MANUNITED.NETLANE.COM : TODAYS NEWS
Date: Thu Apr 30 05:42:19 GMT+00:00 1998
Mail: barry@www.red11.org

Thats it :(

Full Time   Arse 1-0 Derby   3 pts needed for championship from 3 games

 That's 9 consecutive wins (a New Prem Record, REDS have 8)
 Jan 17th was the last time Arse conceded a Prem goal!

--------------
 Other Results
 FT 1st Div Middlesboro 1-1 Wolves .. Boro need to beat Oxford on Sunday

 Premier Full Time Results
Leicester 0-0 Newcastle (Shearer booted Lennon in the face) Bad tempered
Coventry  0-0 Wimbledon Both sets of players booed off end of season game.
Chelsea   0-1 Blackburn (Gallagher 47)

JAAP STAM FACTFILE 
1972: Born 17 July 
1991: Professional career begins at 19 with PEC Zwolle 
1992: Joins First Division Cambur Leeuwarden 
1994: Transferred to Willem II Tilburg 
1995: Moves to PSV Eindhoven after just half a season at Willem, with PSV
      paying off the balance of his contract and offering him a lucrative
      five-year deal 
1996: Makes international debut for Holland as substitute against Germany 
1997: Wins Dutch League title, Dutch Cup and Dutch Supercup with PSV. Is
      named Dutch Player of the Year 
1998: PSV and Manchester United agree world record fee for a defender of
      £10m after PSV originally demanded £15m for a player under contract until
      2003 
Barry Your editor.

This Issue:
1. Ferguson vows United vengeance
2. Stam- a turning point?
3. Schmeichel's The Best (Reuters)

++++++=========+++++++========+++++++++========++++++++


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Subject:  Ferguson vows United vengeance

Ferguson vows United vengeance
Copyright © 1998 Nando.net 
Copyright © 1998 Agence France-Presse

MANCHESTER, England (Apr 29, 1998 - 11:55 EDT) - Manchester United Alex
Ferguson has vowed his side will bounce back with a vengeance next season
if, as seems likely, Arsenal take away their English Premiership crown. 

The Gunners can claim the title before United play their next game against
Leeds on Bank Holiday Monday if they beat Derby on Wednesday and Everton on
Saturday. 

But the United manager claims he is not frightened by the prospect of
finishing a season empty-handed for only the second time in the 1990s. 

Instead Ferguson has already turned his thoughts towards planning for next
season as demonstrated by the imminent arrival of the club's record 10.5
million pound ($17 million) signing Jaap Stam from PSV Eindhoven. 

And he hinted that the Dutch international defender may not be the only
big-name signing made by the club. 

"I've no problem with not winning anything this season," he said. "Handling
failure is something you get used to in management. 

"The important thing is how you recover and how you use it and we will use
it. This summer will be very interesting." 

Ferguson admits he is surprised by how well Arsene Wenger's side have done
in overhauling his champions thanks to an eight-match winning streak in the
league. 

He also paid tribute to the Gunners who are on course to emulate United and
win a second Double. 

"Arsenal have surprised me and their run has been fantastic," he said.

"You've got to hold your hands up and we've no problem with that at
Manchester United. 

"We don't like what Arsenal have done to us, but we recognise what
champions are." 

Ferguson feels Wenger's French signings, such as Nicolas Anelka, Patrick
Vieira and Emmanuel Petit, have made the difference for Arsenal this season
and he intends to follow his lead.

"We have some catching up to do in that market," he admitted.

United defender Phil Neville agreed with his manager that credit must go to
Arsenal for what they have done.

But he admitted that it hurt to think that United's reign as champions
could soon be over.

"If we don't win it isn't the end of the world," he said.

"We have got to give credit to Arsenal. I don't think they have lost a game
since Christmas and the run they have been on is championship form.

"But we don't like losing and I want to be there at the end of the season
seeing (United captain) Peter Schmeichel lifting that championship trophy."
www.red11.org



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Date: Wed, 29 Apr 1998 13:57:36 -0700
To: suggs@tiac.net
From: J Callaghan  (by way of Red Devils Mailing List )
Subject:  Stam- a turning point?

REALITY BITES FOR UNITED 
Jaap Stam Deal A Watershed 
SO, at long last, Manchester United have realised that if they can’t beat
the competition, then they’re simply going to have to join them. 

The £10m manager Alex Ferguson has finally invested in 25-year-old Dutchman
Jaap Stam marks a watershed in the evolution of the Old Trafford club - and
therefore by definition in the evolution of the English game. Much as it
will stick in the craw of the man who clearly doesn’t like spending money –
even if it isn’t his own - Fergie is, above all, a pragmatist. This season
has promised so much for so long and increasingly looks like yielding
nothing at all. This disappointment has forced him to reach a simple
conclusion: if United want to retain their exalted position as the greatest
British club of the 90s, and move on to reign in Europe, they’re going to
have to invest serious cash in players of the highest calibre. The money
they have handed over for Stam is a clear signal to the rest of the
football world that United are not prepared to accept second best, and that
the best players in the world will be wearing the famous red and white shirt. 

But is Stam really the best defender money can buy? It seems that nobody is
arguing that the former PSV man can live up to the hype, yet just six
months ago nobody outside of Holland had heard of Jaap Stam. People are
queuing up to pay tribute to the six foot five player, whose moderate
career was only kick-started as recently as 1996 when he made his
international debut for Holland - a full five years after beginning his
professional career: 

“I’m not saying he is a bargain,” said United’s former Dutch midfielder
Arnold Muhren. “But he is worth every penny. Players cost £15m-£20m and
United have bought a very good player. He’s one of the best defenders in
Europe. He’s a typical English-style player; fast, good in the air and
strong technically. He’s great at distributing the ball and is an ideal
professional.” 

Ferguson certainly believes that Stam is the man to stiffen United’s back
four and provide them with the extra touch of class they need when they
break out of defence to set up their lightning-fast counter attacks. The
fact that the Old Trafford manager allowed himself to be haggled out of an
extra £4m by an intransigent PSV to sign the player shows just how highly
he rates him: 

“I tried to sign Stam last summer,” he said. “We tried very hard to get
him, but PSV wouldn’t sell. Everyone recognises Jaap Stam as a world class
defender and that’s what we need. He’s a terrific player who is quick and
can pass the ball. We need top defenders like him for the very top level.
We have to get stronger to handle everything that’s involved in domestic
and European football. The Premiership is a hard league and if you’re in
the Champions League as well, it’s very tough. There is talk about four
groups of six next season in the Champions’ League. Then would mean ten
group matches as opposed to the six there are now. That puts tremendous
pressure on your squad and, as we hope to be in it, we have to be ready for
it and strengthen. We’ve had to change our centre backs a lot this season,
but he comes with an excellent playing record and that’s important. He’ll
be a great addition.” 

But let’s not forget that selling Manchester United to Stam was never going
to be difficult. The player has already gone on record as saying that he
was determined to join the club he followed from afar as a boy. And Stam’s
love of United has certainly smoothed over the transfer negotiations. The
player even waived the 15% of the transfer fee he was entitled to so that
the move would go through. 

So maybe the true test of United’s resolve to be the best will come when
Ferguson goes back into the marketplace to try to tempt players with no
emotional attachment to the club. Deals for Barcelona’s Miguel Angel Nadal,
the Bayern Munich defender Markus Babbel and Chilean striker Marcelo Salas
all foundered on what were considered excessive wage demands. Maybe when
the time comes to buy the world class striker that everyone accepts United
need, we’ll really see whether they have truly opened a new chapter in
their illustrious history and quest for European glory. 

JAAP STAM FACTFILE 
1972: Born 17 July 
1991: Professional career begins at 19 with PEC Zwolle 
1992: Joins First Division Cambur Leeuwarden 
1994: Transferred to Willem II Tilburg 
1995: Moves to PSV Eindhoven after just half a season at Willem, with PSV
paying off the balance of his contract and offering him a lucrative
five-year deal 
1996: Makes international debut for Holland as substitute against Germany 
1997: Wins Dutch League title, Dutch Cup and Dutch Supercup with PSV. Is
named Dutch Player of the Year 
1998: PSV and Manchester United agree world record fee for a defender of
£10m after PSV originally demanded £15m for a player under contract until
2003 


  
SCHMEICHEL: NO SURRENDER 
   
Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel is refusing to concede defeat
in the Premiership title race, even though time is running out for the Old
Trafford side’s bid to overhaul league leaders Arsenal. 
The Danish number One recalled Leeds pipping United to the title in the
1991-92 season after trailing them right to the death, and said: “I don’t
think it’s over yet. I’ve been in Arsenal’s position before. In my first
year in England we had four games to go and were four points clear of
Leeds, who only had three games left, and they still managed to catch us -
so I know it can be done. There’s still a lot of football to be played and
Arsenal still have to win two games. But the way they’re going, it’s only a
slim chance.’’ 
Schmeichel clearly admires the way the Gunners have moved into pole
position with eight consecutive Premiership victories but knows that a lack
of consistency has let United down. “You’ve got to have respect for Arsenal
for what they’ve done. Any team that goes on a run like that deserves to be
in the Championship race,” he said. “We can only look at ourselves and say
that we haven’t been consistent enough. Next time we get the chance we’ll
have to sort that out.” 
Yet even if United do lose out to Arsenal, Monday’s 3-0 victory over
Crystal Palace has at least assured them of second spot and with it a place
in the Champions’ League next season. Schmeichel told BBC Radio Four: “We
needed to win against Palace to give ourselves a chance. If we hadn’t won,
that would have been it. But we have definitely secured second place and
second place gets you into the Champions’ League, so I guess there is some
consolation in that.’’ 
 

A Manchester United is for life, not just for christmas.
---------------------------------------------------------
JacKiT@indigo.ie

---------------------------------------------------------
If tomorrow was today, it would be yesterday.


www.red11.org



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Date:         Wed, 29 Apr 1998 18:18:38 +0800
Reply-To: Red Devil Marcus 
Sender: "Manchester United Football Club (soccer)"
              
From: Red Devil Marcus 
Subject:   Schmeichel's The Best (Reuters)

Wednesday April 29 1:15 AM EDT

World Cup-Denmark Schmeichel Simply the best

COPENHAGEN, April 29 (Reuters) - Anybody hoping to score against Denmark at
this summer's World Cup has a major barrier to overcome.

Its name is Peter Schmeichel.

A towering figure, considered by many as the world's best goalkeeper, the
34-year-old Manchester United stalwart has made a career out of ruining
strikers' reputations.

Ever since his first day as a professional with the Copenhagen club Hvidovre
in 1984, Schmeichel had no doubt about his soccer destiny.

``From my very first day of training, people told me that I would play for
the Danish national team and live abroad,'' Schmeichel says. ``And I never
doubted for a minute what they said.''

In 1987, Peter Bolislaw Schmeichel, the middle name denoting a Polish
father, joined leading Danish club Brondby.

The same year he made his debut in Denmark's Olympic team and his brilliance
went on to help Brondby to four Danish titles.

His performances captured the eye of United manager Alex Ferguson and in
1991 he joined the English club for what today seems a meagre transfer fee
of just 555,000 pounds ($924,000).

Schmeichel, a commanding 1.91m tall and weighing 98 kilos, has since played
in more than 300 matches for the Manchester giants, winning four English
championships -- including the league and cup double in 1994 and 1996. He is
under contract with United until 2001.

Schmeichel's overwhelming physique and fiery temperament strike terror into
opposing forwards who dare to approach his territory, while many a defensive
team mate has been left with battered ear drums by his habit of bawling out
anybody he believes is shirking their duty.

Schmeichel established himself as the world's best at the European
championships in Sweden in 1992 where Denmark were playing as a late
substitute for disqualified Yugoslavia.

In a penalty shootout in the semifinal against the Netherlands it was
Schmeichel's brilliant stop from Marco van Basten that ensured the Danes of
a place in the final.

There the Scandinavians stunned favourites Germany 2-0, with Schmeichel
producing several gravity-defying reflex saves.

A similarly dazzling series of stops ensured Denmark a 0-0 draw with Greece
last October to clinch their ticket to France 98.

It is likely to be Schmeichel's first and last World Cup. There are many
strikers who will be grateful for that.
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