka flicked the ball up for the off balance Bergkamp to hook the ball wide.
United, who deployed Ryan Giggs alongside Dwight Yorke with
Blomqvist operating on the left, were struggling up front against the
towering presence of Adams and Martin Keown.
Beckham went within millimetres of equalising with a tremendous
25-yard shot from Yorke's short pass, which hit the inside of the
post and then bounced agonisingly across the Arsenal goal.
Arsenal responded and Ray Parlour went close with an effort from 20 yards out.
Four minutes from the interval, Arsenal nearly scored a second when
Anelka spun off Henning Berg and raced through only for
Schmeichel to palm his shot away for a corner.
Anelka was not to be denied and in the 44th minute he raced through on to Overmars' delightful ball from the halfway line and although Schmeichel blocked his first shot he scored from the rebound.
Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Winterburn, Vieira, Adams, Anelka (Ljungberg, 79), Bergkamp,
Overmars, Keown, Parlour, Hughes.
Subs not used: Bould, Wreh, Manninger, Garde.
Booked: Hughes, Ljungberg.
Man United: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Irwin, Stam, Beckham, Butt, Giggs, Blomqvist, Keane,
Yorke, Berg.
Subs not used: P. Neville, Cruyff, Van Der Gouw, Scholes, Solskjaer.
Booked: Keane.
Sentoff: Butt 51.
Attendance: 38,142.
Referee: G Barber (Pyrford).
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Subject: Impressive Arsenal send out warning by crushing United
By Mike Collett
LONDON, Sept 20 - Champions Arsenal sent out an ominous warning to the rest of the English premier league with an emphatic 3-0 demolition of Manchester United at Highbury on Sunday.
Arsene Wenger's team totally dominated an all-action match between England's two European Champions' League representatives with goals from skipper Tony Adams (13th), Nicolas Anelka (44th) and Swedish debutant Fredrik Ljungberg (83rd).
They were well on their way to victory even before United's Nicky Butt was sent off early in the second half.
Butt, also dismissed against Barcelona in the Champions' League on Wednesday, was shown the red card after 51 minutes for tripping Patrick Vieira on the edge of the United penalty area.
It was the second time Arsenal have beaten United 3-0 this season after their victory in the pre-season Charity Shield and it was their fourth successive win over United following home and away league victories last season.
Although Arsenal have started the season relatively quietly, they are still unbeaten after eight league and cup matches and have moved up to fifth in the table, four points behind leaders Aston Villa.
"I was delighted with the way we attacked them from the start and were so hungry for the victory," Wenger said.
"It was extremely important we won today after four draws in the league. If we had lost at home to United today that would have been five games without a win, and that would not have been good for us."
But United boss Alex Ferguson was far from happy.
"They were far more determined than us, first to every ball.
"Quite frankly I was very disappointed with our players. They were more determined than us. We were outplayed and can have no complaints. You know when you're beaten."
Arsenal, overcoming the loss of French midfielder Emmanuel Petit who was injured in midweek, put United under pressure from the start with Dutchman Marc Overmars in outstanding form, terrorising the United defence with his pacy runs.
Although Dennis Bergkamp failed to break his goal drought, he worked hard up front and gave his countryman Jaap Stam a match he would rather forget at the heart of the United defence.
Stam, who cost United a world record fee of 10.75 million pounds ($18.0 million) for a defender, had a nightmare game and was at fault for at least two of Arsenal's goals.
The Gunners were rewarded for their early pressure when skipper Adams outjumped Stam to head a perfectly placed Stephen Hughes free-kick past Peter Schmeichel after only 13 minutes.
They went 2-0 up in the 44th minute when Anelka beat United's offside trap to run through unchallenged on goal.
Although his first shot was saved by Schmeichel, Anelka lashed home the rebound for his first league goal of the season. His only other strike came in the Charity Shield, also against United.
The third came from Ljungberg who joined Arsenal last week for 3.0 million pounds ($5.0 million) from Halmstad and had only been on the pitch from three minutes after replacing Anelka with 10 minutes left.
His high looping shot gave Schmeichel no chance as Arsemal clinched the points and sent United crashing to their first league defeat since Arsenal beat them at Old Trafford last March.
The nearest United came to scoring was when David Beckham cracked an angled 25-metre shot past his England team-mate David Seaman after 30 minutes.
He watched in amazement as the ball smacked against Seaman's right-hand post, bounced along the face of the goal and trickled harmlessly past the left-hand post.
But after looking impressive in the opening exchanges, United faded as an attacking force with Dwight Yorke, their recent record 12.0 million pounds ($20.0 million) signing, having an anonymous game in attack and Ryan Giggs flattering to deceive by being well-marshalled by the Arsenal defence.
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Monday 21 September 1998
subject: REF TO LOOK INTO BUTT DISMISSAL
Referee Graham Barber says he is prepared to look again at his controversial decision to dismiss Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt from the Premiership clash at Arsenal.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger admitted the red card, for Butt's foul on Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira, had proved a pivotal point in the game as the title holders repeated their 3-0 Charity Shield triumph.
Barber, according to Sky Sports, felt Butt had challenged Vieira from behind and denied the Frenchman a clear run on goal. However, TV replays seemed to suggest that United centre-backs Henning Berg and Jaap Stam were providing cover and the decision may have been wrong.
"It was one of those where I wouldn't have complained if he had shown a yellow card," admitted Wenger.
"It was a difficult decision and the referee has to make it very quickly."
Wenger was happier to reflect on Arsenal's fourth successive victory over United and claimed they had a psychological hold over the team they succeeded as Premier League champions.
"Every game is different but we know we can beat them, which was important before the game," he said.
"We got our game back against Lens in midweek and we got on top of United early on today. If we had lost it would have been four or five games without a win. Even at 2-0 they were always a threat but the sending-off probably killed them off."
It was a generous opinion but one Ferguson rejected, insisting his side had been completely outplayed. "It wasn't a tackle from behind but I don't think you could say it cost us a chance because I didn't think we were going to get back in it anyway."
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Subject: Match Report by Bill Pierce, PA Sport.
Nicky Butt was sent off for the second time in five days as Manchester United took their latest pounding from champions Arsenal at Highbury. And Alex Ferguson's battered team left North London in a mood as black as their sombre away strip after the Gunners reproduced the football that won them the Double and broke United's dominance of the domestic game last
season.
Butt, dismissed for handball in Wednesday's Champions' League draw with Barcelona, had to take the lonely march again after tripping Arsenal's rampaging French midfield star Patrick Vieira six minutes into the second half. It was a harsh decision
from referee Graham Barber because Vieira still had plenty of work to do even though he was beyond the United defence when racing onto Nicolas Anelka's pass.
But by then Arsenal's dominance had long been established with first half goals by skipper Tony Adams and Anelka. Once Butt saw red, the rest was a formality but United to some extent held their ground for the remaining last half-hour
The champions roused finally themselves to construct a third goal, lobbed home by their new £3million signing Fredi Ljungberg who had been on the field only five minutes as a substitute for Anelka. It was United's first Premiership defeat of the season but
their fourth in a row against the Gunners and the Highbury crowd revelled in the visitors discomfort. Such a prospect would be horrific for Ferguson, who had to take responsibility for a tactical ploy that backfired badly.
He tinkered with his line-up, playing Ryan Giggs up front with £12.6m new signing Dwight Yorke to give Swedish flyer Jesper Blomqvist a starting berth on the wing. But as the match started running against his side, Ferguson was left with no options on the bench, with strikers Teddy Sheringham and Andy Cole not even deemed worthy of seats there.
Arsenal, who had suffered the frustrations of five successive draws, ripped into United from the start. Lee Dixon had a goalbound blast blocked in the second minute and then Dennis Bergkamp volleyed over after Butt and Peter Schmeichel lost the thread of their defensive cover.
Giggs, as central support striker with Yorke, showed some familiar silky touches, but Adams and Martin Keown locked both of them in an iron grip, distributing the ball neatly for Vieira and Stephen Hughes to charge forward. Overmars was a constant menace down the left and put one good chance in the side-netting after Stephen Hughes - a magnificent deputy for injured
Emmanuel Petit - played him in.
But Adams' opener, his first goal of the season, emanated from the right where Hughes curled in a free kick after Blomqvist's trip on the raiding Dixon. The Arsenal captain brushed off the ineffective Jaap Stam to power home an unstoppable header.
United just could not cope with Arsenal's midfield drive and industry and were lucky not to concede a second goal in the 22nd minute when another lovely ball by Hughes was ferried on by Overmars and Anelka for Bergkamp to stab inches wide.
David Beckham, predictably booed by the Arsenal fans every time he touched the ball, launched a couple of his free-kick specials from distance without troubling David Seaman's quality and the frustration showed when both Beckham and skipper Roy Keane were lectured by the referee for disputing decisions.
Arsenal rode their luck when Beckham struck a beauty from 20 yards after Yorke squared the ball to him, the shot curling back across the area after slamming into Seaman's right-hand post. But Arsenal took charge with Ray Parlour firing just wide after another smart link with Overmars, before Anelka brought a marvellous one-handed save from Schmeichel in the 43rd
minute.
The young Frenchman, who missed a hatful of chances to bury Lens in the Champions League on Wednesday, must have thought his luck was out again. Deja-vu was the clear feeling when Overmars put him clean through a minute before the break and Anelka's saw his shot again parried by Schmeichel. But this time fate smiled on the Frenchman and he buried the rebound
with a flourish.
Keane, booked for protesting about Butt's dismissal, and Beckham whose occasional genius was flawed by too much posturing, could have been even more severely dealt with had Surrey official Barber applied the letter of the law he imposed on Butt.
Beckham, who went down from a challenge which saw Hughes booked, seemed to extract revenge in a later clash but escaed with a warning. Then Keane barged the Arsenal midfielder to the ground with the ball a long way distant but once more the referee decided only a warning was necessary.
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Date: Sun, 20 Sep 1998 21:21:06 +0300
From: Terry Dale
Subject: Arse game TV report
By half time it had become obvious why Fergie chose black for this game. It was more a funeral than a celebration. It really looks as if Arsene has got the measure of us, home and away, and it's difficult to see how Fergie is going to get back the initiative. We can hardly blame the midweek Barca game as Arsenal had one too, and they even had to travel abroad for theirs. Maybe we could blame the narrowness of the pitch? Or the black shirts which made us invisible? How about the bright sunlight? Length of the grass? Come on, help me out on this one.
Alex has spent a lot this summer on just three players, and all three of them started today. Jaap had a, for him, typical game. Solid and dependable for 99% of the match, but a bit wobbly for the 1% when it really mattered. Arsenal's first goal came from a set piece (cue for Fergie to throw a refrigerator at someone) and it was 'Donkey' Adams who outjumped, yes outjumped, Jaap to head the ball past Schmikes. Schmikes seemed to be in two minds about whether to stay on his line or come out, and by the time he'd decided to go for it, the ball was already on its way into the net. Donkey Adams is currently playing like a stallion. (And the sooner they introduce random drug testing, the sooner we'll find out how a formerly shagged-out ex-alcoholic can outjump 10 million quid's worth of centerback. Highly suspicious, and something Inspector Knacker of Scotland Yard should investigate.)
Blomqvist was given his chance, but didn't decide to take it till the second half when we were already a couple of goals down. In the first half, he looked quite ordinary, but then showed good dribbling skills and, just as important, a willingness to get stuck in and fight. Not many Men in Black seemed as willing to do the same. Against easier opponents, or in the comfort of OT, Jesper should do well. He may not have fancied operating on the wing of such a narrow pitch but he'd got the hang of it by the second half.
And so to Der-wight Yorke. He was certainly on the pitch ... I swear I caught sight of him a couple of times ... but his contribution today was minimal, to put it politely. I hope he isn't going to be one of those who shine only at home. For long, long periods, I was reminded of some torrid times when Andy Cole has been stuck up front surrounded by half a dozen neanderthals and expected to get every high ball lobbed uselessly forward. Dwight probably has better Sparky-like skills of getting the ball and hanging on to it, but, sadly, not today. When we did see him, he was usually in the middle of a gaggle of Arses and simply was given no time on the ball. This wasn't just symptomatic of Yorke. The whole team seemed to be unable to find any time or space whereas Arsenal looked to have more than they needed.
There was a suspicion of offside for their second goal, a real killer just before half time, and it was Stam again in the thick of it, this time outpaced by Anelka after momentarily hesitating in the hope of hearing an offside whistle that never came. I don't know if Jaap can be blamed for this one. We can't expect the poor guy to be everywhere, and for the rest of the game his head or leg came to the rescue on numerous occasions.
Before that second goal, Becks had a great shot from outside the area beat Semen (sic) and rebound off the post, roll tantalisingly along the goal line, and then out for a goal kick. It was one of those Kodak moments; if only it had gone in, the game may have taken on a very different complexion. But it didn't, and, frankly, we didn't deserve to get anything from this game.
Butt must be wondering when he's going to finish a game. He must like taking his bath in privacy because he was in the tub again long before his team mates, after a late challenge just outside the area. Another ref might have been satisfied with a yellow, but this one was too easily influenced by the rabble in the stands. Will Nicky go for three consecutive dismissals in our next game? What a lad.
One other highlight in the second half was the attempted assassination of Hughes by Becks and Keane. Hughes had earlier been yellow-carded for deliberately belting Becks in the face, and we didn't have long to wait for payback time. Keane brought the young bighead to the ground and appeared to brand him with a few studs; meanwhile Becks was coming up swiftly in the rear and managed to add a few more stud marks to Hughes' leg. It's nice to see the boys sticking up for each other like this. It sort of builds up that nice family atmosphere in the dressing room after the game. It also sorted Mr Hughes out quite nicely as he went all quiet after that. I have a feeling, though, that the sorting of Mr Hughes may have influenced the ref to send Butt off a few minutes later. Bergkamp and a few of his pals were mouthing off to the ref about the treatment dished out to Hughes, so the ref might have felt he should redress the balance a little by sending Butt off. Referees! You just can't help loving them, eh?
So we were losing 2-0, were down to ten men, and had one good shot on goal in 50 minutes of play. I was beginning to think we might lose. But, if anything, the second half had some brighter moments for us than the first half did. Gazza Neville dribbling his way through a flock of Arses a couple of times raised a cheer, as did Blomqvist's unexpected awakening from the dead. There was still one shocker left in store for us when their new man, Ljungberg, was played onside by Berg and lobbed the ball into the net for the third. The second half till then had been a lethargic, dreamlike (rather than nightmarish) 45 minutes so it came as a bit of shock that anybody was going to put the ball in the net. By then, though, I was too shell-shocked to care.
Of the players I haven't mentioned, I thought Schmikes did pretty well, making two or three worldclass saves just like the good ol' days. Keano lost the much-hyped battle for the midfield with Vieira; Yorke lost his with Stallion Adams; but Stam won his against Bergkamp. Unfortunately, he lost it against Adams and Anelka. Berg was average; Dinniz was too; but most disappointing of all was Ryan Giggs. He may be carrying an injury. If he isn't, then Fergie had better consider giving him a rest (though the game against Liverpool might not be the best time to do it). Becks was again our best player, but he can't carry the team. If anybody's reputation has been enhanced by this debacle, then it has to be Andy Cole. This was a good game NOT to play in, and I think we might now see Fergie giving Andy a decent run.
We look good when our opponents are too timid to attack or pressure us, but sadly too many teams are discovering, as Barca did in the second half, that we can be knocked out of our stride when they attack us and deprive us of time and space. It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will be cautious or adventurous. Now that the nice Mr Evans has got Mon-sewer (sic) Houllier making the calls, I think we'll see an attacking Liverpool with the Angel Owen and Pugugly Fowler going for the jugular. I don't think I'll get to see this one on TV but, strangely, that doesn't bother me too much right at this moment.
______________
Terry
Saudi
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Subject: Coton Returning (MEN)
EXCLUSIVE by STUART MATHIESON
TONY Coton could be on his way back to Manchester United - as the Reds'
goalkeeping coach.
Manager Alex Ferguson has confirmed that he has invited the former United
and Manchester City 'keeper back to Old Trafford. ``Tony is returning to the
area soon and I have asked him to have a spell as the goalkeeping coach,''
says the Reds' boss.
Deputy keeper Raimond Van Der Gouw has been training United's goalkeepers
for the last year since former part-time coach Alan Hodgkinson went to
Scotland for a full-time post with Rangers and the Scottish national side.
However, Fergie wants Van Der Gouw to concentrate on his fitness after the
Dutchman suffered a debilitating virus at the start of the season. ``I hope
Tony is going to come in for a few weeks and we'll see how it goes,'' says
Ferguson.
Last season 37-year-old Coton was reserve boss at Sunderland and he steered
them to the title but is now in dispute at the Stadium of Light and will be
released from his contract at the end of October. He is returning from
Wearside to his house in Bolton. ``Alex has offered me a position but I have
yet to find out what exactly is involved,'' says Tony.
Coton made the cross-city switch to Old Trafford from Maine Road for
£400,000 in January 1996 after six years with the Blues. He acted as Peter
Schmeichel's deputy for the remainder of the '96 double-winning season with
United but then moved on to seek first-team football at Roker Park under
Peter Reid. Coton joined Sunderland in July 1996 but four months later the
£600,000 transfer turned into a nightmare when he broke his leg in five
places at Southampton after just 12 games for the club. Coton spent seven
months on crutches but the fractures failed to heal and the horror injury
finally ended his playing career last spring when, after having his leg
surgically broken and re-set again with metal support rods in his leg, three
specialists advised Tony to quit.
Meanwhile, Alex Ferguson is pondering on whether to freshen up his United
team for the visit to Arsenal tomorrow. ``People are champing at the bit and
I'll be looking at the position closely,'' he says. ``I have the likes of
Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham, Jesper Blomqvist and Nicky Butt to think
about.'' While champions Arsenal beat the Reds home and away last term,
Fergie says: ``Prior to last year we had a good record at Highbury. We'll be
going to express ourselves and impose ourselves on the game. We're going for
the win.''
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Pic Link today is http://www.red11.org/mufc/imusa.htm
Barry
J. Leeming Digest Prgram
by 
William
McArthur Canada
