EPL Talk » Ronaldo

Will Carlos Queiroz be back at Old Trafford Soon?

David Schiavone — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:30:46 +0000

How long does he have left?

With Portugal on the verge of non-qualification for the World Cup in 2010, manager Carlos Queiroz is under extreme pressure and has the very real possibility of unemployment looming over him. Given this threat, and inevitability that this will occur, I ask you… How long before we see the Portuguese back in the Manchester United dugout alongside Sir Alex Ferguson?

With Portugal lying fourth in their World Cup qualifying group with only ten points from seven matches. Going into the qualification group as favourites, the current state of affairs comes as a real shock for the Euro 2008 quarter-finalists.

Denmark have more or less qualified for the World Cup with Hungary and Sweden in equally strong positions. It was imperative the Portuguese overcame Hungary in the last match, but even still, the jobcentre still looms large for Queiroz.

With Portugal lying third in Group A, level on points with fourth placed Hungary and two points behind Sweden who lie second. With two games remaining Portugal face Hungary and Malta, both in Portugal, nothing less than six points from these games will do. But Sweden do have a relatively straightforward fixture with Albania, before which, they play Denmark, a game that will decide the fate of Carlos.

Queiroz therefore may be looking for new employment sooner rather than later and the Old Trafford bench is a familiar environment, one where he has had success in the past as well.

During his first reign sat beside Ferguson for only one year but managed to help the Old Trafford side win the Premier League title on season 02/03, before being poached by Real Madrid. It was after an unsuccessful year in Madrid that he was brought back to Old Trafford by Ferguson to begin an extremely successful four-year reign as assistant manager.

As a number one, Queiroz is terrible, making mistake after mistake. He is also accountable for Portugal’s failure to qualify for Euro ’92 and after taking over a very talented Sporting Lisbon team, led them to three seasons of failure and was promptly dismissed. After his first stint at Old Trafford, Real Madrid offered him a dream job, one that he could not turn down, and one that was a veritable disaster.

Sir Alex Ferguson welcomed the failed coach back to Old Trafford as his number two in July 2004 and so began a fruitful relationship. A number of trophies became housed at Old Trafford, including the 2008 Champions League trophy. Queiroz was seen as instrumental in United’s success, introducing new training methods and tactical plans that underpinned the Manchester United side of a few years back.

He also has an eye for talent spotting; he famously discovered Portugal’s so-called ‘Golden Generation’ and also had a hand in bringing Cristiano Ronaldo to Old Trafford. But these positives have not transpired into the managerial stage and who knows, he may be back sharing a glass or two of Chianti with Sir Alex before the year is out.

Man United: The Empire Strikes Back

Arjun Talwar — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 14:12:00 +0000

Liverpool winning 3-1 away at the KC stadium. Surely, no-one expected anything less if not anything more. The reigning champions level again for the umpteenth time, their leaky defence ensuring that the goal difference keeps them behind Liverpool in second place. Yes, they did have two games in hand but chasing points and championships is not the most comfortable proposition especially when you have key Champions League encounters looming on the horizon. Hence, the Red Devils didn’t exactly have a cakewalk waiting for them at the theater of dreams this weekend.

Spurs have rescued their season somewhat considering it was their worst ever start to a season. The Lilywhites didn’t have much to play for coming in to Old Trafford. Although winning the last 5 of their 6 games, a mostly fit squad, the fact that United had one eye on their Champions League semi-final, Spurs were looking to be a decent bet to pick up something from the game. But their record against the champions, with their last win at Old Trafford coming in 1989 didn’t inspire much confidence for the London outfit. The expected changes were made with the young Brazilian Rafael Da Silva taking his rightful place at right-back while Rio Ferdinand and Nani also returned to the mix. As for Spurs, injuries to Michael Dawson and Roman Pavlyuchenko meant that Ledley King started and Darren Bent retained his place up-top.

Both teams started brightly enough ensuring a good battle in prospect. Clearly, Tottenham had done their homework and reminiscent of their last encounter in the Carling Cup final, Aaron Lennon, once again, ran circles around Patrice Evra. United simply failed to curb the Spurs movement down the right flank. While around the same time, Wilson Palacios lunged viciously with both feet up at the tackle-magnet Cristiano Ronaldo prompting the latter to avoid it by jumping at the last moment. Howard Webb was oblivious to the whole incident. Back to the right flank, united were being driven out of their own territory. The French left-back looked clueless against Lennon, possibly his greatest nemesis in his Manchester United career uptil now. It took 28 minutes for the inevitable to happen when Vedran Corluka and Lennon combined down the right with the Croat crossing for Bent with the ball falling in between Vidic and Ferdinand and Bent on hand to smash it home.

Tottenham 1 – 0 Manchester United: Old Trafford – Silence.

Three minutes later, Lennon still terrorizing the united defence down the right but crossing himself this time for the poaching Bent. The Englishman flicked the ball to the far post where Rafael went AWOL leaving Luka Modric free to bang it in.

Tottenham 2 – 0 Manchester United: Old Trafford – In shock. (Merseyside – popping Champagne).

The goal bringing back bitter memories for the united fans as Porto scored a last minute equalizer the same way in the Champions League quarter finals. The ones looking on in the stadium or through different means through out the world were stunned more so by United’s play than by the scoreline. United, incensed, went all out but a couple of unsuccessful free kicks and corners was their only reward.

HALFTIME.

FlashBack :
Date: 29 September 2001
Place: White Hart Lane, London

United trailing 3-0 at half-time looking down and out after being thoroughly outplayed in the first. But changes at half-time, some hairdryer treatment by the fiery Scot had the red devils transformed in the second half. What transpired after that is highly placed now in the united folklore. United smashed in 5 goals ending up hammering the spurs 5-3. Surely, the United faithful were hoping for an encore.

Changes again at half-time with Carlos Tevez replacing Nani, Fergie looked to increase the tempo. United looked like a team possessed, urgent and hungry to reclaim their throne at the top of the table. Some vintage United-esque play between Berbatov and Ronaldo saw the Portuguese but a good save from Gomes ensured that the scoreline wasnt disturbed. Minutes later, Rooney found Carrick running in the box with a superb ball prompting Gomes to come out to save the former Tottenham man from scoring. Instead, he brought down Carrick albeit getting a touch on the ball in the process, but Mr. Webb generously awarding united a penalty. A more suitable scoreline you think would have prompted a different decision. The enigmatic Portuguese stepped up, closed his eyes, took a deep breath and slammed the ball straight down the middle sending Gomes the wrong way.

Manchester United 1 – 2 Tottenham: Old Trafford – Faith Renewed.

Adrenalin was pumping, united were smelling blood and Paul Scholes was brought on for Fletcher to extract more creativity. Within minutes, Berbatov held the ball up well to feed Tevez who found Rooney on the left and Wazza cut inside, found space and smashed it past the former PSV man at the near post.

Manchester United 2 – 2 Tottenham: Old Trafford – Electric.

The Red Devils were pumped up and even the spurs knew what was coming. In under a minute, Super Roon beat Lennon on the left before sending a delectable cross to a sprinting Ronaldo who obliged by heading past Gomes sending the red half of Manchester into raptures.

Manchester United 3 – 2 Tottenham. Old Trafford – Wild euphoria!!

Tottenham looked on in despair, trying to find some sense in all that was happening. United were far from done as Ronaldo sent in a ball from the right to a prowling Rooney in the box. The English hitman fired it past Gomes but a last ditch save from Woodgate wasnt enough to keep it from trickling over the line to give united some breathing space.

Manchester United 4 – 2 Tottenham: Old Trafford – Normal service resumed.

United a touch slower now, but rampant nonetheless. The red devils displaying exhibition football and spurs waiting for the misery to end. Rooney, master of creativity for the day, strolled past Lennon before chipping in a ball from the left for the lurking Berbatov who headed an effort only to be parried by Gomes but scrappily putting it in the back of the net ultimately.

Manchester United 5 – 2 Tottenham. Old Trafford – At their loudest best this season.

United climbing back to the summit

Twenty two minutes, 5 goals, and United making a statement about their verve and style, something they haven’t done a lot this season. But as a certain gentlemen calling this to be a ’squeaky-bum’ time, the Red Devils couldn’t have found their rhythm at a better time. The hairdryer from the gaffer, a masterstroke substitution and United rediscovering their passion, a recipe which ended a potential upset into a rout. But expect more twists and turns as the BPL is at its topsy-turvy best. As for Arsenal and their makeshift defence, they should be worried.

Ferguson versus Mourinho: Clash of the Chess Player-Like Football Tactician Grandmasters

Richard Whittall — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:56:05 +0000

The delicious mind-game between former Premier League rivals Jose Mourinho and Alex Ferguson didn’t disappoint yesterday afternoon. Whether making sure each player wore the correct shirt to the organizing their players in a way to enhance the scoring of goals, these two towering geniuses of the modern game proved beyond a doubt they are football managers.

Of course to the layman, yesterday’s Champions League match between EPL’s United’s of Manchester and Serie A’s Internationals of Milan appeared to be a routine game of eleven-a-side football, but for those with expert tactical knowledge, every detail—from the way Maicon threw in the ball after it went out to touch, to the way Ronaldo fell over several times—was calculated from the start, pieces in an intricate chess match played by two grandmasters of the game.

You could tell by the way former Chelsea boss Mourinho leaned against the glass wall of his enclosure that he knew exactly what he was doing, like asking the men who were best able to kick the ball in the opposing net to try and do just that, or making the guys really good at defending their own net form a line of some sort at the back. As for Ferguson, who sat and watched the whole game with his face reacting to the events taking place on the pitch, he made no mistakes at all, like making sure there were eleven men on the pitch instead of twelve, and not giving them hockey sticks or knives, which I believe UEFA no longer allows.

Yes, not since Kasparov met Karpov has the world seen such a pairing. I mean, look at how Ferguson used non-regular starters to replace players unavailable due to injury, or how Mourinho used the best players at his disposal to play in their regular positions. The intense extra-sensorial perspetival action was almost too hard to bear. Indeed, when sometimes-fit-but-sometimes-not-fit striker Wayne Rooney came on in the latter stages of the game to replace tiring Ji Sung Park, it seemed to be checkmate times a billion, until Mourinho had it clear he had other plans. Like having his defenders snuff out Manchester’s attempts on goal.

Now we can all look forward to the second leg in Manchester in two weeks time. Will Ferguson attempt a slightly different formation so that the players will better interact with one another to facilitate the scoring of goals? Will Mourinho give an inspiring team talk to try and improve or maintain his players’ performance in the second half? You’ll have to tune in to find out!

Benitez Burns His Bridges

Paul Bestall — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:59:04 +0000

Liverpool seem to have decided on a new transfer policy this summer which makes the same impact as Real Madrid’s lovelorn chase for Ronaldo. Liverpool seem to be using their local paper, The Echo, to release transfer target information into the public domain to unsettle players at other clubs. Gareth Barry became the first and now it seems that Liverpool are targeting Tottenham’s Robbie Keane in the same way. Whilst I know this kind of thing has gone on for years, Manchester United have been accused 19 times in the last 10 years of tapping up players, Liverpool seem determined to lose any face they have in British football by simply announcing which players they covet and seek to recruit them in this way.

What makes this situation worse is that Liverpool seem to be a little hard up and this new policy seems designed to get their targets to request to leave rather than match clubs valuations of players they desire. Stories began to be circulated yesterday that Keane had requested a transfer, which Tottenham and the players agent quickly denied.

Gareth Barry meanwhile has been fined and told to stay away from Villa Park after criticising Martin O’Neill and Aston Villa in an unauthorised interview.Barry is desperate to join Liverpool but I’d understood it more two years ago, Villa are in the best shape they’ve been for ages. If anything, Villa have more chance of winning the Premiership than Liverpool do at this current time, financially they’re far more robust and have a chairman that cannot put a foot wrong for me coupled with an exciting squad that has bags of potential.

The Barry saga hasn’t done the player’s reputation any favours though and I think it’s a shame that a lad who has spent his entire career at a club and rose to club captain at an early age should treat the fans who adore him like this. I think it’s a real shame, Villa have certainly made him feel special and given him everything he wanted but it’s still not enough.

Barry was quoted as saying“There’s no going back, it’s time for me to move on, I’m desperate to play Champions League football and that’s why I have to leave Villa. Villa kept saying they wanted me to stay but I have not heard from the manager for weeks. It’s seven weeks now since the season finished but while the gaffer’s found time to be a pundit at Euro 2008, he hasn’t found the time to speak to me. Have Villa offered me anything to try to persuade me my future is at Villa Park, not Anfield? Not a thing.”

Do we believe that? Can you see Randy Lerner and Martin O’Neill being like that and ignoring this stituation. No-one believes that at all. Why can’t Barry be honest with the Villa fans who used to idolise him? Why not simply say “I want to play with my best mate Stevie G, earn more money and go out with a clothes horse”? because everyone knows Gerrard will have played a major role in negotiations to get Barry to jump ship, it’s a fact that they are best mates and have been for nearly 10 years. Honestly, do we think they’ve not talked about it at all? O’ Neill, to his credit, has said Barry can leave as long as Liverpool pay the price tage they’ve set and not a penny more.

Good luck to Villa though, I hope they hold out for every last penny of the £18 million they’ve set as his price, Liverpool need to realise it’s not 1988, they’re not the best club in England and haven’t been for 18 seasons, teams can’t be bullied by them anymore and it bothers me far more than the Madrid/Ronaldo/United love triangle that they seem determined to destroy any good will opposing fans have for them. As for Keane, I’ll take Torres or £25 million, other than Rafa, you’re wasting your breath.

Euro 2008 Portugal v Germany Quarter Final Preview

Paul Bestall — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:41:49 +0000

So here we go, we’ve had 12 days of blood and thunder football, sublime skills, shock results, new stars and the retirement of legends. Tonight sees the first of the Quarter Finals and what a way to start this section of the competition. There is no doubting over the last 10 years, Portugal’s stock has risen immensly and this tournament sees the team probably have their best chance of winning a major tournament. Whilst I appreciate they were the host nation last time round, sometimes the weight of expectation from your countrymen can bow down on a side and the pressure can disrupt the best of players.

There will be no excuses for Scolari’s men tonight: They know this game is there for the taking and a potential and probably semi-final meeting with the crafty Croatians. On paper, Portugal should rip Germany to pieces, be far too canny, too sly and too much pace for Germany to cope with. Yet, I’ve this nagging feeling borne out of the fact that I’ve seen this type of situation too many times with Germany. They always survive somehow; always get the last minute winner, the last minute goal line clearance, always the deflection bounces their way. Perhaps that’s down to watching them beat England time after time until 2000. Even in the Croatia game, when they were outplayed for long periods of the match, I still expected them to snatch a late equaliser. Surely it can’t happen again? Honestly, Portugal will either win this game by 3 or 4 or lose 1-0. It’s that type of game for me.

We’ve 4 wonderful quarter finals to look forward to, the football purist would love to see Portugal, Croatia, Holland and Spain go through. How would we feel on Monday morning if we were looking at Turkey, Germany, Italy and Russia as semi-finalists? I wouldn’t mind Turkey and Russia, both sides have really impressed me but my first 4 would conjure up two of the best semi final line ups the Euro’s have ever seen. Italy and Germany have been fortunate, very fortunate but that’s their football history and the tenacity that they show in international football. You can never write them off.

Scolari will be picking a full strength side tonight, full of flair and ability. Germany have fitness doubts over Frings and Podolski and manager Joachim Low banished to the stands for this game. Is this the game that Portugal finally come of age and dismantle one of the old guard of European giants? I think they will, but I’m still going to have that nagging doubt right to the final whistle but then again I thought that during USA 94 when Hristo Stoichkov destroyed them in a wonderful win for Bulgaria. The nagging will persisit though, unless of course the Portuguese go 3 up before half time, then I’ll only be slightly concerned until the final whistle. Portugal to win 3-1