Man Utd Thread:

[Blowitupref]

Good to see both Gibson and O'Shea play and play well in such an important game.

It was strange to hear Ferguson in the post match interview admit vulnerability. He said he spent a sleepless night juggling his doubts, wondering what team to play. He sounded very relaxed as if this year's plan was all falling into place, after a small blip last week.

yes i wonder when last time 3 Irishmen played in a European Semi final

Good spot.

The following lined out in a European Final:

Pat Jennings
Pat Rice
Sammy Nelson
Dave O'Leary
Liam Brady
Frank Stapleton

a european final was it Cup winners cup? some going more than half a team

Yes would be the Cup Winners cup in 1980, i liked that tournament i wish they brought it back.

[snoopdog]

Good to see both Gibson and O'Shea play and play well in such an important game.

It was strange to hear Ferguson in the post match interview admit vulnerability. He said he spent a sleepless night juggling his doubts, wondering what team to play. He sounded very relaxed as if this year's plan was all falling into place, after a small blip last week.

yes i wonder when last time 3 Irishmen played in a European Semi final

Good spot.

The following lined out in a European Final:

Pat Jennings
Pat Rice
Sammy Nelson
Dave O'Leary
Liam Brady
Frank Stapleton

a european final was it Cup winners cup? some going more than half a team

Yes would be the Cup Winners cup in 1980, i liked that tournament i wish they brought it back.

It was much better than that farce of a UEFA cup they have now.
God they made some boll1x of that.
Fond memories of defeating Barcelona in Rotterdam back in 91. I dont think many gave us much of a chance that night either. 20 years on can we upset the apple cartin Wembley.Both United and barca won their 1st European Cups in Wembley Stadium.

[13aside]

qpr coming up as no points being deducted despite being found guilty-latest bbc teletext!

[laoislad]

Good to see both Gibson and O'Shea play and play well in such an important game.

It was strange to hear Ferguson in the post match interview admit vulnerability. He said he spent a sleepless night juggling his doubts, wondering what team to play. He sounded very relaxed as if this year's plan was all falling into place, after a small blip last week.

yes i wonder when last time 3 Irishmen played in a European Semi final

Good spot.

The following lined out in a European Final:

Pat Jennings
Pat Rice
Sammy Nelson
Dave O'Leary
Liam Brady
Frank Stapleton

a european final was it Cup winners cup? some going more than half a team

Yes would be the Cup Winners cup in 1980, i liked that tournament i wish they brought it back.

Agree

[laoislad]

There is a EA Sports Fifa 11 thing that comes up on my facebook every week,I'm not even sure why as I don't remember signing up for it.
What it is is they simulate a FIFA 11 game of the upcoming big matches.
More often than not they actually predict the right result,not always the correct score but from what I have seen and I don't look at it every week but they get the result correct I'd guess at least 8 times out of 10.
Just looked at it there now and for tomorrow the simulated game finished Man U 1 Chelsea 2...
Just thought ye would like to know is all...Probably all a load of balls though   

[Farrandeelin]

There is a EA Sports Fifa 11 thing that comes up on my facebook every week,I'm not even sure why as I don't remember signing up for it.
What it is is they simulate a FIFA 11 game of the upcoming big matches.
More often than not they actually predict the right result,not always the correct score but from what I have seen and I don't look at it every week but they get the result correct I'd guess at least 8 times out of 10.
Just looked at it there now and for tomorrow the simulated game finished Man U 1 Chelsea 2...
Just thought ye would like to know is all...Probably all a load of balls though   

Well there's always that other 2 out of 10 as well! For my own blood pressure's sake anyway!

[EC Unique]

There is a EA Sports Fifa 11 thing that comes up on my facebook every week,I'm not even sure why as I don't remember signing up for it.
What it is is they simulate a FIFA 11 game of the upcoming big matches.
More often than not they actually predict the right result,not always the correct score but from what I have seen and I don't look at it every week but they get the result correct I'd guess at least 8 times out of 10.
Just looked at it there now and for tomorrow the simulated game finished Man U 1 Chelsea 2...
Just thought ye would like to know is all...Probably all a load of balls though   

Ah well. Thats that then. Why not give Chelsea the 3 points now!

[Minder]

Schmeichel would be proud of him



Les Bleus coach Laurent Blanc poised to go after 'racism' own goal


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/07/france-football-coach-racism?CMP=twt_fd


The future of French football coach Laurent Blanc, at the centre of a row over quotas of non-white players in the national squad, is hanging in the balance after he was reported to be on the verge of resigning.

The former Manchester United and Marseille defender was said to be ready to step down as the manager of Les Bleus after he was secretly taped discussing proposals to reduce the number of black and Arab players in the side.

Ouest-France, France's biggest-selling daily newspaper, claimed Blanc planned to resign at a press conference on Mondaydespite the French football federation pleading for him to stay. It quoted an anonymous government source saying that France's president, Nicolas Sarkozy, was ready to call the 45-year-old and ask him to reconsider the decision.

A spokesman for Blanc denied the reports and said he would not be quitting. The ministry of sport and the football federation also rejected the claims. "I had him on the telephone and we spoke of him coming to Paris to be interviewed and of what happens after the inquiry, but at no stage was there any question of that [resignation]," Philippe Tournon, spokesman for the French national team, told the news agency AFP.

Separate inquiries have been launched into the claims that emerged a week ago on the investigative website Mediapart. A federation official has been suspended and Blanc has been given until Monday morning to appear before the two inquiries to respond to the allegations.

In 1998, when France won the World Cup, the country's national squad was a potent symbol of the nation's ethnic makeup and was nicknamed the "black-blanc-beur" (black-white-Arab) team.

On the secret tape made of the meeting last November, however, federation officials, including Blanc, are heard discussing a plan to cap the number of 12- and 13-year-old black and Arab hopefuls at sports academies, which feed into the national team, to 30%.

Blanc initially denied any knowledge of the quota proposal. When Mediapart published a transcript of the tape, he issued a qualified apology. "I admit some remarks made during a work meeting, taken out of their context, may be misinterpreted. As far as I am concerned, I apologise if I have hurt some feelings. But I, who am against any form of discrimination, do not accept being accused of racism or xenophobia," he said in a statement.

He added that the only point of the meeting was to "discuss the future of French football and deal with the delicate problem of players with dual nationality".

The affair has sparked controversy internationally.

[under the bar]

It was much better than that farce of a UEFA cup they have now.

Unfortunately the UEFA Cup too has bitten the dust.  It at least was an affordable 2nd rate option for the lesser European teams since it was a 2 leg knockout affaiir. 

Now teams unlucky enough to qualify as also-rans in their domestic league get cast into the 'Europa League' - a compulsory cesspit of low grade trips around europe, the culmination of which is hardly worth 3 points in your league if from Spain or England ubnless you win the thing.

[Blowitupref]

Probably one of the most famous cup winners cup goals (sorry Arsenal fans) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiYt3iNWau0

[new devil]

Big game today...Would be happy enough with a draw but we have bigger fish to fry

[Milltown Row2]

I'm sure United would rather win the 19th title than the ECL

[EC Unique]

Big game today...Would be happy enough with a draw but we have bigger fish to fry

Fuk the bigger fish. This is a bigger game than CL final IMO. Win today and the league is over. Utd never do well if they go into a game looking a draw. Go for the win. This is Old Trafford.

[13aside]

yep gotta go for the win but alex has changed our game somewhat and more controlled than in recent years yet we are still tops,but as an older utd supporter id want the win when actually a draw would suffice-come on utd!!

[Dave]

Big game today...Would be happy enough with a draw but we have bigger fish to fry

What a stupid thing to say.
In terms of winning the PL today is the BIGGEST fish Man United can fry as you put it.

This is Old Trafford.

No this is www.gaaboard.com