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sky at night UNITED delight!"
www.red11.org DAILY NEWS
Date: Mon Mar 01 07:28:35 GMT+00:00 1999
Mail: barry@www.red11.org
This Issue:
1. You couldn't sell all your tickets Personal Match Report by OUR SALFORD LASS
2. Plenty of mills but no thrills Personal Match Report by RED KELLY
3. Carling Report
4. THE RUN IN! UNITED/Chelsea/Arse by Barry Leeming
5. Ryan Giggs in an exclusive interview
6. Keane the beating heart of Manchester United
++++++=========+++++++========+++++++++========++++++++
Daily RED Trivia Monday 1st March 1999:
1/3/1913: John Mew made his United debut against Middlesbrough. Long-serving goalkeeper
Mew missed only games in 4 seasons after the First World War, and made a total of 199
appearances between 1913-26. He won one England cap in 1923, and joined Barrow
in September 1926.
1975: Steve Coppell makes his United debut as substitute as United beat Cardiff City
4-0 in a Division 2 game at Old Trafford watched by 43,601. Coppell arrives on the
pitch in time to see goals from Stewart Houston, Sammy McIlroy, Lou Macari and
Stuart Pearson. Team was: Stepney, Forsyth, Houston, Greenhoff, James, Buchan,
Morgan (Coppell), McIlroy, Pearson, Macari, Daly.
***************
Barry Daily Comment:
Remember this this week is one of the most important of the season.
If REDS can dispose of INTER I personally believe they will go on to win the
Champions League!
Previous News:
Brian Kidd Press conference, pic, real audio
http://www.iol.ie/~redcafe/kidd.htm
Peter Schmeichel's last Season at United!
http://www.red11.org/mufc/news/schmeichel.htm
Next games:
ALL Result/Fixture Index:
http://www.red11.org/mufc/fix9899z.htm
March
3 Inter Milan (H) ECLl "Quarter Final" 1st leg 19.45
7 Chelsea (H) 14.00 FAC6 *SKY SPORTS* LIVE* + DkTV1 Scand.
10 Liverpool (A) 19.45 PL (moved due to FAC)
13 Newcastle (A) 15.00 PL
17 Inter Milan (A) ECL "Quarter Final" 2nd leg 19.45
21 Everton (H) 15.00 PL
UNITED Stats v All teams:
http://www.red11.org/mufc/stats/
*** RESULTS AND ATTENDANCES ON 28/02/99 ***
Newcastle United 1-1 Arsenal 36,708
*** LEAGUE TABLE AS AT 28/02/99 ***
Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
---------------------------------------------------------
1 Manchester United 28 16 9 3 63 29 34 57
2 Chelsea 27 14 11 2 41 22 19 53
3 Arsenal 27 13 11 3 35 13 22 50
4 Aston Villa 27 12 8 7 38 31 7 44
5 Leeds United 26 11 9 6 39 25 14 42
6 West Ham United 27 11 7 9 31 38 -7 40
7 Liverpool 27 11 6 10 50 34 16 39
8 Derby County 27 9 11 7 26 25 1 38
9 Wimbledon 26 9 10 7 30 36 -6 37
10 Sheffield Wednesday 26 10 5 11 34 25 9 35
11 Newcastle United 27 9 8 10 35 36 -1 35
12 Tottenham Hotspur 26 7 12 7 30 32 -2 33
13 Middlesbrough 27 7 12 8 34 39 -5 33
14 Leicester City 25 7 9 9 25 34 -9 30
15 Everton 27 6 10 11 20 29 -9 28
16 Charlton Athletic 27 6 9 12 31 37 -6 27
17 Coventry City 27 7 6 14 28 38 -10 27
18 Blackburn Rovers 27 6 8 13 27 38 -11 26
19 Southampton 26 6 5 15 26 50 -24 23
20 Nottingham Forest 27 3 8 16 22 54 -32 17
*** TEAM RESULTS - MANCHESTER UNITED - AS AT 20/02/99 ***
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
08/11/98 Newcastle United Home D 0-0 3 55,174
14/11/98 Blackburn Rovers Home W 3-2 2 55,198
21/11/98 Sheffield Wednesday Away L 1-3 2 39,475
29/11/98 Leeds United Home W 3-2 2 55,172
05/12/98 Aston Villa Away D 1-1 2 39,241
12/12/98 Tottenham Hotspur Away D 2-2 1 36,079
16/12/98 Chelsea Home D 1-1 2 55,159
19/12/98 Middlesbrough Home L 2-3 3 55,152
26/12/98 Nottingham Forest Home W 3-0 3 55,216
29/12/98 Chelsea Away D 0-0 3 34,741
10/01/99 West Ham United Home W 4-1 3 55,180
16/01/99 Leicester City Away W 6-2 2 22,091
31/01/99 Charlton Athletic Away W 1-0 1 20,043
03/02/99 Derby County Home W 1-0 1 55,174
06/02/99 Nottingham Forest Away W 8-1 1 30,025
17/02/99 Arsenal Home D 1-1 1 55,171
20/02/99 Coventry City Away W 1-0 1 22,596
27/02/99 Southampton Home W 2-1 1 55,316
******
Champions League:
Group D P W D L F A Pts
Bayern Munich 6 3 2 1 9 6 11
Man United 6 2 4 0 20 11 10
Barcelona 6 2 2 2 11 9 8
Brondby 6 1 0 5 4 18 3
Dec 9 Brøndby 0-2 Barcelona
Dec 9 Man Utd 1-1 Bayern Munich
******
CHAMPIONS' LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL DRAW
Manchester Utd v Inter Milan
Real Madrid v Dynamo Kiev
Juventus v Olympiakos
Bayern Munich v Kaiserslautern
Ties to be played on March 3 and 17
FAC Quarter Finals Draw ties to be
played the weekend of Saturday, March 6:
Newcastle United v Everton
Barnsley v Spurs
Arsenal v Derby
Manchester United v Chelsea (Sunday 7/3 1400 hrs UK)
++++++=========+++++++========+++++++++========++++++++
New "Sardine" wallpaper from Sam
Subject: You couldn't sell all your tickets Personal Match Report by OUR SALFORD LASS
Well, the day didn't turn out as expected after all! I expected to get wet
and cold (after listening to the awful weather forecast on the radio in the
morning) sitting in an atmosphere-free stadium. In reality I didn't get
wet and actually spent most of the second half shading my eyes against the
sun and although I did get frustrated with the game itself, the atmosphere
in our part of East Lower was OK and I actually quite enjoyed myself!
It was not looking good at 10am. Dire warnings of thunder, lightening and
hail storms were followed by reports of 4 hour jams on the M6 after an
accident had closed the northbound carriageway somewhere between Sandbach
and Knutsford. After emailing everyone I could think of who might
appreciate a warning of the traffic problems, I headed off for OT.
Arriving in Manchester later than expected, I decided to forego the
pleasures of the Throstles Nest and went straight to to the ground on a
football special. As much as I enjoy the company of the Nest regulars, I
also occasionally enjoy the luxury of having lots of time to dawdle around
Old Trafford and take in the atmosphere. After warning a couple of
familiar Red News' sellers about the bad weather to come (I couldn't let
them carry on enjoying the sunshine, could I?) my hunger pains were swiftly
sorted out with a bacon barmcake and then it was off to the membership
office to buy tickets for the coach to Merseydive, and into the stadium
with plenty of time to get a cup of coffee and sit in the early afternoon
sunshine watching the teams warm up.
The son-and-heir soon arrived and we had a good natter - as both of us are
starting new jobs soon, there was plenty to natter about. We also enjoyed
watching Fatt Le Tissier lumbering around on the pitch making Gascoigne
look a picture of health and fitness. Looking around the stadium, with
only 15 minutes to go, it was obvious that the traffic problems had made
many people late - plenty of ammunition for the "Do you come from
Manchester?" dickheads, there then. Half the Southampton section was also
empty, and since they had sent back half their allocation anyway, that
meant there were about 50 of them up in L Stand. Most of these had been
spotted having their photos taken outside the ground, which leads one to
wonder about their motives in being there anyway (anyone on this list ever
been tempted to have a snap taken of themselves outside the Dell? Thought
not!). My heart sank - outsung by 50 Southampton fans?? That would really
be depressing!
Anyway, I needn't have worried. The atmosphere was hardly up to Juventus
proportions but it wasn't bad. Definately better than at a number of other
"low status" games in recent months. The places the Southampton fans
didn't want in South Stand (next to the away section) were filled with
Irish Reds who normally end up on the third tier. From before kick-off,
this small section of green, red and white made as much noise as the whole
of South Stand usually makes. This spurred on East Lower and we were
actually singing from the start of the game. This might also have had
something to do with the fact that SPS seem to have had a change of heart
and for the second/third game running left us alone. Those who wanted to
stand did stand, and those who wanted to sit didn't stand - everyone was
happy and the atmosphere was relaxed, resulting in a very pleasant
afternoon off the pitch.
On the pitch, it was a different matter. With one eye on Wednesday night,
it was obvious that many of the players didn't fancy getting themselves
injured. With Keane on the bench and Stam "rested", the team lacked the
steel that we have got used to seeing lately. Only Beckham was (as always)
giving 110%. Yorke was not looking happy and his partnership with Ole just
wasn't taking off. We were missing Cole's runs and speed. At the back, it
was an illustration of just why experienced United watchers like Hal
Hargreaves believe that Stam will be one of the best United players ever.
Berg and Johnson are excellent, some would say world-class defenders but as
with other things in life, you don't always appreciate what you've got
until it's gone. There was one point in the second half when Berg did very
well to catch up with one of the Southampton forwards (I think it was
Beattie) and usher him to the side of the pitch to win a throw-in. The
son-and-heir turned to me and said: "If that had been Stam, he would have
caught up with him ten yards sooner, taken the ball off him and shrugged
off the player like a troublesome insect". Luckily, we've only lost Stam
for one game, hopefully he'll be back with us on Wednesday.
But we didn't let the frustrations of watching rubbish on the pitch put us
off having a good time in the sunshine (it might have been different had it
been pouring down!). We sang all the old favourites and took the mickey
out of the red and white barcodes up in the corner, reminding them that
they "couldn't sell all their tickets" and that they were "going down,
going down, going down." Half-time saw us go in still at 0-0 and Peter
Noone out to draw the half-time lottery ticket (those of you asking "who?"
are obviously too young to appreciate good music!).
The second half brought improvements on the pitch with the arrival of Peter
down our end and Keane to stiffen up (and speed up) the midfield. From the
start of the half, it was obvious that sooner or later we were going to
score, but it was very frustrating waiting for the lads to get it sorted!
It was also a little worrying at times to see Beattie almost crown his 21st
birthday with two goals! But we survived, we started singing again and
Peter was chuntering away to himself and to us for most of the 45 minutes,
leading to a few lads singing a plaintive chorus of "Please don't go" - how
I wish he wouldn't. I can't remember who came on when, but after much
prompting from the whole stadium, Cole came on, followed by Denis. From
then on, it was all United pressure as the Southampton defence moved
further and further back. Finally, Keane decided enough was enough. Becks
passed the ball to Berg in the penalty area, Berg headed it down to Yorke
and Yorke laid it off to Keane who slammed it into the back of the net.
Soon after, Becks again was the instigator - he put Yorke through with only
the keeper to beat and we were two up.
At this point, the fun increased off the pitch. Apart from an occasional
chant of "When the Saints go marching in", the Southampton fans had been
sitting quietly - ignored by most Reds. When the first goal went in, the
Irish contingent in South Stand had a great time winding up the nearby
Saints fans and the whole of East Stand sang "It's like watching
Portsmouth" and "Going down, going down, going down." This actually woke
them up and they managed a very original "Do you come from Manchester?" and
"Stand up if you hate ManU" (at which all the United fans stood up and sang
"Stand up if you're going down"). The second goal, along with the manic
celebrations of the Irish Reds, proved too much for them and some of Saints
fans close to K Stand tried to come over the barrier to have a go at the
United fans standing nearby. Fisticuffs were the order of the day, not
with the United fans, but with the SPS gorillas who, judging by the way
they waded in to the fray, were feeling just a little frustrated at not
having any Reds to beat up for the last couple of games! I would have
imagined their biggest problem was not keeping the two sets of fans apart,
but stopping United fans from joining with the Saints fans in a common
endeavour!
Unfortunately, our enjoyment of the second half was spoiled by Fatt le
Tissier being given a free header in the box and getting a totally
undeserved goal. Annoyance sooned turned to laughter though, as Peter
turned to us and let us know in no uncertain terms what a load of "f***kin
sh*te" his defence was! Altogether now, "Please don't go"
Man of the match has to be Beckham. As usual, he was booed by the away
fans and as usual, he answered them by giving yet another man of the match
performance. I have never yet seen this lad give anything less than 110%
in a game. A couple of moments gave me much pleasure - seeing Fergie
having a disagreement with the linesman in the first half and being told to
"give him one" by the lads behind us and seeing Fatt le Tissier taking a
corner whilst the whole of J Stand told him what they thought of his
fitness levels!
Coming out of the ground at the end of the game, the SPS goons were still
enjoying themselves pushing their weight around with the Southampton fans
as they left L Stand. One rather fat fan, with a face as red as the
stripes on his shirt, tried to argue with them - he was thrown
unceremoniously down the stairs. Some things never change.
The bad weather had never materialised and after meeting up with Nick
("gone over to the other side") Clay on the way up Sir Matt Busby Way, it
was a quick journey home, reading my nice dry copy of Red News and thinking
about Wednesday night. I feel nervous already, I'm going to be a wreck by
Wednesday - hope to see some of you in the pub beforehand, drinking some
much needed Dutch courage.
Copyright © 1999 by OUR SALFORD LASS. All rights reserved.
Not to be reproduced without permission of the author
New "Sardine" wallpaper from Sam
Subject: Plenty of mills but no thrills Personal Match Report by RED KELLY
This week I've travelled past seven football grounds (Derby, Bolton,
Blackburn, Port Vale, Stoke, Huddersfield and Oldham) and been inside one -
Old Trafford of course. It's been one of those travelling weeks so I
suppose I should have expected an extended trip to the game yesterday.
There I was on Saturday morning having a relaxing cup of tea when the BDS
phoned to say that Linda had just circulated an e-mail about a huge pile-up
at Holmes Chapel on the M6. Apparently an articulated lorry had jack-knifed
and the police expected it to take four hours to shift. The tailbacks would
be huge so a change of plan was in order.
Good job Linda and Mick were on the ball because I had no idea of this at
the time - so thanks you two.
I phoned Craig who was travelling up with me and decided to take the M1 up
to the M62 and across to Manchester. It would be a far longer journey but
we would at least avoid the inevitable traffic jam. So at midday we set off
and to be honest the travelling was quick and trouble free until we decided
we would take a chance, as we thought we had loads of time, and turn off
the motorway towards Huddersfield and cut a corner to get to the M62.
Big mistake. We hadn't counted on the number of small towns and villages on
the way and spent the next three quarters of an hour driving at no more
than crawling pace. The countryside did become more interesting as we got
deeper into the rolling moorland which contrasted with the huge, dark and
empty mill buildings which dominated the townships.
It was a drive into the past through the small hamlets with row upon row of
terraced houses with the family washing hanging on the lines outside, more
or less in the street. These terraces don't have back gardens, so the
inhabitants have to make the best use of the tiny area behind the garden
gate. But it has to be said that the washing looked less like it had been
washed than any other washing I'd ever seen before!
We passed through Huddersfield and intended to turn off for the direct
route for the M62, but the signposts suddenly disappeared at the most
inappropriate time and we found ourselves on the road to Oldham. The
MacAlpine stadium looked fine nestling in the valley below the town though
- better than Boundary Park did anyway.
We contented ourselves with more milltowns and more washing lines as we
passed through one after the other until we reached Slaithwaite where
roadworks stopped us outside the local pub. This, proclaimed a big banner
was where Slaithwaite United held their pre-match gatherings. As we sat
there with one eye on the red light and the other on the pub, one of the
locals came out sporting his bright yellow and green Slaithwaite tracksuit.
There followed eleven Slaithwaite teamsters all kitted out in yellow and
green with shorts so long they covered their knees. Their football jerseys
the old variety pure cotton with rugby style collars, and atop each head a
flat cap. The locals gathered around and cheered as they came out: "there's
only one Slaithwaite United" they sang and waved their scarves above their
heads as their heros headed for the Reliant Robins which were to ferry them
to the ground.
One or two supporters had claxons which they sounded loudly and with
regularity when the sun was blotted out and a tap on the window woke me
from my reverie. I realised there was a mile long queue behind me and
several car horns were blaring their displeasure. Just then the light
changed to green and we continued with our mission to get to the Theatre of
Dreams with faces as red as the United shirts.
Eventually we passed through the last village and out onto the open road.
So with the sunshine beating down on the yellow ochre moorland, not another
milltown in sight and Manchester getting ever closer I put the peddle to
the metal and reached the heady speed of 60mph, but not for long. No sooner
had I got used to travelling at a speed more appropriate to the urgency we
felt by that time and had said "thank f**k for that, now we can motor,"
when I also said, "oh shit there's a f**king sheep in the middle of the
road."
Breaks on full, we ground to a halt just before we could look forward to
roast lamb for Sunday dinner, and I was just wondering where I could buy
some mint sauce. There were sheep everywhere. Well I suppose there would be
wouldn't there! So it was back down to 40mph until we re-entered so called
civilisation a few miles down the road.
Eventually we got to the M62 and with a sigh of relief we sped our way to
the M60, past the Trafford Centre and down to our usual parking spot by the
canal. With fifteen minutes to go to kick-off we ran all the way to Old
Trafford along the canalside and up the hill past the single Southampton
coach.
I had to meet Steve under the Statue to pick up my season ticket but as I
got to the forecourt I was spotted by Dr Mark. He was delighted about his
brother who was over for a few days from Atlanta and had managed to procure
a ticket. I was happy to stand there chatting, but time was passing and
meanwhile Steve was apparently waiting as patiently as possible while
dancing from foot to foot trying not to think about the fact his bladder
was reaching an unfortunate and dramatic moment. Talk about doctor - he was
about to need one!
I got to him just in time as his face was turning purple. Season ticket
secured, we ran to the empty E32 turnstiles while loads queued at E31 and
we were in the ground in East Lower with seconds to spare. Through the back
way up to K Stand we ran and just made it to the toilets before he
embarrassed himself.
I was relieved to be there and he was just relieved as we climbed to our
seats just as the teams appeared on the pitch, with Southampton dressed in
their Kwikfit fitters' kit. Apparently just before we had arrived there had
been a banner paraded around the pitch proclaiming to be against racism in
football. Unfortunately there were six white lads carrying it. They never
quite get the PR right at OT do they!
The first half was eminently missable and apart from a couple of shots
kicked off the line down at our end and a good save by Peter at the other
there was nothing to report. Basically it was like a friendly game which
neither team seemed anywhere near up for. If Southampton had tried even a
little they may have got something from this game, but they didn't til it
was too late and thus deserved nothing.
They struck me as a poor team and United weren't much better. The half was
only livened by the wife of our friend who sits in front of us who only
comes when his compadre has gone ballroom dancing. She was more interested
in the enigmatic songster Mr Boyle who she spotted in J Stand and commented
she had been fascinated by him ever since he had appeared on TV naked! So
Pete, if you're reading this and want to get in touch let me know mate!!
Half time came all too slowly and for once I didn't need the toilet as I
hadn't even had time for a drink. I stayed at my seat and watched Peter
Noone (ex Herman from Herman's Hermits fame) draw the winning numbers from
the drum. He then read out the half-time scores from the rest of the
Premiership and did a great job, not that it's difficult to do a better job
than Fane, but I think OT should try and tempt him back from his US home to
take up a permanent post.
We were then treated to one of his hits and the sight of the bloke who sits
in front of us dancing along and spouting on about how good the 60's were,
but before we were subjected to anymore tales from the crypt the teams came
out. Mind you we could have done with some flare on the pitch by that time.
Then the "kick racism out of football" banner again arrived in front of us
and low and behold there was now a young Black lad leading the six white
lads around. Somebody must have told them then!! Tokenism I hear you say -
yes, you'd be right, but someone behind the scenes at OT really does care,
it's just that we don't know who it is.
So I, along with 5o odd thousand, was glad to see captain Keano on the
touchline waiting to get on and bark his instructions to his sleepy
team-mates, but even tough he did make a difference they still resembled a
Sunday afternoon pub team rather than a group of so called superstars. I
heard some people blaming the patchwork pitch, some the Inter game coming
up on Wednesday and some, Fergie's tinkering, but it was none of these. It
was apathy.
We sat there throughout shielding our eyes from the sun when eventually
with ten minutes to go Dennis was introduced to the fray. A touch of class
I thought as he strode onto battle and made an immediate impact without
even touching the ball. That's the hallmark of a great player when their
very presence on the pitch galvanises the others into action and changes a
non-existent game into a winning performance.
So we were relieved when the Stretford net bulged with a Keano special and
we celebrated more in relief than anything else. A couple of minutes later
we could relax as Yorkie made it two after he'd been found by a great ball
from Becks and rounded the keeper. Thank f**k for that we said
collectively, but football is never that easy is it!
As we taunted the pathetic Southampton fans with "it's just like watching
Portsmouth" their team started to play. They'd hit the post once before,
but this time they hit it again when it would have been easier to score.
You can't hit the post from a yard away from an open goal now can you, but
Birthday boy Beattie did. And then with a minute remaining a free kick was
floated into the United box. Several defenders stood reverentially rooted
to the spot and Peter supplicated himself at the feet of the soft and
sagging Saint Le Tissier as he planted the ball in the back of the United
net.
I turned to Chris next to me and said, "they wouldn't, would they? They
wouldn't do the old trick of giving away a two goal lead in the last
minutes would they?" He reminded me that it used to be United's trademark
giving away 2-0 leads when the ref took pity on us and blew the final
whistle.
So it was a very relieved set of supporters who left Old Trafford to muse
on the utter humiliation which lies in wait for us on Wednesday night if
they dare to play anything like they did yesterday. They wouldn't though -
would they?
Back in the car and resigned to taking the M1 route back because of
roadworks around Stoke we listened to Paddy Crerand on Piccadilly when this
bloke phones in from his car. He's a Red on his way back from the game who
starts chatting about the poor performance when he obviously takes note of
a flashing blue light he can see in his mirror. He says, "got to go,
there's a copper behind me and he's pulling me over." Paddy tells him it's
not illegal to be using a mobile phone in the car to which he sounds
surprised, but optimistic until Jimmy Wagge says "it is if you're using it
while you're driving". "I am" he says and dutifully pulls over for the boys
in blue. The next caller was a lad called Jocelyn, so I switched off.
Copyright RED KELLY 1999
New "Sardine" wallpaper from Sam
Subject: Carling Report
Comments: To: RED-DEVILS@PIPELINE.COM
To: MUFC@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU
Man United v Southampton 27/02/99 3.00
Man United (0) 2 Southampton (0) 1 FT
Keane 79 Le Tissier 90
Yorke 83
So much for Alex Ferguson's attempt to rest some of his
Manchester United stars ahead of Wednesday's Champions'
League clash with Inter Milan.
Captain Roy Keane, Andy Cole and Denis Irwin all started on
the bench at Old Trafford against Southampton as Ferguson
tried to give them a breather.
But in the end all three had to come on to help the FA
Carling Premiership title chasers claim a 2-1 victory
against a spirited Saints side.
Keane had been called upon as early as the interval when
Ferguson brought him on after a dismal first-half showing
by United.
And it was the Republic of Ireland midfield who put United
on the road to yet another three points when he broke the
deadlock with a vital strike 11 minutes from time.
That goal broke Southampton's hearts and Dwight Yorke added
a second in the 83rd minute before substitute Matt Le
Tissier pulled one back in stoppage time for the plucky,
but unlucky visitors.
United had insisted they would not be distracted by their
midweek date with the Italians, but from the first whistle
it was clear their minds were elsewhere. They did not look
like the Premiership leaders who had won nine of their 10
games in 1999.
Instead it was relegation-threatened Saints who were the
brighter. Birthday boy James Beattie, who was 21 today,
headed wide early on from Egil Ostenstad's cross which was
just a touch too high.
United briefly roused themselves from their sluggish start
in the 13th minute when the impressive Ken Monkou headed
away a dangerous Ryan Giggs cross for a corner. From the
setpiece, Patrick Colleter cleared a Dwight Yorke header
off the line from David Beckham's corner.
But in the main it was Southampton who were playing the
better football on United's patched-up pitch and Chris
Marsden forced a decent save from Peter Schmeichel from 25
yards out.
Ferguson livened up the rather dull proceedings when he
came down from his perch on the sidelines to barrack the
assistant referee over a baffling offside decision given
against Yorke.
Back on the pitch, Ostenstad knew he should have done
better when the United defence opened up in front of him,
but he shot weakly at Schmeichel.
United picked up the pace before the interval and Saints
skipper Jason Dodd denied Giggs a 43rd-minute opener.
Beckham escaped down the right and crossed to the back post
only for Dodd to stop the Welshman's header on the line.
United slowly improved in the second half and Yorke had a
header blocked before Giggs was left cursing himself on 59
minutes when he squandered a terrific chance.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer centred from the left for Giggs to
scoop the ball carelessly wide of the target with only
Jones to beat.
With a quarter of the game remaining Southampton brought on
Le Tissier, who had started on the bench following his
recovery from calf and hamstring problems. United also made
a change and Cole came on for Solskjaer to receive the
biggest cheer of the afternoon so far.
Le Tissier quickly made an impact and within seven
minutes of coming on Beattie headed his corner
against the bar.
To compound Saints' woe Keane gave United the lead
five minutes later. Henning Berg nodded down
Beckham's corner and Yorke set up Keane to score with
a deflection for his fourth goal of the season.
Worse was to follow for Southampton and in the 83rd minute
Beckham found Yorke unmarked on the left in acres of space
and he rounded Jones before slotting home his 22nd goal of
the campaign.
There was still time for Beattie to hit the woodwork again
when it would have been easier to score after Schmeichel
had saved from Le Tissier.
Le Tissier restored some pride for Saints when he scored in
stoppage time, but it will be of little consolation to Dave
Jones' side who on another day might easily have won.
Man United: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Berg, Johnsen, P. Neville (Irwin, 78),
Beckham, Butt
(Keane, 46), Scholes, Giggs, Yorke, Solskjaer (Cole, 67).
Subs not used: Brown, Blomqvist.
Southampton: Jones, Dodd, Monkou (Benali, 50), Lundekvam, Colleter,
Marsden, Oakley,
Bridge, Hughes, Beattie, Ostenstad (Le Tissier, 67).
Subs not used: Moss, Hiley, Bradley.
Booked: Colleter, Le Tissier.
Attendance: 55,316.
Referee: P Jones (Loughborough).
New "Sardine" wallpaper from Sam
Subject: THE RUN IN! UNITED/Chelsea/Arse by Barry Leeming
THE RUN IN! Download this EXCEL file at
http://www.red11.org/mufc/software/end9899.zip or
http://www.red11.org/mufc/software/end9899.xls
UNITED:
10 Liverpool (A)
13 Newcastle (A)
21 Everton (H)
3 Wimbledon (A)
10 Blackburn (A)
17 Sheff Wed (H)
25 Leeds (A)
1 Aston Villa (H)
8 Middlesbrough (A)
16 Tottenham (H)
---------------------
Chelsea:
6 Middlesborough (A)
13 West Ham (H)
21 Aston Villa (A)
3 Charlton (A)
5 Leeds (H)
10 Wimbledon (A)
17 Leicester (H)
24 Sheffield Wed (A)
1 Everton (H)
8 Tottenham (A)
16 Derby (H)
--------------------
Arse:
9 Sheffield W (H)
13 Everton (A)
20 Coventry C (H)
3 Southampton (A)
6 Blackburn R (H)
10 Tottenham H (A)
19 Wimbledon (H)
24 Middlesbrough (A)
1 Derby C (H)
8 Leeds U (A)
16 Aston Villa (H)
All three are at home on the last day of the season sunday 16th May!
http://www.red11.org/mufc/fix9899.htm
--------------------------------------------------------------------
*** RESULTS AND ATTENDANCES ON 28/02/99 ***
Newcastle United 1-1 Arsenal 36,708
*** LEAGUE TABLE AS AT 28/02/99 ***
Pos Team P W D L F A GD Pts
---------------------------------------------------------
1 Manchester United 28 16 9 3 63 29 34 57
2 Chelsea 27 14 11 2 41 22 19 53
3 Arsenal 27 13 11 3 35 13 22 50
4 Aston Villa 27 12 8 7 38 31 7 44
5 Leeds United 26 11 9 6 39 25 14 42
6 West Ham United 27 11 7 9 31 38 -7 40
7 Liverpool 27 11 6 10 50 34 16 39
8 Derby County 27 9 11 7 26 25 1 38
9 Wimbledon 26 9 10 7 30 36 -6 37
10 Sheffield Wednesday 26 10 5 11 34 25 9 35
11 Newcastle United 27 9 8 10 35 36 -1 35
12 Tottenham Hotspur 26 7 12 7 30 32 -2 33
13 Middlesbrough 27 7 12 8 34 39 -5 33
14 Leicester City 25 7 9 9 25 34 -9 30
15 Everton 27 6 10 11 20 29 -9 28
16 Charlton Athletic 27 6 9 12 31 37 -6 27
17 Coventry City 27 7 6 14 28 38 -10 27
18 Blackburn Rovers 27 6 8 13 27 38 -11 26
19 Southampton 26 6 5 15 26 50 -24 23
20 Nottingham Forest 27 3 8 16 22 54 -32 17
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Subject: Ryan Giggs in an exclusive interview
Europe, United and me
Paul Wilson talks to Ryan Giggs in an exclusive interview
Sunday February 28, 1999
He knows that the Champions League is his biggest stage. And the spotlight
is back on him Big match man By Paul Wilson Ryan Giggs smiles, half
pleased, half modest, at the suggestion that he reserves some of his best
performances for big European games. 'I think we all do,' he said.
'Certainly we all try to. All footballers want to prove themselves at the
highest level possible, and coming to terms with the Champions' League is
the biggest challenge facing us at the moment. All the lads look forward to
the games, especially when it gets to the knockout stage.'
Yes, but it was Giggs who was described as 'a marvellous player' by
Juventus coach Marcelo Lippi after a particularly influential performance
last season. The irksome comparisons with George Best were never more apt
than at that point, since Giggs too appeared to be playing in the knowledge
that without access to a world stage, a European Cup final really would
represent the highest level of football possible. Something about the
determination with which he fought back from injury to be fit to face Inter
Milan on Wednesday suggested the same imperative still applies. 'He's a big
match player,' Alex Ferguson said. 'He enjoys these European occasions.'
As does everyone else, but most of the rest of the United team have a World
Cup or European championship to aim for every couple of years. Only Dwight
Yorke also knows how it feels to be locked in a cycle of unsuccessful
international qualifiers, and look how keen he was to leave Aston Villa and
how frequently he cited Champions League football as the main attraction at
Old Trafford.
Giggs is disarmingly realistic about his situation. 'It is becoming
increasingly difficult to qualify for major championships with Wales,' he
said. 'So to that extent I'm happy to be playing against the best players
in Europe for United, but I'm not sure that makes me any more determined
than the others in the team. I think it's the same for all of us. The
Champions League is a break from playing in the Premiership, and a big step
up. It's an honour to be playing against the most famous clubs in Europe,
and at the same time your own club's honour is at stake, so there's no way
you can take it lightly. You are also aware that if you do well in Europe,
either as a club or as an individual, people take notice. You can make a
name for yourself, and that's what it's all about really. I want to be
renowned as a good player, someone capable of playing with the best, and
there's no better way of measuring your progress than by pitting yourself
against teams like Juventus and Barcelona.'
This is quite precisely put, for though Giggs is aware there is another
way, and that he would not be short of offers should he ever indicate a
willingness to play in Europe, he is convinced he has got the best of all
possible worlds at United. 'I have four years still to run on my contract,
and I'm very happy about that,' he said. 'As long as we are playing in the
Champions League every year I have everything I want right here. I think
there was an attraction in playing abroad about 10 years ago, when Italian
clubs in particular seemed to offer a level of professionalism and
sophistication which just wasn't available in England, but all that's
changed. The top of the Premiership is as good a place to be as anywhere
now, and that's probably why there aren't any British players going out to
Italy any more.'
Giggs feels, in any case, that if Champions' League success is to be the
benchmark, he would be hard pushed to find a club with a better chance than
his present one. 'We've made the last eight three years running, and there
are some big clubs around Europe who can't match that,' he said. 'Obviously
we would have liked to have done better. Two years ago we had a very good
chance, but we're getting more experience all the time and we're still
improving. I want us to dominate the Champions' League like we dominated
the Premiership for a while, but these things don't happen overnight. It
took us a while to get the right blend in the Premiership, then we won it,
then we dominated it. I think we can do the same in Europe. We are big
enough and we've got the ambition.'
United now seem to have a squad large enough to tackle the task this time
round too. Ferguson conceded a while ago that a shortage of quality players
at a crucial phase of the competition had cost the club dear last season,
and United appear mentally and physically livelier than 12 months ago. It
is not just that Ferguson now has reserves of the calibre of Ole Gunnar
Solskjaer and Jesper Blomqvist to slot in should the need arise, but the
£22m spent on Jaap Stam in defence and Yorke in attack has stiffened the
side and provided a real cutting edge. The fees appeared excessive at the
start of the season, but both players have quickly proved their value. As a
fellow attacker, Giggs is particularly appreciative of the extra dimension
Yorke has brought to the forward line. 'I think part of the reason people
were critical of Dwight's signing was because he was seen as a maker of
goals rather than a goalscorer,' he said. 'He was not thought to be what we
needed, but he's ended up being top scorer, so fair play to him and to the
boss.
'He has surprised me a little, to be honest. I didn't realise how good a
player he is until I started playing with him. It was a bit like Eric
Cantona all over again. I'd seen him playing for Leeds without being unduly
impressed I don't mean I didn't rate him but he didn't strike me as
exceptional yet as soon as we were in the same team it was obvious from the
start the man was a genius. I suppose that shows I had better stick to
playing, but it probably also demonstrates that the quality we have here
brings out the best in players. I'm sure that is what Dwight is finding.'
It is no secret that Giggs feels Cantona had a major influence on his
development and felt a sense of loss when he retired, but the 25 year old
lost an even closer guide and mentor this season when Brian Kidd departed
to Blackburn. But for Kidd, Giggs might never even have signed for United,
and in his various capacities as development officer, reserve team coach
and Ferguson's assistant, the new manager at Ewood has supervised every
stage of the Welshman's career.
'Brian was one of the main reasons why I joined this club, then he looked
after me when I was coming through the A and B teams, and finally ended up
coaching me in the first team,' he said. 'Of course you are going to miss
someone like that, especially someone who had so many good ideas for the
training pitch, but life has to go on. The new coach has plenty of new
ideas, which is a good thing, but we've practically only just met, we are
still getting used to each other. I think Blackburn have got a good man and
I hope everything goes well for him, but I'm not the only player in the
team who came through the ranks with Brian. I suppose we all knew he would
go one day, if we were being sensible about it, but we all pushed the
possibility to the back of our minds.' Kidd, Giggs can confirm, was a major
component of the club's success. 'He worked hard at his job and he was good
at his job, he was one of the best,' he said. Unsurprisingly, the
admiration is mutual. 'Ryan was the best schoolboy I have ever seen, from
day one he was exceptional,' Kidd said. 'The grapevine was buzzing about
this kid when I first got back in at United and he was at Maine Road with
the Blues, but he has worked hard. It is not just natural ability that has
made him a superstar, he has done it through hard work. That, and the fact
he hasn't changed at bit, speaks volumes.'
The grapevine is still buzzing, according to Kidd, only now on a global
scale. 'Ryan has already proved himself on the European stage, I know that
from my friends in Italy,' he said. 'I know how highly he is thought of
over there, and there is no bigger compliment in the world of football that
when Italian clubs, coaches and managers rate you.' There were compliments
this week from Roberto Baggio. 'You can embarass yourselves trying to pick
out the best United players,' he said. 'But I like Giggs very much.'
Kidd cuations though about setting too much store by Europe. 'He doesn't
have to prove anything at home or abroad either as a person or a player,
and he doesn't have to win a European Cup to prove his worth,' said Kidd.
'George Best was just the same. We both played in the same European
Cup-winning team, but he didn't need the medal to prove his value. Whether
we won the Cup or not players like George Best were always going to be
considered world class. Ryan is in the same category. Truly world class
players are truly world class players, irrespective of what they win.' But
winning never does much harm in football, as Kidd is currently well-placed
to observe. It seems hardly fair that he should be worrying about
relegation while United step out to face Ronaldo, Baggio and the rest, but
no one is complaining. In fact if United sparkle against Inter over the
next two matches, the Blackburn boss will surely be permitted a smile.
In those circumstances even Ferguson might manage one, though United now
have enough experience of European disappointment to know it is never over
until it is over. 'It won't really be over even then,' Giggs said. 'We all
want to win the Champions League, everybody knows that, but it doesn't stop
there. If we do win it, we'll want to defend it. Try and win it again and
again.
New "Sardine" wallpaper from Sam
Subject: Keane the beating heart of Manchester United
By Kevin Fylan
LONDON, Feb 27 - Roy Keane, the man once described by Alex Ferguson as the
heartbeat of Manchester United, will be charged this week with keeping his
side coursing towards domestic and European success.
Keane came off the bench on Saturday to will a jaded United to a 2-1
victory over Southampton, a win that maintained their four-point lead at
the top of the premier league.
But United hopes of returning to trophy-winning ways, after a season void
of silverware last year, will face three far more severe tests over the
coming 11 days.
And manager Ferguson will look to his midfield general Keane to keep them
pressing for success on three fronts.
A midweek date with Inter Milan in the European Cup quarter-final will be
followed on Sunday by an F.A. Cup last-eight clash with Chelsea.
Ferguson's men then take on arch-rivals Liverpool in the premier league as
they look to maintain their slim lead over Chelsea and Arsenal, their only
realistic challengers.
Much has been made this season of the extra attacking dimension brought to
the team by Dwight Yorke, the 16-goal Trinidad and Tobago striker who
scored United's second against Southampton.
But more important to United's chances of European and domestic success is
the return of Keane.
The Irishman missed almost all of last season after a serious knee injury
in October.
Without him, United crashed out of Europe at the quarter-final stage to
Monaco, lost to Barnsley in the F.A. Cup and let slip a commanding lead in
the premier league, allowing Arsenal a clear run to the title.
But, back at the heart of the midfield, United look in a much stronger
position to challenge for success on three fronts.
His value to United was put in sharp relief on Saturday as, with his side
being held at halftime 0-0 by Southampton, he came off the bench to inspire
victory.
Keane scored the first goal himself and was instrumental as United,
understandably distracted by their European date, were finally able to
overcome a committed Southampton outfit.
Keane himself recognised how hard it had been to concentrate on the premier
league with Inter on the horizon.
"Of course people were looking forward to the Milan game," Keane said after
his vital 45-minute appearance.
"But the manager made changes and we've gone out and won, which was the
only important thing.
"We knew Southampton would have been delighted with a point and we expected
a hard game from them.
"But we didn't think of this as a run of the mill type of game -- we knew
it was going to be hard."
The retirement of Eric Cantona before the start of last season left a gap
at the heart of the United side -- a gap Ferguson was banking on Keane to
fill.
The Irishman's injury robbed United of some of their swagger but also a
measure of self-belief. Without Keane and Cantona, United clearly lacked
quality against their leading rivals and an ability to grind out results
over lesser sides.
Now, though, Ferguson believes he has found the long-term successor to
Cantona -- and the man to lead his team to European Cup success this season.
"As a captain he sets down the benchmarks for the rest," Ferguson said this
week. "He's done the job brilliantly.
"Eric Cantona was a hard act to follow as team captain. But in a different
way, Roy is proving just as good. He is my new Cantona."
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